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 # 1140.
RICHARD TURGEON: Better With You
There is a possibility that pop fans could take Richard Turgeon for granted. Richard is so consistently good at what he does, and he's sufficiently prolific that less attentive ears might be at risk of missing some (or all) of his engaging pop gems.
TIRnRR does not take Richard Turgeon's work for granted, but nor do I think we play his stuff anywhere near as often as we should. We will remedy that, and there's no finer place to start than with Rough Around The Edges, Richard's latest shot o' peerlessness on the ever-reliable Kool Kat Musik label. We opened this week's show with "Better With You," and danced around with giddy abandon. And an earnest intent to play more Richard. Things go better with Richard Turgeon. And he's back on TIRnRR again next week.
THE FLASHCUBES: Christi Girl [Live At The Firebarn, May 26 1979]
THE FLASHCUBES! Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse! Their current Big Stir Records single, recorded LIVE at the Firebarn in 1979! It's a HIT!
As it oughtta be. Consider this another reminder that I've been right about the Flashcubes for nearly 45 years. What took the rest of you so long?
MADONNA: Dear Jessie
This week's playlist commentary went into some detail about the seeming incongruity of TIRnRR programming a track by Madonna, and the twin importance of digging what we dig while remaining open to the potential relevance of fresh discoveries living beyond our chosen parameters.
For all that, I guess it's also worth reiterating that I never really disliked Madonna, either. If I'm a little surprised to realize that I love her 1989 track "Dear Jessie" as much as I do, I must remember that it's not the only Madonna track I've ever enjoyed. I mentioned my initial interest in "Borderline" as it was first climbing the charts in '84; I recall seeing the video in between sets at a Buffalo nightclub--an alt-rock hangout, mind you--and thinking it somehow reminiscent of Freda Payne. I can't articulate why the song brought Payne's "Band Of Gold" to my mind, but it was, then and now, a compliment.
I did not care for Like A Virgin, neither the album nor its singles, especially not its title track. HEY! Not my cuppa. I was okay with the subsequent (non-album) "Into The Groove," and I may even like it better now. When I was working in record retail in the '80s (a tale told within my lengthy reminiscence The Road To GOLDMINE), a customer once tried to return the 12" single of "Into The Groove" because, instead of being bouncy 'n' chirpy Madonna, it sounded like Tears For Fears or some other mopey-boy British act. The customer was, of course, playing the 45 at 33 1/3. The customer is always right? That has not always been my experience.
"Borderline." "Into The Groove." "True Blue." "Open Your Heart." "Like A Prayer." "Express Yourself." Each of these is a decent radio-ready pop record, if not specifically within the Beatles-Motown-Ramones axis that remain my raison d'être. I used to have a Madonna Express Yourself t-shirt, which I think I snagged as a free promo somewhere, and which I confess I wore primarily because the image of Madonna on the shirt was (ironically?) not wearing a shirt.
But we don't look at pop records; we listen to them. When this week's playlist was published, singer-songwriter Dean Landew emailed us to compliment the sheer variety of our Madonna-led set--Madonna, Elvis Costello, the Coasters, Nick Lowe, Shoes, Sweet--adding that "Ray Of Light" was his favorite Madonna song. Another good choice, Dean. I was in an auto parts store on Wednesday, and "Cherish" came on the sound system. I didn't properly appreciate the track's pure pop appeal in '89, but its '80s version of the girl group sound was fresh and pleasing to these ears in this newfangled 21st century. And Madonna deserves rock 'n' roll props for asking the Stooges to perform on her behalf when she was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
I tell ya: we may not play Madonna very often, and we're probably not going to play her all that much in the future, either. Still, when we do decide to play Madonna again, we already know she fits our format just fine. And "Dear Jessie" fits it perfectly.
IN DEED: Peace & Quiet
IRENE PEÑA: In This Room
PERILOUS: Rock & Roll Kiss
Three tracks from our forthcoming compilation album This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5, which we hope to have available Septemberish from our friends at Kool Kat Musik. Liner notes are done, credits and acknowledgments are complete, and all in the hands of the label. Even better, the album itself has been mastered by the mighty Kurt Reil at his House Of Vibes studio; I have been listening to it with willful and delighted obsession for more than a week, and I'm very nearly humbled by the notion that Dana and I helped bring this brilliant set to let.
Nearly. Nearly humbled. Let's not get crazy.
This week's shindig served up the incredible TIRnRR # 5 contributions from In Deed, Irene Peña, and Perilous. We'll spin three more of the album's tracks next week. I know we're biased, and we have a right to be, but man alive, this is a really, really good album.
CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'
THE TEST PRESSINGS: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) has been a frequent fixture on TIRnRR playlists for decades. This week, we're pleased to present a brand new salute to Rosemary's traveling heart cultivation, courtesy of the Test Pressings. The Test Pressings are our pals Robbie Rist, Karen Bassett, and John M. Borack, and they are indeed rightful heirs to the Edison Lighthouse legacy on this teaser track from We All Shine On: Celebrating The Music Of 1970, a joint release by the combined forces of Big Stir and SpyderPop Records. The album looks to be an absolutely killer embrace of the legacy of 1970, the year I really started listening to AM radio with deliberate intent. We will, of course, hear more from We All Shine On next week. If we're all gonna shine on, be assured that Dana and Carl are going to do their part.
THE GRIP WEEDS: I'm Free
We mentioned Kurt Reil's studio wizardry a few paragraphs North of here, raving about his work in mastering This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. Kurt's also the idol o' millions as drummer and vocalist with his incomparable combo the Grip Weeds. The Grip Weeds' latest triumph is this explosive cover of the Who's "I'm Free," as heard on the forthcoming tribute album Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend. The rockin' Weeds (whose recent all-covers album DiG has been a TIRnRR Fave Rave) wouldn't be content to merely ape the original recording of "I'm Free," but instead add the oomph you'd expect from talents who truly get the idea and appeal of the 'Ooo. Ooo! The Grip Weeds even dive a bit deeper into Tommy territory, while retaining the incendiary explosiveness that made the Who power pop progenitors. We are gonna take it. Gladly!
THE BABLERS: You Are The One For Me
It's a HIT! And it's ALSO on Big Stir Records. Dana's favorite single of 2022 so far. Bablermania starts HERE!
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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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