Songs about radio and DJs

Dean F.

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Apr 9, 2022, 12:34:23 AM4/9/22

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I'm trying to think of records of the '40s - '60s that are about (or at least mention) radio and/or disc jockeys. Here's what I've come up with so far:

BALLAD OF A D-J, The Del Satins
HAVING A PARTY, Sam Cooke
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, MR. D-J, Otis Williams & The Charms
MR. D-J, Van McCoy
THE OLD PAYOLA ROLL BLUES, Stan Freberg
PLAY THOSE OLDIES, MR. D-J, Anthony & The Sophomores
ROCK AND ROLL RADIO, Joe Boot
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN, Chuck Berry
TRANSISTOR SISTER, Freddy Cannon

Bruce

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Apr 9, 2022, 1:08:58 AM4/9/22

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Please Mr. Disc Jockey - Sensations
What About Your Daughter? - J.B. Lenoir
Cool Disc Jockey - Boyd Bennett & The Rockets
Please Mr. DJ (Play It Again) - Tina Robin

Bruce

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Apr 9, 2022, 1:11:22 AM4/9/22

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Steve Allen - The Disc-Jockey's Theme Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVc9tDqFZe0

Bruce

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Apr 9, 2022, 1:22:04 AM4/9/22

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On Your Radio - 12 Year Old Richard Lanham
Radio Boogie - L.C. Smith
Stonewall Jackson - BJ The DJ
Cousin Brucie Go Go Theme - Four Seasons

Bruce

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Apr 9, 2022, 1:24:41 AM4/9/22

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Jimmy Donley - "Radio, Jukebox And T.V. "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFVgevP2oBg

Bruce

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Apr 9, 2022, 1:25:58 AM4/9/22

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Disc Jockey Cactus — Ray Campi
Disc Jockey Fever — The Chuck-A-Lucks

DianeE

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Apr 9, 2022, 9:00:31 AM4/9/22

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On 4/9/2022 1:22 AM, Bruce wrote:
> On Your Radio - 12 Year Old Richard Lanham

----------
This has been on my "short list" for quite a while. It's one of those
records that were played a lot in NYC but not anywhere else. As of a
few years ago Richard Lanham was alive and well and living in Queens,
where he performed at local libraries and senior centers. The label
does say "12 Year Old Richard Lanham," but IIRC radio DJ's used to
announce it as by "Richard Lanham and the TempoTones."

RWC

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Apr 9, 2022, 9:28:15 AM4/9/22

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great theme, Dean

additional D.J. sides in my digital collection, by year;
I've added label details, on this occasion, to authenticate
these mostly obscure sides:

Kip Tyler & The Flips - Hello Mr. Dee-Jay [Challenge unissued] - 1957
Hank Harral - The D.J. Blues [Caprock 102] - 1958
The Cinderellas - Mister Dee Jay [Decca 30830] - Jan 1959
The Continders f. Clifford Curry - Mr. Dee Jay [Blue Sky 105] - Apr
1959
Merl Lindsay - DJ's Hop [D 1] - Jan 1960
Red Hewitt & The Buccaneers - D.J. Blues [NZ Audion A4] - 1960
Tina Robin - Dear Mr D.J. Play It Again [Mercury 71852] - Aug 1961
Baby Dolls - Thanks Mr. Dee-Jay [Maske 701] - 1961
Lou Johnson - Thank You Anyway (Mr. D.J.) [Bigtop 3115] - Jun 1962
Wanda Burt - Mr. Dee-Jay [LP Palace] - 1962
Gladys Caine - Please Mr. DJ, Play A Song For My Love [Togo 602] - Sep
1963

Jan Bradley - Please Mr. D.J. [Chess 1897] - May 1964
Earnest Ashworth - The DJ Cried [Hickory 1325] - 1965
Ray Hildebrand - The Way Of The DJ [Philips 40318] - Sep 1965
Bobby Moore And The Rhythm Aces - Hey, Mr. D.J. [Checker 1129] - Nov
1965

I have some "Disk Jockey" sides too, which I will post later if nobody
else has.

RWC

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Apr 9, 2022, 12:13:56 PM4/9/22

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On Fri, 8 Apr 2022 21:34:23 -0700 (PDT), "Dean F."
<soule...@gmail.com> wrote:

additional "Disc Jockey" sides in my digital collection, by year;

I've added label details, on this occasion, to authenticate
these mostly obscure sides:

We start with the earliest record within Dean's theme,
can anybody find an earlier record?

R&B
Luke Jones AHO {v. Joe Alexander} - Disc Jockey Blues [Atlas 144] -
Apr 1947

Pop Jazz
Gene Krupa AHO - Disc Jockey Jump [Columbia 37589] - July 1947 (I)

R&B
Hal Singer - Disc Jockey Boogie [Acorn 300] - 1948 (I)

Pop Jazz
Earl Bostic AHO - Disc Jockey's Nightmare [King 4266-B] - Feb 1949, r.
1948 NYC (I)

Country Novelty
Homer and Jethro - Disc Jockey’s Nightmare [RCA 48-0404-B] - 1950

R&B
Lena Gordon w. Sax Kari & Orch. - Disc Jockey Jamboree [Checker 803] -
Sep 1954

Rockin' Pop Jazz
The Mike Pedicin Quintet - Disc Jockey's Boogie [20th Century 75027] -
1955

Country {with talking}
Jimmy {Lee} & Johnny {Mathis?} - Dear Mr Disc Jockey [Chess?
unreleased] - 1955?

Conservative Pop Rock
Les Elgart AHO w. Don Forbes - D.J. Jamboree [Columbia 40664] - Feb
1956

R&B Doo Wop
The Sensations, f. Yvonne Mills - Please Mr. Disc jockey [Atco 6067] -
Mar 1956

Pop Novelty
Steve Allen - The Disc-Jockey's Theme Song [Coral 61877] - Aug 1957

Teen Pop {upbeat, good guitar, but lame}
The Chuck-A-Lucks - Disc Jockey Fever [Lin 5014] - July 1958

Jazz Instro
Gerry Mulligan And The Sax Section - Disc Jockey Jump [LP World
Pacific] - 1958 (I)

Conservative Pop Rock
Boyd Bennett And His Rockets - Cool Disc Jockey [King 5282] - 1959

The Miller Sisters - Please Mr. Disc Jockey [Miller 1143;;NYC] - 1960

Dickie & The Debonaires - Please Mr. Disc Jockey [Valli 302] - Nov
1962

Novel Guitar Instro
The Invaders {S.F.} - Disc Jockey [Whingding! 950] - 1964 (I)

Geoff

Ken Whiton

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Apr 10, 2022, 12:29:13 AM4/10/22

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*-* On Sat, 9 Apr 2022, at 09:00:29 -0400,
*-* In Article <Nrf4K.355829$f2a5....@fx48.iad>,
*-* DianeE wrote
*-* About Re: Songs about radio and DJs

> On 4/9/2022 1:22 AM, Bruce wrote:
>> On Your Radio - 12 Year Old Richard Lanham

Some pressings had "Radio" misspelled as "Raido".

<https://www.rootsvinylguide.com/ebay_items/doowop-r-b-45-richard-lanham-on-acme-on-your-raido-rare-misspelling-version>
(or <https://preview.tinyurl.com/329t2b42>)

> ----------
> This has been on my "short list" for quite a while. It's one of
> those records that were played a lot in NYC but not anywhere else.

I hear it occasionally on oldies radio.

> As of a few years ago Richard Lanham was alive and well and living
> in Queens, where he performed at local libraries and senior centers.
> The label does say "12 Year Old Richard Lanham," but IIRC radio DJ's
> used to announce it as by "Richard Lanham and the TempoTones."

Three of the TempoTones were Richard Lanham's brothers.

Ken Whiton
--
FIDO: 1:132/152
InterNet: kenw...@surfglobal.net.INVAL (remove the obvious to reply)

Dean F.

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Apr 11, 2022, 2:21:47 AM4/11/22

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"Chaos," Arbogast & Ross (1959):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh9GQLJUs1Y

Chime Hart

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Apr 12, 2022, 2:07:58 PM4/12/22

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Well, Dean-and-All: A friend of mine was a `huge record collector, especially
finding what I call "spliceup records" you probably call them "breakin" Anyway,
1 of these I have on a 45 is the Disc Jockey Meeting by Howard Trustin. And here
it is on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lk8YEs_PmQ
I will examin his channel for other interesting items.
Chime

Bruce

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Apr 12, 2022, 2:14:53 PM4/12/22

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On Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 2:07:58 PM UTC-4, Chime Hart wrote:
> Well, Dean-and-All: A friend of mine was a `huge record collector, especially
> finding what I call "spliceup records" you probably call them "breakin" Anyway,
> 1 of these I have on a 45 is the Disc Jockey Meeting by Howard Trustin.

It's The Trustin Howard Players. From 1962.

Sounds like Casey Kasem.