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
Roots of 1950’s Vocal Group R&B Harmony
Tracks in episode:
0:00:43 – The Five Keys – The Glory of Love
0:03:52 – Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra – Tippin’ In
0:07:18 – The Robins – If I Didn’t Love You so
0:10:28 – The Capcans – With All My Heart
0:13:50 – Duke Jenkins – Something Else
0:17:38 – The Blenders – Little Small Town Girl
0:22:22 – Bix Beiderbecke – Hesitatin’ Fool
0:25:43 – ? – ?
0:28:24 – Bill Johnson & His Musical Notes – Let’s Be Sweethearts Again
0:33:12 – Billy Williams – (It’s No) Sin
0:36:02 – The Four Buddies – Sin (It’s No Sin)
0:38:28 – Cab Calloway – The Calloway Boogie
0:41:46 – The Ebony Moods – Grand, Nice, Swell
0:44:24 – You Must Know You Made My Dream Come True
0:47:18 – The Ravens – Lilacs In The Rain
0:52:20 – The Ravens – Gotta Find My Baby
0:54:45 – ? – As Summer Turns To Fall
0:57:27 – ? – Living A Lie
1:00:15 – Coleman Hawkins – What a Difference a Day Makes
1:04:43 – Louis Jordan – Choo Choo Ch’Boogie
1:09:10 – Cats and the Fiddle – If I Dream of You
1:12:14 – The Victorians – Part-Time Sweetheart
1:14:45 – The Victorians – Don’t Break My Heart Again
1:17:00 – The Victorians – Naturally Too Weak For You
1:20:43 – The Victorians – I Guess You’re Satisfied
1:29:00 – The Orioles – If You Believe
1:31:28 – The Four Aces – Cherry
1:35:08 – The Deep River Boys – Love Is Like A Cigarette
1:38:13 – Charles Fuqua’s Ink Spots – Maybe
1:41:38 – The Charioteers – You Make Me Feel So Young
1:44:50 – The Ink Spots – The Best Things in Life Are Free
1:48:35 – The Delta Rhythm Boys – Begin The Beguine
1:51:46 – The Four Tunes – Old Fashioned Love
1:54:42 – The Four Tunes – I’m The Guy
1:57:45 – The Four Tunes – My Last Affair
2:00:52 – The Four Tunes – You’re Heartless
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