Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol. 38

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

0:02:12 – Rochell & the Candles – Once Upon a Time

0:07:49 – Little Caesar & the Romans – Adorable

0:10:13 – The Cezannes – Pardon Me

0:12:49 – The Shuffles – Do You Remember 

0:16:45 – Van McCoy – Mr DJ

0:19:09 – 4 Buddies – I Wanna Be The Boy You Love

0:21:36 – 4 Buddies – Lonely Summer

0:25:21 – The Starlighters – A Story of Love

0:27:41 – The Swinging Hearts – You Speak of Love

0:29:53 – The Swinging Hearts – Spanish Love

0:32:02 – The Swinging Hearts – Please Say It Isn’t So

0:34:50 – The Swinging Hearts – How Can I Love You

0:40:08 – The Charters – Lost In A Dream

0:42:40 –  The Jive Five – Kiss, Kiss, Kiss

0:45:02 – The Jive Five – Never Never

0:47:21 – Roxy & The Daychords – I’m So in Love

0:49:59 – Ocapello’s – The Stars

0:54:47 – The Hollywood Flames – Letter To My Love

0:57:19 – The Hollywood Flames – Devil or Angel

0:59:29 – The Sa-Shays – Boo Hoo Hoo

1:04:30 – The Orlons – I’ll Be True

1:08:35 – The Orlons – Heart, Darling, Angel

1:11:08 – Bobby Mathis & The Sevilles – Girl In The Drugstore

1:13:35 – Yvonne Gomez – Ease The Pain

1:16:26 – The Shamettes – Tell Me

1:18:45 – Tuxedos – Yes, It’s True

1:21:18 – Von Gails – Loneliness

1:23:51 – Von Gails – The Twirl

1:30:08  – Cannibal & the Headhunters – I’ll Show You How to Love Me

1:32:48 – The Edsels – Could It Be

1:35:54 – Rochell & the Candles – One Night With You

1:39:00 – The Dials – School Bells Are Ringing

1:41:24 – The Del-Vikings – I Hear Bells (Wedding Bells)

1:43:55 – The Javelons – That Is Why

1:49:04 – Upfronts – Most Of The Pretty Young Girls

1:54:02 – The Decoys – I Want Only You

1:57:25 – The Pharaohs – The Tender Touch