Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol. 36

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

0:03:50 – The Marathons – Don’t Know Why
0:06:04 – The Soft Tones – Oh Why
0:09:20 – The Infatuators – Where Are You
0:12:05 – Barbara Joy – Story of My Life
0:16:34 – Earl Curry and the Blenders – I Want To Be With You
0:19:16 – Nicky St. Claire – Creator of Love
0:21:36 – The Flyers – I Told Them
0:24:07 – Earl Curry and the Blenders – Late Rising Moon
0:29:15 – The Five Crystels – Heaven’s Own Choir
0:31:24 – The Originals – Lend Me Your Ear
0:34:09 – Faith Robinson – My Birthday Wish
0:36:50 – Leo Valentine and the Lyrics – Please Don’t Leave Me This Way
0:42:07 – Delcos – Those Three Little Words
0:44:50 – Johnny Cole and the Reptiles – Wrap My Heart In Velvet
0:47:16 – The Marquees – Ecstasy
0:49:44 – The Marquees – Close To Me
0:52:56 – Billy Sharpe & His Sharptones – Stars In My Eyes
0:55:49 – The Five Dreams – You Are My Only
0:58:01 – The Galaxies – Here’s Someone
1:00:17 – Elmore James – Round House Boogie
1:02:56 – The Termites – Carrie Lou
1:05:23 – The Five Emeralds – Darling
1:08:37 – The Five Emeralds – Pleasure Me
1:11:22 – The Marksmen – Don’t Gamble With My Heart
1:15:39 – The Invictas – Lest We Forget
1:18:33 – The Varnels – Who Created Love
1:20:56 – The Cordials – Once In A Lifetime
1:23:00 – The Contenders – Mister Deejay
1:26:00 – The Five Arcades- Heaven’s One Desire
1:34:37 – Dan Roman and the Rocketones – Bad Girl
1:36:44 – Duke Earl and the Roulettes – Oh Boy
1:40:20 – The Uniques – Somewhere
1:45:12 – The Carousels – Fading Away
1:47:27 – The Carousels – Solitude
1:50:33 – The Infatuators – I Found My Love
1:53:00 – The Five Dreams – Up All Night
1:56:38 – Malcolm Mims Orchestra – Malcolm’s Boogie