This week's program is This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's first-ever power pop show.
Yeah, I know this is our 1136th show, and I also know that, over the course of all of those shows we've done since we signed on as TIRnRR in December of 1998, "power pop" has always been our stated format. But that's just been a label, and our usual weekly shenanigans almost always spill beyond any reasonable parameters of what one could call "power pop."
I'll concede the possibility that I've forgotten about a power pop show we mighta slapped together at some point in our decades of doing this. We did do one pure pop/power pop special over thirty years ago on We're Your Friends For Now, our 1992 precursor to TIRnRR, and we did one blowout TIRnRR billed as AM RADIOS GONE WILD! Non-Stop Over The Top POP!!! in 2017. Maybe we did something else in a similar vein somewhere along the way. I dunno.
But I think this is our first. COME ON LET'S GO!, a celebration of classic power pop, pure pop, and the power pop periphery, is a full-on embrace of '60s, '70s, and '80s pop with power, supplemented by one 2022 Jesse Bryson single and ALL of the Flashcubes' singles from the '70s to this bright 'n' loud 21st century. We even throw in a brand-new Flashcubes single that no one's heard yet, and we close with "No Promise," the 1979 Flashcubes single that should have been.
We're not here to debate what is power pop and what ain't power pop. This week's show includes a number of ace tracks that might not meet my own idea of power pop, but every single one of 'em is at least on the periphery. And they're ALL great. Real rock 'n' roll with la-la-las. Hooks and guitars, pulse-pounding desire at higher-than-recommended volume. Pop with aggressive intent.
Pop with POWER!!
Pop with power. Let's put it on the radio. For the first time? Maybe, maybe not, but it's there now. This is what POWER POP 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 # 1136: 7/3/2022
COME ON LET'S GO!
A Celebration Of Classic Power Pop, Pure Pop, And The Power Pop Periphery
THE PALEY BROTHERS & RAMONES: Come On Let's Go (Big Beat, VA: Come On Let's Go!)
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THE FLASHCUBES WITH THE SPONGETONES: Have You Ever Been Torn Apart (Big Stir, single) THE BEATLES: Please Please Me (Apple, 1962-1966)
ARTFUL DODGER: Follow Me (Real Gone Music, The Complete Columbia Recordings)
THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne (Loaded Goat, Always Carry On)
THE DODGERS: Don't Know What You're Doing (Island, single)
THE NAZZ: Forget All About It (Rhino, Nazz Nazz)
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THE WHO: I Can See For Miles (MCA, The Ultimate Collection)
THE DICKIES: Rosemary (Triple X, Stukas Over Disneyland)
ROCKPILE: Teacher Teacher (Columbia, Seconds Of Pleasure)
THE FLASHCUBES: Christi Girl (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE NASHVILLE RAMBLERS: The Trains (Rhino, VA: Children Of Nuggets)
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BADFINGER: Baby Blue (Apple, Straight Up)
THE RASPBERRIES: Go All The Way (RPM, Power Pop Volume One)
THE MnM'S: I'm Tired (Burger, Melts In Your Ears 1980-1981)
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THE HOLLIES: Look Through Any Window (EMI, All The Hits And More)
THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
FOOLS FACE: Nothing To Say (Talk, Tell America)
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter (Arista, The Definitive Collection)
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THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING RANDY KLAWON: Get The Message [unreleased]
THE BANGLES: Tell Me (Columbia, All Over The Place)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Got To Have You Back (Motown, Greatest Hits And Rare Classics)
THE DIODES: Tired Of Waking Up Tired (Epic, Tired Of Waking Up Tired)
APRIL WINE: Tonight Is A Wonderful Time (To Fall In Love) (Wounded Bird, Stand Back)
THE JAM: In The City (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
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THE SCRUFFS: Revenge (Northern Heights, Wanna' Meet The Scruffs?)
THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Castle, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Rubinoos But Were Afraid To Ask!)
HOLLY & THE ITALIANS: Youth Coup (Wounded Bird, The Right To Be Italian)
SQUEEZE: Is That Love (A & M, The Squeeze Story)
THE FLASHCUBES: Wait Till Next Week (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE EASYBEATS: Sorry (Rhino, VA: Nuggets II)
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THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep (Enigma, Especially For You)
THE SHIVVERS: Please Stand By (Hyped To Death, Lost Hits From Milwaukee's First Family Of Powerpop: 1979-82)
THE KINKS: All Day And All Of The Night (Castle, The Ultimate Collection)
THE ROMANTICS: National Breakout (Nemperor, National Breakout)
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THE FLASHCUBES: Boogie City (Northside, single)
THE PRIMITIVES: Crash (RCA, Lovely)
THE dB'S: Love Is For Lovers (Rhino, Like This)
TODD RUNDGREN: Couldn't I Just Tell You (Rhino, Something/Anything?)
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SHOES: The Things You Do (Elektra, Tongue Twister)
SORROWS: Teenage Heartbreak (Pavillion, Teenage Heartbreak)
THE PLIMSOULS: A Million Miles Away (Elektra, Everywhere At Once)
THE LAMBRETTAS: Da-a-a-ance (MCA, Beat Boys In The Jet Age)
THE FAST: Kids Just Wanna Dance '77 (Bullseye, The Best Of The Fast 1976-1984)
EDDIE & THE HOT RODS: Do Anything You Wanna Do (Captain Oi!, The Singles Collection)
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THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise (Northside, Bright Lights)
Looks killer; catch you Sunday👍
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