10 SONGS: 11/10/2022

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 # 1154. The show is available as a podcast.

THE FLASHCUBES FEATURING RANDY KLAWON: Get The Message

This week's playlist commentary already found me waxing rhapsoderific about the fab new single by the Flashcubes. For "Get The Message," the 'Cubes unite with 1960s Cleveland guitar stalwart Randy Klawon to cover this 1968 number, written by Eric Carmen and originally released by Carmen's then-combo Cyrus Erie. The Flashcubes are one of my all-time favorite groups--seriously, Beatles, Ramones, Flashcubes--and I've loved every one of their recent singles for Big Stir Records. "Get The Message" may be the best one yet. Extra credit to Flashcubes drummer Tommy Allen, whose poundin' production delivers the message with authority.

Ya wanna know who else digs this version of "Get The Message?" The song's author. Eric Carmen hisself says, "The Flashcubes have done a terrific new take on 'Get The Message,' giving it a sonic upgrade while staying true to the original vibe. The first time I heard it, I actually thought it was Cyrus Erie for the first fifteen seconds! Excellent job, boys! Rock on!"

Get the message? 

MAURA AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: Perfect Girl

Each of the three members of the Flashcubes' front line--guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay--is a talented rockin' pop songwriter, and I wish more performers would cover stuff from the greater Cubic songbook. Since we opened this week's program with the Flashcubes covering Cyrus Erie, we followed that with a Frenay original played by Maura and the Bright Lights. Perfect! You can own your own copy of this perfect pop gem when you buy our new compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. GO!! This ongoing radio alchemy doesn't just pay for itself, people.

THE MORNING LINE: Junebugs In April

"Junebugs In April" is the advance single from the Morning Line's new Red On Red Records album Scene. It's an appropriately radio-ready invitation to sway with abandon, so of course we were ready to put it on the radio. It's what we do! I've since heard the album, it's fabulous, and I might believe another of its tracks is likewise ready for MORE!! We'll put that to the test on next week's show.

THE PATTI SMITH GROUP: Ask The Angels

THE ANGELS: My Boyfriend's Back

A great radio show needs to forge its own path, but it's important to read the room and pay attention to what's going on. Here, the Patti Smith Group directed us to ask the Angels. So we did. Hey, Angels!, we said. Wanna sing a song? And so they did. That's how ya build a playlists. It's WILD! WILD! WILD! WILD!, and the perfect soundtrack to a permanent vacation. Hey-la-day-la.

THE VILLAS: Someone To Hold On To

Another incredible selection from This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 5. I don't think even the Villas themselves appreciate how special, how transcendent, this track is. We remain honored to have given it its CD debut.

CISSY HOUSTON: Down In The Boondocks

In a previous 10 Songs, I wrote that as much as I love Cissy Houston's soulful cover of Billy Joe Royal's 1965 hit "Down In The Boondocks," I wasn't quite prepared to surrender my lifetime allegiance to Royal's version (which was one of my many favorite records when I was [theoretically] growing up). 

I'm prepared now. No offense to the still-great Billy Joe Royal rendition, but Cissy Houston rules on this one.

THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I'll Be There

From the Four Tops' entry in my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), regarding "Reach Out I'll Be There":

"Motown's absolute zenith, with one of the greatest vocal groups of all time giving their all-time best performance on their best-ever song.  And, considering the dauntingly high standards set by the rest of the Four Tops' cavalcade of hits, the designation "Best-Ever Four Tops Song" is akin to a coronation."

Reach out.

RITA MORENO, GEORGE CHAKIRIS, SHARKS AND GIRLS: America

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

CHARLIE RICH: Philadelphia Baby

It wasn't to be this year. I'm more of a New York Yankees fan (to the extent I follow baseball), but I was rooting for the Phillies in the World Series. Congratulation to Houston. We'll see you next year.

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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