HARLEM: Week of 5/1/06

"Miss Peaches"

ETTA JAMES

This week Harlem digs deep into the catalog of one of the first ladies of rhythm & blues, "Miss Peaches" Etta James. Johnny Otis discovered her in 1954 and signed her to Modern Records. You'll dig some choice sides from her Modern Records period with Matt The Cat, all week long on HARLEM.

Harlem airs on the 50s on 5:
Monday 5/1 @ 1pm over NYC
Tuesday 5/2 @ midnight over LA & 9pm over Harlem
Friday 5/5 @ 6pm over Portland, ME
Sunday 5/7 @ 11am over Winston-Salem, NC

HARLEM: Week of 4/24/06

One of the forgotten LEGENDS OF RHYTHM & BLUES:

LARRY DARNELL

Larry Darnell was the biggest R&B artist of 1950 and the top selling artist of all time for Regal Records, but you'd never know it today. By the end of the 1950s, his flame of popularity had virtually blown out, but back at the beginning of the decade it was burning strong and bright. This week, I'm going to set the record straight and bring Larry Darnell back to glory days by spotlighting some of his greatest records from 1949's immortal "I'll Get Along Somehow" to 1957's "Ramblin' Man". Don't miss a single tear drop with Larry Darnell, a true R&B legend on HARLEM with Matt The Cat.

Harlem Airs at:
Monday 4/24 @ 1pm EST
Tuesday Night 4/25 @ 9pm PST & Midnight EST
Friday 4/28 @ 6pm EST
Sunday 4/30 @ 11am EST

The Complete Roy Orbison: Part 4

The

Complete

Roy Orbison

Part 4 (parts 1-3)

Part 4 of the Complete Roy Orbison gathers parts 1-3 together in a three hour, long-form radio Roy extravaganza. Trace his entire three decade career from his early days at the legendary Sun Records to his 80s comeback with Virgin Records and "You Got It". Roy tells his entire story in his own words through rare, never-before-heard interviews. Highlights include an appearance on the BBC's Top Of The Pops program, Tom Petty talking about how the Traveling Wilburys were formed and a 1956 live appearance on his own Odessa, TX TV show. The show is hosted by Matt The Cat and will air at a special, revised schedule.

Wednesday, April 26th at 3pm EST
Saturday, April 29th at noon EST
Sunday, April 30th at 3pm EST

I hope you enjoy this special as much as I enjoyed putting it together. This 3 part special was almost a year in the making and I must thank Barbara Orbison and the Orbison Estate for helping me out by providing some of the rare interview footage that made this special stand out.

-MTC

Thursday & Charts

Chart Thursday RETURNS!

Chart Thursday is BACK, but with a different format this time. Instead of the usual task of taking a chart and scanning it all night long, I'm going to present the #1 records on this date from every year during the 50s decade. I will use both the Pop and Rhythm & Blues charts to do this. This way we can hear the differences between the charts during the early years of the 1950s and the similarities during the end of the decade. I hope you join me in prowlin' the charts on this CHART THURSDAY!

-MTC

Complete Roy Orbison: Part 3

The

Complete

Roy Orbison

In Dreams

Part 3

50s on 5

Wednesday, April 19 at 4pm EST, Friday, April 21 at 2pm EST & Saturday, April 22 at 5pm EST.

Part Three of the Complete Roy Orbison looks at the third and final chapter of his legendary career. Roy's switch from Monument Records to MGM Records meant that the songs remained top notch, but the hits were few and far between. Roy never stopped touring and writing and believing that one day he'd make it back up to the top. You'll hear his amazing comeback in the 80s with the hits "You Got It", "Crying" with KD Lang and "Handle With Care" with the Traveling WIlburys. Some of the people that knew him best, like Tom Petty, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bono and Elvis Costello share some of their Roy Orbison stories.

Monday - Eddie Cochran

C'mon Everybody!

Eddie Cochran

Rock n' Roll icon Eddie Cochran died on April 17th, 1960 in a horrible automobile crash in Wiltshire, England. Gene Vincent and Eddie's girlfriend were also in the car and were injured. We lost one of the most promising young singers/guitar players on that day. Hear Eddie's greatest recordings Monday Night as Matt The Cat honors a rock n' roll cat with a rockabilly heart.

HARLEM: Week of 4/17/06

This week, HARLEM is co-hosted by BILLY VERA!!

Los Angeles Rhythm & Blues

Billy Vera joins Matt The Cat as HARLEM takes a satellite ride out to Central Avenue in Los Angeles. Jump n' jive at the Dunbar Hotel, The Last Word and Ivie's Chicken Shack as HARLEM features an hour of the best of Los Angeles rhythm & blues from the doo wop harmony of The Medallions and Jesse Belvin to the down-home R&B of Floyd Dixon and Richard Berry. Billy Vera shares some memorable stories while Matt The Cat screams a lot, this week on HARLEM.

HARLEM airs on the 50s on 5:
Monday Afternoon @ 10am over Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in Long Beach
Tuesday Night @ 9pm over LOS ANGELES
Friday Afternoon @ 3pm over Watts
Sunday morning @ 8am over Hollywood

Monday & Tuesday

Monday Night:
Rockabilly hero Carl Perkins was born on April 9, 1932 in Tiptonville, TN. He had the voice, guitar ability and songwriting nohow to make him a rock n' roll star, but why wasn't Uncle Carl bigger then Elvis? It was not in the stars. What is in the stars, however, is a nice tribute to Carl Perkins, Monday Night on the Night Prowl show.

Brook Benton died on April 9, 1988, so we'll honor him too.

Chuck Willis, the king of the stroll died on April 10, 1958 and Little Eva died on April 10, 2003, so we'll honor them as well.

Bluesday Tuesday Night:
Bluesday Tuesday, we salute one of rock n' roll's most underrated artists, Richard Berry. He was born on this day, April 11, 1935 in Extension, LA. His family moved to LA during his childhood and he became an integrated part of the Los Angeles R&B scene, having sung with his group The Flairs, with The Robins and Etta James by the time he was 20. Join us, as we pay respects to the guy who did a whole lot more then just write the original "Louie Louie" on the Tuesday Night Prowl Show.

Complete Roy Orbison: Part 2

The
Complete
ROY ORBISON
In Dreams
Part 2

The 50s on 5

Wednesday, April 12 at 4pm EST, Friday, April 14 at 2pm EST & Saturday, April 15 at 5pm EST.

Part two of The Complete Roy Orbison focuses on Roy's early to mid-60s career, when he just couldn't stop having hit after incredible hit. We'll find out the story behind "Crying", "Running Scared" and "In Dreams" through rare interview footage with Roy himself. We'll have a clip from Roy's only starring role in a motion picture, 1967's "Fastest Guitar Alive' as well as a rare appearance on the BBC's "Top Of The Pops". Join Matt The Cat for part 2 of this 3 part series on the Great Roy Orbison.

HARLEM: Week Of 4/10/06

This week, Harlem goes moanin' in the moonlight with...
Howlin'
Wolf

He has a sound that was all his own. A sound that is as original today as it was back in 1951 when he burst on the scene. He learned guitar from the legendary Charlie Patton and harmonica from the influential Sonny Boy Williamson. Put those influences together with his natural growl and you have Howlin' Wolf. This week, Matt The Cat will look at Wolf's early work with Sam Phillips in Memphis along with the world famous sides that he cut with the Chess Brothers in Chicago. Hear the Cat prowl with the Wolf, all week on Harlem.

Harlem Airs on the 50s on 5:
Monday 4/10 @ 1pm EST
Tuesday Night 4/11 at 9pm PST and Midnight EST
Friday 4/14 @ 6pm EST
Sunday 4/16 @ 11am EST

Gene Pitney RIP

Gene Pitney

1941 - 2006

Today we lost one of the greatest voices and songwriters of the 1960s. It appears that Gene Pitney died peacefully in his hotel bed at the Hilton in Cardiff, Wales, UK. During the '60s, he wrote hit tunes for Ricky Nelson (Hello Mary Lou) and The Crystals (He's A Rebel) and scored hit after hit himself with his own compositions and those of Bert Bacharach and Hal David. He embraced the coming British Invasion by being the first American to record a Mick Jagger/Keith Richards composition (The Girl Belongs To Yesterday). His voice was so passionate and powerful, he could make almost any tune come alive. I got to see Gene Pitney perform live about 14 years ago at the North Shore Music Theatre in Massachusetts. He put on a great performance and even wished me a happy birthday right from the stage. Gene was a class act thru and thru.

Tonight, remember and celebrate the music of Gene Pitney on the Night Prowl Show (7-11pm EST) on the 50s on 5.

Soulfully,

Matt The Cat