When Ben Fong-Torres’ father immigrated to the United States from China, his surname was Fong, but he changed it to Torres and posed as a Filipino in order to avoid prosecution under the Chinese Exclusion Act which restricted Chinese immigration. Ben seems to have a pedigree totally of his own making. He graduated from San Francisco State in the mid-sixties and went on to become the senior editor for Rolling Stone magazine and author of books on Top 40 radio, the Doors, the Grateful Dead, and the Eagles. On this week’s show, we talk about some of the classic interviews he’s conducted for Rolling Stone and the awards he’s won for magazine writing.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows -  Episode 18. On this week’s episode, we’re going to meet three different stars. The festivities begin with a 1967 song written by Jim Webb for the 5th Dimension. Florence La Rue, one of their original members who is still performing today, remembers Up, Up, and Away with us. Then we’re shifting the tone to San Francisco’s Summer of Love and the Sixties music scene recalling dj’s Big Daddy Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell. We’re talking with Tom’s wife, Raechel Donahue who recalls not only those exciting times, but she became an entertainment reporter for CNN and is today the host of her own internet radio show. Finally, who can forget Hang On Sloopy? Our last segment is with Rick Derringer of the McCoys who’s appeared on numerous albums with Steely Dan, Air Supply, and Cindy Lauper.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows – Episode 14. When Bob Berryhill and his Surfaris recorded the all-time surf hit “Wipeout”, he was only fifteen years old and they made the record for a hundred and fifty bucks in an old hole-in-the wall studio in Cucamonga, CA. “Wipeout” was originally the B side of that record; the A side was a song called “Surfer Joe”. No matter – both songs became hits in the early Sixties and this week we’re talking with Bob Berryhill, the original guitarist for the Surfaris who are still performing today.

This is a replay from the Top Ten of our highest rated shows – Episode 15. The Standells are considered by many to be the godfathers of punk rock. Their big hit from 1966, Dirty Water is today the theme song for every victory by the Boston Red Sox even though none of the band members including this week’s guest, lead singer Larry Tamblyn were from Massachusetts. Second up on this week’s show is David Logeman who’s been involved in all kinds of show biz ventures, not only as the drummer for Frank Zappa, Jan and Dean, and the Beach Boys, but arranging and recording TV soundtracks. He now heads up the Surf City Allstars Tour with Dean Torrance and Al Jardine.

Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer who is equally comfortable singing with a celebrated symphony or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. And I must add, she recorded her most recent album at Capitol Records Studio A which is famous in its own right. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion and a licensed pilot. But when talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for the child of a famous singer and actor to forge their own individual path. Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain and we’re talking with her on this week’s show.

This week we’re listening to a replay of one of our highest rated shows. It’s from July of 2017. We meet Tony Butala and you’ll know who he is when I rattle off a few of their hits: The Way You Look Tonight, Hurts So Bad, Goin’ Outa My Head/ Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. Tony’s the only original member left of the Lettermen. And recently, TV legend and film star Dick Van Dyke became the first ever recipient of the Red Skelton America’s Clown Award. We’re going to hear about that and more from our first guest, Anne Pratt, the Executive Director of the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy.

Remember the hullabaloo in the early ‘60s that came from a New York City hotspot called the Peppermint Lounge. This week we’re talking with Joey Dee whose hit record, the Peppermint Twist exploded out of that steamy nightclub. After that, we’ll talk with Bob Lind who created a word picture worthy of framing in the Sixties museum with his hit tune about the bright elusive butterfly of love.

On our second highest rated show of the season, we spent an hour talking with Peter Rivera of Rare Earth. Here’s a replay of that show.

 In 1970, Motown started an affiliated record label that included certain bands with white members only, and Rare Earth happened to be the first big hit-making act signed for Motown’s new imprint label The record company didn’t actually have a name for the new label yet and one of the band members jokingly suggested that they call the label Rare Earth. To the band’s surprise, Motown decided to do just that and what followed was Rare Earth on Rare Earth. And what followed THAT was “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate”. Peter Rivera, their drummer for those exciting years, is with us on this week’s show.

Since the humble beginnings of Seattle’s Emerald City Guitars more than 20 years ago, Jay Boone has built a high standard of trust and integrity, making him one of the frontrunners in the worldwide vintage guitar market. Jay has bought and sold vintage guitars to many super stars over the years and we’re going to hear some fascinating stories about who is playing what nowadays.  I get to ask him about a guitar that I’ve kept over the years since the time I was on the road with Harpers Bizarre. It’s a  Martin D-35 with a Brazilian rosewood back that I bought new in 1967. Some fascinating stories here like the one about Jay opening his shop one morning to find Carlos Santana waiting to get in.

Who remembers the song “I Met Him on a Sunday? Well, we’re going to meet her today. “Her” is Beverly Lee who’s been with the Shirelles from the very beginning. Beverly and the Shirelles have performed on five continents and appeared before many heads of state and U.S. Presidents, But first up, we tend to think of Dawn Wells in the role of Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, although she also appeared in various tv episodes from the early ‘60s like Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, and Bonanza. Today, she runs a business called Wishing Wells Collections, making clothing for people with limited mobility, and she’s the founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute. We talk with both Dawn and Beverly on this week’s show.