Tonight on THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO

Listen: Any radio show that gives you THE RAMONES, THE RUBINOOS, TAYLOR SWIFT, THE GO-BETWEENS, ELVIS COSTELLO, DONNA SUMMER, THE BAY CITY ROLLERS, THE DAMNED, THE ISLEY BROTHERS, JOHNNY CASH AND JUNE CARTER, THE GO-GO'S, CHUBBY CHECKER, THE MONKEES, THE SUPREMES, THE FLASHCUBES, and THE BEATLES is worth your time and attention. We'll throw in the latest from AMY RIGBY, THE ARMOIRES, THE GRIP WEEDS, SPARKLE*JETS U.K., MICHAEL DES BARRES, NICK PIUNTI AND THE COMPLICATED MEN, and BALLZY TOMORROW, and fortify the lot with more essential essentialness by SHOES, THE HALF/CUBES, BLONDIE, BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY, THE DONNAS, THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS, LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS, and whatever other rockin' pop majesty three hours of airwave time can barely contain. Listen? LISTEN! Sunday night, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, https://sparksyracuse.org/, streaming on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. The weekend stops HERE!

10 SONGS: 9/21/2024

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 # 1251.

HAYLEY AND THE CRUSHERS: Queen Of Hearts

We've been playing a couple of advance singles--"Unsubscribe" and "Alleyways"--from the new Hayley and the Crushers album Unsubscribe From The Underground. The album's out now, so we gave another spin to "Alleyways" in this week's opening set, and kicked off Set # 2 with Hayley and the Crushers' aggressive cover of Hank DeVito's "Queen Of Hearts." The song was first recorded by the ever-solid Dave Edmunds, and became a huge pop hit for Juice Newton. I may be alone among my peers in believing the definitive "Queen Of Hearts" belongs to Juice rather than Dave, but both versions are sublime, and the Crushers also turn in their own cool 'n' spunky rendition. 

Does this mean Hayley Cain is now the reigning Queen of Hearts? The cards say yes. There she is, Miss Queen of Hearts....

DAVE EDMUNDS: Girls Talk

Dana followed my spin of Hayley and the Crushers' "Queen Of Hearts" with Dave Edmunds' ace rendition of Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk." The song has also been recorded by its author, and covered with confidence by the Knack and Linda Ronstadt (among others), but Edmunds absolutely owns this one. My favorite Dave Edmunds track.

DENNIS SCHOCKET AND CLIFF HILLIS: The Girls Are Back In Town

Credit the discovery here to The Spoon podcast with Robbie Rist, Chris Jackson, and Thom Bowers. We had already played "Here Comes Joanna," a mighty fine track from the new Dennis Schocket and Cliff Hillis EP Pop, Girls, Etc., and that track has scored berths on two previous TIRnRR playlists. All good, and I betcha there woulda been more spins to come.

But when Cliff hisself was a recent guest on The Spoon, an in-show play of the Pop, Girls, Etc. track "The Girls Are Back In Town" prompted me to shout out loud: WHY AREN'T WE PLAYING THIS SONG...?! 

Well. Now we ARE. It will spin again this Sunday night. All credit to The Spoon. The girls are back in town? The Spoon says HELLO!

THE ARMOIRES: Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse

We've been hammerin' all available podiums on behalf of Octoberland, the forthcoming new album from SoCal/Appalachukrainia's phenomenal pop combo the Armoires. As we near its imminent release in...um, October, we have this opportunity to play one final teaser single. "Ridley & Me After The Apocalypse" demonstrates a sun still shining brightly after presumed Armageddon, and it adds to the mountain of evidence showing us that Octoberland is one of the very best albums of 2024. We'll hear yet another fab cut from Octoberland on our next show.

THE RUBINOOS: Government Center

THE GREG KIHN BAND: Roadrunner 

JONATHAN RICHMAN AND THE MODERN LOVERS: Back In The U.S.A.

The Rubinoos covering Jonathan Richman! The Greg Kihn Band covering Jonathan Richman! Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers covering Chuck Berry! See? We play the HITS!!

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Money Honey

As noted here, it was my great pleasure to appear last week as a guest DJ on Dedication--Fans Remember The Bay City Rollers on Scotland's TD1 Radio. You can hear my guest spot at this Tartan-festooned link, and it was great fun to talk with the show's hosts Laura Brady and Suz Rostron about the Bay City Rollers and reveal (and play!) my ten favorite Rollers tracks.

"Money Honey" wasn't on my Top Ten Rollers Songs list, but it was a runner-up, and I know it's a beguilin' li'l pop treat favored by Dedication's intrepid hosts. So! "Money Honey" returns to the TIRnRR airwaves, a dedication to Laura and Suz. Money in the bank.

VAN HALEN: Dance The Night Away

The Greatest Record Ever Made!

THE RAMONES: Rockaway Beach

A few days after my appearance on the Bay City Rollers show, Dana and I were guests on Only Three Lads, the invigmoratin' weekly classic alternate podcast hosted by Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo. Whatta freakin' BLAST!! For those of you who miss the frantic banter of the pre-pandemic TIRnRR live shows, man, have we got a podcast for you: Two hours' worth of four music fans talking about music: Only Three Lads Episode 235.

Although our discussion was vast 'n' wide-rangin'--and included copious plugs for my books The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) and Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones--the main topic was the Ramones. The American Beatles! The greatest American rock 'n' roll band of all time! Each of us detailed our Top 5 Ramones tracks, and there was considerable crossover between the lists, but with enough individual variation to underscore the transcendent wonder of the Ramones.

"Rockaway Beach" was among the songs mentioned, the Ramones' highest-charting (# 66) single. It was a near-miss for my list--it would have been my # 6--but I'm happy that it did get mentioned. I tell ya, listening back to this podcast was a life-affirming experience. Not because Dana and Carl were on it, but because it was yet another delighted opportunity to immerse myself in the magic of the Ramones: The magic of the Ramones' music, and the magic of its ongoing impact upon my life.

Photo by John Tierney

Chewin' out a rhythm on my bubblegum. I listed my top 25 Ramones tracks last year. I sang "Rockaway Beach" with 1.4.5. at my Ramones book release party. TIRnRR doesn't will itself into existence if not for the Ramones. Not hard, not far to reach. Hitch a ride. We'll blast out the Ramones on the radio.

(And thanks again to Brett and Uncle Gregg. Riff Randell would be proud of you.)

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

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 about our history here.

Albums I've Never Owned

 

This list has been nagging at the back of my head for a while, so it's probably best to let it out. These are albums I've never owned in any complete form in any format. I don't offer the list here as some stupid expression of tone-deaf hipsterism; for right or wrong, they're just albums I never got around to adding to my collection. 

I like some of these (even without ever liking them enough to purchase them), and I suspect I'd like a few others. I'm sure some aren't for me, and I know for a fact that some are emphatically not my cuppa at all.

The list doesn't differentiate. The list is just the list.

THE BEATLES: 1

THE BEATLES: 20 Greatest Hits

THE BEATLES: A Collection Of Beatles Oldies

THE BEATLES: A Hard Day's Night (US United Artists soundtrack album)

THE BEATLES: Love Songs

THE BEATLES: Rock 'n' Roll Music

RAY CHARLES: Modern Sounds In Country And Western

CHEAP TRICK: Next Position Please

THE CLASH: Sandinistas!

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: Cosmo's Factory

BOB DYLAN: Highway 61 Revisited

THE EAGLES: Hotel California

FLEETWOOD MAC: Tusk

GENESIS: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

THE GRATEFUL DEAD: American Beauty

LAURYN HILL: The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill

LED ZEPPELIN: Physical Graffiti

JOHN LENNON AND YOKO ONO: Some Time In New York City

HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS: Sports

MADONNA: Like A Virgin

PAUL McCARTNEY: Press To Play

PINK FLOYD: Dark Side Of The Moon

THE POLICE: Outlandos d'Amour

PRINCE: Sign O' The Times

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD: First Edition

SINÉAD O'CONNOR: I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

RADIOHEAD: OK Computer

LOU REED: Metal Machine Music

THE ROLLERS: Burning Rubber [NOTE: I would buy a legit CD reissue of this immediately]

THE ROLLING STONES: Get Yer Ya-Yas Out

BOB SEGER: Night Moves

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: Darkness On The Edge Of Town

TALKING HEADS: Talking Heads '77

U2: The Unforgettable Fire

ZZ TOP: Eliminator

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

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 about our history here.

GABBA GABBA HEY! My Q & A about JOHNNY RAMONE for EL PAÍS

Have you seen journalist Jaime Lorite's recent article celebrating the legacy of Johnny Ramone? It appeared in the 15 Septiembre issue of ICON in the Spanish newspaper El País; if you missed it, you can read an English translation here. As part of his research for the article, Jaime contacted Rare Bird Books--publisher of my 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones--and the good folks at Rare Bird put Jaime in touch with me to answer a few short questions about Johnny. I was delighted to comply, and honored to be included. 

As a supplement to the published article, here is the text of Jaime's brief  Q & A with me. Jaime asks, and I answer:

1. Many assume that the creative part of the Ramones corresponded, mainly, to Joey and Dee Dee. How crucial was Johnny's role for the Ramones to exist as we know them?

Each of the four founding Ramones--Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy--played an important role in creating and establishing the group's approach. Joey and Dee Dee were the most prolific songwriters (though Tommy co-wrote "Blitzkrieg Bop" with Dee Dee), but we can hear the sound of the Ramones in all of their early recordings, regardless of whether the song was an original or a cover. A large part of that sound is defined by Johnny's guitar.

I don't think Johnny's guitar sound, that relentless--but still pop--rhythmic assault, had any real antecedent. The Stooges? The MC5? The New York Dolls? Hell, the Ohio Express? No, nothing predating the Ramones sounds like the Ramones. The minimalism was a group effort, facilitated by Tommy (and later intensified by Marky). The passion was Joey. The ragged, strung-out urban poetry was Dee Dee. The fast-and-loud presence was Johnny.

2. To what extent do you think there is truth to the belief about Johnny's limitations as a “three-chord” guitarist, despite his later great influence?

I have no reason to believe that Johnny Ramone was ever any more of a virtuoso than he appeared to be. I don't remember if it was Johnny or Dee Dee who told a journalist that the Ramones play to their level of ability. Eventually other guitarists supplemented or subbed for Johnny in the studio on the fancier licks...well, the fancier licks by Ramones standards. But this ain't jazz. We know of the long-standing conflict between Joey and Johnny, but it was Joey himself who stressed to me how important Johnny's guitar playing was to THAT sound, the Ramones sound. 

(Nor should Johnny's technical achievement be dismissed too quickly. I can't remember who said it or where I saw it, but a journalist once wrote in response to punters who believed any decent guitarist could play like Johnny Ramone: Oh yeah? YOU try it. Most guitarists would break a freaking hand trying to match what Johnny Ramone pounded out on his Mosrite guitar in the course of any Ramones live set, kind of like when Blondie's Clem Burke--an excellent drummer in his own right--tried and failed to keep up as a Ramones drummer. The Ramones played to their level of ability. That was not as easy a feat as it seemed.)

3. Beyond his tensions with Joey and the military discipline he imposed on the band, given that you dealt with him, what was Johnny Ramone like in short distances? Was he as surly as people said or was it more of an attitude? 

I never met Johnny--our interview was by telephone--so I can't comment on what he was like face-to-face. I've seen credible accounts of how...well, let's just say how difficult Johnny could be. Politically, we were polar opposites, and the tension between Johnny and Joey was evident in my conversations with both of them. But I tell you, Johnny could not have been nicer to me. Throughout our discussion, he frequently asked me what I thought of each individual Ramones record. He was taken aback when I said I liked the track "Something To Believe In" (his response was "You LIKE that...?!"), but he seemed genuinely curious and surprisingly pleasant. He was nice to me. My experience with him doesn't jibe with his public image nor with others' reliable accounts of how prickly (or worse) he could be. But yeah, Johnny Ramone was nice to me.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

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 about our history here.

Fake THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO Playlist: More Crusin' Music, Powered By iPod

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio is simply too large a concept to be neatly contained within a mere three-hour weekly time slot. Hence these occasional fake TIRnRR playlists, detailing shows we're never really going to do...but could.

We've done this one before, and we're doing it again: A playlist collecting tracks my iPod shuffled through on a few recent commutes. The songs are presented in the precise sequence I heard them while cruising to and from my here and there in the Boppinmobile. 

And the result would make a kickass radio show. Evidence appears below. Radio on. Radio UP. Let's hit the road. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl--y'know, the real one--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 all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.

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

PS: SEND MONEY!!!! We need tech upgrades like Elvis needs boats. Spark Syracuse is supported by listeners like you. Tax-deductible donations are welcome at 
http://sparksyracuse.org/support/

You can follow Carl's daily blog Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) at 
https://carlcafarelli.blogspot.com/

FAKE TIRnRR Playlist: More Cruisin' Music, Powered By iPod

EYTAN MIRSKY: Watching From The Balcony

THE KINKS: Sunny Afternoon

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS: 3 Small Words

MAD MONSTER PARTY: Death Valley Days

RASPBERRIES: Ecstasy

JOAN ARMATRADING: Drop The Pilot

--

CAST: Alright

THE RAMONES: I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You

MICHAEL NESMITH: I Am Not That 

THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: Let Her Dance 

ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: Radio Radio

THE BEE GEES: New York Mining Disaster 1941

--

THE BEACH BOYS: Girl Don’t Tell Me 

THE WHO: So Sad About Us

SWEET; Hellraiser

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: My Little Town

MICKY DOLENZ: Little Red Rider

THE KINKS: Dead End Street 

--

HONEY CONE: Want Ads

OWSLEY: I’m All Right 

MARTHA AND THE MUFFINS: Echo Beach

THE GO-GO’S: Get Up And Go 

JAMES BROWN: Please, Please, Please 

THE BEATLES: Lovely Rita

--

THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: Incense And Peppermints

THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS: Inside Out

KISS: Tomorrow

EYTAN MIRSKY: Happiness

THE ELECTRIC PRUNES: Get Me To The World On Time

STEVE CARR WITH ARTY LENIN: I Want To Touch You In The Dark

--

CLUB WOW: Norman Green

THE GRIP WEEDS: Every Minute 

EAGLES: Twenty-One

THE MONKEES: I Don’t Think You Know Me 

THE WHO: Won’t Get Fooled Again 

--

JOHNNY AND THE HURRICANES: Beatnik Fly

THE RAMONES: 7 And 7 Is

COCKEYED GHOST: I Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll 

JOE “KING” CARRASCO: Houston El Mover

COLOR ME GONE: Lose Control 

THE FOUR TOPS: Reach Out I’ll Be There 

--

JIMMY SILVA: Weight Of Wind

ARETHA FRANKLIN: Save Me

CRABBY APPLETON: Go Back

THE SMITHEREENS: It’s Alright 

JUSTINE’S BLACK THREADS; The Other Side Of A Six Pack

THE BOX TOPS: The Letter

MOTT THE HOOPLE: Roll Away The Stone

COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre

--

MR. ENCRYPTO: The Last Time

20/20: Song Of The Universe

GUADALCANAL DIARY: Litany (Life Goes On)

DON HENLEY: The Boys Of Summer

THE FLESHTONES: Stop Fooling Around 

GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR: Nobody Hurts You 

SUGAR: If I Can’t Change Your Mind 

BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY; Piece Of My Heart 

AMY RIGBY: I Don’t Want To Talk About Love No More 

DANA & CARL talk about THE RAMONES on the ONLY THREE LADS podcast with BRETT VARGO and UNCLE GREGG

L-R: CC Ramone, Dana Ramone, Uncle Ramone, and Vargo Ramone

This week's edition of the superswell classic alternative podcast Only Three Lads finds its hosts Uncle Gregg and Brett Vargo chantin' Hey-ho, let's GO! in welcoming Dana & Carl as collective guest Third Lad. Or, as their fresh this-week-only hype says, "This week, there's not only three lads.

"There's 1-2-3-4!"

So yeah, we're talking Ramones here. Each weekly episode of O3L finds each of its assembled Lads (hosts and guests) counting down a personal Top 5 within a chosen classic alt-rock topic. Given the facts that A) Dana and I host a radio show named after a line in a Ramones song, B) my first book was 2023's Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones, and C) I routinely refer to the Ramones as the American Beatles, the greatest American rock 'n' roll band of all time, well, it was pretty obvious that the topic for our O3L appearance had to Top 5 Ramones Songs. That, my friends, is just the way the Carbona crumbles.

Over the course of our long and spirited chat with Brett and Uncle Gregg, we discuss our long-standing reverence for the Ramones, and veer off in a jillion directions to also talk about radio, Syracuse's late '70s/early '80s rock 'n' roll scene, pop passions (from the Bay City Rollers to the Gladiolas, Josie Cotton, the Linda Lindas, the Monkees, and more), the importance of digging what you dig, and my other book, The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1). I had an absolute blast, and I'm reasonably certain like-minded listeners will find that unabashed enthusiasm infectious. We're like cooties with a beat!

Only Three Lads is available from wherever and everywhere you get your podcasts. And you can keep it beatin' with all us hoppin' cretins right here via Apple Podcasts, or check here for the podcast platform of your choice.

Thank you, lads! And now: TAKE IT, DEE DEE....!

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. 

My new book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available; you can see details here. My 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is also still available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. 

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 about our history here. 

Spanish newspaper EL PAÍS interviews me (among others) about JOHNNY RAMONE

Spanish journalist Jaime Lorite interviewed me as part of his research for an article about Johnny Ramone. The resulting piece appears in the ICON section of Sunday's edition of the Spanish newspaper EL PAÍS. It was an honor to be asked to participate. I thank Jamie for his interest in my recollections, and I thank Alexandra Watts at Rare Bird Books (publisher of my 2023 book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones) for helping Jaimie get in touch with me. Gabba Gabba YAY!

You can read Jaimie's article in an English translation here: https://elpais-com.translate.goog/icon/2024-09-15/quieres-tocar-como-el-te-romperas-una-mano-20-anos-de-la-muerte-de-johnny-ramone-el-guitarrista-que-cambio-el-rock.html?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc&fbclid=IwY2xjawFVLA9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaIP4si_ZebSao2quRxquxck8-dMfLHZa4-TlHUUssovN2QQi_OpoO8lTQ_aem_K0vYgedIs-fOCQjRgk5DPA

And we'll have an entirely unrelated Ramones link for you in this space tomorrow.