The second thirty years has gotta start somewhere.I would be in my early nineties by then; Dana will have regressed to his twenties, because of his big ol' crossroads deal that I'm not supposed to talk about. It's a silly fantasy to think we'll still be doing this in 2052, but I didn't foresee us making it through the first thirty years, so what do I know? We're still here now. We'll keep playing pop music on the radio for as long as fortune allows.
This week's show pays tribute to the incredible Ronnie Spector. Ronnie Bennett. Veronica. Here is something I wrote about her in a celebration of the Ronettes' classic "Be My Baby:"
"Be My Baby" doesn't just have that iconic Hal Blaine intro. It has iconic vocals, iconic production, the iconic Phil Spector wall of sound. While pundits tend to overuse the word "iconic," if we can't call "Be My Baby" iconic, what other song could possibly qualify instead?
Boom-boomboom-chuk-boom-boomboom-chuk.
"Be My Baby" also has teen singer Ronnie Bennett. That is not a minor point. Bennett's waifish voice seems chaste and innocent while implying a sensuous something more. Her producer certainly noticed, and before long they were married, her new (iconic) name as Ronnie Spector far outlasting the troubled, tempestuous relationship itself. Like Tina Turner surviving her marriage to Ike, Ronnie Spector survived Phil Spector...
..."Be My Baby" inspired Brian Wilson to be better, more ambitious, greater in his vision and in his accomplishment. A wall of sound, a sound made for radio and the dreams that radio can conjure. Spector. Hal Blaine, and his invincible Wrecking Crew compatriots. Sublime vocal support from some teens named Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley (Ronnie's sister and cousin, respectively). And a teenager named Ronnie, singing sweetly of love's promise while on the precipice of plummeting into its abyss. Soaring above it nonetheless. Boom-boomboom-chuk-boom-boomboom-chuk. I guess that says it all.
Rest in peace, Veronica. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on a 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, 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).
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http://sparksyracuse.org/support/ TIRnRR # 1113: 1/23/2022
TIRnRR FRESH SPINS! Tracks we think we ain't played before are listed in bold
THE RAMONES: Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (Rhino, End Of The Century)
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RONNIE SPECTOR & THE E STREET BAND: Say Goodbye To Hollywood (Cleveland International Records, VA: Cleveland International Records 1977-1983)
THE BRANDOS: Strychnine (Relativity, Honor Among Thieves)
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RONNIE SPECTOR [with JOEY RAMONE: You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory (Kill Rock Stars, She Talks To Rainbows)
THE DIXIE CUPS: Chapel Of Love (Varese Sarabande, The Complete Red Bird Recordings)
LULU: To Sir, With Love [museum outings montage] (Retroactive, VA: To Sir, With Love OST)
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LAURIE BIAGINI: I'm Doing Fine (single) THE RONETTES: Walking In The Rain (Abkco, The Best Of The Ronettes)
THE BREAKAWAYS: Everyday Things (Alive, Walking Out On Love)
THE JAM: Pretty Green (Polydor, Direction Reaction Creation)
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MIKE BROWNING: Raise It Up (single) THE DARLING BUDS: Hit The Ground (Columbia, Pop Said...)
RONNIE SPECTOR: Something's Gonna Happen (Bad Girl Sounds, Something's Gonna Happen)
DAVE EDMUNDS: Don't Call Me Tonight (Columbia, Information)
CHUCK BERRY: Carol (MCA, The Anthology)
THE DICTATORS: Baby Let's Twist (Dictators, Bloodbrothers)
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THE RONETTES: Baby, I Love You (Abkco, The Best Of The Ronettes)
THE FABULOUS POODLES: Mirror Star (Sequel, His Masters Choice)
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: Got To Have You Back (Motown, Greatest Hits And Rare Classics)
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RONNIE SPECTOR: She Talks To Rainbows (Kill Rock Stars, She Talks To Rainbows)
FISCHER-Z: So Long (United Artists, single)
THE BEATLES: I'll Cry Instead (Apple, A Hard Day's Night)
FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE: Denise (Atlantic, Utopia Parkway)
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FREDA PAYNE: Band Of Gold (Rhino, VA: Can You Dig It?)
RONNIE SPECTOR: Whenever You're On My Mind (Bad Girl Sounds, Something's Gonna Happen)
THE RAMONES: I Can't Give You Anything (Rhino, Rocket To Russia)
THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat [Stiff single] (IRS, The Whole World Lost Its Head)
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THE RONETTES: He Did It (Rhino, VA: One Kiss Can Lead To Another)
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: This Happens (Vinyl Japan, Mary-Ann)
THE PRIMITIVES: Across My Shoulder (Castle, Buzz Buzz Buzz)
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SUPER 8: Out Of My Head (single) GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR: Local Girls (Spectrum, The Very Best Of Graham Parker)
THE KINKS: I Need You (Sanctuary, The Anthology 1964-1971)
GUIDED BY VOICES: Glad Girls (Matador, The Best Of Guided By Voices: Human Amusements At Hourly Rates)
RONNIE SPECTOR: I'll Follow The Sun (429, English Heart)
THE RONETTES: Be My Baby (Abkco, The Best Of The Ronettes)
