MY DOG ……. A SURPRISE FOR ME
OR
HOW I FINALLY GOT HIM!
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PAGE SEVENTEEN:
CASANOVA/PUPPY …….
FATS DOMINO’S GREATEST FAN
Casanova/Puppy is now Ten Years Old
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When I work around the house, I generally listen to Internet Radio or else some of my CDs. While I work, Casanova/Puppy likes to follow me around and will sit or lay down as he watches as I work. Sometimes, I must confess, I wish his paws had opposable thumps and fingers so he could help!
Soon after he came to live with me, I noticed that he seemed to prefer certain genres of music and certain tunes in particular and even particular artists. Using the intensity and gusto of his tail wagging as an indicator, it did not take long to notice that Fats Domino soon became a special favourite of his!
Fats Domino & His Band seen here in the film, Disc Jockey Jamboree (1957)
Fats Domino – Wait and See, as performed in the film, Disc Jockey Jamboree
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Several years ago, I discovered Angel Radio, which is both an FM (Frequency Modulation) and an Internet Radio Station and is known as Your Nostalgia Station. The Radio Station was founded by Tony Smith in 1999 in the English town of Havant in The County of Hampshire.
Top Left: Presenters of Angel Radio outside the entrance to the Station;
Top Right: Tony Smith, founder of the Station; Bottom Right: Logo;
Bottom Left: Tony Smith with Dame Vera Lynn (1917-2020) when she visited the Station.
Angel Radio offers programming for everyone, but with special reference to the older generation. Programmes consist of an eclectic range of music, from Light Classical, Brass Bands, Theatre Organ, Big Band Swing, Film & Theatre Music to early Rock ‘n’ Roll. This is achieved by the playing of Vintage Records, which allows the listeners to not only enjoy the music, but also recall past memories. Unlike the majority of other music Radio Stations available to listeners today, Angel Radio does not employ Deejays (DJ; Disc Jockey), but has its programmes introduced by older Presenters. Programmes consist of request shows and some spotlighting of a particular singer of yesterday. In addition, Angel Radio offers a Church Service each Sunday morning at 9 a.m. and an occasional Comedy Programme from the 1950s.
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Here in the U.S. on Fridays during the late morning (i.e. 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, EST; 16.00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT; 4 p.m. U.K. Time), Angel Radio airs a programme entitled, Keith’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, which is presented by Keith Read, a musician and regular Presenter on Angel Radio where he also presents other programmes either alone or with his wife, Pam Read.
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Pam & Keith Read
At the start of his musical career, Keith Read played with a number of bands including, The Impalas. Later, Keith joined the band, The Wild Angels, and In 1969, the band backed Gene Vincent (1935-1971) when they appeared, and topped-the-bill, at the London Palladium.
The Wild Angels – It Keeps Raining
Keith was also part of the band when it supported Bill Haley (1925-1981) when he appeared at the Hammersmith Palais. Keith has also supported a number of other artists including The Jordanaires (who provided background vocals for Elvis between 1956 and 1972) in 1997, Screaming Lord Sutch (1940-1999), Shakin’ Stevens (1948), Matchbox and a number of others. Once Keith and Pam had children, he stopped touring and worked locally with his band, Triple Echo, along with Pam playing drums.
Pam learned classical piano as a child, and has played drums, bass guitar and piano in bands, but gave this up with the birth of their children (three boys born in 1973, 1976 and 1978). In 1977, she began playing drums again and was later invited to join a Function Band as its vocalist. This led her and Keith to form their own Function Band named Diamond. She is also a regular Presenter at Angel Radio.
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I have been a regular listener to Keith’s Rock ‘n’ Roll programme since it was first aired on Angel Radio. As it is a request show, I have to confess that I have taken full advantage of this and, thanks to his generosity, I always get a request played each week.
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What I noticed was that when Keith played my requests, Casanova/Puppy always listened with me and wagged his tail, often wildly, giving the impression that he was finding the music pleasant! As the majority of requests from me were generally Fats Domino tunes, I let Keith know of Casanova/Puppy’s apparent special interest in them and this led to him often mentioning this.
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A few of the requested tunes played by Keith on his Rock ‘n’ Roll programme for Casanova/Puppy and me were:
From 22nd January, 2021 – Fats Domino’s Let the Four Winds Blow
together with a comment by Keith at the end
Fats Domino – What’s the reason I’m not pleasing you
From 28th May, 2021 – Fats Domino’s I’m Ready – here Keith mentions Casanova/Puppy’s tail wagging
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Recently Keith has taken to introducing his Rock ‘n’ Roll programmes with one of two Fats Domino instrumental pieces, which sets the mood for the show:
Fats Domino – Fats Frenzy
Fats Domino – Swanee River Boogie
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Of late, Keith and his wife Pam, have been sitting-in for another Presenter and offering a programme entitled Pam & Keith’s Party Night between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. U.K. Time (18.00 and 20,00 GMT) on Saturdays. The programme is also a request show and they have been kind enough to play our requests, which have not always been Fats Domino songs, although most have!
From Pam & Keith’s Party Night: Fats Domino – Be My Guest
Another Fats Domino tune played on Pam & Keith’s Party Night: It’s You I Love
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Keith and Pam have a dog, a Labradoodle, named Dizzy (official name is Dizzy Doodle), who will often come into the Studio during the Friday programme and offers listeners a bark en queue! Keith generally follows this up by telling us that Dizzy is requesting he plays Elvis’ version of Hound Dog! Sadly for Dizzy, he generally does not get his request. Just for fun, I made a request for this tune for both Dizzy and Casanova/Puppy to be played on their Party Night show, and to our delight, the tune was played!
Dizzy
From Pam & Keith’s Party Night: Elvis (1935-1977) – Hound Dog
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Keith’s Rock ‘n’ Roll programme on Fridays is followed by Simon’s Moondog Boogie at Noon EST ((i.e. 17.00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT; 5 p.m. U.K. Time) with its Presenter Simon Moon.
Simon Moon at the controls at Angel Radio
The programme is not a Request Show and so I cannot ask for a Fats Domino tune each week, however, Simon often plays one of his tunes. Despite this, I tend to like all of the tunes that he plays and besides Casanova/Puppy apparently approves too, as he spends much of the hour wagging his tail!
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Simon’s Moondog Boogie Show is introduced by the tune, Moondog Boogie played by the Freddie Mitchell Orchestra, which was originally used by Alan Freed (1921-1965) to introduce his Moondog Show from Cleveland, U.S. during the 1950s.
Introduction to Simon’s Moondog Boogie Show from January 2021
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Two Moondogs seen in the sky over Didcot, Oxon, U.K.
What is a Moondog? It is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar Halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in Cirruis clouds.
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Simon presents an amazing show each week and all the tunes that he plays are from his own collection of vinyl records with none from Compact Discs (CD) or mp3. This is a great hour of early Rock ‘n’ Roll along with a good sprinkling of vintage Country ‘n’ Western, Rhythm ‘n’ Blues, RockaBilly and Doo-Wop together with a Ballad of the Week.
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Examples of the electric range of music played by Simon on his Moondog Boogie programme include:
Hank Williams (1923-1953) – Hey, Goodlookin’
Ricky Nelson (1940-1985) – Stood Up
Carl Perkins (1932-1998) – All Mama’s Children
LaVern Baker (1929-1997) – St. Louis Blues
Hank Ballard (1927-2003) & The Midnighters – Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go
The Spaniels – You Gave Me Piece of Mind
The Poni-tails – Born too Late
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Simon worked for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) until 2018, when he was made redundant. Unlike his brother who is a musician and radio presenter, Simon does not play any instrument. He discovered Rock ‘n’ Roll when he was 13-years old and started collecting records seriously in 1980. As his father worked for an American company, he starting going on trips there with him as a youngster. Later, in his 20s, he visited California a number of times a year where he remembers buying records and clothes. During the 1990s, he traveled across the U.S. several times and also spent some time in Colorado and Las Vegas where he did some Disc Jockey work. During his travels and spare time, he had both seen and met a number of the Rock ‘n’ Roll legends including Jerry Lee Lewis (1935) , Carl Perkins (1932-1998), Little Richard (1932-2020), Bo Diddley (1928-2008), Fats Domino (1928-2017), Dion (1939) and Johnny Cash (1932-2003), as well as many other Rockabilly, Doo-wop and Rhythm & Blues artists.
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Prior to coming to Angel Radio, Simon had been a guest Disc Jockey a couple of times on the radio station, Forest FM (East Dorset’s First Community Radio). In 2014 he joined his wife, Angie (Angela Wilden), as a Presenter on her Friday programme. Angie had already been presenting programmes at Angel Radio since June 2009.
Angie & Simon
Although Angie and Simon had been friends for a few years, they did not become a couple until 2014, and were married in October 2015. Sadly, Ange developed Breast Cancer and passed in November 2017 at the age of 45. I always enjoyed Ange’s musical choices, as her tastes closely reflected my own. She was a great lover, as I am, of Rhythm ‘n’ Blues and again, like me, especially of Howlin’ Wolf (1910-1976), the great Chicago Blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player.
Angie
Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’
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Since Angie’s passing, Simon has continued to Present the Friday show alone. In addition, he now also Presents another programme, Simon’s Sounds of the 40s, on Sunday afternoons at 4.30 p.m. (16.30 GMT).
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Bernie Keith with Reilly
Angel Radio is not the only radio station where Casanova/Puppy has had requests played for him (and me)! For a while, we used to listen via BBC Sounds to Bernie Keith’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven. Here two hours of Rock ‘n’ Roll are played each Saturday starting at 6 p.m. (18.00 GMT) on the Community Radio Station, Radio Northampton.
Here, Casanova/Puppy is told that he has EXCELLENT TASTE!
Commenting on the lack of Fats Domino on his Daytime Show!
And lastly, here poor Bernie gets his DESERT and DESSERTS mixed up and ends up calling me a cloth-eared muppet! Neither he, his producer nor the BBC authorities would offer an apology for this insult that aired on national and international radio!
Desert, Desserts & an Insult
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Just to let you know that my dog is not the only animal that seems to have distinct musical tastes, it would seem that some cows like Accordion Music! Go figure!
Click here and check it out.
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I enjoyed your stories ,pictures & music ,well done.
Thanks Keith
Keith: Thanks for your kind comment. Charles
Keith – thanks for leaving a comment. Charles
It must take you hours and hours to put this together….
Evelyn:
Thanks for writing. Yes, it did take a while to put this tale together. But, I enjoyed it very much. Charles
I enjoyed your next tale about Casanova’s musical taste. I see he’s a big fan of Fats Domino and he even gets requests played for him on Angel Radio! Lucky Casanova!
Jean: I am glad that you enjoyed this tale and for taking the trouble to write a comment. It is much appreciated. Charles
I admire the time and patients you have dedicated to Casanova’s musical choice/talents. (I’m told dogs have highly sensitive hearing pitches.) He certainly has a wide range of personal musical favourites. Lucky Casanova.
Thanks Irene for leaving a comment.
Great stories..I enjoyed reading them…thank you for including me and Angela on your page and thank you for listening to the Moondog show
Simon – thanks for leaving a comment. Charles