On his 12th anniversary of Sitting in the Park, Bob Abrahamian crafts a soulful journey through the hidden corners of deep soul, sweet harmonies, and rare grooves. Spanning regional gems from Chattanooga to St. Louis, and unreleased recordings from the ’70s resurrected by labels like Numero Group and Timmion, this broadcast is more than a retrospective—it’s a cultural preservation project. Abrahamian’s selections reflect his deep commitment to honoring lesser-known artists and restoring their music to the airwaves, ensuring these forgotten voices remain part of the soul canon.
Speidels - A lovely one - Monte Carlo
Bobby Mac - Shy guy - Vended
Harry Jaynes and the Jaynemen - My baby’s coming home - Josie
Johnny Starr - Do re mi fa so la ti do - Mala
Keni Lewis - What’s her name - Buddah
Witches - She’s got you now - Bang
Ernestine Eady - That's the way it goes - Scepter
Jeanie Screen - While the lovin’ is good - Josie
Dorothy Williams - I won’t give my heart (to you) - Hawk
Pat Clayton - You’ve gotta share - Silver Tip
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators - You got me moonwalking - Oslo Soul Experience
Counts - Too bad - Aware
New World - We’re gonna make it - Polydor
Mel Production Band - Smiling and Crying - Mel Production Band
94 East - If you see me - Numero
Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan - Key to my heart - Meaningful
Elbowed-out - Taking a step - Soul Junction
Masterplan Inc. - Try it (you’ll like it) - Numero
Myron & E and the Soul Investigators - Everyday love - Timmion
Ray J and Norma Jean - This is our song of love - Hep’ Me
Marilyn Smith - Covers mother - SoJamm
Wee - Try me - Owl
Hi-Tension - Peace on earth - Island
Uncle Tom - Welcome back - UA
Latimore - Long distance love - Glades
Thom Eassy - Anna Mae Brown - Bab-Roc
Signs of the Time - Hurts so bad - Numero
Love, Peace and Soul - I love you - Michael
Lovelettes - I can’t make you stay - Doin’ Our Thing
Brotherhood - Thank you girl - Brotherhood
Young Souls - Puppet on a string - Numero
Paul Smith - Only once in a lifetime - Jacklyn
Eric Mitchell and Shadows of Soul - Home again - Finer Arts
Springers - All too soon we grow old - Wale
Passionettes - My life depends on you - Soul Burst
TMGs - What can I do - Soul Shake
Founders - Don’t you leave me baby - Bolivia
Talmadge Armstrong and the Escotts - Never stop loving you - Spindletop
Art Lassiter and his Band - Just another day in the life of a fool - Ballad
Clarence Williams - Love me - Chancellor
Bobby Moore and the Fourmost - You got to live for yourself - Fantasy
Primitive - She played me for a fool - Primitive
Delbert and the Stewart Sensation - How far can our love go? - Delcon
Unnatural Funk Band - Living in the past - Numero
Spirit - Magic land - Legendary
Vernon Steve Weakley - Let me be your secret lover - Omega
T.I.M.E. - Would you like it baby - Jam-Rock
Klass - Young lovers - Klass
Kosmic Rock - No other - Primative Funk
Bob Abrahamian’s 12th anniversary show for Sitting in the Park isn’t just a celebration—it’s a deep excavation. Over three uninterrupted hours of soulful selections, Abrahamian doesn’t merely spin records. He resurrects legacies. Through carefully chosen 45s and unreleased recordings, he weaves a sonic documentary that speaks to the enduring vitality of soul music, especially from communities and voices often overlooked in the commercial canon.
From the outset, Abrahamian sets the tone with The Spidells’ “A Lovely One,” a Chattanooga harmony gem that opens a portal to a world of group soul and heartfelt lyricism. The anniversary format—Bob's favorite finds of the year—reminds listeners that his work isn’t passive collecting; it’s active storytelling, tracing the emotional and social currents that shaped these songs.
Throughout the broadcast, Bob transitions smoothly between decades and regions. The funkier energy of Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators’ “You Got Me Moonwalking,” a 2013 release with a vintage soul aesthetic, stands shoulder to shoulder with long-lost recordings like The Master Plan Inc.’s “Try It, You’ll Like It”—a track from early ’70s Cabrini-Green that never saw the light of day until the Numero Group’s reissue. This mix of modern analog soul and buried archival material reveals Abrahamian’s curatorial prowess: time and obscurity mean nothing if the music carries emotional weight.
He shares behind-the-scenes details that underscore the cultural value of these records. Consider Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan, a band of white kids in Converse delivering real funk heat—an amusing anecdote that’s also a commentary on soul’s unexpected diffusion across racial and regional boundaries. Or Elbowed Out, a Seattle-based group whose shelved recordings from the ’70s were finally released decades later by Soul Junction. These rediscoveries are not mere trivia—they’re cultural restorations, often rescuing artists from total anonymity.
Abrahamian also weaves in artists with broader reach—like Prince, whom he notes was involved with 94 East. The mention is brief but impactful, illustrating how even global superstars started in the same shadowy grooves Abrahamian seeks to illuminate. It’s a subtle reminder that musical greatness often germinates in the same soil as the obscure.
His commentary on recordings like Signs of the Time’s “Hurt So Bad,” a St. Louis soul cut unearthed by Numero Group, or The Young Souls’ “Puppet on a String,” again from Chicago and previously unreleased, offers more than discographic notes. It emphasizes the systemic barriers—economic, racial, regional—that kept such music in the vault for decades. Labels like Numero and Timmion (Finland) get special mention for their roles in giving these recordings a second life, validating Bob’s own mission of audio archaeology.
The show’s pacing—long sets with minimal interjection—lets the music breathe. But when Abrahamian does speak, his words carry weight. He discusses website archives, interviews with groups like The New World, and the importance of documentation. His nod to acts like UTS (formerly Uncle Tom) also subtly references how identity and naming shape a group’s fate—another example of soul music’s deep entanglement with cultural politics.
One of the show’s most poignant qualities is its grounding in geography. From The Brotherhood out of Mishawaka, Indiana, to Paul Smith from Chicago’s South Side, the setlist is a map of overlooked local scenes. Each name isn’t just a credit—it’s a community, a neighborhood, a story often told only through the grooves of a 45.
And that’s what makes this anniversary show feel so vital. It’s not a victory lap—it’s a reaffirmation of purpose. Abrahamian is documenting not just sounds but histories. By platforming these artists, he asserts that they matter, that their songs and stories deserve to be remembered alongside the chart-toppers.
The final segment closes with Cosmic Rock’s “No Other” and Primitive’s spoken-word soul piece “She Played Me for a Fool,” bringing the broadcast full circle—from harmony to heartbreak, funk to reflection. As Bob signs off with gratitude for longtime listeners and a plug for his archive at www.sittinginthepark.com, it’s clear that Sitting in the Park is more than a radio show. It’s a living archive, a museum without walls, a love letter to the unsung architects of American soul.
Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK, 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. Today is a special show—today is my 12th anniversary show. I'm going back, like I do on every anniversary show, and playing my favorite records that I've played throughout the year.
I've been at the station since ’95, but I've been doing this show for 12 years. I started in April 2002. So I won't be taking requests because I have the show all planned out. But if you want to call me up and say hi, the number here is 773-702-8424.
I'm going to be doing as little talking as possible to get the most music in. It's going to be a special three-hour show. Thanks so much to Bob Miner for giving me some of his time, and I’ll be taking over Julia's show after mine—so I’ll be going until 10 PM.
I'm just going to get started. The first record is a group from Chattanooga called The Speidels. This track is called A Lovely One.
Bob Abrahamian 25:00
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. We are celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Sitting in the Park show by going back and playing my favorite records that I played on the radio over the last year.
That last set, that last record, was a singer named Pat Clayton with You’ve Got to Share. Before that, an obscure record from Chicago—that was Dorothy Williams with I Won’t Give My Heart to You. Genie Green with While the Loving Is Good, The Witches with She’s Got You Now, Kenny Lewis with What’s Her Name—awesome record. The story on the record—it’s very well-written, and the lyrics are awesome too.
Before that, Johnny Starr with Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. Before that, Harry James and the Jay Men with My Baby’s Coming Home. What’s funny about that record is, I pretty much only play records that have groups on them—like background vocals or that are groups—and I never noticed that there’s no one singing in the background on that record until now, just because it was really good.
Before that, from L.A., Bobby Mac with Shy Guy. And we started off the set with a group from Chattanooga called The Speidels. That track was called A Lovely One.
Okay, we’re just getting started. I’ll be playing music till 10 PM. This is a special three-hour show—I hope you’re enjoying it so far. I’m not taking requests, but if you want to call me up and say hi, the number here is 773-702-8424.
This next record is going to be a funky set of music, mainly from the ’70s. But this first record that I’m gonna play is actually something that was recorded in 2013 and released in 2013. This is Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators. This track is called You Got Me Moonwalking.
Bob Abrahamian 27:20
This next record is going to be a funky set of music, mainly from the '70s. But this first record I'm gonna play is actually something that was recorded and released in 2013. This is Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators. The track is called You Got Me Moonwalking.
Bob Abrahamian 1:08:08
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 is the 12th anniversary special show where I’m going back and playing my favorite records that I played over the last year.
That was a very long set. The last record was a group from Columbus called We with Try Me. From Cleveland, Marilyn Smith with Covers. From New Orleans, Ray J and Norma Jean with This Is Our Song of Love—actually a new recording from 2013 released by Timmion Records in Finland, although the group is from the U.S. That was Myron & E and the Soul Investigators with Everyday Love.
From Chicago, The Master Plan Inc. with Try It, You’ll Like It—I interviewed them. They were a Cabrini-Green group, and that was a record recorded in the early ’70s but not released until last year. The Chicago label Numero Group released it.
Before that, a group from Seattle called Elbowed Out with Taking a Step. Another record recorded in the ’70s but not released until last year. A UK label called Soul Junction released it. Before that, a super catchy record by Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan with Key to My Heart. It’s really funny—there’s a picture sleeve of them, and they’re a bunch of white kids wearing Converses, but they’re totally a funk group. It’s pretty funny.
Before that, from Minneapolis, 94 East with If You See Me—and as I announced on the other show, Prince was in that group. There’s a different version of that song that has him singing on it. I actually just got the CD where he’s singing on it—I’ll play it in the near future.
From San Antonio, The MEL Production Band with Smiling and Crying. From Gary, The New World with We’re Gonna Make It. I also have an interview with them on my website. From Detroit, The Counts with Too Bad. And we started off with another new recording from 2013—that was Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators with You Got Me Moonwalking.
My website, as I’ve been announcing, is www.sittinginthepark.com. On the site, I have audio of all the interviews I’ve done—mainly with Chicago-area groups—plus I have all my music shows going back to 2007, and I’ll have tonight’s show online hopefully within 24 hours. I’ll be going till 10 tonight, and the rest of the show will be all sweet soul music.
Bob Abrahamian 1:08:08
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 is the 12th anniversary special show, where I'm going back and playing my favorite records that I played over the last year.
That was a very long set. The last record was a group from Columbus called We with Try Me. From Cleveland, Marilyn Smith with Covers. From New Orleans, Ray J and Norma Jean with This Is Our Song of Love—actually a new recording from 2013 released by Timmion Records in Finland, although the group is from the U.S. That was Myron and E and the Soul Investigators with Everyday Love.
From Chicago, The Master Plan Incorporated with Try It, You'll Like It. I interviewed them—they were a Cabrini-Green group. That record was recorded in the early ’70s but not released until last year. It came out on Chicago's Numero Group label.
Before that, a group from Seattle called Elbowed Out with Taking a Step. Another record from the ’70s that wasn’t released until last year. It was put out by a UK label called Soul Junction.
Then we heard a super catchy record by Miller, Miller, Miller & Sloan with Key to My Heart. It's funny—there's a picture sleeve of them, and they're just a bunch of white kids wearing Converses, but it’s a real funk group. Pretty funny.
From Minneapolis, 94 East with If You See Me. As I mentioned on a previous show, Prince was in that group. There's a different version of that song with him singing on it. I just got the CD—I'll be playing that soon.
Before that, from San Antonio, MEL Production Band with Smiling and Crying. From Gary, Indiana, The New World with We're Gonna Make It—I also have an interview with them on my website.
From Detroit, The Counts with Too Bad. And we started off that set with another new recording from 2013—that was Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators with You Got Me Moonwalking.
My website, as I’ve been announcing, is www.sittinginthepark.com. On the site, I have audio of all the interviews I’ve done, mainly with Chicago-area groups, plus all my shows going back to 2007. I’ll have tonight’s show up hopefully within 24 hours. I’ll be going until 10 PM, and the rest of the show will be all sweet soul music.
Okay, getting back to my show—I'm not taking requests today, but if you want to call and say hi, the number here is 773-702-8424.
This next record is a group from England. This is a group called High Tension, and the track is called Peace on Earth.
Bob Abrahamian 1:31:20
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, although today is a special show because I’m doing my annual anniversary show, and today I’m going from 7 to 10 PM.
So I brought a lot of great music—I'm playing my favorite records that I played over the last year. Hope you're enjoying the show so far.
That last record was Ronnie McNeir from around 1973—that was In Summertime, before he had his hit Wendy Is Gone.
Before that, a singer from New York named Tom Yates with Annie Mae Brown—and that pause in the middle was me flipping over the record, because it’s a part one/part two release.
Before that, Latimore with Long Distance Love.
Before that, a very unfortunately named group called Uncle Tom, with Welcome Back. They later tried to reissue their material under the name UTS, but I think the group had already kind of faded by then.
We started off the set with a group from England called High Tension. The track was called Peace on Earth.
Okay, again, my website is www.sittinginthepark.com. Tonight’s show should be online within 24 hours. I’m not taking requests tonight, but if you want to call and say hi, the number is 773-702-8424.
This next record is another one recorded in the '70s but released recently, last year, by the Chicago label Numero Group. It’s a group from St. Louis called Signs of the Time, and this is an awesome cover of Hurt So Bad.
Bob Abrahamian 1:52:41
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK, 88.5 FM, Chicago. You're listening to the Sitting in the Park show. Today is a special 12-year anniversary show.
I've been at the station since 1995. I’ve done other shows like The Dusty Party, which is another good one you should check out. But I’ve been doing this show—Sitting in the Park—since 2002.
That last record was a really excellent track—it’s actually from Chicago, from the early '70s, but it was previously unreleased until last year by the Numero Group. That was The Young Souls with Puppet on a String.
Before that, a Ray Records 45 from Mishawaka, Indiana—The Brotherhood with Thank You Girl. From Texas, The Lovelites with I Can’t Make You Stay.
From Georgia, Love, Peace and Soul with I Love You. And we started that set with another St. Louis group from the ’70s, unreleased until last year—Signs of the Time with Hurt So Bad. That one had stereo issues, so I switched it to mono halfway through and it sounded a lot better—sorry about that.
Okay, we’ve got one more hour of the show left—we’re going until 10 PM. Thanks again to Julia for letting me go into her time slot. I’m not taking requests today, but if you want to call and say hi, the number is 773-702-8424.
Shout out to Tyrone and to Sam Bell.
This next record is a cool one from the South Side of Chicago. Paul Smith had a record you might remember called I’ll Run. This is his follow-up—this one’s called Only Once in a Lifetime.
Bob Abrahamian 2:59:25
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK, 88.5 FM, Chicago. You’ve been listening to the Sitting in the Park show—special 12-year anniversary show.
That last record was by a group called Cosmic Rock. The track was No Other.
Before that, a group called Class with Young Lovers. Before that, a group actually from Jamaica—the flip side is reggae, but that side was straight soul. That was a group called Time with How Would You Like It, Baby.
Before that, Vernon Steve Weekly with Let Me Be Your Secret Lover. Spirit with Magic Land. The Unnatural Funk Band with Living in the Past. Delbert and the Stewart Sensation with How Far Can Our Love Go?.
And we started off that set with a group from the Carolinas called Primitive, with a spoken piece called She Played Me for a Fool.
Thanks for tuning in to tonight’s show and for all your support over the years. This was my 12-year anniversary show, and I appreciate all the people who’ve been listening since the beginning—or even if you just tuned in today.
As always, you can find tonight’s show and past episodes at www.sittinginthepark.com.
I’ll be back next week at the regular time—Sunday nights from 7:30 to 9 PM.
Take care. Peace.
