Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: The Everlasting First

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.




My ongoing series The Everlasting First has this boilerplate introduction:

Continuing a look back at my first exposure to a number of rock 'n' roll acts and superheroes (or other denizens of print or periodical publication), some of which were passing fancies, and some of which I went on to kinda like. They say you never forget your first time; that may be true, but it's the subsequent visits--the second time, the fourth time, the twentieth time, the hundredth time--that define our relationships with the things we cherish. Ultimately, the first meeting is less important than what comes after that. But every love story still needs to begin with that first kiss.

First things first here: as always, remember that I am not under oath.

Today's fake TIRnRR playlist is comprised of tracks which--I think!--served as my introductions to all of these acts. I think. I'm relying on memory, but these represent my best recollections of what/where/how I first heard The Ramones, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, et al.

In many cases, I'm pretty certain that these couldn't have actually been the first time I ever heard the performers in question. I must have heard The Kinks and The Four Tops as a kid in the '60s, but my first conscious connections to them only date back to "Lola" and "Are You Man Enough" respectively. Most first exposures came via radio, though a few (including Rick James, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and The Rutles) were introduced to me on TV. I bought The Velvet Underground And Nico, Drop Out With The Barracudas, and The Romantics' first indie single "Little White Lies"/"I Can't Tell You Anything" as  impulse purchases, without ever hearing them beforehand. The MC5 was an incidental revelation on a various-artists compilation I'd scored from the budget bin. I heard The Dictators' "America The Beautiful" in the film Jabberwalk, and my older siblings had The Beach Boys' Surfer Girl LP. Hell, both R.E.M. and Fools Face came to me via flexi-discs included with issues of Trouser Press, and Dana played Wanda Jackson on one of our early Dana & Carl shows. Listen: however you get there, you get there. What's important is that each introduction eventually led to more. Much more. So now, may I introduce to you the way I was introduced to some acts I've known for all these years.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--plays Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse on The Spark WSPJ-LP 103.3 and 93.7 FM, 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 at https://tinyurl.com/ycnly8oz Digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) now available at https://tinyurl.com/ycauy9xt

Fake TIRnRR Playlist: The Everlasting First

THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop [radio]
--
THE BEATLES: I Want To Hold Your Hand [radio]
CHEAP TRICK: So Good To See You [radio]
THE FOUR TOPS: Are You Man Enough [radio]
SLADE: Gudbuy T' Jane [radio]
SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown [radio]
THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen [radio]
--
THE KINKS: Lola [radio]
THE HOLLIES: Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress [radio]
JAMES BROWN: Papa's Got A Brand New Bag [radio or TV]
THE RASPBERRIES: I Wanna Be With You [radio]
THE ROLLING STONES: Get Off Of My Cloud [radio]
THE RUBINOOS: I Think We're Alone Now [radio]
--
BIG STAR: September Gurls [radio]
THE SEARCHERS: Love Potion No. 9 [radio]
THE ROMANTICS: Little White Lies [45]
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Misery [radio]
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Fight The Power, Part 1 [radio]
R.E.M.: Wolves, Lower [flexi-disc]
--
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia [radio]
MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine [radio or TV]
THE PATTI SMITH GROUP: Ask The Angels [TV]
BLONDIE: X-Offender [radio]
THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat [radio]
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Bits And Pieces [45]
--
BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue [45]
THE BEACH BOYS: Surfer Girl [LP]
RICK JAMES: Give It To Me Baby [TV]
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: Wishin' And Hopin' [radio]
THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway [TV]
THE WHO: Pinball Wizard [radio]
--
BADFINGER: Come And Get It [radio]
THE JAM: The Batman Theme [radio]
WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour [TV]
THE DICTATORS: America The Beautiful [movie]
THE MC5: Kick Out The Jams [compilation LP]
IGGY POP: I'm Bored [TV]
--
KISS: Rock And Roll All Nite [radio]
THE O'JAYS: Back Stabbers [radio]
THE BARRACUDAS: I Can't Pretend [LP]
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: Sunday Morning [LP]
DAVID BOWIE: Changes [radio]
ALICE COOPER: School's Out [radio]
--
THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep [radio or TV]
THE RECORDS: Starry Eyes [radio or TV]
FOOLS FACE: L5 [flexi-disc]
THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb [radio]
PRINCE: 1999 [radio or TV]
THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around [radio]
--
GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR: Hotel Chambermaid [radio]
THE TEMPTATIONS: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone [radio]
WANDA JACKSON: Funnel Of Love [DANA!]
THE RUTLES: I Must Be In Love [TV]
THE HOODOO GURUS: (Let's All) Turn On [radio]
CHUCK BERRY: Johnny B. Goode [radio]
JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES: The Beatnik Fly [45]