By Adam Waldman
Hard Rock Daddy was launched in March of 2013 (the month of my dad’s birthday), but the foundation for the site was actually laid long before I became a dad myself.
In my youth, my family would pile into our yellow Cadillac Coupe De Ville on Long Island and head towards New York City to visit my grandmother on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We didn’t have smartphones or iPods to entertain ourselves. Hell, we didn’t even have Walkmans yet, so we listened to the music that my dad chose, which was always WCBS-FM (a NYC “Oldies” station). Listening to another station was not up for debate. The only debate that took place back then was between my two siblings and me fighting not to have to sit on “the hump” in the middle of the back seat.
For my dad, WCBS-FM was the last bastion of “real music” (which he defined as anything from the mid ‘50s-mid ‘60s). I vividly remember him telling us that there was no good music made after 1964. Of course, I didn’t agree, but his passion for “real music” was passed down to me. During the ride home from the city, we usually listened to Don K. Reed’s Doo Wop Shop. With no other choice but to listen to the music in the car, I developed an appreciation for Doo Wop music.
My dad painted such a vivid picture about life in the ‘50s, and the soundtrack of his youth, that it made me nostalgic for a time period that I never experienced (at least not firsthand). I felt like his descriptions came to life when I watched the movie Grease, and even more so when I watched my favorite childhood television show, Happy Days.
My dad tragically passed away 15 years ago today, but he left an impression on me that will last a lifetime. Today, as I mourn his loss, I am also mourning the loss of Garry Marshall, who passed away yesterday at the age of 81. Like my dad, Marshall also left a lasting impression on me by helping to shape the nostalgic moments of my youth with his television shows (including Happy Days).
To honor my dad, on what is always a somber day reflecting upon what might have been if he wasn’t taken from us before my children were born, I have put together a playlist of songs from his era that were covered by artists of my era. The YouTube playlist below features both the original and rock and roll cover versions of each song. Enjoy this nostalgic journey back in time…
{Scroll down to see list of songs}
“Ain’t That A Shame” – Cheap Trick (1979) / Fats Domino (1955)
“Summertime Blues” – The Who (1979) / Eddie Cochrane (1958)
“Johnny B. Goode” – Judas Priest (1988) / Chuck Berry (1958)
“Sea Of Love” – The Honeydrippers (1985) / Phil Phillips (1959)
“Dancing In The Streets” – Van Halen (1982) / Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (1964)
“(Oh) Pretty Woman” – Van Halen (1982) / Roy Orbison (1964)
“Remember (Walking In The Sand)” – Aerosmith (1980) / The Shangri-Las (1964)
“The Leader Of The Pack” – Twisted Sister (1985) / The Shangri-Las (1964)
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