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A Hot Chicago Summer

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Show:
Sitting in the Park
Station:
WHPK 88.5 FM, Chicago
Date:
2011-08-21
Guests:
None
Genre:

A Hot Chicago Summer

2011-08-21
Host: Bob Abrahamian

Bob Abrahamian’s WHPK show unearths rare gems from soul’s past, spotlighting forgotten girl groups, South Side harmonizers, and overlooked regional cuts. From The Veneers’ Recipe of Love to a rare two-parter by Ahead of Our Time, Abrahamian weaves a musical journey through early Gloria Gaynor and Betty Wright to the Chicago-rooted Intentions and Star-Tels. Featuring deep-catalog singles from Birmingham’s Misty Douglas and Philadelphia’s Hot Ice, this episode captures the soul collector’s passion for preserving the underappreciated. It’s a poignant reminder of the legacy buried in vinyl grooves.

Setlist

Commentary

Transcript

Veneers - Recipe of love - Treyco Gloria Gaynor - You'll be sorry - Jocida Arlene Smith - Good girls - Spectorious Taylor Tones - Poor little girl - Starmaker Jackie and the Tonettes - You gotta choose - Wheel City Bobby Brinkley and the Squires - Would it matter - Squire Startells - What more can I ask for - Lamarr Intentions - Blowing in the wind - Tiki Ahead of Our Time - It ain't fair pt. 1 and 2 - Wiley WSM Production Misty Douglas - How come? - Ansap Betty Wright - Paralyzed - Deep City Willie Hobbs - Please don't let me down - Seventy Seven Blues Brothers no 1 - Letter of regret - Eclipse Hot Ice - All of this will slowly die - Turner Temprees - You make the sunshine - We Produce Opus VII - Dreams - Gram-o-phon Unity - Love is all we have left - Le Cam Oral Caress - Why can't our love be like it was before - P&P Faze - Hearts can be broken (in a dream) - Sound Star
There’s a unique art to crate-digging. It’s not just about unearthing the rarest 45s; it’s about knowing which songs matter—really matter—and why. Bob Abrahamian, on this week’s Sitting in the Park show on WHPK 88.5 FM, delivers a masterclass in musical resurrection. His mix of girl groups, South Side harmony acts, and obscure regional singles paints a rich portrait of soul music’s deeper, hidden arteries—those overlooked by commercial radio but cherished by true collectors. The show begins with a celebration of girl groups—often the unsung heroines of the soul era. Bob kicks things off with The Veneers’ Recipe of Love, a slice of mid-tempo sweetness echoing early ‘60s pop-soul aesthetics. It’s the kind of track that rarely makes it onto mainstream compilations, yet offers a window into the intimate romanticism that characterized the era. Then comes a real surprise: a very early cut by Gloria Gaynor—You’ll Be Sorry—which pre-dates her disco dominance. The raw vulnerability of her voice here contrasts sharply with the assertive disco queen persona she’d later adopt. Bob then transitions to Arlene Smith’s Good Girls, a standout from Detroit’s girl group scene. It’s followed by The Taylortones’ Poor Little Girl and Jackie and The Tonettes’ You Gotta Choose—a Tony Clarke-produced piece that reveals the often blurred lines between Motown’s polished soul and Chicago’s grittier take on harmony vocals. Clarke, best known for The Entertainer, shows his studio finesse here, giving the Tonettes’ sound a polished yet emotionally rich feel. Closing the set is Bobby Brinkley and The Squires with Would It Matter—a Tennessee tune that, despite its geographic distance from the Motor City or the Windy City, carries the same longing and melodic intricacy. From here, Bob pulls us deep into the Chicago underground with a set of rare, locally rooted tracks. The Star-Tels’ What More Can I Ask For stands out as a highlight—a warm, harmony-rich piece emblematic of South Side soul. While their better-known single Falling in Love with You Girl gained some collector buzz, this earlier record feels even more rooted in that dusty, neighborhood-based production style that defines Chicago soul’s charm. Then comes The Intentions with Blowin’ in the Wind—not a Dylan cover, but a reimagining that reflects local ingenuity. This group hails from near the WHPK studios, a reminder that much of Chicago’s soul was born in living rooms, church halls, and DIY studios. Ahead of Our Time’s It Ain’t Fair—played in two parts—offers a deeper rarity. Recorded as a demo and never officially released, this track exemplifies Bob’s knack for finding soulful expressions on the brink of oblivion. Wayne Reedus, who would later feature in The Original Breed, adds a vocal weight to the track that elevates it beyond demo status. Later in the show, Bob expands his scope to include Misty Douglas from Birmingham with How Come You Don’t Know Me, a haunting, soul-drenched ballad with vocal stylings reminiscent of Barbara Lynn. It’s a subtle but important comparison—Lynn, a left-handed guitarist and soul trailblazer, is often underappreciated, and Misty channels that same understated intensity. The mood turns even more introspective with Betty Wright’s Paralyzed, an early outing from the future Miami soul icon. We’re treated next to a deep Florida cut: Please Don’t Let Me Down by Willie Hobbs—written by Bobby Brinkley. Here, the emotional spectrum of regional soul becomes even more apparent. Bob strings these tracks together not just by geography, but by heartache, struggle, and longing—themes that give soul its name. Philadelphia gets its due too, with Hot Ice’s All of This Will Slowly Die, a melancholy yet stunning groove that wouldn’t feel out of place next to early Delfonics material. Bob rounds things out with a contemporary gem: The Temporaries’ You Make the Sunshine, followed by tracks from Texas (Opus 7’s Dreams), New York (Unity’s Love Is All We Have Left), and more underground fare like Oral Caress and Phase. What Bob Abrahamian achieves in this episode isn’t just the preservation of music—it’s the reanimation of forgotten stories. Every song is an invitation to dig deeper, to imagine the lives behind the grooves, and to appreciate the soulful breadth of American music culture that existed outside of—and often in resistance to—mainstream recognition.

Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You're now listening to the Sitting in the Park show. I am very sorry I'm late, everybody. Stay off the highway. If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424.

Bob 02:03
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You're listening to a slightly shortened version of the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob, and this show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
That set was all girl groups—well, until the end. Started off with a group called The Veneers with Recipe of Love. After that, a real early record by Gloria Gaynor—might’ve been her first record, I’m not sure. The track was called You’ll Be Sorry. Then we had Arlene Smith with Good Girls from Detroit, The Taylortones with Poor Little Girl, also from Detroit. Jackie and The Tonettes followed with You Gotta Choose. That was produced by Tony Clarke—the guy who did The Entertainer, which I assume is how they got the name Tonettes. And the last cut was from Tennessee—Bobby Brinkley and The Squires with Would It Matter. I’m going to send that one out to Bobby out there.
Anyway, the show is just getting started. If you want to call me up, the number here is 773-702-8424.
This next segment is going to be all Chicago records. One of the records is like a two-parter, so there’ll be a little gap when I flip it over. And this next record is my Classic Chicago Dusty of the Week. I'm going to play a record by The Star-Tels. Obviously, their bigger hit was Falling in Love with You Girl, which I played recently. This is actually an earlier record they did—it even has a bit more of that Chicago sound. The track is called What More Can I Ask For?

Bob Abrahamian 06:58
Okay, you're tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in 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 p.m.
All the groups in the last set were from the South Side of Chicago. Started off with The Star-Tels with What More Can I Ask For, followed by The Intentions with Blowin’ in the Wind. That group is actually from near the radio station. And the last cut was a group called Ahead of Our Time with It Ain’t Fair. I played both parts of that track. Wayne Reedus, who was in the group The Original Breed, is part of that group. That track was cut as a demo and never really distributed—it's a pretty rare one.

Bob 08:10
Okay, I have to give you some information before I play more music.
Did you know there’s a website that can give you important information about the radiology tests and treatments your doctor has ordered? RadiologyInfo.org guides you through nearly 100 diagnostic, interventional, and radiation therapy procedures in a detailed and understandable way. It explains how you can prepare, what you may experience, and more. Be informed about your radiology test—visit RadiologyInfo.org.
Also, when you’re just driving around the block or up the street, you might think you don’t need to wear a seatbelt because you’re not going far, right? Wrong. Anybody who’s ever been in a car crash can tell you—they never saw it coming. So always buckle up. Always.
One other show you might like is called Dusties 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.
Anyway, if you want to call me up with any requests, questions, or comments, the number here is 773-702-8424. This next record is by a singer named Misty Douglas. The track is called How Come You Don’t Know Me.

Bob Abrahamian 12:44
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You’re listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob, and this show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Started off that set with a singer from Birmingham named Misty Douglas. The track was called How Come. She had a really nice voice—almost sounded like Barbara Lynn. After that, a real early record by Betty Wright called Paralyzed. Then a record I’m going to send out to Bobby Brinkley, who wrote the song—that was Willie Hobbs with Please Don’t Let Me Down, out of Florida. Then we had The Blues Brothers Number One with Letter of Regret, and the last track was a group called Hot Ice out of Philadelphia. That song was called All of This Will Slowly Die.
Okay, I brought a lot more good music. You should definitely keep it tuned. If you want to call up with requests, questions, or comments, the number again is 773-702-8424. This next record is by The Temporaries, and the track is You Make the Sunshine.

Bob Abrahamian 18:52
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You’re listening to the Sitting in the Park show. My name is Bob. The show happens every Sunday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Started off that set with The Temporaries and You Make the Sunshine, followed by Opus 7 with Dreams from Texas. Then a group called Unity with Love Is All We Have Left, out of New York. After that, Oral Caress with Why Can’t Our Love Be Like It Was Before. And the last cut in that set was a group called Phase, with a track called Hearts Can Be Broken in a Dream.
Hey, if you like my show, one thing you might also like is my website: www.sittinginthepark.com
On the site, I have audio of all the interviews I’ve done, and I’ve got my shows archived going back five or six years. I’ll have tonight’s show up there hopefully later tonight. We’ve got just a few minutes left. If you want to call up before the show ends, the number here is 773-702-8424. This next record is by The Five Stairsteps.

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