Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol.24

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 Chanters – Stars In The Skies
0:02:15 – The Halos – Down the Road
0:04:38 – The Gladiolas – Little Darlin’
0:07:00 – The Passions – I Only Want You
0:12:31 – The Larks – In My Lonely Room
0:15:30 – The Delta Rhythm Boys – Take the ‘A’ Train
0:19:15 – The Dreams – Darlene
0:22:22 – 5 Thrills Gloria
0:28:45 – The Hamilton Sisters – You Are The One
0:31:36 – The Lincolns – Madly in Love
0:33:45 – Clickettes – A Teenager’s First Love
0:36:00 – The Vibra-Harps – The Only Love of Mine
0:38:17 – The Shields – You Cheated
0:44:38 – Herb Kenny and the Comets – When the Lights Go on Again
0:47:22 – The Five Keys – Do Something For Me
0:50:00 – Ruby Whitaker & The Chestnuts – Who Knows Better Than I
0:53:16 – Cordials – Eternal Love
0:58:48 – Ben E Williams & Group – Mamie Wong
1:01:30 – The Shantons – Lucille
1:04:00 – The Flamingos – You Ain’t Ready
1:06:32 – The Five Chestnuts – In The Chapel In The Moonlight
1:14:02 – The Five Keys – There Ought to Be a Law
1:16:28 – Blend-Tones – Lights Please
1:18:55 – The Chancellors – My Thoughts of You
1:21:42 – Swinging Hearts – How Can I Love You?
1:24:00 – ?
1:26:20 – Teen Tones – Annabelle
1:30:25 – ?
1:32:50 – The Royals – A Love In My Heart
1:35:55 – ?
1:38:00 – Westsiders – Don’t You Know
1:40:25 – The Revels – I Met My Lost Love
1:42:55 – The Elchords Gee I’m In Love
1:45:16 – Sentimentals – I Want to Love You
1:47:33 – The Collegians – Let’s Go for a Ride
1:51:14 – The Larks – Let’s Say a Prayer
1:54:10 – Marshall Brothers – Who’ll Be the Fool From Now On