More Books Pt 4

Another must have music guide for me is The Complete Book of DooWop by Dr. Anthony Gribin and Dr. Mathew Schiff. This is a unique perspective on one of the most overlooked eras in Rock & Roll. It’s a book written by two guys who are obviously major fans of DooWop, as I am. It’s another valuable resource for me and my exploration of what just might be the most interesting era of Rock & Roll.

This is another book that I believe might not be in print. Again I have seen copies on EBay and Amazon. I think it is also available with a Collectables Records box set. I can't remember which one. Check them out at http://www.oldies.com/.

More Books Pt 3

Norm N Nite is a legendary disc jockey who has written several books on the Rock & Roll era. I have two of them; Rock On, The Solid Gold Years and his Rock On Almanac from the first Four Decades of Rock & Roll. These books fill in many gaps in my musical memory. The Rock On Almanac does an outstanding job of tying Rock & Roll into the web of American Pop Culture. And in some cases, it goes beyond Whitburn’s great book.

Sadly, these books are out of print; I have seen copies on EBay and Amazon.

The Greatest Record of Them All

Let’s get one thing off my chest right off the bat.

After over 50+ years of listening to all this great Rock & Roll music, I have come to one conclusion about the greatest record ever made. This is the song that surpasses others. To this day, I get goose bumps when I hear it on the radio or when it comes up on my media player.

It was a day in May 1958 when I first heard “I Wonder Why” by Dion and the Belmonts on American Bandstand. There they were, sporting white shoes and belting this tune out that had me mesmerized. As time went by, my older brother and I would sing the song; just imagine two kids trying to do a song with four parts. Well maybe you shouldn’t imagine it. We got a copy of the old gray Laurie single with that black lettering. Man we must have worn it out. As years past, I foolishly traded the 45 away for what song, I can’t remember.

In 1971 a acquired the song on a Laurie oldies album, which is an interesting story in itself that I will save for later. Since that time, I must have obtained “I Wonder Why” a countless number of times on LP, 45, and on various CDs. I even eagerly awaited the release of a STEREO version of the song, but came away a bit disappointed; again another story for another time.

Last year, I purchased the 45 of "I Wonder Why" on the original gray and black Laurie records label off of E-Bay for $15.00. I mean after all, it was the 50th anniversary of the release of the greatest record ever made; I thought I might as well own a copy of Laurie 45 #3013 on the original label.

As so I do.