Rock in Peace: Gibby’s In Memoriam Playlist
A tribute to the musical greats who died, died* this year
Jeffrey Denny
“Hey hey, my my, rock and roll will never die,” Neil Young warbled in his trademark countertenor.
My old friend and frequent writing partner John Gibson, consulting with his son Josh, do more than their part to keep the music alive.
The Gibsons (no relation to the legendary guitars) have compiled a playlist of songs written, performed or recorded by both the famous (Doris Day, Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek, Andre Previn, Peter Tork), and the unsung greats (songwriters, session musicians, backup singers), who went to rock and roll heaven in 2019, joining what you know is a hell of a band.
Sometimes we worry about outrageously brilliant friends who are a wee bit, shall we say, obsessive about stuff they love. Other times we take advantage of their “beautiful minds.”
In that vein, maybe you’ll love Gibby’s 2019 Rock in Peace playlist on Spotify — ordered chronologically by when the artist passed away during the year, of course — as I do:
1. “Cover of the Rolling Stone” — Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (Ray Sawyer) (Dec. 31, 2018)
2. “Love Will Keep Us Together” — Captain and Tennille (Daryl Dragon, aka, “Captain”)
3. “Reflections of My Life” — Marmalade (Dean Ford)
4. “Tumbling Dice” — Rolling Stones (Clydie King, backup singer)
5. “Communist Eyes” — Germs (Lorna Doom)
6. “Son of a Preacher Man” — Dusty Springfield (Reggie Young, session guitarist)
7. “Todii” — Oliver Mtukudzi
8. “Cola Bottle Baby” — Edwin Birdsong
9. “Only the Lonely” — Roy Orbison (Harold Bradley, session guitarist)
10. “M.T.A.” — Kingston Trio (Jacqueline Steiner, writer)
11. “(Theme from) The Monkees” — The Monkees (Peter Tork)
12. “I’m a Believer — The Monkees
13. “Daydream Believer — The Monkees
14. “An Occasional Man” — Ethel Ennis
15. “Can’t You Hear Me Calling” — Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (Mac Wiseman)
16. “It’s My Life” — Talk Talk (Mark Hollis)
17. “Talk Talk” — Talk Talk
18. “I Remember You” — Andre Previn and His Orchestra (Andre Previn)
19. “Breathe” — The Prodigy (Keith Flint)
20. “Be My Baby” — The Ronettes (Hal Blaine, session drummer)
21. “Misirlou” — Dick Dale and his Del-Tones (Dick Dale)
22. “Shake a Tail Feather” — James & Bobby Purify (Andre Williams, co-writer)
23. “Make It Easy On Yourself” — The Walker Brothers (Scott Walker)
24. “Mirror in the Bathroom” — The English Beat (Roger Charlery, aka, Ranking Roger)
25. “Twist & Crawl” — The English Beat
26. “Tears of a Clown” — The English Beat
27. “At the Hop” — Danny & the Juniors (David White)
28. “Last Time That I Checc’d” — Nipsey Hussle
29. “It Was So Funny (The Song That They Sung)” — Erasers (Susan Springfield)
30. “Que Sera Sera” — Doris Day
31. “Woke Up This Morning” — Alabama 3 (Jake Black)
32. “Sweet Mama, Papa’s Gettin’ Mad” — Leon Redbone
33. “She’s My Gal” — Leon Redbone
34. “Diddy Wa Diddie” — Leon Redbone
35. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” — 13th Floor Elevators (Roky Erickson)
36. “Eugene C.” — Koerner, Ray & Glover (Tony Glover)
37. “Right Place, Wrong Time” — Dr. John
38. “Iko Iko” — Dr. John
39. “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” — Geto Boys (Bushwick Bill)
40. “Ain’t That a Shame” — Fats Domino (Dave Bartholomew, co-writer)
41. “Dino’s Song” — Quicksilver Messenger Service (Gary Duncan)
42. “It’s Been Too Long” — Quicksilver Messenger Service
43. “The Girl from Ipanema” — Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto (Joao Gilberto)
44. “Medley: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother/You’ve Got a Friend” — Persuasions (Jerry Lawson)
45. “Impi” — Juluka (Johnny Clegg)
46. “Scatterlings of Africa” — Juluka
47. “Third Rate Romance” — Amazing Rhythm Aces (Russell Smith)
48. “Big Chief” — Neville Brothers (Art Neville)
49. “Ain’t No Sunshine” — Neville Brothers
50. “Random Rules” — Silver Jews (David Berman)
51. “Punks In the Beerlight — Silver Jews
52. “Dick in a Box” — Justin Timberlake & Andy Samberg (Katreese Barnes, co-writer)
53. “Watch Closely Now” — Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson (Donnie Fritts, bass)
54. “We Had It All” — Rolling Stones (Donnie Fritts, writer)
55. “Gypsy In My Soul” — Clora Bryant
56. “Telephone” — Lady Gaga & Beyoncé (LaShawn Daniels, co-writer)
57. “I’ll Take You There” — Staple Sisters (Jimmy Johnson, session guitarist)
58. “Funky Broadway” — Wilson Pickett (Jimmy Johnson, session guitarist)
59. “Mountain Top” — Daniel Johnston
60. “High Horse” — Daniel Johnston
61. “Two Tickets to Paradise” — Eddie Money
62. “Baby Hold On” — Eddie Money
63. “Let the Good Times Roll” — The Cars (Ric Ocasek)
64. “Just What I Needed” — The Cars
65. “Bye Bye Love” — The Cars
66. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” — New Lost City Ramblers (John Cohen)
67. “Riding On That Train”— New Lost City Ramblers
68. “New White House Blues” — New Lost City Ramblers
69. “Uncle John’s Band” — Grateful Dead (Robert Hunter, co-writer)
70. “Truckin’” — Grateful Dead
71. “Ripple” — Grateful Dead
72. “Kids In America” — The Muffs (Kim Shattuck)
73. “Lucky Guy” — The Muffs
74. “Sunshine of Your Love” — Cream (Ginger Baker)
75. “White Room” — Cream
76. “Crossroads” — Cream
77. “Back In Business” — Beverly Watkins
78. “Dixie Chicken” — Little Feat (Paul Berrere)
79. “Willin’” — Little Feat
80. “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” — Harry Belafonte (Irving Burgie, co-writer)
81. “Lucid Dreams” — Juice WRLD
82. “Joyride” — Roxette (Marie Fredriksson)
83. “Popcorn” — Hot Butter (Gershon Kingsley, writer)
84. “September” — Earth, Wind, and Fire (Allee Willis, writer)
85. “I’ll Be There For You” — The Rembrandts (Allee Willis, writer)
86. “Christmas Time Is Here” — Vince Guaraldi Trio (Lee Mendelson, co-writer)
87. “Hello, Dolly!” — Louis Armstrong (Jerry Herman, writer)
88. “Tore Up” — Sleepy LaBeef
89. “Brave Sir Robin” — “Spamalot” cast (Neil Innes, writer)
Enjoy!
If you can’t, don’t or won’t, I’m warning you, “Captain” Daryl Dragon will haunt your dreams.
Jeffrey Denny is a Washington writer.
*Rock in Peace, Jim Carroll (1949–2009).
