Hey, Wolfman... Howl Are Fangs With You?

AHHHOOOOO!!!

Mercy mercy me! I'm so excited I can
hardly stand it, baby. This here's your
old pal Wolfman Jack sittin' in for my
good friend Shady Del Knight right
here at the greatest little station in
the nation, S-P-M-M... Shady's Place
Music & Memories. I'm your doctor

of love, baby, and I got the cure

you're looking for... the best

oldies you ever heard plus

the best oldies you

never heard!

Darkness falls across the land.

The midnight hour is close at hand.

Cuddle your cutie while I strike up the band.
You're tuned to S-P-M-M and the Wolfman!

Now, you pay close
attention to these songs,
baby, or the Wolfman's
gonna GETCHA!

Oh my my - I've got a trick or treat that's

hard to beat. Every other song on today's show

is a cherry by the merry Mr. Chuck Berry! 

We gonna rock & roll ourselves to death,

baby - hee-hee-heee!!!

COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"Johnny B. Goode" - Chuck Berry

(May 1958, highest chart pos. #2 R&B/#8 Hot 100,

#11 Cash Box, scenes from Aug. 1973 film American Graffiti) 

Yessiree, you listen to me, there's nothing like cruisin' the strip

with my friend Curt and the gang on American Graffiti. 

And the super sound coming thru their car radios was Chuck Berry's 

1958 crossover hit "Johnny B. Goode," named one of the most

recognizable songs in pop music history and the first

rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom.   

Awwwww land sakes, the Wolfman's takin' you back to old school

and teachin' you a lesson. In late 50s Nashville, Connie Sue Landers

and two of her high school classmates formed a trio calling them-

selves The Teen-Notes. The girls landed a recording contract

and became Connie & The Cones. In 1960 they waxed their

best side, the pretty teen pop ballad-- "Lonely Girl's Prayer!"

"Lonely Girl's Prayer" - Connie And The Cones

(Jan. 1960, uncharted)

AHHHOOOOO!!! Good golly, miss Molly,

that songbird sure has a sweet tweet!

That was Connie Sue Landers, lead voice of Connie And The Cones,

singing "Lonely Girl's Prayer." Using the stage names Connie Dee

and Connie Landers, Connie released solo records. She signed

with the Nashville label Hit Records and became known as

 "The 39 cent singer" releasing cover versions of hits by

other artists. "Hit Records" were sold in five & dimes

 and supermarkets for 39 cents, less than half

the price of the originals. 

The merry mister Berry is back in the spot-

light and on my turntable. Released in

the summer of 1955, this was Chuck's

first big hit and one of his greatest.

Inducted into the Grammy Hall of

Fame as one of the pioneering songs

that shaped rock & roll, Chuck's

record is ranked in the top 20 on

Rolling Stone's list of The 500

Greatest Songs of All Time.

Adapted in part from the

Western swing fiddle tune

"Ida Red," the song tells the

tale of a high speed hot rod

race and a busted romance

with a girl named--

"Maybellene." 

"Maybellene" - Chuck Berry

(Aug./Sept./Oct. 1955, highest chart pos.

#1 R&B/#5 Hot 100 & Cash Box) 

Oh "Maybellene," baby... why can't you be true?

That was Chuck Berry's pioneering rock & roll single,

a major crossover hit in the summer and fall of 1955. 

You've got The Wolfman your radio, and this is S-P-M-M...

the #1 station for a rock & roll nation! Earlier in the show,

you heard from Conne Landers who found success

waxing soundalike cover versions of major hits.

Speaking of covers and sound-alikes, here is

a Los Angeles based girl group quartet best
remembered for their answer song to the
Gene Chandler smash "Duke Of Earl."
Here they are, The Pearlettes, with--
"Duchess Of Earl!"

"Duchess Of Earl" - The Pearlettes

(Mar. 1962, highest chart pos. #96 Hot 100)

Yes, gracious, those were The Pearlettes with their only charting record,

"Duchess Of Earl," an answer to Gene Chandler's #1 hit "Duke Of Earl"

released in March 1962 while Gene's record was red hot on the radio.

Now you listen here to the Wolfman, because I'm gonna tell you

about another Chuck Berry biggie. It's "Little Queenie," the song

released in the spring of 1959 as a double-A side along with the

top 3 charting R&B hit "Almost Grown." "Little Queenie" has

the same melody as "Run Rudolph Run," a song Chuck

released on the B side of "Merry Christmas Baby"

during the holidays in 1958.  Here's Chuck in

the 1959 rock & roll movie Go, Johnny, Go!

performing a song that went on to become

a fan favorite recorded by many other

artists -- "Little Queenie!" 

"Little Queenie" - Chuck Berry

(Apr./May 1959, highest chart pos. #80 Hot 100/double-A side

of "Almost Grown," scene from June 1959 film Go, Johnny, Go!)

From the summer of '59, that was Chuck Berry doing

"Little Queenie" in the Alan Freed - Jimmy Clanton

 rock & roll feature Go, Johnny, Go!

Now, baby, I want you to get

real close to the radio and touch

the whiskers on the old Wolfman's

chin while I introduce the next

record. Everybody talkin' 'bout

the Wolfman's pompatus of love,

and this Carolina gospel singer-

turned secular soul siren likes

to sing about that subject. It's

the fabulous Maxine Brown

with one of her biggest hits--

"Oh No, Not My Baby!"

"Oh No, Not My Baby" - Maxine Brown
(Dec. 1964, Jan. 1965, highest chart pos.

#22 Cash Box/#24 Hot 100 & R&B)

From Christmas 1964 and the early weeks of '65, that was

Miss Maxine Brown making a determined run at the top 20

on the soul and the pop chart with "Oh, No, Not My Baby."

 

You're tuned to Wolfman Jack on S-P-M-M Retro Radio.

I'm your cool canine with fangs for the memories. 

Let's wrap up today's show with one more rock McNugget by

the one and only Chuck Berry. Seems like Chuck's had his

share of girl problems over the years and here's another

example. In this 1964 ditty, Chuck chases his future

bride all over town shouting "Nadine (Is It You?)." 

"Nadine (Is It You?)" - Chuck Berry
(Mar./Apr. 1964, highest chart pos.

#23 Hot 100 & R&B/#32 Cash Box)

Goodness gracious... sakes alive...

...we done rocked around the clock,
baby, and now it's time for the old

Wolfman to say goodbye.

Before I go I wanna give a special shout out

to all you rat packers up there on the hill
at the Shady Dell!

Now you listen to the Wolfman. Be kind

to your fine feathered friends. Obey

your ma and pa, love thy neighbor

and find out how good it feels

to help a stranger in need.

This is your good buddy Wolfman Jack
signing off and wishing you health, but
much more than wealth, I wish you love!

AHHHOOOOO!!!

"If Only The Whole World Could Hear Wolfman Jack"