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 – Ocapello’s – The Stars
0:02:59 – The Superiors – Eternal Dream
0:05:27 – The Compliments – Borrow Til Morning
0:11:02 – The Manhattans – Why Should I Cry
0:13:29 – The Four Buddies – I Wanna Be The Boy You Love
0:15:57 – The Four Vibes – You’re All I Live For
0:22:11 – Yvonne Gomez – Ease the Pain
0:25:06 – Faith Robinson – My Birthday Wish
0:27:37 – Elroy and the Excitements – My Love Will Never Die
0:30:13 – Phil Terrel – Can I Come In
0:33:56 – The Fortunes – Running Away From Love
0:36:33 – Blend-Tones – Lovers
0:38:58 – Sedates – Girl of Mine
0:41:41 – The Hi Tones – Cause of it All
0:45:22 – The Cezannes – Pardon Me
0:48:02 – Westsiders – Don’t You Know
0:50:29 – The Bell Larks – Get Married in June
0:53:54 – The Bleu Lights – Yes, I Do
0:56:36 – The Bleu Lights – Forever
1:02:06 – The Alma-Keys – Please Come Back To Me
1:06:00 – The Utopians – Along My Lonely Way
1:08:22 – The Spotlighters – Please Be My Girlfriend
1:10:28 – The Sundials – Chapel of Love
1:13:36 – The New Invictors – Deeply In Love With You
1:15:41 – The Valiants – Your Golden Teardrops
1:18:28 – The Charmers – A Lesson From the Stars
1:21:03 – Misfits – Midnight Star
1:23:17 – The Showcases – Anna My Love
1:25:07 – Frankie Beverly & The Butlers – Loveable Girl
1:30:34 – Condors – Sweetest Angel
1:33:03 – Fantastics – In Times Like These
1:36:36 – The Termites – Give Me Your Heart
1:38:54 – Tami Young – I Don’t Wanna Lose You
1:43:14 – The Wil-Sones – Let Me Help You
1:45:58 – The Vows – The Girl in Red
1:48:25 – The Showcases – (This Love) Was Real
1:53:22 – The Flamingos – Golden Teardrops
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