Bob Abrahamian’s “Sitting in the Park” digs deep into overlooked soul gems — from obscure D.C. groups like The Ascots to Chicago’s own Gentleman Four. He pays tribute to Archie Powell, honors soul greats like Bobby Rogers of The Miracles, and uncovers rare, lo-fi pressings from Akron and Milwaukee. This set captures Bob’s role not just as a DJ but as a historian of soul’s deep cuts, tying local voices to broader soul legacies. It’s a moving broadcast, threaded with stories, dedications, and revelations that elevate rare records into timeless testaments of musical and cultural history.
At a time when nostalgia and retrospectives often prioritize the chart-toppers and platinum-selling legends, Bob Abrahamian’s Sitting in the Park stands out for its quiet but powerful mission: documenting the forgotten, celebrating the obscure, and preserving the heartbeat of community-rooted soul. In this particular broadcast from WHPK 88.5 FM, Abrahamian serves as a cartographer of soul's deepest grooves — unearthing sounds from basements, garages, and small studios that never made it to Billboard but deeply mattered to the neighborhoods that birthed them.
The episode opens with The Ascots' “Miss Heartbreaker,” a soul track from Washington, D.C., whose group members would later morph into The Presidents — a transition emblematic of how many soul artists rebranded and evolved while navigating shifting music scenes. Bob's mention of Archie Powell's recent passing lends the show a reverent tone, a reminder that these records aren’t just wax — they’re human stories, preserved one spin at a time.
Abrahamian’s commitment to authenticity and accuracy is clear when he references the lo-fi pressing of The Elevations' “No Doubt About It” from Akron. Rather than brushing aside the production flaws, he highlights them — emphasizing that this wasn’t a defect of his turntable, but an artifact of the recording process itself. It’s moments like these that reveal Abrahamian’s ethic: these records are historical documents, and their imperfections are part of their truth.
This set is rich with regional contrasts — from Gino Washington's eccentric Detroit intro on “I’ll Be Around When You Want Me” to the buttery harmonies of Milwaukee’s Inspirations on “I’ll Take a Chance on You,” a group Abrahamian had recently interviewed. That kind of journalistic integration — pairing spins with firsthand oral histories — is part of what makes Sitting in the Park essential. Bob didn’t just play the music; he told the stories behind the grooves.
One of the segment’s most intriguing threads is the ongoing speculation surrounding The Gentleman Four. Bob notes that they may have actually been The Constellations, a group from Chicago’s West Side. That kind of detective work is commonplace in Abrahamian’s broadcasts — tracing aliases, cross-referencing labels, lining up vocalists — all in service of pinning down truths long lost in the shuffle of soul’s underground.
Another standout is Bob’s inclusion of Experience Unlimited — not the well-known go-go outfit from D.C., but a separate, obscure soul act from L.A. With “You Got to Tell Me,” Abrahamian flips expectations, reminding listeners that names can deceive and that digging deeper is often rewarded with sonic gold.
Abrahamian always made time for memorials. In this show, he closes with The Miracles’ “Whatever Makes You Happy” in honor of Bobby Rogers, who had recently passed. The emotional weight of this tribute is compounded by Bob’s careful curation — he didn’t choose the biggest hit, but rather a lesser-known track beloved by true devotees of the group. It’s a choice that reflects Abrahamian’s guiding principle: soul music’s value lies not in its popularity but in its humanity.
The show is also filled with intimate gestures — dedications to Sam Bell, Corey, and Bobby “Blue” Butler. These aren’t just shout-outs; they are acts of community, gestures that root this broadcast in something far deeper than just radio. It’s soul music as living heritage.
What’s particularly striking is Bob’s fluid navigation through styles and cities — a record from Miami follows one from New York, then a detour to Philly and back to Chicago. Yet, everything is bound together by the emotional depth that defines soul. From the brooding ache of The Whispers’ “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” to the ethereal melancholy of Cortez’s “Say That You Will,” the setlist functions as an emotional atlas of Black expression in the late 20th century.
And amidst it all, Bob still takes the time to educate — dropping a PSA about stroke awareness in the African American community and plugging another WHPK show, The Dusty Party. It’s a reminder that soul, for Abrahamian, isn’t just music — it’s part of a larger cultural fabric involving health, memory, and resistance.
This particular broadcast isn’t just a Sunday night radio show — it’s a historical archive in real-time. Through rare records, heartfelt tributes, and local memory, Bob Abrahamian gives listeners a glimpse of a soul music universe still teeming with discovery, waiting for someone to listen — and to care.
Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're now listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob, and I’ll be playing soul music until 9 PM. If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424. This first record is from D.C. — a group called The Ascots. This track is called Miss Heartbreaker.
[music playing – "Miss Heartbreaker" by The Ascots]
Bob Abrahamian 08:28
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. This show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 PM.
I started off the show with a group from D.C. called The Ascots with Miss Heartbreaker. That group evolved into The Presidents — the 5-10-15-20 Presidents. I think singing lead was this guy named Archie Powell, and he passed away about a month ago. So, sad news.
After that, from Detroit, Gino Washington with I'll Be Around When You Want Me — possibly the most annoying intro to a song ever, the guitar string goes on for like 20 minutes!
Then Bobby Joy with You Sweet Devil, You.
And the last cut was an obscure record from Akron — that was The Elevations with No Doubt About It. It was pressed really lo-fi. Like, it slows down and speeds up — that wasn't an issue with the turntable or even the record — the tape drops out and it’s pressed onto the record that way.
Anyway, the show’s just getting started. If you want to call up, the number here is 773-702-8424 — again, that's 702-8424.
This next record is by a group called The Gentleman Four. Looking at the record, I actually think it might be the group The Constellations, who started out on the West Side of Chicago — but I’m not sure. This track is called It Won’t Hurt.
[music playing – "It Won’t Hurt" by The Gentleman Four]
Bob Abrahamian 20:20
This next record is going out by request from Sam Bell. This is The Radiants with One Day I'll Show You.
[music playing – "One Day I'll Show You" by The Radiants]
Bob Abrahamian 24:20
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. This show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 PM.
The last record you just heard was by request, going out to Sam Bell — that was The Radiants with One Day I'll Show You.
Before that, The Brothers of Soul with Can't Get You Off of My Mind.
Before that, a group I did an interview with a few weeks ago — that was The Inspirations from Milwaukee. That track was called I'll Take a Chance on You.
Before that, William Bell with Crying All By Myself.
And I started off that set with a group who I think were based in New York but originally from the West Side of Chicago — though I'm not sure. I think it's the same group as The Constellations. That was The Gentleman Four with It Won’t Hurt. Actually, The O'Jays also did a version of that song — I think the O'Jays version came first, but I'm not sure.
Anyway, we’ve got an hour left in the show. If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424.
This next record is going to be my classic Chicago dusty. This is Al Green's very first record. It's called Back Up Train.
[music playing – "Back Up Train" by Al Green & The Soul Mates]
Bob Abrahamian 40:17
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. This show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 PM.
The record you just heard was from New York — that was Jack and the Soul Injections with Do You Believe It.
From Miami, Joey Gilmore with Blind Man.
Then a group called City Limits with Crystal Ball.
And we started off that set with Al Green’s very first record — that was Al Green and the Soul Mates with Back Up Train.
Okay, I have to give you some information:
Did you know the odds are that African Americans are twice as likely to suffer a stroke as white Americans? But there are steps you can take to help beat the odds. Join the Power to End Stroke. Start by calling 1-888-4-STROKE or go online at strokeassociation.org to learn what you can do.
Also, have you gotten the medical tests you need? For a list of tests every man should have, go to hrg.gov.
And another show you might like on this station is called The Dusty Party. That show happens every Thursday night from 9 to midnight. On that show, there’s a rotating lineup of DJs who play soul, funk, blues, and jazz from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. So, you should check it out.
Okay, this next record — I’m gonna send it out to Corey. This is a group called Experience Unlimited. It’s not the D.C. go-go group — this is a different group from L.A. The track is called You Got to Tell Me.
[music playing – "You Got to Tell Me" by Experience Unlimited]
Bob Abrahamian 1:00:32
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. This show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 PM.
The last track you just heard was The Dramatics with Fall in Love, Lady Love.
Before that, The Main Ingredient with the long version of Girl Blue.
Before that, from D.C., Black Heat with Street of Tears.
Before that, from Philly, The Creations with That's How Strong My Love Is.
And we started off that set with a group from L.A. called Experience Unlimited — the track was You Got to Tell Me.
Okay, we’ve got about 25 minutes left of the show. I got a bunch of requests that will fill up the last part, but you can still call me — the number here is 773-702-8424.
This next record is going out to Rufus and the members of The Mighty Passions. They were a group from Oakland, and this is a cover of a song originally done by a Kansas City group. This track is called I’m So Lonely.
[music playing – "I'm So Lonely" by The Mighty Passions]
Bob Abrahamian 1:18:10
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. This show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 PM.
I also have a website — sittinginthepark.com — where I’ve archived all the interviews I’ve done and shows from the past six or seven years. So check out the website if you like the music. I’ll have tonight’s show up probably within 24 hours.
The last record you just heard was The Whispers with Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong.
Before that, a singer named Cortez with Say That You Will.
Before that, a singer from New York named Sam Savage with My Lady.
And the first track in that set was a group from Oakland called The Mighty Passions, with a cover of a song originally done by a group called Smoke. That track was I’m So Lonely, and I want to send that out to Bobby “Blue” Butler, whose birthday is today — he was singing on that record.
Okay, we’ve got about seven minutes left. If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424. I’ll be playing Voice Your Choice in a bit, but before that, I have to play this Miracles record in memory of Bobby Rogers of The Miracles, who passed away in the last couple of weeks. Really sad news.
This one’s a Sitting in the Park favorite — Whatever Makes You Happy.
[music playing – "Whatever Makes You Happy" by The Miracles]
