THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Encore Presentation: The real-life musicians of GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!!

As a matter of logistics mandated an encore presentation of a previous episode of TIRnRR, I asked Dana if we could rerun our June 14th show, which was a salute to some of the many real-life performers mentioned in my new book Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies. The book ain't exactly sellin' like hotcakes--not even like day-old hotcakes--so any chance to gently hawk the damned thing is A-OK by me. Let's review your summary and ordering options:

Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies gathers tales of a foul-mouthed rock 'n' roll guitarist hijacked into space, an Old West gunslinger, a film noir gun moll who longs to be in a musical, a humorous fill-in superhero suddenly called to greatness, a former boy band star turned record company fix-it man, a would-be painter, an obsessed collector, a fated swordswoman, a fallen giant, a frustrated time traveler, a condemned sinner guiding tourists in Hell, a departed soul interviewing for a spot in Heaven, a 1976 Beatles reunion concert, and other untruths detailing love, loss, disappointment, miscellaneous hijinks, a fascination with shiny objects, and—occasionally--a juvenile sense of humor. 

WARNING: RUDE LANGUAGE! The author is a potty-mouth.

CARL'S BOOKS!

Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies (2026): $15
The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) (2024): $30
Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones (2023): $25

All books are autographed, and can be personalized upon request

SHIPPING: $5 Media Mail to addresses in the lower 48 states

BUNDLES:

Buy any two books, save $5

Buy all three books, save $10 ($60 for the lot of 'em)

[Same terms apply to multiple copies of the same book]

SHIPPING: $5 Media Mail to addresses in the lower 48 states

PAYMENTS via PayPal or Zelle to ccdatsme@aol.com

The book is available as a special order from most local bookstores--KEEP BOOKSTORES ALIVE! You can also order the book through any of your usual online resources like Amazon and Barnes and Noble (and you just might be the first to do so!), and I also have autographed copies available on eBay.

Do not attempt to eat the book. The reference to hotcakes was for rhetorical purposes only.

NEXT WEEK: Logistics permitting, we return with a new show, which will include a lot of great music from our Featured Performer GRAHAM PARKER! And this is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded liked as we read cool books on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.

TIRnRR # 1341 Encore Presentation: The music of GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!! SHORT STORIES AND OTHER WHITE LIES

Individual songs directly referenced in the book are noted in bold

CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land (MCA, The Anthology)
RICHIE BARRETT: Some Other Guy (MOJO, VA: Songs The Beatles Taught Us)
THE CYNZ: Love's So Lovely (Jem, Confess)
TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS: Hanky Panky (Rhino, Anthology)
THE TRAMMPS: Disco Inferno [single edit] (Rhino, Rhino Hi-Five)
SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: Cecilia (Columbia, Old Friends)
--
THE GRIP WEEDS: Every Minute (Ground Up, The Sound Is In You)
THE JAM: Absolute Beginners (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
THE MONKEES: (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (Rhino, More Of The Monkees)
MOTÖRHEAD: Ace Of Spades (Bronze, Ace Of Spades)
SLADE: Gudbuy T' Jane (Polydor, Greatest Hits)
LL COOL J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam, All World)
--
ELVIS PRESLEY: Hard Headed Woman (RCA, The Top Ten Hits)
EDDIE COCHRAN: Twenty Flight Rock Razor & Tie, Somethin' Else: The Fine Lookin' Hits Of Eddie Cochran)
THE EAGLES: Tryin' (Asylum, Eagles)
BIG STAR: September Gurls (Ardent, # 1 Record/Radio City)
RONNIE SPECTOR AND THE E STREET BAND: Say Goodbye To Hollywood (Sony, VA: Cleveland International 1977-1983)
BLONDIE: Dreaming (Chrysalis, The Platinum Collection)
--
THE SMITHEREENS: Face The World With Pride (Sunset Blvd, The Lost Album)
R.E.M.: Radio Free Europe (Warner Brothers, Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011)
THE SELECTER: On My Radio (EMI, Greatest Hits)
THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen (Virgin, Kiss This)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: It's Your Thing (Epic, The Essential Isley Brothers)
TALKING HEADS: Burning Down The House (Rhino, The Best Of Talking Heads)
--
PERILOUS: Rock & Roll Kiss (n/a, YEAH!!!)
THE WHO: I Can't Explain (MCA, The Ultimate Collection)
THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise (Northside, Bright Lights)
THE SMALL FACES: Afterglow Of Your Love (Immediate, The Autumn Stone)
PRINCE: Hot Summer (NPG, Welcome 2 America)
DAVID BOWIE: Queen Bitch (Virgin, Bowie At The Beeb)
--
WONDERBOY: Girl Songs (n/a, Hero Isle)
ELTON JOHN: Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) (Rocket, Diamonds)
THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Saturday Night (Arista, The Definitive Collection)
THE BUZZCOCKS: Ever Fallen In Love (IRS, Singles Going Steady)
ARETHA FRANKLIN: Save Me (Atlantic, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You)
WANDA JACKSON: Let's Have A Party (Metro Select, First Lady Of Rockabilly)
--
The Greatest Record Ever Made!
P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest (Sequel, The First Cut)
QUESTION MARK AND THE MYSTERIANS: 96 Tears (Cameo, single)
ARTHUR ALEXANDER: Every Day I Have To Cry Some (Razor & Tie, The Ultimate Arthur Alexander)
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: Son Of A Preacher Man (Rhino, Dusty In Memphis)
POP CO-OP: You Don't Love Me Anymore (Kool Kat Musik, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Raduio, Volume 4)
CARL PERKINS: Blue Suede Shoes (Rhino, VA: Loud, Fast & Out Of Control)
--
THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop (Rhino, Ramones)
1.4.5.: Let's Groove (Northside, 3 Chords & A Cloud Of Dust)
NELSON RIDDLE: Batman Theme (Hightower, VA: The Music Of DC Comics: Vol. 2)
KISS: Rock And Roll All Nite [single version] (Mercury, Alive! 1975-2000)
GUADALCANAL DIARY: Kum Ba Yah (Elektra, Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man)
OTIS REDDING: Mr. Pitiful (Rhino, Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding)
HERB ALPERT AND THE TIJUANA BRASS: Green Peppers (A & M, Whipped Cream & Other Delights)
THE CHIFFONS: He's So Fine (Laurie, The Best Of The Chiffons)
--
JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation (Blackheart, Bad Reputation)
YOKO ONO: Move On Fast (Rykodisc, Approximately Infinite Universe)
THE KINKS: You Really Got Me (Sanctuary, The Ultimate Collection)
SUZI QUATRO: Tear Me Apart (Razor & Tie, The Wild One: Classic Quatro)
LARRY WILLIAMS: Slow Down (Rhino, VA: Loud, Fast & Out Of Control)
CHAN ROMERO: Hippy Hippy Shake (Del-Fi, VA: Delphonic Sounds Today! [expanded promo version])
BRIAN WILSON: Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight (Rhino, Brian Wilson)
THE BEATLES: Paperback Writer (Apple, 1962-1966)
--
FRANK SINATRA: One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (Capitol, Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely)

Tonight on THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

We offer an ENCORE PRESENTATION of a recent epic show of records by some of the many real-life performers mentioned in Carl's new book GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS!! SHORT STORIES AND OTHER WHITE LIES. We start with CHUCK BERRY, end with THE BEATLES, and let FRANK SINATRA send us home, bookending music by THE CYNZ, THE TRAMMPS, THE GRIP WEEDS, THE RAMONES, RONNIE SPECTOR, THE KINKS, THE MONKEES, SLADE, WONDERBOY, WANDA JACKSON, BLONDIE, THE CHIFFONS, THE JAM, THE SMITHEREENS, THE ISLEY BROTHERS, THE SEX PISTOLS, PERILOUS, ARETHA FRANKLIN, POP CO-OP, SUZI QUATRO, THE FLASHCUBES, PRINCE, BRIAN WILSON, KING ELVIS THE FIRST, THE BAY CITY ROLLERS, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, THE SELECTER, and still more of the rockin' sounds that make our pages turn. Alas, Carl's fictional performers GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS, THE CREEPING FLOCKS, PANTS-ON FLIERS, HIT CORPS, and WILLINGTON BLUE were not available for this show, because they don't, y'know...exist. We'll keep it real Sunday night, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming via sparksyracuse.org, and as WESTCOTT RADIO on the Radio Garden app. The weekend stops HERE!