This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 912

He buys every rock 'n' roll book on the magazine stands
Every dime that he gets go off to the jukebox man

Yeah, that was me. Spare me some cash for comic books, paperbacks, and Playboy, and you have a portrait of the DJ/blogger as a young man in the 1970s. I wasn't a bad boy. I could have been better, for sure, and I got into trouble sometimes, but I wasn't intrinsically a troublemaker. I was learning, and not yet quite who I wanted to be. I had music to listen to, and things to read. Combining the two, I had things to read about music.

I loved rock 'n' roll magazines, and I've been writing about that love recently. After initial exposure to the concept via the pages of Circus and Rolling Stone in the time frame of 1973-1976, I fell hard for Phonograph Record Magazine in 1977, and moved from there into Bomp!, Creem, Rock Scene, Trouser Press, Punk, New York Rocker, and whatever other jukebox newsstand rag captured my electric guitar fancy. I wound up a participant, freelancing for Goldmine for twenty years, writing liner notes, contributing to a few rock 'n' roll books, even coming up with the absurd notion of maintaining a daily blog. The entirety of that experience began with listening to records and radio, and wanting to be a part of it. I couldn't sing or play; I tried and I failed. But I could write. That I could do. And I could play records I liked, and hope that others would like them, too.

Creem was one of my favorite rock 'n' roll magazines, and I mourn its passing to this day. One of Creem's former contributors, John Mendelssohn, is starting a new online rockin' read called Reet Magazine. My friend Devorah Ostrov invited me to be a small part of it, which is as close as I'll ever get to achieving my decades-old dream of writing for Creem. I'll take it! More details to follow, as Reet prepares to launch in about a week. Meanwhile, we'll play some records. Now junior, behave yourself! Happy Birthday, George Harrison and Dennis Diken. 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 # 912: 2/25/18

THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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THE BEATLES: Bad Boy (Capitol, Beatles VI)
EYTAN MIRSKY: Don't Bother Me (Jealousy, VA: He Was Fab)
THE RUTLES: Ouch! (Rhino, The Rutles)
GEORGE HARRISON: What Is Life (Apple, All Things Must Pass)
DENNIS DIKEN & BELL SOUND: The Sun's Gonna Shine In The Morning (Crytpovision, Late Music)
THE BEATLES: Here Comes The Sun (Apple, Abbey Road)
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THE SMITHEREENS: Yesterday Girl (Capitol, Blown To Smithereens)
MARSHALL CRENSHAW: Cynical Girl (Warner Brothers, The Definitive Pop Collection)
SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: Stand! (Epic, Greatest Hits)
GEORGE HARRISON: Crackerbox Palace (Parlophone, The Best Of Dark Horse Years 1976-1992)
THE PRODUCERS: What She Does To Me (One Way, The Producers/You Make The Heat)
R.E.M.: So. Central Rain (IRS, The Best Of R.E.M.)
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BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue (MCA, The Buddy Holly Collection)
THE BEATLES: Savoy Truffle (Apple, The Beatles)
THE MONKEES: You Bring The Summer (Rhino, 50)
THE DROWNERS: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Jealousy, VA: He Was Fab)
BLONDIE: X-Offender (Chrysalis, The Platinum Collection)
THE NERVES: Hanging On The Telephone (Alive, One Way Ticket)
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THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop (Rhino, Ramones)
THE HIT SQUAD: Best Of Me (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young (EMI, The Essential Suzi Quatro)
THE TRAVELING WILBURYS: Handle With Care (Rhino, The Traveling Wilburys Collection)
KISS: Calling Dr. Love (Mercury, Rock And Roll Over)
THE TRAVELING WILBURYS: End Of The Line (Rhino, The Traveling Wilburys Collection)
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ABBA: So Long (Polydor, More ABBA Gold)
HINDU LOVE GODS: Raspberry Beret (Rhino, WARREN ZEVON: Genius)
THE O'JAYS: Love Train (Epic, Love Train)
GEORGE HARRISON: Got My Mind Set On You (Capitol, Let It Roll)
SHOWADDYWADDY: Under The Moon Of Love (Castle, VA: Blockbuster!)
UTOPIA: Love In Action (Warner Brothers, TODD RUNDGREN: The Definitive Rock Collection)
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CHRIS PAINE & THE LETTERTRAIN: Might Have Found Me (www.chrispainemusic.com, Indiscriminate Chatter)
ORBIS MAX: What's It All About (single)
THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There (Motown, The Definitive Collection)
GEORGE HARRISON: Any Road (Capitol, Let It Roll)
THE KINKS: No More Looking Back (Velvel, Schoolboys In Disgrace)
THE SLAPBACKS: Make Something Happen (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
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THE FLASHCUBES: You Got My Promise (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
RAY PAUL: I Need Your Love Tonight (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4)
THE TOYS: May My Heart Be Cast Into Stone (Sundazed, A Lover's Concerto/Attack!)
GEORGE HARRISON: Poor Little Girl (Parlophone, The Best Of Dark Horse Years 1976-1992)
SQUEEZE: Goodbye Girl (A & M, The Squeeze Story)
THE BEATLES: If I Needed Someone (Capitol, "Yesterday" And Today)
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JANIS JOPLIN: Down On Me (Columbia, 18 Essential Songs)
THE BEATLES: For You Blue (Apple, Let It Be...Naked)
BADFINGER: I'll Be The One (Apple, No Dice)
THE BEATLES: I Don't Want To Spoil The Party (Capitol, Beatles VI)
THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (Columbia, Smile)
GEORGE HARRISON: My Sweet Lord (Apple, All Things Must Pass)
THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: Our Favorite Martian (Del-Fi, Never To Be Forgotten)