Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: Person To Person

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.


Today's exercise in fabricated radio experiences presents a collection of tracks where I've had some sort of direct encounter with the guy or gal singin' lead. These exaggerated first-person encounters include things as prosaic and pedestrian as telephone interviews and autograph sessions, but at least I excluded emails, Facebook posts, and internet messages.

And it makes up a pretty decent excuse for a playlist. I asked Ringo Starr and the then-members of his All-Starr Band (John Waite of The Babys, Colin Hay of Men At Work, Paul Carrack of Squeeze [briefly], and Sheila E) a question at a press conference in Ontario, and Bob Segarini was right in front of me in the line at the mic, so there's six acts right there! I met Mary Lou Lord after a bum club gig in Syracuse, and we spent an hour or two talking mostly about being first-time parents; I betcha we mentioned music, too. I did phoners with The Ramones, Joan Jett, Greg Kihn, Ron Dante of The Archies, Joey Levine of The Ohio Express, Cyril Jordan of The Flamin' Groovies, Ben Vaughn, Ellie Vee of The Charms, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders, Barry Tashian of The Remains, and Dick Dodd of The Standells, solicited autographs from Alex Chilton, Adam West, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Peter Noone, The Searchers, Gene Simmons, and Cub Koda, chatted with Chris Spedding and The Skeletons' Lou Whitney between sets at club shows, and have spoken on the phone with my former Goldmine colleague Ken Sharp on several occasions.

What else? Michael Mitsch, Bruce Gordon of Mr. Encrypto, Paul Collins, John Wicks of The Records, Ray Paul, and the members of Frisbie have all appeared in person on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Adam Marsland has also been on TIRnRR a few times, and he introduced me to his bandmates Evie Sands and Pacific Soul Ltd.'s Teresa Cowles. I've e-corresponded with Robbie Rist (who appears on the playlist with my Goldmine pal John Borack's combo Popdudes) for decades, and we finally met a few years ago when he and Kenny Howes came to Syracuse; similar e-mail first/live show later circumstances also allowed me to meet The Grip Weeds, Kyle Vincent and Digby. Met Kate Jacobs at a local show shortly after I gave her album The Calm Comes After a rave review in Goldmine. Womack & Womack did a promotional appearance at the record store I worked for in 1985. I talked with The Burn Sisters at a few of their Syracuse club appearances in the '90s. I knew Bernie Kugel of The Mystic Eyes when I lived in Buffalo, I was pals with Maura Kennedy's older brother Joe Boudreau when I was a teenager, and I believe most of you already know of my familiarity with the members of Syracuse groups like The Flashcubes, The Poptarts, Screen Test, and 1.4.5.

Although the bulk of the playlist is represented solely by lead vocalists whom I've encountered (at least within these broad parameters), we also need a closing instrumental. For that, we have a Herman's Hermits track from the movie Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter; I badgered Hermits guitarist Lek Leckenby, bassist Karl Green, and drummer Barry Whitwam for autographs after a show in '78.

And that's the setup for today's macguffin. What really matters is the music, however we get there. May I introduce to you some acts I've sorta kinda 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: Person To Person

THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?
--
JOEY RAMONE: What A Wonderful World
THE RAMONES: Strength To Endure
THE MONKEES: Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?
MICKY DOLENZ: Living On Lies
THE GREG KIHN BAND: The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)
CHRIS SPEDDING: Motorbikin'
--
JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS: Love Is Pain
THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Way Over My Head
PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love
THE RECORDS: Starry Eyes
THE ARCHIES: Get On The Line
ADAM MARSLAND: Power Pop Days
--
THE TREMBLERS: You Can't Do That
THE BABYS: Isn't It Time
SQUEEZE: Tempted
THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
KENNY HOWES & THE YEAH!: Sheila, She
THE GRIP WEEDS: Rainbow Quartz
--
PACIFIC SOUL LTD: Blue Summertime
MARY LOU LORD: Aim Low
THE MYSTIC EYES: I Lost My World
POPDUDES: Desperation Time
SHEILA E: The Glamorous Life
ADAM WEST: Miranda
--
RINGO STARR: It Don't Come Easy
BIG STAR: September Gurls
BEN VAUGHN: Sundown, Sundown
WOMACK & WOMACK: Teardrops
DIGBY: Spirit
KYLE VINCENT: Wake Me Up (When The World's Worth Waking Up For)
--
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
1.4.5.: She Couldn't Say No
SCREEN TEST: Nothing Really Matters When You're Young
THE KENNEDYS: Half Of Us
THE BURNS SISTERS: I Won't Turn My Back
KATE JACOBS: Now They're Here
--
MICK MITSCH'S LAGANSLOVE: Bogs Of Mayo
MEN AT WORK: It's A Mistake
THE POPTARTS: I Won't Let You Let Me Go
KISS: I Love It Loud
SEGARINI: Gotta Have Pop
THE OHIO EXPRESS: Sweeter Than Sugar
--
EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
MR. ENCRYPTO: The Last Time [a cappella]
RAY PAUL: I Need Your Love Tonight
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Kicks
THE REMAINS: Don't Look Back
THE STANDELLS: Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White
--
THE SKELETONS: Trans Am
EVIE SANDS: I Can't Let Go
FRISBIE: Comes And Goes
KEN SHARP: Break Down The Walls
BROWNSVILLE STATION: I'm The Leader Of The Gang
THE CHARMS: Top Down
HERMAN'S HERMITS: Daisy Chain Part 1