Decorating the indoor shrubbery provides baby steps into the Christmas crush. So half the show today was about trees, Tannenbaum, trimming and what’s waiting beneath, from Peggy Lee to Brenda Lee. And Sufjan Stevens (pictured) to Stevie Wonder.
First there were tributes to pay, to Memphis guitar ace Steve Cropper, who died last week at 84 and was represented not only in familiar Stax settings with the MG’s but also backing people from Alex Chilton to Neil Young.
We noted the 45th anniversary of that dark December day John Lennon was killed in New York City. And there were birthday greetings for nearly a dozen, led by Sinéad O’Conner, Jim Morrison, Toots Maytal, Gregg Allman and Jerry Butler. Today was the centenary of Sammy Davis Jr., and we followed Jean Ritchie with Wah Wah Watson and his indelible notes leading into Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
Here’s the setlist:
Capital Radio. December 8, 2025 1 – 4:39 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
“Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
“Soul Man,” Sam & Dave
“Who’s Making Love,” Johnnie Taylor
“I Forgot to Be Your Lover,” William Bell
“Damn Your Eyes,” Etta James
“Time is Tight,” Booker T & the MG’s
“Femme Fatale,” Big Star
“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues [live] ,” Neil Young
“Stand by Me,” John Lennon
“Look at Me [acoustic],” John Lennon
“Instant Karma!,” John Lennon
“Many Rivers to Cross,” Harry Nilsson and John Lennon
“Mind Games,” Sinéad O’Connor
“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” Sinéad O’Connor
“Roadhouse Rap,” Jim Morrison
“Is Everybody In?” William S. Burroughs
“Peace Frog,” The Doors
“Doors Fan,” Bruce McCullouch
“Only the Strong Survive,” Jerry Butler
“Dreams,” The Allman Brothers Band
“I Can Dream About You,” Dan Hartman
“Barbara Allen,” Jean Ritchie
“Let’s Get it On,” Marvin Gaye
“Your Love,” Nicki Minaj
“John Shaft,” Sammy Davis Jr.
“The Sermon,” Jimmy Smith
“Pressure Drop,” Toots & The Maytals
“Happy Christmas (The Christmas Song),” The Maytals
“Put the Lights on the Tree,” Sufjan Stevens
“I Am a Tree,” Guided by Voices
“Bare Trees,” Fleetwood Mac
“Trucking’ Trees for Christmas,” Red Simpson
“Crooked Tree,” Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
“Tree Hugger,” Kimya Dawson & Antsy Pants
“The Tree,” Peggy Lee
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda Lee
“O Tannenbaum,” They Might Be Giants
“Fake Plastic Trees,” Radiohead
:Hang Them on the Tree,” June Christy
“Tiny Tree Christmas,” Guster
“Nude Wrestling with a Christmas Tree,” Adrian Belew
“Got to Get You Under My Tree,” Sonny Landreth with the Dixie Cups
“Yah Das Ist Ein Christmas Tree,” Mel Blanc
“My Christmas Tree,” The Temptations
“Underneath the Christmas Tree,” Bill Lloyd
“Underneath the Tree,” Kelly Clarkson
“O Fir Tree Dark,” Bing Crosby
“You’re an Angel on My Christmas Tree,” Faron Young
“Johnny Tannenbaum,” The Minus 5 with Kelly Hogan and Norah O’Connor
“One Little Christmas Tree,” Stevie Wonder
“Thorn Tree in the Garden,” Derek and the Dominos
“O Tannenbaum,” Vince Guaraldi Trio
Capital Radio returns Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. ET until after 4 on www.cygnusradio.com. The show can also be heard via the cygnusradio.com app, available free at iTunes or GooglePlay. Older shows are available at Substack.com/@rogercatlin.
