Rare & Scratchy Rock 'n Roll Podcast

R&SRNR_ 177 – “THE LAST SHOW”* Welcome to the final edition of our little podcast series. Yes, it’s true. After nearly eight years of episodes downloaded by a loyal worldwide audience numbering hundreds of thousands – plus critical acclaim as one of the highest quality oldies and music history programs in cyberspace, we think now is the right time to take our creativity in new directions. More about that during this prrogram. Our bittersweet so-long will be light on our personal nostalgia and heavy on the types of tunes and tales about the music that you’ve come to expect from us. For instance, the only Elvis Presley hit single on which he didn’t sing a single note. And a song that embarrassed its performers, but topped the charts and then was adopted a few years later by a major league baseball team as its cheerleading anthem. They’re all part of the “goodbye” songs we’ve gathered for this occasion – along with more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here. *Note:  All of our nea

R&SRNR_176 – “THE TRADE SECRETS OF LENNON & MCCARTNEY” Although they only collaborated for about twelve years beginning in late 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney rank as one of the most successful songwriting duos of all time. Our best guestimate is that approximately one billion copies of their compositions have been sold as of the posting date of this podcast. This includes around 600 million or more of those waxed by the Beatles with the remainder recorded by countless other performers. That extraordinary success wasn’t the result of an ordinary composing partnership. Behind the scenes, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were often on different emotional plateaus when they penned these tunes. And as you will hear, their opposite moods frequently played out musically. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, and Radio Dave will reveal some of the Lennon & McCartney trade secrets – with a lot of help from noted Beatles historian and National Public Radio music commentator, Tim Riley – who’s our gues

R&SRNR _175 – “CAROLE KING – UPDATED & REMASTERED” This episode spotlights the most successful female songwriter of the rock and roll era. She’s written or co-written more than 200 charted hits. There’s a hit stage musical about her life, and her live concerts continue to be huge draws worldwide. In addition to our playing snippets of all of her charted hit singles, Radio Dave and our resident rockologist, Ken Deutsch cover many of what are known as “demo” recordings that she did to sell her songs to established recording stars in 1960s along with samples of their hit versions. And we’ll spotlight her special connections with Neil Sedaka, Paul Simon, Bobby Vee, the Drifters, Aretha Franklin, Phil Spector, the Righteous Brothers, the Monkees, James Taylor, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, and many others, as well as her remarkable comeback to international fame after breaking up with her first husband and primary co-composer Gerry Goffin in the late-1960s. She’s Carole King. Hear her remarkable stor

R&SRNR_174 – “THEY PLAYED ON THE MOST HITS” There’s one group of recording artists that played on more hits than anybody else in the history of rock, pop, and country music. It’s the Wrecking Crew – an amorphous collection of studio musicians based in Los Angeles from the late 1950s through the early 1970s. They backed countless acts in a wide variety of genres, including rock, pop, folk, and jazz. You heard them supporting such stars as the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and the Mamas & Papas. Also, the Byrds, the Monkees, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Ike & Tina Turner, and Simon & Garfunkel, among many others. The Wrecking Crew remained mostly anonymous until a 2008 documentary film by Denny Tedesco, the son of the Wrecking Crew’s most prolific guitarist, Tommy Tedesco. Now, Denny Tedesco has even more Wrecking Crew history, and he shares it with our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch. We’ll sample 30 hit selections from the Wreck

R&SRNR_173 – “40 LOST INSTRUMENTAL HITS OF THE 1960s” Hundreds of instrumentals became hits during the 1960s, but only a handful are still heard these days. We’ve identified “40 Lost Instrumental Hits Of The 1960s.” These include melodies that were inspired by or used in Hollywood movies, television shows, and national advertising campaigns. Many of the acts we’re featuring in this episode were professionally connected with Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, and the Beatles.  One group recorded with the same producer and in the same studio as Buddy Holly. Another combined members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with the Motown Records in-house studio backup band. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along with lots of fun factoids – plus the inside scoop on how radio disc jockeys back in the 1960s used instrumentals in a special way. It’s all part of the greatest rock & roll stories on record.  Hear it all here.

 RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK ‘N ROLL_046A – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE FOUR TOPS” – “REMASTERED & EXPANDED” This episode spotlights the Four Tops – four high school friends from Detroit who performed together continuously for 43 years. They failed to achieve a hit song during their first decade together, but succeeded as a popular draw at leading night clubs. They turned down a contract with Motown Records because they thought the company was too small, but years later they would join that label and become one of its most successful groups. Their repertoire spanned doo-wop, jazz, rhythm and blues, pop, rock, soul, disco, and dance. In addition to many other Motown acts, their hit music collaborations also included another singer with a Detroit connection – Aretha Franklin – and surprisingly – a group from England – the Moody Blues. And in a twist of fate, their lives were saved when they slept late and missed an ill-fated commercial airplane flight that was blown up by terrorists. Our resident

R&SRNR_172 – “THE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER” This is our seventh annual Xmas episode. We’re celebrating the season with a one-of-a-kind salute to the most famous member of the reindeer team that pulls Santa Claus’ sleigh through the skies every Christmas Eve – Rudolph Red-Nosed Reindeer. We’ll trace Rudoph’s history – from his birth in an advertising campaign for a Chicago-based department store to the song that gave him superstar status as the best known and best-loved Christmas critter of all time. Along the way, we’ll sample every hit single version of “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Then we’ll survey the songs that continued his adventures. And finally, we’ll spotlight some “Rudolph wannabees” who also left their tracks in Xmas music history. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, and  Radio Dave are joined on this episode by our special guest and good buddy, Jay Douglas, Ph.D. Jay is an acclaimed archivist of anecdotes who’s an authority on “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindee

R&SRNR #_171 “COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE DAVE CLARK 5 (REMASTERED & ENHANCED)” As the Beatles led the British musical invasion in the mid-1960s, another English aggregation followed in their footsteps and for a time might have passed them in popularity around the world. This five-some bounced one of the Fab Four’s most famous #1 hits off the top position on the U.K. singles chart, performed concerts in the U.S. before any of their British rock band rivals did, and made more live appearances on CBS-TV’s legendary Ed Sullivan Show than the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley combined. Our featured group sold more than 100 million records and had more hits than the Animals, the Kinks, and the Yardbirds. All this despite the misguided marketing strategy by the man who gave the band their name, but took new compact disc and digital download pressings of their platters off the market for two decades. They’re the Dave Clark Five. Hear their complete hit singles history and the rest of the

R&SRNR_170 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE BEACH BOYS, PART 2” This is the second of two episodes spotlighting the most enduring rock and roll band in American History. –  the Beach Boys. No matter what the season, it’s always summer whenever and wherever their songs are playing. They’ve sold more than 100 million recordings around the world since 1961. We’ll focus on their U.S.-charted hit singles – all of them – in a two-episode salute. We began this chronicle on show #169 – comprising the Beach Boys’ successful 45s during the1960s. Now, this edition #170 – reviews the band’s hit singles since 1970 – all together more than half a century of solid gold. This includes hit records with Little Richard, the Fat Boys, and four late 1990s country music stars, as well as former members of the Mamas & Papas and the Byrds. Plus, the Beach Boys connection with famed classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will join Radio Dave  to co-anchor this episode, as to

R&SRNR_169 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE BEACH BOYS, PART 1” This is the first of two episodes spotlighting the most enduring rock and roll band in American History. No matter what the season, it’s always summer whenever and wherever their songs are playing – the Beach Boys. They’ve sold more than 100 million recordings around the world since 1961. We’ll focus on their U.S.-charted hit singles – all of them – in a two-episode salute. It all begins with this one – show #169 – comprising the Beach Boys’ successful 45s during the1960s. Then, 15 days after the posting date of this program, our subsequent installment – edition #170 – reviews the Beach Boys’ hit singles since 1970. So, wax down your surfboard, rev up your hotrod, and grab your best girl or guy – for a Beach Boys celebration – as only our little podcast series can present it. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, joins Radio Dave to co-anchor this episode, as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it

R&SRNR #_168 – “TOP 40 HALLOWEEN HITS COUNTDOWN” For our Halloween spooktacular, we’ve conjured up a countdown of the 40 greatest trick or treat tunes of all time. The Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll grooveyard ghouls have scared up monster hits by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones, Credence Clearwater Revival, Santana, the Eagles, the J. Geils Band, Warren Zevon, Guns ‘N Roses, Annie Lennox, and Donovan among many others. Some of these macabre melodies have been raised from their vinyl resting places for the first time in decades of Halloweens. Our very own Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, also drops by with some gruesome goodies – "trailers" and radio commercials advertising some of the most horrible horror movies of all time. So wrap some garlic around your podcast player, don’t download this show alone in the dark, and listen to it at your own risk for our selection of the 40 greatest undead ditties.

R&SRNR_167 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL” a staple of radio, satellite, and Internet channels to this very day. Their southern swamp-rock sound belied their San Francisco-area origin. Their show business fantasies became a reality when they signed on with Fantasy – a jazz-focused independent label that didn’t rock. But that little company rocked out during this band’s peak years when this group’s records outsold their idols and contemporaries – the Beatles. You obviously know we’re talking about Creedence Clearwater Revival. We’ll trace their history beginning with their numerous recordings under other names for almost a decade until they finally found success. Then we’ll sample all of their hit singles, along with the original versions of those songs by other artists who inspired them. Plus, some hit remakes by performers who found solid gold with Credence Clearwater Revival originals. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, has lots of fun factoids for you. He’ll joi

R&SRNR 007 – “THE COMPLETE JAMES BOND ROCKS Nobody does it better than James Bond. He’s the world’s most famous super-spy. He’s also a rock and pop music star thanks to the unforgettable music in his more than two dozen memorable feature films. We’ve gone under cover to uncover to the top secret stories behind those songs. And our dossier of ditties also includes classified files on tunes that were submitted to the James Bond film producers, but rejected. That’s even though a few of them might have been even better than the ones that survived the final cut.  This episode is a remastered, combined, and expanded version of our prior episodes #007A and #007B from 2016 to now include music from the film, "No Time To Die" - which debuted in 2021. We’ll spy on his music beginning with his introduction to American fans via a CBS-TV dramatic presention in 1954 - and continue with music from every James Bond movie ever since. This includes his surprising connections with other superstars you wouldn’t think of conn

R&SRNR_166 – “ANSWER SONGS – THE SAGAS OF 21 HIT 45s WITH THE REST OF THE STORY” Answer songs – tunes that respond to or expand upon the tales told in earlier recordings – have been around since the birth of popular music on wax cylinders, 78s, 33s, 45s, cassettes, CDs, and digital downloads. We believe that our world-renowned Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll” “Groove Yard has the largest collection of answer songs on this planet – literally thousands and thousands of them. Our musicologists have selected 21 of them from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s for us to spotlight on this episode of our little podcast series. These include the rest of the stories involving classic hits by Chuck Berry, the Beatles, Lesley Gore, and Kenny Rogers, among others. Many of the songs answering those recordings were just done in gest or were rebuttals to the original artist’s hit. Two in particular – signature songs by Barry McGuire and later James Brown – elicited platters with political overtones by multiple other performers

R&SRNR #165 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF JAN & DEAN” (Remastered) This is a remastered version of our prior episode _031, It celebrates the complete hit singles history of an act whose trademark tunes are indelibly associated with songs about surfing and fast cars. But there’s much more to their musical achievements. They were innovative composers, singers, and producers. Long before their songs about riding the waves and racing dragsters, their early hits were mostly creative remakes of pop standards and other people’s records. Eventually, some of their best-known material resulted from working with the Beach Boys. And while they were doing all that, this duo attended college so they could expand their career horizons. One studied graphic design and went on to create the artwork for best-selling rock and roll albums. The other was in medical school until a tragic auto accident ended that endeavor. Their names are William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence – Jan & Dean. We’ll trace their

R&SRNR_164 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE ANIMALS” This episode salutes one of the great British invasion bands of the 1960s that we feel deserves more attention than it’s gotten, probably because their hits were only on the rock charts in the U.S. and the U.K. from 1964 to 1969. These performers actually comprised two different groups – a founding lineup from 1962 to 1966. And then a brand-new act fronted by their original lead singer. We know you know that we’re talking about the Animals and then Eric Burdon & The Animals.  We’ll track every one of their hit singles starting with their iconic “House of the Rising Sun,” along with any original versions of those songs by other artists who inspired them. Plus, their original version of a song that later became a trademark tune for the Three Dog Night. We’ll also cover the U.S. and U.K. hit singles by two Animals alumni – Eric Burdon and Alan Price.

R&SRNR_163 – “THE REAL STORY OF THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET” (Show_011 Remastered & Reimagined) Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash – their unplanned get together at the Sun recording studios in December 1956 became known as the Million Dollar Quartet. More than 50 years later it inspired a hit Broadway musical of the same name that made millions for its creators, and it’s still playing at various venues around the country.  But the truth is that the story that stage musical tells is mostly untrue – when it comes to the songs that Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash sang that day during their impromptu jam session. So, we’ll relate the real story of the Million Dollar Quartet and detail the not-real stuff that’s in the stage musical…and speculate just a bit on why the producers staged that show the way they did. We’ve got a million dollars-worth of Million Dollar Quartet history for you, and you’ll hear it all right here.

R&SRNR_162 – “19 HIT SONGS THE BEATLES GAVE AWAY” Although they were only active for a little over a decade – from 1960 to 1970, the Beatles are still arguably the most influential band in rock and roll history. We previously explored this group’s original recordings that were later remade into hit singles by other artists on episodes #132 and #133 of our little podcast series. But in this program, we’re going to focus on the songs written by the Beatles in the 1960s and then simply handed off to other singers to perform. These were compositions that the Beatles never commercially recorded themselves or waxed later on after another act released them first. We’ve identified 19 of the songs that the Beatles gave away, which became hit singles for such performers as the Rolling Stones, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Cilla Black, Peter & Gordon, Chad & Jeremy, Cream, Badfinger, and several others. Those songs are all part of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. And our resident Rockologis

R&SRNR_161 – THE FIRST ROCK & ROLL RECORD (Show _001 Remastered & Reimagined) There are lots of candidates and lots of opinions about which tune deserves that title. We’ve scoured our world-renowned Groove Yard, also known as our music library, for several dozen songs that qualify. These include some truly pre-historic rock songs dating back to the 1920s, 30s, and 40s that pre-date the so-called rock and roll era that began in the 1950s. We get to play portions of these platters, and you get to listen and decide for yourself.  Some of these songs are still broadcast on the radio and on Internet music sources. Others are rarely, if ever heard anymore. But you’ll hear them all about them all right here.

RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_160 – "THE BIRTH OF TOP 40 RADIO" We’ve mentioned a format called “Top 40 Radio” on each and every one of the 160 episodes of our little podcast series that precede this one. But we’ve never really defined what it is or how it got started. That is – until now. This episode spotlights Todd Storz, a pioneering radio station owner, who many broadcasting historians credit as the “Father Of Top 40 Radio.” How did 40 became the magic number instead of let’s say, top 20, 30, or some other number? And why did Top 40 radio stations in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s play a wider range of musical genres than they do now? Those are just some of the topics our Resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will touch on with our guest expert for this episode, veteran broadcaster, podcaster, advertising executive, author, and scholar, Jay Douglas, Ph. D. Radio Dave will play samples of some of the songs that were heard on the radio just before and during the early years of “Top 40 Radio” – That’s all alon