Zappa's Early Influences: R&B & Doo-Wop Vol. 2

Frank Zappa often complained by the Eighties that he found it difficult to find musicians who were familiar with the Doo-Wop and R&B records of the Fifties.

So his love of that music could not be featured in his later concerts as much as he would like.

Frank would occasionally mention that he had a sizable collection of 45s from the Fifties.

I now encounter young people who never even heard of this music, not even from their parents.

When I lived in New York City between 1993 and 2008, I would listen to WFUV, broadcasting from Fordham University in the Bronx, almost every Saturday night between midnight and 2am, and record Dan Romanello’s “GROUP HARMONY REVIEW”.

Romanello was one of the most knowledgeable DJs of the music from the Fifties and early Sixties in the world.
We have now made 45 of his shows available – that’s approximately 90 hours of this incredible music!!!

His commentary throughout the shows is exemplary for its scholarship, including interviews with many of the musicians, who performed in those years on the street corners, since so many of them were still living in the New York City area.

This collection may not interest all Zappa enthusiasts but we are making it available to those who already enjoy this music as well as those who have never experienced it before. Frank showed me this collection occasionally and we would often listen to a few records.

Bob Dobbs

Tracks in episode:

00:02:24 – Where or When – Earl Bostic
00:04:00 – Speedo – The Cadillacs
00:09:48 – You Are – The Cadillacs
00:25:44 – The Girl I Love – The Cadillacs
00:37:29 – I Wonder Why ? – The Cadillacs
00:44:59 – Woe Is Me – The Cadillacs
00:47:48 – Broken Heart – The Cadillacs
00:50:35 – Sugar Sugar – The Cadillacs
00:58:50 – Down the Road – The Cadillacs
01:01:22 – Your Heart Is So Blind – The Cadillacs
01:09:14 – I’m Willing – The Cadillacs
01:15:34 – Gloria – The Cadillacs
01:20:40 – Tell Me Today – The Cadillacs
01:23:20 – Zoom – The Cadillacs
01:25:39 – Wishing Well – The Cadillacs
01:28:07 – Party for Two – The Cadillacs
01:31:43 – Sympathy – The Cadillacs
01:34:15 – Hurry Home – The Cadillacs
01:36:31 – Carelessly – The Cadillacs
01:41:14 – I Want to Know About Love – The Cadillacs
01:44:45 – The End of the Story – The Cadillacs
01:46:03 – Comfort Me – Carla Thomas
01:48:42 – Make It Me – The Premiers
01:53:19 – Big Heavy (Blue Lights Boogie) – Cozy Eggleston
01:58:10 – Something Else – Duke Jenkins