Forty years ago! January 28th, 1978, was the first time I saw or heard The Flashcubes. The impact of that show on my life and everything I've done since...well, it would be impossible to overstate that effect. Maybe I would have written about rock 'n' roll anyway--my love of The Beatles and The Ramones and Phonograph Record Magazine had already inspired my first attempt at rock journalism about a month before my live introduction to the 'Cubes. Maybe I would have co-hosted a radio show eventually. But I don't see it. Without The Flashcubes and all their music has meant to me over the years, I would have been different. I don't believe I would have gotten around to my associations with Goldmine, or Rhino Records' Poptopia!, or This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, or this silly daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) if The Flashcubes hadn't illuminated my path with the brightest of bright, bright lights.
I've written many times about The Flashcubes. I wrote about my first Flashcubes show. I wrote a history of the band, I wrote a companion piece to that history, I gave a speech inducting The Flashcubes in the SAMMYS (Syracuse Music Awards) Hall Of Fame, and I crafted a fanciful fictional scenario of how things should have gone if The Flashcubes had become pop stars. When I realized that the 40th anniversary of my first Flashcubes show would fall on a Sunday, I knew I had to devote my half of this week's TIRnRR playlist exclusively to The Flashcubes.
Before the show, my lovely wife Brenda asked if I had enough Flashcubes tracks to fulfill that goal. Oh, no problem there, my sweet! I could have gone on for quite a while longer; I ran out of time for "My Little Angel," "Pathetic," "Gone Too Far," "No More Lonely Nights," "Damaged Beyond Repair," "Girl From Germany," "You Got My Promise," "Muscle Beach," "Nothing Really Matters When You're Young," and--believe me!--a long, long list of others. Nor did I have time for essential 'Cubes covers of music by The Beatles, The Monkees, The Searchers, The Raspberries, Paul Collins, Badfinger, Chris Spedding, April Wine, The Kinks, or The Jam, their magnificent (and definitive) cover of Eddie & the Hot Rods' "Do Anything You Wanna Do," or more from their superb Roy Wood tribute album Sportin' Wood. Nonetheless, I'm happy we were able to squeeze in as many 'Cubes classics as we did, fast 'n' frenzied, before the witching hour tolled last call at The Firebarn, The Orange, The Jab, The Slide, The Brookside, and every other grungy, beer-soaked, long-gone Central New York rock 'n' roll paradise where my teenage rock 'n' roll dreams of live rock 'n' roll became reality. It's 'Cubes tonight.
To provide balance (and retain The Kinks' permanent status as the only act to take over a whole episode of TIRnRR in its entirety), Dana served up tracks from Altered Sweet, Futureman Records' terrific new tribute to Matthew Sweet, as well as the latest from Tommy Gunn, Jonny Magus & the Bursting Bubbles, and Orbis Max with Rich Staples, fond farewells to Hugh Masekela and The Fall's Mark E. Smith, and assorted worthies from the likes of The 5th Dimension, Altered Images, The Yardbirds, and The Spongetones. Last call? Man, we're just gettin' started. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse on The Spark WSPJ-LP 103.3 and 93.7, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/
Spark Syracuse is supported by listeners like you. Tax-deductible donations are welcome at http://sparksyracuse.org/support/
You can follow Carl's daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) at
https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/
Our new compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is now available from Kool Kat Musik! 29 tracks of irresistible rockin' pop, starring Pop Co-Op, Ray Paul, Circe Link & Christian Nesmith, Vegas With Randolph Featuring Lannie Flowers, The Slapbacks, P. Hux, Irene Peña, Michael Oliver & the Sacred Band Featuring Dave Merritt, The Rubinoos, Stepford Knives, The Grip Weeds, Popdudes, Ronnie Dark, The Flashcubes, Chris von Sneidern, The Bottle Kids, 1.4.5., The Smithereens, Paul Collins' Beat, The Hit Squad, The Rulers, The Legal Matters, Maura & the Bright Lights, Lisa Mychols, and Mr. Encrypto & the Cyphers. You gotta have it, so order it here.
TIRnRR # 908: 1/28/18
THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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THE FLASHCUBES: It's You Tonight (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE TOURISTS: Blind Among The Flowers (Camden, Greatest Hits)
THE FLASHCUBES: When We Close Our Eyes (Northside, Brilliant)
ALTERED IMAGES: I Could Be Happy (Universal, VA: New Wave Gold)
THE FLASHCUBES: You For Me [live at The Firebarn 1979] (unreleased)
ALTERED IMAGES: Happy Birthday (Sony, VA: New Wave Hits Of The 70's & 80's)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Five Personalities (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
MICHAEL CARPENTER: Girlfriend (Futureman, VA: Altered Sweet)
THE FLASHCUBES: Social Mobility (Northside, A Cellarful Of Boys)
THE 5TH DIMENSION: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures) (Arista, Ultimate)
THE FLASHCUBES: Angry Young Man (Northside, Bright Lights)
ORBIS MAX WITH RICH STAPLES: Sticking Around (single)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Taking Inventory [live at The Slide Inn 1979] (unreleased)
THE CLASH: I Fought The Law (Epic, The Essential Clash)
THE FLASHCUBES: Make Something Happen (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
TOMMY GUNN: Love (single)
THE FLASHCUBES: She's Leaving (Northside, Bright Lights)
ANDY REED: Where You Get Love (Futureman, VA: Altered Sweet)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Wouldn't You Like It (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
MATTHEW SWEET: Sick Of Myself (Sony, Playlist)
THE FLASHCUBES: Blackberry Way (Northside, Sportin' Wood)
HUGH MASEKELA: Grazing In The Grass (Rhino, VA: Billboard Top Rock 'n' Roll Hits 1968)
THE FLASHCUBES: Stop! In The Name Of Love [live at The Jab 1978] (unreleased)
THE BYRDS: So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star? (Columbia, Younger Than Yesterday)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Got No Mind (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE FLASHCUBES: Dizzy Miss Lizzy [live at The Firebarn 1979] (unreleased)
THE FALL: 2 x 4 (Beggars Banquet, The Wonderful And Frightening World Of...The Fall)
THE FLASHCUBES: On The Run [live at The Jab 1978] (unreleased)
ROGER McGUINN WITH CROWDED HOUSE: Eight Miles High (Capitol, single)
THE FLASHCUBES: Natalie (Northside, Brilliant)
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Feel A Whole Lot Better (Rhino, At Full Speed)
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THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE SMITHEREENS: Strangers When We Meet (Capitol, Blown To Smithereens)
THE FLASHCUBES: Carl (You Da Man) (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
THE SPONGETONES: She Goes Out With Everybody (Loaded Goat, Always Carry On)
THE FLASHCUBES: Cycles Of Pain [live at The Firebarn 1978] (unreleased)
THE BEATLES: And Your Bird Can Sing (Capitol, "Yesterday" And Today)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Christi Girl (Northside, Bright Lights)
LISA MYCHOLS: Looking At The Sun (Futureman, VA: Altered Sweet)
THE FLASHCUBES: A Face In The Crowd [live at The Firebarn 1979] (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3 [digital version])
JONNY MAGUS & THE BURSTING BUBBLES: Melody Delight (single)
THE FLASHCUBES: Wait Till Next Week (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE OUTLETS: Knock Me Down (Rhino, VA: DIY: Mass Ave)
THE FLASHCUBES: Sold Your Heart (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE YARDBIRDS: Little Games [mono mix] (EMI, Little Games Sessions & More)
THE FLASHCUBES: Tell Me To My Face (Northside, A Cellarful Of Boys)
THE KINKS: Susannah's Still Alive (Essential, Something Else)
THE FLASHCUBES: Medley: Welcome To The Working Class/I Wanna Be Sedated/Heart Of The City (Air Mail Recordings, Live In Japan--Raw Power Pop)
THE CURE: Boys Don't Cry (Elektra, Greatest Hits)
THE FLASHCUBES: Rawhide [live at The Firebarn 1979] (unreleased)
THE FLASHCUBES: Carl (You Da Man) [instrumental edit]
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