10 Songs is a weekly list of ten songs that happen to be on my mind at the moment. The lists are usually dominated by songs played on the previous Sunday night's edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl. The idea was inspired by Don Valentine of the essential blog I Don't Hear A Single.
This week's edition of 10 Songs draws exclusively from the playlist for This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1120.
THE FLASHCUBES: Do Anything You Wanna Do
I adored Eddie and the Hot Rods' original version of "Do Anything You Wanna Do." I bought the U.S. 45 in the Spring of 1978, when I was a freshman in college, and I picked up the corresponding Life On The Line LP pretty soon thereafter. It's one of my all-time top tracks, and it earns a spot in my eventual book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).
But before I had or heard that single, I think I learned the song first via a live cover by the Flashcubes.
The 'Cubes didn't record it until their 2003 album Brilliant, and I now regard their take on it as definitive (even as I continue to list Eddie and the Hot Rods in my top tracks and in GREM!, for the specific reason of 'cuz I say so). I've seen the Flashcubes perform it on many, many occasions, and I've seen the fabulous Tom Kenny sing it with the 'Cubes a number of times, too. They did it on stage at The Palace Theater when the Flashcubes were inducted into The SAMMYS (Syracuse Area Music Awards) Hall of Fame in 2014. They did it as part of their set at our BRIGHT LIGHTS! Syracuse new wave rock 'n' roll reunion party at Funk N' Waffles in 2016. Tom joined 'Cubes Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin for a show-closing, show-stoppin' rendition at The 443 Social Club and Lounge in 2019. And this year, when Tom hisself was inducted into The SAMMYS Hall of Fame, Kenny and the 'Cubes did it again at The SAMMYS extravaganza itself on March 4th.
So yes. Of course we opened this week's TIRnRR with "Do Anything You Wanna Do" by the Flashcubes. It's what we wanted to do.
THE PALEY BROTHERS AND RAMONES: Come On Let's Go
As noted, the Flashcubes--Gary, Arty, Paul Armstrong, and duly deputized drummer Cathy LaManna--joined Tom Kenny at The SAMMYS, with Tom's collaborator Andy Paley--THE Andy Paley, a legend in pop circles--also plugging in and letting loose for the two songs they all performed together. After "Do Anything You Wanna Do," Tom told the story of seeing the Flashcubes play with the Ramones at a now-demolished Syracuse nightclub called Uncle Sam's. That would have been Friday, July 6th, 1979--yeah, I was there, too--and the live sets by the 'Cubes and the Ramones were preceded by a screening of the Ramones' then-new movie, Rock 'n' Roll High School.
After that unforgettable evening at Uncle Sam's, Tom made a beeline for Gerber Music to snag a copy of the Rock 'n' Roll High School soundtrack LP. That album contained "Come On Let's Go" by the Paley Brothers and Ramones, which Tom referred to as the only time the Ramones ever backed up another artist on that artist's record. It's a fantastic, revved-up version of the Ritchie Valens classic, and a long-time Fave Rave of your Dana and your Carl. On stage at The SAMMYS, Tom asked Andy when he and his brother recorded the track. "1979," Paley replied. Tom then asked Andy when was the last time he had performed the song. "1979." *
Sure, you saw that coming. I don't care. All I know is, Andy Paley, Tom Kenny, and the Flashcubes then played the damned song before my widened eyes and eager ears. My God, my smile was as bright as the brightest lights. I don't really want to be 19 again--there is no amount of reward that could ever make me want to go through all of that mishegas again--but THAT moment, right there at The SAMMYS, was the best part of 19 brought back to life for a little over two minutes. Come on. Let's GO!
*Yeah, I know the single of "Come On Let's Go" came out in '78, the year before its appearance on the Rock 'n' Roll High School soundtrack LP. Just roll with us, man.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: The Best Day Ever
After the Flashcubes finished their two numbers with Tom Kenny and Andy Paley, the 'Cubes exited the SAMMYS stage and Tom and Andy's bandmates in Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas (including the vocal trio the Damselles) entered, intent on raisin' the roof with rockin' run-throughs of a few selections from Tom Kenny's virtual jukebox. A little soul. A little blues. A little rock 'n' roll. And, perhaps incongruously, a little SpongeBob Squarepants. Well, maybe not so much an incongruity, given that Tom is the voice of SpongeBob and that Tom and Andy co-wrote the SpongeBob ditty "The Best Day Ever." At The SAMMYS, Tom did the song in his character's voice, but the performance transcended schtick and was just flat-out fun. Rock 'n' roll can be fun. Don't let any random self-serious ninny ever try to tell you otherwise.
(Oh, but kudos to Channel 9 News, whose TV report on The SAMMYS could have chosen to show footage of the SpongeBob song, but instead used "Do Anything You Wanna Do," with reporter Christie Casciano talking about the "surprise reunion" of the Flashcubes, and [rightly] referring to the 'Cubes as legends. I love this town. Syracuse freakin' rules.)
POP CO-OP: Extra Beat In My Heart
The lads of the mighty Pop Co-Op--Steve Stoeckel, Bruce Gordon, Joel Tinnel, and Stacy Carson--have a new album due for release some time this year, and it will be Your Favorite Album Of 2022. The swell unreleased Stoeckel track "Extra Beat In My Heart" will not be on the album, so it was indeed an honor and a pleasure to be allowed the opportunity to play it on TIRnRR. We'll be hearing it again. Rest assured.
BOBBY LEWIS: Tossin' And Turnin'
When we decided to follow up SAMMYS weekend by mixing in a bunch of the songs we saw Tom Kenny and his various collaborators cover over the course of those two nights (at The SAMMYS and at a Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas club show the next night), we figured we'd include most of the songs in the versions Tom had in his head: Larry Williams' "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" rather than the Beatles', the Music Explosion's "Little Bit O' Soul" rather than the Ramones', etc. We did cross over to Conway Twitty's "Got My Mojo Workin'" instead of Muddy Waters', and who can resist Paul Revere and the Raiders doing "Ooh Poo Pa Doo?" We're satisfied with the resulting blend.
I confess I did briefly consider playing Joan Jett's "Tossin' And Turnin'" in place of the Boibby Lewis hit, but who was I kidding? There's no substitute for the original here. We should toss it into the playlist more often.
CLUB WOW: Norman Green
In a world of underappreciated, obscure pop gems, this is even more obscure than most. I can't tell you much about Club Wow, except that they operated out of Cleveland in the '80s, and that the group included Frank Secich (of Blue Ash, and also guitarist with Stiv Bators' post-Dead Boys pop combo), Billy Sullivan, Frank West, and Jimmy Zero (who had been one of Stiv Bators' fellow Dead Boys). They released but one single, 1982's "Prettiest Girl"/"The Nights Are So Long," but recorded a short stack of demos that showed a hell a lot of promise.
What little Club Wow material exists was collected in 2015 for a Zero Hour Records CD called Nowhere Fast. The highlight is an amazing, Who-influenced li'l sumpin called "Norman Green," a jagged slice of Mod power pop wailin' in the night for wider recognition. Norman Green has not been seen! Nor heard. Someone needs to remedy that.
BONNIE RAITT: Me And The Boys
I don't know the well-known to less-known ratio for Bonnie Raitt's cover of NRBQ's "Me And The Boys." It's a song I discovered via Dave Edmunds on his 1982 album D. E 7th; I didn't hear NRBQ until years later. In '82, when I was diggin' on D. E. 7th, a friend mentioned she thought she'd heard Joan Jett singing "Me And The Boys" on the radio; with four decades of hindsight at my disposal, I'm gonna guess my friend actually heard Bonnie Raitt instead.
I've yet to hear a bad version of "Me And The Boys"--we've also played a swell cover by Popdudes--and I'm neither prepared nor inclined to pick a favorite. Bonnie Raitt's is the one I feel like playing today.
SPEEDFOSSIL: Luckiest Man In The World
As I write this, I have just received an unexpected gift of a hard-to-find item that I really wanted but had given up on getting. And I received this gift for no other reason than because the generous person who gave it to me knows I'm a fan. That's it. It would not be appropriate for me to say any more publicly, especially about what the item is and who gave it to me. I'm just grateful. And I'm lucky.
Speedfossil's sprightly track "The Luckiest Man In The World" has nothing whatsoever to do with any of this. BUT! It's a simply wonderful track on its own merit, and I'm way into the idea of reveling in luck being good every once in a while. Lucky? That's me.
HOUSE OF SCHOCK: Middle Of Nowhere
A tip of the hat to John Tierney, who mentioned House Of Schock's 1988 left-of-the-dial pop triumph "Middle Of Nowhere" in a Facebook post last week, prompting us to throw it into the mix for our ongoing effort at radio alchemy. Gina Schock is primarily known as the drummer for the Go-Go's, and while I was kind of aware of House Of Schock (if not quite to my level of awareness of Charlotte Caffey in the Graces or Jane Wiedlin and Belinda Carlisle solo), I didn't have any tangible memory of the music. Thanks for the tip, John.
LANNIE FLOWERS: Where Did All The Fun Go
Where did all the fun go? I reject the question's central premise. The fun didn't go anywhere. It's still right here. And it's certainly thriving on the radio every Sunday night. Like it says several paragraphs north of here: Rock 'n' roll can be fun. Don't ever, ever let any random self-serious ninny tell you otherwise.
Fun can also serve a higher purpose. Big Stir Records (in partnership with SpyderPop Records) provided the public service of making Lannie Flowers' engaging Flavor Of The Month album available to funseekers everywhere. And Big Stir is standing tall on behalf of the beleaguered people of Ukraine in this time of crisis. If you'd like your pop music shopping to do a little bit of good in the world, go to Big Stir's United Help Ukraine Benefit Store, where 50% of all proceeds benefit United Help Ukraine humanitarian and medical aid. Big Stir has two new Ukraine benefit singles out on Friday, courtesy of the talents of the Incurables and Kai Danzberg. Fun as a weapon. Fun as a tool. Fun as a path forward. I approve of this message.
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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 about our history here.
I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl
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