Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
1hr 11 min
The Chairman of the Board’s career was a rollercoaster of meteoric highs and devastating lows. In Episode 105 of The GXO, host The Generation X Offender pulls back the curtain on the three distinct eras that defined Frank Sinatra’s unparalleled legacy.From his early days cutting his teeth with the Harry James Orchestra in 1939 and his pivotal, albeit volatile, shift to the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1940, we trace the foundation of a legend. But the story doesn't stop at the spotlight—we dive deep into the nearly decade-long tenure at Columbia Records that preceded a shocking, career-defining collapse.What brought the world’s biggest star to his knees? We examine the perfect storm of the early 1950s: shifting public tastes, a disastrous loss of radio dominance, mounting tax debt, and the explosive, reputation-shattering affair with Ava Gardner that made him a tabloid pariah. By 1952, the unthinkable happened: Columbia Records dropped him.But this is also a story of grit and reinvention. Tune in to hear how Sinatra engineered one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history—starting with his Oscar-winning turn in From Here to Eternity, his legendary creative rebirth at Capitol Records, and his bold final move to establish his own empire with Reprise Records.Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just discovering the voice of the century, don't miss this deep dive into the man behind the myth.Listen to Episode 105 of The GXO now.
*THE MUSIC:
Melancholy Mood by The Harry James Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra 1939 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/melancholy-mood-feat-frank-sinatra/158597471?i=158597547
I'll Never Smile Again by The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra 1940 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/ill-never-smile-again/296724075?i=296725067
All Or Nothing At All by solo artist Frank Sinatra on Columbia Records reissued 1943 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/all-or-nothing-at-all-with-harry-james-and-his-orchestra/399050238?i=399050240
After being signed by Capitol Records, Sinatra scored his first number 1 hit record for the label with Young At Heart in 1954 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/young-at-heart/1702561720?i=1702562060
After starting his own record label in 1960, Reprise Records, Sinatra recorded fan favorite That's Life in 1966 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/thats-life/1443412906?i=1443413205
Sinatra's 1963 Reprise Records single Luck Be A Lady from the 1955 film he appeared in alongside American acting legend Marlon Brando https://music.apple.com/ca/album/luck-be-a-lady/1440858119?i=1440858125
Special thanks to Francis Ford Coppola and the producers of the 1972 Hollywood blockbuster film The Godfather
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
53 min
Have you ever imagined yourself winning a Grammy Award. Or an Oscar? An Emmy? Or Tony?
IMAGINE if you'd won ALL FOUR?!?
THEN you'd be an EGOT!!
Gimme an
"E" for EMMY AWARD: for television (established 1949)
Gimme a
"G" for GRAMMY AWARD: for music (established 1959)
Gimme an
"O" for OSCAR (Academy Award): for movies (established 1929)
Gimme a
"T" for Tony Award: for theatre (established 1947
WHATS THAT SPELL? Egot!
WHATS THAT SPELL? Egot!
WHAT'S THAT SPELL? Egot!
WHATS THAT SPELL? Egot!
Currently, in the world today, there are LESS THAN two dozen people who can lay claim to winning all four of these competitive awards
A mere six, all of whom won three of the Awards competitively, are the recipients of the Non-Competitive EGOT:
1. Barbra Streisand (never won a competitive Tony but was awarded one in 1970 for being "Artist Of The Decade")
2. Liza Minnelli (never won a competitive Grammy but was awarded a Grammy Legend Award for her body of work)
3. James Earl Jones (aka DARTH VADER!!) never won a competitive Oscar but was awarded an honorary Academy Award for his body of work)
4. Harry Belafonte (never won a competitive Oscar but was awarded an honorary Academy Award for a lifetime of Humanitarian service)
5. Quincy Jones (never won a competitive Oscar but was awarded an honorary Academy Award for a lifetime of Humanitarian service)
6. Frank Marshall (never won a competitive Oscar but was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Oscar Award for his enduring career as an outstanding Producer in the field of motion pictures)
Wanna know who's the BEST OF THE BEST as voted by their peers in the competitive EGOT Awards?
Listen and find out!
ALL THIS...and More!
In the latest episode of The GXO music podcast, your trusted, insider source for everything music, pop culture and current affairs. Offending the masses since 1966!
*THE MUSIC
The show begins and ends with the one, the only (the world could not handle TWO of her): Dame Ethel Merman. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice as well as numerous leading roles in Musical Theatre, she is often simply called "the undisputed FIRST LADY of the musical comedy stage in America".
Today's show features not one but TWO versions of the unofficial theme song to the entertainment industry itself:
"There's No Business Like Show Business" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/theres-no-business-like-show/1290856946?i=1290857361
And, in closing, the same song, performed in a contemporary setting, from her wildly outrageous The Ethel Merman Disco Album from 1979 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/theres-no-business-like-show-business/1443567805?i=1443567809
Also featured during the show is Academy Award winning Actor Marlon Brando and his performance from the 1955 musical film Guys and Dolls https://music.apple.com/ca/album/luck-be-a-lady/547115517?i=547115708
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Jun 27, 2026
Jun 27, 2026
46 min
WARNING!: Mature Subject Matter - Due to certain references to sexual activity in this podcast, Listener Discretion Is Strongly Advised
In this episode we take you on an unexpected journey through the life and legacy of iconic poet turned singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.
Growing up in a household that dismissed Cohen's music as taboo, we reflect on the surprising allure Cohen held for women, particularly our friend's free-spirited Moms in the '70s.Discovering a battered vinyl copy of Cohen's greatest hits sparked a fascination with songs like "Chelsea Hotel," along with intertwining tales of love, loss, and the gritty underbelly of fame.
Experience firsthand the profound impact of Cohen's lyrics, exploring themes of desire, regret, and the complexities of modern relationships through the usual mix of personal anecdotes and cultural references you've come to expect from an episode of The GXO.Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream through poignant moments including Cohen's heartfelt deathbed farewell to the beloved Marianne along with the bittersweet reality of his later years, marked by both triumph and adversity.
Blending nostalgia and reverence, this episode promises to resonate with both long-time fans and newcomers alike, inviting all to rediscover the haunting beauty of Leonard Cohen's music. Tune in for an engaging exploration of artistry, memory, and the enduring power of love!
*THE MUSIC (all songs written by Leonard Cohen)
Dance Me To The End Of Love by American chanteuse jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux from her album Careless Love
Chelsea Hotel No. 2 by Leonard Cohen from his album New Skin For An Old Ceremony
Everybody Knows performed by fellow Montrealer Rufus Wainwright (father to Cohen's granddaughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen) from the motion picture soundtrack to the performance film Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
The Future from Leonard Cohen's album of the same name
I’m Your Man performed by amateur theologian and former lead singer from Australia's The Birthday Party; Nick Cave from the motion picture soundtrack to the performance film Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Tower Of Song performed by Leonard Cohen and Ireland's U2 from the motion picture soundtrack to the performance film Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
So Long, Marianne by Leonard Cohen from his album Live In Dublin
You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen from his 14th and final studio album of the same name, released 17 days before Cohen's death in 2026. The lyrics to the song were later recited during Cohen's interment ceremony at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery on the northern slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
This episode is dedicated to my son Dylan who is the inspiration for its creation. Thanks kid.
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Jun 24, 2026
Jun 24, 2026
1hr 8 min
The latest installment of the continuing story of master carver, writer, scholar, humorist, lyricist, composer, multi instrumentalist, recording artist, record producer, recording engineer, singer, songwriter, guitarist extraordinaire, son, brother, cousin, husband, soul mate, father, grandfather, bandmate...
Robert Bruce James Ironside (1961-2024)
THE Bob Ironside, the guy who played live onstage at the legendary Grossman's Tavern on Spadina Avenue, Toronto, just down from the neon palms of Mick n Keith and the El Mocambo of back in the day...
THE Bob Ironside, possibly one of the only other lead guitarists in history to share a stage with guitar legend David Wilcox who, at the time, had Bob vow to never tell anyone he had, or ELSE! (he would blow up his car!) to which Bob replied, "I don't have a car"
"You will" said Wilcox. "You will".
THE Bob Ironside, jamming with and friend to the late, great Texan, the One, the Only, Mickey Jones, perfecter of The Texas Shuffle ("If you can't get Mickey Jones, get Jim Keltner. And if you can't get Keltner, call Ringo") DRUMMER Extraordinaire, Dylan's choice of rhythm section for the infamous "ELECTRIC JUDAS" tour of the UK and 1966 masterstroke Blonde On Blonde, BEFORE the motorcycle accident...
Bob wrote the honky tonk country jag "Preplanned Obsolescence" specifically for Mickey Jones which has to be heard to be believed...
THE Bob Ironside, lead sideman and songwriter to The Kar Tunes, The Voyer Brothers, soul sistah Windy Ironside, Poultry Season, The Funbags Charlie Manson Band Tribute Band Extravaganza Band!, Dada Puba, and most recently Slippery Trip Hazard
...as heard on both self titled debut albums by The Voyer Brothers and Slippery Trip Hazard as well as his own exceptionally rare and highly sought after self titled solo album and the long rumored unreleased sophomore album "Flip Gets Glasses" by Slippery Trip Hazard.
*THE MUSIC
The two recordings heard in this podcast, "Garbage Day" and "The Cockroach Song" were both composed by Robert Ironside and are the sole property of The Estate of Robert Ironside.
It should also be noted that every instrument heard on both of these recordings was played by Robert Ironside himself, written, recorded, engineered, produced and performed by the one man band himself known as Robert Ironside.
A special thank you for this episode goes out to the great Grand Matriarch of our family, the perpetually stunning, perpetually beautiful, moral center and guiding light, the one, the only Kathy Aitkens, the other half of sky. Bob's girl.
This episode is dedicated to Bob's children David, Katy, Liz, Bronwin and granddaughter Cordelia.
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Jun 13, 2026
Jun 13, 2026
1hr 48 sec
In the grand tradition of a proper Bob & Kathy visit, it is obligatory to proceed at once to the stove and put the kettle on to boil. Brew the tea properly careful not to bruise it and ease yourself in to this week's episode of The GXO Podcast focusing on everything Robert Ironside & Family...
Robert Ironside: The Big Reveal
Now this story may have begun in 1983, when, on one fateful Halloween, two star crossed lovers first met...
Or it may have begun August 16, 1983 when a 119 pound Toronto bound Blitz Kid stepped off a train at Union Station and into the skin of a 17 year bleach blonde alternative school educated punk calling himself Damien Emez...
Or it may have started years earlier in the 1930s on the unforgiving streets of Depression era Toronto where a sullied homeless boy with holes in his pants never combed his hair...
Or it may have started before World War 1 on Thorah Island with Bessie Big Canoe Emes, her husband William (referred to from here on is as Old Man Passmore) and their golden boy Joseph William Preston Passmore, who came into the world with so much promise in 1911, only to perish at the tender age of 7 in 1918 while his father William was fighting overseas in the muddied bombed out trenches of Europe...
Thorah island, 60 miles northeast of Toronto, was under strict quarantine at the time due to the global Spanish flu epidemic. Alone with no one to help her, Bessie, our grandmother, was tasked with preparing her son's final resting place and committing his remains to the earth...
Years later on her deathbed, Bessie turned to her youngest surviving son, my father, Bill Passmore, and made him vow that the family land on Thorah Island, southeast on Lake Simcoe, two and a half miles west of Beaverton, Ontario, never fall out of family hands...
As of this writing, the land on Thorah Island and Bessie's precious son, still rest easy in family hands.
*THE MUSIC
The Ballad Of Mad Dogs And Englishmen https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-ballad-of-mad-dogs-and-englishmen/723595944?i=723596282 by Leon Russell from his 1971 album Leon Russell & The Shelter People. Robbie Ironside was just 10 years old when this record came out
The two other recordings heard in this podcast, "My Street" and "Vision Of Loveliness" were both composed by Robert Ironside and are the sole property of The Estate of Robert Ironside.
It should also be noted that every instrument heard on both of these recordings was played by Robert Ironside himself, written, recorded, engineered, produced and performed by the one man band himself known as Robert Ironside.
A special thank you for this episode goes out to the great Grand Matriarch of our family, the perpetually stunning, perpetually beautiful, moral center and guiding light, the one, the only Kathy Aitkens, the other half of sky. Bob's girl.
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
...
Jun 6, 2026
Jun 6, 2026
47 min
Greetings! And welcome! Your Official Summer Listening Guide to 2026 has just arrived!
Join us as we dance you through the garden of earthly delights with music in this, our first installment:
FAB FREEDOM PRIDE '26!
We've scoured a globe of time, distance and destiny to bring you nothing but the finest from...
Phoenix, Arizona's Scorpion vs Tarantula featuring the inexhaustible talents of their fearless leader, one L. Hotshot!
Fredericton New Brunswick's Penelope Stevens, THE PENELOPE of Penny & The Pits along with a banger from their debut album
Sh*T Creek Blues from nonother than Swedish garage blues sensation The Delta Shake
Vintage Canuck punk circa 1978 with Vancouver's Art Bergman (recent inductee into the Order of Canada!) and his band of merry Young Canadians
Legendary Jayne County, Queen of Max's Kansas City, as featured in our three part series from earlier this year, "Sex, Drugs N Rock N Roll!"
Former West coast now newly minted East coast, Coast to coast transplant Bruce Wilson and his brilliant new anthemic track Carry The Sky
Prince Edward Island, Canada's own Sun Witch and their outstanding new self titled debut album
First formed in 1968, legendary Sparks brothers Russell & Ron from their self titled debut album
Rockpile
Dave Edmunds
Carsie Blanton with The Burning Hell and their NEW incendiary contribution to popular music: the INVENTION of an ENTIRELY NEW GENRE of music! The ADULT Children's Album! (ya heard it hear first!!)
and the Woman who got this whole Rock N Roll thing started in the FIRST PLACE. The FIRST EVER recording of VOCAL BLUES...from 1920!! The One! The Only! Mamie Smith!
All this AND MORE!
including personal record store remembrances from people and things that went before. I know we often talk about them...
Lou
Marvin
Kenny
Bob
In my life
at the record store
Yonge Street
Sam The Record Man
Toronto
Canada
*THE MUSIC
Beautiful Freaks the latest single from UK singing sensation MEEK: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/beautiful-freeks/6764602393?i=6764602396
Fabulous from MEEK'S EP of the same name from earlier this year: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/fabulous/1862804004?i=1862804005
As promised...
The link to Music Guru, the competition, Mr. Louis Bova HIMSELF: https://youtube.com/@theviewfrom2a?si=FdnaEwBMpbdWs9VV
Link to Your Official Summer Listening Guide Vol 1
FAB FREEDOM PRIDE '26
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/fab-freedom-pride-26/pl.u-XkD0YGBtD0W72gY
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1w8iYjcTEYAG0PUktMvUWy?si=O_F3lz4DTlmGvG0_6Lr6fQ&pi=wMiJHjbpSY2V7&nd=1&dlsi=d18dd75e4bd44fdd
YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRv1k6R5uUVtDxb9tvirVICZSELHmb8EB&si=mdIgb3ngTRwd2t9Y
MistyK The DJ Summer Vibes '26: https://www.mixcloud.com/Redgirl77/summer-vibes-26/
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
May 30, 2026
May 30, 2026
46 min
(Before proceeding, please take note that there are a few F-bombs and assorted bad words kicked around casually throughout this week's podcast. Listener Discretion is advised)
Yup, your eyes have not deceived you. We're taking a wee break from the Fabulous 50s this week celebrating 70 years of Rock N Roll (1956-2026)
And have landed right smack into the splat of CONTROVERSY!
Comedy In The 21st Century (or lack thereof)
Jimi Hendrix said it first: If 6s were 9s. Everything's upside down today. We here at The Generation X Offender podcast are every bit as much a product of the 1960s as we are of the 1980s (ouch!)
In the 1960s Universities were hotbeds of critical thinking, activism, higher learning and radical politics.
Today most comedians won't go near them.
Why?
The New Left has gone so far left they are now the extreme right.
The New Left does not support Freedom of Speech
The New Left does not support Freedom of Assembly
Anyone disagreeing with the New Left is immediately branded a Hate Monger, A Racist, A Bigot or worse...
The New Left promotes Bully Culture. Mob Culture.
And Cancel Culture...
Us Human Beings are social animals by nature. Historically, the worst form of human punishment, more feared then death perhaps, is banishment. Abandonment.
P is the NEW Scarlet Letter. P for Pariah...
Canadian, Prince Edward Island actor, writer, performer, humorist, comedian Dennis Trainer sold out 5 shows in the past six years. Everything's rosy. Until...
Suddenly a gig that had been booked for months was CANCELED. After hanging up on a confused Dennis, the venue's owner stopped returning his phone calls. Radio silence. Ghosted. No reason given. This is the same owner whose local "record store" hosted an event barring members of the public based on their gender, race and sexual orientation, all in the name of "Inclusion" (yea, we had to do a double take on that one too. Irony's a bitch).
As previously stated, this Gen X kid was raised in the shadow of the Civil Rights Movement, tirelessly fighting AGAINST racism...
This Gen X kid was raised in the shadow of the bra burning feminist movement, tirelessly fighting AGAINST sexism...
This Gen X kid was raised in the shadow of the burgeoning Gay Pride movement, tirelessly fighting AGAINST any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation...
The New Left is clawing back these societal gains born out of the radicalism and activism of the 1960s...
And we've got something to say about that.
And boobies too. With a side nod to the often beguiling male member...
All this AND MORE!
In the latest episode of The GXO, your trusted, insider source for all things music, pop culture and current events.
*THE MUSIC
"God's Comic" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/gods-comic/294809684?i=294809843 by a decidedly Attraction-less Elvis Costello (taking a break from the band through a trilogy of fabulous albums) and his legendary Spike album
"Everything Is Great" by Carsie Blanton and Canada's own The Burning Hell https://music.apple.com/ca/album/everything-is-great/1877954113?i=1877954114 from latest timely album from 2026
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
May 23, 2026
May 23, 2026
1hr 29 min
In our continuing quest to Celebrate Rock N Roll's first 70 Years (1956-2026) we drop a few facts and spin a few yarns...
And oh what tales we weave!
Barely One Act in, the infant Rock N Roll gets the first ever appearance of one 16 year old John Lennon playing his first Rock N Roll gig ever...
And his soon to be bandmate, Paul McCartney, just 14 years young himself, who witnessed it.
1957 is chock-full of MILESTONES you won't wanna miss!
Acquaintances are made, auditions are held. And seeds of Rock N Roll immortality are planted one sunny Saturday afternoon in Liverpool, England, July 6, 1957...
to be continued...
TWO MOVIES! - Rock N Roll Manifestos
Rock, Rock, Rock!
The Girl Can't Help It
Both released December, 1956. One Color. One black & white
By March of 1957 both films find their way into the annals of history when two Liverpool teenagers learn a song each from each film and change the course of human history.
True Story.
All this and MORE!
Including, but not limited to, six Rock N Roll songs of the 32 Rock N Roll songs in total that completely dominated Billboard Magazine's Top 50 Songs of 1957
The foundation of the FUTURE OF ROCK N ROLL is poured in concrete and carved out of stone (and that's FOREVER) in this, YEAR TWO (1957) in the ongoing history of Rock N Roll - 70 YEARS YOUNG this year!
The Birth Of THE TEENAGER! Youth culture - And all that Jazz...is just a click away
*THE MUSIC
I'll Come Running Back To You by Sam Cooke
Come Go With Me by The Del-Vikings
You Can't Catch Me by Chuck Berry (famously plagiarized by John Lennon in 1969)
Twenty Flight Rock by Eddie Cochrane
Rip It Up (Little Richard cover) by The Everly Brothers
Not Fade Away by The Crickets (including one Buddy Holly)
I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026
1hr 35 min
...and just like the GPS lady says, "You Have Arrived At Your Destination!"
DESTINATION 1956!
Decades in the making, from Mamie Smith's Crazy Blues record of 1920, the first ever vocal blues recording, through the transition from acoustic blues to the electric blues in the 1930's, to Jump Blues, Shout and Rhythm & Blues of the 1940s, Fats Domino's 1949 The Fat Man, Ike Turner's 1951 Rocket 88 (arguably the First Two Rock N Roll Songs), Big Mama Thornton's 1952 Hound Dog, Elvis Presley's 5 Sun Records 45 rpm singles in 1954 and 1955 to the release of the self titled Elvis Presley debut album on March 23, 1956...
ROCK N ROLL IS BORN! - Born To Be WILD!
YEAR ZERO - 1956
Celebrate with us 70 YEARS OF ROCK N ROLL (1956-2026)
In today's episode of The GXO we examine the unequivocal PROOF of 1956 as the OFFICIAL BIRTH YEAR OF ROCK N ROLL by turning to Billboard Magazine's Year End Chart highlighting the TOP 50 SONGS OF 1956...
Listen to discover what we found....
ALL THIS and more!
In the latest edition of The GXO music podcast, your trusted, insider source for all things music, pop culture & MORE
*THE MUSIC
1955 Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado #1 Song in Billboard Magazine's Top 30 Songs of 1955
Rock N Roll Tracks in Billboard Magazine's Year End Top 50 Singles Of 1956:
#50 Rock Island Line (Lonnie Donegan version 1956 chart) by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
#47 Transfusion by Nervous Norvus
#45 Long Tall Sally by Little Richard
#42 The Fool by Sanford Clark
#41 Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino (not played in the show)
#40 Singing The Blues (Guy Mitchell version 1956 chart) by Marty Robbins
#36 You've Got The Magic Touch by The Platters
#33 See You Later Alligator by Bill Haley & His Comets
#30 The Flying Saucer by Buchanan & Goodman
#28 Why Do Fools Fall In Love by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
#27 Be Bop A Lula by Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
#26 Tonight You Belong To Me by Patience & Prudence
#25 I'm In Love Again by Fats Domino
#21 Honky Tonk by Bill Doggett
#18 Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins (not played in the show)
#15 Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley (not played in the show)
#14 I Want You I Need You I Love You by Elvis Presley (not played in the show)
#12 The Great Pretender by The Platters
#6 Hound Dog (Elvis Presley version 1956 chart) by Big Mama Thornton 1952
#4 My Prayer by The Platters
#2 Don't Be Cruel by Elvis Presley (not played in the show)
#1 Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley (not played in the show)
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May 10, 2026
May 10, 2026
1hr 24 min
We've cooked up something real special for you this week in The GXO Music Podcast celebrating 70 Years of Rock N Roll (1956-2026)
In today's episode, painstaking, exhaustive research has enabled us to EXPOSE the underbelly of the very first Rock N Roll album to go #1
The time:1956
The place: The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building
1525 McGavock Street in the heart of Music City.
Nashville, Tennessee..
Before Nashville even knew it was music city itself
The studio where this storied album was recorded in, lost to us forever now, in the rubble of tomorrow's parking lot parties.
"They paved Paradise and put up a Parking Lot" - Joni Mitchell
For your pleasure, we are eviscerating and dissecting the innards of what came to be the FIRST Rock N Roll album...
An album that launched a thousand dreams, and, in doing so, gave birth to The Teenager. Youth Culture. The Counter Culture. The beginning of the end to segregation and possibly, perhaps, giving rise to the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s...
The Wild One (1953)
Mildred: "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?"
Johnny Strabler: "Whaddaya got?"
Who: Elvis Presley & RCA Victor Records
What: 1956 Self Titled Debut Album
Where: The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee and RCA Victor Studio, New York, New York
Why: The First Rock N Roll Album To Be The Most Successful Album Of The Year In Popular Recorded Music
When: Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee July 5, 1954 and The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee, January 10-11, 1956 and at RCA Victor Studio, New York, New York January 30-31, 1956
Released March 23, 1956
The Songs
Side One:
1. Blue Suede Shoes
2. I'm Counting On You
3. I Got A Woman
4. One Sided Love Affair
5. I Love You Because
6. Just Because
Side Two:
1. Tutti Frutti
2. Tryin' To Get To You
3. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)
4. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')
5. Blue Moon
6. Money Honey
*THE MUSIC
1967 Lucille by "The King" Little Richard from his 1967 album Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! on Okeh Records
1956 The original version of Blue Suede Shoes by the song's composer Carl Perkins released January 1, 1956 on Sun Records
1955 Demo version of I'm Counting On You performed by the composer Don Robertson, vocal by Miss Lou Dinning
1954 Single I Got A Woman by the song's composer Ray Charles on Atlantic Records
1955 Song One Sided Love Affair written by professional songwriter Bill Campell first recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1956 debut album and covered the following year by Little Tony & His Brothers of the independent republic of San Marino, bordering Italy
1949 I Love You Because by Leon Payne on Capitol Records
1929 Just Because originally recorded by Nelstone's Hawaiians
1955 Italian for "all fruits" Tutti Frutti was written and performed by Little Richard. Released by Specialty Records, it was Richard's first major hit
1954 Tryin' To Get To You was first recorded by Washington DC R&B vocal group The Eagles (not to be confused with the Hotel California elk from the 1970s)
1954 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) was originally recorded by Epic Records recording artist Roy Hamilton in 1954
1943 I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') was originally written and recorded by country western artist Jimmy Wakely in 1943
1934 Blue Moon was written by the legendary songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart who wrote predominantly for Broadway and musical theatre. Noted British vocalist and crooner Al Bowly recorded one of the earliest versions of the song the year after it was composed in 1935
1953 Money Honey was written by one of Rock N Roll's original pioneers, Jesse Stone. Originally released in September 1953, it was the first single ever by legendary vocalist Clyde McPhatter and backed for the first time by the newly formed Drifters.
1962 Bob Dylan wrote and demoed the song Tomorrow Is A Long Time in 1962. Most notably, Elvis Presley recorded the song in 1966, intended for the soundtrack of his film Spinout of the same year. Dylan has stated repeatedly that Elvis' cover of this song is the one he treasures the most. 20 years after it was written, Elvis' version would feature prominently in acclaimed American film director Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film of S.E. Hinton's 1966 novel The Outsiders
Do you have a burning desire to send us an email? Please do! info@gxopodcast.com
Want on our mailing list? Only one weekly email update, we promise! We're far too lazy to do any more. Wanna leave a comment? Need to contact us? Visit the Official Generation X Offender GXO website at www.gxopodcast.com
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the "Fair Use" doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is intended academically and does not serve as a substitute for the original.
Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "Fair Use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.