You Know Who... Misses His Voice

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The late, great Ronnie Spector

Seriously, this is the third week in a row where my voice has been complete shit. I guess bronchitis will do that to you, but this has gone on way too long. I also ended up missing three days of work. Evidently, people don’t want their bartenders to be hocking up a lung while making their drinks. The upside to this, however, was that I had quite a bit of extra time to plan the show. Not to give away too much of my “process,” while the birthdays often inspire some good musical choices, they frequently are off the cuff, last-minute picks.  Today, I believe, they were the highlights of the show.
 
The late, great Ronnie Spector was the woman of the hour. The embryonic recording of “Be My Baby,” not yet adorned by backing vocals and orchestra, is quite enlightening. Hearing her vocal before it got wedged between the cracks of the “wall of sound” gives the listener a chance to really hear her voice and phrasing. Her live tracks, backed by the Asbury Jukes and the E Street band are just fucking magic.
 
And this is not to take anything away from Ian Anderson. Though the sound quality is a bit rough, the recording of Jethro Tull at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago should put to rest any arguments that they were “twee.”
 
And all this is to say nothing about killer live cuts by the Kinks, Peter Gabriel, Utopia, and more. Definitely worth a listen.
 
Click here to check it out:
LIC Radio 8/10/2026
 
 
Kamasi Washington
“Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)”
(Brandon Coleman)
From Fearless Movement  (Young, 2024)
 
 
The Cars
“This Could Be Love”
(Greg Hawkes, Ric Ocasek)
From Shake It Up  (Elektra, 1982)
The expanded line-up of Ambrosia that
recorded Rock Island



Ambrosia
"Still Not Satisfied"
(Burleigh Drummond, David Pack, Joe Puerta)
From Rock Island  (Warner Bros., 1982)
 
 
The Kinks
“A Gallon of Gas”
(Ray Davies)
Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI, 8/10/79
Studio version released on Low Budget  (Arista, 1979)
 
 
Utopia
“Love in Action”
(Todd Rundgren)
Opry House, Houston, TX, 8/10/1978
Studio version released on Oops! Wrong Planet  (Bearsville, 1977)
 
 
Black Sabbath
“Children of the Sea”
(Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward)
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT, 8/10/80
Studio version released on  Heaven and Hell  (Vertigo, 1980)
 
 
Van Halen
“Unchained”
(Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth)
St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN, 8/10/82
Studio version released on Fair Warning  (Warner Bros., 1981)
Peter Gabriel, circa 1980



Peter Gabriel
"Games Without Frontiers"
(Peter Gabriel)
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, 8/10/83
Studio version released on Peter Gabriel 3: Melt  (Charisma/Mercury, 1980)
 
 
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
“Birthright”
(Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, Max Bacon)
Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh, NY, 8/10/89
Studio version released on Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe  (Arista, 1988)
 
 
James
“Come Home”
(Jim Glennie, Larry Gott, Tim Booth)
Hultsfredsfestivalen, Hultsfred, SE, 8/10/91
Studio version released on Gold Mother  (Fontana, 1990)
 
 
Soul Coughing
“Down to This”
(Mark Degliantoni, Mike Doughty, Yuval Gabay, Sebastian Steinberg)
Wetlands Preserve, New York, NY, 8/10/94
Studio version released on Ruby Vroom  (Slash/Warner Bros., 1994)
 
 
Jonathan Richman
“Fender Stratocaster”
(Jonathan Richman)
From Jonathan Richman  (Rounder, 1989)
Ian Anderson
Photo by Ian Dickson


Jethro Tull
“We Used to Know” > “For a Thousand Mothers”
(Ian Anderson)
Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, 8/16/70
Studio versions released on Stand Up  (Island/Reprise, 1970)
 
 
INXS
“The One Thing”
(Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence)
Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, 11/15/85
Studio version released on Shabooh Shoobah  (WEA/ATCO, 1982)
 
 
INXS
“New Sensation”
(Andrew Farriss, Michael Hutchence)
Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, 12/3/87
Studio version released on Kick  (WEA, 1987)
 
 
The Ronettes
“Be My Baby” (Take 34 with lead vocal)
(Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector)
Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 7/29/63 (backing track, vocals recorded in the following days)
 
 
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band with Ronnie Spector
“Baby, I Love You”
The Palladium, New York, NY, 11/4/76
(Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich)
Originally recorded by The Ronettes; released on  ...Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica  (Philles, 1964)
 
 
Eddie Money with Ronnie Spector
“Take Me Home Tonight”
(Mick Leeson, Peter Vale, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector)
From Can’t Hold Back  (Columbia, 1998)
 
 
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes with Ronnie Spector
“Say Goodbye to Hollywood”
(Billy Joel)
The Bottom Line, New York City, NY, 6/14/77
Studio version released as single A-side (Epic, 1977)
Originally recorded by Billy Joel; released on Turnstiles  (Family/Columbia, 1976)
 
 
Michael Mantler
“The Sinking Spell”
(Michael Mantler)
From More Movies  (WATT, 1980)

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