Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol. 35

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.

https://wfuv.org/content/thank-you-dan

https://wfuv.org/users/dan-romanello

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

0:00:00 – Ella Fitzgerald – (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
0:05:16 – Clydie King – Our Romance
0:11:26 – Cats and the Fiddle – I’ll Never, Never Let You Go
0:14:55 – Mellows – Smoke From Your Cigarette
0:19:14 – The Dolls – Just For You
0:21:30 – The Tune Weavers – Little Boy
0:24:30 – The Charmers – Tony My Darling
0:30:27 – The Solitaires – Blue Valentine
0:33:00 – The Solitaires – Wonder Why
0:36:25 – The Cupids – Brenda
0:39:23 – The Valentines – Don’t Say Goodnight
0:46:00 – The Solitaires – Wonder Why
0:48:43 – Hadda Brooks – Bewildered
0:51:46 – Bette McLaurin – I’m Past Sixteen
0:54:52 – Dean Simms – A Love Like You
1:01:01 – The Delta Rhythm Boys – It’s Only a Paper Moon
1:03:36 – Ruth Brown – I’ll Come Back Someday
1:06:45 – Sweet Teens – Forever More
1:10:25 – ?
1:12:52 – The Four Jewels – Loaded With Goodies
1:15:19 – The Hearts – All My Love Belongs to You
1:20:10 – Bette McLaurin – My Heart Belongs To Only You
1:23:18 – The Chantels – Maybe
1:26:11 – The Cookies – King of Hearts
1:30:28 – Billie Holiday – Blue Turning Grey Over You
1:32:28 – The Four Tunes – Let Me Be The First One To Know
1:35:40 – Nellie Lutcher – My Mother’s Eyes
1:38:56 – Clydie King – I’m Invited To Your Party
1:41:18 – Clydie King – A Fool In Love
1:43:43 – The Basin Street Boys – I Want To Love and Be Loved
1:48:10 – Lula Reed – Heavenly Road
1:51:13 – Dinah Washington – Journey’s End
1:54:21 – The Basin Street Boys – Changes