Volume one: A radiomentary tribute to “El Monte Legion Stadium during the Nifty 50′s”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to a typical nifty fifties half a buck admission Friday night dance at the legendary “El Monte Legion Stadium”. We begin with a lowrider cruise through east LA to the stadium with “Cheech & Chong” at the wheel. After arriving at the legendary stadium, we pile out of their low rider van and make our way into the dance. Headling the night is Cleve Duncan and the Penguins, Marvin & Johnny, and the Crests just to name a few of the old “Doo-Wop” groups we will dance to tonight.

Special thanks to Cheech & Chong for the ride, and two local LA radio icons who made this dance and the stadium famous: Dick Hugg “Huggy Boy” who would say, “Be there or be Square”; and Art Laboe who put this place on the map during the fifties and went on to create those famous “Oldies but Goodies” volumes. Listen in on this special night, but remember: No Levis or Capris please!

Volume two: A radiomentary Tribute to “Cruisin in your hometown during the Nifty 50′s”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to the streets of your hometown during the 50′s. We will listen to old “Doo-Wop” sounds as we drive along visiting those favorite spots that only you remember on a typical cruise night during the 50′s. We will mention some of the local routes like “Whittier Blvd” and other Southern LA County cities and the famous “Harvey’s Broiler” in Downey, Ca. Listen closely for some sound bites of the Radio Stations and DJ’s that you are sure to recognize along the way. Special thanks to George Lucas as you will hear a hilarious embedded segment from “American Grafitti” that we thought typlified incidents encountered on a cruise night.

Volume three: A radiomentary Tribute to “An evening at the Drive-In Movies during the Nifty 50′s”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to an evening at your local drive-in movie during the nifty 50′s. We will cruise into your local drive in movie establishment with our girlfriend or date.
Once we have rolled up the windows and attached the speaker from the stand next to our car, turn on the record player, flip on the vibrasonic switch, and load in some dreamy “Doo-Wop” sounds, we will make our way into the back seat. As you know, cartoons were king, and the main attraction was who you brought with you, so the movie was rarely seen. Remember, keep an eye out for the guy with the long white coat riding the infamous bicycle constantly searching for steamy fogged up windows to knock upon.

Volume four: A radiomentary tribute to “surfin sounds of the 60′s”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to the surfin sounds of the 60′s. Load up your “woody” and long board to take a surfin safari down Pacific Coast Highway through Surf City to Newport Beach, Ca. Lets stand in the long line at the Rondevous Ballrom on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, Ca. to listen to “Dick Dale and his Deltones” as they make famous the hard driving surf beat that spawned the surfers stomp. Some of the other surf beat groups we have for your listening enjoyment are: Jan and Dean, the Sufaris, the Beach Boys, and more. One of the most famous sounds we have captured is a guitar duel between Stevie Ray Vaughn and Dick Dale from one of the Annette and Frankie Avalon Beach Blanket movies.

Volume five: A radiomentary tribute to “the Hippie Sounds from Haight Ashbury to Woodstock”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to the roots of the “Hippie Sounds” from Haight Ashbury and San Francisco to New York’s Woodstock. This was the era of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll, the dawning of the age of free love and peace, but most of all great music and extremely short lived talented individual singers and enduring touring groups. We have uncovered some interesting interviews with Timothy Leary & John Lennon discussing their acid trips along with some snippets of other drug era commentary as well. We start with some real hippie conversation from the streets of San Francisco’s Haight Ashburt distric and end with some live performances from Woodstock. So sit back with your favorite elixir and listen to the sounds of the 60′s & 70′s formative era.

Volume six: A radiomentary tribute to “Long Beach in the 1940′s-Howard Hughes and Big Bands”

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to Long Beach in the 1940′s. This was the era of casino cruises, big bands, world war two, Rosie the Riveter was working at the Long Beach Douglas Factory and Howard Hughes made the maiden flight of his Spruce Goose in Long Beach Harbor. This volume contains the only recorded radio interview with Howard Hughes at the controls of the Spruce Goose as he taxied then flew the big wooden bird for the first and last time. KLAC, a local LA radio station sent a reporter to capture this inaugural flight and we have it for you in this volume. We also showcase some of the eras big bands ans they played in the local ballrooms of Long Beach.

Volume seven: A radiomentary Tribute to ” Old time radio dramas and comedy”

Johnny B takes you wayback on an educational, nostalgic, radiomentary visit to the very early years of radio drama and comedy. We will showcase the shows and stars of the 1930′s 40′s and 50′s before the television era began. Back to the times when your imagination was cultivated as a major sensory device. When sound effects were not visual, but you had to think about what you heard. Listen as we provide a few sound bites from such shows as “Fibber Mc Gee and Molly” Orson Wells “the Shadow” Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” classic, “Amos & Andy’s politician segment-nothing has changed much from 1939, and Jimmy Stewart’s Six Shooter series. Yes it is really sad, but video did kill the radio stars.

Volume/Episode eight: A Radiomentary Tribute to “Las Vegas in the early 60′s & 70′s with the Rat Pack & Elvis”

Volume/Episode 9: A Radiomentary Tribute to “Comedy and Stress Relief” 1940′s through 1970′s

Volume/Episode ten: A Radiomentary Tribute to “A Christmas Past” from a collection of early, moderate, and later classic Christmas songs.

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to a “Christmas Past” as we put a few logs on the fire, and sip some egg nog, and look for the hanging mistletoe. You will hear some very classic and some quite quirky Holiday songs, by the original singers who made them famous: “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reinder” by Gene Autry; “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt; “Run Run Rudolph” by Chuck Berry; “Christmas Time This Year” by the Chipmonks; “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley; “Silver Bells” by Elvis Presley, “Silent Night” by Bing Crosby; “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby; “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee; “Jingle Bell Rock” you guess this singer; and “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives. This will conclude our traditional old fashioned Christmas program, so send the kids off to bed to wait for Santa.

But don’t touch that dial! We have an adult, very green version of the Christmas Story as recorded for the Howard Stern Radio Show featuring special guests-Cheech & Chong so light up the fire, and pour a double egg nog and enjoy a “Green Christmas” for those inclined.

Volume/Episode Eleven: A nostalgic, educational, radiomentary tribute to the Blues.

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to the early days of the Blues. Starting with a contemporary entry featuring the Blues Brothers, then strolling back to hear some of the legends of the Blues. Leading off with Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” 1927 vintage, then followed by many early Blues legends: Blind Boy Fuller’s “Sweet Honey Hole” Buddy Guy’s “Hoochie Coochie Man” Sweet Emma’s “Jelly Roll” Muddy Water’s “Champagne & Reefer” Jake & Elwood Blues with “Rubber Biscuit” Bessie Smith’s “Wild about that Thing” John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” Memphis Minnie’s “Kissin in the Dark” Howlin Wolf’s “The Wolf is at your Door” Jimmy Reed’s “Bright Lights Big City” Sony Terry & Blind Boy Fuller’s “Harmonica Stomp” the we close it out with Muddy Waters, Memphis Slim, Willy Dixon, Otis Span, and an all-star cast of Blues legends as they each sing a line of “Bye Bye Blues” so sit back and enjoy the early music that made Rock n Roll possible, the Blues!

Volume/Episode Twelve: A Radiomentary Tribute to “Rockabilly” A blend of Country Honky-Tonk and Early Rock N Roll &Blues.

Johnny B takes you wayback on a nostalgic, educational, radiomentary visit to the origins of the “Rockabilly” sound of the early 1950′s. We start in the 1950′s with country honky-tonk, sung by Hank Williams and Patsy Cline to early Rock N Roll and Blues, to Rockabilly, then we come full circle and end with a modern version of the sound from the 1980′s. The Rockabilly sound started in Jackson, Tennesee and migrated to Memphis and a little recording studio named Sun Records gained stardom. Some of the early stars at Sun Records were Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, a young songwriter named Willie Nelson, and a teenager named Elvis Presley. We will hear them and others such as Johnny Burnette, Conway Twitty, Sonny James, Ferlin Husky, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, James Brown, Roy Orbison, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens and then end with a modern version of the rockabilly sound- the Stray Cats of the 1980′s. Sit back and enjoy some of the classic songs and the artists that made them possible: “The Rockabiilly Years”.