Joe Niagara's Knocked Out Nifties of the Past - Vol. 2: Two Lovers Come To Paradise!

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)

Joe Niagara's Knocked Out Nifties of the Past - Vol. 1: Last Night I Ran All the Way Home to Knock On Wood!

LISTEN TO THIS 60 SECOND SHOW OPEN TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH JOE NIAGARA'S VOICE:

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!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)" - The Impalas

(May 1959, highest chart pos. #2 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

#14 R&B, perf. on Dick Clark's Sat. Night Beechnut Show)

We're off and running with "Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home),"

a top 3 platter from 1959 by The Impalas, a doo-wop quartet

from Brooklyn, New York, with three white members and

black lead singer Joe "Speedo" Frazier, no relation to

Joe Frazier the boxing champ. That record soared like

a bird to the #2 spot on the pop chart and stayed there,
held back by two #1 charting hits - "The Happy Organ"

by Dave "Baby" Cortez and "Kansas City,"

the smash by Wilbert Harrison.

Hello again, I'm Joe Niagara -"The Rockin' Bird" - veteran radio

personality from Wibbage - WIBG Philadelphia, now coming

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

You're listening to the debut of my new show Joe Niagara's

Knocked Out Nifties of the Past featuring the great sounds

of doo-wop, rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues and classic soul

from the 1950s and 60s, the kind of tuneage you enjoy

hearing me play on Wibbage. I put down a wailin'

pound of sound... so without further

delay, on with the show!

Stay out on the floor.

You'll be beggin' for

more when you hear

this next Niagara Nifty.

This little cat takes a

toe hold, cuts from

the heels and POW!

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

It's Roy Tyson, only 12 years old

when he waxed this ton of a tune--

"Oh What a Night For Love!"

"Oh What a Night For Love" - Roy Tyson

(Dec. 1963, highest chart pos. #106 Bubbling Under)

Bubbling Under the Hot 100 at

Christmas time 1963, that was

young R&B artist Roy Tyson

with a rousing up tempo record,

a song written by Lloyd Price--

"Oh What a Night For Love."

The Rockin' Bird knockin' you out

with my Nifties of the Past, and here,

from the vaults of Atlantic Records,

is a doo-wop relic that missed the

chart but went straight to the heart.

Listen now to the terrific sound of

the mixed race, New York-based

group Tex And The Chex as they

sing-- "I Do Love You."

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"I Do Love You" - Tex And The Chex

(Aug. 1961, uncharted)

The stuff that dreams are made of..."I Do Love You," a lost

musical treasure by no-hit-wonders Tex and the Chex... an

act that evolved into a pop/rock group called The Magicians.

If you're just tuning in, you're listening

to Joe Niagara, The Rockin' Bird from

Wibbage, W-I-B-G in Philadelphia...

moonlighting as a new member of

The Shady Bunch DJ team here

on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

We're right smack dab in the middle

of a 7-song non-stop block party

and there ain't no stoppin' us now!

I told you so... on this one. I said it

would be a hit and it is. Eddie Floyd

 on Where The Action Is doing his

chart-topper-- "Knock On Wood!" 

"Knock On Wood" - Eddie Floyd

(Sept./Oct. 1966, highest chart pos.

#1 R&B/#28 Hot 100/#41 Cash Box, perf.

on Nov. 1, 1966, ep. of Where The Action Is) 

Doing his signature song "Knock On Wood" on Dick Clark's

Where The Action Is, that was Stax R&B great Eddie Floyd.

Hard to believe Eddie's record barely cracked the Billboard

Top 30 and missed the Cash Box top 40 entirely, but it shot

to number one on the Black Singles chart in October 1966.

The song returned to the chart in 1979 as a chart-topping

disco hit for Amii Stewart. Niagara says the original is

still the greatest... Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood." 

Up next The Kodaks of Newark, NJ.

Formed in the mid 50s as an all boy

group, The Kodaks didn't click until

 they added a female lead singer.

Her name was Pearl McKinnon,

a young lady with a powerful

voice who sounded a lot like

boy star Frankie Lymon. With

their new lineup, The Kodaks

hoped to become as big as

Frankie and his group

The Teenagers.

The Kodaks were popular in Jersey, New York and along

the East Coast, but failed to catch on nationally, possibly

due to confusion over their name. Some of their records

were released as by The Kodaks while others were

 were credited to The Kodoks to avoid a lawsuit

from Eastman Kodak. Niagara says they're

the real deal. Listen as Pearl McKinnon

and her group The Kodoks sing--

"Little Boy And Girl!"

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"Little Boy And Girl"

The Kodoks (The Kodaks)

featuring  Pearl McKinnon

(Sept. 1957, uncharted)

The Kodaks aka The Kodoks,

featuring the lead vocals of

Frankie Lymon sound-alike

Pearl McKinnon, singing

"Little Boy And Girl," the

up tempo fab flip of their

 first single... the ballad

"Teenager's Dream." 

Hey, give me the title,

then sing your song!

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

"Long Lonely Nights" - Lee Andrews

And The Hearts (Aug. 1957, highest chart

 pos. #11 R&B/#33 Cash Box/#45 Hot 100)

Born in Carolina, raised right here in Philly, that was Lee Andrews

with his vocal group The Hearts brushing the top 10 on the R&B

chart with their breakthrough hit "Long Lonely Nights." By the

way, the original release of that 45 on the green colored

Philadelphia label Main Line is now worth hundreds

 of dollars to record collectors.

That does it for my first show.

I hope you dug my spun gold

because I'll be back before you

know it with another stack of

Knocked Out Niagara Nifties

of the Past here on S-P-M-M,

your number one station for a

rock & roll nation. How about

one last song for the road?

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

You're listening to the exciting

sound of The Mar-Keys, the

house band at the legendary

Stax/Volt studio in Memphis, 

playing us off with "Last

Night," their top 3 charting

instrumental from 1961.

 Stick around. Coming up on the flip side of news, it's the

premiere of another new Shady Bunch show, Beth Boland's

Adrenaline Rush. This is Joe Niagara - The Rockin' Bird -

saying thanks for joining me and so long for now!

"Last Night" - The Mar-Keys

(July/Aug. 1961, highest chart pos.
#2 R&B/#3 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

2021 - Year of the Dell Rat, Part 1: Welcome Joe, Daisy, Jimmy, Patty & Kim... New Members of The Shady Bunch!

 CAN SHADY DEL KNIGHT 

 KEEP YOU ENTERTAINED 

 IN THE COMING YEAR? 

 DOES 

 PETER GRIFFIN 

 GET INTO 

 TURF WARS 

 WITH 

 ALLEY CATS? 

 WELCOME BACK, 

 DEAR FRIEND! 

 AND HAPPY 

 NEW YEAR! 

I'm thrilled to have you along for the ride
as I begin another year of blogging here

at Shady's Place Music & Memories. I am
excited to announce that two familiar faces,
Joe Niagara and Daisy Skye Johnson, have
been elevated to the status of full time DJs
on SPMM radio. Along with Daisy and Joe,
I am delighted to welcome 8 more exciting
personalities to The Shady Bunch this year,
and you will meet them all in this special
two-part blogcast as we kick-off 2021.
S-P-M-M means more music with
less talk, so let's get right to it.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"Love Touch" - Rod Stewart

(June thru Aug. 1986, highest chart pos. #6 Hot 100,

#7 Cash Box, theme from June 1986 film Legal Eagles)

That was Rod Stewart kicking-off the year

2021 with "Love Touch," the theme song

from the 1986 movie Legal Eagles 

starring Robert Redford, Debra

Winger and Daryl Hannah.

I'm Jimmy Berluti, an associate at the
Boston law firm of Donnell, Young,
Dole & Frutt on the hit TV series
The Practice. They call me Jimmy
the Grunt because I'm strictly a
working-class stiff - no pretense,
just a regular guy practicing law,
and I'm gonna keep practicing
until I get it right.

I'm Patty Solis-Papagian, a DUI lawyer

and real estate agent who works with

Santa Monica attorney Billy McBride

(who bears a striking resemblance

to Billy Bob Thornton) on the hit

TV series Goliath. Billy and I
battle against big law firms
and powerful villains, beating
odds that are a million to one.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

"A Million To One" - Jimmy Charles

(Sept./Oct. 1960, highest chart pos. #5 Hot 100/#6 Cash Box/#8 R&B)

And I'm Kim Wexler, a lawyer who

previously worked at a major law
firm based in Albuquerque.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

Currently I am sharing office space with

"Slippin' Jimmy" McGill also known as

Saul Goodman, a small-time lawyer on

the TV series Better Call Saul, a spin-

off of Breaking Bad. Jimmy's brother

Chuck is a successful attorney who

runs his own law firm. Far from being

supportive, Chuck resents Jimmy and

will stop at nothing to discredit him,

an all-consuming vendetta that is

nothing less than an obsession.

"Obsession" - Animotion

(Mar./Apr./May 1985, highest chart pos.

#6 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

Patty and Kim are good kids, nice girls.
Patty was my mother's name. So was Kim.
The three of us are back today to usher in
2021 as new members of Shady Del Knight's
entertainment company The Shady Bunch.
Our new radio show on S-P-M-M is called
Plan B (Soft). As you might recall, it has
a legal theme. We'll be conducting
our show by trial and error.

As experienced lawyers, Patty, Kim and I
are a formidable dream team. We lay down
the law and mount a rigorous defense.

Remember our slogan: "Your problems

will be little 'cause we always win acquittal."

Now I can hear some of you asking,
"What exactly do you mean by Plan B
(Soft)?" "Plan B" is where we create
reasonable doubt in the minds of the
jurors that our client is guilty. We do
that by pointing the finger at somebody

else and suggesting they did the crime.

Sometimes we go in hard, but more

often than not, to avoid alienating

the jury, we use a subtle approach

that we refer to as Plan B (Soft).

Jimmy, Kim and I will be back with our first

official case later this year. so stick around.

Now it's time for you to meet and greet a

top 40 radio legend and a swell guy, too.

Millions of listeners know and love him

as The Rockin' Bird. It gives me great

pleasure to introduce the one and

only-- Joe Niagara.

Thanks, Patty! Hello - this is
Joe Niagara, and I've got

a stack of Knocked-out

Niagara Nifties of the past.

For years you've listened to

 my broadcasts on Wibbage -

W-I-B-G radio in Philadelphia.

Now I'm moonlighting here

on S-P-M-M... where the

cool oldies live forever.

I'll be bringing you the

great sounds of the 50s

and early 60s - doo-wop,

rhythm and blues, pop

rock & roll and soul.
A sample of what

you'll hear on my

Knocked-Out Nifties

show is on my turntable

now. So if you're ready,

this Rockin Bird will fly!

On Christmas Eve, 1954, a shot rang out. On Christmas Day, up-and-coming

R&B singer Johnny Ace of Memphis, Tennessee, died of the wound to his head.

Reports state that Johnny's life ended tragically at age 25 as a result of his own

recklessness. He had been playing with a gun thinking it wasn't loaded when it

fired the fatal round. Some say Johnny Ace sounded like Johnny Mathis but

with soul. Johnny Ace is best remembered for the song you are about to hear.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Released after his death, this record rocketed to #1 on the R&B chart and remained

at the top an astounding ten weeks. Listen now to this sad and hauntingly beautiful 

ballad left behind by Johnny Ace. From the late winter of 1955-- "Pledging My Love."

"Pledging My Love" - Johnny Ace

(Feb./March 1955, highest chart pos.

#1 R&B/#11 Cash Box/#17 Hot 100) 

That was Johnny Ace, his story one of the saddest

and most tragic in the

history of popular

music. With the

success of his

song "Pledging

My Love," Ace

became the first

act to to reach the

Billboard pop charts

only after death. His

single reached #17

on Billboard and

brushed the top 10

  on Cash Box.

That's it for now. This is your pal Joe Niagara, The Rockin' Bird,

inviting you to join me later this year for the first edition of

my new show Niagara's Knocked-Out Nifties.

I wanna see your face - in the place - 

Shady's Place!

Now it gives me great pleasure to introduce a young lady whose earth-

shaking super powers earned her the nickname Quake on Marvel's

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Say hello to Miss Daisy "Skye" Johnson!

Thanks, Joe, and hello everyone!

You might remember me from my

past appearances in Shady land.

I'm pleased to join the SPMM

DJ squadron and bring you my

new radio show. It's called

Daisy Skye's Power Surge

featuring the best rock of

the 60s, 70s and 80s plus

new covers of classic rock

nuggets. I've got two samples

of the kind of stuff you can

expect to hear as well as see

if you are watching the

simulcast of my show

on YouTube.

CLICK TO START

VIDEO NOW!

First check out the guys and girls of this great Kentucky

cover group, Lexington Lab Band, and their version

of the Foreigner hit "Hot Blooded!"

"Hot Blooded" - Foreigner cover by Lexington Lab Band (Mar. 2018) 

You just saw and heard

the exciting Lexington

Lab Band, a colla-

boration of Central

Kentucky musicians

and singers dedicated

to honoring the great

songwriters and

players of the last

50 years with new

interpretations of

their best tunes.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

That does it for Part 1 of our new year spectacular. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up

five days from now, next Wednesday, when you'll meet five more new members of

The Shady Bunch deejay team, and stay tuned for more great sounds from Jimmy

Berluti, Patty Solis-Papagian, Kim Wexler, Joe Niagara and me, coming your way

throughout 2021 on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio. Remember - while the others are

talkin'...we're rockin'! Now this is Daisy Skye saying so long and happy new year!

"Brown Sugar" - The Rolling Stones

(May/June 1971, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100/#2 Cash Box)

Workin' On A Drew-vy Thing with Joe Niagara!

LISTEN TO THIS 60 SECOND SHOW OPEN TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH JOE NIAGARA'S VOICE:

Hello! This is Joe Niagara -"The Rockin' Bird" - veteran radio personality

on Wibbage - WIBG Philadelphia. I'm here to tell you about my new show

coming in 2021 to S-P-M-M Radio. It's called Joe Niagara's Knocked Out

Nifties featuring the greatest rock 'n' roll, doo-wop, R&B and soul of the

1950s and 60s, the kind of tuneage you love listening to on Wibbage.

In today's special preview, Workin' On a Drew-vy Thing, the main focus is

on a fine singer by the name of Patti Drew. I'll be spinning Patti's best group

and solo recordings along with a few other golden goodies to give you an

idea of what to expect on my new show. I'm puttin' down a wailin'

pound of sound, so if you're ready... this Rockin' Bird will fly!

Patti Drew is a soulful singer from Charleston,
SC, who led The Drew-Vels, a group that
included her sisters Lorraine and Erma and
bass man Carlton Black, Erma's husband.
 In October 1963 The Drew-Vels released
their first single "Tell Him," not to be
confused with the 1962 hit by another
mixed gender R&B group The Exciters.

October 1963 was one of the worst times
in history for an American recording act
to issue a record because, the following
month, President Kennedy was slain,

plunging the U.S. into despair and
putting a damper on record sales.
Soon after, The Beatles arrived
with a radically different style of
music that rendered traditional
pop and doo-wop obsolete.

In February, 1964, The Drew-Vels' single peaked near the bottom of
the chart. Greatness has nothing to do with chart position, and here's

here's proof as Patti and the The Drew-vels perform-- "Tell Him."

"Tell Him" - The Drew-Vels

(released Oct. 1963, charted Feb. 1964,

highest chart pos.  #90 Hot 100 & R&B)

That was "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels,
a record that slipped through the cracks
and sold poorly at the time of its release,
but one that is today regarded as a
gem of the genre by critics and
fans of R&B and early soul.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

The following month, March, 1964, Patti Drew

and The Drew-Vels released their second
single with "Everybody Knows" on the
A side. This Rockin' Bird digs the
popcorn tempo B side--

"It's My Time."

"It's My Time" - The Drew-Vels

(Mar. 1964, B side of "Everybody Knows")

You just listened to a honey of a sound,
a genuine killer bee called "It's My Time"
the fab flip side of the Drew-Vels'
single "Everybody Knows." 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

"Everybody Knows" failed to chart,
but Patti Drew and her group kept on
releasing records. In August of '64,
with a full-fledged British Invasion
underway, The Drew-Vels streeted
their next single. Once again no
chart action, but Niagara says
"Creepin'" is a keeper!

"Creepin'" - The Drew-Vels

(Aug. 1964 single)

Saw my baby "Creepin'" - another great record by

The Drew-Vels that missed the chart. If you're just

tuning in, I'm Joe Niagara, one of the deejays on

Philly's legendary Wibbage radio station, WIBG,

and I'm simulcasting a preview of my upcoming

show on sister station S-P-M-M. Together we're

Workin' On a Drew-vy Thing with Patti Drew.

In 1965 Patti's group The Drew-Vels broke up.

The following year Patti found a new label

and began a career as a solo artist. In 1967

Patti made a run at the R&B top 20 with

a re-recorded version of "Tell Him."

"Tell Him" - Patti Drew

(Sept. to Nov. 1967, highest chart pos.

#22 R&B/#85 Hot 100)

Niagara's got chills and fever after hearing
that one. Patti Drew, out on her own,
with a nifty update of her earlier
girl group recording, "Tell Him."

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

In 1968 Patti gained her biggest hit with
"Workin' On a Groovy Thing," a song

co-written by Neil Sedaka. A cover
by the 5th Dimension charted higher

...but the original's still the greatest!

"Workin' On a Groovy Thing" - Patti Drew

(Aug./Sept. 1968, highest chart pos. #34 R&B/#62 Hot 100)

From the summer of '68, "Workin' On a Groovy Thing" by Patti Drew,
a song successfully covered a year later by the 5th Dimension.

Before I go, I'd like you to hear a few more
examples of the kind of music I'll be playing
on Knocked Out Nifties. My show will run
the gamut from 1950s R&B and doo-wop

to rock 'n roll to 60s pop, R&B and soul.
This Rockin' Bird's ears know what's
good for you, and on this next R&B
ballad, the eyes have it. From right
here in Philadelphia, Brenda And
The Tabulations now with their
signature song-- "Dry Your Eyes."

"Dry Your Eyes" - Brenda and the Tabulations

(Mar./Apr. 1967, highest chart position

#8 R&B/#20 Hot 100/#22 Cash Box)

I'm The Rockin' Bird and you just heard Philadelphia's own
Brenda Payton and her group The Tabulations, do their first
and biggest record "Dry Your Eyes," a single that went
top 20 pop and top 10 R&B in the spring of 1967.

The great sounds just keep on comin'.
Now meet The Sparkletones, another
Philadelphia area group, not to be
confused with Joe Bennett And The
Sparkletones, the rock 'n' roll and
rockabilly act from South Carolina
 that had a 50s hit with "Black Slacks."
In 1963 these Philly Sparkletones

released their one and only record
entitled "Just One Chance."
Unfortunately the group missed
their chance to become singing
stars because their single
failed to make the chart.

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Listen to the girl group harmony on this outstanding doo-wop
ballad and you'll wonder why and how this fine group,
The Sparkletones, managed to remain no hit wonders!

"Just One Chance" - The Sparkletones

(Mar. 1963, uncharted)

I hope you enjoyed Workin' On A Drew-vy Thing, the best of Patti Drew,
along with those other gems of rock 'n' roll, R&B, doo-wop and early soul.

There's lots more where they came from and, starting in 2021,
you'll be hearing them on my new show Knocked Out Nifties.

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It's time for me to wrap up this special sneak preview, but I hope to see
your face in the place next year when I join The Shady Bunch team
here on S-P-M-M, the number one station for a rock 'n' roll nation.
As the Stax Records studio session band The Mar-Keys play
us off the air with their Memphis sound 1961 instrumental
"Morning After," this is Joe Niagara, The Rockin' Bird,
saying stay cool and goodbye for now!

"Morning After" - The Mar-Keys

(Oct. 1961, highest chart pos. #60 Hot 100/#65 Cash Box)