10 SONGS: 8/2/2025

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 # 1296.

AL JARDINE: Islands In The Sun

Al Jardine is the only member of the Beach Boys whom I've seen more than, y'know, once. All three of my Al Jardine concert moments came at The New York State Fair. I saw Jardine with Hawthorne's Phenomenal Pop Combo in the late '80s (our Al performing alongside Carl Wilson and Mike Love), fronting his own band in the aughts, and again with Brian Wilson's group in 2016. Given a chance to play a brand-new track by Jardine, we figured it was our time in the sun to open this week's show with that brand-new track, "Islands In The Sun." 

The California-meets-the-Caribbean vibe of "Islands In The Sun" strikes me as a better version of "Kokomo." Don't turn away! I know that comparison risks damning the song with faint praise, but "Islands In The Sun" is actually pretty good, and I hereby declare it agreeably radio-ready. I would be delighted to add a fourth in-concert Al Jardine experience should the opportunity arise. Let the sun shine down on our Beach Boys island home.

BLACK SABBATH: Am I Going Insane

All of us are sick of having to bid farewell to so many of our idols. The late Ozzy Osbourne wasn't necessarily one of my idols, but I feel the loss just the same, and I feel the driving inner need to pay some sort of respect to one of the giants of rock 'n' roll. We did have Ozzy's "Crazy Train" perched in the playlist's staging area, but it never found its spot in the show. 

My own interest in the Prince of Darkness tends to center on a couple of specific and unapologetically obvious Black Sabbath favorites, "Iron Man" and "Paranoid." I loved "Iron Man" when I was a teen, and I considered playing all of its six bludgeoning minutes here (and it would not have been its TIRnRR debut). I knew I wanted to circle back to "Paranoid" near the end of the show, and I wanted our first set to include a Sabbath cut we'd never played before. 

"Am I Going Insane" fit the moment like a custom-made straitjacket. The song carries an inherent pop core amidst its prerequisite crunch, and it asks the same eternal rhetorical question burning in everyone's achin' craniums in these troubled times. Going? Gone, off the rails on a crazy train. Ozzy saw it coming.

THE CYNZ: Can't Help Thinking About Me

The second week in a row for well-deserved airplay of this ace track from the forthcoming various-artists tribute album Jem Records Celebrates David Bowie, as the Cynz turn in their epic rendition of Bowie's "Can't Help Thinking About Me." SPOILER ALERT! The track establishes its third week in a row this Sunday. We play the hits! Sunday will also see the debut of a Jem Records Celebrates David Bowie treat by power pop king Paul Collins, with more to come in future weeks. Can't help thinking about Jem's great new salute to Bowie.

THE TWEEDS: I Need That Record

Don't we all, brothers and sisters. Don't we all.

SHAUN CASSIDY: Hey Deanie

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE FLASHCUBES: The Sweet Spot

Back during the Flashcubes' original late '70s run, they used to include "Hey Deanie" in their set lists, though they credited the song to its author Eric Carmen rather than its hitmaker Shaun Cassidy. No matter! Opening a set with a Greatest Record Ever Made! spin of Cassidy's "Hey Deanie" was a swell set-up to include the Flashcubes' own current dancin'-like-diamonds-in-the-moonlight single "The Sweet Spot" in that very same sweet set. Hey Deanie! Meet us at the sweet spot!

CHUCK BERRY: Promised Land

From my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):

"...Chuck Berry knew well the travails of the downtrodden. Dark skin, humble origin, destined to transcend all and everything to become the single most important performer in the history of rock 'n' roll. His mind was quick, his fingers precise, wedding intricate, unforgettable wordplay to a guitar he played like a-ringin' a bell. He struggled. He pushed. He got noticed. He got pushed back. He kept pushing back in turn, smiling and duck-walking, while quietly seething behind his flamboyant mask. A nice man? Tough to say, but beside the point. An important man? If you've ever loved rock 'n' roll, you should be ashamed to even ask that question.

"Berry built the foundation (and much of the walls) of his legacy in the '50s, when segregation was commonplace throughout much of this Land of the Free, when failure to mind one's place wasn't just a breach of protocol; it was a de facto criminal act. 

"Into this tinderbox, Chuck Berry brought black music that made white kids dance. He wrote in code--most famously, the irresistibly potent brown-skinned handsome man became (wink) a brown-eyed handsome man, man--but he crafted and chronicled the American teen-age dream with greater eloquence than anyone, black or white. It was inevitable that he would be slapped down.

"Some say that he mighta had it coming. Maybe. Others say the rap was racially-motivated, pure and simple. Berry was busted for a violation of the Mann Act, transporting a minor across a state line for immoral purpose. It's plausible to suggest that Berry may have been guilty, but it's also plausible that he wasn't. Guilty or not, Berry spent a year and a half behind bars. While still a guest of the state, Berry wrote 'Promised Land.' 

"Fitting...."

CHRIS VON SNEIDERN: No Promise

Since I haven't yet completed the writing process for any new books in 2025, my biggest project this year has been Big Stir Records' September 12th compilation Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes. It's been a lot of work, absolutely worth it, and I do believe you're gonna love it. Here's evidence on my behalf: Pop Gem Factory foreman and expatriate Central New Yorker Chris von Sneidern paying homage to the shared sound of the 315 by taking on "No Promise," my # 1 favorite Flashcubes song.

And nailing it. Plenty of promise to go around!

BLACK SABBATH: Paranoid

THE BEATLES: Polythene Pam

My favorite Ozzy track, segued into Ozzy's all-time favorite band. Ozzy and I for damned sure had that in common.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

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. You can read about our history here

10 SONGS: 7/19/2025

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 # 1294.

THE SPONGETONES: Help Me Janie

Dana and I were latecomers to the magic of the Spongetones, but we've made up for lost time with a proud and efficient gusto, and it would be accurate to list the Spongetones as one of the defining artists of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's long and hook-infatuated history. We jumped immediately on to the splendor of the Spongetones' recent single "Lulu's In Love," and we approached brand-new single "Help Me Janie" with the very same enthusiastic approach of We have to play this NOW!!!!

"Lulu's In Love," "Help Me Janie," and another soon-to-be-released new Spongetones single will also appear as studio bonus tracks on the Spongetones' forthcoming live album The 40th Anniversary Concert...And Beyond, brought to you by the visionaries at Big Stir Records. We opened this week's show with "Help Me Janie." This Sunday, we'll play "Help Me Janie" again, and we'll hear a little bit of 40th Anniversary Concert live Spongetones, too. One of the defining artists of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Of course we play them. It's what we do.

VAN HALEN: You Really Got Me

In early 1978, I was a second-semester freshman in college when Van Halen released their insistently unsubtle cover of the Kinks' British Invasion classic "You Really Got Me." I loved the Kinks' version, and I detested--detested!!--Eddie 'n' Alex 'n' Michael 'n' David Lee's meatball bludgeoning. I subsequently opened my mind to allow occasional tolerance (and even appreciation) of some individual Van Halen tracks (particularly the great "Dance The Night Away"), but my fortified opposition to the very idea of Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" remained entrenched and unassailable.

On the other hand, our pal Dave Murray is fond of the VH version, and he had a birthday this week. So what the hell; I bought the track and we played it on the show. ("Bought the track?" Yeah. I really got it.)

I will concede that Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" is miles better than the "You Really Got Me" I attempted for this year's annual Dave Murray birthday video. And I also have to concede that Van Halen's "You Really Got Me" is fine, the lingering disdain expressed by my eighteen-year-old self notwithstanding. It's not the equal of the Kinks--let's not veer too close to the loopy here--but it inhabits its skin as it oughta, and I'm starting to understand its appeal. 

THE FLASHCUBES: It's You Tonight

THE WIGS: Tell It All

REDD KROSS: Ballad Of A Love Doll

One track apiece from each of the three discs in a fabulous new compilation called I Wanna Be A Teen Again (North American Power Pop 1980-1989). I Wanna Be A Teen Again was curated by Australian publicist and music guy David Laing, a friend to TIRnRR and a friend to all who cherish the pop with the power. The esteemed Mr. Laing's own Grown Up Wrong! label is responsible for my go-to Flamin' Groovies compilation Between The Lines: The Complete Jordan/Wilson Songbook '71-81, and David has likewise done stellar work assembling I Wanna Be A Teen Again for the UK's mighty Cherry Red Records.

The presence of Syracuse's own power pop powerhouse the Flashcubes makes I Wanna Be A Teen Again a compulsory purchase for me--I buy every project that includes the Flashcubes--but man, I would have wanted this set with a Badfinger-approved no matter what. You got your big names, you got your relative obscurities, and you have all star positions in between. On this week's show, we repped I Wanna Be A Teen Again with spins of the Flashcubes' basement tape of "It's You Tonight" (which was later re-recorded in the '90s for Jordan Oakes' first Yellow Pills compilation), the Wigs' ace "Tell It All," and MTV 120 Minutes superstars Redd Kross with "Ballad Of A Love Doll," and circled back for NRBQ's "You Can't Hide" at the end of the show. Is it power pop? Don't ask. Just dig.

If you're stranded in the British Isles (and I, for one, would be deeply jealous), you can order I Wanna Be A Teen Again directly from Cherry Red. If you're back in the USA, I recommend purchase through Kool Kat Musik. Either way, in the words of the late Bob Segarini: Gotta have pop!

LOLAS: Underneath The Waves

Speaking of Kool Kat Musik, one of the label's own fresh releases is a new album from long-time TIRnRR Fave Raves Lolas. Lolas' debut album Ballerina Breakout was a fixture on this show upon its release in 1999 (our first full year on the air); we know 'em, we love 'em, we can't live without 'em. And the latest Lolas long-player Big Hits And Freak Disasters lives up to the legacy, as Lolas keep on keepin' on with the sound that suits The Best Three Hours Of Radio On The Whole Friggin' Planet. From Big Hits And Freak Disasters, "Underneath The Waves" debuts on this week's show, and will return to the airwaves this Sunday.

AMY RIGBY: Heart Is A Muscle

We have heard that Amy Rigby wasn't all that enthused about her song "Heart Is A Muscle," that maybe she almost chose not to record it, and that she probably wasn't sure about releasing it once she did record it.

Well.

For whatever it's worth, this track from Amy's oh-so-nice 2024 album Hang In There With Me was one of TIRnRR's most-played tracks last year, and it has already secured a berth on 2025's year-end countdown show. Gotta keep the ol' heart exercised.

OSCAR TONEY, JR.: Ain't That True Love

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE ARMOIRES: You're Not The Police

The forthcoming various-artists blockbuster Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes has been a long-percolatin' labor of love, and the project is barreling with giddy determination toward its September 12th street date. Hey, look! WE MADE SOMETHING HAPPEN!

Over the past few days, I've had the opportunity to view (and wholeheartedly approve) Margie Finer's design for the album's graphics, and finally bask in the glow of a job well done. On this week's show, we reprised Make Something Happen! delights by Ballzy Tomorrow, sparkle*jets u.k., and the Kennedys, and we were pleased to present the premiere of the Armoires' uberpop Beatles-Byrds-Cheap Trick interpretation of the Flashcubes' "You're Not The Police." Send out an APB: The Armoires' "You're Not The Police" provides further brilliant evidence of the sheer arresting (HAR!) nature of this collection.

On Sunday, the Armoires' "You're Not The Police" will return to the scene of the crime, alongside further spins of Cubic covers by Ballzy Tomorrow and Librarians With Hickeys, plus another spin of the Flashcubes' own new single from Make Something Happen! Wanna make something out of it? Well, we're glad to have ya with us. Set bright lights to stun.

THE BEACH BOYS: That's Why God Made The Radio

Asked and answered. We rest our case.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

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. You can read about our history here.

10 SONGS: 7/12/2025

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 # 1293.

THE BEACH BOYS: Good Vibrations

Although the late Brian Wilson was (of course) the Featured Performer on our June 22nd show, it still felt imperative to dedicate an entire show to Wilson's impact. Hence this week's presentation of GOOD VIBRATIONS! Brian Wilson and the Legend of Summer.

As our chosen title suggests, the intention this week was to pay tribute to the good vibrations of Brian Wilson's legacy. That effort needed to include Brian (with and without the Beach Boys), as well as other artists covering Brian's songs, and work by others inspired by Wilson. We also wanted to throw in some otherwise-unrelated songs about summer, and whatever else felt right in the context of picking up good vibrations.

My book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) has a chapter about the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," a celestial track from the wonder that is Pet Sounds. In that chapter, I write:

"...There is a risk in elevating Pet Sounds and forgetting about the simple wonders Brian and the Beach Boys crafted before that, in the days when they were the living avatars of the beguiling and alluring California myth. There are summer days (and summer nights) when 'I Get Around' is The Greatest Record Ever Made, as is its B-side 'Don't Worry Baby;' hell, arrogant strutting, backed by adolescent insecurity? That's both sides of the teenage experience captured at 45 RPM and wrapped in a picture sleeve. 'Surfin' USA,' 'Help Me Rhonda,' 'Fun, Fun, Fun,' and 'Girl Don't Tell Me,' each in its own infinite turn. 

"The Beach Boys continued to record essential works beyond Pet Sounds, with and without brother Brian. ' 'Til I Die' from 1971's Surf's Up is heartbreaking in its desolate beauty, and that album's title tune is stunning. And honestly, it's ludicrous to even have this discussion of a greatest record ever made without talking about the miracle of 'Good Vibrations'...."

That miracle endures. And its eternal excitations move us toward our deeper dive into the legend of summer. 

GARY FRENAY: It's Like Heaven

I first knew the Brian Wilson-Diane Rovell song "It's Like Heaven" from a cover version recorded by underrated teen pop star Shaun Cassidy. Save your snickering; it's good! I didn't hear the originally-unreleased version by Spring (aka American Spring, which was Rovell with her sister Marilyn Wilson) until a very long time after that. I really wanted to include something by Spring (probably "This Old World"), but I couldn't find my DIY copy of American Spring, and I suspect it has disappeared from my library.

My pick for the definitive "It's Like Heaven" comes from singer-songwriter Gary Frenay's 2015 album File Under Pop Vocal. Gary's a very familiar figure on TIRnRR playlists, as a solo artist and with the Flashcubes and Screen Test. Gary also wrote "Syracuse Summer," an incredible channeling of the sun-and-surf ethos into the mercurial climate of Central New York, an East Coast wonder recorded by the Tearjerkers and later by Gary with the FabCats. It would have taken an act of God-Only-Knows to block that from taking its rightful place in this week's playlist.

So yeah: We had to play Gary's "It's Like Heaven," and we had to play the Tearjerkers' "Syracuse Summer." Recommended if you like Heaven.

MICHAEL SIMMONS: Sail On, Sailor

Like Gary Frenay, Michael Simmons is also a frequent fixture on TIRnRR's sovereign airwaves. We've been playing Michael's superswell combo sparkle*jets u.k. for just as long as Stig has been dead (for ages, honestly), and their most recent album Box Of Letters was one of THE records of 2024 in these quarters. We've also carpet-bombed airplay of Michael with Popdudes, as a solo artist, and as a secret weapon for various 'n' sundry rockin' pop DBAs. Michael is at the mastering helm of the forthcoming various-artists blockbuster Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and sparkle*jets u.k. themselves turn in the title track on that set (which is--full circle!--a Gary Frenay tune). Hell, I think Michael was very nearly a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, but jealous guys Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy blackballed him for flirting with Saturn Girl. Man, teen superkids can be so petty!

And like...well, all of us, Michael was affected by the passing of Brian Wilson, and therefore compelled to express himself. Unlike most of us, Mr. Simmons possesses the talent to transmogrify that sorrow into art, and he absolutely nails this cover of the Beach Boys' "Sail On, Sailor," offered in Brian Wilson's memory. See? THAT'S why Michael Simmons is a TIRnRR FaveRave.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes

For this track from Bruce Springsteen's 2007 album Magic, these words from my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):

"..I think I read somewhere that Bruce Springsteen was heavily influenced by Brian Wilson--specifically, by the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds--while he was making Magic. If that's not true, it should be. Its first two tracks, 'Radio Nowhere' and 'You'll Be Coming Down,' capture that elusive wispy quality of goals just beyond our reach, happiness that escapes our grasp. The result is mesmerizing. It doesn't sound anything at all like the Beach Boys. Yet it's difficult to imagine it existing in a world where Pet Sounds didn't exist first.

"None of this prepared me for 'Girls In Their Summer Clothes.'

"As pop fans--dedicated, dyed-in-the-wool pop fans--there are moments when our grandest ideas and ideals of the universe align within the concise running time of a new song we're hearing for the very first time. These are the all-too-rare moments when an unfamiliar track annexes us as its own. Body. Mind. Heart. Soul. Sometimes the feet as well. The purity and majesty of the experience is incomparable.

"That feeling that engulfed me the first time I heard 'Girls In Their Summer Clothes,' the same feeling that still claims me every time I hear it again. And the girls in their summer clothes pass me by. It is a flawless, gorgeous ache, a mournful ode to whatever has slipped away, and continues to pass us by. It is, like much of Springsteen's best work, a drugstore-rack paperback novel brought to life as a pop song. It means more than it says. It implies more than it reveals...."

THE KRAYOLAS: Surf's Down

Inspiration can be immediate and undeniable. It can also be finicky and introspective, even shy, waiving its right to reveal itself. Consider this message from Hector Saldana of the ace American rockin' pop combo the Krayolas regarding "Surf's Down," an inspired Krayolas track from the vaults:

"...When I heard the news of [Brian Wilson's] passing, I wanted to make some gesture to show how much he meant to me and the Krayolas. I decided to release a never-heard unreleased recording from spring 1979. I found the audio recorded at a small studio on an analog 8-track 1/2 inch Otari tape machine. I sent it to legendary mastering engineer Richard Dodd in Nashville and rush released it via The Orchard. We were super young and could sing high around a mic to get that sound...."

Inspiration deferred does not have to be inspiration denied. We were inspired to play "Surf's Down" as an integral part of our Brian Wilson tribute. "Surf's Down" is UP! And it's up again on our next show.

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Hot Fun In The Summertime

It would probably be a stretch to suggest that Sly Stone wrote "Hot Fun In The Summertime" under the influence of Brian Wilson. I don't quite believe any of Sly and the Family Stone's brilliant work was shaped by Wilson's pet sounds of the soul, at least not willfully. But it would also be a stretch to insist that Wilson wasn't a possible influence; Sly Stone was aware of everything going on in pop music in the '60s, and--to paraphrase something famously uttered by someone else in the Wilson family--Sly Stone was a genius, too. "Hot Fun In The Summertime" doesn't sound like the Beach Boys. Doesn't matter. Sly and Brian sound great in the same radio show. Hot fun, fun, fun in the summertime.

THE RONETTES: Be My Baby

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

Brian Wilson was obsessed with the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," and the record was an enormous influence on what his own genius went on to create thereafter.

THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby

From The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1):

"Can a pastiche touch the divine? Can a copy become more than it is? Can mere imitation transcend its mundane genesis, and live on its own as something great?

"In rock 'n' roll? Yeah. It happens all the time.

" 'Beach Baby' conjures the classic sound of the Beach Boys without calling to mind any specific Beach Boys track. Perhaps there are hints of 'In My Room,' or 'Don't Worry Baby,' or 'California Girls,' or other lush, luxurious, mid-tempo hits from the pride of Hawthorne, but we're just grasping at straws in the sand to say so. Really, 'Beach Baby" sounds like none of these. 

"And yet it sounds like all of them. Surf’s up...

"...And it’s not Beachmania; it isn't the Beach Boys, nor is it an incredible simulation. Lead singer Tony Burrows doesn't sound at all like Brian Wilson or Carl Wilson or Dennis Wilson, not Al Jardine nor David Marks, and for damned sure nothing like Mike Love. No one with ears would mistake it for a Beach Boys record. 

"But the homage is clear and true, the tribute seemingly sincere, the result unerringly effective and moving. It’s sad, like a memory of summer love long gone. It’s festive, like the songs shared as one by revelers gathered around the fire, as the moon lights the sand and the promises of the stars above reflect in the irresistible spark you could swear you see in the eyes of someone you just might want to love for ever and ever.

"Long hot days. Cool sea haze. It seems so long ago, if it ever really existed in the first place. 

"And now it’s fading away...."

THE BEACH BOYS: Wouldn't It Be Nice

THE BEACH BOYS: Pet Sounds

Two from Pet Sounds, empirical evidence of a benevolent deity beaming a signal to mortal ears. In the words of a Beach Boys song we'll hear on this coming Sunday night's show: That's why God made the radio. And that's why the Benevolence gave as a mortal angel named Brian Wilson.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get my previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

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. You can read about our history here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio # 1293: Good Vibrations! Brian Wilson and the Legend of Summer

TIRnRR # 1293: GOOD VIBRATIONS! Brian Wilson and the Legend of Summer: 7/6/2025

Welcome to a special edition of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl: GOOD VIBRATIONS! Brian Wilson and the Legend of Summer. We've assembled some music in tribute to the genius of Brian Wilson; we have performances by Wilson solo and with the Beach Boys, and covers of some of Wilson's songs. But also some original music created by other artists inspired by Brian Wilson, some unrelated songs about summer, and some that just seem to fit. The songs were chosen for their flow, their feel...

...Their vibration.

THE BEACH BOYS: Good Vibrations (Capitol, Smiley Smile & Wild Honey)

GARY FRENAY: It's Like Heaven (Northside, File Under Pop Vocal)

MICHAEL SIMMONS: Sail On, Sailor (single)

P. P. ARNOLD: God Only Knows (Sequel, The First Cut)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Girls In Their Summer Clothes (Columbia, Magic)

RASPBERRIES: Cruisin' Music (RPM, Power Pop Volume Two)

--

Brian Wilson did not invent summer, but he was a primary auteur in crafting its myth, its legend, its iconography in pop culture and pop music. One obvious example of that mythmaking is the promise offered in a song Wilson co-wrote with Jan Berry, an impossible promise that seemed plausible in its pure pop context:

Two girls for every boy.

JAN AND DEAN: Surf City (EMI, Surf City: The Best Of Jan And Dean)

THE KRAYOLAS: Surf's Down (single)

BRIAN WILSON: Night Time (Rhino, Brian Wilson)

LISA MYCHOLS AND SUPER 8: Don't Worry, Baby (Jem, VA: Jem Records Celebrates Brian Wilson)

NELSON BRAGG: We're Gonna Laugh About It (Big Stir, Mèlodie De Nelson: A Pop Anthology)

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Hot Fun In The Summertime (Epic, Greatest Hits)

--

Success breeds jealousy. Murray Wilson was jealous of his son Brian. And when Murray's...abrasive characteristics forced the Beach Boys to fire him as their manager and would-be Svengali, Murray attempted to retaliate by grooming another group, the Sunrays, to steal the Beach Boys' thunder. The Sunrays' success was fleeting and limited. 

But there was some success.

THE SUNRAYS: I Live For The Sun (Time-Life, VA: Classic Rock: Bubblegum, Garage And Pop Nuggets)

AMERICA: God Of The Sun (Rhino, The Definitive Pop Collection)

BRIAN WILSON: You Still Believe In Me (Sanctuary, Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds Live)

THE RUBINOOS: Watching The Sun Go Down (Yep Roc, From Home)

CURT BOETTCHER: It's A Sad World (Rev-Ola, Chicken Little Was Right)

THE RAMONES: Surfin' Safari (Captain Oi!, Acid Eaters)

--

Brian Wilson is acknowledged as a genius, rightly so. But he often worked with collaborators, particularly in crafting lyrics. He worked with Roger Christian, Tony Asher, Van Dyke Parks, among others. And he worked with his cousin, Mike Love. There were certainly negatives in that relationship. But it's important to remember that Mike Love was indeed part of this story, and he deserves credit for his role in helping Brian Wilson conjure this magic legend of summer, and the warmth of the sun.

THE BEACH BOYS: The Warmth Of The Sun (Capitol, Surfer Girl & Shut Down Vol 2)

THE YELLOW BALLOON: Springtime Girl (Sundazed, The Yellow Balloon)

MIKE BROWNING: Summer Sun (single)

THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Summer Breeze (EMI, The Essential Isley Brothers)

THE SMITHEREENS: Girl Don't Tell Me (Sunset Blvd, Covers)

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Good Laugh Mun (Grown Up Wrong!, Between The Lines: The Complete Jordan/Wilson Songbook '71-81)

--

Family is important, or at least it should be. The Beach Boys were three brothers, a cousin, and a next door neighbor. They called their record label Brother. They named an album Friends. Family and friends. As Brian's son-in-law Rob Bonfiglio reminds us: There's no one else I'd rather love. 

ROB BONFIGLIO: No One Else I'd Rather Love (Kool Kat Musik, VA: Pop Aid 3: A Pop Compilation To Benefit Those Affected By The California Wildfires)

AL JARDINE, FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Heroes And Villains (Not Lame, VA: International Pop Overthrow Vol. 4) 

BRIAN WILSON FEATURING CARNIE AND WENDY WILSON: Do It Again (MCA, BRIAN WILSON: I Just Wasn't Made For These Times)

LAURIE BIAGINI: Just Another Daydream (n/a, Stranger In The Mirror)

SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER: I Just Wasn't Made For These Times  (Silent Planet, VA: Making God Smile [An Artists' Tribute To The Songs Of Beach Boy Brian Wilson])

THE TRADE WINDS: I Believe In Her (Varese Sarabande, VA: The Warmth Of The Sun: Songs Inspired By The Beach Boys)

--

The legend of summer was not confined to California. Across the country and around the world, sun-starved hearts answered the call to celebrate. Man, we even heard the call in between blizzards here in Syracuse, New York.

THE TEARJERKERS: Syracuse Summer (Futureman, VA: This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3)

EUCLID BEACH BAND: There's No Surf In Cleveland (Sony, VA: Cleveland International Records 1977-1983)

20/20: Drive (Bomp, VA: The Roots Of Powerpop)

BRIAN WILSON: Surf's Up (Nonesuch, Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE)

DOUG POWELL: 'Til I Die  (Silent Planet, VA: Making God Smile [An Artists' Tribute To The Songs Of Beach Boy Brian Wilson])

R.E.M.: Why Not Smile (Warner Brothers, Up)

--

Artists do not create in isolation. They draw inspiration from other artists, other art. And if Brian Wilson were here with us this evening, I betcha he would tell you: 

THIS is The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RONETTES: Be My Baby (Abkco, The Best Of The Ronettes)

THE RECORDS: Darlin' (Demilo, VA: Smiles, Vibes & Harmony [A Tribute To Brian Wilson])

THE HONEYS: He's A Doll (Capitol, The Honeys Collection)

JEFFREY FOSKETT: Surfer Girl Lullaby (New Surf Limited, Sunnys Off)

BRAD JONES: Let's Pretend (Ginger, VA: Raspberries Preserved)

ERIC CARMEN: Top Down Summer [2018] (single)

--

Speaking of artists influencing other artists: The Beach Boys and the Beatles. Brian's increasingly accomplished pop genius inspired Rubber Soul. Rubber Soul inspired Pet Sounds. Pet Sounds inspired Revolver.

THE BEATLES: For No One (Apple, Revolver)

THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF THE ALL: Love Tonight (Cherry Red, Greetings From Planet Love)

BRIAN WILSON: Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight (Rhino, Brian Wilson)

THE ANDERSON COUNCIL: I'd Love Just Once To See You (Jem, VA: Jem Records Celebrates Brian Wilson)

THE PARADE: Sunshine Girl (Time-Life, VA: Classic Rock: Bubblegum, Garage And Pop Nuggets)

JASON BYRD: I'll Be All Right (The Paisley Pop Label, Busy Day)

--

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what can we say about pastiche? If it works, it can touch the divine. It can transcend. Just like before, it can walk by the shore in the moonlight.

THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby [single version edit] (Cherry Red, Beach Baby: The Complete Recordings)

JASON HARROD: In My Room (Silent Planet, VA: Making God Smile [An Artists' Tribute To The Songs Of Beach Boy Brian Wilson])

JOHNATHAN PUSHKAR AND RICHARD BARONE: I Get Around (Jem, VA: Jem Records Celebrates Brian Wilson)

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS: Fun, Fun, Fun (Blackheart, Good Music)

MICHAEL SIMMONS: First Days Of Summer (Crab Apple, First Days Of Summer)

BRIAN WILSON AND FRIENDS: Our Prayer (BMG, Brian Wilson & Friends)

THE BEACH BOYS: Wouldn't It Be Nice (Capitol, Pet Sounds)

--

It was nice. Thank you, Brian. It was very nice indeed.

Thank you for joining us for this celebration of the genius and impact of Brian Wilson. The sun still shines. There are still girls on the beach. And I'll still listen in my room. The legend of summer continues. This is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl.

THE BEACH BOYS: Pet Sounds (Capitol, Pet Sounds)

JEFFREY FOSKETT: Summer Love (New Surf Limited, Sunnys Off)

GENERAL JOHNSON AND JOEY RAMONE: Rockaway Beach (On The Beach) (Forward, VA: Godchildren Of Soul--Anyone Can Join!)

TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain't played before are listed in bold

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. 

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). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

Carl's latest book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get Carl's previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

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:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

Volume 5: CD or download