Been busy working on another project, so these next pods are a bit late. Engineer Ken and I both thought of playing some oldies, separately.
Me, because Summertime seems to be the best time to listen to them. Ken because it would be a good lead-in for Cousin Bruce Morrow, the legendary DJ who started in 1959, will be in my radio spot on September 2nd. Just the one time, joined by another old time DJ Les Marshak.
And Brucie will be plugging his new book, Doo Wop: The Music, The Times, The Era.
My opening set will be oldies dealing with Summer- including one that mentions miniature golf.
While away on vacation last year, and on what was undoubtedly the hottest day of the year for me, sweat pouring off me, I kicked some girl’s butt in miniature golf.
Just felt I had to mention that, lol!
Enjoy the music, and in most cases these were ALREADY oldies when I first heard them.
But these were the true pioneers, the rebels- and their legacy is our roots
Moving along with our True Oldies, I am gonna open up this chapter with another interpretation of that old chestnut, Summertime- this one from 1960, by the group that did the original Barbara Ann- long before the Beach Boys.
Then a not so well known Summer song by a cat named Elvis Presley.
I hear he did some things before 1964, although you’d never know it by today’s Oldies radio.
Got a song from Frankie Lymon’s brother that only serves to remind me…oh, never mind, lol!
Then a set of songs that were known as “grind” songs- very little movement of the feet, but the rest of the body was definitely in action.
We also called them “songs that kept the cleaners in business”, if you know what I mean!
All the groups’ names begin with a C oddly enough, and I threw in a rocker just for the hell of it.
These shows all prompted By Bruce Morrow taking my place on Sept.2 with our station’s Les Marshak.
Takes 2 guys to replace me- even just for a week!
I ended with a song I said needed no introduction, didn’t give it one, and never identified it or the next one.
For the interested or curious, they were the Del Vikings and the Edsels (bad name for a bad car!).
We will continue with more.
Alright, now we get to some real kickass Rock & Roll!
Wailing saxes, guitars, drums, shouting vocals- OUR ROOTS!
With Cousin Brucie Morrow breathing down my neck, I felt it was only right.
He has the nerve to take my place on September 2nd, lol?
Only for one show though.
You know, most so-called Oldies stations only go back to 1964-65, as if nothing had happened before that.
That’s nonsense! There were a good 10 years of primitive, high energy R&R that in its exuberant abandon alone is worth a listen.
Before I begin with the music, I have something I want to read to you, to give you a feel for the anti-rock attitude of those early days.
Then listen to some GENIUS go off on a tirade.
Wonder what the hell ever happened to him?
We KNOW what happened with our music.
And drawing a parallel with the 60’s hippie protest generation, those 50’s kids also used hair and clothes to make their statement!
So, I will play a 1950’s Fashion Statement set- and it rocks!
This is a good chapter, and I was enjoying myself more and more.
Hope you will too.
I will open this final episode in the Oldies series with my personal favorite Richie Valens song- you may or may not have heard it before, but it rocks.
For all its fearfulness to adults, early R&R did have some non-threatening figures.
I mean, how scary could Fats Domino be? He has always been just a nice man.
I have an author friend of mine, Lou Miano, who is writing a book on Louis Prima.
He is of the opinion, and there are many others who agree with him, that Prima belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame under the Influences category.
He was apparently a wild man for his time, so a good case can be made.
I’ll play the original version of a song by him, one that was done recently on a Brian Setzer Orchestra album.
Also included in this chapter is a tune by one of the few female rockabilly artists (it was annoyingly almost strictly a boy’s club!), that has Elvis Presley song titles making up most of the lyrics.
We will go out with a set that includes an old radio commercial, dedicated to a couple of places a kid growing up in New York City could go to in the Summertime.
And one of the FEW places you could see R&R artists perform, frequently hosted by the same Cousin Bruce Morrow who took my place on the radio just for today!
I do hope you enjoyed the music and this series.
There is just something about the Summer that lends itself to those moldy oldies perfectly.
Next up, my 10 year anniversary at the station, prompting a Salute To Radio!
Mike
