The "Insane World Of Mike Sain" airs every Wednesday at 9:00 AM Eastern Time on WPON-AM 1460 Detroit. This morning's theme was "sad songs" in which Mike brought out the Kleenex for his listeners so that they could have a good cry and played songs with "cry," "tears," "heartache," etc. in the song title.
- The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson And The Miracles - 1970
- Patches - Dickey Lee - 1962
- I Can Never Go Home Anymore - The Shangri-Las - 1965
- Tears On My Pillow - Little Anthony And The Imperials - 1958 (by request)
- Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton - 1972
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles - 1968
- Cry Baby Cry - The Angels - 1962 (by request)
- Heartaches - The Marcels - 1961
- Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry And The Pacemakers - 1964
- Crying In The Chapel - Little Richard - 1963
- Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding - 1967 (by request)
- I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - B.J. Thomas And The Triumphs - 1966
Notes:
- Smokey Robinson and the Miracles "Tears Of A Clown" topped both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts in 1970. The Miracles had a long string of hits from 1959-1976 that also include "Shop Around" (1961) and "I Second That Emotion" (1967). In 1972, Robinson went solo and in 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He wrote many hit songs for the Miracles as well as for many other Motown artists.
- Dickey Lee's 1962 chart hit, "Patches," is a sad story song which ends with the song narrarator deciding to kill himself so that he can join his dead girlfriend Patches. From around the late 1950s-early 1960s, Dickey Lee specialized in teenage death songs of this type which were in vogue back then. Dickey Lee later had a string of Country charts hits from 1971-1982.
- One of the leading girl groups of the 1960s, the Shangri-Las are best remembered for "Leader Of The Pack" (1964), "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)" (1964), and "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" (1965). The latter song, which was played this morning, is a sad ballad that is mostly spoken.
- Little Anthony and the Imperials 1958 hit, "Tears On My Pillow," later also charted for Johnny Tillotson in 1969 (peaking at #119). In 1987, New Edition recorded a new version of this song with Little Anthony as guest vocalist which became an R&B chart hit. Little Anthony and the Imperials had a string of hits from 1958-1974 that also include "Goin' Out Of My Head" (1964) and "Hurt So Bad" (1965). Let by falsetto Anthony Gourdine, Little Anthony and the Imperials first recorded as the Chesters, then renamed themselves in 1958.
- "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" (1972) is one of several hits for Las Vegas icon Wayne Newton who began his long and distinguished career in 1962 making regular appearances on the Jackie Gleason Show. Wayne Newton's best known songs also include "Danke Schoen" (1963).
- The Beatles' noncharting "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is from the White Album which was released in 1968. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was written by lead guitarist George Harrison. After the Beatles disbanded, Harrison pursued a solo career and in 1988, he formed the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison.
- "Cry Baby Cry" (1962) is one of several hits by the Angels that also include the chart topping "My Boyfriend's Back" (1963) for which they are best remembered. The Angels, along with the Shangri-Las, are considered to be one of the leading girl groups of the early 1960s.
- The Marcels' 1961 hit, "Heartaches," is a doo wop version of a song that was previously a hit in 1931 for Guy Lombardo. "Heartaches" also charted for Ted Weems (1947), Somethin' Smith and the Redheads (1956) and Patsy Cline (1962), and was a minor hit for Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen in 1963 (peaking at only #119). The Marcels are best remembered for the oldies classic, "Blue Moon" (1961), which, much like "Heartaches," is also a doo wop rendition of a very old song.
- Gerry and the Pacemakers' melancholy "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" was their chart debut song in 1964 and it recharted in 1970 (peaking at only #112). This song was also a minor hit for both Steve Alaimo (#125/1963) and Trini Lopez (#133/1969). Gerry and the Pacemakers were from Liverpool and had a string of hits in the mid 1960s.
- Little Richard's soulful and uncharacteristically mellow "Crying In The Chapel" was a minor hit in 1963 (peaking at only #119). "Crying In The Chapel" first topped the R&B charts for the Orioles in 1953 and also charted that year for Rex Allen and Darrell Glenn (the son of Artie Glenn who wrote this song). This song later also charted in 1965 for both Adam Wade and Elvis Presley. Little Richard's "Crying In The Chapel" is included on the hard-to-find CD, "Shut Up! A Collection Of Rare Tracks 1951-1964 by Little Richard." Little Richard is a Rock and Roll icon who successfully fused gospel and R&B into his own distinctive style. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
- Otis Redding's 1967 hit, "Try A Little Tenderness," first charted for Ted Lewis in 1933 and was also a hit on all three major charts (Pop/Rock, Country, and R&B) for many bands and artists including Aretha Franklin (1962), Three Dog Night (1969), Billy Thunderkloud (1976, Country), the Ohio Players (1981, R&B), and the Commitments (1991). Otis Redding's best known songs also include "Tramp" (1967, with Carla Thomas) and "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" (1968). A highly acclaimed singer and songwriter, Redding also had his own record label (Jotis). His life was tragically cut short in 1967 by a plane crash. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
- "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" was written by Hank Williams. His version was originally recorded in 1949, but it did not officially chart until 1966. B.J. Thomas' version of this song became a pop hit that same year and also charted for numerous other artists including Johnny Tillotson (1962), Linda Plowman (1971, Country), Charlie McCoy (1972, Country), Hank Wilson (1973), Terry Bradshaw (1976), and Jerry Lee Lewis (1982, Country). B.J. Thomas had a long string of country and pop hits from 1966-1977 that also include "Hooked On A Feeling" (1969), "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" (1970), and "(Hey, Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (1975).
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