SfanGoch

Mr.Dadier's wife. Altaira. Liz Wirth.

Nah. Everybody knows rats love a slice of pizza with anchovies to go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXUG8q4jKU

There probably are groups and associations in Chicago which cater to diehard fanatics of the genre. Besides, you listened to the stations and you would know better than me.

It wasn't any different than in New York. Once the British Invasion happened, very few stations played Doo Wop, dropping all pre-1964 music from their playlists. There were a number of smaller Stations which did stick to the music, though. The biggest thing in radio, insofar as Doo Wops were concerned, was when WCBS-FM 101.1 switched formats on July 7, 1972 to an all oldies format. It still is the highest-rated station in New York and one of the highest-rated classic hit stations in the U.S. I'd have to check on the radio scene in Chicago to see if there are any stations which have a classic hits format. There is an excellent book on the Chicago Doo Wop scene aptly titled, "Doowop: The Chicago Scene", by Robert Pruter.

Au contraire, Mr. P. Chicago has a rich history in Doo Wop. Some of the most famous groups and labels were in the Windy City. The Flamingos, Dells, The Moonglows, to name just a few, all came from Chicago. Plus, it was the home of Chess Records which had Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, Dale Hawkins and a host of other great artists in its stable of stars.

Thanks for checking out the thread, guys. I never was a fan of '50s pop. Too bland and safe. This was the music of youth and rebellion. It was to the times as was punk in the '70s. The next group hailed from the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The Mello-Harps formed in 1955 and consisted of Arnold "Johnny" Malone (first tenor), Joe gowder (second tenor), Daniel "Bunny" Elder (baritone), Ossie Davis (bass) and Vernon Staley (high tenor). After appearing at Club Baby Grand, on Fulton Street in brooklyn, the group had a recording session with morty Craft's Do-Re-Mi label which produced the first song, "Love Is A Vow" and the flipside, "Valerie". This song features Johnny Malone on lead with Vernon Staley's amazing tenor echoing Malone's lines. This record is interesting in that the only instrument used was a standup bass. Craft only did a limited production run in the Fall of 1955, making this an extremely rare and valuable record selling for $2000. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_5Dgr8mzjE After this session, Ossie Davis left and was replaced by bobby Hawkins, brother of basketball legend Connie Hawkins. The group switched to Jack Corvais' Tin Pan Alley label. Their first release for Tin Pan Alley was "I love Only You" and the flipside "Ain't got the Money", featuring Joe Gowder on lead, was released in December 1955. Here is "Ain't Got The Money": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Xt9Lcd_G4 They recorded four more sides for Tin Pan Alley before moving to Rego Records. At the same time, Bunny Elder departed and was replaced by tenor William Brown. While at Rego, the re-recorded "Love Is A Vow" and backed it with "Walkie Talkie Baby", which was their only release (September 1956) for the label. They had recorded material which wasn't released by Rego, one of the songs titled "My Lost Love", an uptempo song featuring Johnny Malone on lead and a honking tenor sax break. Note that writing credits are given to Bunny Elder, who penned this song before he left the group. This number has "Ed Norton's type of music" written all over it.

At one time, Mad Magazine was located on the 13th floor of 485 MADison Avenue. In late June 1974, I decided to visit the place and buy some of the paperback anthologies I was missing from my collection. It was a lunatic asylum! I asked a a fat guy with a goatee, who turned out to be art director Leonard Brenner, where the mailroom was. He started yelling at me that I was late and asked if I was a complete idiot. Huh? "Huh?!? I guess you answered my question! You were supposed to start at 10. It's 1 in the afternoon and I suppose you want to take your lunch break now." No. I just..."You just what?!? What then?!? You just want to take your vacation with pay?!?" No. I just want to buy some books......"Buy books? You have money? I thought you were the new mailroom assistant! Buy books? Young man with money, please have a seat. Would you care for a sandwich? A cocktail? My apologies? Do you want the job? Follow me. I'll take you in to meet Bill (Gaines). Hey, you fat ba****d! The new mailroom assistant is here and he's not going to steal anything! He has money!! He can start yesterday! He needs the rest of today off!" I ended up getting a summer gig for the next three years at Mad. It was the best job a stupid teen could ever have. they were the nicest bunch of people I ever worked for. I still have a pile of stuff autographed by the "Usual Gang of Idiots".

It's always good to keep a tube of Brylcreem in your toolbox. You might need to lubricate a squeaky door hinge or grease up a battery post in a pinch. I'll be covering Chicago labels such as United and States, Sabre, Vee-Jay, Checker/Chess, Parrot and Chance in future posts.

Did we have neat stuff as kids, or what? With all these neat toys, Mad Magazine, baseball cards and Famous Monsters of Filmland, we had it pretty good. I had an electronics experiment lab, made by International Rectifier. There was one in the window of PIX Television Repair on the yavnya and I kept bugging my parents to get it for me. It was the same one as seen in this ad: You could actually perform some amazing experiments with it. Unlike the Polaris Nuclear Sub which was nothing but a crummy cardboard box, and X-Ray Specs which disappointed multitudes of hormone-raged pre-teen males, these electronics kits delivered as advertised.

Okay, this isn't everybody's cup of tea; but, this is from where Rock and Roll evolved. It's also my favorite music genre. This is the music I grew up listening to on the radio and on the street in the form of acapella street corner harmony as a youngster in the '60s. What attracted me to this music were the harmonies. You won't find this type of vocal style in music today. The tenors, baritones and bassman combined to create a rich sound, each part distinct but working together. I'm going to start off with a couple of songs recorded for Bobby Robinson's Red Robin Records, located on 125th Street in Harlem. Although only forty singles were released on this label, Red Robin is one of the legendary names in the recording industry. The first is "I" by The Velvets, the second of three records made by this group, released in December 1953, and which has to be the shortest song title in music history. Charles Sampson is the lead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ayNlfsBpC4 The second song is "Love You" by one of the most talented vocal groups ever, The Vocaleers. The Vocaleers were lead by John Martinez, who was known professionally as Joe Duncan. Joe had one of the most distinctive voices and vocal styles in group harmony music. Joe, you see, sang through his nose, not his diaphragm. Other members were Herman Dunham, also known as Herman Curtis (first tenor), William "Red" Walker (second and first tenor), Melvin Walton (second tenor and baritone) and Teddy Williams (bass). This record is the fourth of five made by the group and was released in January 1954, This is a really beautiful ballad and it's amazing how fresh it sounds today. The third record from Red Robin is titled "Mary Lee", by a Washington, D.C. group called the Rainbows. It was the only record released by this group on the Red Robin label and was released in November 1954 with Berry and Miles sharing the lead. The group consisted of John Berry (second tenor and lead), Ronald "Poosie" Miles (second tenor and co-lead), Henry "Shorty" Womble (first tenor), James "Sally" Nolan (baritone), Frank "Jake" Hardy (bass) and pianist Donald Watts. Don Covay, a legend in his own right, was a later member. The rumors that Billy Stewart and Marvin Gaye sang with the Rainbows arose from the fact that Stewart and Gaye were friends of the group and occasionally appeared with them when an original member was sick or couldn't make a show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIkhfNMjn6I

Her's a doozy of a group from Finland, the Leningrad Cowboys. These dudes know how to have a good time; and, they are excellent musicians, to boot So, git yer Guarachero boots on an' start a-dancin'!

Speaking of obscure, There's Trio

Blind Faith was the first supergroup. What a lineup!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDNCkcC47eQ

It's all part of being a boulevardier without the money. I schmoozed around with the right people in my younger days. Google "David Mugrabi". I used to get booze for him, his brother and friends when the parents were out.

I saw him every so often during my Trump Tower days. He lived at The Galleria, on East 57th Street, with Carla Bruni. After his son died in 1991, she moved into Trump tower.

If that happens, let me mention Tommy Makem and The Clancy Brothers. I spent many an evening at Tommy Makem's Irish Pavilion, on East 57th Street, marinating my brain cells with Black bush while listening to Rebel music.

Probably all those Dexys Midnight Runners and Pogues fans. You know how they can be.

Have you considered calling in an exorcist?

What's to quibble about? They speak Engrish, right?

Why is it that all of the cool and interesting critters like bats, raccoons, skunks, etc. are so darned dangerous? At least there isn't an alligator problem where you live. Yet.

The entire Stiff Records lineup was fantastic. Elvis, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Nick Lowe, Devo and one of my favorites, Lene Lovich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0mN4iIsOno Remember, "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth a _____".

I'm also a big fan of the Two Tone movement from the late '70s - early '80s. Madness and The Specials pretty much epitomized the sound. Time to skank

How about "Bus Stop"? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZEoKqjfvkw

King Crimson is another favorite. Robert Fripp is one of the best guitarists in the business. His work with League of Gentleman was really good. I saw him at Club 57 on St. Mark's Place in the East Village in 1980.