Bob Stanley’s latest compilation “Wednesday Morning 6AM” literally turns back the clocks.
In the late 70s and early 80s, there was a parallel world of hits that people only heard when their clock radio went off. BBC Radio 2 had little time for the Top 40 music played by Radio 1 and beamed into living rooms by Top Of The Pops. Radio 2 effectively created a chart of its own playing singles or album tracks that their DJs enjoyed and wanted to share with their listeners. These tracks were given multiple plays on rotation and became earworms for millions of listeners.
“Wednesday Morning 6AM” is the warming soundtrack of eating breakfast or driving to school or to work in the cold and dark early hours to the sound of Art Garfunkel’s ‘99 Miles From LA’, Dolly Parton’s ‘The Bargain Store’, Hoyt Axton’s ‘Evangelina’, Paul Simon’s ‘Train In The Distance’ and Air Supply’s ‘Lost In Love’.
SIDE ONE
1. EVANGELINA - HOYT AXTON
2. LADY LOVE - LOU RAWLS
3. CASTLES IN THE AIR - DON MCLEAN
4. WHY HAVE YOU LEFT THE ONE YOU LEFT ME FOR - CRYSTAL GAYLE
5. LOST IN LOVE - AIR SUPPLY
6. DANNY'S SONG - ANNE MURRAY **LP ONLY TRACK**
SIDE TWO
1. TRAIN IN THE DISTANCE - PAUL SIMON
2. THE BARGAIN STORE - DOLLY PARTON
3. WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE WORLD - MATT MONRO
4. RUN LIKE THE WIND - BARBARA DICKSON
5. STUMBLIN' IN - SUZI QUATRO & CHRIS NORMAN
6. MATRIMONY - GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
SIDE THREE
1. YOU BELONG TO ME - CARLY SIMON
2. THE BEST IS YET TO COME - CLIFFORD T WARD
3. DAYLIGHT KATY - GORDON LIGHTFOOT
4. DEEPER THAN THE NIGHT - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
5. WARM FEELING - LINDISFARNE
6. THE DANGER OF A STRANGER - STELLA PARTON
SIDE FOUR
1. WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY - DIONNE WARWICK
2. 99 MILES FROM LA - ART GARFUNKEL
3. CALYPSO - JOHN DENVER
4. OLD AND WISE - THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
5. THEME FROM 'TAXI' (ANGELA) - BOB JAMES