I've said it before--often!--and I'm sayin' it again now: I am an unapologetic fan of whatever the hell it is that we do here. This thought occurred to me again as I was listening to the records Dana and I assembled for this week's playlist. It was the Drifters' "Sweets For My Sweet" that served as specific revelation--God, what a great, great track that is--but it could have been any of them. And each and every record is stronger in the presence of its peers. That's how you make a rock 'n' roll radio show.
That's how we make this rock 'n' roll radio show, anyway. From an opening shot of "Walk--Don't Run" by the Ventures (in memory of guitarist Don Wilson) through the closing 1-2 punch of the Ventures' "Hawaii Five-0" and Radio Birdman's "Aloha Steve & Danno," we spin the hits as we see them. Dana played "Monday," a simply ace track by the Jam that I'd completely forgotten about. I played what I believe is the very first rock 'n' roll record, Amos Milburn's "Down The Road Apiece" from 1947. We played new stuff from Chris Church, Lannie Flowers, Lolas, the Click Beetles, and Michael Oliver and the Sacred Band, and mixed it all with, well, whatever else we damned well felt like playing. Juice Newton. The Linda Lindas. The Bangles. Ronnie Spector. The Ramones. The Shang Hi Los. The past, the present, and the future mingle freely on these airwaves. To us, that's just what a radio show does.
We have a radio show, and we're here every week. We'll risk the sin of pride and admit we're fans of our own radio show. We're pretty proud of it, and I betcha you'll dig it, too. 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 airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO).
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The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:
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http://sparksyracuse.org/support/ TIRnRR # 1114: 1/30/2022
TIRnRR 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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THE VENTURES: Walk--Don't Run (EMI, Walk--Don't Run)
DAVID RUFFIN: Don't Stop Lovin' Me [single version] (Hip-O, David--The Unreleased Album)
THE CHORDS: Maybe Tomorrow (Polydor, So Far Away)
LOLAS: The Best Part (JAM, Ballerina Breakout) THE CLINGERS: Gonna Have A Good Time (Area 251, The Clingers 1967-1971)
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THE RONETTES: I Can Hear Music (Sony, Be My Baby: The Very Best Of The Ronettes)
NEW YORK CITY: I'm Doin' Fine Now (Rhino, VA: Can You Dig It?)
DAVE EDMUNDS: Da Doo Ron Ron (Swan Song, Subtle As A Flying Mallet)
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THE JAM: Monday (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
THE 5TH DIMENSION: Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures) (Arista, Ultimate)
IGGY POP: Five Foot One (Virgin, A Million In Prizes)
BUCK OWENS & HIS BUCKAROOS: Who's Gonna Mow Your Grass (Rhino, 21 # 1 Hits)
THE JAYHAWKS: She Walks In So Many Ways (Rounder, Mockingbird Time)
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AMOS MILBURN: Down The Road Apiece (EMI, Down The Road Apiece)
JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS: You've Come A Long Way Baby [single version] (Rhino Handmade, Stop, Look And Listen: The Complete Capitol Recordings)
THE BANGLES: Tell Me (Columbia, All Over The Place)
JUICE NEWTON: Queen Of Hearts (Capitol, Greatest Hits [And More])
MICHAEL OLIVER & THE SACRED BAND: IOU (unreleased)
KELLEY RYAN: The Church Of Laundry (single) --
THE VENTURES: Surf Guitar Medley (GNP Crescendo, single)
RONNIE SPECTOR: All I Want (Bad Girl Sounds, The Last Of The Rock Stars)
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THE GO-GO'S: Surfing And Spying (IRS, Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's)
THE ROMANTICS: When I Look In Your Eyes (Nemperor, The Romantics)
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: Son Of A Preacher Man (Rhino, Dusty In Memphis)
THE ROOKS: Reasons (Rhino, Encore Echoes)
THE FOUR TOPS: Walk Away Renee (Motown, The Ultimate Collection)
SAM PHILLIPS: Baby, I Can't Please You (Virgin, Martinis & Bikinis)
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THE DRIFTERS: Sweets For My Sweet (Atlantic, All-Time Greatest Hits & More 1959-1965)
SHOES: I Miss You (Big Deal, VA: Yellow Pills Volume 1)
SIMPLY SAUCER: She's A Dog (Sonic Unyon, Cyborgs Revisited)
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THE RAMONES: Do You Wanna Dance? (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
LES HANDCLAPS: I'm So Into You (Handclaps, Sessions: Brooklyn) THE MONKEES: Papa's Gene Blues (Rhino, The Monkees)
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Tell Me Now So I Know (Damaged Goods, Truly She Is None Other) THE MUFFS: Freak Out (Oglio, Really Really Happy)
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SPLIT ENZ: History Never Repeats (A & M, History Never Repeats)
THE KINKS: You Still Want Me (Sanctuary, The Anthology 1964-1971)
SQUEEZE: Cool For Cats (A & M, The Squeeze Story)
SUGAR: Needle Hits E (Rykodisc, single)
THE VENTURES: Hawaii Five-O (EMI, Walk--Don't Run)
RADIO BIRDMAN: Aloha Steve & Danno (Sub Pop, The Essential Radio Birdman [1974-1978])
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