Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol.27

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

Theme: Black History Month – 1940s Unknown vocal groups

0:00:00 – The Chords – Sh-Boom
0:02:24 – The Del-Vikings – You Are Invited
0:05:50 – The Chords – A Girl to Love
0:08:53 – The Del-Vikings – When I Come Home
0:11:43 – The Del-Vikings – Now is the Hour
0:14:20 – The Chords – Little Maiden
0:20:14 – The Heartbreakers – Without A Cause
0:22:28 – The Passions – I Only Want You
0:24:37 – The Cadillacs – I’m Willing
0:26:54 – Speedo and the Cadillacs – Every Once In A While
0:30:28 – The Elegants – Still Waiting
0:35:48 – The Fantastics! – There Goes
0:37:50 – The Heartspinners – Oh So Much
0:40:25 – The Downbeats – Midnight Love
0:43:08 – Frankie & The C-Notes – Forever And Ever
0:49:21 – The Ravens – Please Believe Me
0:52:12 – The Five Keys – Someday, Sweetheart
0:55:21 – The Swallows – I’ll Be Waiting
1:00:24 – The Squires – Dangling with My Heart
1:02:23 – The Hi Tensions – The Clock
1:04:43 – The Aladdins – Eternally
1:10:35 – ?
1:13:13 – Lee Andrews & the Hearts – A Night Like Tonight
1:16:16 – ? – On The Sly
1:18:28 – Sparrows – Love Me Tender
1:20:53 – The Platters – The Mystery of You
1:27:27 – The Charmers – Baby Please Come Home
1:30:05 – The Goldenrods – Wish I Was Back in School
1:32:18 – The Goldenrods – Color Cartoons
1:34:44 – The Marvels – Sonya
1:40:25 – The Elegants – Rain, Rain
1:42:59 – The Dreamers – Don’t Cry
1:46:02- The Chess Men – I Live For You
1:50:07 – The Harptones – That’s the Way It Goes
1:52:38 – The Larks – I Don’t Believe in Tomorrow
1:55:14 – Sonny Til – There’s No One but You