Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol. 34

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 Channels – Now You Know

0:02:37 – Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords – I’m So Happy (Tra-La-La-La-La-La)

0:05:16 – The Kodaks – Little Boy and Girl

0:07:27 – Continentals – Dear Lord

0:16:30 – The Five Satins – Kiss Me

0:20:00 – The Vocaleers – Angel Face

0:22:50 – The Vibra-Harps – The Only Love of Mine

0:25:15 – Bob-Chords – Castle in the Sky

0:27:36 – Bob-Chords – When I Woke Up This Morning

0:33:15 – The Vocaleers – Is It a Dream

0:36:20 – The Kodaks – Oh Gee Oh Gosh

0:39:07 – Earl Lewis – The Gleam in Your Eyes

0:41:57 – Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords – Falling in Love

0:47:00 – Charles & Carl – One More Chance

0:49:30 – The Miracles – I Love You So

0:52:14 – Harmonaires – Lorraine

0:54:51 – The Velvets – I Cried

1:08:50 – JasonMartin – CAN’T GET RIGHT

1:12:44 – The Delta Rhythm Boys – One O’Clock Jump

1:15:18 – The Delta Rhythm Boys – It’s All in Your Mind

1:18:40 – The Mills Brothers – Can’t Yo’ Heah Me Callin’ Caroline?

1:24:50 – The Five Bars – To Make A Long Story Short

1:27:10 – The Ben Smith Quartet & Starlings – Dream

1:30:40 – The Four Tunes – Confess

1:33:46 – The Mills Brothers – Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland

1:37:45 – 5 Bars – I’m All Dressed Up With a Broken Heart

1:40:35 – 

1:42:52 – Wini Brown & Her Boyfriends – Be Anything (But Be Mine) 

1:48:00 – The Shadows – Don’t Blame My Dreams

1:51:01 – Deep South Boys – Why Should I Worry?

1:56:07 – The Mills Brothers – The Mills Brothers – You Tell Me Your Dream