ROOTS ROCK RADIO: October 20th

[Dean]

The latest ROOTS ROCK RADIO is archived at the link below. As with last
week's show, this playlist is shorter than usual due to WRTC's annual
pledge drive. I had to do way more talking than I'd have preferred.

Also like last week, I stuck mainly to familiar chart hits in the hope
of getting more donations. Thankfully, my part in the pledge break is
over. As of next Sunday, I can shut up and just play the damned music!

1. OUT OF LIMITS, The Marketts

2. JENNY, JENNY, Little Richard
3. SUMMERTIME BLUES, Eddie Cochran
4. CLAP YOUR HANDS, The Beau-Marks

5. HEARTBREAK HOTEL, Elvis Presley
6. TONIGHT I FELL IN LOVE, The Tokens
7. TOSSIN’ AND TURNIN’, Bobby Lewis

8. BO DIDDLEY, Bo Diddley
9. HE’S A REBEL, The Crystals
10. FLAMINGO EXPRESS, The Royaltones

11. ONLY YOU, The Platters
12. MY TRUE STORY, The Jive Five
13. IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE, Conway Twitty

14. SPEEDOO, The Cadillacs
15. LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, Shirley & Lee
16. SCHOOL DAY, Chuck Berry

17. BONY MORONIE, Larry Williams
18. OH, BOY, Buddy Holly & The Crickets
19. WESTERN MOVIES, The Olympics

20. THE TWIST, Chubby Checker
21. HEART AND SOUL, The Cleftones
22. WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE, The Everly Brothers

23. DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS, Ray Charles
24. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, The Flamingos
25. IN DREAMS, Roy Orbison

26. THE LOCO-MOTION, Little Eva
27. LET’S JUMP THE BROOMSTICK, Brenda Lee
28. IT’S LATE, Ricky Nelson

29. SUSIE-Q, Dale Hawkins
30. I WONDER WHY, Dion & The Belmonts
31. TWEEDLEE DEE, LaVern Baker

32. DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE, The Shirelles
33. CHAIN GANG, Sam Cooke
34. SIXTEEN CANDLES, The Crests

35. BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ, The Hollywood Flames
36. STAY, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs
37. PEPPERMINT TWIST, Joey Dee & The Starliters

38. GOODNITE SWEETHEART GOODNITE, The Spaniels

http://wrtc.streamrewind.com/bookmarks/listen/419132/rock-roots-rock-radio

[Bruce]

The title of the show is a misnomer to me. I don't consider any records
from 1954 and up to be part of the "Roots" of rock and roll. To me the
roots are all from the mid to late 40s and the early 50s. Certainly not
things like Chubby Checker. The surf instrumentals played on this show
are not even close. It was the 60s crowd who liked the Beach Boys and
Beatles who also liked the surf instrumentals. I don't know any guys who
are late 70s and 80s now who liked that stuff. Guys like Donn Fileti,
Bill Olb, George Lavatelli, Jim Hunt, Val Shively, etc.. considered surf
instrumentals to be kids stuff.

To me the Roots would be acts like Amos Milburn, Roy Brown, Wynonie
Harris, The Orioles, The Ravens, Louis Jordan, The Dominoes, The
Clovers, Ruth Brown, Roy Milton, Joe Liggins, The Robins, Fats Domino
(1950-1953) etc...

This is basically a pre-Beatles oldies show. Mostly well known records
from the mid-50s through like 1963. Nothing wrong with that, and I would
have really liked it like 50 years ago when I was first discovering
these kinds of things. But nowadays I want to hear good records that I
either don't know yet, or are not real familiar with.

That's why I like the Soul years countdowns because there are always at
least a few records that I don't already know, and others that I don't
know that well. Same reason that I have never listened to your Pop chart
countdowns. Nothing for me to learn there, and also there will be
several records that I don't even like or even hate.

[Dean]

Post by Bruce
This is basically a pre-Beatles oldies show. Mostly well known records
from the mid-50s through like 1963. Nothing wrong with that, and I would
have really liked it like 50 years ago when I was first discovering
these kinds of things. But nowadays I want to hear good records that I
either don't know yet, or are not real familiar with.

I thought it went without saying, but hardcore knowledgeable collectors
like you are NOT my my target audience. I only post my playlists here to
spur conversation. As I think we can all agree, this group has been
slowly dying for a number of years.

Post by Bruce
That's why I like the Soul years countdowns because there are always at
least a few records that I don't already know, and others that I don't
know that well. Same reason that I have never listened to your Pop chart
countdowns. Nothing for me to learn there, and also there will be
several records that I don't even like or even hate.

I do those R&B radio station countdowns precisely because there's always
something I've never heard before. In August, I featured the week's top
50 from New York's WWRL in 1969. That particular chart contained 14
songs with which I was unfamiliar! Here's the link to that show:

https://www.mixcloud.com/dean-fiora/top-50-soul-hits-wwrl-new-york-8281969/

[Bruce]

Post by Dean
I do those R&B radio station countdowns precisely because there's always
something I've never heard before. In August, I featured the week's top
50 from New York's WWRL in 1969. That particular chart contained 14
https://www.mixcloud.com/dean-fiora/top-50-soul-hits-wwrl-new-york-8281969/

Thanks, I will listen to it. Been busy watching the baseball playoffs so
I haven't listened to any shows live lately.

[Bruce]

Post by Bruce

Post by Dean
I do those R&B radio station countdowns precisely because there's always
something I've never heard before. In August, I featured the week's top
50 from New York's WWRL in 1969. That particular chart contained 14
https://www.mixcloud.com/dean-fiora/top-50-soul-hits-wwrl-new-york-8281969/

Thanks, I will listen to it. Been busy watching the baseball playoffs so
I haven't listened to any shows live lately.

"Sugar On Sunday" by the Clique was NOT a Tommy James production. Tommy
wrote and recorded the song first, on the "Crimson And Clover" album,
but he had nothing to do with the Clique version. When Tommy decided not
to issue the song as a single the Clique covered the song and put theirs
out as a single and it became a hit. It was produced by Gary Zekley for
Gulf Pacific Industries.

[Bruce]

Post by Dean
I do those R&B radio station countdowns precisely because there's always
something I've never heard before. In August, I featured the week's top
50 from New York's WWRL in 1969. That particular chart contained 14
https://www.mixcloud.com/dean-fiora/top-50-soul-hits-wwrl-new-york-8281969/

I'm not so sure that Abaco Dream was actually Sly & The Family Stone.

Abaco Dream was an American rock group from New York City, United
States.

The members were Paul Douglas, David Williams, Dennis Williams, Frank
Malo, and Mike Sassano. Their 1969 release, the Sly Stone-written "Life
and Death in G & A", peaked at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at
number 58 on the Cashbox Top 100 (A&M 1081). Another single from the
group, "Another Night of Love/Chocolate Pudding", did not chart when
released in 1970.

The constant with all four Abaco Dream tracks was the producer Ted
Cooper, who was a music executive at Double M Productions at the
time,[4][5] and had previously worked at Epic Records, Sly Stone's
record label. Cooper died in 1975.

Some musicologists, such as Joel Whitburn, believe that "Life and Death
in G & A" is actually a performance by Sly and the Family Stone. They
note the similarity in performance of this song to other Family Stone
songs and the dissimilarity between this song and other Abaco Dream
releases. The song also appears on the CD compilation Listen To The
Voices: Sly Stone In The Studio 1965-1970, issued by Ace Records. The
vocals are attributed to Joe Hicks who, in 1970, performed a cover
version for Stone's Stone Flower label.

Here is another song by Abaco Dream. Judge for yourself.

[Bruce]

Post by Bruce

Post by Dean
I do those R&B radio station countdowns precisely because there's always
something I've never heard before. In August, I featured the week's top
50 from New York's WWRL in 1969. That particular chart contained 14
https://www.mixcloud.com/dean-fiora/top-50-soul-hits-wwrl-new-york-8281969/

Thanks, I will listen to it.

That Cortez and the Entertainers is very good. Never heard of it before.
It's big with the Low Riders in Southern Cali.

Did not like the Johnnie & Joe thing at all. Can't believe they were
still making records in 1969.

[Bruce]

I like the Little Jimmy Gandy.

[Bruce]

Dean, good show overall. I did notice a few slipups. When you played #49
you said it was #39, and one time you said the list was from 1968 rather
than 1969.

[Dean]

Post by Bruce
Dean, good show overall. I did notice a few slipups. When you played #49
you said it was #39, and one time you said the list was from 1968 rather
than 1969.

The pitfalls of live radio. When I make a mistake, I can't go back and
edit it out.

[Dean]

Post by Bruce
Did not like the Johnnie & Joe thing at all. Can't believe they were
still making records in 1969.

I agree on both counts.

[Bruce]

Post by Dean

Post by Bruce
This is basically a pre-Beatles oldies show. Mostly well known records
from the mid-50s through like 1963. Nothing wrong with that, and I would
have really liked it like 50 years ago when I was first discovering
these kinds of things. But nowadays I want to hear good records that I
either don't know yet, or are not real familiar with.

I thought it went without saying, but hardcore knowledgeable collectors
like you are NOT my my target audience.

I see. So the title of the show is looking to take advantage of the
false narrative started by white rock critics in the 60s. The one that
says that that rock and roll started in the mid-50s with Bill Haley,
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Elvis.

[Dean]

Post by Bruce
I see. So the title of the show is looking to take advantage of the
false narrative started by white rock critics in the 60s. The one that
says that that rock and roll started in the mid-50s with Bill Haley,
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Elvis.

If you can suggest a better title for the show, I'm listening.

[Bruce]

Post by Dean

Post by Bruce
I see. So the title of the show is looking to take advantage of the
false narrative started by white rock critics in the 60s. The one that
says that that rock and roll started in the mid-50s with Bill Haley,
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Elvis.

If you can suggest a better title for the show, I'm listening.

Mean Dean's Record Machine

[DianeE]

I don't agree with Bruce on this point. I enjoy "Roots Rock Radio"
precisely *because* almost all the songs are familiar to me. I can
relax and enjoy the sounds of my childhood without having to pay rapt
attention. I never could listen to those collectors' shows that were
popular on college radio stations for years. Yak, yak, yak in between
every record.

[Bruce]

Post by DianeE
I don't agree with Bruce on this point. I enjoy "Roots Rock Radio"
precisely *because* almost all the songs are familiar to me. I can
relax and enjoy the sounds of my childhood without having to pay rapt
attention.

You can make your own playlist and do the same thing at any time of any
day.

[DianeE]

Post by Bruce

I don't agree with Bruce on this point.  I enjoy "Roots Rock Radio"
precisely *because* almost all the songs are familiar to me.  I can
relax and enjoy the sounds of my childhood without having to pay rapt
attention.

You can make your own playlist and do the same thing at any time of any
day.

-----------
I do that all the time, but it's a different experience when you have no
idea what's on the dj's playlist and every song is a pleasant or
unpleasant surprise.

[Roger]

Post by Dean
The latest ROOTS ROCK RADIO is archived at the link below. As with last
week's show, this playlist is shorter than usual due to WRTC's annual
pledge drive. I had to do way more talking than I'd have preferred.
Also like last week, I stuck mainly to familiar chart hits in the hope
of getting more donations. Thankfully, my part in the pledge break is
over. As of next Sunday, I can shut up and just play the damned music!
1. OUT OF LIMITS, The Marketts

First pressings of this had the original title "Outer Limits" like the
old TV show
https://www.45cat.com/record/5391

Post by Dean
5. HEARTBREAK HOTEL, Elvis Presley

His first single released here in UK and similar kind of smasheroo
that it was in USA---except it was kept from the #1 spot here by Pat
Boone and "I'll Be Home"

Post by Dean
6. TONIGHT I FELL IN LOVE, The Tokens

My favorite record by these guys. I positively loathed "The Lion Sleeps
Tonight"

Post by Dean
7. TOSSIN’ AND TURNIN’, Bobby Lewis

The best selling single of 1961 in the USA but didn't even dent the UK
charts. Sacrilege!

Post by Dean
11. ONLY YOU, The Platters

A good case of an act re-making one of their earlier recordings in a
much better version

Post by Dean
14. SPEEDOO, The Cadillacs

I have this high in my "Fave Top 20 By A Vocal Group - 1955" and mention
the three main versions of this song that were out at the time---The
Cadillacs,The Commodores and Steve Lawrence.

Here in UK we got two of them . Guess which one got missed

Post by Dean
20. THE TWIST, Chubby Checker

Over here the twist craze only happened in 1962--this record didn't mean
much first time around. And even in '62 when it finally charted here it
was the sequel "Let's Twist Again" that sold better and reached #1

Post by Dean
23. DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS, Ray Charles

One of my very top RC favorite recordings and there's a terrific live
performance of it out there too

Post by Dean
24. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU, The Flamingos

My favorite version of the old Dick Powell "Dames" number. The Flamingos
work wonders with it

Post by Dean
27. LET’S JUMP THE BROOMSTICK, Brenda Lee

Dunno what happened with this one here---it was a 1959 single in the USA
but it was 1961 before it finally appeared here. Still delivered a #14
hit for the little lady tho

Post by Dean
32. DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE, The Shirelles

One of the best things they ever did. It's the superior version of the
song for me too---better even than the 5 Royales

Post by Dean
38. GOODNITE SWEETHEART GOODNITE, The Spaniels

The ultimate sign off record I guess

Post by Dean
http://wrtc.streamrewind.com/bookmarks/listen/419132/rock-roots-rock-radio