Geator Gold - Vol. 5, Special Edition: 7 Songs... 17 Women... 81 Kisses!

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

 GEATOR  GOLD  

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"The 81" - Candy And The Kisses

(Dec, 1964/Jan. 1965, highest chart pos.

#39 Cash Box/#51 Hot 100 & R&B)

Kicking-off the show with a sizzling sound that was big up and down the East Coast

at Christmas, 1964... a record that reached it's peak in the top 40 on Cash Box the

first week of '65. It was a song about a new dance going around called "The 81,"

and it was recorded by Candy & The Kisses, a girl trio from Staten Island.

Greetings and sal-u-ta-tions! I am the Geator with the Heater.

I am the Boss with the Big Hot Sauce, welcoming you in for

a special all-girl edition of Geator Gold! Every record I'll

be playing was made by a female artist or girl group.

If you're ready, let's spin more Geator Gold!

"The 81" by Candy And The Kisses is

an example of the "cool" brand of soul

that came out of Philadelphia in the mid

to late 1960s. When fans of the genre

talk about cool Philly soul, this next

song and this next artist are most

certainly mentioned in the conver-

sation.You would be hard pressed

 to find a cooler sound that this

one by Dee Dee Sharp.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

 Dee Dee is best known for her up tempo dance ditties, but some say this mature

and mellow song is her greatest recording. Geator Gold proudly presents

one of Philly's Phinest, Miss Dee Dee Sharp and-- "I Really Love You!" 

"I Really Love You" - Dee Dee Sharp

(Jan. 1966, highest chart pos. #37 R&B/#78 Hot 100)

That was Philadelphia's own sultry soul siren Dee Dee Sharp singing

"I Really Love You," a sophisticated soul classic and a far cry from

"Mashed Potato Time," "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)" and

other dance-pop songs she recorded at the start of her career. 

Up next, a girl group everybody

knows, Martha And The Vandellas.

In the spring of 1965, the Motown

trio appeared on the British TV

special Ready, Steady, Go!

The Sound of Motown.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

The Vandellas were fantastic and

bombastic as they performed their

latest hit-- "Nowhere To Run!" 

"Nowhere To Run - Martha And The Vandellas

(Mar./Apr. 1965, highest chart pos. #5 R&B, #8 Hot 100,

#9 Cash Box, live perf. on Apr. 28, 1965, on British TV

special Ready, Steady, Go! The Sound of Motown) 

One of the hottest sounds ever to come out of Motown, that was

Martha Reeves and her group The Vandellas on TV in the UK

doing "Nowhere To Run" a single that went top 5 on the U.S.

R&B chart and top 10 pop. Believe it or not, the record was

produced using the clinking sound of snow chains as

percussion along with the tambourine and drums. 

If you're just tuning in, I'm Jerry Blavat -

The Geator with the Heater - and this

is Geator Gold on S-P-M-M...

the station with personality.

My parade of female artists continues now

with Sheila Ross and her Royalettes, a family

R&B group from Baltimore.  The Royalettes

are best known for the song "It's Gonna Take

A Miracle," a hit single penned and produced

by Teddy Randazzo, the man responsible for

a string of hits by Little Anthony And The

Imperials.  I'd like to play two other great

records by The Royalettes, starting with

a single from the fall of 1963.

START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Here's "Blue Summer," a song similar to "Our Day Will Come"

and "My Summer Love," back-to-back hits for Ruby And

The Romantics earlier that year.

"Blue Summer" - The Royalettes

(Sept. 1963, highest chart pos. #121 Bubbling Under)

On Geator Gold we program from the heart, not from the chart, and you just heard

one of the reasons why - "Blue Summer" by The Royalettes - a record that shoulda

been, coulda been and woulda been a hit, but instead, it merely Bubbled Under.

Many of my teen kings and teen queens

are familiar with Philadelphia pop-soul

songstress Barbara Mason's 1965 hit

"Yes, I'm Ready." But you might not

know that The Royalettes covered

the song on their 1965 album

It's Gonna Take A Miracle. 

START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Had it been released as a single, this cover

might have been a hit for The Royalettes

because it rivals and, in the ears of

some, surpasses the original.

What do your ears say? 

"Yes, I'm Ready" - Barbara Mason cover by The Royalettes

(from 1965 album It's Gonna Take A Miracle)

You just heard two smooth grooves in a

row by The Royalettes, a girl group from

Baltimore. Now here's yet another fine but

underrated female group... this one a trio

from down the road in Washington, D.C. 

START THE VIDEO NOW! 

They're The Fuzz... and in the spring of '71, this

became their biggest hit, a record that made the

top 10 on the R&B chart and crossed over to

crack the top 20 on the pop survey. This cool

sound knocks me out cold... The Fuzz and

"I Love You For All Seasons." 

"I Love You For All Seasons" - The Fuzz (Apr./May 1971,

highest chart pos. #10 R&B/#20 Cash Box/#21 Hot 100) 

You just experienced the ice cool sound of The Fuzz doing their biggie,

"I Love You For All Seasons," a slow jam that has truly stood the test of time.

And, speaking of time, as all good things

must come to an end... so too must this

special all-girl edition of my show.

Don't touch that dial. Keep it here on

S-P-M-M... the station with personality.

Coming up on the B side of Gary Owens'

 news, it's the debut of the long awaited,

much anticipated Shady's Place series

Joyce Martin's a Gold Digger.

I hope she digs the Geator's Gold.

Shady says I have time for one last record,

so here it is, a song waxed by the reinvented

Supremes with Jean Terrell as the Motown

super-group's new lead singer. This platter

started up the chart in the spring of '71 as

the one by The Fuzz was reaching its peak.   

It's the lead single from the Supremes' 23rd studio album Touch. The Geator

wants you to put your ear close to the radio and listen carefully, because this

is an unusual and innovative recording for The Supremes. All three members,

Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong, sing the song's lead vocal

in unison, and they are joined by veteran session singer Clydie King.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

In addition, as you will hear, the sound is sculpted with a phase shifting effect

applied to The Funk Brothers' backing track. "Winter's past, spring, and fall,"

and "Nathan Jones," the former lover who ghosted our heroine, is still in

the wind. Now this is The Geator with the Heater saying so long and

reminding you to keep on rockin'... 'cause you only rock once!

"Nathan Jones" - The Supremes (May/June 1971,

highest chart pos. #8 R&B/#10 Cash Box, #16 Hot 100) 

Geator Gold - Vol. 4: Trickle Trickle Tear Drops!

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

 GEATOR GOLD 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"He's Got The Power" - The Exciters

(Mar./Apr. 1963, highest chart pos. #57 Hot 100,

#64 Cash Box, Scopitone film release)

Greetings and salutations! I am The Geator

with The Heater. I am The Boss with the

Big Hot Sauce, welcoming you to another

fantastic, bombastic edition of Geator Gold

here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio. I've got

a parade of platters from the past and our

7-in-a-row block party has just begun.

You just saw and heard Brenda Reid,

the little lady with the powerful pipes,

singing lead for her mixed gender group
The Exciters on "He's Got The Power,"

a record that climbed halfway up the

pop chart in the spring of 1963 and

oddly failed to register at all on

the R&B chart. Now let's jump

back in time to the early 50s. 

Fiction and Fact from the Geator's Almanac: In 1952 a man by the name

of Ronald Cuffey was lead singer of The Five Sharps, the now legendary

doo-wop group from Queens, NY. The Five Sharps recorded the song

"Stormy Weather" on the Jubilee label. That 78 rpm single is so rare

that it is known as the Holy Grail of doo-wop 78's, coveted by

collectors as one of the most valuable records in the world.

In 2003, a used copy of "Stormy Weather" sold for
$19,000. The value of that Five Sharps platter shot

to $25,000 a few years later. It is not even known

if an original exists on 45 rpm. If one is ever

found it would be worth many times more.

Fast forward to the summer of 1958 when Ronald Cuffey was
singing lead with a new group called The Videos. Their first
record  got plenty of radio exposure in New York but did not
reach the national chart. The Videos now with-- "Trickle, Trickle!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"Trickle, Trickle" - The Videos (July 1958)

You're jumpin' and jitterbuggin' with

The Geator With The Heater, charter

member of The Shady Bunch, and

this is Geator Gold on S-P-M-M

Retrosonic Radio, where all the

cool oldies come to play. 

You just heard a Geator golden gasser
by The Videos, their 1958 regional hit
"Trickle, Trickle." In January, 1959,
The Videos released a follow-up to
that jump tempo debut single. It's
a lot different, a dreamy ballad
entitled-- "Love Or Infatuation."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

"Love Or Infatuation" - The Videos (Jan. 1959)

The Videos of Queens, New York, with their second single, "Love Or Infatuation."

Sadly, before the guys could put out another record, Ronald Cuffey died along
with another member of the group, bass man Ron Woodhall. Their deaths
put an end to this great doo-wop act, The Videos.

Don't touch that dial, because The Geator's
spinning another dreamy romantic ballad
for lovers only. This record was waxed in
1958 by one of Philly's Phinest groups,
Lee Andrews & The Hearts. I want you

to take your teen queen or teen king by
the hand, lead them to the dance floor
and sway to this snuggle song... a
doo-wop treasure-- "Teardrops."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

"Teardrops" aka "Tear Drops" - Lee Andrews And The Hearts

(Jan. 1958, highest chart pos. #4 R&B/#20 Hot 100/#25 Cash Box)

A mellow sound from the early weeks of 1958, Lee Andrews
and the Hearts with "Teardrops," a record that reached
the top 5 on the R&B chart and top 20 pop.

If you're just tuning in, I'm The Geator,

Jerry Blavat, and we're right smack dab

in the middle of a 7 in a row commercial

 free cruise on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.

The name of the show is Geator Gold...

 and I've got another classic nugget for

you right here and now. A one track

mind is the gist of a song that was

the second biggest hit of Motown

soul legend Marvin Gaye's 60s career.

Released in 1969, the single cracked

the top 5 on the Hot 100 and was

perched at #1 on the R&B chart

for six consecutive weeks. Here's

 Marvin joined in the recording studio

by The Andantes, Motown's in-house

group of female session singers, with 

one of the greatest Motown sounds--

 "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby!"

 "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" - Marvin Gaye 

 (June 1969, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#4 Hot 100/#5 Cash Box) 

You got The Geator in your ear, and I'm
spinning Geator Gold on S-P-M-M..,
where we go hunting for the great songs
of the past and bring 'em back alive.

The Geator's on a roll with one

old gold nugget after another. 

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

Here now is the very first single
released by the Motown group
best known for their major hit
"Do You Love Me." Dig the
throaty sax and raw vocals
as The Contours sing--

"Whole Lotta Woman!"

"Whole Lotta Woman" - The Contours

(Feb./Mar. 1961, uncharted)

The first version of that catchy tune was

released regionally, and you just heard the

second version which was released nationally.

The Contours there with their first, and some

say their best single, "Whole Lotta Woman,"

an uncharted relic from early 1961 that

reminds me of the late 50s R&B hits

"Short Fat Fannie" and "Itchy

Twitchy Feeling." 

And as all good things

must come to an end,

so too must my show.

Thanks for tuning in.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Stay tuned. Coming up on the B side of news, it's Shady Seaweed with another

hip trip to Bandstands in Foreign Lands, and I'll be back soon with another

batch of boss beats and ballads on Geator Gold. Now this is Jerry Blavat,

The Geator with the Heater, reminding you to keep on rockin' 'cause

you only rock once! Hey, gimme a big strong line and let's do it

one last time as I play us off with Martha And The Vandellas

doing their first big hit. Baby, it's cold outside, but inside

 we're havin' a "Heatwave." Bye ya-ll!

"Heatwave" - Martha And The Vandellas

(Aug./Sept. 1963, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#4 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

Geator Gold - Vol. 3: Christmas Special... Meet The Supremes and The Temptations!

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

 GEATOR GOLD 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

MEET THE SUPREMES!

 "Tonight" - The Supremes 

 (June 1956) 

That's right, you just met The Supremes! Fiction and Fact
from the Geator's Almanac: If you're confused by what you
just heard, those were indeed The Supremes, but not the

Motown girl group you were expecting. This Supremes
group was an all male doo-wop act from the Bronx, and
that was their 1956 single, the sweet ballad "Tonight."

Greetings and

sal-u-ta-tions!

I am The Geator with the Heater.

I am The Boss with the Big Hot

Sauce, welcoming all my yon

teenagers to another fantastic

bombastic edition of my show

Geator Gold here on S-P-M-M,

the station that's number-1 for

music and fun. In this special

2019 yearender, you'll meet the

Supremes and you'll also meet

the Temptations but, as you

might have guessed by now,

there are surprises in store.

 Here's another one. Recorded in 1955 or 1956 and previously

unreleased, the song "Zip Boom" aka "Zip-Boom" has been

released on singles, albums and CDs as by those Bronx-

based Supremes,  but music historians insist the record

was made, not by The Supremes, but by a mystery
group. Whoever made the record, it's
New York doo-wop at its best!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Zip-Boom" - The Supremes {misidentified "mystery group"} 

 (1955 or 1956, unreleased) 

That was "Zip-Boom," a monumental

up tempo doo-wop sound credited to
The Supremes but more likely waxed
by a mystery group. Haphazard filing
and labeling practices at Old Town
Records is blamed for the mix-up.

Now there was another little known
Supremes group, this one formed in
Columbus, Ohio, in 1954 and some-
times referred to as The Columbus
Supremes. This all male doo-wop
act released only one record with
"Just For You And I" on the A side

and "Don't Leave Me Here To Cry"
as the killer B. Meet The Supremes!

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Don't Leave Me Here To Cry" - The Supremes 

 (Sept. 1957, B side of "Just For You And I") 

From the fall of 1957, that was another obscure boy group named
The Supremes singing "Don't Leave Me Here To Cry, the fab
flip side of their single "Just For You And I."

If you're just tuning in, this is the one
and only Jerry Blavat, The Geator with
the Heater, and you're listening to a
special edition of Geator Gold - Meet
The Supremes and The Temptations
here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.

On Geator Gold, we play 'em from
the heart, not the chart. You already
met The Supremes doo-wop group
from the Bronx, New York, and you

listened to a rusty relic by a mystery

group incorrectly identified as those

New York Supremes. You also met

another doo-wop group of the 50s,

The Supremes from Columbus, Ohio.

Now meet the Motown girl group that

made the name famous, Diana Ross

and The Supremes, but the song they
are going to sing is not one of their own.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

The gals don't even sound like themselves as they cover the first single by

Liverpool's Merseybeat band Gerry And The Pacemakers-- "How Do You Do It!"

 "How Do You Do It" - The Supremes 

 (from Oct. 1964, album A Bit Of Liverpool) 

That was an unusual sound from Diana Ross And The Supremes
as they covered "How Do You Do It," the debut single released
by the English group Gerry And The Pacemakers, a track on
The Supremes' third studio album A Bit Of Liverpool.

MEET THE TEMPTATIONS!

You met The Supremes. Now it's time

for you to meet The Temptations,

in this case a white doo-wop act

based in Flushing, New York.

In the spring of 1960, this

Temptations group made

the top 30 with a cool

song called "Barbara."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Barbara" - The Temptations 

 (Apr./May 1960, highest chart pos. #29 Hot 100/#38 Cash Box) 

Jerry Blavat of The Shady Bunch

manning the mic here on S-P-M-M

Retrosonic Radio. You're listening
to Geator Gold and those were the
doo-wop Temptations with their
claim to fame, the 1960 hit single
"Barbara," not to be confused
with "Barbara-Ann."

The Geator's sending this one out
to all my teen kings and queens in
radio land - the equally bombastic
B side of "Barbara," another
tempting Temptations tune
called-- "Someday."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

 "Someday" - The Temptations 

 (Apr./May 1960, B side of "Barbara") 

From the borough of Queens, New York, The Temptations turning a nifty
double play with dreamy doo-wop classics back-to-back on that 1960 single.

And as all good things must come to an end, so too must today's special

Meet The Supremes and Meet The Temptations edition of Geator Gold.
Thanks a lot for tuning in.

Don't touch that dial, because my pal

Shady Seaweed's up next with his annual

New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady show,
and I'll be back in 2020 with more nostalgic
nifties of the 60s and 50s on S-P-M-M...
where all the cool oldies come to play...

START VIDEO NOW!

...like this one by The Temptations group
you know best. It's another seldom heard
gem, but one that'll knock your socks
off the mantle. From the 1970 album Psychedelic Shack, The Temps play
us off and ask the musical question:
"You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)"?
Now this is The Geator with the Heater,
the Boss With the Hot Sauce, saying
keep on rockin', baby... 'cause you
only (woo-HOO) rock once!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

 "You Need Love Like I Do (Don't You)" - The Temptations 

 (from Mar. 1970 album Psychedelic Shack) 

Geator Gold - Vol. 2: The Duck Across the Pond!

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

 GEATOR GOLD 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"Can You Do It" - The Contours

(Apr. 1964, highest chart pos. #41 Hot 100 & R&B)

A fantastic sound coming out of Detroit, those were the mighty Contours

with "Can You Do It," a record that brushed the top 40 on both charts -
R&B and pop, in the spring of 1964. If you're watching my simulcast
on YouTube you saw the def dancing of the teen kings and queens
on my good friend Dick Clark's TV show American Bandstand.

Greetings and salutations! I am The Geator
with the Heater. I am The Boss with the
Big Hot Sauce, welcoming all my yon
teenagers to another bombastic edition
of Geator Gold here on S-P-M-M...
the station that's #1 for music and fun.

We're plowing through 7-in-a-row on
the Jerry Blavat show, doin' the bop
at the Geator's sock hop... and lawd
have mercy, we won't stop til we drop.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

Ready for a quack attack? Here's my man

Jackie Lee with his swan song-- "The Duck!"

"The Duck - Part 2" - Jackie Lee
(released Mar. 1973 in the UK)

That was Mr. Jackie Lee keeping us out

on the floor and beggin' for more. If you're
livin' in the U.S.A., I'm willing to bet that
was the first time you heard that particular
version of "The Duck." Quick story: Back
in the fall of 1963 the duo of Bob & Earl
wrote and recorded "Harlem Shuffle."

"Bob" was Bob Relf who made solo
singles using his own name and two
others - Bobby Valentino and Bobby
Garrett. "Earl" was Earl Nelson who
took the name Jackie Lee and had a
solo hit with the dance ditty "The Duck."

What you just listened to was Part 2 of "The Duck" which was not released
on a single in the U.S. It was issued in the UK in 1973 on the B side of
Part 1. If you are familiar with Part 1 you noticed that Part 2 contains
different lyrics and the female backing singers are featured more
prominently, making it even more of a groove than side one.

Back to Detroit we go now for a nifty number by one of Motown's top
girl groups and another version of a popular song that I'm betting is
new to your ears. It's the Marvelettes and their hit "When You're
Young And In Love," only this is an alternate version with
a spoken intro. This one's too cool for school!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"When You're Young And In Love" (alternate mix) - The Marvelettes
(May/June 1967, highest chart pos. #9 R&B/#23 Hot 100)

From the vaults of Motown, those were the marvelous Marvelettes
with the seldom heard spoken intro version of their top 10 hit
from the spring of 1967, "When You're Young And In Love."

Up next on Geator Gold, more of the girl group

sound, this one by a group from New York. In

1957 the duo Johnnie & Joe had a top 10 hit

with "Over The Mountain Across The Sea."

"Johnnie" was Johnnie Louise Richardson,

daughter of "Zell" Sanders, founder of the

New York based R&B label J&S, one of

the few record companies ever owned by

a woman. Johnnie was also a member of

The Jaynettes, the Bronx girl group that

hit with "Sally, Go 'Round the Roses."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

In 1958 Zell signed a girl group called The Bouquets and changed their
name to The Click-Ettes. Featuring lead singer Barbara Jean English
here is one of their great ballads-- "Lover's Prayer."

"Lover's Prayer" - The Click-Ettes
(June 1959, uncharted)

On Geator Gold we play 'em from the heart... not the chart, and you just heard
the fabulous girl group The Click-ettes proving that old school is cool with
a great late 50s snuggle song for my yon teens, "Lover's Prayer."

If you're just tuning in, we're in the middle of

a 7-in-a-row block party on Geator Gold with

yours truly Jerry Blavat, The Geator with the
Heater, The Boss with the Sauce, right here
on S-P-M-M... home of The Shady Bunch.

Speaking of school, here are The Students,
a doo-wop group from Ohio that recorded
two classics of the genre, "I'm So Young"
and "Every Day Of The Week," both
songs penned by William H. "Prez"
Tyus, Jr., a high school pupil.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

The two monumental songs were released back-to-back on the same 45.

Here now are The Students with the B side, "Every Day Of The Week,"

a dance number that inspired The Dovells' "Bristol Stomp!"

"Every Day of the Week" - The Students

(B side of "I'm So Young" single orig. released in

July & Aug. 1958 and charted #26 in June 1961)

Waxed in the summer of 1958 and popular three years later in the summer of '61
as the fab flip of the top 30 hit "I'm So Young," that was the up tempo side
"Every Day Of The Week" by The Students of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Fiction and Fact From the Geator's Almanac:
He is known as the singing barber of Pine Hill,
New Jersey, a town not far from Philadelphia.
I'm talking about Mr. Billy Harner. In the 60s
Billy's high voltage performances of R&B
material invited comparisons to Mitch
Ryder and earned Billy the nickname
“The Human Perk-u-lator.”

START THE VIDEO NOW!

In the 70s, Billy's records were hot in
Northern Soul clubs of the UK. Here's
Billy's biggest-- "Sally Sayin' Somethin'!"

"Sally Sayin' Somethin'" - Billy Harner

(Aug. 1967, highest chart pos. #118 Bubbling Under)

That was Billy Harner - “The Human Perk-u-lator” - and his signature song
"Sally Sayin' Something," a big hit on the East Coast in the summer of 1967.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

And as all good things must come to an end,
so too must this edition of Geator Gold.

Thanks for listening. Don't touch that dial,
because my puppy pal Toto Moto is coming
up on the other side of news with a special
show called Toto's Tutorial. You don't wanna
miss it. After that, my good buddy Dell Rat
Tom drops in to play stacks o' wax on Juke-
box Giants, and I'll be back soon with more
Geator Gold... so keep it here on S-P-M-M
where the cool oldies live on and on.

To play us off, gospel-tinged disco done right, just inches across the border
into secular territory. The song is "Mighty Cloud of Joy," and the group
is called the Mighty Clouds of Joy. Now this is Jerry Blavat, The Geator
With the Heator... The Boss With the Big Hot Sauce, reminding you to
keep on rockin', baby, 'cause you only (woo-HOO!) rock once! Bye y'all!

"Mighty Cloud of Joy" – Mighty Clouds of Joy
(Feb./Mar. 1975, highest chart pos. #47 R&B)

Geator Gold - Vol. 1: The Paragons Meet The Jesters!

PLEASE LISTEN TO A FEW SECONDS OF THE FOLLOWING VIDEO

TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH JERRY BLAVAT'S VOICE AND DJ STYLE:

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

 GEATOR GOLD 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"Gravy (With Some Cyanide)" - John Zacherle

(from 1962 album Monster Mash)

Greetings and salutations! I am the Geator with the Heater. I am the Boss

with the Big Hot Sauce, and you're tuned to S-P-M-M, the station that's #1

for music and fun. Welcome to my first bombastic show - a special Halloween

edition of Geator Gold. Kicking it off and setting the mood was Philadelphia's

own TV ghost host, John Zacherle, and his novelty record "Gravy (With Some

Cyanide)," a parody of the song "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)," a hit single

by another of Philly's Phinest, Miss Dee Dee Sharp. Now let's check out the

teen kings and queens on my good friend Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

They're dancing to the sound of a fantastic, bombastic Philly group.

These are The Orlons and their monster hit-- "South Street!"

"South Street" - The Orlons (Mar./Apr. 1963,
highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100/#4 R&B)

Up next, here are two Chicago teenagers, Barbara Livsey

and Mary-Francis Hayes, who performed together as

The Du-ettes. From the late 50s through mid 60s,

the girls released half a dozen singles, none of

which made the chart.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Here on Geator Gold we don't play 'em from the chart -

we play 'em from the heart - and here's a lost treasure

that's a fave at Memories in Margate and my other

record hops, a red hot platter I spin time and again.

Gimme a big strong line and start the stomp as

The Du-ettes sing- "Please Forgive Me!"

"Please Forgive Me" - Du-ettes
(July 1964, uncharted)

Now for some Fiction and Fact from The Geator's Almanac: When you talk about 50s doo-wop, New York was home to many fine groups. The Jesters and The Paragons were two of the best. The Jesters came from the street corners of Harlem and the Paragons from the street corners of Brooklyn. Both groups recorded for the label founded by Paul Winley whose brother Harold was the bass man of another great doo-wop group The Clovers.

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THE VIDEO NOW!

First let's hear from The Jesters, discovered by Paul Winley on amateur

night at The Apollo. Arranged by Davey Clowney aka Dave "Baby" Cortez,

this is The Jesters' first release, a doo-wop classic called-- "So Strange."

"So Strange" - The Jesters
(July 1957, uncharted)

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THE VIDEO NOW!

The Jesters brother group, The Paragons, should

not be confused with The Paradons, a California

doowop act that had a hit with "Diamonds And

Pearls." Here are The Paragons with their first

record, another great ballad-- "Florence."

"Florence" - The Paragons
(March 1957, uncharted)

You're listening to Geator Gold on S-P-M-M radio and yours truly Jerry Blavat, The Geator with the Heater. Now here's one that I am willing to bet you haven't heard very often. In fact, this might be the very first time. It's a different version of the familiar song "Hitch Hike" which was a top 30 hit for Marvin Gaye in 1963. Marvin's Motown label mates, Martha and The Vandellas, sang background vocals on that single and in 1965 covered the song on their album Dance Party.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

I wanna see everybody out on the floor 'cause here they are...
Martha Reeves and the fabulous Vandellas, with solid Geator Gold,
a monumental girl group remake of-- "Hitch Hike!"

"Hitch Hike" - Martha And The Vandellas
(from Apr. 1965 album Dance Party)

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

And as all good things must come to an end, so has my first show, a special Halloween

edition of Geator Gold. Don't touch that dial because Shady Green is coming up

on the flipside of news to take you on a ride in his Wayback Machine here on

S-P-M-M, the station that's #1 for music and fun. I'll see you next time and,

until then, this is the Geator with the Heater, the Boss with the Hot Sauce,

reminding you to keep on rockin', 'cause you only rock once! Bye y'all!

"Mope-itty Mope" - Boss-Tones
(1961, uncharted)