Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll Podcast

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Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_098 Nov 01, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_098 – THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF GARY LEWIS & THE PLAYBOYS

This episode salutes an act that achieved a feat that such then-contemporary groups as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, and Four Seasons never matched. They were one of just two acts during the 1960s whose first seven 45s reached the top 10 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 singles chart.

It's a group that got a lot of help from some very talented collaborators, plus some of the leading rock and pop songwriters of the 1960s.

One of the members had a famous father, and that contributed to the group's success, relatively speaking.

That band also recorded the only rock and roll dance number named after a breakfast cereal. We'll serve you a taste of that tune.

We're talking about Gary Lewis & The Playboys. And our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be talking with Gary Lewis – our special guest for this episode. It's the complete hit singles history of Gary Lewis & The Playboys. Plus, Radio Dave will have more of the greatest rock & roll stories on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_097 Oct 15, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_097 – CANADIAN ROCKERS WITH TOP 40 HIT SINGLES IN THE U.S. - 1955-1994

This edition spotlights "Top 40 U.S. Hit Singles Imported From Canada During The First 40 Years Of Rock & Roll" – 1955 to 1994.

We've received many requests from listeners to do an episode on Canadian rock acts, and we're playin' what you're sayin." One of those "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" fans is Canadian Mike Drew, a former music journalist. We asked him to be our special guest for this show. He'll provide some interesting insights about the Canada's contributions to U.S. rock and roll.

Along the way, we'll hear from a 1950s rockabilly act that evolved into Bob Dylan's backup band and eventually found its own great fame in the 1960s and 1970s. Then there are some American-born performers who moved to Canada and achieved great success when they exported their music back to the U.S.

Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along with lots of fascinating factoids. And Radio Dave will have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_096 Oct 01, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_096 – "COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF CARL PERKINS"

This episode spotlights a legendary singer/songwriter/guitar stylist who's known as the King of Rockabilly, as well as the Godfather of Rock & Roll. He's Carl Perkins. This is an episode several of our "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" listeners have requested, and we're thrilled to be presenting it.

We'll spotlight all of Carl Perkins' hit singles, along with the remakes of those songs that were charted by other singers. We'll also cover his connections with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and especially, his life-long collaborations with Johnny Cash. Plus the Beatles.

Carl Perkins overcame multiple personal hardships to achieve his special place in music history. These included a major hit song he wrote for Johnny Cash that was inspired by Carl's recovery from alcoholism. It marked his comeback after the many years of failed record sales that followed his initial hits. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will tell that tale. And Radio Dave will have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_095 Sep 15, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_095 – "THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF MOTOWN RECORDS – 64 HIT SINGLES" –

The Motown Sound helped define the music of a generation during the company's heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s. The Motown family of labels has been celebrated in television specials, stage musicals, and Hollywood movies.

You may recall that "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" episodes #4 and #5 presented a two-part alternative history of Motown Records – with little known stories about one of the biggest hit-making studios in popular music history. Now, we'll revisit the five-year period that encompassed its founding in 1959 through 1963 – just before its explosive growth and domination of the rock charts for more than a decade.

Some early Motown releases featured emerging superstars. Others were performed by acts that subsequently faded into obscurity. The Beatles named one of these budding performers as their favorite female singer.

Motown charted 64 rock and rhythm & blues singles from 1959 to 1963, and you'll hear them all right here.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_094 Sep 01, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_094 – "THE LOST TOP 40 HITS OF 1972" –

This episode spotlights 40 lost hits from the year 1972. These include top 40 tunes radio stations no longer play – by major artists such as Carole King, Three Dog Night, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, The 5th Dimension, Wayne Newton, Curtis Mayfield, and The Bee Gees, among others.

We'll present the only active-duty armed forces military band to march its way onto the top 40 rock charts, and sample the biggest hit single based on a soft drink commercial.

We'll also hear from a U.K. solo singer who adopted the name of a legendary American pioneer for his performing persona.

Only two top 40 songs were ever named after famous paintings, and one of those made our lost hits of 1972 list.

Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, was a rock station program director that year, and he'll be along to relate how different top 40 radio programming was way back then.

Hear it all – and much, much more all right here.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_093 Aug 15, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL – WOODSTOCK MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL – 50TH ANNIVERSARY ROCKUMENTARY

This episode salutes the 50th Anniversary of the largest and most famous rock and roll concert ever – Woodstock – August 15 through August 18, 1969.

We'll sample one song each from the acts who performed there. These include an artist who was six months pregnant when she sang her set. And the superstar who smashed his guitar on the back of a political activist who tried to disrupt his group's gig. Then there's the band whose turn to play came so late at night that hundreds of thousands in the audience slept through it.

Hear about the acts that were invited to perform, but declined, canceled, or didn't show up at all.

Throughout this episode, our resident Rockolgist, Ken Deutsch, has comments from Donna Surface, a primary production assistant for one of the founders and impresarios of the entire event. Ken also will have some groovy and far out factoids, and your "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll host, Radio Dave, will provide more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_092 Aug 01, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL #_092 – THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF RICK NELSON – PART 2

This is the second of two episodes saluting one of the most famous names in rock and roll history – Rick Nelson.

Our first episode tracked his trajectory from child actor to rock star. Now we'll spotlight the second half of his career, as he gradually evolved from being a fading teen idol to reinventing himself as a county-rock pioneer and an accomplished composer. This includes the true-life story behind one of his biggest records of all time.

We'll sample all of his remaining hit singles and present the original versions of any of those songs that inspired Rick to revive them in his own style.

Then there's Rick Nelson's acting career. That continued to develop at the same time his music was finding new horizons. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along to report on that, along with other fascinating perspectives on Rick Nelson's career and musical legacy.

And your "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" host, Radio Dave have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_091 Jul 15, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL #_091 – THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF RICK NELSON – PART 1

This is the first of two episodes saluting one of the most famous names in rock and roll history. His early recordings were a mixture of rock and roll, rockabilly, and gentle ballad styles. In later years, he was a pioneer in the genre of country rock. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, his success rivaled contemporary stars such as Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, and Fats Domino.

He's Ricky Nelson – or as he later called himself – Rick Nelson.

In our two-part retrospective, we'll spotlight all of his hit singles. And we'll track his trajectory from child actor to rock and roll stardom.

Many of Ricky Nelson's hits were remakes of big band songs from the 1920s and 30s, country and western numbers from the 1940s, and rhythm and blues and rockabilly recordings from the 1950s. We'll sample those originals, too.

Our resident, Rockologist Ken Deutsch, will be along with lots of fascinating factoids. And your "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" host, Radio Dave, will have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_090 Jul 01, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL #_090 – 20TH CENTURY HIT SINGLES ABOUT MOTORCYCLES

Rev up your sound system, because we're popping the clutch on hit singles with a biker theme during the 20th century. We'll also road test some terrific two-wheel tunes that didn't chart, along with selected hit album cuts about motorcycles that got great mileage on radio station playlists.

Along the way, we'll hear from the only motorcycle gang to appear on a hit 45, plus the only motorcycle song to be #1 hit single. We'll also re-cycle melodies about some of the most famous motorbikes of all time – including the only two makes that were the subject of hit singles saluting them.

And there's more. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, revisits some Hollywood motorcycle movies of the 1950s and 1960s – and recalls their impact on rock and roll.

And we'll also take a ride on the 1970s theme for the only 20th century prime time television series about a biker.

It's the greatest musical motorcycle rally on record.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll_089 Jun 11, 2019

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL #_089 – "THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF ROY ORBISON – PART 2"

This is the second of two episodes saluting one of the most unique and enduring talents in rock and roll history – Roy Orbison. He recorded hits in four decades – the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. And his posthumous platters also charted in the 1990s and remain big sellers to this very day.

During our Roy Orbison retrospective, we'll sample all of his hit singles, plus the original versions by artists who inspired him. Then you'll hear the charted remakes of his hits by other singers. And we'll revisit hits he wrote expressly for other performers

This episode covers the last decades of his career with a particular focus on his triumph over multiple personal tragedies. Our resident Rockologist Ken Deutsch will spotlight Roy Orbison's movie career and interview one of Roy's sons – Roy Orbison, Junior, who'll offer some insights into the unique performing persona his father projected and the living legacy his father left behind. And I'll track the rest of Roy Orbison's complete hit singles history.

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