FRANKIE LYMON was featured on recent ‘Different Kind Of Oldies Show’ with Big Steve Cole (internet)…  and not the usual stuff. Big Steve uncovered some sides we never heard – afte Frankie’s voice changed in the mid-60s.   Beautiful job of the classic ‘Changing Partners’ updated with a nice rhumba beat. Lymon’s voice was smooth and fine as ever, despite being a couple octaves lower than what we were used to on his ’50s greats like ‘Share’ and ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ and ‘Paper Castles’ and all the many other good old good ones.  I believe Cole said the label was 20th century he was recording with not long before Lymon’s  untimely passing. And, these were solo efforts, sans the Teenagers, but not missing a beat. Check on the archived show -’ A Different Kind of Oldies Show.’ Indeed.  Plug here for a favorite  Overlooked Oldie – Lymon’s version of Silhouettes , sang to a  great rhumba rythm. One of the best!…Also some great doo-wop versions of songs li ke ‘Fools Rush In.’2-18-10… Chris Strachwitz has owned   record store Down Home Music and Arhoolie Records Publishing going on 50 years in El Cerrito CA. It is now one of the few great remaining independents   but Strachwitz warned ‘Enjoy it now because its all going into the either’ the way things are going, during  a  live in-store  concert 2/19/10t featuring locally-basedl talents Laurie Lewis (bluegrass) and Barbara Dane (blues).  Strachwitz has produced many big names when they were struggling and sometimes after they had made it, people like Clifton Chenier ,  Flaco Jimenez and many others, and remains a great proponent of roots music www.DownHomeMusic.com.  Since Village Music changed hands in Mill Valley, Down Home is the last of a breed in the Bay Area. Currently on sale is most of the Arhoolie catalog at 4  CDs for $20. We walked away with over 20 CDs including early Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender,  Jimenez,  etc. etc. you might now find anywhere else….