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 – The Swallows – Dearest
0:05:03 – The Ravens – You Don’t Have to Drop a Heart to Break It
0:07:28 – The Five Keys – (There’ll Be Bluebirds Over The) White Cliffs of Dover
0:10:44 – The Drivers – Midnight Hours
0:16:24 – ?
0:19:00 – The Royales – Give Me One More Chance
0:22:08 – The Whispers – Are You Sorry
0:25:50 – The Willows – White Cliffs of Dover
0:28:14 – The Checkers – White Cliffs of Dover
0:31:40 – The Platters – Voo Vee Ah Vee
0:33:40 – Ebb Tides – What Is Your Name Dear
0:36:27 – Ebb Tides – Only Be Mine
0:39:29 – The Pretenders – I’ve Got to Have You Baby
0:41:48 – The Capris – God Only Knows
0:46:18 – The Joy Tones – My Foolish Heart
0:48:43 – Clickettes – But Not For Me
0:51:50 – ?
0:54:41 – The Charmers – Tony My Darling
0:59:30 – Red Prysock – Wiggles
1:01:28 – The Seniors – Evening Shadows Falling
1:03:31 – The Cruisers – What A Fool I’ve Been
1:07:10 – The Owls – If I Could Forget
1:10:07 – Annette and Rendevous – My Greatest Sin
1:14:50 – The Del-Vikings – Heaven in Paradise
1:17:55 – Boardwalkers – She Won’t Go Steady
1:20:48 – The Revels – Later Later Baby
1:22:54 – The Jades – Walking All Alone
1:27:05 – The Larks – My Reverie
1:29:20 – The Five Keys – The Verdict
1:32:00 – Little Sammy – Can You Love Me
1:34:58 – The Kingsmen – Don’t Say You’re Sorry
1:39:18 – Clickettes – Hiding My Tears
1:41:24 – The Hearts – All My Love Belongs to You
1:44:40 – Spiders – You’re the One
1:46:35 – Cats and the Fiddle – When I Grow Too Old to Dream
1:49:20 – The Sophomores – I Get A Thrill
1:51:48 – The Cezannes – Pardon Me
1:56:16 – The Swallows – I’ll Be Waiting
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