Zappa's Early Influences: R&B & Doo-Wop Vol. 15

Rumble: Get rid of the channels stealing my material, with no credit given whatsoever. One in particular copies every music album video, you know who I mean. Them or Me at this point, Rumble! Tick Tock.

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. 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
0:02:27 – Clydie King – Our Romance
0:08:24 – The Chimes – Pretty Girl
0:10:36 – The Chimes – The Chimes Ring Out
0:12:57 – The Chimes – ?
0:15:40 – The Chimes – Tears on My Pillow
0:20:50 – The Titans – Arlene
0:23:05 – Ben Zeppa And The Zephyrs – Baby I Need (Ting-a-Ling)
0:25:54 – The Dukes – I’ll Find Her
0:30:55 – Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers – Daddy on My Mind
0:33:40 – The Monitors – Closer to Heaven
0:36:33 – Johnny Flamingo – Will She Think Of Me
0:39:00 – Marvin & Johnny – Baby Doll
0:44:42 – Daddy Cleanhead & The Chuck Higgins Band – Something’s Goin’ on in My Room
0:47:08 – Henry Pierce and His Five Notes – Thrill Me Baby
0:50:07 – Henry Pierce and His Five Notes – Hey Fine Mama
0:52:00 – The Champs – Nite Owl
0:56:02 – Tony Allen – I
0:58:49 – Tony Allen – Especially
1:03:28 – Roy Milton – There Is Something Missing
1:06:48 – Benn Joe Zeppa – A Foolish Fool
1:08:47 – The Hollywood Flames – Later
1:11:15 – Chuck Higgins – I’ll Be There
1:13:25 – Vernon Green And The Phantoms – How Do You Kiss an Angel
1:18:43 – Wynona Carr – Ding Dong Daddy
1:20:53 – Eugene Church – Open up Your Heart
1:25:48 – Eugene Church – How Long
1:30:18 – David Ford & Ebbtides – My Confession
1:33:23 – The Twilighters – It’s True
1:36:10 – ?
1:38:37 – The Hollywood Flames – Wheel of Fortune
1:41:18 – Sonny Knight – Keep A-Walkin’
1:44:35 – Jesse Belvin – Where’s My Girl?
1:47:00 – Chuck Higgins – Broke
1:49:05 – Jesse Belvin – Gone
1:51:38 – Jesse Belvin – One Little Blessing
1:54:57 – The Victorians – Don’t Break My Heart Again
1:56:55 – The Soul Stirrers – Faith And Grace
1:58:40 – The Pilgrim Travellers – My Prayer ; Gene Moore and the Metronomes – That’s Bad