This week's spins of the Bay City Rollers' "Money Honey" and the Ramones' "Rockaway Beach" are offered with respect and gratitude for two weekly podcasts that recently deigned to give This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio the time of day (and more!).
On Friday, I was a guest on Dedication--Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers with Laura Brady and Suz Rostron (and you can hear our li'l one-hour Rollersfest via Apple or Spotify). Laura 'n' Sue even devoted the hour preceding my Dedication Guest DJ spot to some of the tracks featured in my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). That was a lovely surprise I was not expecting at all, and I am very nearly humbled. During my hour, we chatted and played my ten favorite Rollers tracks. I do believe my ten picks serve as a great BCR introduction to rockin' pop fans who may not already be aware of the splendor to be found in some of the group's deeper cuts. (And hits. I played some great Rollers hits, too.)
Dana and I will be appearing very soon--this week, I think--on the classic alternative podcast Only Three Lads, chatting with O3L hosts Brett Vargo and Uncle Gregg about our favorite Ramones songs. This appearance has been in the works for months, and the resulting show should be well, well worth it. Beyond our four-way discussion of the Ramones' importance, we touched on so much of the delighted obsessions we share, from power pop to hosting a radio show. As I say on mic in this week's radio show: A splendid time was bludgeoned into the craniums of all. When will you be able to hear the TIRnRR-O3L crossover? Keep watching the skies! And, um… especially watch the skies this Tuesday. We’ll be on O3L this Tuesday.
On Dedication, we talked a bit about the Ramones, and played the audio clip of Johnny Ramone telling me how the chant of the Bay City Rollers' "Saturday Night" directly inspired the HEY-HO, LET'S GO! of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop." On O3L, I think that Brett and I mentioned our mutual love of the Bay City Rollers. It's ALL connected.
And it's all pop music.
There is so much great stuff all around us, from the past and the present, with a future stacking up more tremendous tunes even as we speak. Our passions unite us. Respect. Gratitude. Rock 'n' roll. Keep on dancing on a Saturday night, and every night. Hey-ho, let's go. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another 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, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. Recent shows are archived at Westcott Radio
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:
TIRnRR # 1251: 9/15/2024
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain't played before are listed in bold.
ORBIS MAX: We Shall Rise Again (single) THE BANDWAGON: People Got To Be Free (Kent Soul, Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache)
THE GO-BETWEENS: Love Goes On! (Beggars Banquet, 16 Lovers Lane)
ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: You Belong To Me [Capital Radio version] (Edsel, This Year's Model)
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DAVE EDMUNDS: Girls Talk (Rhino, The Anthology [1968-1990])
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ: Cruel To Be Kind (Decal, It's All Over Now)
CUB KODA: Looks That Way To Me (Blue Wave, Welcome To My Job)
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SPITBALLS: I Can Only Give You Everything (Castle, VA: Home Of The Hits/The Beserkley Story)
THE FLASHCUBES: You Got My Promise (Northside, Brilliant)
THE GREG KIHN BAND: Roadrunner (Beserkley, With The Naked Eye)
JONATHAN RICHMAN AND THE MODERN LOVERS: Back In The U.S.A. (Castle, VA: Home Of The Hits/The Beserkley Story)
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BEN VAUGHN: Dark Glasses (Bar/None, Mono USA)
MILLIE SMALL: Killer Joe (Caroline, The Best Of Millie Small)
ESQUERITA: Rockin' The Joint (Collectables, Rockin' The Joint)
FRANZ FERDINAND: Evil And A Heathen (Domino, You Could Have It So Much Better)
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ELVIS PRESLEY: Viva Las Vegas (RCA, The Essential Elvis Presley)
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THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Money Honey (Arista, The Definitive Collection)
SWEET: Love Is Like Oxygen (Capitol, The Best Of Sweet)
TALKING HEADS: Wild Wild Life (Rhino, The Best Of Talking Heads)
THE O'JAYS: Love Train (Epic, Love Train: The Best Of The O'Jays)
THE TEARDROP EXPLODES: Pure Joy (Mercury, Wilder)
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The Greatest Record Ever Made!
VAN HALEN: Dance The Night Away (Warner Brothers, Van Halen II)
THEE HEADCOATEES: Teenage Kicks (Damaged Goods, Punk Girls)
TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS: Hanky Panky (Rhino, Anthology)
THE BUSBOYS: Minimum Wage (Rattlesnake Venom, Boys Are Back In Town)
TOMMY ROE: Dizzy (Varese Saraband, VA: Bubblegum Classics: Volume Two)
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ROXANNE FONTANA: Some Have Fun (Sprezzatura, single)
THE SMALL FACES: Grow Your Own (Decca, Small Faces)
THE ANDERSON COUNCIL: She Steals Candy (unreleased)
THE MONKEES: Tapioca Tundra [acoustic version] (Rhino Handmade, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees [Super Deluxe Edition]
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THE RAMONES: Rockaway Beach (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
THE TOURISTS: Blind Among The Flowers (Camden, Greatest Hits)
THE TRAVELING WILBURYS: Runaway (Rhino, The Traveling Wilburys Collection)
LIZ BORDEN: Shake (Code 213, single)
THE KINKS: Dedicated Follower Of Fashion (Sanctuary, The Anthology 1964-1971)
THE BEATLES: Hello Goodbye (Apple, Magical Mystery Tour)
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XTC: The History Of Rock 'n' Roll (Virgin, Rag And Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts And Leftovers)
