Roy's Record Room on CKUA

This week, on Triple-R Radio, Roy journeys back to the dawn of recorded sound for a celebration of Black Musical Pioneers at 78 rpm. He starts in 1911 with the Fisk Jubilee Quartet and winds things up in 1935 with Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood”.

In-between, you’ll hear an eclectic batch of performances from folks like Clifford Hayes’ Louisville Stompers (1927), Bert Williams (1919), Kokomo Arnold (1934), the Spirits Of Rhythm (1933), Noble Sissle & Eubie Blake (1924), Ethel Waters with James P Johnson (1928) and more, all spinning from ten-inch shellac 78 rpm records.

In the middle is a triple-shot of caffeine from the wild man of early Jazz, Cab Calloway. Cab and his band turn in a frenetic performance of “Some Of These Days”, a song written in 1910 by the black Canadian composer and singer, Shelton Brooks. Shelton also penned “Darktown Strutters’ Ball”. Both songs now reside in the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Hang on to your hats when the hi-de-ho man takes control of the turntable on RRR.

The spin begins this Sunday, February 19^th at 2 PM, MT on donor supported CKUA Radio. Dial in for a celebration of Black Musical Pioneers at 78 rpm on Rooooy’s Record Room, the show that continues to revolve.

This week on Triple-R Radio, Roy’s really gonna rock the bop with his annual RRR Mid-Winter Rockin’ 78 Dance Party. Tune in for a whole lotta shaking from Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, Wanda Jackson, Janis Martin, Lonnie Donegan, Carl Mann, Little Richard and more, spinning from the original 1950s 78s.

An undeniable highlight of this dance party is a 78 by a guy named Joe Clay. Born in Louisiana, Joe made a few hot sides for the Vik label in 1956. Unfortunately, he had a domineering manager who didn’t let him tour much outside of the New Orleans area. As well, sometime in 1956, Joe scored a spot on the Ed Sullivan show. Instead of having Joe sing his current single, “Duck Tail”, Ed insisted that the lad sing “Only You, a current Platters hit. Joe was only seventeen years old, mired down in the music biz of the 1950s. Roy spins the tune Joe should have played on the Ed Sullivan show – “Duck Tail”.

The non-stop excitement begins this Sunday, February 12^th, 2 PM, Mountain, on CKUA. Consider yourself invited to the annual Mid-Winter Rockin’ 78 Dance Party on Rooooy’s Record Room, the show that’ll shake your nerves and rattle your brains

It’s a jazzy shellac world this week on Roy’s Record Room as Triple-R host, Roy Forbes, digs deep in those crates of 78s for some serious early jazz action. You’ll hear indispensable sides from the likes of Bix Beiderbecke, Jay McShann’s Kansas City Stompers with Julia Lee, Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers, Count Basie with Jimmy Rushing. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and so much more.

Among the many highlights is a 1932 platter from the Washboard Rhythm Kings, an informal collective of top-flight jazzers who made numerous loose, jug-band type discs between 1930 and 1935. Their washboard-driven recording of Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is The Ocean” features some inspired wordless vocalizing from early scat pioneer, Leo Watson. Not to be missed.

The spin begins this Sunday, February 5^th, 2 PM, Mountain, on CKUA. Dial in for a stack of jazzy 78s from the crates on Rooooy’s Record Room, The show that revolves and reveals. Sixteen years and counting.

This week, on Triple-R Radio, Roy checks out a fresh stack of 45s that recently showed up in The Room. You’ll hear the obscure and the familiar from the likes of Doris Troy, Joe Barry, the Flamingos, the Fiestas, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, the Impressions, the Marvelettes, and so many more.

Here’s a FUN highlight. Before the official British Invasion led by the Beatles in 1964, two of the top English rock ‘n’ roll imports to Canada were Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Cliff and the Shadows were all over the radio, together and separately. Well, actually, most of the early Cliff Richard 45s featured the Shadows as his backing band. Like “Dancing Shoes”, from 1963.

The spin begins this Sunday, January 29^th, at 2 PM on CKUA. Tune in for a Fingerfulla 45s on Roooy’s Record Room, the show that continues to revolve.

Hecks-a-poppin this week on Roy’s Record Room as Mr. Forbes presents another instalment in the ‘78s from the crates series. You’ll hear a 1930 super session with the Blue Yodeler, Jimmie Rodgers, joined by Louis Armstrong and his wife, Lil, for an unforgettable musical meeting. Bessie Smith sings of the devastating Christmas Day Nashville flood of 1926 Hank Williams sings about another river. John Lee Hooker hears his mama and papa talking late into the night.

A true highlight is a 1953 disc from Portuguese singer, Amalia Rodrigues, Queen of Fado. Amalia declares her lifelong love for Fado. She says, “Fado was my beginning, it will be my end”. Portugal declared its love for Amalia by declaring three days of mourning upon her death in 1999.

The spin begins on Sunday, January 22^nd, 2 PM, Mountain, on CKUA. Dial in for more 78s from the crates on Rooooy’s Record Room, the show that continues to revolve.

2022 was another year of discovery on Triple-R Radio’s ‘78s from the crates’ series. This New Years Day, Roy spins some of the shellac that stood out. You’ll hear Western Swing from Spade Cooley. Hot string band Hillbilly from the Plainsmen. Jive vocals from the Royal Rhythm Boys. Fiery string-band jazz from Joe Venuti & Eddie Lang. Clean blues fingerpicking from Blind Blake. Acapella Gospel from the Birmingham Jubilee Singers. Rockin’ jump-blues from Annisteen Allen. And that’s just scratching the surface.

The first spin of 2023 begins this Sunday, January 1^st, 2 PM, Mountain, on CKUA. Dial in for some 2022 ‘78s from the crates’ highlights on Rooooy’s Record Room, the show that resolves to revolve and reveal.

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to more shellac and vinyl in 2023 on Triple-R Radio aka RRR aka The Room aka Roy’s Record Room.