SING THIS…DO YOU REMEMBER that’s the line the TUNEWEAVERS sing in the middle of Happy Birthday Baby.  I’ve been using that as a jingle on the radio for years. On September 28th I was blessed with an honorary degree in what is called “DUSTYOLOGY”, the study and preservation of Oldie/Dusty music that was made and/or played here in Chicago.  So now that you know that, let’s do the first installment of our musical journal to be known as DOCTOR DUSTY’S DIARY a snapshot look at what you heard on the radio or in the record shop somewhere in Chicago way back when. The * asterisk * after the year indicates the event or song had something to do with Chicago people, the explanation follows. So lets start remembering!

     OCTOBER Week #1 1993 Wilson Pickett gets a one year jail term for D.U.I.-not in Chicago! 1991 The TV show Ray Charles 50 Years In Music brought great reviews 1975 *This Will Be by Natalie Cole was all over the radio 1970 Can’t turn on the radio without hearing Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross 1967 * Jackie Wilson is in Chicago to record Higher And Higher 1963 * The Impressions dominate your sing-a-longs with It’s Alright 1961 Phil Spector’s hit on the Crystals was on WLS 1959 * Some of us thought Smokey Robinson was a female singing Bad Girl 1958 Did you get tickets for the concert?…with Buddy Holly, the Coasters and Bobby Darin? 1955 Only You was the Platters first major hit.

     THE CHICAGO CONNECTION 1975 This Will Be was recorded at P.S. studios 323 E. 23RD Street adjacent to Sauer’s Restaurant that now would be on the western edge of McCormick Place.  I really miss both of those places.  Natalie’s first two albums were done at P.S. 1967 Jackie Wilson’s comeback tune Higher And Higher sounds like it was done at Chicago’s Universal Recording but may have been recorded in house at Brunswick on 14th and Michigan 1963 This I know:The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield from Cabrini Green and Richard Pegue from Grand Crossing get together at Universal 46 E. Walton–I clap my hands–and Curtis does everything else-and It’s Alright is a huge HIT 1959 Because of his high tenor some thought that Smokey was a girl on Bad Girl, and because the record came out on our Chess record label, were the Miracles from Chicago? NO to both.  Note: If you ever get a chance to see a documentary called “Chicago’s Record Row” concentrate on it.  It’s one of the priceless records of our record making history.

     I HEARD IT ON THE RAY DEE OH and it took me back to 1977.  It was by Donna Gaines whom you know as Donna Summer, the queen of “Disco”.  The song was I Feel Love and for some reason it forced me to pump up the volume while negotiating the construction on the Ryan between downtown and the split at 99th street.  It was late and the rhythm, the traffic, and the construction seemed to mesh together with the pounding drums and synthesizer sounds pulsing from my somewhat adequate 215,000 mile radio.  I was in a Dan Ryan Expressway movie or computer game, beating, pounding on the steering wheel with the electronic drums while harmonizing with Donna’s soaring sustained volcals.  Donna and Richard riding reelin’ and rockin’ on the Ryan.  What station? “LOVE 100”.  It reminds me of the way some Chicago stations sounded during the “wanna be, but won’t be” period of 1975 – 76.  They still don’t get it.  And what’s on YOUR RADIO’S PUSH BUTTONS?

ON THE TEE WEE Friday afternoons on channel 25 in the Comcast system, see REPORT TO THE PEOPLE with Rev. LEONARD BARR.  He’s been doing this show for 7 years while interviewing a variety of guests that would astound you.  The Best Music Of Your Life will soon become a segment of the show featuring an assortment of interesting places to go and things to do.  As soon as we get more information we’ll let you know.  Another interesting local weekly television moment can be spent with SHEILA FRAZIER’s MOVIN FORWARD half hour show now airs on Thursday evenings at 6:30. >> In big time TV, I missed the opening of this season’s “Desperate Housewives” and “Gray’s Anatomy” and my “60 Minutes” too.  Darn It !!!!

     IN THE LIBRARY The more I kept the OUR UNCLE SAM book open, the more I couldn’t close it.  After years of theorizing on what was going on, to have the inside family view that ERICK GREEN offers makes it a whole new thing.

     IT’S OUR MUSIC and I still don’t know why the people on the radio don’t respect their musical elders by playing ANY of the good old gospel standards.  I mean “I Won’t Be Back” by the Caravans or “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” by The Staple Singers.  Out of fairness to the people in the religious radio community, we acknowledge the fact that they do not necessarily have control of what they may always play on the radio, it would seem like someone could get back there to the dusties like they used to do.  “Peace Be Still” - Or does anybody care anymore?

     IT’S JUST JAZZ Thanks for the comments on our last week’s installment about Ray Charles and his jazz oriented work on Atlantic and ABC/Impulse.  We still say the best Ray vocal album is “The Genius Of Ray Charles” on Atlantic.  “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” is hi-fi heaven.

     BLUES FOR USE >> You should know about the stuff that Chess records was recording in the back room.  Before moving down to 2120 S. Michigan, Chess / Checker recorded a ton of blues music in the small studios on 48th and Cottage Grove, and at the downtown studios.  There is a box set of Checker Label blues product out there in some of the stores.  The last time I saw it? About 2 years ago at Tower Records on Clark.  I REALLY MISS TOWER.  Try the Jazz Record Mart on Wabash.  Support YOUR blues….Get It???

    ON THE LINE >> The Line Dancers are more active than ever!  And so much of this activity is a southside thing.  The ATLAS CENTER at 79th and Cregier is the headquarters for so many seniors who slide and glide with GEORGIA through the week.  The Department Of Aging is at 1767 E. 79th street.  Call Natalie at 312 747 0189 and ask Natalie or Bess for Information.  We hear good things are happening with the 79th Street Seniors.