BOOTH ANNOUNCER GARY OWENS:
...and the cow was returned to its rightful owner.
And that's the latest from S-P-M-M news...
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
DELL RAT TOM'S
JUKEBOX GIANTS
JUKEBOX GIANTS
on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
(COLD SHOW OPEN)
"Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
(Nov./Dec. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
The Beach Boys... "Good Vibrations"... a monster hit nationally
and equally popular on the jukebox at the Shady Dell.
How's it going? I'm Dell Rat Tom,
back to spin more giants of the
Shady Dell jukebox here on
Shady Dell jukebox here on
S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.
I got blue-eyed soul for you.
I got blue-eyed soul for you.
I got wailin' sax from Motown.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
I got gritty southern R&B.
"I Got Everything I Need"
'cause I got- Sam & Dave!
"I Got Everything I Need" - Sam And Dave
(May/June 1966, uncharted B side
of "Hold On! I'm A Comin'")
of "Hold On! I'm A Comin'")
#16 on my list of The 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell - the dynamic duo,
Sam And Dave, with "I Got Everything I Need," the fine southern R&B
ballad on the flip side of their 1966 hit single "Hold On! I'm A Comin'."
Dell rat Tom on duty for you behind
the mic on S-P-M-M... where all the
cool oldies come to play. Up next, a
song by our blue-eyed soul brothers,
The Magnificent Men...
the white R&B/soul band
from Central Pennsylvania.
I'm playing the B side of their
May 1967 single "I Could Be
So Happy." Here now are
Dave Bupp, Buddy King
and The Mag Men with--
"You Changed My Life."
"You Changed My Life" - The Magnificent Men
(May 1967, B side of "I Could Be So Happy")
From the spring of 1967, another
Shady Dell "killer bee," a song
that was a popular pick on the
dance hall jukebox every night
the rest of the year and beyond,
the rousing Northern dancer
"You Changed My Life" by
our hometown heroes...
The Magnificent Men.
The Rodentia Intelligentsia
(Dell rats) had a knack for
discovering danceworthy
songs on the B sides of
the Dell's jukebox 45s.
I decided to call those
frequently played
flips "killer bees."
CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!
Now here's another killer bee that was a genuine Jukebox Giant at the Dell
in 1966. Right off the bat, the wailing sax should tell you you're listening
to Motown musician Jr. Walker. This is the fab flip of a Dell doublesider
with "(I'm A) Road Runner" on the A side. Coming in at #85 on
the Shady Dell Top 200, Jr. Walker And The All Stars
with-- "Shoot Your Shot!"
“Shoot Your Shot” - Jr. Walker & the All Stars
(May/June 1966, uncharted B side of "(I'm A) Road Runner")
From the Shotgun album by Jr. Walker And The All Stars, that was
"Shoot Your Shot," released as the A side of a single in 1967, but first
released as the B side of a two-fer with "Road Runner" the featured song.
Dell dancers loved both tunes and played them heavily from late spring
through that endless summer of 1966... the greatest year of my life.
"Shoot Your Shot," released as the A side of a single in 1967, but first
released as the B side of a two-fer with "Road Runner" the featured song.
Dell dancers loved both tunes and played them heavily from late spring
through that endless summer of 1966... the greatest year of my life.
Dell Rat Tom running down the top hits
of The Shady Dell on S-P-M-M Retrosonic
Radio. Up next, a song that was red hot
on the cold winter nights at the end of
1965, my first year as a Dell rat.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
Imagine the thrill as I hopped out of my car
in the Dell parking lot and heard this sound
blasting from the dance hall jukebox and
drifting out across the hillside in the frigid
night air. Here are the Four Tops and their
top 10 hit-- "Something About You!"
"Something About You" - Four Tops
(Nov./Dec. 1965, highest chart pos.
#9 R&B/#12 Cash Box/#19 Hot 100)
A biggie at the Dell in the weeks leading up to Christmas in 1965,
that was "Something About You" by the Tops, one of my favorites by
the mighty men from Motown and #87 on my list of Greatest Dell Hits.
I need to stop the music for a minute,
because I'm closing today's show with
a surprise. Last spring, as you might
recall, my friend Jim Sieling in York
contacted me for the first time in ages.
Jim, the husband of Nancy Rae Sieling,
the niece of Dell owner John Ettline,
told me that he had recently acquired
a batch of records previously owned
by John and his wife Helen, most of
them taken from the jukebox in the
Dell's dance hall. As Jim sifted thru
the records, he came upon one that
my first wife and I had mailed to
Helen & John in the early 70s.
You can read the story and
view that record here.
A few months after he surprised me with that picture of the Five Keys
"Close Your Eyes" 45 that we had gifted to John and Helen nearly
50 years ago, Jim contacted me with another surprise. He wrote:
"Tom – I found your name again – this time on a record sleeve.
Apparently you may have donated some Christmas music. ...Jim"
Jim attached this picture of a 45 rpm copy of Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" he found
in his Shady Dell record haul. The writing on the sleeve is apparently John's or Helen's,
because it is not mine or Karen's (Mrs. Shady #1). It was Karen who signed our names
on the Five Keys record we sent. As it was in that other case, I don't remember sending
this record to Helen and John at the Dell, but the picture above is proof that I did.
Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" has special significance. The record showed up in
the Dell's dance hall jukebox every Christmas season from 1957 through the years
I hung out there, 1965-1971. Dell rats played the song often, along with the B side
"Captain Santa Claus." Clearly I sent this record to John & Helen because I knew
it would mean something to them, remind them of the years I had spent at my
home away from home, The Dell, and how much I appreciated them.
With Christmas almost upon us, I'd like to play both sides of this
much loved vintage Dell doublesider, beginning with the B side.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
I'll never forget the sight of Dell couples scurrying out onto the dance floor
and skipping around arm in arm in glee like merry little elves whenever this
giant played on the jukebox. Listen now as Bobby Helms sings us a story
about-- "Captain Santa Claus (And His Reindeer Space Patrol)."
"Captain Santa Claus (And His Reindeer Space Patrol)"
Bobby Helms (Christmas 1957, B side of "Jingle Bell Rock")
And finally, here's the A side of that
Bobby Helms single, an evergreen
holiday favorite across the U.S.
and at the Shady Dell. Thanks
again to my friend Jim Sieling
for thinking of me and sending
another picture that's worth
a thousand memories.
START THE VIDEO NOW!
Now this is your good buddy Dell Rat Tom
saying so long and reminding you to make
every day a holiday... and every night
a Shady Dell night!
"Jingle Bell Rock" - Bobby Helms
(Christmas 1957, highest chart pos. #6 Hot 100/#11 Cash Box)
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou opened and closed with two popular songs that I'm fortunate to know well. All your in-between features are introductions. You've shared music by The Magnificent Men and I've always been impressed with their songs. I think I will need to save "You Changed My Life" for a future spot on CAAC, as well, I'm borrowing Bobby Helms' "Captain Santa Claus" as a possibility for next December's Christmas lineup. I noticed many of these songs released in 1966. That was the year my baby brother was born. He would've been 55 this past April. The last 15 years he's celebrated it in heaven. I think of him often but the holidays my mind is always taken back to my childhood days spent with my little buddy. Thanks for dropping by this morning, my friend. Have a funtastic day!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteBy golly, you're the Early Bird this time, dear friend! Thanks for dropping by and listening to Tom's latest stack of Jukebox Giants pulled from the Shady Dell's dance hall jukebox.
I'm happy to know you enjoyed the show opener and show closer. That first song is an extended alternate mix of "Good Vibrations," one that I hadn't heard until recently.
I'm thrilled that you like our Magnificent Men so much. The band had the ability to imitate their favorite artists as they did in 'Sweet Soul Medley," but most of their recordings feature distinctive blue-eyed soul vocals by Bupp & King and equally distinctive orchestrated arrangements. Because of this, Dell rats knew in an instant when a Mag Men record started playing.
I am also delighted to know that you wish to use "Captain Santa Claus" in your S. a. D. Christmas countdown next year.
Thank you for sharing the bittersweet memories of your baby brother, born the year I was 16. I am sorry for your loss and admire you for remembering him and telling friends what he meant to you.
Thank you again for making time for a visit this morning, dear friend Cathy. Have a wonderful day and I'll see you tamale at CAAC!
Tom,
DeleteThanks for dropping by my place earlier today. I meant to swing over but I'm in the middle updating and resetting passwords on every site we have accounts to tighten security. It's quite the under taking but I'm making excellent progress.
Also, I appreciate you checking in on our well being after those horrible tornadoes hit the western part of the state but here in east we only got heavy rain with some gusty winds. It's horrible to hear about the deaths caused by the twisters. Take care, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming back over, dear friend! Yessum, you are wise for routinely changing all passwords. Hint: don't use the word "password" as a password. :)
Yessum, I didn't realize we could have a tornado outbreak a couple of weeks before Christmas. When was the last time something like this happened, I wonder? The tragedy is magnified because it took place just before the biggest holiday of the year. A friend who has a son in the Nashville area told me her son and his wife dove into a bathtub for safety when they realized the tornado was in their vicinity. It must have been terrifying.
Thank you again for coming back to chat, dear friend Cathy. I hope to see you first thing tamale at CAAC!
Tom,
DeleteI've heard of twisters this time of the year which is so weird but anytime we have spring weather one day with falling temps in less than 24 hours then I think you can expect Mother Nature to get wild. That had to be a harrowing experience for your friend's son and wife. I'm glad they are okay.
Thanks for visiting this morning. I postponed my post a few minutes this morning since I wanted to add a paragraph and photo. I need to get better organized.
LOL yeah, I'll remember to not use "password" for my password. We subscribed to a service that has a password manager which is totally awesome and it generates some strong ones. Hopefully, this will keep those idiot geniuses out of our life.
It's a chilly 33º this morning but we're expected to reach the low 60s today which isn't bad for late fall weather. Have a wonderful day, dear friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteYessum, those rapid fluctuations in temperature can wreak havoc. Here in Florida, we have had some terrible tornado outbreaks in January and February over the years.
I hope we get some of your chilly air. Florida winter is very brief and we'll take all the cold we can get.
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Cathy. I'll have a new post starting tamale and I will also see you over at your space. Have a wonderful day!
Good morning friend Shady! What a treasure to find after all these years. I don't remember the B side but of course Jingle Bell Rock is a classic. I can tap my toe to that every time it comes on. I think I may have to switch my iTunes playlist to strictly Christmas music for the rest of the month. I also didn't remember this Junior Walker's song but some of the notes made me think of their song Shotgun.
ReplyDeleteThe Four Tops is another one that will get me up and moving. Thanks for starting me off right today. Hope you have a terrific rest of your week. It is FREEZING cold and a little wet out here today. Have to bundle up both myself and Benny for our walk.
Janet’s Smiles
Hi, Janet!
DeleteI'm excited to see you, dear friend! My goodness, you and Benny are up very early out there on the West Coast. Thank you for starting your day with a visit to Shady's Place.
Yessum, time's running out. Santa will soon be sliding down your chimney. If you're going to assemble a Christmas tunes play list, better get to it. I'm glad you like this seasonal doublesider by Bobby Helms. Both sides played heavily on the Dell jukebox throughout the month of December year after year.
Yessum, Jr. Walker's wailing sax killer bee "Shoot Your Shot" was released on his band's Shotgun album and it sounds similar to the title song. Here again, the Dellions flipped the record often and played this fabulous B side. I'm glad the Four Tops hit song also helped get you motivated to start your day.
FREEZING cold in the SF Bay Area? That surprises me. I didn't realize you endured temp extremes out there. It's a little too warm here. Yesterday we wound up running the air conditioner when the indoor room temperature reached 79 degrees! I hope you and Benny have a nice invigorating walk and stay dry.
Thanks again for arriving early enough to take the #2 Early Bird spot and for your kind comments, dear friend Janet. Enjoy your day and the rest of your week!
Jingle Bell Rock is a great song! While I like Good Vibrations, I tend to have a love/hate relationship with the Beach Boys. As for all those B sides... if you didn't own the 45, you probably wouldn't know them (and I didn't!). Same goes for songs from LPs that weren't released as singles. Kids today don't know what they're missing by downloading individual songs from the internet!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteThanks for coming by, dear friend! Welcome back into Shady's clubhouse where Dell rat Tom is throwing another platter party and spinning some of the Dell's greatest hits.
I'm happy you have joined the chorus in favor of "Jingle Bell Rock," an unlikely hit at the Dell, and a record that rivaled "Close Your Eyes" in terms of longevity.
I'm also happy to know that "Good Vibes" is one Beach Boys opus you can honestly say you like. Good point about the modern practice of downloading individual songs from the internet. In the process, younger generations are missing and perhaps will never hear some of the excellent but less well known B sides and album tracks that boomers knew and loved when they built their vinyl collections all those years ago. There are many B sides that I ended up playing more often than the corresponding A sides.
Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Kelly. Please give my buddy Pat a treat and tell him its from Santa. Enjoy the rest of your day and week!
Shoot Your Shot is the only song I didn't recognize this time around.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a good December and have a Merry Christmas.
Hi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for joining the fun, dear friend!
Given how young you are compared to Shady, you have a surprisingly high I.Q. when it comes to knowing songs from the boomer years of the 50s and 60s. That's wonderful! I hope you enjoyed discovering a new song today, the killer bee by Jr. Walker And The All Stars.
Thanks again for coming over and spreading holiday cheer, dear friend Mary. Enjoy the rest of your week and I'll be sure to drop by your place this Sunday for a report on Apartment life in Vegas. See you then, if not before!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI read you loud and clear, good buddy!
DeleteA bit of a roller-coaster today. First the Beach Boys at the closest they ever came to psychedelia, and then a steady stream of R&B, and then you end the whole thing with I guess rockabilly. I'm not complaining. I like the variety.
ReplyDeleteFor me there's always a bit of sadness hearing "Good Vibrations" because I know
Brian Wilson will have his mental breakdown soon thereafter and be absent from the music scene for a very long time. Not entirely absent, though. I remember seeing a Beach Boys documentary made in the 1970s that has Brian being interviewed in bed with a blanket partially covering his bare chest. Given his mental problems, you might think it was a bit cruel on the part of the documentary-makers, but Brian actually comes across as quite lucid: "Me and Mike Love wrote a number of songs together..."
You mentioned you were going to play some "blue-eyed soul". Well, I knew that didn't mean Sam and Dave, Junior Walker, or the Four Tops. Nevertheless, I googled the Magnificent Men--took a while as I first got an old movie about old airplanes--to see what exactly they looked like. Like the Yardbirds. Or the Animals. Except you say they're hometown heroes, which I assume means they're from Pennsylvania! Proof that a white '60s band didn't have to be from the UK to play the blues.
I'm assuming the Ettlines preferred Bobby Helms version of "Jingle Bells Rock", and I respect that, but I personally favor Brenda Lee's. Where do you come down on this, Shady? You don't have to answer if you think it might cause problems.
Signing off.
Hi, again, Kirk!
DeleteI am still reeling from the news you reported of the death of Monkey Mike Nesmith, and also playing catch-up after enduring a 28 hour service interruption. Thanks for dropping in to find out what Dell Rat Tom's up to in his latest volume of Jukebox Giants.
I'm glad you enjoyed Tom's eclectic mix, proof that Dell rats were not stuck in a musical rut. In addition to their meat and potatoes, 50s doo-wop and 60s R&B/Soul, they embraced many other styles including psychedelia, folk-rock, introspective singer/songwriter recordings such as those of Simon & Garfunkel, British Invasion, garage, hard rock, pop and yes, even country and rockabilly songs on occasion.
If you have Amazon Prime, I highly recommend that you watch the 2 part miniseries The Beach Boys: An American Family (2000). I have it in my watch list even as we speak, but haven't gotten around to watching it again. I have seen it at least twice before and thoroughly enjoyed it. It traces Brian and the band from their first encounters with The Honeys through his mental problems and breakdown and their evolution into a serious album-oriented band that rivaled The Beatles.
Yes, good buddy, to this day when you Google "The Magnificent Men" you will need to scroll through lots of results for Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. "The Mag Men," as we called them, were indeed our hometown heroes. Lead singers Dave Bupp and Buddy King had previously been members of the York group The Del-Cords. They merged with musicians from a band in nearby Harrisburg to form the white soul band The Magnificent Men. During the racially charged civil rights movement and backlash in the mid and late 60s, The Magnificent Men were one of the few white acts to break through the race barrier. Their recordings were played on black radio stations and they delighted the primarily black audiences at venues like the Uptown Theater in Philadelphia. They even appeared at the famed Apollo. They were the real deal.
I'm not copping out when I tell you that I like both versions of "Jingle Bell Rock" equally well. However, I don't remember ever hearing Brenda Lee's platter played in the dance hall jukebox. Bobby Helms' version was the Jukebox Giant.
Thanks again for coming by and for your usual excellent comments, good buddy Kirk. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to each of the great hits you heard at the Dell. I know the Beach Boys song but the others were new to me except for The Four Tops Song. I enjoyed each one and Jingle Bell Rock a great new standard. I had never heard of the B side one and it was a fun listen. Hope you are doing well. I am doing great! I did walk too much in Toronto and am now paying for it with my joints but that’s ok because I had a great time. Thank you for an enjoyable song,listen.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThanks a lot for being here, dear friend! I am playing catch-up for the second time in a week due to another cable and internet outage. This latest one lasted more than a full day, and now I'm scrambling.
Yessum, Dell Rat Tom's radio show always brings you an authentic Shady Dell playlist, the greatest sounds the Dellions listened and boogied to in the dance hall when I was part of that scene in the mid 60s. I'm glad you found a lot to like in Tom's tuneage. Based on what I know about you, BB, your humor and your wild side, if you had been living in York, PA, during the 60s, Shirley you would have been crowned Queen of the Dellettes! :)
I'm glad you got a kick out of the tale of "Captain Santa Claus and His Reindeer Space Patrol" (based on the compelling true story).
Thanks for letting me know how you made out on your Christmas shopping trip to Toronto. Did you buy me that flashy red Lambo I've had my eye on? :) I hope your achy joints are settling down by now. I'm thrilled that you had a great time in the big city. "It's a good kind of tired," as the saying goes.
Thank you again for swinging by to sample some Dell songs with your good buddy Tom. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend BB!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteWow! How awesome that you still have the LPs and the original note attached. I like the handwriting. :) I also love the design on the LP.
I'm not really familiar with these songs, they're all new to me, and I enjoyed listening to them. I'm going to give them another listen to tomorrow. It has been a busy weekend and this was a great listen before I settle down for the evening.
Can't wait to come back tomorrow, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteIt's good to see you, dear friend! You've been gone so long, I was afraid you had ghosted me! :) Thanks for coming over and tuning in the 6th edition of Dell Rat Tom's Jukebox Giants - the best sounds of the Shady Dell.
You must be pooped from a big weekend with Tom. I'm glad you were at least able to give these Dell songs a cursory listen and that you vowed to return and listen again tamale. The post has one more day to run before getting bumped first thing Wednesday morning.
Thanks again for stopping by, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI'm not as active in the blogosphere anymore since I have a new job and a boyfriend. I'm going to become less active in 2022, I really want to focus on building my relationship with Tommy. I want to focus on my offline life too.
I look forward to sampling what you have to offer on Wednesday morning!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteGood for you, dear friend. You've got some good things happening in your life that need your attention. I admire your wisdom and believe you have your priorities in order now. It's a very good thing to be so busy living your life and having fun that you don't have as much time to dwell on past traumas.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
To Dell Rat, Tom,
ReplyDeleteWhat a thrill, again to have yet another photo of a golden oldie gift you gave to Jim & Nancy - surface back to you!
I like ”Jingle Bell Rock”! It reminds me of the movie, “Mean Girls”, lol! But it also makes me imagine the Dell kids snuggling close around a toasty fire in the fireplace on the couches just inside the Dell doors- Of course, when they were not dancing!
It’s funny, I very rarely turned hit records around and listen to the other (B) side. But, I really did like, “Captain Santa Claus”, very cute and catchy!
It was also nice to hear the Hometown boys, The Mag Men again, a new one for me with “You changed my life”. It’s always fun learning more “Dell” memories!
So… was D.R. Tom a dancer or a wallflower?
Have a wonderful holiday. Wishing you health and happiness for the New Year, Shady!
Hi, Toni!
DeleteThanks for coming by, dear friend! I'm pleased to have you on hand to witness my latest collaboration with your York neighbor Jim Sieling. Yessum, Jim surprised me a second time with a picture of a record I forgot that I sent to The Ettlines all those years ago. It gets added to the growing collection of Dell related artifacts, some of which were generously donated to our Shady Dell blog by Jim and his wife Nancy, the niece of John Ettline.
Yessum, "Jingle Bell Rock" played on the Dell's dance hall jukebox on those cold nights of December, and John always made sure he kept a roaring fire going in that fireplace just inside the door to the left. My memories of how the Dell looked remain vivid. The only light in that little annex came from the fire and the black & white TV set. The only light in the area of the dance floor came from strings of festive colored and white lights and the glow of the jukebox menu panel. The place was pure magic all year 'round. I'm glad "Captain Santa Claus" tickled your fancy as it did the fancies of Dell rats of the 50s, 60s and beyond. The Magnificent Men song "You Changed My Life" was a biggie at the Dell. I'm pretty sure I posted it years ago in my Mag Men tributes on the old SDMM blog, but hardly any of my current friend were following me at that time, and so I played it in this edition of Jukebox Giants.
To answer your question, I started out at the Dell in 1965 as mostly an observer. As 1966 unfolded, I gained confidence, started asking girls to dance, and by '67 was often out on the floor. I can even remember a few times when I danced with two girls at the same time!
Thank you again for dropping in for a visit, dear friend Toni. Happy holidays to you and your family and all the best in 2022. I hope you'll come back and see me again soon!