The show description includes these gems: “90 minutes of classic rock from an alternate universe” and “all the hits that missed.” The DJ is Rock and Roll George and his show is The Radio Still Screams. We spoke on January 21.
Michael A. Brown: Where is the alternate universe and what kinds of music come from there?
Rock and Roll George: It’s somewhere near the Marvel 616, which is the comic book universe. It kind of goes back to a question from Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols about 30 years ago, who wanted to know why classic rock stations didn’t play his band’s music. And there were other bands who didn’t sell a lot of records, but who were influential and still couldn’t get air play. Even now, it’s like every year there’s a new band the stations decide they’re not going to play. But I play them on KOOP.
MAB: You play “All the Hits That Missed.” If a recording you think should have been a hit but wasn’t, how come? … and give us a few examples please.
R&RG: Sometimes there’s a bit of revisionist history. For example, some people considered Ramones’ songs that were fairly well-known … like Blitzkreig Bop and I Want to Be Sedated … to be hits, but they didn’t get much radio play or make the charts at the time. Another example is a band that’s important to our show, the New York Dolls. The single from their first album had Personality Crisis on the “A” side and Trash on the ‘B” side, and in my opinion that single should have been a massive hit. Those are only some of a very long long list of great songs that should have been hits.
MAB: Your playlists include rock from 1964 thru 2010. Which types of rock have endured in some fashion in that time frame, and which have shown up but quickly faded?
R&RG: Most of what we play has been pretty durable. There has been an evolution from the ‘60s garage rock to the punk rock of the ‘70s, and also the metal of the ‘70s. And the sound of groups like The Beatles and The Who has traveled well through the years. Of course, the next generation of popular bands is always influenced by earlier bands, including those that weren’t selling many records. For example, Nirvana didn’t sound like Boston … it sounded like The Ramones, and Green Day wasn’t covering for REO Speedwagon. I specifically would like to hear a 50’s Rock N Roll show on KOOP.
MAB: You’re especially fond of The Ramones. What is your history with them and their music?
R&RG: My parents went to see and hear The Ramones in San Antonio about 3 months before I was born, so technically that was my first Ramones show. They have had such a lasting impact from where they started, and it continues to this day in new bands. Almost everything that’s rock and roll from 1976 on has been influenced by them in some way. So on my show we chronicle everything that led up to them and everything that has followed them. I play one of their songs every Monday at 4pm.
MAB: You have interviewed some cool and interesting musicians for the show.Tell us about them please.
R&RG: We have never had less-than-legends on our show. We’ve had Bobby Steele and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, both major guitarists with The Misfits, Sylvain Sylvain from the New York Dolls, and Cheetah Chrome from The Dead Boys.
MAB: What music and which performers are you hearing nowadays that might eventually make the air on The Radio Still Screams?
R&RG: Definitely leading the pack are Amyl and the Sniffers. They’re always almost off the rails, but always keep it on the rails, which you really need in rock and roll. Locally, we have Drakulas and The Oxys, who do great records. Rock is kind of like a cult again, and that’s when it’s at its best. Good bands are out there, but you gotta look hard. So I do look hard, and when I find them, I bring them to the people.
MAB: Talk about some of the artists and recordings you’ll be featuring on your next couple shows.
R&RG: We’ll be featuring John Sykes, who was a guitarist with Tygers of Pan Tang and the final album by Thin Lizzy. He passed away recently. I always intend to plan shows ahead of time, but somehow my playlists really don’t come together until Sunday, right before the shows.
MAB: Besides KOOP and your show, what other music and community activities are you involved in?
R&RG: I like to go out and be supportive of local musicians, catch their shows and support them that way.
You can enjoy The Radio Still Screams with Rock and Roll George every Monday at 3pm.
Interview by Michael A. Brown