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
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
Episode theme: Ladies of Soul and R&B
Tracks in episode:
00:00:00 – Ella Fitzgerald- I Love You For Sentimental Reasons
00:03:03 – Mickey & Sylvia – I Miss You
00:05:14 – The Dovers – Your Love
00:07:33 – Kathy & The Calendars – Please Don’t Go
00:10:13 – The Basin Street Boys – I Want To Love and Be Loved
00:18:10 – Aretha Franklin – Pledging My Love
00:20:30 – Bette McLaurin – Do You Know Why’
00:22:58 – The Harptones – Second Hand Love
00:25:39 – Mondellos – Happiness Street
00:28:15 – Gladys Patrick – The Blues
00:33:20 – Bertrice Redding – The Judgement of Love
00:35:36 – Mary Wells – Drop in the Bucket
00:38:03 – Viola Watkins – Paint a Sky For Me
00:41:03 – Ella Mae Morse – Have Mercy Baby
00:45:35 – Billie Holiday – Blue Turning Grey over You
00:47:35 – The Charmaines – G.I. Joe
00:50:14 – Ursula Reed – Fool About the Man I Love
00:53:21 – The Harptones – Gee Whiz
00:59:20 – Linda Griner – Envious
01:03:19 – Ella Mae Morse – Rock Me All Night Long
01:06:01 – The Miller Sisters – Let’s Start Anew
01:08:15 – Dolly Cooper – Time Brings About A Change
01:10:22 – The Teardrops – That’s Why I’ll Get By
01:12:54 – Albennie Jones – Fine and Mellow
01:15:59 – The Teardrops – Tears Come Tumbling
01:20:50 – The Miller Sisters – Baby Please Don’t Go
01:23:33 – The Basin Street Boys – Changes
01:26:40 – Anita Yumes – Been So Long
01:29:08 – Shirley Edwards – Dream My Heart
01:31:42 – Annie Laurie – You Promised Love
01:39:02 – Eartha Kitt – My Heart’s Delight
01:41:40 – The Dovers – Sweet As A Flower
01:43:36 – The Charmaines – Where Is The Boy Tonight
01:46:14 – Helen Humes – Be Baba Leba
01:50:00 – Loretta Dillard – I Cried and Cried
01:53:00 – Mondellos – Hard to Please
01:58:30 – Gladys Knight & The Pips – The Lonely Heart And Lonely Eyes Of Lonely Me
02:02:58 – Ella Fitzgerald – It’s a Pity to Say Goodnight
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