HEAR TODAY FLOWING WITH JOHNNY RIVERS.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

In the pantheon of easy-to-play guitar licks, the opening of ``Secret Agent Man'' is up there with ``Sunshine of Your Love'' and ``Satisfaction.''

The Top 5 hit in 1966, which Johnny Rivers wrote with P.F. Sloan, was just one of a string of top-sellers for Rivers, who sold more than 20 million records in the '60s alone.

Rising to worldwide fame during the height of Beatlemania with a series of albums recorded at the Whisky A Go-Go on Sunset Strip, Rivers was first known for toughening up vintage rock 'n' roll standards. In the late '60s, though, he changed direction with the self-penned chart-topper ``Poor Side of Town,'' a soulful ballad followed by another in a similar vein, ``Summer Rain.''

During the '70s and beyond, Rivers returned to his rockin' roots, cutting album after album of vibrant rock 'n' roll while maintaining a full tour schedule.

Produced by Rivers himself is the 36-song, two-disc set ``Secret Agent Man: The Ultimate Johnny Rivers Anthology'' (Shout! Factory; $24.98), the most comprehensive collection of his music yet. The anthology features 19 of his chart hits, including 15 hard-to-find tracks released on his own label, plus two new recordings.

We tracked down the New York-born, Louisiana-bred Rivers, 63, at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He next appears in the area Sept. 30 at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana.

Q: Your yearlong residency at the Whisky put you on the map.

A: We were playing to people like Steve McQueen, Ann-Margret and Lana Turner night after night. It was the hippest place in town. I'd been working down the street at Gazzari's before the Whisky hired me away. About two months into it, I borrowed some money, rented a recording truck and cut everything we did for two nights -- and that's where that first album, ``Live at the Whisky,'' came from, with ``Memphis'' and all that stuff. I was actually working two jobs. I was playing a club in downtown L.A. from 4 to 8 at night, then we'd pack up, get on the freeway, head for the Strip and play there till 2 a.m.

Q: How did ``Secret Agent Man'' come about?

A: There was this TV show called ``Danger Man,'' with Patrick McGoohan. We were in London, and my producer, Lou Adler, met the producers of the show, which was big in Europe and was about to be broadcast in the U.S. They asked if we could come up with a theme song. So we worked up this spy thing with a guitar riff that's sort of a take on the James Bond theme. After the show was a hit, people started calling radio stations to see if there was a record. We only had this short theme, so we wrote some more verses, cut it live at the Whisky, added some stuff to it later, and we had a smash.

Here's a sample of other new releases in stores this week:

Crunchy Australian rocker Kasey Chambers brings tough, punkish blues and gritty ballads on ``Carnival'' (Warner Bros.; $18.98).

Justin Timberlake puts his boy-band past to rest in ``FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (Jive; $18.98).

R.E.M. says it's the end of the world as we know it ``And I Feel Fine: Best of the I.R.S. Years (1982-87)'' (Capitol; $24.98).

Simon Rattle takes the Berlin Philharmonic on a tour of Holst's ``Planets'' (EMI; $17.98).

Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau forge an artistic partnership on ``Metheny/Mehldau'' (Nonesuch; $18.98).

ALSO IN STORES

``Return to Cookie Mountain,'' TV on the Radio (Interscope; $10.99)

``Half the Perfect World,'' Madeleine Peyroux (Rounder; $17.98)

``Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian'' (Nonesuch; $18.98)

``Migrations,'' the Duhks (Sugar Hill; $18.98)

``Face the Promise,'' Bob Seger (Capitol; $14.98)

``Grey's Anatomy 2,'' various (Hollywood; $18.98)

``These Four Walls,'' Shawn Colvin (Nonesuch; $18.98)

``Fingerprints,'' Peter Frampton (New Door; $13.98)

``Amputechture,'' Mars Volta (Universal; $13.98)

``Shot to Hell,'' Black Label Society (Roadrunner; $18.98)

``Barenaked Ladies Are Me,'' Barenaked Ladies (Desperation; $18.98)

``Vittorio,'' Vittorio (Decca; $16.98)

``Continuum,'' John Mayer (Sony; $18.98)

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (Johnny Rivers)

(2) no caption (CD cover)