Author: Red Robinson
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Clyde McPhatter, “A Lover’s Question”
Here’s our final “pick” from this week in 1959, Clyde McPhatter‘s “A Lover’s Question”. Co-writer Brook Benton sang the demo version and presented it to Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records. That’s Brook Benton doing the finger snaps. When the first of two “Show of Stars” presentations came to Vancouver in 1956, the…
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Manhattan Spiritual, Reg Owen
We’re reliving this week in 1959, along with some strong opinions (and occasional praise) from The Vancouver Sun‘s Mamie Moloney. It turns out rock’n’roll radio was much more than twanging guitars and pounding drums. The Big Band sound — with a beat — endured during the early rock years, and this record was a big…
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Lonesome Town, Ricky Nelson
This week in 1959, The Vancouver Sun columnist Mamie Moloney drew attention to what she called “a welcome new trend”: more slower songs were being played on CKWX! Here’s one of my favorites from that week, Ricky Nelson‘s haunting ballad “Lonesome Town”. Ricky became a singing sensation by closing his parents’ TV show “Ozzie And…
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“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” Is 60!
Sixty years ago on this day, The Tokens‘ “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” hits #1 on the CKWX Fabulous Forty. The song was a big part of the folk music revival sparked by The Kingston Trio. They covered the song two years earlier. Folk was a favourite among college students. It lacked the power of Rock,…
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Trouble In Mission City!
Rock and roll dance promoter Red Robinson is unlikely to revisit Mission City — with or without police dogs. Town council last night, after discussing the near-riot which followed a Robinson-sponsored dance Saturday night in the Legion auditorium, vowed to prohibit rock and roll dances here — by means of a by-law if necessary. The…
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Elvis, “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
This week in 1960, Elvis Presley celebrates his second week at #1 on the CKWX Fabulous 40 and the C-FUNtastic 50 with “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” The song would stay in the top spot at both stations for almost a month! It was Elvis’ 15th #1 hit. I was serving in the U.S. Army in…
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Chris Isaak’s “Beyond The Sun” is 10!
I treasure this autographed photo with Chris Isaak, taken 10 years ago when Chris came to Vancouver for the PNE/Playland‘s Summer Concert Series. I presented him with this iconic portrait of me with Elvis, taken at his 1957 Empire Stadium concert. Thanks to ace photographer Kevin Statham for this one! Chris had just recorded “Beyond…
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Glad All Over! Dave Clark Five at C-FUN
On this day in 1964, three months after The Beatles‘ Empire Stadium concert, British hitmakers The Dave Clark Five arrived in Vancouver! A month after the Beatles smash February performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the DC5 visited Sullivan and performed their first hit “Glad All Over”. They returned the next week with two more…
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Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow” Turns 55
On this day in 1966, Donovan‘s “Mellow Yellow” climbed to the #1 spot on both the C-FUNtastic Fifty and competitor CKLG’s Boss 40. The two stations were locked in a battle for rock’n’roll radio supremacy in Vancouver, and C-FUN was losing the fight. CKLG’s streamlined “more music” approach was paying off, and C-FUN jocks Fred…