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)

Dell Rat Tom's Jukebox Giants - Vol. 5: Soul & Inspiration

HEADPHONES ARE RECOMMENDED FOR LISTENING TO SPMM RADIO SHOWS.

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

 DELL RAT TOM'S 

 JUKEBOX GIANTS  

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

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"Alfie" The Magnificent Men

(from 1968 album The World Of Soul)

Buddy King on lead for The Magnificent Men, and a magnificent rendition of

"Alfie," the oft recorded Burt Bacharach - Hal David song used to promote the

1966 British film starring Michael Caine. Female vocalists on both sides of the

pond scored hits with the song - Cilla Black in the UK and Dionne Warwick in

the U.S. - but Dell rats agree the definitive version is the one that kicked-off

today's show - the one waxed by our hometown heroes The Mag Men.

Hi, I'm Dell Rat Tom back with

another edition of Jukebox Giants,

spotlighting the greatest hits played

in the dance hall of my old hangout

in York, PA... The Shady Dell.

CLICK TO START VIDEO!

Summer '67: Soon I would leave the Dell

behind and start college in another part of

the state. Every night the sound of Stevie

Wonder's harmonica filled the dance hall.

Rats formed a line, their feet kept time as

Stevie sang-- "I Was Made To Love Her!"

"I Was Made To Love Her" - Stevie Wonder

(July/Aug. 1967, highest chart pos. #1 R&B/#2 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

Coming in at #165 on the 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell, that was

Motown soul man Stevie Wonder with "I Was Made To Love Her," a sizzling

single that topped the R&B chart four weeks in the Summer of Love 1967.

Dell Rat Tom with you on S-P-M-M

where all the cool oldies come to play.

Now here's a song from Shady Dell -

The College Years, the period from the

fall of 1967 to the spring of '71 when I

was out of town attending that institute

of high & yearning, the span of time

during which I returned to York and

the Dell on holidays, spring breaks,

summer breaks and occasionally

on weekends to see my girlfriend.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

In the winter of '69 David Ruffin, former co-lead singer of The Temptations,

had a top 10 solo hit and a Dell biggie with this one. As his brother Jimmy

said in another Dell song, "Life lands a crushing blow, and once again

a heart is broken." David picks up the story with-- "My Whole World

Ended (The Moment You Left Me)."

"My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" - David Ruffin
(Feb./Mar. 1969, highest chart pos. #2 R&B/#9 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

From Shady Dell - The College Years, that was

David Ruffin with "My Whole World Ended,"

his first big hit after leaving The Temptations.

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

Jukebox Giants, the best of the Shady Dell,

here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio...

with yours truly Dell Rat Tom.

In the mid 60s, the musical menu at the Dell

was an exciting mix of soul, R&B, doo-wop,

pop, garage, hard rock, folk-rock and British

Invasion. Here's a great example of the latter.

CLICK TO START VIDEO!

It's the bold sound of the Brit duo Peter and Gordon with-- "Woman!"

"Woman" - Peter And Gordon

(Feb./Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #14 Hot 100/#17 Cash Box)

From February and March of 1966, Peter Asher and Gordon Waller with "Woman,"

a song written by Beatle Paul McCartney that landed the British duo at the #106

spot on my Shady Dell survey. Gordon refers to "Woman" as "the ultimate

Peter and Gordon track" and his personal favorite.

You are my personal favorite... yeah you,
and I've got more Dell jukebox gold.

It was later that same year-- 1966.

Fall turned to winter, and the nights

again turned nippy. Down in the barn

John Ettline had a roaring fire going.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

 Out there on the floor, Dell rats were

generating body heat dancing to the

Motown sound of-- The Supremes!

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes

(Nov./Dec. 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box & R&B)

Closing out the year 1966, The Supremes with Dell song #150 -

"You Keep Me Hangin' On." It was the Motown girl group's

8th chart-topping hit single on the Hot 100 and spent

four weeks at #1 on the R&B chart.

"Blue-eyed soul" acts are white

artists who perform material

originally recorded by black

artists and do so authentically,

in the same style and with the

same feeling. In Shady's

Dell dictionary next to the

term blue-eyed soul, you'll

find a picture of Bill Medley

and Bobby Hatfield aka -

The Righteous Brothers.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

For months The Righteous Brothers' "Soul And Inspiration" was a

slow dance favorite at the Dell. Couples locked in warm embrace

swayed teary-eyed and, by song's end, were emotionally spent.

A record doesn’t make the Dell Top 10 unless it kills. This KILLS!

"(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" - The Righteous Brothers

(April 1966, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box/#3 R&B)

Way up there where the air is rare, the Righteous Brothers

with the 6th highest ranked Dell song of the mid 60s... the

towering Wall-of-Sound recording “Soul And Inspiration."

Hey, time's up, and I gotta head

for home to beat the curfew.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Stay tuned on the flip side of news for

Shady Green who'll invite you aboard

his Wayback Machine, and I'll be back

soon with more Jukebox Giants here

on S-P-M-M... the station with Soul.

Now this is Dell Rat Tom reminding

you to make every day a holiday...

and every night a Shady Dell night!

"(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need" - The Miracles

(Nov./Dec. 1966, highest chart pos. #4 R&B/#17 Hot 100 #25 Cash Box)

Dell Rat Tom's Jukebox Giants - Vol. 2: Christmas At The Shady Dell

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

 DELL RAT TOM'S 
 JUKEBOX GIANTS 

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

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

(COLD SHOW OPEN)

"Something About You' - Four Tops

(Christmas 1965, highest chart pos. #19 Hot 100/#9 R&B)

Motown's terrific, prolific Four Tops kicking off this special holiday blogcast

with a song that was hot in the Shady during the Christmas season in 1965,

the weeks when I was still wet behind the ears, a Dell newbie.

Hi! Dell Rat Tom here, welcoming you to my second
show on the all new S-P-M-M radio. If you happen
to be watching our simulcast on YouTube, that rare

video clip showed the mighty Four Tops performing
on Swingin' Time, an American Bandstand type
show hosted by DJ and Keener 13 (WKNR Detroit)
personality Robin Seymour. The series was also
emceed for a time by Tom Shannon, a CKLW
radio DJ. It was broadcast on CKLW-TV 9
in Windsor, Ontario, and syndicated
in a few other markets.

I'm flashing back to those great Christmases up at the Dell,
and here's an old seasonal song that first played in the
dance hall during the holidays in 1957.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Every year as Christmas approached, this record magically appeared
in the jukebox to the delight of the rat pack. From my first Christmas
at the Dell in 1965 and all those other Dell Christmases before and
after-- Bobby Helms sings-- "Jingle Bell Rock!"

"Jingle Bell Rock" - Bobby Helms

(Christmas 1957, highest chart pos. #6 Hot 100/#13 Country)

Holding down the #100 spot on my list of the

Dell's 200 Greatest Hits - Bobby Helms and

his seasonal evergreen "Jingle Bell Rock."

A couple of weeks ago Dell Rat Jerre and

I played the version of "Stormy Weather"

recorded by the Susquehanna Valley's

blue-eyed soul band The Magnificent

Men. In the fall of 1968, The Mag Men

released as a single a version of

"Save The Country," the Laura Nyro

song inspired by the assassination of

Robert F. Kennedy and most famously

recorded by The 5th Dimension.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

At the Dell it was the soulful, mid tempo killer B side that got played more often

and remained hot in the box all the way through Christmas. With Buddy King

on lead vocal, The Magnificent Men-- "So Much Love Waiting!"

"So Much Love Waiting" - The Magnificent Men

(Oct. thru Dec. 1968, from 1968 album The World of Soul)

"So Much Love Waiting," one of my favorite songs by The Magnificent Men,

the sensational white R&B band from Central Pennsylvania - a fab flip side that

went uncharted nationally but became a giant of the jukebox at the Shady Dell.

In the fall of  '66 I was visiting my cousin

Bill Lewis. We listened to some of his

albums. More than anyone else, Bill

was responsible for turning me on

to James Brown, Johnny Rivers and

my next featured group, The Miracles.

Bill played for me his new Miracles LP

Away We a Go-Go. My favorite song

on the album is on the turntable now.

Written and produced by Holland–

Dozier–Holland, this was the last

single released by the Motown group

before their name officially changed

to Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's a major memory maker from Christmas time 1966,

a single that went top 20 pop, top 5 R&B - The Miracles of
Motown-- "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need!"

"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" - The Miracles

(Christmas 1966, highest chart pos. #17 Hot 100, #4 R&B,

from Nov. 1966 album Away We a Go-Go.)

Smokey Robinson And The Miracles with

a holiday biggie and a great dance number

"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need."

As much fun as The Dell was in summer,

it was pure magic in winter, and here is a

slow dance tune that went for many a spin

in the "barn" through Christmas 1966 and

into the new year. Waxed by New Orleans

soul man Aaron Neville and released as a

single in October 1966, the record made

Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest

Songs of All Time and had dreamy-eyed

Dell rat couples flocking to the floor

and blissfully swaying to the sound.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's Aaron Neville and his Christmas
cuddle classic-- "Tell It Like It Is!"

"Tell It Like It Is" - Aaron Neville

 (Christmas 1966, highest chart pos. #2 Hot 100/#1 R&B)

That was Aaron Neville with his signature

song "Tell It Like It Is," coming in at #140

on my Dell Top 200 survey. If you're just

tuning in, I'm Dell Rat Tom of The Shady

Bunch playing the greatest hits of the

Shady Dell on Jukebox Giants.

S-P-M-M is retrosonic radio in

futuresonic stereo surround, and

here is a fine example - a newly

enhanced version of another Dell

hit from the Christmas of 1966.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

It's "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," produced and arranged by

Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. Here they are, Micky, Mike,

Peter and Davy - The Beatles!   The Monkees!

"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" - The Monkees

(Christmas 1966, highest chart pos. #20 Hot 100/#1 Canada)

The Monkees with "Steppin' Stone," one of the jukebox giants
on the pop band's monster doublesider single backed with
"I'm A Believer," a song written by Neil Diamond.

Now picture this: a December night at the Dell. Outside

it's chilling... but inside it's thrilling... with a fireplace

that's burning... and records that keep turning.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Out on the floor the Dell dancers kept each other warm by sharing body heat.

That little story sets up my clever segue to "98.6," the biggie by the Philadelphia

pop singer known simply as Keith. Backing vocals on this record were provided
by the Brooklyn doo-wop group The Tokens. "98.6" was hot in the Shady at
Christmas 1966 and well into the winter of '67. Now this is Dell Rat Tom
wishing you a Merry Christmas and reminding you to make every day
a holiday and every night a Shady Dell night. See you next time!

"98.6" - Keith
(Christmas 1966, highest chart pos.
#7 Hot 100/#24 UK/#25 Australia)