THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1): Update

An infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.

Time for a quick update on my work-in-progress book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). First things first: the book is NOT done yet, and it does NOT have a publisher yet. See, that was simple. Nonetheless, there has been significant progress behind the curtain. The book proposal is done, and I have a tentative agreement for representation; I will announce that agreement when it's official.

Meanwhile, I've been playing with the Table of Contents. I'll be playing with the Table of Contents right up until the damned thing finally does go to press, and even then I'll probably run right behind the Bookmobile shouting, "WAIT! I need to add Cotton Mather...!" Obsessive behavior in a pop music fan? Unprecedented.  For the moment, here's what's lightly penciled in:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD
DISCLAIMERS AND DECLARATIONS (A User's Guide To The Greatest Record Ever Made!)
OVERTURE: A Fistful Of 45s

1. BADFINGER: Baby Blue

2. CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land
3. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You
4. THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen
5. ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel
6. PATTI SMITH: Gloria
7. LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It
8. WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour
9. THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go
10. THE SHIRELLES: Will You Love Me Tomorrow
11. BUDDY HOLLY: Peggy Sue/Everyday
12. GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia
13. THE RARE BREED: Beg, Borrow And Steal
14. CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
15. THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me
16. STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
17. THE ROLLING STONES: Happy
18. PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me
19. ARETHA FRANKLIN: Respect
INTERLUDE: The Monkees Seize The Day
20. THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)
21. KISS: Shout It Out Loud
22. THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Personality Crisis
23. THE CASTAWAYS: Liar, Liar
24. THE EASYBEATS: Friday On My Mind
25. TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS: American Girl
26. SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown
27. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes
28. TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not
29. LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me
30. THE LEFT BANKE: Walk Away, Renee
31. MARVIN GAYE: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
32. NEIL DIAMOND: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
33. BOB DYLAN: Like A Rolling Stone
34. SHOES: Tomorrow Night
35. BIG STAR: September Gurls
36. PRINCE: When You Were Mine
37. THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter
38. THE KNICKERBOCKERS: Lies
INTERLUDE: The Tottenham Sound Of...The Beatles?!
39. THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It
40. JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please
41. GRAND FUNK: We're An American Band
INTERLUDE: Old Time Rock & Roll
42. THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?
43. TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You
44. SAMMY AMBROSE: This Diamond Ring
45. THE BYRDS: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
46. THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby
47. THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze
48. JOHNNY NASH: I Can See Clearly Now
49. RUFUS: Tell Me Something Good
50. THE BEATLES: Yesterday
51. THE FLIRTATIONS: Nothing But A Heartache
52. THE SPINNERS: I'll Be Around
53. ALICE COOPER: School's Out
54. BARON DAEMON & THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist
55. SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star
56. THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
INTERLUDE: I Dream Of Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, Tommy (and occasionally Marky, Richie, CJ, and/or new recruits)
57. THE RAMONES: I Don't Want To Grow Up
58. LED ZEPPELIN: Communication Breakdown
59. BEN E. KING: Stand By Me
60. OTIS REDDING: (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
61. THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat
62. THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre
63. GENE PITNEY: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa
64. THE WHO: I Can't Explain
65. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror
66. FREDDIE & THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie
67. THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway
68. SAM & DAVE: Soul Man
69. THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne
70. THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno
71. HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES: Don't Leave Me This Way
72. THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It?
73. THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
74. THE RASPBERRIES: I Wanna Be With You
75. THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise
76. THE BUZZCOCKS: Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)
77. THE JAM: In The City
78. THE KINKS: You Really Got Me
79. THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset
80. THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There
81. THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me
82. PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love
83 T. REX: 20th Century Boy
84. THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep
85. THE SUPREMES: You Keep Me Hangin' On 
86. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding?
87. THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes
88. THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action
89. MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress
90. FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold
91. THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Gone, Gone, Gone
92. P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest
93. THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows
94. LULU: To Sir, With Love
95. MANNIX: Highway Lines
96. THE SELECTER: On My Radio
97. SOLOMON BURKE: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
98. THE ANIMALS: It's My Life
99. CHEAP TRICK Surrender
100. DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?
101. THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Uncle John's Band
102. THE O'JAYS: Put Your Hands Together
103. EDDIE & THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do
104. EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year
105. THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
LAST CALL: An Infinite Number
INTERLUDE: Underrating The Beatles
106. THE BEATLES: Rain
CLOSING TIME! THE T-BONES: No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)
CODA: Cruisin' Music
AFTERWORD     

The sharp-eyed among you will note that the book has apparently expanded to 106 songs rather than a mere 100. Yeah, we'll see. I expanded it to 112 yesterday when a spin of Holly Golightly's "Time Will Tell" convinced me it needed to be in the book, needed, I say! As great as that track is, its addition didn't survive the cut. I still think 106 songs is too many, so I'll probably try to shrink it back to a Hot 100.

Looking way ahead, I've come up with a cool idea to promote the book here in Syracuse, whenever the project finally sees the light of day. But the work continues. I just added six more chapters to my work load. This beat goes on.



THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1)

Our path is finite. Its soundtrack is not.

As pop music fans, we may have one all-time favorite song that stands out for us as the greatest record ever made. But in another moment, we may shift our allegiance to a different song, and then to another. We’re not fickle. We’re enthusiastic, and we’re sincere. We love our music. We lose ourselves in the music we love.

An infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Acclaimed pop journalist Carl Cafarelli (Goldmine, This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio) brings his own passion and enthusiasm to The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), a collection of 100 essays about 100 great songs, celebrating both the immortality and the in-the-moment immediacy of the rockin' pop music we cherish. The subjects include Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers like The Beatles, Chuck Berry, The Sex Pistols, Aretha Franklin, The Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Prince, and many more.

But The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) encompasses more than just those enshrined in a Hall of Fame. It includes hit acts like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes,  Sammy Ambrose’s forgotten original of “This Diamond Ring,” cult acts like The 13th Floor Elevators and Big Star, teen idols like The Bay City Rollers, and relative unknowns like Baron Daemon and the Vampires: rock, soul, R & B, pop, punk, bubblegum, ska, power pop, girl groups, and disco. This is not a definitive list of the 100 best songs ever recorded. Rather, it's a 100-record block party of great tracks, each one the greatest in its own infinite turn. It's a celebration, exhaustively and enthusiastically crafted by a pop journalist who loves each of these records without reservation.

Why did The Monkees go from the top of the pops in 1967 to seeming has-been status in 1968? How did James Brown respond to the British Invasion? What minefields of racism, sexism, homophobia, ambition, frustration, depression, or loss were navigated by Little Richard, Dusty Springfield, The Go-Go's, Elvis, Sly and the Family Stone, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Supremes, and Material Issue's Jim Ellison? Were The Ramones as much a bubblegum band as they were a punk band? When does a group succeed or fail in its quixotic quest to be the next Beatles? 

Our favorite records don't live in isolation. Each one has a story. The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) mixes history lessons, artist appreciation, and the ways in which the records we love can deeply affect our personal lives. Part personal memoir and part rockin’ pop record hop, The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is the book for anyone who’s ever yelled “Turn It Up!”

Or, better yet: “Play that again!” Your infinite turn awaits. Welcome to the world of The Greatest Record Ever Made!



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THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE: "The Green Hornet Theme"

This short piece was originally written as an entr'acte at the middle of my forthcoming book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). I've decided that it doesn't quite fit, so it's moved from book to blog in one superheroic leap.

An infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is The Greatest Record Ever Made!



AL HIRT: "The Green Hornet Theme"

My love of superheroes rivals my affection for pop music, and it goes back nearly as far. TV reruns of The Adventures Of Superman, Flash Gordon, and Popeye and Astro Boy cartoons instilled a deep and abiding interest in the larger-than-life adventures of stalwart crusaders who protected the good from the malevolent machinations of evil. When the campy Batman TV series hit the screen in early '66, that interest in superheroes shifted into supersonic overdrive. I remain a fan to this day. I will not be growing out of it any time soon.



The producers of the Batman show tried to duplicate its success with an adaptation of the old radio hero The Green Hornet; in contrast to the heightened sense of absurdity that made Batman such a hit, The Green Hornet was played as a relatively straight crime drama that happened to feature masked heroes with outlandish weapons. Sounds good to me! Alas, the public did not agree. and The Green Hornet's war on crime ceased fire after a single failed season.

I still like it. As The Green Hornet, actor Van Williams was steadfast without seeming corny, and future pop culture legend Bruce Lee was riveting as the Hornet's high-flying enforcer Kato. Taking a cue from the earlier success of Peter Gunn, The Green Hornet's jazzy score was as much a star as its heroes, propelling the action and making it all seem so, so cool. Al Hirt's over-the-top performance of the show's title theme--a busy, bouncing workout of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight Of The Bumblebee"--rocked as hard as any TV show theme has ever rocked.

As a rabid devotee of both music and comic books, I've found a number of superhero-related tunes that thrill my inner six-year-old. Neal Hefti's "Batman Theme." John William's main title them from the 1978 Superman film. "Nobody Loves The Hulk," an obscure '60s garage number by a forgotten group called The Traits. None of 'em can surpass the conviction and authority of Al Hirt's "Green Hornet Theme." Another challenge for The Green Hornet? Nope. Kato's gonna kick the bad guys' asses, like he always does. Just turn the music up. Justice will triumph yet again.

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Fans of pop music will want to check out Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, a new pop compilation benefiting SPARK! Syracuse, the home of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. TIR'N'RR Allstars--Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Dan Pavelich, Irene Peña, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone--offer a fantastic new version of The Kinks' classic "Waterloo Sunset." That's supplemented by eleven more tracks (plus a hidden bonus track), including previously-unreleased gems from The Click Beetles, Eytan Mirsky, Pop Co-Op, Irene Peña, Michael Slawter (covering The Posies), and The Anderson Council (covering XTC), a new remix of "Infinite Soul" by The Grip Weeds, and familiar TIRnRR Fave Raves by Vegas With Randolph, Gretchen's Wheel, The Armoires, and Pacific Soul Ltd. Oh, and that mystery bonus track? It's exquisite. You need this. You're buying it from Futureman.

Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1)

Our most recent compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is still 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. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 985

A long time ago
We used to be friends
But I haven't thought of you lately at all

On this show (and in my writing in general), we talk a lot about how right now is always the best time ever to be a pop fan. All of yesterday's sounds can remain relevant to you if you feel it, and new sounds are there for the taking, enriching your soundtrack, giving voice and volume. I'm never going to stop playing The Beatles. I'm never going to stop diggin' for more things to dig, too. Always look forward. Always look back.

A couple of new items in pop culture this week did a little looking back of their own. One of my favorite TV series Veronica Mars returned with a new eight-episode season, and it's still one of my favorite TV series; Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood (which I haven't seen yet) seeks to re-create the world of Southern California in 1969. We celebrated this willful blending of then 'n' now with a one-two opening of The Dandy Warhols and Paul Revere & the Raiders, and proceeded to shake-shake-shake-a-puddin' with great new music from Screen Test, Bob Mould, The Vapor Trails, Lannie Flowers, The Junior League, and Broken Arrows, more from the recent TIRnRR benefit compilation Waterloo Sunset (available now as a download from Futureman Records, available soon as a CD from Kool Kat Musik), and a few of the other decades-spanning ditties playing with gusto in our heads. 

It's a sturdy accompaniment. The Go-Go's. XTC. Rick James. The Jive Five. sparkle*jets u.k. The Zombies. Eddie Cochran. The Cherry Bluestorms. Chris von Sneidern. Aretha Franklin. The Monkees. Bowie. The Ramones. Buck Owens. Tammi Terrell. The Anderson Council. The Pretenders. The Kinks. All of it. Always. All ways. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio is now available for download from our friends at Futureman Records and on CD from our friends at Kool Kat Musik. Your purchase of Waterloo Sunset in either format will benefit WSPJ Spark Syracuse.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl, Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse on SPARK! WSPJ-LP 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/

PS: SEND MONEY!!!! We need tech upgrades like Elvis needs boats. 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/

Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of songs can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-greatest-record-ever-made-updated.html

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 # 985: 7/28/19
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)
--
THE DANDY WARHOLS: We Used To Be Friends (Capitol, The Capitol Years 1995-2007)
PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Good Thing (Sundazed, The Spirit Of '67)
THE GO-GO'S: Turn To You (IRS, Greatest)
XTC: Generals And Majors (Virgin, Upsy Daisy Assortment)
TIR'N'RR ALLSTARS: Waterloo Sunset (Futureman, VA: Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio)
THE CURE: In Between Days (Elektra, Greatest Hits)
--
SCREEN TEST: End Of The Line (unreleased)
BOB MOULD: What Do You Want Me To Do (Merge, Sunshine Rock)
RICK JAMES: Super Freak (Motown, Icon)
NICK LOWE: So It Goes (Salvo, VA: Born Stiff)
THE JIVE FIVE: What Time Is It (Collectables, Their Greatest Hits)
IAN HUNTER: Lisa Likes Rock n' Roll (EMI, The Best Of Ian Hunter)
--
THE VAPOUR TRAILS: See You In The Next World (Futureman, See You In The Next World)
THE VIRTUES: One Eyed Car (Pop Geek Heaven, VA: International Pop Overthrow Vol. 20)
THE BEATLES: Thank You, Girl (Capitol, The Beatles' Second Album)
THE ZOMBIES: I Must Move (Big Beat, The Singles Collection)
GENE SIMMONS: See You Tonite (Mercury, KISS: Gene Simmons)
SPARKLE*JETS U.K.: The Ballad Of El Goodo (Big Stir, single)
--
DEAN LANDEW: Dance All Night (deanlandew.bandcamp.com, Dean Landew 2019)
THE MOTORS: Dancing The Night Away (Rhino, VA: DIY: Teenage Kicks)
EDDIE COCHRAN: Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie (Razor & Tie, Somethin' Else)
KURSAAL FLYERS: Television Generation (Rhino, VA: DIY: Teenage Kicks)
IRENE PEÑA: Own Sweet Time (Kool Kat Musik, VA: Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio)
THE BEATLES: All You Need Is Love (Apple, Yellow Submarine Songtrack)
--
LANNIE FLOWERS: Flavor Of The Month (SpyderPop, single)
WARREN ZEVON: Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Rhino, Genius)
THE CHERRY BLUESTORMS: Baby, You're A Rich Man (thecherrybluestorms.bandcamp.com, Transit Of Venus)
THE HOT DOGS: I Walk The Line (Big Beat, VA: Thank You Friends)
THE MOBERLYS: Blow Your Life Away (Precedent, JIM BASNIGHT: We Rocked And Rolled)
CARGO: Feel Alright (Big Beat, VA: Thank You Friends)
--
THE JUNIOR LEAGUE: Heavy (Kool Kat Musik, Adventureland)
CHRIS VON SNEIDERN: Hey Ron (cvsmusic.com, Emerge)
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Chain Of Fools (Atlantic, The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-1970)
THE FACTOTUMS: I Can't Give You Anything But Love (RPM, VA: Fab Gear)
THE MONKEES: Valleri (Rhino, 50)
DAVID BOWIE: Queen Bitch (Virgin, Bowie At The Beeb)
--
BROKEN ARROWS: Behind The Eight Ball (Big Stir, single)
THE RAMONES: I Wanna Be Sedated (Rhino, Road To Ruin)
JOHNATHAN PUSHKAR: The Girl Next Door (Jem, single)
THE TIME: Take A Bit Of Notice (RPM, VA: Fab Gear)
BUCK OWENS & HIS BUCKAROOS: Tall Dark Stranger (Rhino, 21 # 1 Hits)
TAMMI TERRELL: What A Good Man He Is (Universal, Essential Collection)
--
THE ANDERSON COUNCIL: Grey Heavenly Lane (Jem, Worlds Collide)
THE PRETENDERS: Day After Day (Sire, The Singles)
THE ARMOIRES: Appalachukrania (Big Stir, Zibaldone)
THE HONEY JUG: In 1582 We (Craft, VA: Poppies)
THE CLICK BEETLES: If Not Now Then When (Futureman, VA: Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio)
THE BEATLES: Think For Yourself (Apple, Yellow Submarine Songtrack)
THE KINKS: See My Friends (Sanctuary, The Ultimate Collection)
THE YARDBIRDS: A Certain Girl (Rhino, Ultimate!)
TIR'N'RR ALLSTARS: [super secret bonus track] (Kool Kat Musik, VA: Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio)
BIG STAR: September Gurls (Ardent, # 1 Record/Radio City)
BROKEN ARROWS: Shroomitized (Big Stir, single)

Tonight On THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

So. Much. NEW! We have minty-fresh tracks from SCREEN TEST, DEAN LANDEW, THE JUNIOR LEAGUE, LANNIE FLOWERS, THE VAPOUR TRAILS, and BROKEN ARROWS. All this great NEW won't inhibit our love of the classics, from Eddie Cochran to The Kinks to Rick James to last week's classics from our still-new compilation Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. And we'll open the show with a pair of older tracks connected to current pop culture. Old. New. Familiar. Unimagined. All of your pop music belongs to us. Sunday night, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/

Waterloo Sunset: A Compilation To Benefit THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD: Futureman Records
COMPACT DISC: Kool Kat Musik

Immediately following the digital release of Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio on Keith Klingensmith's Futureman Records label, we heard from Ray Gianchetti at Kool Kat Musik. Kool Kat Musik was the home of our last two This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation CDs, and Ray wondered if he could be of further help to us with a CD release of Waterloo Sunset. A deal was struck, and Kool Kat Musik's Waterloo Sunset CD is due out soon, with a portion of its proceeds likewise going to prop up our rickety radio operation. Dana and I have been touched by this outpouring of support for whatever the hell it is that we do, and that got me to thinkin' about the debt we owe our friends and patrons. Below are the liner notes for Kool Kat Musik's CD release of Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. The CD is available for pre-order now.

Like a power pop Blanche DuBois, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl has always relied on the kindness of strangers.

No, scratch that. Even though we've only met a few of our listeners and supporters over these last twenty years, they're not strangers; they're our friends. As humility-challenged as Dana and I remain, there's no way we could have lasted more than two decades if we couldn't get by with a little help from our friends. 

Waterloo Sunset is the latest manifestation of that help. Steve Stoeckel had an idea: gather some of this show's talented friends to record a stirring cover of The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset," with proceeds from its sale benefiting SPARK!, the perpetually cash-strapped Syracuse community radio station that is home to TIRnRR. Out went the call, to one and to all, and Steve assembled his TIR'N'RR Allstars: Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Irene Peña, Dan Pavelich, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone. Within a fast-paced timeline, these pop heroes crossed over the river, and we are in paradise. Keith Klingensmith suggested an expanded plan, and their "Waterloo Sunset" benefit single became this benefit compilation album Waterloo Sunset. Ray Gianchetti saw the digital release on Futureman Records, and also wanted to help out by releasing a CD version on his Kool Kat Musik label.

Everyone who was asked to help did so. Before Dana and I even knew about any of this, the Allstars had secured tracks from The Click Beetles, Pop Co-Op, Irene Peña, Vegas With Randolph, The Anderson Council, The Grip Weeds, Michael Slawter, The Armoires, Eytan Mirsky, Gretchen's Wheel, and Pacific Soul Ltd. We're so pleased, so grateful, and dammit, I think we may even be humbled.

Community radio supports independent artists. Independent artists support community radio. And we don't feel afraid. We do need our friends. Thank you, friends. God save our friends. 

Carl Cafarelli, July 2019

Although this project was a surprise gift to us, Dana & Carl are proud to have our names attached to it. Thanks to everyone, everyone, for makin' us feel like big shots. Sha la la!

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio is hosted by Dana Bonn and Carl Cafarelli, Sunday nights 9 to Midnight Eastern, SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM in Syracuse, NY,sparksyracuse.org Tax-deductible donations are always welcome at sparksyracuse.org/support

1. TIR'N'RR ALLSTARS  Waterloo Sunset 3:37
2. THE CLICK BEETLES  If Not Now Then When (previously unreleased) 2:51 
3. EYTAN MIRSKY Flakes (previously unreleased) 2:23
4. VEGAS WITH RANDOLPH She's An Intellectual 3:51
5. POP CO-OP Ten Times Today (previously unreleased) 3:03
6. IRENE PEÑA Own Sweet Time (previously unreleased) 3:49
7. MICHAEL SLAWTER Any Other Way (previously unreleased) 4:05
8. GRETCHEN'S WHEEL Plans 3:29
9. THE GRIP WEEDS Infinite Soul [2019 Remix] 3:22 
10. THE ARMOIRES Responsible (Reuptake) 3:26
11. THE ANDERSON COUNCIL Are You Receiving Me? (previously unreleased) 3:06
12. PACIFIC SOUL LTD. We Go High 4:32

TIR'N'RR Allstars are Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Rich Firestone, Irene Peña, Eytan Mirsky, Dan Pavelich, Teresa Cowles, and Keith Klingensmith

Album artwork by Laura Tinnel

Thank you to all the artists who donated time and tracks!

And thank you to Dana Bonn, Carl Cafarelli, This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, and Spark Syracuse.

Support 'em all!

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Fans of pop music will want to check out Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, a new pop compilation benefiting SPARK! Syracuse, the home of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. TIR'N'RR Allstars--Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, Stacy Carson, Eytan Mirsky, Teresa Cowles, Dan Pavelich, Irene Peña, Keith Klingensmith, and Rich Firestone--offer a fantastic new version of The Kinks' classic "Waterloo Sunset." That's supplemented by eleven more tracks (plus a hidden bonus track), including previously-unreleased gems from The Click Beetles, Eytan Mirsky, Pop Co-Op, Irene Peña, Michael Slawter (covering The Posies), and The Anderson Council (covering XTC), a new remix of "Infinite Soul" by The Grip Weeds, and familiar TIRnRR Fave Raves by Vegas With Randolph, Gretchen's Wheel, The Armoires, and Pacific Soul Ltd. Oh, and that mystery bonus track? It's exquisite. You need this. You're buying it! Download from Futureman, CD from Kool Kat Musik.



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Hey, Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 100 essays (and then some) about 100 tracks, plus two bonus instrumentals, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1)

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Our most recent compilation CD This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4 is still 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. A digital download version (minus The Smithereens' track) is also available from Futureman Records.