Sunday, January 16, 2011
THE YEAR IS 1964 & MS. ARETHA FRANKLIN'S ON THE T.V. SHOW SHINDIG! THAT COULDN'T BE SEEN IN THE EAST END BECAUSE OF BAD T.V. RECEPTION . . .
If we wanted to see our New World African Music heroes after school on SHINDIG! we had to go over to Buddy and Harry Chow's (plus four more kids, Frank had left home already) on 49th Avenue near Oakridge in VanCity cuz we couldn't pick the signal up in the East End with rabbit ears (those double pronged antennas).
Aretha was still with Columbia records at this time and hadn't made the jump to Atlantic records yet.
DJZigZag
Friday, January 14, 2011
HOW SWEET DADDY AND DJZigZag DECIDED TO TAKE ON THE EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR 2010 - IT ALL STARTED IN LAS VEGAS with BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND ! !
DJZigZag and Sweet Daddy Fonk were in the city of sin - Lost Wages, Nevada. It was probably 1982 or '83. They were in a rental car along with long-time sports car aficionado and ex-taxi cab driver Shepherd "White Bucks" Wong. Shepherd was driving.
Now, DJZigZag isn't a gambler. Sweet Daddy Fonk had dabble-gambled but at that time even SDF didn't really know Vegas that well - not as well as their craps-loving pal Shepherd. They were both thinking that it seemed like they'd been driving around the downtown core aimlessly when a sudden turn revealed what the boys knew to be "The Golden Mile" - that stretch now known as Old Las Vegas - that shimmering, blinding smash-your-eyes-out-with-neon light area that ZigZag had only seen in movies. A thrill in itself, but there was a life-changing addition to the moment. At precisely the time a film director would have said to his editor, "start the music here", the radio began honking out Bobby "Blue" Bland's #1 Rhythm & Blues hit from 1957 - "Farther Up The Road"!
It was a moment Sunny Sweet Daddy Fonk and DJZigZag would mention to each other for years to come until one day one of them added - "Y'know, we got such a thrill outta that, we should visit the land that gave birth to the music we love - The Southern U.S. of A." (or words to that effect).
In October, 2010 the grown and dusty lads headed to Seattle, WA. and then to Atlanta, GA. where they began a thirteen day cultural driving visit to Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina and Alabama.
At least a couple of times during the 2010 trip they laughed, as they'd done in the past, remembering how, on that fateful day in Las Vegas, NV, they had looked up from the scene brightly blaring into their eyes with Mr. Bland's music scoring the moment, turned to each other, made the "Oh, my Gawd!" connection and then looked at their pal Shepherd who was driving into the light totally unencumbered by their epiphany.
WAGRadio Management
Friday, January 7, 2011
EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010 SHOW # SIX - IS NOW PODCASTED ! ! ! AND IT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MR. RUSSELL MAR
One of the things that Sunny 'Sweet Daddy Fonk' Wong and DJZigZag
missed the most while they were away on there
EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR 2010
was the taste of Cantonese Cuisine.
They did go to a Chinese restaurant in Chattanooga TN. but it just wasn't the same.
Oh sure, the Chilean and Nicaraguan waiters passing themselves off as Guangdong originals were friendly enough but somehow they just didn't bring food to the table that met the high standards the boys were used to on the Left Coast of the Continent.
We know the plate of Lop Cheung (sausage) pictured here was a favourite of our pal Russell Mar, the founder of The Heart & Soul Record Shop on Commercial at 1st Ave. in VanCity. The shop was always a destination when Sunny & DJZZ were high school chums. The love of music and food was shared by Sunny, ZZ and Russ and his pals so we thought it fitting to feature this favourite as the dish of choice for this the
SIXTH EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010 SPECIAL . . .
Note: There is something significant about the first and last songs played on the latest E.E. South. Music Tour #6 and DJZZ will explain that in the future.
WAGRadio Management
Thursday, January 6, 2011
WINTER RIVER but WARM & COZY WAGRadio's STUDIO "B" with A NEW EAST END SOUTH. MUSIC TOUR SHOW 'BOUT TO PODCAST - DEDICATED TO EAST END's RUSSELL MAR
Thinking about it the other day, DJZigZag realized that some of the 45's that are being heard on the EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) programs were probably bought at Russell Mar's HEART AND SOUL Record Shop
on Commercial Drive at 1st Avenue in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
It was so easy to walk up to the store from Britannia High School during lunch and ask Gloria, Russell's right hand, and who some would call the 'boss of the boss', what the latest Rhythm 'n' Blues or Soul '45' was.
Heart and Soul Record Shop was the first New World African Music record store in British Columbia. It could have been the first in Western Canada.
I'll have to ask Alberta's Tommy Chong if he thinks that's true.
For all we know, Heart & Soul could have been the first record store in our country to dedicate itself to selling Black Music exclusively.
I, and you, dear reader, will have to set ourselves the task of finding out if that is the case.
Russell Mar was a pioneer. He quietly gave we who love 'our music' - our music !
Russell Mar . 6/21/1940 - 12/19/2010
The new EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) # SIX, dedicated to Russ, will be comin' your way in the next coupla' days.
DJZigZag
aka
Bill Reiter
photo: Ms. Marnie Coulter
Friday, December 31, 2010
BRAND NEW "EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010 # FIVE" IS READY - IT IS PODCASTED - AND IT COULD BE THE BEST YET ! ! FROM MISSISSIPPI ! !
SHOW NUMBER FIVE IN THE FABULOUSLY POPULAR SERIES FROM THE U.S. SOUTH -"EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010 *** IS SOON TO BE FOLLOWED BY SHOW NUMBER SIX. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE SHOWS THAT FOLLOW SHOW #5 - WILL ALL BE PRESENTED IN 2011 ! ! !
AND WHO KNOWS . . . SWEET DADDY FONK AND DJZigZag MAY ALSO BE HEADING DOWN TO SWEET HOME ALABAMA and MISSISSIPPI, NORTH & SOUTH CAROLINA, LOUISIANA and TEXAS IN 2011 for a 2nd fun foray INTO MORE MUSICAL and CULTURAL ADVENTURES.
BUT, THAT'S GETTING WAY AHEAD OF OURSELVES . . .
For now, LET'S JUST ENJOY THIS NEWLY POSTED Show # FIVE of the series which features all the original music from our lads youth in the EAST END OF VAN-CITY ! !
And remember - all the sound is original ** from original source material ** not digitally reprocessed or re-mixed. YOU HEAR IT THE THE THE BOYZ HEARD IT IN THEIR YOUTH !
DJZigZag thinks this is the best of the SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR shows so far.
JUST IN TIME TO END 2010 RIGHT ! !
"EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) # 5"
WAGRadio Management
Thursday, December 30, 2010
SWEET DADDY FONK SEZ HE'D WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE TALLAHATCHIE BRIDGE TO KEEP THE EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) SERIES ON THE AIR IN 2011 ! !
SUNNY 'SWEET DADDY FONK' WONG HAS SAID THAT THE RESPONSE HE'S BEEN GETTIN' FOR THE EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR SHOWS HAS BEEN NOTHIN' LESS THAN PHENOMENAL ! !. . .
So much so, that he'd walk to Mississippi to the Talahatchie Bridge to keep them comin' on WAGRadio.
THAT BRIDGE (From the Bobby Gentry Song "Ode To Billy Joe") TALKED ABOUT MR. McCALISTER THROWIN' SOMETHIN' OFF (THAT SOME SAY WASN'T VERY NICE) . . .
WE HERE AT WAGRadio HAVE TALKED IT OVER AND AGREE WITH MR. WONG - THE BROTHERS FROM DIFFE'NT MAMAS HAVE A STONE COLD HIT WITH NOT ONLY GRANDMAMAS AND GRANDPAPAS BUT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN TOO!
SO BRING ON 2011 - WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR Show #5 VISIT TO MISSISSIPPI AND THEN HEAD INTO ARKANSAS AND TENNESSEE AND THEN BACK TO GEORGIA.
ALONG WITH POSSIBLY AS MANY AS THREE MORE E.E. SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR SHOWS - DJZigZag WILL ALSO BE PRODUCING AND HOSTING HIS MORE CONTEMPORARY "GROOVIN' BLUE" PROGRAM.
So get out your grease-moppin' napkins cuz Show # FIVE is headin' your way . .
WAGRadio Managaement
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
***MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010*** OH, YES - IT'S A GROOVIN' BLUE CHRISTMAS WITH A SHOW OF XMAS NEW WORLD AFRICAN MUSIC - NOW PODCASTED ON WAGRadio ! ! !
CHRISTMAS 2010 AND DJZigZag HAS A GROOVIN' BLUE XMAS OF MUSICAL GOODIES
LINED UP FOR EVERYBODY WHO LOVES . . .
NEW WORLD AFRICAN MUSIC
A LOTTA OLD TRADITIONAL FAVOURITES LIKE JIMMY SMITH and AL GREEN plus WILLIAM BELL, CHARLES BROWN, BIG DADDY RUCKER, ROBERT BANKS with THE GOLDEN VOICES ENSEMBLE
PLUS
THE CONTEMPORARY HOLIDAY SOUNDS OF KELLY PRICE, NATURALLY 7, LYNDA RANDLE, CORINNE BAILEY RAE, R KELLY and so many more.
The GROOVIN' BLUE CHRISTMAS 2010 SHOW is dedicated to a lovely woman who has been gone for some time now. Mrs. Phyllis Ramsey was a most angelic human being and it is in her memory that DJZigZag joyfully plays the music (we so passionately love) on this 2010 Xmas Groovin' Blue.
HAPPY XMAS FROM THE WAGRadio STAFF ! !
Miss A - Production Co-Ordinator
Sunny Sweet Daddy Fonk Wong - On Air Personality and Transportation Supervisor
DJZigZag - On Air Personality and Program & Music Director
Keith White - Chief Engineer
JasMan - Computer Consultant
Ted Bishop - Staff Announcer
Blu Mankuma - Staff Announcer
Mike 'East End Kingadablues' Cvetkovich - Music Consultant (Historical)
Ron Simmonds - Music Consultant (Historical)
Morgan Tanner - Music Consultant (Contemporary)
WAGRadio Management
Friday, December 10, 2010
SHOW NUMBER FOUR OF 'EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010' IS NOW READY FOR Y'ALL's EARS - SWEET DADDY AND ZIGZAG are on the MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI
DJZIGZAG HAS HAD HIM A WHOLE HEAP O' CHICKEN THAT'S BEEN FRIED TO PERFECTION AND ALTHOUGH HE WON'T TALK ABOUT IT ON AIR (ask him about it if ya see him or ask Sweet Daddy) HE PAID THE PRICE FOR HIS OVERINDULGENCESIES ! ! !BUT NOW HE AND POPS WONG ARE SHARING THEIR ADVENTURES ON A RIVERBOAT ON THE MIGHTY MISS'A'SIPP and then THEY HEAD DOWN THE HIGHWAY OF THE BLUES WHERE THEY GET STUCK BEHIND A TRUCK CARRYIN' COTTON.
IT'S ALL PART OF SHOW # FOUR - 'EAST END SOUTHERN MUSIC TOUR (IS FUN) 2010'
And it features the great music of our lads' heroes - LITTLE JR. PARKER, JAMES CARR, SAM & DAVE, BOOKER T & THE MG's, ARETHA FRANKLIN, KING CURTIS, OTIS REDDING, BETTY LaVETTE and so many more . . .
WAGRadio Management
***HUGE HIT ON WAGRadio*** STATIK SELEKTAH & TERMANOLOGY and 'YOU SHOULD GO HOME' - MUCH DISCUSSION BEFORE WE PLAYED THIS GANGSTA GOODIE
WE REALLY HAD TO MULL THINGS OVER AT WAGRadio BEFORE WE DECIDED TO FEATURE THIS GREAT CHOON by STATIK SELEKTAH & TERMANOLEGY BUT WE LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT WE SWALLOWED OUR UP-TIGHTNESS AND WENT WITH IT.
ENJOY ! !
WAGRadio Managemnet
Thursday, December 2, 2010
NO MORE SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN and HOG MAW OR CATFISH and HUSHPUPPIES - GIVE ME SOME WEST COAST OF CANADA FOOD AND A BRAND NEW GROOVIN' BLUE 10 - 13 !
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE . . . NO MORE SOUTHERN FOOD . . . UNLESS ITS FROM THE SOUTH OF CHINA ! ! !WE BACK ON THE WEST COAST AND DJZigZag HAS GOTTEN UP TO HIS OL' WAYS WITH A BRAND NEW GROOVIN' BLUE 10 -13 ! ! !
THIS ONE FEATURES SOME WONDERFUL CHOONS by JAZMINE SULLIVAN, KITREL WILLIAMS, CEE LO 'F-U' GREEN, CORINNE BAILEY RAE, SOULJA BOY, BOW WOW plus a coupla older things by MONGO SANTAMARIA and JIMMY SABATER and Brit guitarist RONNIE JORDON.
SO DIG INTO THAT PLATE OF PEE DOW CHA SIU WAHT DAN FAUN (peas with bbq pork, egg over rice) and HAUM DAN YUK BEUNG (salty egg and steamed pork) and LET US GET FUNKY WITH IT . .
Note: In reality DJZigZag and SDFonk Wong have at least two more East End Southern Music Tour (Is Fun) 2010 shows left in their soul satchel and those Soul-food filled programs will be comin' your way real soon.
WAGRadio Management
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