68 Years Ago Today Sun Records Opens

68 YEARS AGO TODAY! January 3, 1950 : Sam Phillips opens the Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, TN. #SunRecords #SunRecordCompany

The Monkees Pool It! 30 Years Later

August 1987 this steamer was released. With the singles “Heart And Soul” and “Every Step of The Way” (Ian Hunter) and a cover of Wreckless Eric’s “Whole Wide World” the album barely cracked the top 200. The album cover was featured in Pitchfork Media’s list of “The Worst Record Covers of All Time” understandably so. Now I don’t try to knock the Monkees as I am a huge fan but they definitely got stuck in the 80s while producing this reunion album. I’ve gone back from time to time to reexamine it and see if it has aged differently or maybe would grow on me with time but no. I still feel the same about it as I did in 1987 when it was released. 

Former Johnny Cash Guitarist Bob Wootton Has Passed

Former Johnny Cash guitarist Bob Wootton has passed. Wootton  joined Johnny Cash’s backing band, the Tennessee Three, after original lead guitarist, Luther Perkins, died in a house fire. Wootton died April 9th 2017 in his home. He was Cash’s guitarist for nearly thirty years.

Roger Corman Turns 91

Happy 91st Birthday to one of my favorite filmmakers. Roger Corman who has either written, directed or produced some of my favorite films including Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, Death Race 2000, Bucket of Blood and countless others.  If it hadn’t been for Rock ‘n’ Roll High School I would have never really discovered the Ramones and furthered my interest in punk rock.  I saw them in tv a few days earlier for a split second, my mom went out a few days later and rented it for me and it changed how I listened to music and watched film for the rest of my life.

 

 

Happy Birthday Mike Ness

I would like to take this time to wish one of my personal favorite musicians a Happy 55th Birthday to Social Distortion’s Mike Ness! Social Distortion has been a very big part of my life since my teenage years. 

Firehouse 12 March 19th

I will be making my Firehouse 12 DJ debut on Sunday, March 19th. I will spinning lots of cool garage, surf, soul, and some rockabilly. My good buddy Gary aka DJ Darkglobe will also be spinning lots of goodies. Please join us if you can.

New Email

Seeing as the Garage Rick email was hacked I have activated a new email. therealgaragerick@gmail.com is my new email and I can be reached there from here on in. 

If you’d like to send promo material fitting in the Garage Rock, Surf, Rockabilly,  trashy Rock ‘n’ Roll, Punk or R&B. You can email me there for information.

New podcast coming soon. Lots of new 45s to spin. 
I will be spinning 45s next month at Firehouse 12 in New Haven. Details will be posted here as it get closer as far as date and time.

Email Problems

​The email account used for this blog thegaragerick@gmail.com is having some issues. Someone has gotten into it and changed the username and photo associated with the account. At this time I cannot change it back as it is too soon with in the allotted time frame. You can still email me there and will respond or you can reach me at rickarddelsanto@gmail.com. Or I can be reached through Twitter @garagerick or Instagram garagerick. Thank you for your patience and understanding while this gets worked out. 

Rick

​Johnny “Guitar” Watson February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996 Remembered

​Johnny “Guitar” Watson February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996 
When compared to Jimi Hendrix, Watson would grow irritated and one time stated “I used to play the guitar standing on my hands. I had a 150-foot cord and I could get on top of the auditorium – those things Jimi Hendrix was doing, I started that shit.” 

On This Date In 1957 A Rockabilly Classic Is Recorded

February 2nd 1957 : Dale Hawkins records “Susie Q”.

Hawkins recorded “Susie Q” at the KWKH Radio station in Shreveport, Louisiana.”Susie Q”  featured guitar work by James Burton, who also worked with Ricky Nelson and later with Elvis Presley, among many others.

Sometime after the recording, the master tape of “Susie Q” was sold to Checker Records in Chicago, which released it as a single in May 1957.The single peaked at numbers 7 and 27 on Billboard magazine’s Hot R&B Sides and Hot 100 charts, respectively. 

Hawkins’ original version is also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”