This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 962

How much can it mean to spin a few records every Sunday night?

I can't speak for anyone else--not even for Dana--but I'll tell you that the opportunity to share a passion for pop music means a lot to me. That appeal is part of the reason why I first wanted to write about rockin' pop music decades ago as a teen in the '70s. Wait, wait--"write about rockin' pop music?" No. I wanted to write on behalf of rockin' pop music, to serve an agenda, to spread a freakin' Gospel of jangle and buzz, hooks, harmonies, guitar, bass, drums, heart and soul, verse and chorus, amplified sounds, life itself played to the rhythm of a tambourine. I wanted to tell people about the music I liked. I figured there had to be someone else out there that liked it, too.

So I wrote. I wrote in my high school newspaper. I wrote unsold, unpublished articles for magazines, failed submissions to Creem, unfinished notions intended for Trouser Press. Later, I wrote reviews and articles and interviews that I sold to Goldmine, The Syracuse New Times, DISCoveries, and a handful of others. I wrote liner notes. I wrote pieces published in books. I wrote letters. I wrote internet posts. I testified. And it was true.

The same need to share this passion led me to radio. There was never, ever any place for me in commercial radio. I didn't want to play what someone else told me to play; I knew what records needed to be played. In the '80s, I met a friend named Dana who also knew what records needed to be played. Together, we invented a format. It's nominally a power pop format, but it isn't really that. It's not any strict format defined from the outside. The format is called This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio.

We spin a few records every Sunday night. We spin old tunes and new tunes, stuff you know, stuff you might not know. How much can it mean to spin a few records every Sunday night? To me, man, it means more than words can say. The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Frigin' Planet. 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 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

TIRnRR # 962: 2/17/19
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio FRESH SPINS! (tracks we think we ain't played before) are listed in bold 

THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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IN DEED: Don't Need, Don't Care (Big Stir, single)
THE MONKEES: Me & Magdalena [Version 2] (Rhino, Good Times! [digital version])
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS: Blue Chair (Rykodisc, Blood & Chocolate)
CLOCKWORK FLOWERS: Rubbish In My Head (theclockworkflowers.com, Colours Unplugged Black & White)
ARETHA FRANKLIN: The Tracks Of My Tears (Atlantic, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-1970)
THE ZOMBIES: Care Of Cell 44 (Fuel 2000, Odessey And Oracle)
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THE WEEKLINGS FEATURING PETER NOONE: Friday On My Mind (Jem, single)
SHE TRINITY: He Fought The Law (Ace, VA: Marylebone Beat Girls 1964-1967)
T BONE BURNETT: Jellico Coal Man (Sony, VA: Johnny Cash: Forever Words)
KLAATU: True Life Hero (Klaatunes, 3:47 E.S.T.)
THE GUESS WHO: No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature (RCA, American Woman)
EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER: Lucky Man (Atlantic, The Best Of Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
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DEAN LANDEW: Happy Valentine's Day (deanlandew.bandcamp.com)
THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye (Warner Brothers, The Muffs)
THE FLASHCUBES: I Wanna Stay All Night (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE MAGNETIC FIELDS: I Don't Want To Get Over You (Merge, 69 Love Songs)
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon (Sundazed, Hard 'N' Heavy [With Marshmallow])
BO DONALDSON & THE HEYWOODS: Who Do You Think You Are (Varese Sarabande, The Best Of Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods)
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EMPEROR PENGUIN: Keep On Wasting My Time (Kool Kat Musik, Walnut Fascia)
THE KINGS: This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide (WEA, The Kings Are Here)
UTOPIA: I Just Want To Touch You (Rhino, Deface The Music)
LYRES: Help You Ann (Matador, On Fyre)
EAGLES: The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks (Asylum, The Long Run)
THE SPONGETONES: She Goes Out With Everybody (Loaded Goat, Always Carry On)
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COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre (Wicked Cool, Saint Valentine's Day Massacre)
THE MOCKERS: God Only Knows (Wizzard In Vinyl, The Lonesome Death Of Electric Campfire)
NANCY SINATRA: Flowers In The Rain (EMI, The Essential Nancy Sinatra)
JULIE DRISCOLL: Don't Do It No More (Ace, VA: Marylebone Beat Girls 1964-1967)
JIM BASNIGHT: Best Lover In The World (Precedent, Not Changing)
NICO: I'm Not Sayin' (Immediate, single)
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KISS: Anything For My Baby (Mercury, Dressed To Kill)
CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN: Pictures Of Matchstick Men (Virgin, Key Lime Pie)
BUCK OWENS & HIS BUCKAROOS: Tall Dark Stranger (Rhino, 21 # 1 Hits)
NIRVANA: Lonely Boy (Island, The Story Of Simon Simopath)
THE KINKS: War Is Over (MCA, UK Jive)
THE SMALL FACES: All Or Nothing [live] (Immediate, The Autumn Stone)
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JANA PERI: City Beat (Hot Jupiter, Catching Flies With Vinegar)
THE FLEUR DE LYS: Circles (Immediate, single)
WHAM!: Freedom (Columbia, Make It Big)
HUMBLE PIE: Wrist Job (Immediate, single)
1.4.5.: Pahk Your Cah (Northside, single)
AMEN CORNER: Hello Susie (Immediate, single)
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REDD KROSS: Stay Away From Downtown (Merge, Researching The Blues)
WARREN ZEVON: Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Rhino, Genius)
THE SMITHEREENS: Yesterday Girl (Capitol, Blown To Smithereens)
THE PRIMITIVES: Really Stupid (Sanctuary, VA: CD86)
THE RAMONES: I Just Want To Have Something To Do (Rhino, Road To Ruin)
MOTORHEAD: White Line Fever (Salvo, VA: Born Stiff)
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Glad All Over (Hollywood, The History Of The Dave Clark Five)
THE ZOMBIES: Time Of The Season (Fuel 2000, Odessey And Oracle)
SAM CHALPIN: Batman (Atco, My Father The Pop Singer)