7 days ago

Music R&B Music zappas earlyinfluences doowopmusic

Frank Zappa often complained by the Eighties that he found it difficult to find musicians who were familiar with the Doo-Wop and R&B records of the Fifties.
So his love of that music could not be featured in his later concerts as much as he would like.

Frank would occasionally mention that he had a sizable collection of 45s from the Fifties.

I now encounter young people who never even heard of this music, not even from their parents.

When I lived in New York City between 1993 and 2008, I would listen to WFUV, broadcasting from Fordham University in the Bronx, almost every Saturday night between midnight and 2am, and record Dan Romanello’s “GROUP HARMONY REVIEW”.
Romanello was one of the most knowledgeable DJs of the music from the Fifties and early Sixties in the world.
We have now made 45 of his shows available – that’s approximately 90 hours of this incredible music!!!
His commentary throughout the shows is exemplary for its scholarship, including interviews with many of the musicians, who performed in those years on the street corners, since so many of them were still living in the New York City area.
This collection may not interest all Zappa enthusiasts but we are making it available to those who already enjoy this music as well as those who have never experienced it before. Frank showed me this collection occasionally and we would often listen to a few records.

Bob Dobbs

Episode theme: music of the year 1960.

Tracks in episode:

00:00:00 – The Paradons – Diamonds and Pearls
00:03:00 – The Flamingos – Dream Girl
00:08:22 – Danny & the Juniors – A Thousand Miles Away
00:10:54 – The Cruisers – If I Knew
00:13:04 – Johnny Maestro – Gee But I’d Give the World
00:18:38 – Little Sammy – Can You Love Me
00:22:53 – The Mello-Kings – I Promise
00:25:08 – The Five Keys – Rosetta
00:27:18 – Upfronts – Too Far to Turn Around
00:30:20 – The Miracles – (You Can) Depend on Me
00:35:08 – Bobby Mathis & The Sevilles – Girl In The Drugstore
00:37:27 – The Elegants – Little Boy Blue Is Blue No More
00:40:18 – The Cameos – Lost Lover
00:42:19 – The Capris – My Weakness
00:45:06 – The Skyliners – I’ll Be Seeing You
00:47:49 – The 4 Most – The Breeze And I
00:49:55 – The Flamingo’s – Besame mucho
00:54:08 – Dion and the Belmonts – Wonderful Girl
01:00:15 – The Spaniels – Bus Fare Home
01:03:28 – The Cadillacs – I’m Willing
01:06:43 – Herb Johnson – Guilty
01:08:42 – The Edsels – What Brought Us Together
01:11:35 – The Edsels – Don’t Know What To Do
01:14:22 – Herb Johnson – Have You Heard
01:17:44 – Arabians – My Heart Beats Over Again
01:20:15 – Smokey Robinson – All I Want (Is You)
01:23:00 – Five Satins – Candlelight
01:16:09 – The Cruisers – Miss Fine
01:30:00 – The Gallahads – Be Fair
01:32:15 – The Five Keys – Valley Of Love
01:34:11 – The Drifters – Lonely Winds
01:36:37 – The Gallahads – Lonely Guy
01:39:53 – Ron Holden & the Thunderbirds – Love You So
01:43:50 – The Paradons – I Want Love
01:46:18 – Dreamlovers – For the First Time
01:50:16 – Royal Jesters – My Angel of Love
01:52:55 – The Mello-Kings – Our Love Is Beautiful
01:55:17 – The Clefts – Dreaming
01:57:28 – Five Satins – I’ll Be Seeing You