Listen here to this week’s Cruising with The Commissioner:
Well, as we prepared for this week’s Cruising with The Commissioner, we were aiming for some suitable distractions from the current events. So, we loaded the trusty Cruise Mobile with a playlist to bring more than a little cheer to the friendly faces. There were a few suggestions from others too, like Matt The Cat, The Shake, Jamie Dell’Apa and Pete and Diane, which all helped, as we headed off down those forgotten and overgrown backroads of the music we love.
This week’s choices were influenced in part by remembering a a few past gigs by Mike Sanchez & his excellent band, who always delivered a rocking good time. Before they became Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, they were known as The Royals and they gave us a little gem called ‘All NIght Long’. Then there was Trini Lopez with an early recording he made in London . . . his take on Otis Blackwell and Eddie Cooley’s ‘Fever’ . . . which was followed fast by Eddie Cooley himself with another Otis Blackwell song. But, to set the mood right, we kicked off the show with Ernie Freeman and his 1958 Imperial 45 ‘Jamboree’ . . .
All Night Long
Jamboree – Ernie Freeman
Mighty Mighty Man – Bobby Darin
Highway 60 – Mike Sanchez & His Band
All Night Long – The Royals
Staring Down The Barrel Of The Blues – Tommy Dardar
Lucky Is My Name – Bruce Cloud
Yama Yama (Pretty Mama) – Mike Sanchez
Safronia B – Calvin Boze
Fever – Trini Lopez
All Shook Up – Eddie Cooley & The Dimples
Girls & Guitars
Winds of Change – Debbie Bond
Wow Wow Wee
Silk Satin & Lace – Ray Scott
Cricket Champions – Lord Kitchener
Doo Wop Stop
When We Get Married – The Dreamlovers
Wow Wow Wee – The Angels
I Know
I Know – Lulu Reed
Everybody’s Got A Buick – Mike Sanchez & His Band
Forty Cups of Coffee – Bill Haley & His Comets
Rock Around The Clock – Li’l Millett
This week’s Girls & Guitars feature focused on American blues singer and guitarist, Debbie Bond. She’s out on tour now promoting her new single called ‘Winds of Change’ . . . which just happened the our choice this time round. Then, it was Pete and Diane suggesting something for our Doo Wop Stop.
Long time members of the Cruising Crew will know that I have a soft spot for some big band calypso, especially by Lord Kitchener, who was one of those to leave the Caribbean to settle in the UK and he brought with him his enthusiasm for cricket, which was demonstrated well on our choice, ‘Cricket Champions’. But, long before we were ready, Mr Merlot was raising his eyebrows and nodding towards the clock, so we reluctantly, turned the Cruise Mobile for home with Bill Haley and ‘Forty Cups Of Coffee’ and then a familiar title, ‘Rock Around The Clock’, but probably not the version we played by New Orleans own Li’l Millett.
Then we were home safe and sound, the Cruise Mobile’s parked up and polished, all ready for next week when we hope you’ll join us again to go Cruising with The Commissioner. Until then . . . remember . . . have fun!
Broadcast by Reflections Radio on 14 June 2024
Just Cruising 