Zappa’s early influences: R&B – Doo-wop Vol. 45

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

0:02:07 – The Five Keys – There Ought to Be a Law

0:04:35 – The El Domingos – I’m Not Kidding You

0:07:13 – The Gay Notes – A Plea of Love

0:09:35 – The Trinidads – When We’re Together

0:13:04 – The Avalons – You Do Something to Me

0:15:12 – Five Chances – Tell Me Why

0:17:42 – The El Dorados – I Began to Realize

0:20:26 – Blend-Tones – Lights Please

0:23:47 – The Chancellors – My Thoughts of You

0:26:31 – The Five Crowns – If I Were King

0:29:09 – The Golden Tones – Cryin’ The Blues

0:31:16 – The Checkers – White Cliffs of Dover

0:34:24 – Unknowns – You and Me

0:36:29 – The Gay Notes – Waiting in the Chapel

0:38:53 – The Capitols – I Let Her Go

0:41:20 – The Contenders – Mister Deejay

0:45:43 – The Palms – Darling Patricia 

0:48:09 – The Winners – Can This Be Love

0:50:45 – The True Tones – Blushing Bride

0:53:00 – The Ravens – If I Love Again

1:00:14 – Bette McLaurin – I’m Past Sixteen

1:03:43 – Lucy Rivera – Make Me Queen Again

1:07:44 – Penny and the Overtones – Walkin’ My Baby Back Home

1:10:14 – Elsie Strong – Baby Oh Baby

1:13:06 – The Bobbettes – Look at the Stars

1:15:22 – Ruby Whitaker & The Chestnuts – Who Knows Better Than I

1:19:59 – Dorothy Logan & The Gems – Since I Fell For You

1:22:49 – Joanne Boswell & The El Tones – You Were Meant For Me

1:26:10 – Lil Greenwood – Mercy Me

1:29:08 – Little Miss Wanda – My Johnnie

1:34:59 – The El Dorados – Annie’s Answer

1:38:11 – The Magnificents – This Ole Love of Mine

1:40:42 – Baby Washington – I Hate to See You Go

1:43:09 – The Harptones – I’ll Never Tell

1:47:43 – Gladys Patrick – Somebody Please

1:50:18 – Taffie Lee – The Trials Of Life Can Be Lonely

1:53:17 – Bunny Paul – Honey Love