Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg's Night Train Show, Volume 2: Solid COLD Woo Woo for You You - Morse Code of Love!

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

  THE  

  NIGHT TRAIN  

  SHOW  

 WITH 

 ARNIE  

 "WOO WOO" 

  GINSBURG  

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

COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!

"Little Bitty Girl" - Bobby Rydell

(Mar./Apr. 1960, highest chart pos. #19 Hot 100/#43 Cash Box)

From Philly, PA - that was teen idol Bobby Rydell kicking-off the show with

"Little Bitty Girl," the B side of his 1960 top 3 charting hit single "Wild One."

The record was a doublesider because "Little Bitty Girl" cracked the top 20.

It's a frantic friendly Friday in Beantown

and I'm Arnie Ginsburg - The Woo Woo

(CHOO-CHOO WHISTLE) for you-you.

Welcome to The Night Train Show

on WMEX in Boston Mass, with simul-

casts on YouTube and on sister station

S-P-M-M -- Retrosonic Radio. This is

another special SOLID COLD edition.

Every record on tonight's program has a

cold open aka a cold intro. In the late 50s

to mid 60s when my "Wimex" show was

big in Beantown, many if not most 45s

had cold intros. I'm all set to bring you

the tops in pops, so don't touch that dial.

Up next, The Duprees. In the fall of 1962 their debut single "You Belong To Me"

brushed the top 5. From the Wim-ex Tune-dex, here's the group's follow-up.

It's another great sound and another hit that peaked in the top 15 at the

end of the year. The Duprees-- "My Own True Love!" 

"My Own True Love" - The Duprees

(Dec. 1962, highest chart pos. #13 Hot 100/#16 Cash Box) 

You just heard the fabulous Duprees, the Italian-American vocal quintet

from Jersey City, performing their second hit single "My Own True Love."

If the tune sounds familiar, it's because the melody is "Tara's Theme"

from the soundtrack of the epic 1939 film Gone With The Wind. 

Checkin' the Wimex "Don't be late for

your date on a Friday night (CUCKOO)

cuckoo time," it's 8:05. You're listening

to Old Leather Lungs, Arnie Ginsburg,

on Boston's Big X and S-P-M-M... the

station with personality. Here now are

The Capris, the doo-wop vocal group

from Queens, New York, that scored

a top 3 hit in 1961 with "There's A

Moon Out Tonight." I think you'll

get the message that these guys

are terrific when you hear them

sing "Morse Code Of Love." 

"Morse Code Of Love" - The Capris (Jan. 1982 single) 

A keen sound in Beantown...

those are The Capris with

"Morse Code Of Love."

Believe it or nuts...

that record was made

in the early 80s, but it

brings back the authentic

doo-wop sound of the late 50s

and early 60's. "Morse Code

Of Love" is a popular play

on Oldies radio channels.

To this day, audiences and

DJs alike assume that it's

an unreleased gem of the

genre waxed by the original

Capris group decades earlier. 

Hey, wanna look your best for less? Make it over to your pal Mal's.

You'll love to shop where savings are tops... and Mal's tops them all. Remember,

Mal's clothes are the people's choice. Be sure to tell him Arnie Ginsburg sent you.

 I was at the hop at Surf Nantasket last Friday night with the Three D's

and I had a mess of requests for our hit commercial, all about

your pal Mal's at 1016 Great Plain Ave. in Needham. 

 So if you're all set, let's listen to yours truly, Old Achin' Adenoids, Arnie Ginsburg,

trying my best to sing along with Mal and The Three D's doing the "Pal Mal Rock!" 

"Pal Mal Rock" - The Three D's feat. Arnie Ginsburg 

COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START VIDEO NOW!

"Splish Splash" - Bobby Darin (June/July 1958, highest

chart pos. #2 Cash Box/#3 Hot 100, perf. on May 2, 1959,

episode of The Dick Clark Show aka Dick Clark's

Saturday Night Beechnut Show)

How can you lose with the platters I choose? Starting the second half

of the show, that was Bobby Darin in 1959 making a "Splish Splash"

with an exciting live performance on The Dick Clark Show.

If you noticed the teenagers in the studio audience chewing their cud,

you were reminded that the pop music program was also known

as Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show.

A top 3 hit in 1958, "Splish Splash"

 is the song responsible for giving

Bobby Darin's recording career

a major boost. As you heard,

the lyrics mention characters

from other hit songs of the

50s including "Lollipop,"

"Peggy Sue" and "Good

Golly Miss Molly."

If you're just now

tuning in, this is

The Ginsburg-Go 

on Color Radio...

and here's one of the longest

lasting and most successful

R&B vocal groups of all time,

The Drifters. They've got the

 #12 sound in Good Guys town.

It's "Some Kind Of Wonderful!"

"Some Kind Of Wonderful" - The Drifters

(Apr./May 1961, highest chart pos. #6 R&B/#11 Cash Box/#32 Hot 100) 

Not to be confused with the 1967 hit

by the Soul Brothers Six, that was a

different song with the same title -

"Some Kind Of Wonderful" - this

one written by Gerry Goffin and

Carole King and first recorded by

The Drifters in 1961. That Drifters

single brushed the top 5 on the R&B

chart and made a run at the top 10 on

Cash Box. For some reason, it didn't

do as well on the Billboard Hot 100

chart, stopping short of the top 30. 

Arnie Ginsburg on WMEX and

S-P-M-M, your host up and down

the New England coast 7 nights

a week.  I'm gonna play this next

record just because - just because

I like it, just because it was a big

hit... and "Just Because" it's by

R&B great Lloyd Price!  

 

"Just Because" - Lloyd Price

(Mar.Apr. 1957, highest chart pos. #3 R&B,

#22 Cash Box/#29 Hot 100)

That was another SOLID COLD blast

from the past on the Ginsburg Show,

a rebound sound from the spring of

1957, Louisiana-born R&B singer

Lloyd Price with "Just Because."

Golly, that's all the time I have

for this second SOLID COLD

edition of my world famous

  NIGHT TRAIN  

  SHOW  

I hope you had fun.

I know I did.

Stick around. Coming up on the flip side of Gary Owens' news,

your rowdy rodent of the radio, Denny the Dell Rat, will be

here to bust your brain with another Mom & Pop Quiz

in his exclusive Shady's Place series

 DENNY THE DELL RAT 

 WANTS TO KNOW..... 

and I'll be back soon to spin more Wimex Winners here on

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

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

To sing us off, Neil Sedaka with "Oh! Carol," a song he wrote for Carole King,

and a big hit it was - reaching its zenith at number 5 around Christmas 1959.

Now this is Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg saying so long and take care!

"Oh! Carol" - Neil Sedaka

(Nov./Dec. 1959, highest chart pos. #5 Cash Box/#9 Hot 100,

perf. on December 05, 1959, ep. of The Dick Clark Show

aka Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show)

Oh! Carol

Stuck Like Glue On Shady Blue Vol. 4: Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula & Little Devils in The Twilight Zone!

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

 STUCK LIKE GLUE  
 on SHADY BLUE  

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

PIGGYBACK COLD OPEN: CLICK TO

PLAY FIRST VIDEO. AT 16 SEC. MARK,

CLICK TO START SECOND VIDEO!

"Little Devil" - Neil Sedaka

(May/June 1961, highest chart pos. #9 Cash Box/#11 Hot 100)

Yessum, he's the real deal, my friend Neil. That was Mr. Neil Sedaka

kicking-off my Halloween Spooktacular with "Little Devil," a top 10

hit in 1961 for the prolific, terrific singer and songwriter.

Good morn and howdy-do!

I'm Shady Blue hoping to

have you Stuck Like Glue

before I'm through. It's time

for you to wake up and smell

the coffee (along with my

stinky socks.) I've been

wearing the same pair

ever since Sedaka

waxed that song.

(BA-DUM-BUMP)

Today's play list is designed to get

you in the mood for trick-or-treat

fright night. It'll be here before you

know it, so let's keep the spooky

records (and stomachs) turning.

By special request, I've got another soundtrack song from Blue Velvet, one of

the featured films in my recent tribute to director David Lynch. In the fall of

1963, pop crooner Bobby Vinton gained a #1 charting hit with the tender

ditty that later became the title song of that neo-noir mystery thriller

movie. If you're watching my simulcast on YouTube, behold the

film's opening sequence and note how Lynch uses the sweet

song "Blue Velvet" to arouse fear and loathing.  

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

As you will see, Bobby's ballad starts out in complete harmony with

the images of small town serenity on the screen, but soon the song

contradicts the action... letting the audience know that, beneath

its tranquil veneer, all is not well in Lumberton, North Carolina.

"Blue Velvet" - Bobby Vinton

(Sept./Oct. 1963, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

opening scene from Sept. 1986 film Blue Velvet)

I don't know about you, but Shady Blue's got goose bumps thinking about

tough guy Frank Booth and a candy-colored clown they call the Sandman.

You just heard the contrapuntal theme song from the David Lynch's

Blue Velvet on this special Halloween edition of Stuck Like Glue.

Our next number is by the Toronto group
The Diamonds. Along with The Crew-Cuts,
another group from that city, The Diamonds
rose to fame covering R&B songs. In 1956
The Diamonds approached the top 10 with
Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall In
Love" and with "The Church Bells May
Ring," originally waxed by The Willows.
In 1957, The Diamonds' version of
The Gladiolas' single "Little Darlin'"
lasted half a year on the chart and
spent 8 weeks at #2 behind Elvis
Presley's smash "All Shook Up."
In '59, just in time for Halloween,
The Diamonds released the creepy
song you are about to hear.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

It was penned by lyricist Roy Alfred who wrote "The Hucklebuck,"

a hit for Chubby Checker, and "Let's Lock The Door," a hit
for Jay And The Americans. The Diamonds now with--
"Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein or Dracula!"

"Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein Or Dracula" - The Diamonds

(Oct. 1959, uncharted B side of "Walkin' The Stroll")

BOOTH ANNOUNCER:

IT'S A

SHADY BLUE

(ECHO CHAMBER)

DOUBLE PLAY-AY-AY-AY-AY-AY-AY

That's right. Shady Blue's

turning a double play with

another song for you

by The Diamonds.

START VIDEO NOW!

The monster record I just played was not
a monster hit. In fact it missed the chart,
and so did the A side of that single
"Walkin' The Stroll," an attempt by

The Diamonds to milk the success
of this song, their original dance hit
"The Stroll." Watch as the kids in
Des Moines, Iowa, go strollin'
on the TV show Seventeen!

"The Stroll" - The Diamonds

(Jan./Feb. 1958, highest chart pos. #1 Cash Box/#4 Hot 100,

ep. of  TV dance program Seventeen on WOI-TV

channel 5 Ames/Des Moines, Iowa)

Old gold sound and images there as you watched couples performing the line dance
fad The Stroll on an early 1958 episode of Seventeen, a show that originated from
the studios of WOI-TV in Ames, Iowa. In the early 70s, The Stroll became a
regular feature on Soul Train with the hippest dancers on TV strutting
down The Soul Train Line. That single by The Diamonds topped the
Cash Box chart in the early weeks of 1958. It was later used in
the soundtrack of American Graffiti and, in counterpoint,
in the 1986 sci-fi/horror movie Night Of The Creeps.  

If you're just tuning in, I'm Shady Blue

doing my best to get you Stuck Like Glue

with a killer lineup of songs for Halloween

right here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio,

where the spooky sounds of the past

come back to haunt you. 

At the top of the show we heard from
Neil Sedaka who wants to make
a little devil his girl.

START VIDEO NOW!

Elvis Presley is going the other way.
Presley got wise to a-- "Devil In Disguise!"

"(You're The) Devil In Disguise" - Elvis Presley

(July/Aug. 1963, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

BOOTH ANNOUNCER:

IT'S ANOTHER

SHADY BLUE

(ECHO CHAMBER)

DOUBLE PLAY-AY-AY-AY-AY-AY-AY

Yes indeed, not one but two double plays in this edition of Stuck Like Glue!

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

I'm hooked on a feeling with Elvis the Pelvis... a feeling
like my head is spinning 'round and 'round-- "Witchcraft!"

"Witchcraft" - Elvis Presley

(Oct./Nov. 1963, highest chart pos. #32 Hot 100,

#33 Cash Box, B side of "Bossa Nova Baby")

You just heard two Presley platters back-to-back: "Witchcraft," an Elvis

cover of a 1956 R&B record by The Spiders, made a run at the top 30

at Halloween 1963 on the B side of "Bossa Nova Baby." Before that,

you listened to "(You're The) Devil In Disguise," a top 3 charting

single for The King during the summer that same year.

Uh-oh, the boss man, Shady Del Knight,

is signalling me to put a pitchfork in it,
because I'm done. That does it for my
Halloween Spooktacular. Thanks a lot
for tuning in. Stick around. Coming up
on the flip side of Gary Owens' news,

it's the return of AIDA, that living doll

robotic bad girl from Marvel's Agents

of  S.H.I.E.L.D... who will hold your

brain hostage inside The Framework,

 so keep it right here on S-P-M-M...

the station that's number one for

music and Halloween fun.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

And I'll be back soon with more golden greats to get you Stuck Like Glue.

To play us off, here's the instrumental rock group The Ventures, whisking

us away to "The Twilight Zone," a track from their 1964 album

Ventures In Space. Now this is Shady Blue saying

so long and happy Halloween!

"The Twilight Zone" - The Ventures

(from 1964 album Ventures In Space)

Cruisin' 1961: All Aboard Woo Woo's Night Train!

 It's time once again to 

 hop into our time machine 

 and go Cruisin' through 

 top 40 radio history. 

This is the blog series
that pays tribute to
the Cruisin' albums,
those simulated radio broadcasts hosted by

some of the greatest
top 40 deejays of
the 50s and 60s.

As I have done in the past,
I will play a few songs
found on the original
Cruisin' album plus a
couple more favorites
released the same year.

To transport us back in
time, set the mood and
create a party atmosphere,
I tacked up on the wall
these nostalgic vintage
soda pop print ads.

 The year is 1961 and we're 

 heading up the road to Beantown.  

 That's where "Old Aching Adenoids" 

 Arnie "Woo Woo" 

 Ginsburg 

 is hosting 

 The Night Train Show on 

 WMEX, Boston! 

 THE MARCELS 

Listen to this brief clip to familiarize yourself with Arnie's voice
and DJ style. Arnie begins speaking at the 40 sec. mark
and introduces the first record-- "Blue Moon!"

"Blue Moon" - The Marcels

(Mar./Apr. 1961, highest chart pos.
#1 Hot 100/#1 Cash Box/#1 R&B)

 DEL SHANNON 

Del Shannon's "Runaway" was one of
the biggest hits of 1961, topping the
Billboard chart four weeks in a row.

In the late 80s, Del reworked the
lyrics and re-recorded the song for
use as the theme of the NBC TV
series Crime Story, a cop drama
from executive producer Michael
Mann, the guy who transformed
the genre with the cult phenom
Miami Vice a few years earlier.

"Runaway" - Del Shannon

(Apr./May 1961, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100,
#1 Cash Box, /#3 R&B, re-recorded version used
as theme of TV series Crime Story, 1986-1988)

 NEIL SEDAKA 

Brooklyn born singer, songwriter and

pianist Neil Sedaka made enormous

contributions to pop music, yet he is

still locked out of the Rock and Roll

Hall of Fame, leading some fans to

conclude it's because Neil wrote

and recorded pop instead of

rock 'n' roll. That's crazy talk.

In the 50s and early 60s, pop

was a big part of rock 'n' roll,

especially the danceworthy

up tempo style of pop that

was Neil's specialty.

"Calendar Girl," a song written by Sedaka
along with his composing partner Howard
Greenfield, is a great example. Released in
December 1960, "Calendar Girl" climbed the
chart in the early weeks of 1961 and finished
at #4, Neil's first single to reach the top 5.

"Calendar Girl" 

(Scopitone film)

- Neil Sedaka

(Jan./Feb. 1961, highest

chart pos. #4 Hot 100,

#4 Cash Box)

 JOEY DEE & THE STARLITERS 

Joey Dee went to school with the
classic girl group The Shirelles in
Passaic, NJ. Joey formed a band
called The Starliters which briefly
included actor Joe Pesci on guitar.
Joey Dee and The Starliters became
the house band at The Peppermint
Lounge, a club in New York City.
In late 1961 the group released a
single inspired by the trendy night-
spot and by the wildly popular
dance craze-- Peppermint Twist!"

"Peppermint Twist - Part 1"
Joey Dee And The Starliters

(Dec. 1961/Jan. '62, h.c.p.
#1 Hot 100/#2 Cash Box/#8 R&B)

 THE REGENTS 

You heard it last week on the sneak preview of Wordless Wendi.

In the early weeks of 1966, The Beach Boys cover of "Barbara Ann"

reached #2 on the chart, denied the top spot by two other records,

"We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles and "My Love" by Petula Clark.

 Some folks don't remember the original recording of the song by

the New York doo-wop vocal group The Regents. Arnie Ginsburg

sure does... and he played it on his volume of Cruisin'!

"Barbara-Ann" - The Regents

(June 1961, highest chart pos. #7 R&B,
#13 Hot 100/#13 Cash Box)

 LITTLE EVA 

From 1956 until he left WMEX in 1967, Arnie Ginsburg was

the number-one disc jockey in Boston. Let's Cruise past 1961

to the following year and let Arnie introduce the last song in

 the style he used to delight listeners on his Night Train Show.

It's the Ginsburg Go on

Color Radio, and here's

the record that's perched

at the tip top of the Wimex

Tunedex - number one in

Beantown and all around.

START VIDEO NOW!

It's the perfect dance ditty for

the summer of '62.  If you've

got the ocean, the lotion and

the notion, Little Eva's got --

"The Loco-Motion!"

"The Loco-Motion" - Little Eva (July thru Sept. 1962,

highest chart pos. 1 R&B, Hot 100 & Cash Box,

June 2021 enhancement) 

 Don't miss the next thrill packed 

 episode of Cruisin' coming soon! 

 NEWS FLASH! 

Hey, gang, this is your pal

Arnie Ginsburg of WMEX

Boston with exciting news.

Beginning next year, I'll be

bringing my Wimex-Tunedex

Night Train Show to S-P-M-M

when I join The Shady Bunch

deejay team. The "Woo Woo"

wants to see you-you in '22

right here at Shady's Place

Music & Memories!

Hey, Hey Paula!

Today is a very special day.

It's my cousin Paula's

70th birthday

and I'm taking her (and you)
on a trip down memory lane!

Tommy and Paula at the beach in Wildwood, NJ

Among my happiest childhood memories are those made with Paula in the

early 50s when our families vacationed at the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Here, just for you, Paula, is one of Philly's Phinest, Bobby Rydell, singing

about "Wildwood days, party lights and wild, wild Wildwood nights!"

"Wildwood Days" - Bobby Rydell

(May/June 1963, highest chart pos. #17)

As I display a few more pictures taken by my dad,
the shutterbug, at fun-filled family gatherings of the 50s...

sweet girl Paula on right

...there are a few more things I'd like you
to know about my cousin Paula.

Paula, more than anyone, was responsible for getting me interested in

pop music and pop culture. In the late 50s Paula got me started watching

Dick Clark's American Bandstand. She introduced me to the music of teenage
idols like Ricky Nelson and the boys from Philly which included the singer you

just heard, Bobby Rydell, along with another young Philadelphia dreamboat
and heartthrob - Fabian. In this scene from Bandstand, you will catch
glimpses of Fabian signing autographs (at 52 sec. and 1:20) as the

kids in the studio dance to the Newbeats' hit "Bread And Butter."

"Bread And Butter" - The Newbeats

(Sept. 1964, highest chart pos. #2, ep. of American Bandstand

with Fabian signing autographs at :52/1:20 mark)

Speaking of Philly teenage idols, let's not forget the very popular Frankie Avalon.

In recent years, Frankie toured with Bobby Rydell and Fabian as a trio called

Dick Fox's Golden Boys. (Dick Fox is a Manhattan producer and promoter.)

Now let's turn back the clock to 1959 as cute and cuddly Frankie Avalon

performs his signature song-- "Venus."

"Venus" - Frankie Avalon

(Mar./Apr. 1959, highest chart pos. #1)

Cousin Paula and I lived in York, PA. Down the road a hop, skip and a jump is

the city of Hanover, hometown of the much loved girl group The Pixies Three.

To honor Paula on her special day, The Pixies sing their hit "Birthday Party."

"Birthday Party" - The Pixies Three

(Aug./Sept. 1963, highest chart pos. #40)

Cousin Paula was named after her dad, Paul, (above right) and that brings

to mind the Texas duo of Paul & Paula and their chart-topper "Hey Paula."

"Hey Paula" - Paul And Paula

(Jan./Feb. 1963, highest chart pos. #1)

"Hey Paula" by Paul and Paula reminds me of "Tall Paul," a top 10 hit

for Mouseketeer Annette Funicello in 1959. Here's a wonderful hybrid
video combining two vintage clips of Annette performing the ditty,
including the time she shrank to puppet size on Bandstand.

"Tall Paul" - Annette

(Jan./Feb. 1959, highest chart pos. #7,

perf. on American Bandstand)

Paula, my dear cousin...

Feb. 1951 - posing before we went to Sunday school

... you were close to me from the
very start - a wonderful companion.

Thank you very much, Paula...

for being my childhood chum.

Thank you for igniting my passion for
 pop music and for helping to make
my childhood years so much fun.

In closing, here's Neil Sedaka with a
musical message just for you, Paula:

"Happy birthday, sweet sixteen!" (+ 54)

"Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" - Neil Sedaka

(Dec, 1961, highest chart pos. #6, perf. on American Bandstand)

Hey, hey, Paula... I love you!