R&SRNR_145 – “THE TOP 40 LOST HITS OF 1959” This episode spotlights "The Top 40 Lost Hits Of 1959." It was a vintage year for music, including some great records you never seem to hear on the radio, or the satellite or on anyone’s live stream anymore. These include a song with the same title as a book written by the super star singer who sang it. Plus, the mostly-instrumental 45 that’s been featured in numerous major motion pictures, as well as national ad campaigns starting four decades after it was an international sensation. We’ve also got hit records by two different groups of tree-dwelling rodents. Then there’s the hit record dedicated to a singer/songwriter who’s been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in two different categories.

Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll Podcast

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R&SRNR_144 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF HERMAN’S HERMITS” This episode spotlights the complete hit singles history of one of the most popular groups of the 1960s “British Invasion.” In fact, Billboard Magazine ranked these performers the “number one U.S. singles act of 1965” – with the Beatles placing number two. No, it wasn’t the Dave Clark Five, Rolling Stones, Animals, or the Kinks. The correct answer is Herman’s Hermits, a group whose signature sound comprised simple melodies and instrumentation combined with romantic lyrics intended to appeal to younger female teenagers, especially those who were living in the United States. We’ll cover Herman’s Hermits' complete hit singles discography, and the original versions of songs they were inspired to re-record in their own distinctive style. Plus, their major motion pictures – one of which was based on and took its title from a Herman’s Hermits trademark tune. As always, our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along with his customary collection of fascinating factoids. Ken also will join Radio Dave as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_143 – "THE HISTORY OF 'LOUIE LOUIE'" This episode spotlights the fascinating history of just one song. And it’s one of the most widely performed rock and roll tunes of all time. I’m talking about the immortal “Louie Louie.” We’ll trace the musical roots that inspired Richard Berry to compose it. You’ll also hear samples of every hit single version of “Louie Louie,” along with details about the alleged obscenity and the subsequent FBI investigation involved with the Kingsmen’s definitive rendition. Our rockumentary also includes representative samples from the nearly two thousand remakes of “Louie Louie” that have been recorded in the seven decades since the Richard Berry & The Pharaohs original debuted on your radio and in record stores in 1957. Plus, artists who rewrote the “Louie Louie” lyrics. And answer tunes that continue the saga of this song. As always, our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along with his customary collection of fascinating factoids. Ken also will join Radio Dave as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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R&SRNR_142 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE DOORS” One of the most popular and influential bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s made an indelible mark on rock and roll history by applying electric blues arrangements to dark musical messages about sex, obsessive excesses, and death. Their charismatic lead singer adopted the persona of “The Lizard King,” and his usually substance abuse-induced lewd live performances frequently resulted in arrests for obscenity and disorderly conduct. We're talking about the Doors and that group’s front man, Jim Morrison. Their music was all over your AM and FM dials beginning in 1967, and their tunes remain a staple on the playlists for radio, Internet streams, and satellite stations to this very day. We’ll cover all of the Doors hit singles, along with charted remakes by other artists. Our rockumentary also spotlights selected Doors albums cuts of particular significance. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along with his customary collection of fascinating factoids. Ken also will join Radio Dave as we as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_141 – “TWENTIETH CENTURY TOP 40 ANGELS & DEVILS” We’re spotlighting every Top 40 hit song with angel and/or devil in the title that charted during the first five decades of the rock and roll era – from 1955 through 1999.  How many angels and devils songs can you name? Although there have been hundreds of such rock and roll songs, we were surprised to discover that only 45 of these tunes reached the Top 40 during the time period we’re reviewing. The angels outnumber the devils 37 to 7 – with one tie – the only Top 40 hit with both angel and devil in the title. As always, our resident Rockologist Ken Deutsch will be along with fun factoids. He’ll join Radio Dave as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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R&SRNR_140 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE RASCALS” This episode spotlights the Rascals – one of the most popular groups in the U.S. and Canada during this act’s peak years in the late 1960s.  The Rascals impact was significant enough to earn them induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Also, a successful Broadway musical which celebrated their history and saluted their songs. As we always do on our “Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll” tributes to a specific group or individual performer, we’ll sample every Rascals hit single. Plus, the original versions that inspired Rascals remakes. And the artists who also achieved hit singles with records first recorded by the Rascals. Our retrospective also includes remembrances from a special guest – attorney and former disc jockey, Jonathan Shimberg. He’ll tell us why the Rascals originally had to call themselves the Young Rascals before they could revert to their chosen name several years after they became stars. As always, our resident Rockologist Ken Deutsch will be along with fun factoids. He’ll join Radio Dave as we present more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.    

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R&SRNR_139 – “THE LOST TOP 40 HITS OF 1971”   This episode spotlights 40 lost Top 40 hits from the year 1971. It was a vintage year for music, including some great records you never seem to hear on the radio, or the satellite or on anyone’s live stream anymore. Three of the 45s on our playlist are from a famous Hollywood romantic drama. We’ve also got a top 40 hit that sounded like it was done by the Bee Gees – but it wasn’t. Then there’s the only charted 45 we know of that ever dealt with the topic of cannibalism. And we’ll recall a spoken word hit based on a poem that appeared on posters that were on the walls of a lot of teenagers’ bedrooms and college dorms – and top 40 radio station announcer lounges.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_138 – “THE MANY SIDES OF PHIL SPECTOR” – His remarkable career was a contrast of very good music and very bad behavior. But there’s no question that Phil Spector’s musical achievements across six decades beginning in 1958 and ending in 2003 earned him an indelible place in rock and roll history – and an in-depth retrospective on our little podcast series. We’ll salute artists who had hit singles that were produced and/or composed by Phil Spector. Plus hit 45s on which Phil Spector performed as a singer or a studio musician. In particular, Gene Pitney, Connie Francis, the Crystals, the Ronettes, Darlene Love, the Righteous Brothers, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, and George Harrison, among many others. Phil Spector’s trademark “Wall Of Sound.” was one of the most innovative, complex, and successful record production formulas of the 1960s. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will be along to explain how all that worked. And Radio Dave will have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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R&SRNR_137 – “Our 30 Nominees For The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame” The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame was founded in 1983, and its home is in Cleveland, Ohio. The honorees enshrined there are an honor roll comprising more than 300 of the greatest names in rock and roll history. And more are added every year. That said, we think there are many overlooked artists who deserve inclusion. These are especially performers who reached the heights of their fame during the first two decades of the “Rock & Roll” era – the 1950s’ and 1960s, the years we frequently focus on during our little podcast series. We’ll count down our own list of 30 nominees for you to consider. These are artists who have neither been nominated nor elected. but they include a vocalist who many musicologists think recorded the first rock and roll hit record. Plus, another singer who was just as popular, if not even more so, than Elvis Presley in the late 1950s. And there’s also the first female international rock and pop star. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, joins our host, Radio Dave, with background on the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame selection process, as we bring you more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record. Hear it all here.

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R&SRNR_136 – “THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE GRASS ROOTS” Hit songs credited to the Grass Roots were all over your radio dial in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Note that we said credited to rather than performed by. That’s because for most of its existence, the Grass Roots has been a brand in search of a band. The name Grass Roots was applied to anonymous studio musicians, until a formal group was recruited to tour under the Grass Roots moniker. Then that band was replaced by another group of musicians – with dozens of personnel changes to follow. We’ll review every Grass Roots hit single. Several of those charted 45s were remakes of other artists’ originals, and we’ll sample them, as well. Surprisingly, two Grass Roots hit singles were imported from Italy. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, joins Radio Dave with the provenance of those platters. Ken also will have some special tips for music collectors and fans on how to know if Grass Roots recordings you choose to obtain via vinyl, CD, or download are the genuine originals or just professionally crafted sound-alikes.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_135 – “BIG HITS & BIG LAW SUITS + PLATTERS ABOUT THE LEGAL PROFESSION” –  This episode spotlights some big hit records that were the subject of some great big law suits, plus assorted platters about the legal profession. These include musical testimonies by artists who were sued for copyright infringement and celebrated or criticized the results of their trials. We’ll sample those tunes, along with hit records about lawyers and judges. Featured artists include George Harrison, the Chiffons, Roy Orbison, 2 Live Crew, Jackson Browne, the Who, Stevie Wonder, and Prince, among others. Our resident Rockologist Ken Deutsch and Radio Dave will spotlight two of the most litigious acts in music history – the Turtles and the Beatles. To help us understand the law and the lawsuits for this episode, we’ve asked well known Chicago trial lawyer Robert Berger to be our special guest. Not only has Rob handled a wide variety of legal disputes during his 45-year career, he was also the host of the “Ask A Lawyer” show on Chicago Radio. And we’ve got some fun legal questions for him, such as how can different songs get away with using the same title. It’s a truly precedent-setting podcast.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_134 – “THE LOST TOP 40 HITS OF 1977” This episode spotlights 40 lost hits from the year 1977. It was a vintage year for music, including some great records you never seem to hear on the radio, or the satellite or on anyone’s live stream anymore. Three of the songs on our playlist are title tunes from blockbuster Hollywood movies. Another one is a dance version of the theme from one of the most beloved situation comedy shows in television history. We’ve even got a sex-rated hit single that a lot of radio stations refused to play. But we will. Our potpourri of platters ranges from hard rock and soft rock, to disco, rhythm & blues and even semi-classical. Our array of selected artists includes a teen idol, a TV police show star, a symphony orchestra, several singer-songwriters, and even some feathered farm animals. They’re all part of “Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll” show #134 – “The Top 40 Lost Hits Of 1977.” As always, our resident Rockologist Ken Deutsch will be along to give us a little historical perspective. And Radio Dave will have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL – “HIT SINGLES COVER VERSIONS OF BEATLES ORIGINALS – PART 2” Although they were only active for a little over a decade – from 1960 to 1970, the Beatles remain to this very day the most covered band in rock and roll history. By covers, we mean new versions of their originals recorded by other artists. There are thousands and thousands of such takes on Beatles tunes in virtually every known musical genre. For instance, rock, rhythm & blues, pop, easy listening, country, jazz, and even classical. We’ve identified 64 Beatles originals that were remade into 130 hit singles by other performers around the world. The “Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll” Medley Department has assembled those Beatles originals and those hit singles covers in 63 custom mixes that we’ve divided up for two editions of our little podcast series. We played 33 in our previous episode #132. We’ll review the remaining 30 in this show #133. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, has factoids about each song, and Radio Dave has facts about the chart performances of these platters.  

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_132 – “HIT SINGLES COVER VERSION OF BEATLES ORIGINALS – PART 1” Although they were only active for a little over a decade – from 1960 to 1970, the Beatles remain to this very day the most covered band in rock and roll history. By covers, we mean new versions of their originals recorded by other artists. There are thousands and thousands of such takes on Beatles tunes in virtually every known musical genre. For instance, rock, rhythm & blues, pop, easy listening, country, jazz, and even classical. We’ve identified 64 Beatles originals that were remade into 130 hit singles by other performers around the world. The “Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘N Roll” Medley Department has assembled those Beatles originals and those hit singles covers in 63 custom mixes that we’ve divided up for two editions of our little podcast series. It’s an ambitious presentation that we’re very sure no other broadcasters or podcasters have ever attempted. Our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, has factoids about each song, and Radio Dave has facts about the chart performances of these platters.  

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RARE & SCRATCHY ROCK 'N ROLL_131 – "THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES HISTORY OF THE FOUR SEASONS – PART 2" This is the second installment in our two-episode salute to a group whose incredible career has been celebrated on stage and screen in “The Jersey Boys.” They’re the Four Seasons. We’ll continue our chronicle comprising all of their hit singles. As we track the remainder of their hit tunes and other significant recordings – collectively as a group – and individually as soloists from 1967 to 2020. We’re joined once again by one of our frequent guest experts – Nay Nassar – a leading authority on rock and roll vocal groups. Nay and our resident Rockologist, Ken Deutsch, will showcase some of the Four Seasons extra-curricular activities as record producers and song writers for other artists. Plus, you’ll hear some other groups you’ll swear are the Four Seasons, but who really were just great soundalikes. There’s more of Ken Deutsch’s customary factoids, including the future trademark tune that Motown Records discarded and sold to Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli for a rock bottom price. And Radio Dave have more of the greatest rock and roll stories on record.

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"Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" is a rockumentary podcast series that tells the greatest rock and roll stories on record. This includes the untold tales of some great hits that time forgot, but maybe you'll still remember. These programs are hosted by Radio Dave, a veteran disc jockey and published authority on rock and pop music history. He draws his "Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll" stories from his "groove yard," an archive that has more music than most record libraries.

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Rare & Scratchy Rock 'N Roll Podcast

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