Hello, this is Joe Niagara, and I've got a stack of
Knocked-out Niagara Nifties of the Past.
If you're ready... this Rockin' Bird will fly!
"Come To Paradise" - The Fascinators
(Jan. 1959, B side of "Who Do You Think You Are")
Kicking-off Niagara Nifties show number two, doo-wop at its finest
from The Fascinators, a group from Brooklyn led by Tony Passalaqua.
You heard them do "Come To Paradise," the flip side of their second
single released early in 1959. Niagara says that fab slab should have
taken flight like this Rockin' Bird, but instead it went nowhere.
The Fascinators released two other singles for Capitol but
again and again saw no chart action. Finally the group
was dropped from the label's roster. How and why
The Fascinators slipped through the cracks
remains one of music history's
great mysteries.
Welcome in! Joe Niagara here, The Rockin' Bird, veteran radio personality
from Wibbage - WIBG Philadelphia - now coming to you on S-P-M-M
Retrosonic Radio. I'm glad to see your face in the place. Your dial
is set to Joe Niagara's Knocked Out Nifties of the Past featuring
the great sounds of doo-wop, rock 'n' roll, and classic soul from
the 50s and 60s, the kind of tuneage you enjoy listening to on
Wibbage. I put down a wailin' pound of sound... so without
further delay - on with the show!
Now hear this, a seldom heard nugget by
Smokey Robinson and his mighty Miracles,
an act that gave us so many great Motown
memories. At the start of 1961, the group
made a splash with their top 5 charting
single "Shop Around," but it took two
years for them to return to the top 10
with "You Really Got A Hold On Me."
Even though The Miracles didn't
exactly burn up the charts during
those lean months between hits,
they made some great records,
and I've got one spinning on
my turntable right now.
In the late summer of '62, The Miracles' "Way Over There" died on the vine
at #94 on Billboard's pop chart and failed to register on the R&B survey.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
The Rockin' Bird's Pick to Click is the uncharted B side which sounds
a little like "Raindrops," the Dee Clark hit from the previous summer.
Here now are Smokey and the Miracles with a genuine killer bee,
the greatest sound you never heard-- "If Your Mother Only Knew."
"If Your Mother Only Knew" - The Miracles
(September 1962, uncharted B side of "Way Over There")
From the Motown vaults straight to
your ears on S-P-M-M Retro Radio...
you just heard a song that shoulda
been, coulda been and woulda been
a hit... if only it had been released as
the A side of that poor selling single.
Stay out on the floor. You'll be
beggin' for more when you hear
this next Niagara Nifty.
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
This cat takes a toe hold,
cuts from the heels and - POW!
It's Thurston Harris and his
claim to fame- "Little Bitty
Pretty One!"
"Little Bitty Pretty One" - Thurston Harris
(Nov./Dec. 1957, highest chart pos. #2 R&B/#6 Hot 100/#9 Cash Box)
Up there where the air is rare, that was Thurston Harris reaching the top 3
R&B with his signature song and biggest hit "Little Bitty Pretty One."
Singing background on that record were The Sharps, a group that
later called themselves The Rivingtons.
If you're just tuning in, I'm Joe Niagara, The Rockin' Bird, one of the
Good Guys from Wibbage, WIBG Philadelphia, moonlighting as
a member of The Shady Bunch DJ team here on S-P-M-M...
the station with personality. We're right in the middle
of a 7-in a row, non-stop, commercial free cruise -
one solid gold Niagara Nifty after another.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
I told you so - on this one.
Weeks ago on the air, I said
it would be a hit... and now
it is. Bob Kuban And The
In-Men tell us about--
"The Cheater!"
"The Cheater" - Bob Kuban And The In-Men
(Feb./Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #12 Hot 100/#15 Cash Box)
From Saint Louie... you just heard a great one - "The Cheater," by drummer
Bob Kuban and his band The In-Men featuring Walter Scott on lead vocals.
Their only major hit, "The Cheater" brushed the top 10 in March 1966.
You're listening to The Rockin' Bird
of Wibbage, knockin' you out with my
Nifties of the Past. Time now for more
dreamy doo-wop from Brooklyn, NY.
It's a dusty, rusty relic that missed the
chart but went straight to the heart.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
See if you agree, this one starts out
like "The Great Pretender." Here are
Malcolm Dodds And The Tunedrops
singing-- "It Took A Long Time!"
"It Took A Long Time" - Malcolm Dodds And The Tunedrops
(July 1957, uncharted)
The stuff that dreams are made of... from
the summer of '57, the sound in your ear
was that of the fabulous Malcolm Dodds
And The Tunedrops singing "It Took A
Long Time." The group released three
singles that year on George Goldner's
End Records but they all fell short of
the chart. The End label was home to
much more successful acts including
The Flamingos, The Chantels and
Little Anthony & The Imperials.
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
This lady had beaucoup RBIs - the "R" for
"Records Batted In." Here's one of her best.
Motown's Mary Wells is seeing double...
torn between-- "Two Lovers!"
"Two Lovers" - Mary Wells
(Dec. 1962/Jan. 1963, highest chart pos.
#1 R&B/#7 Hot 100/#10 Cash Box)
Flying high... like a Rockin' Bird in the sky... from the early weeks
of 1963, that was sultry soul songstress Mary Wells with "Two Lovers,"
her second number one hit right behind "You Beat Me To The Punch."
Time's up and Niagara must leave
you now. I had a ball with this blast
from the past and I hope you did too.
CLICK TO START VIDEO!
Stay tuned. Coming up on the flip side of
news, Bud's Budding Blossoms, Christine,
Denise, Sharon, Janice and Melissa, the
teen queens from Bud's Drive-in, will be
here to refresh your musical memory with
This Bud's for You... and I'll be back soon
with another stack of Knocked-out Nifties
on S-P-M-M Retro Radio. To play us off,
here is Ron Holden along with his group
The Thunderbirds and a sizzler from '60 -
their top 5 record "Love You So." Now
this is Joe Niagara, The Rockin' Bird,
saying so long, be good and take care!
"Love You So" - Ron Holden With The Tunderbirds
(June 1960, highest chart pos. #5 Cash Box/#7 Hot 100/#11 R&B)
All new stuff to me today, Shady. Mary Wells sure has a great voice, doesn't she?!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly & Pat!
DeleteYou guys practically dove across the finish line to take first place again this week. Thanks for coming!
I suspect that most of these songs will be new to my current friends and commenting followers. If you read the fine print on that Wibbage poster, you'll see that it says "no tired hits." Savvy teenage listeners tuned in to the WIBG shows of Joe Niagara, Jerry Blavat and Hy Lit because those "Good Guys" programmed their shows from the heart, not from the chart. Now that I have those three broadcast giants working for me here on my SPMM station, I intend to bring you authentic sounding shows with great but seldom heard sounds right off the street corner.
Yessum, sultry soul sista Mary Wells had a smoky voice and a long string of hits. "Two Lovers" is one of them.
Thanks again for dropping in, dear friend Kelly!
I spent most of my day at the walk in clinic tired and slept. Bladder infection. Will check this out tomorrow hopefully.
ReplyDeleteHi, BIrgit!
DeleteThanks for being the silver medalist this time, dear friend! I'm sorry to learn that you developed a bladder infection and needed to spent most of your day at the clinic and sleeping. I hope today will be a much better and happier day for you. Keep us posted. We love you, dear friend BB!
I'm back! I feel much better today..Still some pain but nothing like yesterday so we took Harley for a ride to a provincial park where there is a dog beach on lake Erie. he didn't go all the way into the water preferring right where the water ends. Unfortunately, he found a rotting crab that he locked on tight. It took 3 times to open his mouth-like a steel trap might I add, to get that disgusting thing out of his mouth and thrown aside where could not pick it up again. Ughhh. He is now bathed and sleeping.
ReplyDeleteLove these old songs and learn new ones each time I visit. The Cheater is new to me but I really liked it. I had to shake my head at the men all dressed up in tuxes while the lone woman looks like she is wearing a baby doll lingerie.
Ok I jumped ahead there, Come to Paradise is really good and I am also stupified why they did not take.
Your 2nd song...That lady has one silky voice. Her voice sounds sexy
Love the 3rd song and I bet Lovey did too. I had no idea Thurston Howell the 3rd could sing:)) Thurston Harris is great and I know this song well even though I had no clue about the song from its title...typical me.
It took a Long Time is also quite good and that man's voice could easily work in today's music.
2 Lovers really showcases Mary Wells and how great a voice she really had but she was not given all the chances that Diana Ross had because she was not sleeping with the boss:)
I am not a total fan of the last song because of the man's somewhat nasally voice but I did like the music.
Hope you are well and enjoying the day and hope you enjoy the weekend
Oh and Harley still has a bit of the skunky smell on his snout but it's fading...thankfully.
DeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend! Having made good on your promise to return, you still get full credit for being a Day One Doozy, and I thank you! I am very pleased to know that you are felling better. I was concerned, as I'm sure all of your friends were.
Ha! That rascal Harley loves to expose himself to stinky critters, doesn't he? I'm glad you took him to the Lake Erie shoreline for a change of scene. I think he'd get a kick out of watching me go over Niagara in a barrel, too.
"The Cheater" was one of those songs loved by frat men on campus. It was very big in my neck of the woods. Band leader Bob Kuban is still with us at age 82, but the True Hollywood Story behind Walter Scott, the group's lead zinger who sang "The Cheater," is a tragic and disturbing one. I'll let Wiki fill you in: << Scott disappeared on December 27, 1983. In April 1987, his body was found floating face-down in a cistern. He had been hog-tied and shot in the chest. Scott's second wife, JoAnn, pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution of his murder, and received a five-year sentence. She served 18 months of her sentence as a result of a plea bargain. Her lover, James H. Williams Sr., whom she married in 1986, was found guilty of two counts of capital murder involving the deaths of his previous wife, Sharon Williams (who died from what was originally thought to be an auto accident in 1983), and of Walter Scott. Police were told where to look for Scott's body by Williams' son who was incarcerated at the time, and didn't get along with his father. >> Whoa!!!
The lead vocalist on the second song is the famous singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson. Smokey and Mary Wells, the sultry thrush who sang "Two Lovers," on Joe Niagara's show today, were leading attractions on the Motown Records roster. I'm glad you enjoyed The Fascinators doo-wop song and remember and like Thurston Harris and his signature song. That's right, dearie. "Lovey" is mentioned in the lyrics of "Bitty Pretty One," and perhaps was the inspiration behind the Gilligan's Island character.
I'm also pleased that you singled out the recording by Malcolm Dodds and group. As I listened to the song, Jackie Wilson came to mind.
(next)
<< Oh and Harley still has a bit of the skunky smell on his snout but it's fading...thankfully. >>
DeleteI wanted to be sure to use another comment form because my total is shamefully low this week. Singlehanded, you accounted for 6 comments this time and I thank you, BB! I love when you tell me about your lovable Harley. Bless his heart... and yours!
Enjoy the rest of your week and stay well!
I'm surprised that I didn't know any of these. They were all new to me.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteHOORAY! Your comment went right through to the front page this time, dear friend! Thanks for coming to Philadelphia broadcast pioneer Joe Niagara's second platter party!
The SPMM radio shows presented by Joe Niagara and other top 40 DJs of the 50s and 60s (Hy Lit, Jerry Blavat and Arnie Ginsburg), will contain many more rare relics than the shows of characters like Meg Griffin, Brian Griffin, Erica Strange, Natalie Teeger and Mona Wu. Joe, Hy, Jerry and Arnie bring you authentic versions of their actual 1950s/60s radio shows which consistently featured fresh off the street recordings by little known doo-wop, R&B and soul groups. These shows give you an opportunity to learn about the music that was important to millions of young people during the period - the good stuff, the real deal - not the bland pop that mom and dad listened to.
Thanks again for coming by. Please hug my buddy Falcor for me and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Mary!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteI'm only familiar with Mary Wells and I love her. Her songs never disappoint.
The rest were new to me and I dig their sounds. I'll definitely use these pieces as part of my trip to Brighton Beach on Saturday. It'll be just a day trip, but I am excited nonetheless.
Happy Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for dropping in to experience the second edition of Joe Niagara's Knocked Out Nifties of the Past!
Yessum, there are some old and obscure recordings in this batch, and I doubt your dad recognizes any more of them than you did. I'm glad you know and like Mary Wells. Smokey Robinson And the Miracles were also a very important Motown act that you should get to know. Smokey penned many hits recorded by other artists on the Motown roster. The record by The Fascinators and the one by Malcolm Dodds & Tunedrops were new to my ears until I discovered them in my "Recommended For You" feed on YouTube. I had all but forgotten that classic by Ron Holden & Thunderbirds and was ecstatic to hear it again after all these years and find it in pristine remastered form. The song was ideal to use as Joe Niagara's showender.
I hope you have fun on your latest trip to BB. Happy TT to you, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady! I was commenting and got kicked out for some reason! It's late for blog checking but I'm not giving up! I knew a few of these tunes and really loved the "Little Bitty Pretty One" for the beat but also for the fun video. I just love how everyone used to dress up for a night out and didn't look like some of the junk today. Wow, now I sound like my Grandma! Ha! Anyway, good sounds from the past and good to visit here tonight. I've worked much more this week than usual and my retired state is feeling a bit like the old days! However, I'm off the weekend and Monday for sure so I'm going to enjoy it. I hope you have a lovely weekend and hope everything is good down south! Good night!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteYou're becoming quite a late night Lizzie, dear friend, and I appreciate you staying up late to visit and comment. Thanks so much for coming to Joe's platter party! I'm so sorry you got kicked out while attempting to leave a comment. I notice all kinds of crazy things happening lately to Blogger and to Wordpress blogs.
I'm glad you singled out the Thurston Harris biggie. I picked that song because it fits Joe's original Wibbage format, because the sound is remastered, and because the video contains, as you mentioned, many nostalgic scenes of life in the 50s. How well I remember the family gathered around the TV set, usually only one per household, and only three or four channels to choose from. The scenes of teens in the record shop and malt shop also take us way way back to the happy, carefree years of our youth. Yessum, in the weeks and months to come I am going to be focusing more on these old old oldies and discuss how there was dress code and a code of conduct for young people that doesn't exist today. Stay tuned for many more scenes that show outfits and hairstyles from that era.
I was going to say it seems like you are almost back to working full time again. As you already mentioned, you'll be thankful when the paycheck comes, but I can't help wishing you could spend more of your retirement enjoying leisure activities, puttering the the garden and walking Annabelle. I hope you'll take her for a stroll thru the Creepy Woods this weekend and over to see her alpaca buddies.
Thanks again for persisting and getting your comment through, dear friend YaYa. Enjoy the rest of your week and especially the coming weekend!
I like that Fascinators song, but it ended kind of abruptly. Maybe that's why it wasn't a hit.
ReplyDeleteThat first picture of Bob Kuban And The In-Men that was shown on the video looks like something from a 1970's era Holiday Inn. Not that it matters. Great song.
Malcolm Dodds And The Tunedrops is one great name for a band. As you said, obviously influenced by the Platters. That one song, anyway.
Listening to doo-wop songs I'm occasionally reminded of 1930s crooners. I wonder if there's a connection. I'm not suggesting that black artists of the 1950s were influenced by such white artists as Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra, only that there may be a common point of inspiration (probably black) for both groups.
Finally, that's a great black-and-white photo you end it with.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for staying up late to do some rockin' and a rollin', boppin' and a strollin', reelin' with the feelin' and splishin' and a splashin' with Philly broadcast great Joe Niagara, good buddy!
That's a cold ending on the 1959 Fascinators' single. In the 1950s, most popular recordings released as singles had cold opens and many had cold endings. Musical intros at the start of songs and fade-outs at the end became common practice in the 60s and thereafter. However, if you go way back to the swing recordings of the 30s and 40s, you'll find that the band typically played the song for one or two minutes before the vocal began.
I agree about that picture of Bob Kuban and his band. See my reply to Birgit (above) for the scuttlebutt about what happened to lead zinger Walter Scott. I'm pleased that you liked their signature song and only hit, and pleased that you mentioned their appearance. Keep in mind that the year was 1966, a pivotal year when songs about love were being replaced by songs about drug experiences and war protest and bands were dressing down and growing their hair longer. Bob K's band was clean cut and wearing tuxedos, throwbacks to the look of bands of the past. True, in the final photo, The In-Men are shown wearing Mod stye clothing, but overall the group was an anachronism in 1966 and perhaps as a result, one-hit-wonders.
I'm delighted that you appreciate the song by Malcom Dodds and group. It was the summer of 1957 and there still was a lot of crooning going on in pop music. I believe you're right about the connection. Most hit-making artists, white or black, were influenced or inspired by music that originated with black artists of the past, primarily solo country blues and city blues pioneers and harmony vocal groups. Pat Boone and many other white artists paid attention to the black sounds kids were digging and covered the material, often gaining hits among older, more conservative white record buyers.
I'm delighted that you liked so much of the tuneage and the nostalgic picture on the wall there at the end. I'm always happy to show you a good time. Enjoy the week ahead, good buddy Kirk!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on this post. It won't come as any surprise that your songs featured are all new-to-me. The Miracles are the only group I know by name but if I remember right you've showcased Joe Niagara's music before today. I think of all of these fine tunes, my favorite sound other than the Miracles might just have to be Mary Wells. Incidentally, I didn't know The Miracles had a female lead. Have a fabulous Sunday evening and a boogietastic week, my good friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteSorry for replying late, dear friend. We had a ferocious t-storm late this afternoon and it knocked-out our power. It was just restored. Thanks for joining the fun as Joe Niagara plays a stack of Nifties from the 1950s and 60s!
Yessum, Joe Niagara from Wibbage, WIBG, is now working full time a Shady Bunch DJ, bringing you authentic R&B, doo-wop, soul and blue-eyed soul sounds, many of them obscure and seldom heard.
It doesn't surprise me that you favor the Motown sound of The Miracles and Mary Wells. They are the best known acts in Joe's volume 2 show. On The Miracles song, "If Your Mother Only Knew," that's Smokey Robinson you are hearing on lead vocals. The female member of the group you see in the picture is Claudette Rogers who married Smokey in 1959. Claudette served primarily as a backing vocalist for The Miracles, but occasionally she did sing lead parts, but not on this particular song. It's a little confusing, because the A side of this single, "Way over There," was initially released in 1960 with a different B side. It was issued again in the summer of 1962 and never rose above #94 on the chart. I think "If Your Mother Only Knew" could have been a big hit if the decision makers had reversed the A and B sides of the platter.
Thanks again for making it over in time to visit and comment, dear friend Cathy. Stay tuned for my next post featuring The Budding Budettes of Bud's Drive-in, coming up first thing tomorrow. Have a safe and happy week ahead!
Playing catch up here my friend. Some good songs. I remember Little Bitty Pretty One being used in the movie Matilda, one of my favorites. I am a fan of Smokey Robinson but don't remember this song with the Miracles. In fact there were a couple of these that I wasn't familiar with even though I've heard of the groups. I love how you find these oldies. Off to check your most recent post.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for catching up on what you've missed at Shady's Place, dear friend!
Thanks for letting me know you liked Joe Niagara's playlist and which movie had the Thurston Harris song in the soundtrack, namely Matilda, a film I haven't seen. I just read that it is a1996 movie about a girl with psychic powers. The cast includes Danny & Rhea plus Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens).
That Miracles killer bee is a rarity. I didn't even remember it myself, but when I discovered it recently on YouTube, and in remastered form, I jumped at the chance to plug it into Joe's lineup.
Yessum, on Joe's shows and the shows of Arnie Ginsburg, Jerry Blavat and Hy Lit, you will hear authentic old gold, including many obscure records that were only hits on the East Coast or locally in Philly. Folks like you who grew up on the West Coast were never exposed to many of these artists and songs on your local radio stations.
Thanks again for clicking back and listening to Joe's stack of Nifties, dear friend Janet!