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
Tracks in episode:
0:03:38 – The Crests – My Juanita
0:06:38 – The Crests – No One to Love
0:12:06 – The Crests – Sweetest One
0:16:14 – Johnny Maestro – I Thank the Moon
0:18:36 – The Crests – Trouble In Paradise
0:20:45 – Johnny Maestro – Gee But I’d Give the World
0:25:26 – The Crests – Wish She Was Mine
0:28:15 – Johnny Maestro – Beside You
0:31:08 – Johnny Maestro Six Nights a Week
0:38:00 – Nuggets – Wish She Was Mine
0:40:26 – Johnny Maestro – What a Surprise
0:44:07 – Johnny Maestro The Angels Listened In
0:49:30 – The Crests – Step By Step
0:52:33 – The Crests – 16 Candles
0:57:04 – The Flamingo’s – You’ll Never Walk Alone
1:03:35 – The Four Knights – How Can You Not Believe
1:06:54 – Little Angie Austin – My Love For You
1:09:48 – The Four Knights – It Doesn’t Cost Money
1:12:12 – Jesse Belvin – Let Me Love You Tonight
1:15:28 – The Orioles – That’s When the Good Lord Will Smile
1:18:03 – The Orioles – I Need You Baby
1:22:20 – The Orioles – If You Believe
1:25:35 – The Orioles – Robe of Calvary
1:29:35 – The Flamingos – Everybody’s Got a Home (But Me)
1:37:20 – The Rivieras – Count Every Star
1:40:48 – The Sharps – Love Me My Darling
1:43:32 – The Del-Vikings – Baby Let Me Be
1:48:18 – The Del-Vikings – What Made Maggie Run
1:51:34 – The Rivieras – True Love Is Hard to Find
1:53:34 – The Avons – Whisper (Softly)
1:57:08 – Jesse Belvin – Goodnight My Love
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