We hear part 2 of our interview with Levi Dexter as we discuss American TV performances of Levi & The Rockats, their eventual split, formation of Levi & The Ripchords and the Stray Cats. We also hear rockers from Johnny Burnette, Chan Romero, JD McPherson, The Katmen, Robert Gordon, Buzz & The Flyers, Rhythm Bound and Joe Bennett!! Hear episode here: Download all episodes HERE! Intro Voice Over- Rob "Cool Daddy" Dempsey Johnny & Dorsey Burnette- "Rock Billy Boogie" Rhythm Bound- "Let Your Daddy Drive" Chan Romero- "I Want Some More" JD McPherson- "Everybody's Talking 'Bout The All American" Joe Bennett- "Bayou Rock"
Levi Dexter interview Segment 1 Levi & The Rockats- "Note From The South" Segment 2 Levi & The Rockats- "Love This Cat" Segment 3 Levi & The Ripchords- "I Get So Excited" Segment 4 Levi & The Ripchords- "Other Side Of Midnight" Segment 5 Stray Cats- "Runaway Boys" Segment 6 The Katmen- "Love's All Gone" Buzz & The Flyers- "New Girlfriend" Robert Gordon- "The Fool"
The Beatles played their last of 292 appearances at The Cavern Club on August 3rd, 1963. Ringo had replaced Pete Best in August of 1962. This final appearance was only a month after "She Loves You" was released and about 6 months before their first United States visit. Their setlist included several Rockabilly and Soul cover tunes from the likes of Chuck Berry, Arthur Alexander, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Larry Williams, The Coasters, Dr. Feelgood, Ray Charles, Billy Lee Riley, Chan Romero and others. Here is the complete setlist from their Cavern shows:
Ain’t She Sweet (John) Johnny B.Goode (John) Sheik Of Araby (George) Anna (John) Kansas City (Paul) Sheila (George) Baby It’s You (John) Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (John) Shimmy Shimmy (John) Beatle Bop (Instrumental) Lend Me Your Comb (John) Shine (George) Beautiful Dreamer (Paul) Like Dreamers Do (Paul) Shot Of Rhythm And Blues (John/Paul) Besame Mucho(Paul) Locomotion (John) Slow Down (John) Boys (Ringo) Long Tall Sally (Paul) Soldier Of Love (John) Chains (George) Love Me Tender Some Other Guy (John/Paul) Clarabella (Paul) Love Of The Loved (Paul) Stand By Me (John) Claudette (Paul) Loving You (Paul) Sure To Fall (Paul) Darktown Strutters Ball (George) Lucille (Paul) Sweet Little Sixteen (John) Don’t Ever Change (George/Paul) Matchbox (Ringo) Talkin’ ‘Bout You (John) Dream (George) Maybellene (John) A Taste Of Honey (Paul) Dream Baby (Paul) Memphis (John) Three Cool Cats (George) Falling In Love (George) Money (John) Till There Was You (Paul) Glad All Over (George) Mr. Moonlight (John) Time (George) Hello Little Girl (John) My Bonnie Tip Of My Tongue (Paul) Hey Baby (Paul) Nothin’ Shakin’(George) To Know Her Is To Love Her (John) Hey Good Lookin’ (George) Oh! My Soul(Paul) Too Much Monkey Business (John) Hey Hey Hey Hey (Paul) Open (George) Tutti Frutti (Paul) Hippy Hippy Shake (Paul) Over The Rainbow (Paul) Twist And Shout (John) Honeymoon Song (Paul) Picture Of You (George) What A Crazy World (George) Hully Gully (John) Pinwheel Twist (Instrumental) What’d I Say (Paul) I Call Your Name (John) Please Mr. Postman (John) What’s Your Name (John) I Forgot To Remember To Forget (George) Quarter To Three (Paul/John) Where Have You Been (John) If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (John/Paul) Rip It Up (Paul) Wooden Heart (Paul) I’m A Hog For You Baby (Paul/John) Red Hot (George) Yakety Yak (George/John) I’m Gonna Sit Right Down & Cry (John) Red Sails In The Sunset (Paul) You Better Move On (John) I’m Henry The Eighth (George) Roll Over Beethoven (George) Young Blood (George) I Remember You (Paul) The Saints Your Feet’s Too Big (John/Paul) It’s Now Or Never (Paul) Save The Last Dance For Me
1994's The Beatles Live At The BBC was a huge success and showcased many of the band's live performances live on the air. This new 63 song compilation showcases 37 previously unreleased performances and 23 unreleased in-studio banter. Among the tracks include covers of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Chan Romero, Ray Charles and Carl Perkins. Here's is the full track listing:
We recently got to spend some time with Chan Romero on the phone talking about rock & roll, his faith in Jesus and all sorts of things. He was a total delight to talk to and his story is one repeating. I read that your earliest influence was Elvis Presley.
Elvis was my inspiration
in the beginning. I had 5 brothers and 4
sisters. All my brothers played guitar
and sang. They were country singers. I was the only one that didn’t play. I was 14 when I saw Elvis on the Steve Allen
Show sing “Hound Dog”. That blew me away
to the place where I said “I’ve got to do that!”
You later signed to Del-Fi Records. How did that happen?
Ritchie died February 3,
1959. He was my next inspiration after
Elvis. When he died, a friend of mine
that was a DJ…Don Redfield…told me that I reminded him of Ritchie Valens. He sent a tape of some songs I had written
down to Bob Keane at Del-Fi and that’s how I got signed.
Didn't you do some demos there on that same recorder Ritchie used?
I went to Bob’s house
after we had recorded at Gold Star. He
had a little 2-track machine and he said it was the machine he recorded “Donna”
on. It came out so good that they
released it that way and it went top 10.
The Beatles were impacted by "Hippy Hippy Shake" in those early days performing in Hamburg and then at the Cavern Club and even performed it on the BBC. Paul still puts it in his set periodically. Did you ever have any contact with those guys?
No I never had any contact with The Beatles or The
Swinging BlueJeans but they sure did a lot for my music.
Did you ever have any idea how that song would make an impact when you wrote it?
No, I tell people all the
time that I wrote 600 or 700 songs and most of those songs are so much better
than “Hippy Hippy Shake” but it was the one that caught hold. It was just recently in X-Men: First Class. One of
my sons called me from the theater and said "they're playing your song!". I
asked him which version they were using and he said it was my version
Around 1964 you were a touring member of The Crickets for several months. How did this come about?
I’m surprised you found
out about that one (laughs). A friend of
mine Jerry Naylor took over for Buddy after he was killed. He sounded a lot like him. He didn’t play an instrument but was a really
good front man. He became a good friend
of mine. When he moved to LA, I got
together with him one time and he had brought Glen Campbell in to town from
Albuquerque. He got him going too. Jerry asked “is there any way you could come
work with the Crickets for a while?”
Glen D. Hardin and his wife were having a baby and he didn’t want to go
out on the road. They had a Midwestern
tour getting ready to go and they needed someone to cover for him. I talked with my band and they were able to
continue on with the gigs we were playing then.
I really enjoyed working with Jerry Naylor, Sonny Curtis and Jerry
Allison. (names). We had quite a
time. The first gig we did in Sacramento
with 4 Seasons and The Beach Boys.
What is really interesting to me is that at the height of your popularity, you gave it all up after you dedicated your life to Jesus.
Yeah, I had my band and we were
up in Quebec. It was around Christmas
time and I was going to come home for the holidays to be with the family. My wife and I had 3 kids at the time. My wife had come to the Lord. She and her sister were really hungry for a
spiritual movement of God in their life.
The family all got saved and I had no desire to leave my new experience
with the Lord and go back to Canada to continue the lifestyle I was in
there. It wasn’t really bad but I just
knew it wasn’t right. I called the guys
in the band and said I won’t be coming back.
They said, “What’s wrong are you sick?”.
I said "no, I met the best friend that I've ever had and his name is Jesus. I’ve decided to follow Jesus." They thought I had lost my coins
(laughs). When I left there I had a
bunch of instruments and a trailer full of equipment. I said I’m just giving this to you guys as a
sacrifice to the Lord. I had just signed
a recording contract with a couple of producers in New York (Jeff
Barry and Shadow Morton) and signed a contract with the same label the Four Seasons were
on. I had recorded 4 sides and left the
whole thing to follow the Lord. I started
my own label Warrior Records and started releasing my own gospel material. I’ve been recording right along and written a
lot of songs. The Lord has been good to
us.
I'm sure your popularity also gave you a bigger platform to spread the good news.
Yeah that’s true. There’s not as much interest in the music now as there was back
then. I’m currently working with a
ministry called Twin Eagles Ministries.
I’m one of the pastors there.
We’ve pastored 7 churches so far.
We’re thankful for what the Lord has done.
How can people reach you if they are interested about your music or ministry?
I have a couple of addresses and an email address:
If anyone is interested in
our music, they can contact us at either one of these or email. We could send a brochure of our recordings.
Do you still get requests to come out and play your rock & roll tunes?
I get a call every once in
a while to do a rockabilly venue or a rock and roll oldies show. We’re getting ready to do one October 23rd. We do those occasionally or if they call us
from Europe or overseas. We’ve been to
Austraila 3 times. We had a top 10
record there. It’s amazing where those
sounds and that music will take you to.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, you've most likely heard his biggest hit "Hippy Hippy Shake". Chan Romero released this single originally in 1959 on the Del-Fi record label. Chan had a similar style to Ritchie Valens who also recorded for Del-Fi but was tragically killed in that plane crash in February of '59 along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. "Hippy Hippy Shake" has long been a favorite of Paul McCartney as The Beatles used to perform this one live during their early Cavern Club days and he still periodically works it in to his set these days as well. It's also appeared in such movies as Uncle Buck, Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery and others. The Georgia Satellites also covered it on the Cocktail soundtrack in 1988. Hear the original from Chan here....
