Well, I'm taking a break from Radio Free Nashville this weekend so there's no live broadcast from me. I didn't say, though, that I was taking a break from doing a blog this week, so here I am.
It's been a little over three months since I started this show. If you've followed my journey, it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride in terms of learning to do a half decent radio show. Indeed, the learning curve continues. Along the way, I realized talking off the top of my head isn't my strong point while trying to manage other details of the show...I had that skill once, while I was in Toastmasters for five years. But I've been gone from it too long and don't really have time to hook up with another club. So, since I decided to return to the practice of scripting my shows in November, I have found a few that have not been painful for me to listen to. I have actually enjoyed listening to them.
So in chronological order, here are my favorite shows of the ones I did this year, with links to the individual blog entries (In all of these, technical glitches not withstanding, by the way).
9/13/08 – The first one. First shows are always special, I guess. I knew I would be a bundle of nerves, so I did script this show. Perhaps for that reason it turned out to not be a total embarrassment to me. I remember how it blew me away when program director Beau Hunter told me that two calls came into the station from listeners saying they liked the show.
10/18/08 – Great Voices show. This is the one I did after listening to the replay of the "Geo on the Radio" Alex Harvey interview. I think the spirit stayed with me and made everything else click. Also one of the first where I had a theme. (And yeah, "quite" was one of my favorite words that day...)
11/22/08 – 1963 show. One of my favorite years in music. I thought the JFK assassination anniversary section came off well. I was dealing with a miserable cold that day but I must say it kept my voice pitch from jumping into the stratosphere as it often likes to do.
12/6/08 – The "by the shoreline" show where I talked about growing up in the Savin Rock part of West Haven, CT in the neighborhood of an aging amusement park. I was also happy with the extended pitch from the heart I did for Radio Free Nashville.
12/13/08 – The "highs of the 60s" show. Some good musical choices there. I was also inspired by the creative genius of my friend Dale Connelly earlier that week on the last broadcast of Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Show which lasted 25 years. He wrote a comic sketch with a most eloquent observation on endings that I just had to work into an encouragement piece on change. I want to write like Dale when I grow up.
Also, I would be remiss if I didn't thank my musician friends Randi Perkins, Steve Craig and Simpli Lauri for taking a chance on me and agreeing to be guests on the show this year.
What I've realized after hearing some of my more recent shows played back is that perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on myself and I should stop venturing into "comparison-itis". My fellow DJ Steve Haggard of the Haggard-King Radio Hour on Tuesdays told me he thinks he and Kimberly King are getting pretty good at it after six months on the air. (I'd say so!). Hopefully I may be halfway to pretty good after three.
Things for me to remember going into the New Year: keep my voice pitch in the middle (you can tell when I'm particularly enthused or excited—up it goes!), and slow down so I don't stumble so much. Above all—focus, focus!
"Never Too Old" as I've noted, moves to Sunday at 8 a.m. starting January 4. It'll be a different experience in a few ways. By virtue of it being Sunday morning, it'll be more laid back. I will be following automation, which means I'll have more time to look around the studio before I go on-air and focus more on how things work and how I can make them work for me. Overall, it might be a better spot for a DJ in training.
Again, grateful thanks for those who have listened to "Never Too Old" or read the blog this year. I hope you will follow me into the next year.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Programming Note: Never Too Old moves to Sunday morning 8-9 a.m. starting 1/4/2009
The 12/20/08 show is the last live show for the year on a Saturday. There will be a rebroadcast for next Saturday since I planned a break.
Beginning on January 4, "Never Too Old" will return live with a new day and time: Sunday mornings from 8-9 a.m. The reason for the change is due to, like most things these days, the economy. I've been laid off and out of work since July and so I've had to try to grab whatever I could get workwise. Unfortunately, the pickings these days are those options where you need to work weekends. Thus, I've found it necessary to free up Saturdays for work opportunities. (In fact, I have an upcoming temp job lined up which is a 7 day a week stretch over two weeks. Feast or famine!)
The decision to move was a difficult one. As I've said in past weeks, I've had a great time being part of this Saturday afternoon lineup. I want to acknowledge that I have been on both sides of some wonderful programming by two extraordinarily talented people. However, I am looking forward to preceding the show "Samurai Songs" with Kerry Miller. This show features the music of the Japanese flute, and if you've never heard it, I think you will find it a calming, peaceful and tranquil way to spend part of your morning. Kerry's a good guy, too. I hope some of you will be able to follow me from Saturday to Sunday, but if not, the blog will continue and you can keep up with the show there.
Now what was I saying last week about change being constant...?
Beginning on January 4, "Never Too Old" will return live with a new day and time: Sunday mornings from 8-9 a.m. The reason for the change is due to, like most things these days, the economy. I've been laid off and out of work since July and so I've had to try to grab whatever I could get workwise. Unfortunately, the pickings these days are those options where you need to work weekends. Thus, I've found it necessary to free up Saturdays for work opportunities. (In fact, I have an upcoming temp job lined up which is a 7 day a week stretch over two weeks. Feast or famine!)
The decision to move was a difficult one. As I've said in past weeks, I've had a great time being part of this Saturday afternoon lineup. I want to acknowledge that I have been on both sides of some wonderful programming by two extraordinarily talented people. However, I am looking forward to preceding the show "Samurai Songs" with Kerry Miller. This show features the music of the Japanese flute, and if you've never heard it, I think you will find it a calming, peaceful and tranquil way to spend part of your morning. Kerry's a good guy, too. I hope some of you will be able to follow me from Saturday to Sunday, but if not, the blog will continue and you can keep up with the show there.
Now what was I saying last week about change being constant...?
12/20/08 Playlist - A Twist On Christmas
This show was sort of a special edition. I did a "Twist On Christmas" and loosened up the format a bit today. I had some of the usual oldies mixed in with some songs of the season you might have grown up with some cute and kooky types of holiday tunes.
Now let me see a show of hands here: who among us grew up in the 60s and thereabouts like I did with Johnny Mathis' Merry Christmas album? My family played it over and over again until it became etched in my brain as it is to this day.
Sleigh Ride – Johnny Mathis
Tonights the Night – Shirelles
Come and See What's Happening In the Barn – Stephen Hill and Woody Wright (one of the most creative Christmas songs I've ever heard; co-written by Woody Wright, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Michael Sykes)
Havin' A Party – Sam Cooke
Frosty the Blues Man- Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - that is their most requested song
My good friend Gigi Swanson, who is a songwriter, got in touch with me about a Christmas song she co-wrote with Diona Devincenzi. It's a song about a woman's opinion on the ideal way of celebrating the holiday. I heard it and I think I am right on with her about it –this sounds really good to me!
Merry Christmas to Me – Diona Devincenzi (video link)
How Did We Live Without Christmas? – Mark Lowry (featuring his Christmas album "Mary Did You Know" today. If you are familiar with the song "Mary Did You Know?" Mark Lowry co – wrote it with Buddy Greene. I am humbled to know both those guys personally).
Amen – the Impressions
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love (from the legendary Phil Spector Christmas album)
Christmas Wrapping – the Waitresses (I love this one about a gal chasing a guy amidst the seasonal hustle and bustle and tracking him down in a grocery store--and getting him)
As Mark himself would say, "it's my show!" and I indulged myself because he has to my ears been the #1 male singer in my world for the past seven years. So, I played his version of this holiday classic because I think he does an awesome job.
The Christmas Song – Mark Lowry
Marshmallow World - Darlene Love (also from the legendary Phil Spector Christmas album)
Encouragement: I brough Mark back in to give a message for us all.
Let There Be Peace On Earth – Mark Lowry
Remember there's an encore broadcast next week. I want to thank everyone for listening to me or reading my blog this year.
The music was good, there were a couple of usual technical glitches, but I didn't like my on-air performance today. I don't think I slept at all last night due to sinus problems and a brain that wouldn't shut down. Then there was the decision about the show that I felt I had to make due to my situation. All those things affected me. Ah well. I think a break will be good to recharge the battery.
Now let me see a show of hands here: who among us grew up in the 60s and thereabouts like I did with Johnny Mathis' Merry Christmas album? My family played it over and over again until it became etched in my brain as it is to this day.
Sleigh Ride – Johnny Mathis
Tonights the Night – Shirelles
Come and See What's Happening In the Barn – Stephen Hill and Woody Wright (one of the most creative Christmas songs I've ever heard; co-written by Woody Wright, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Michael Sykes)
Havin' A Party – Sam Cooke
Frosty the Blues Man- Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - that is their most requested song
My good friend Gigi Swanson, who is a songwriter, got in touch with me about a Christmas song she co-wrote with Diona Devincenzi. It's a song about a woman's opinion on the ideal way of celebrating the holiday. I heard it and I think I am right on with her about it –this sounds really good to me!
Merry Christmas to Me – Diona Devincenzi (video link)
How Did We Live Without Christmas? – Mark Lowry (featuring his Christmas album "Mary Did You Know" today. If you are familiar with the song "Mary Did You Know?" Mark Lowry co – wrote it with Buddy Greene. I am humbled to know both those guys personally).
Amen – the Impressions
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love (from the legendary Phil Spector Christmas album)
Christmas Wrapping – the Waitresses (I love this one about a gal chasing a guy amidst the seasonal hustle and bustle and tracking him down in a grocery store--and getting him)
As Mark himself would say, "it's my show!" and I indulged myself because he has to my ears been the #1 male singer in my world for the past seven years. So, I played his version of this holiday classic because I think he does an awesome job.
The Christmas Song – Mark Lowry
Marshmallow World - Darlene Love (also from the legendary Phil Spector Christmas album)
Encouragement: I brough Mark back in to give a message for us all.
Let There Be Peace On Earth – Mark Lowry
Remember there's an encore broadcast next week. I want to thank everyone for listening to me or reading my blog this year.
The music was good, there were a couple of usual technical glitches, but I didn't like my on-air performance today. I don't think I slept at all last night due to sinus problems and a brain that wouldn't shut down. Then there was the decision about the show that I felt I had to make due to my situation. All those things affected me. Ah well. I think a break will be good to recharge the battery.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
12/13/08 Playlist - Highs of the 60s
Segment #1 – Highs of the 60s
I started the first part of the show today with "highs of the 60s". Now, that's not to say that I'm talking about anything I might have partaken –I didn't do the drugs (I was only a kid, you know), I just did the music. I'm a CD collections and compilations fan and in the 80's Warner Brothers put out this great one called Highs of the 60s. It's a little bit garage, a little psychedelic, and it's got one of those pink/blue color combinations on the cover that makes your eyes freak out and vibrate. (I remember I did an art project like that once in grade school with those colors.)
Count Five – Psychotic Reaction
Shadows of Knight – Gloria
Left Banke – Walk Away Renee
Knickerbockers – Lies
Swinging Medallions – Double Shot of My Baby's Love
By the way, if you are a fan of the psychedelic, early progressive rock, summer of love type music, check out "Strange Daze" with Beau Hunter Thursday nights from 8-10 on Radio Free Nashville. I sat in with Beau on his show when I first got here and trained in and I had a blast—I heard stuff I hadn't heard in 30 years.
(Brief WRFN pitch)
I talked about this last week and I just mentioned quickly once again...if you're planning some year end giving. I hope you'll think about a gift to Radio Free Nashville if what you hear on this station is important to you. Radio shows do matter in people's lives; I found that out this week (more on that later), but in the meantime let me tell you what you can do to support RFN:
Write a check payable to Radio Free Nashville and send it to Post Office Box 41488, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Visit the web site at www. radiofreenashville. org and make a donation via PayPal, through your PayPal account or on your credit card. Or become a sustainer and make a monthly donation through PayPal, adopt-a-bill, or make a workplace donation through Community Shares. Of course your donations are all tax-deductible.
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
When I was growing up, we had one of those big furniture like stereos, which I eventually inherited or was cast off on to me. But, I used to have the worst time with the turntable. As it got older, the thing didn't work or the speed would be off. I would know precisely if it was too fast or too slow, and it would bug the heck out of me. I finally complained enough to have my dad look at it and we figured out the belt drive was the problem. The belt would fall off or not set right. Eventually I started fiddling with it myself, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I put up with it until one day it finally gave up the ghost completely. So we junked it and I got one of those new "component" stereos. I'll always remember how excited I was about that.
I kicked this off with something from 1961, something we sure had enough of around here this past week.
Dee Clark - Raindrops
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – (I bet you all thought you were in for the 18 minute version...so if you took a potty or smoke break or did something else, well, you missed a few songs! This was the 3 minute edit version that top 40 formats had.)
Sir Douglas Quartet- She's About A Mover
The Music Explosion - A Little Bit O Soul
Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - Frosty the Blues Man (giving a sneak peek at what next week's "Twist On Christmas" show will be like! I'll play that next week, too)
By the way, speaking of the blog, I've gotten a few compliments on the picture of me that's out on the blog and the MySpace page for the show. Thank you! That was taken on my 50th birthday back when I was still in St. Paul and back when I still had a job. My co-workers came in and assaulted my desk with all that 50th birthday stuff. I was picking little glitter "50s" out of my keyboard for weeks afterward. My favorite thing of all that was a hand drawn sign one of my co-workers's daughters made which simply said "wow—the big 50". So I doctored the background of the picture, took the office out and made it kinda retro.
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
I had with me a great two disc collection of hits by the Temptations. I got one or two of these in, starting with one of my favorites when I was in junior high.
Temptations - You're My Everything
Mary Wells - You Beat Me To The Punch (Our technical glitch of the day. Don't ask me what happened in the beginning. I played this from the online catalog made up of MP3 files and it started sticking like an off track CD and sounding like one of those weird dance mixes. Fortunately, it fixed itself.)
Temptations - You've Got To Earn It (not a big hit I don't think, but a cool catalog song I discovered on this set. I really dig this tune.)
Segment #4 Recent/current section
My "This week's featured songwriter" out on my Wendy V MySpace page. I have been doing some screening of music for an independent music awards project for the last few weeks and came across this gal who is from the Gold Coast of Australia. Her voice and her songs touched my heart in a million pieces. I had to buy some of her tracks for myself and they are in extreme heavy rotation in my MP3 player. Her name is Samantha Mooney .
I started with the title track from her album
Paper Memories – Samantha Mooney
A Thousand Miles Away – Steve Haggard (Love Conquers All)
In the "support your fellow DJ department", Steve Haggard is co-host with Kimberly King of the Haggard-King Radio Hour on Tuesdays from 4-5 pm on Radio Free Nashville.
With Paper Memories being a song about reflecting on change, here's what I hope is a word of encouragement for you.
Encouragement: Change
Change. It's a given. It's the one thing that is ever constant in our lives.
If ever you had a doubt that a radio show matters in many people's lives, you need only to have experienced the outpouring of love and support for the hosts of two radio shows that ended in the St. Paul/Minneapolis MN market over the past two weeks. On one of the shows the hosts got to say a fond farewell to their listeners; the other sadly did not.
In that farewell broadcast of the first show I mentioned, I was struck by something said which was part of a humor skit that came from the pen of one of the co-hosts, the brilliant Dale Connelly. The character in the sketch noted it was too late for so many things, "because every ending, whenever it comes, comes early. And there is always something left undone."
And so it is when change comes, whether it is something quick or planned. If we don't get to do or say something before it comes to a close and it's beyond our control, we could be filled with regret. Sometimes there are things you can't do anything about, even despite your best efforts. When this happens we need to be kind to ourselves and not beat ourselves up. Know that we did the best we could do...and move forward with hope and anticipation to the next--you guessed it--change in our lives.
Closer: King Curtis - Soul Serenade
I started the first part of the show today with "highs of the 60s". Now, that's not to say that I'm talking about anything I might have partaken –I didn't do the drugs (I was only a kid, you know), I just did the music. I'm a CD collections and compilations fan and in the 80's Warner Brothers put out this great one called Highs of the 60s. It's a little bit garage, a little psychedelic, and it's got one of those pink/blue color combinations on the cover that makes your eyes freak out and vibrate. (I remember I did an art project like that once in grade school with those colors.)
Count Five – Psychotic Reaction
Shadows of Knight – Gloria
Left Banke – Walk Away Renee
Knickerbockers – Lies
Swinging Medallions – Double Shot of My Baby's Love
By the way, if you are a fan of the psychedelic, early progressive rock, summer of love type music, check out "Strange Daze" with Beau Hunter Thursday nights from 8-10 on Radio Free Nashville. I sat in with Beau on his show when I first got here and trained in and I had a blast—I heard stuff I hadn't heard in 30 years.
(Brief WRFN pitch)
I talked about this last week and I just mentioned quickly once again...if you're planning some year end giving. I hope you'll think about a gift to Radio Free Nashville if what you hear on this station is important to you. Radio shows do matter in people's lives; I found that out this week (more on that later), but in the meantime let me tell you what you can do to support RFN:
Write a check payable to Radio Free Nashville and send it to Post Office Box 41488, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Visit the web site at www. radiofreenashville. org and make a donation via PayPal, through your PayPal account or on your credit card. Or become a sustainer and make a monthly donation through PayPal, adopt-a-bill, or make a workplace donation through Community Shares. Of course your donations are all tax-deductible.
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
When I was growing up, we had one of those big furniture like stereos, which I eventually inherited or was cast off on to me. But, I used to have the worst time with the turntable. As it got older, the thing didn't work or the speed would be off. I would know precisely if it was too fast or too slow, and it would bug the heck out of me. I finally complained enough to have my dad look at it and we figured out the belt drive was the problem. The belt would fall off or not set right. Eventually I started fiddling with it myself, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I put up with it until one day it finally gave up the ghost completely. So we junked it and I got one of those new "component" stereos. I'll always remember how excited I was about that.
I kicked this off with something from 1961, something we sure had enough of around here this past week.
Dee Clark - Raindrops
Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – (I bet you all thought you were in for the 18 minute version...so if you took a potty or smoke break or did something else, well, you missed a few songs! This was the 3 minute edit version that top 40 formats had.)
Sir Douglas Quartet- She's About A Mover
The Music Explosion - A Little Bit O Soul
Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - Frosty the Blues Man (giving a sneak peek at what next week's "Twist On Christmas" show will be like! I'll play that next week, too)
By the way, speaking of the blog, I've gotten a few compliments on the picture of me that's out on the blog and the MySpace page for the show. Thank you! That was taken on my 50th birthday back when I was still in St. Paul and back when I still had a job. My co-workers came in and assaulted my desk with all that 50th birthday stuff. I was picking little glitter "50s" out of my keyboard for weeks afterward. My favorite thing of all that was a hand drawn sign one of my co-workers's daughters made which simply said "wow—the big 50". So I doctored the background of the picture, took the office out and made it kinda retro.
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
I had with me a great two disc collection of hits by the Temptations. I got one or two of these in, starting with one of my favorites when I was in junior high.
Temptations - You're My Everything
Mary Wells - You Beat Me To The Punch (Our technical glitch of the day. Don't ask me what happened in the beginning. I played this from the online catalog made up of MP3 files and it started sticking like an off track CD and sounding like one of those weird dance mixes. Fortunately, it fixed itself.)
Temptations - You've Got To Earn It (not a big hit I don't think, but a cool catalog song I discovered on this set. I really dig this tune.)
Segment #4 Recent/current section
My "This week's featured songwriter" out on my Wendy V MySpace page. I have been doing some screening of music for an independent music awards project for the last few weeks and came across this gal who is from the Gold Coast of Australia. Her voice and her songs touched my heart in a million pieces. I had to buy some of her tracks for myself and they are in extreme heavy rotation in my MP3 player. Her name is Samantha Mooney .
I started with the title track from her album
Paper Memories – Samantha Mooney
A Thousand Miles Away – Steve Haggard (Love Conquers All)
In the "support your fellow DJ department", Steve Haggard is co-host with Kimberly King of the Haggard-King Radio Hour on Tuesdays from 4-5 pm on Radio Free Nashville.
With Paper Memories being a song about reflecting on change, here's what I hope is a word of encouragement for you.
Encouragement: Change
Change. It's a given. It's the one thing that is ever constant in our lives.
If ever you had a doubt that a radio show matters in many people's lives, you need only to have experienced the outpouring of love and support for the hosts of two radio shows that ended in the St. Paul/Minneapolis MN market over the past two weeks. On one of the shows the hosts got to say a fond farewell to their listeners; the other sadly did not.
In that farewell broadcast of the first show I mentioned, I was struck by something said which was part of a humor skit that came from the pen of one of the co-hosts, the brilliant Dale Connelly. The character in the sketch noted it was too late for so many things, "because every ending, whenever it comes, comes early. And there is always something left undone."
And so it is when change comes, whether it is something quick or planned. If we don't get to do or say something before it comes to a close and it's beyond our control, we could be filled with regret. Sometimes there are things you can't do anything about, even despite your best efforts. When this happens we need to be kind to ourselves and not beat ourselves up. Know that we did the best we could do...and move forward with hope and anticipation to the next--you guessed it--change in our lives.
Closer: King Curtis - Soul Serenade
Sunday, December 7, 2008
12/6/08 Playlist: By The Shoreline
Busy, busy show today!
Segment #1 – By the Shoreline
Well, we are heading toward wintertime starting pretty soon and the weather's getting colder. It's been that way here in Nashville, though I know that if I were still in Minnesota winter will have already started in earnest so I won't complain that much! So I thought we'd steer our thoughts toward warm weather and think about being by the shoreline today.
I grew up in West Haven, CT on the southern CT shoreline. I lived three blocks away from the beach and a major amusement park called Savin Rock. This amusement park was around since the 1800s and lasted until the mid-60s. Drive down Beach Street which was the main drag back when I was a kid and you'd see rides like the Virginia Reel and the Flying Horses, and the big roller coaster called the Sky Blazer (in the early part of the 20th century there was a similar huge roller coaster built out onto a pier right off of the beach until a hurricane took it out). We little kids had our own set of rides to go on. The Tilt A Whirl was my favorite and so was the mini roller coaster in the White City section. At night when I was upstairs in my bedroom I could hear the stock car races running from the track by the Sky Blazer. As you could imagine, it was fun being a kid and growing up with all that close by. Savin Rock started going downhill by the time I came along but I managed to get a few good years in before redevelopment took over in 1967 and the park was torn down. But there are lots of memories and some great music as the soundtrack of our lives during that time. And when you think of the beach, who else do you think of but...the Beach Boys.
I Get Around – Beach Boys
So Much In Love – Tymes
Under the Boardwalk – Drifters
Summertime - Billy Stewart (technical glitch of the day--one of the CD players was left on continuous and those impatient Drifters again (!!) wanted to keep singing. So I started over.)
Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys
When I do look back at all of this, I remember that for me it was mostly about--food. There were a lot of great restaurants around that beach area and it was a big deal for me when I'd get to go. There were Jimmies and Phyllis' which were your stereotypical 50s drive in restaurants. The one I liked the best was Turk's. It was a white building with a big old hot dog drawn on the front of it, and my dad would always let me get my hot dog, chocolate milk and French fries. Occasionally I'd get to go to Scotty's further down the shore which had the best vanilla malts and shoestring fries...these were soft, not those over-fried things you get today. When I would get taken to the beach, always with my parents or my sister (I was never allowed to go alone), I always hinted to get some food from a place across the road from the beach that still exists today and has changed very little, Chick's Drive –In. I didn't always get my way, but when I did I had some of their great French fries. They don't make hot dogs and French fries like that anymore. But those were great times, great memories.
Pitch for Radio Free Nashville year end giving
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
You know, I was talking to some people earlier this week about this part of the show and they used to do the same thing with their boxes of records, just going through and bringing out things they'd feel like hearing. Let me go back to the Beach Boys and do a little shameless self-promotion. When I was growing up, the song I would get sung to me most often was "Windy" by the Association...but I'll take my props on this song.
Wendy- Beach Boys
100 Pounds of Clay - Gene McDaniel
Baby Love - Supremes
Black Is Black - Los Bravos
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
In my first year here there was an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum called Night Train to Nashville. They had a video screen where they showed some old black and white footage of a Nashville music TV show from back in the 60s, and when you put me in front of that sort of thing, it's hard to move and I think they almost had to throw me out of there. Along with the exhibit came the release of a two CD set covering R &B from 1945-1970, so I took a couple today from that collection.
The Chokin Kind - Joe Simon
Talking About My Baby - Impressions
Sunny – Bobby Hebb
Anna - Arthur Alexander
Everlasting Love - Robert Knight
Segment #4 Current
For our recent/current day section, I do a feature on my wendyv MySpace page where I highlight a different singer/songwriter each week. My pick for this past week is in my opinion a first class male vocalist—one of the best singers I've heard in the past seven years. Somebody needs to sign this guy. This track is A1 as well—some great players on here. - Turn the Knife - George Adams
Army of Angels - Randi Perkins-(my guest from a month or so back)
Well sometimes it does take an army of angels to turn love around, but other times it just takes one person to reach out and change things. This piece I'm going to share with you is my Wendy V's Encouraging Words column on my Embrace Encouragement website for this month and it's called What If You Just LOVED?
Closer: Soul Serenade - King Curtis (this might be a keeper...works nicely as a fadeout..especially yesterday when the automation didn't kick in on time!)
A couple of glitches on my end and the station had some technical issues going on earlier in the day--we were off the air on FM for awhile but came back on by 2 p.m. So all things considered, not bad. I was really happy with how I did the pitch.
Segment #1 – By the Shoreline
Well, we are heading toward wintertime starting pretty soon and the weather's getting colder. It's been that way here in Nashville, though I know that if I were still in Minnesota winter will have already started in earnest so I won't complain that much! So I thought we'd steer our thoughts toward warm weather and think about being by the shoreline today.
I grew up in West Haven, CT on the southern CT shoreline. I lived three blocks away from the beach and a major amusement park called Savin Rock. This amusement park was around since the 1800s and lasted until the mid-60s. Drive down Beach Street which was the main drag back when I was a kid and you'd see rides like the Virginia Reel and the Flying Horses, and the big roller coaster called the Sky Blazer (in the early part of the 20th century there was a similar huge roller coaster built out onto a pier right off of the beach until a hurricane took it out). We little kids had our own set of rides to go on. The Tilt A Whirl was my favorite and so was the mini roller coaster in the White City section. At night when I was upstairs in my bedroom I could hear the stock car races running from the track by the Sky Blazer. As you could imagine, it was fun being a kid and growing up with all that close by. Savin Rock started going downhill by the time I came along but I managed to get a few good years in before redevelopment took over in 1967 and the park was torn down. But there are lots of memories and some great music as the soundtrack of our lives during that time. And when you think of the beach, who else do you think of but...the Beach Boys.
I Get Around – Beach Boys
So Much In Love – Tymes
Under the Boardwalk – Drifters
Summertime - Billy Stewart (technical glitch of the day--one of the CD players was left on continuous and those impatient Drifters again (!!) wanted to keep singing. So I started over.)
Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys
When I do look back at all of this, I remember that for me it was mostly about--food. There were a lot of great restaurants around that beach area and it was a big deal for me when I'd get to go. There were Jimmies and Phyllis' which were your stereotypical 50s drive in restaurants. The one I liked the best was Turk's. It was a white building with a big old hot dog drawn on the front of it, and my dad would always let me get my hot dog, chocolate milk and French fries. Occasionally I'd get to go to Scotty's further down the shore which had the best vanilla malts and shoestring fries...these were soft, not those over-fried things you get today. When I would get taken to the beach, always with my parents or my sister (I was never allowed to go alone), I always hinted to get some food from a place across the road from the beach that still exists today and has changed very little, Chick's Drive –In. I didn't always get my way, but when I did I had some of their great French fries. They don't make hot dogs and French fries like that anymore. But those were great times, great memories.
Pitch for Radio Free Nashville year end giving
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
You know, I was talking to some people earlier this week about this part of the show and they used to do the same thing with their boxes of records, just going through and bringing out things they'd feel like hearing. Let me go back to the Beach Boys and do a little shameless self-promotion. When I was growing up, the song I would get sung to me most often was "Windy" by the Association...but I'll take my props on this song.
Wendy- Beach Boys
100 Pounds of Clay - Gene McDaniel
Baby Love - Supremes
Black Is Black - Los Bravos
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
In my first year here there was an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum called Night Train to Nashville. They had a video screen where they showed some old black and white footage of a Nashville music TV show from back in the 60s, and when you put me in front of that sort of thing, it's hard to move and I think they almost had to throw me out of there. Along with the exhibit came the release of a two CD set covering R &B from 1945-1970, so I took a couple today from that collection.
The Chokin Kind - Joe Simon
Talking About My Baby - Impressions
Sunny – Bobby Hebb
Anna - Arthur Alexander
Everlasting Love - Robert Knight
Segment #4 Current
For our recent/current day section, I do a feature on my wendyv MySpace page where I highlight a different singer/songwriter each week. My pick for this past week is in my opinion a first class male vocalist—one of the best singers I've heard in the past seven years. Somebody needs to sign this guy. This track is A1 as well—some great players on here. - Turn the Knife - George Adams
Army of Angels - Randi Perkins-(my guest from a month or so back)
Well sometimes it does take an army of angels to turn love around, but other times it just takes one person to reach out and change things. This piece I'm going to share with you is my Wendy V's Encouraging Words column on my Embrace Encouragement website for this month and it's called What If You Just LOVED?
Closer: Soul Serenade - King Curtis (this might be a keeper...works nicely as a fadeout..especially yesterday when the automation didn't kick in on time!)
A couple of glitches on my end and the station had some technical issues going on earlier in the day--we were off the air on FM for awhile but came back on by 2 p.m. So all things considered, not bad. I was really happy with how I did the pitch.
Support Radio Free Nashville
This is an on-air pitch I did on the 12/6/08 show:
We're getting to the end of the year and you may be making some difficult decisions in these tight times about year end giving. I'd like to have you think about considering a gift to Radio Free Nashville. Those of you locally probably realize what a great community resource it is...it's been involved in some wonderful things this past year, just to name a few the Homelessness Marathon, the Young Voices of Nashville, the Oasis Center which had a benefit show last month, a new local news division and expansion of the signal. I'm sure there will be other activities coming up in the new year which as a fairly new programmer I can't wait to be part of.
From a musical programming standpoint as well, RFN offers something that's very rare and precious in radio these days. I know I am blessed to be part of our Saturday afternoon lineup which I've often called the best in town. You will really be hard pressed to find a musical mix like this certainly in commercial radio.
First off, we've got Bobby Bob's Rock and Roll Revolution. I love him...he's a throwback to the times when top 40 radio was fun. Bobby and his alter ego "Popsy" with his hysterical philosophies and observations are just a riot.
Geo On the Radio, what he's doing is just brilliant radio. He's got great musical taste and he puts sets together that can entertain you one minute and zing your heart the next. I know I've learned about so many wonderful artists just by listening to his show (especially one I'm going to play for you later) and some terrific guests he's interviewed, like Steve Leslie this afternoon. The one interview I'll never forget is Alex Harvey. I remember being in the studio listening to the rebroadcast and experiencing a gamut of emotions...I'm a major fan of him now. Radio that impacts your soul like this is hard to put a price on.
Then there's Backstory with River Jordan, a dear lady who is a very gifted writer and storyteller, also plays some wonderful music and features a wide range of authors. And me, well, I've said this before: I'm just very fortunate to be dropped in the middle here and live a dream and share with you as a music fan and a writer and encourage a population that gets overlooked and undervalued these days.
We can probably all think of programs that were dear to us at one time or another which disappeared due to lack of support and broke our hearts. So, if you've enjoyed anything you've heard on Radio Free Nashville, whether it's my show or one of my fellow DJs anywhere in the program schedule, I hope you'll think about lending support for keeping the great programming going.
Here's how you can do that: Write a check payable to Radio Free Nashville and send it to Post Office Box 41488, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Visit the web site at www.radiofreenashville.org and make a donation via PayPal, through your PayPal account or on your credit card. Or become a sustainer and make a monthly donation through PayPal, adopt-a-bill, or make a workplace donation through Community Shares. Of course your donations are all tax-deductible.
Thanks!
We're getting to the end of the year and you may be making some difficult decisions in these tight times about year end giving. I'd like to have you think about considering a gift to Radio Free Nashville. Those of you locally probably realize what a great community resource it is...it's been involved in some wonderful things this past year, just to name a few the Homelessness Marathon, the Young Voices of Nashville, the Oasis Center which had a benefit show last month, a new local news division and expansion of the signal. I'm sure there will be other activities coming up in the new year which as a fairly new programmer I can't wait to be part of.
From a musical programming standpoint as well, RFN offers something that's very rare and precious in radio these days. I know I am blessed to be part of our Saturday afternoon lineup which I've often called the best in town. You will really be hard pressed to find a musical mix like this certainly in commercial radio.
First off, we've got Bobby Bob's Rock and Roll Revolution. I love him...he's a throwback to the times when top 40 radio was fun. Bobby and his alter ego "Popsy" with his hysterical philosophies and observations are just a riot.
Geo On the Radio, what he's doing is just brilliant radio. He's got great musical taste and he puts sets together that can entertain you one minute and zing your heart the next. I know I've learned about so many wonderful artists just by listening to his show (especially one I'm going to play for you later) and some terrific guests he's interviewed, like Steve Leslie this afternoon. The one interview I'll never forget is Alex Harvey. I remember being in the studio listening to the rebroadcast and experiencing a gamut of emotions...I'm a major fan of him now. Radio that impacts your soul like this is hard to put a price on.
Then there's Backstory with River Jordan, a dear lady who is a very gifted writer and storyteller, also plays some wonderful music and features a wide range of authors. And me, well, I've said this before: I'm just very fortunate to be dropped in the middle here and live a dream and share with you as a music fan and a writer and encourage a population that gets overlooked and undervalued these days.
We can probably all think of programs that were dear to us at one time or another which disappeared due to lack of support and broke our hearts. So, if you've enjoyed anything you've heard on Radio Free Nashville, whether it's my show or one of my fellow DJs anywhere in the program schedule, I hope you'll think about lending support for keeping the great programming going.
Here's how you can do that: Write a check payable to Radio Free Nashville and send it to Post Office Box 41488, Nashville, Tennessee 37204. Visit the web site at www.radiofreenashville.org and make a donation via PayPal, through your PayPal account or on your credit card. Or become a sustainer and make a monthly donation through PayPal, adopt-a-bill, or make a workplace donation through Community Shares. Of course your donations are all tax-deductible.
Thanks!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
11/29/08 Oldies To Be Thankful For
Segment #1 – Oldies To Be Thankful For
I thought I'd continue the spirit of Thanksgiving just a bit into this weekend and play what I call "oldies to be thankful for", some of my favorite songs and artists that have stuck with me over the years. In the "credit where due" department, I borrowed this idea from a bluegrass dj in the Twin Cities, Phil Nusbaum of KBEM in Minneapolis, who always plays "bluegrass to be thankful for" on his show "Bluegrass Saturday Morning" around Thanksgiving weekend and he's played one or two requests for me in past years.
I will start with this song I've played before by the Critters—I've always thought it was beautifully sung and lyrically sophisticated for its time.
Mr. Dieingly Sad - Critters (lead singer was Don Ciccone, who also sang on the 4 Seasons hit "December 1963 [Oh What A Night]")
No Good To Cry – Wildweeds (Now Nashville resident singer/songwriter/guitarist Al Anderson was the lead singer back then)
Imagine That- Patsy Cline
My Cup Runneth Over – Ed Ames, who is probably more famous for a Johnny Carson appearance than his singing. This song was from the musical "I Do I Do" which was on Broadway in the mid 60s. This is another of those songs like I told you about a week or so ago when you were growing up that your mother loved but you thought it was square, and then when you got older you came to appreciate it—and you started watching all those Lawrence Welk reruns, too, for the pop culture of it all. OK, I confess to that!
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
One thing I'm so thankful for this year is all the wonderful new friendships I've made with a lot of the singer/songwriters and musicians in this community...and the support has really worked both ways. There are a lot of them out there trying to get cuts and gigs and such—I've seen and heard many of you this past week. I love you all so much and you know I have fingers and toes crossed for you—so this is for those who are listening today: Nashville Cats- Lovin Spoonful
Only Love Can Break A Heart - from the late, great Gene Pitney who hailed from my home state of Connecticut. I did get to see him in concert once a couple of years before I left for MN. He was wonderful and I'm very grateful to have had that experience. He recorded a lot of Burt Bacharach/Hal David compositions and there's one of those.
Just Like Me - Paul Revere and the Raiders (Mark Lindsay was my pre-teen heartthrob--more on that on another show, perhaps)
Here Comes The Night - Them (early Van Morrison)
Girl Like You - Rascals
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
I'm going to start a new section for the show. I call this Soul Stew. I've found myself in past weeks playing a lot of soul music. I've always loved soul and felt very connected to it so why not give it its own place in the show, right? I decided to give Wilson Pickett a call here and see if he wanted to start this thing off for us.
634-5789 - Wilson Pickett
Don't Play That Song - Ben E. King
Wish Someone Would Care - Irma Thomas
Double O Soul - Edwin Starr
Segment #4- Recent/current day section
I went to a writers night last weekend out at Fiddle and Pick in Pegram which is not far from here. There were a lot of wonderful writers and a few of them were very kind to share their CDs with me. I'll start with Mark Elliott, who went above and beyond in sharing his music with me—after the show Saturday he sang a song of his just for me that I liked called Baseball and Beatles—so thanks, Mark, if you're listening. I didn't have that song with me but I did have one from his latest release, Good Life.
Bye Bye Baby Jane – Mark Elliott
He Smiled Like An Angel – Laurie McClain (Ascend CD)
Encouragement:
A Closed Fist Holds No Light
(Adapted from the version written for SoGospelNews.com - that version will be posted here in December.)
I was driving home from someplace recently and heard on the radio a song I'd forgotten about, but I've liked: "I Just Wanna Be Mad" by Terri Clark. It's a song about a couple who had a spat and the wife declares her love but doesn't want to give up her mad...yet.
So, I got to thinking about that song. We are human and sometimes we do "just wanna be mad for awhile." Sometimes we get a little too critical too quickly before we know all of the facts. We direct that negative energy at people without thinking through the impact it might have on the person. But I think life's too short to hold small grudges for a long period of time and be unforgiving toward others. Besides, after a while it eats away at you and holds you back from happiness. A closed fist holds no light.
Try this if you're holding too tightly on to something someone may have said or done: make a fist. Note how uncomfortable and tight your hand feels. Look toward the center. It's closed and it's very dark in there. Not a bit of light can get in.
Now, open your hand. Stretch it out and allow the light to shine through. And let that grudge, bad feeling, misunderstanding that might not be all that important go.
The thing about the song I like is that despite present feelings, it offers up hope for reconciliation, that the dark cloud isn't going to last forever...that love will eventually conquer all. And making up and making peace can be fun, after all.
***
Closing song: Time Is Tight - Booker T and the MGs
The one show glitch might have been me struggling with a couple of words. Other than that, it was pretty clean. Go Wendy.
I want to take a moment to thank my fellow DJ River Jordan, whose great show, "Backstory On the Radio" follows mine, for her kind support--I heard her plug for my show on automation of her show as I was driving home. It came at a time when I needed it and it is nice to know someone's paying attention. And by the way, she nailed the essence of what the show is about. Thanks, River.
I thought I'd continue the spirit of Thanksgiving just a bit into this weekend and play what I call "oldies to be thankful for", some of my favorite songs and artists that have stuck with me over the years. In the "credit where due" department, I borrowed this idea from a bluegrass dj in the Twin Cities, Phil Nusbaum of KBEM in Minneapolis, who always plays "bluegrass to be thankful for" on his show "Bluegrass Saturday Morning" around Thanksgiving weekend and he's played one or two requests for me in past years.
I will start with this song I've played before by the Critters—I've always thought it was beautifully sung and lyrically sophisticated for its time.
Mr. Dieingly Sad - Critters (lead singer was Don Ciccone, who also sang on the 4 Seasons hit "December 1963 [Oh What A Night]")
No Good To Cry – Wildweeds (Now Nashville resident singer/songwriter/guitarist Al Anderson was the lead singer back then)
Imagine That- Patsy Cline
My Cup Runneth Over – Ed Ames, who is probably more famous for a Johnny Carson appearance than his singing. This song was from the musical "I Do I Do" which was on Broadway in the mid 60s. This is another of those songs like I told you about a week or so ago when you were growing up that your mother loved but you thought it was square, and then when you got older you came to appreciate it—and you started watching all those Lawrence Welk reruns, too, for the pop culture of it all. OK, I confess to that!
Segment #2 – Picking Through the Record Box
One thing I'm so thankful for this year is all the wonderful new friendships I've made with a lot of the singer/songwriters and musicians in this community...and the support has really worked both ways. There are a lot of them out there trying to get cuts and gigs and such—I've seen and heard many of you this past week. I love you all so much and you know I have fingers and toes crossed for you—so this is for those who are listening today: Nashville Cats- Lovin Spoonful
Only Love Can Break A Heart - from the late, great Gene Pitney who hailed from my home state of Connecticut. I did get to see him in concert once a couple of years before I left for MN. He was wonderful and I'm very grateful to have had that experience. He recorded a lot of Burt Bacharach/Hal David compositions and there's one of those.
Just Like Me - Paul Revere and the Raiders (Mark Lindsay was my pre-teen heartthrob--more on that on another show, perhaps)
Here Comes The Night - Them (early Van Morrison)
Girl Like You - Rascals
Segment #3 – Soul Stew
I'm going to start a new section for the show. I call this Soul Stew. I've found myself in past weeks playing a lot of soul music. I've always loved soul and felt very connected to it so why not give it its own place in the show, right? I decided to give Wilson Pickett a call here and see if he wanted to start this thing off for us.
634-5789 - Wilson Pickett
Don't Play That Song - Ben E. King
Wish Someone Would Care - Irma Thomas
Double O Soul - Edwin Starr
Segment #4- Recent/current day section
I went to a writers night last weekend out at Fiddle and Pick in Pegram which is not far from here. There were a lot of wonderful writers and a few of them were very kind to share their CDs with me. I'll start with Mark Elliott, who went above and beyond in sharing his music with me—after the show Saturday he sang a song of his just for me that I liked called Baseball and Beatles—so thanks, Mark, if you're listening. I didn't have that song with me but I did have one from his latest release, Good Life.
Bye Bye Baby Jane – Mark Elliott
He Smiled Like An Angel – Laurie McClain (Ascend CD)
Encouragement:
A Closed Fist Holds No Light
(Adapted from the version written for SoGospelNews.com - that version will be posted here in December.)
I was driving home from someplace recently and heard on the radio a song I'd forgotten about, but I've liked: "I Just Wanna Be Mad" by Terri Clark. It's a song about a couple who had a spat and the wife declares her love but doesn't want to give up her mad...yet.
So, I got to thinking about that song. We are human and sometimes we do "just wanna be mad for awhile." Sometimes we get a little too critical too quickly before we know all of the facts. We direct that negative energy at people without thinking through the impact it might have on the person. But I think life's too short to hold small grudges for a long period of time and be unforgiving toward others. Besides, after a while it eats away at you and holds you back from happiness. A closed fist holds no light.
Try this if you're holding too tightly on to something someone may have said or done: make a fist. Note how uncomfortable and tight your hand feels. Look toward the center. It's closed and it's very dark in there. Not a bit of light can get in.
Now, open your hand. Stretch it out and allow the light to shine through. And let that grudge, bad feeling, misunderstanding that might not be all that important go.
The thing about the song I like is that despite present feelings, it offers up hope for reconciliation, that the dark cloud isn't going to last forever...that love will eventually conquer all. And making up and making peace can be fun, after all.
***
Closing song: Time Is Tight - Booker T and the MGs
The one show glitch might have been me struggling with a couple of words. Other than that, it was pretty clean. Go Wendy.
I want to take a moment to thank my fellow DJ River Jordan, whose great show, "Backstory On the Radio" follows mine, for her kind support--I heard her plug for my show on automation of her show as I was driving home. It came at a time when I needed it and it is nice to know someone's paying attention. And by the way, she nailed the essence of what the show is about. Thanks, River.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
11/22/08 Playlist - 1963
This day, of course, was the 45th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, on November 22, 1963. So I took a look back at some of the music of that year and walked through history a little bit. Most of us who were around at that time no doubt remember where they were when the President was shot. Me, I was in 3rd grade when one of the other teachers told our teacher the news. We had a little reading lesson going on at the time. I was one of those "teacher's pets" back then so our teacher left the room for a little bit and she put me in charge. Only thing was the class and I were a little confused on whether she wanted me to watch the room or run the reading group. Not long after that we were told the President had died and we all were sent home. From then on it was a weekend of black and white images on TV none of us will ever forget and my mother telling me to keep the volume on the music that I played on my stereo soft.
There is an aircheck out on the internet from radio station KLIF in Dallas from the day of the assassination which is quite chilling. At around 12:30 p.m. DJ Rex Jones was doing his show as usual. When the first report of a shooting came in, they played commercials for Sandra Dee's latest movie and clothing stores and music…then when reports got more serious, things gradually changed. But while this song aired on KLIF, few knew what was transpiring not far away from the station and the innocence the song by the Chiffons portrayed was soon to be changed forever.
Chiffons - I Have A Boyfriend
Rick Nelson - Fools Rush In
Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki
Lesley Gore - It's My Party
Inez and Charlie Foxx - Mockingbird
Del Shannon - Little Town Flirt
Going back to JFK for a second, I visited the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas a few years ago and it was quite the experience. One thing I picked up while I was there was a DVD called JFK-Breaking the News which is a collection on clips from the local Dallas TV coverage and interviews from people who were on the scene, so if you're a history and TV news enthusiast, you might want to try to find this one.
Picking Through the Record Box
For the record box, I've pulled out all my stuff ahead of time, so we're going to stay with 1963 for the most part. 1963 is the year that I have the most vivid memories of music and of my childhood. I was 8 years old back then (go ahead, do the math, I don't mind). There was always music around the house because my mother loved it and I had that older sister advantage that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. My family was also involved with an Irish music club, so on many occasions there'd be a lot of visitors to the outdoor patio...and maybe an accordion or two. I played some songs that seems to stick out in that era and stayed with me that everyone liked a lot.
(Obligatory technical glitch of the day: I wanted to play Jimmy Soul Clark's "If You Want To Be Happy" from a tape cassette, but it decided not to cooperate.)
Gene Pitney - 24 Hours From Tulsa
Jackie De Shannon - Needles and Pins
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Supremes - When the Lovelight Start Shining Through His Eyes
Brenda Lee - Losing You
New Christy Minstrels - Green Green
Dixiebells - Papa Joe's
Steve Alaimo - Every Day I Have To Cry Some
Current music:
Scott Krippayne - What Breaks Your Heart
He was one of the American Idol finale songwriter winners a couple of seasons back. He co-wrote the song Jordin Sparks sang, This Is My Now.
Stephanie Mills –Born For This
This song was written by BeBe Winans who resides here in town. I heard him do this song last year in my church. He's an ordained minister as well as an artist and he preached his first sermon for us. He sang this song at the end, and there was an incredible move of the spirit. People were reaching across the aisles hugging each other and all. I'll never forget that experience.
Inspiration:
Next week most of us will be pondering the things we are thankful for. I'd like to suggest that if there are any people you are thankful for in your life, that you be sure to encourage them and tell then. Life is too short, after all. 45 years ago we lost a President in the blink of an eye. If someone were sadly snatched from your life, will he or she have known how you felt about them? I hope so. It doesn't take a whole lot to say so. I'm thankful for being in this town, for my friends, my singer/songwriter people who have encouraged me and my mission here, and for getting to do this show with some great people. And you do know who you are.
There is an aircheck out on the internet from radio station KLIF in Dallas from the day of the assassination which is quite chilling. At around 12:30 p.m. DJ Rex Jones was doing his show as usual. When the first report of a shooting came in, they played commercials for Sandra Dee's latest movie and clothing stores and music…then when reports got more serious, things gradually changed. But while this song aired on KLIF, few knew what was transpiring not far away from the station and the innocence the song by the Chiffons portrayed was soon to be changed forever.
Chiffons - I Have A Boyfriend
Rick Nelson - Fools Rush In
Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki
Lesley Gore - It's My Party
Inez and Charlie Foxx - Mockingbird
Del Shannon - Little Town Flirt
Going back to JFK for a second, I visited the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas a few years ago and it was quite the experience. One thing I picked up while I was there was a DVD called JFK-Breaking the News which is a collection on clips from the local Dallas TV coverage and interviews from people who were on the scene, so if you're a history and TV news enthusiast, you might want to try to find this one.
Picking Through the Record Box
For the record box, I've pulled out all my stuff ahead of time, so we're going to stay with 1963 for the most part. 1963 is the year that I have the most vivid memories of music and of my childhood. I was 8 years old back then (go ahead, do the math, I don't mind). There was always music around the house because my mother loved it and I had that older sister advantage that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. My family was also involved with an Irish music club, so on many occasions there'd be a lot of visitors to the outdoor patio...and maybe an accordion or two. I played some songs that seems to stick out in that era and stayed with me that everyone liked a lot.
(Obligatory technical glitch of the day: I wanted to play Jimmy Soul Clark's "If You Want To Be Happy" from a tape cassette, but it decided not to cooperate.)
Gene Pitney - 24 Hours From Tulsa
Jackie De Shannon - Needles and Pins
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
Supremes - When the Lovelight Start Shining Through His Eyes
Brenda Lee - Losing You
New Christy Minstrels - Green Green
Dixiebells - Papa Joe's
Steve Alaimo - Every Day I Have To Cry Some
Current music:
Scott Krippayne - What Breaks Your Heart
He was one of the American Idol finale songwriter winners a couple of seasons back. He co-wrote the song Jordin Sparks sang, This Is My Now.
Stephanie Mills –Born For This
This song was written by BeBe Winans who resides here in town. I heard him do this song last year in my church. He's an ordained minister as well as an artist and he preached his first sermon for us. He sang this song at the end, and there was an incredible move of the spirit. People were reaching across the aisles hugging each other and all. I'll never forget that experience.
Inspiration:
Next week most of us will be pondering the things we are thankful for. I'd like to suggest that if there are any people you are thankful for in your life, that you be sure to encourage them and tell then. Life is too short, after all. 45 years ago we lost a President in the blink of an eye. If someone were sadly snatched from your life, will he or she have known how you felt about them? I hope so. It doesn't take a whole lot to say so. I'm thankful for being in this town, for my friends, my singer/songwriter people who have encouraged me and my mission here, and for getting to do this show with some great people. And you do know who you are.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
11/15/08 - Soul Shot Saturday
Today on the show we had Soul Shot Saturday! Try saying that three times fast! Well, I practiced. I tried. But I blew it.
Déjà vu for those of you who saw a particular YouTube video featuring yours truly.
Anyway, what Soul Shot Saturday meant was I played a few cuts from some compilations that Rhino put out years ago called Soul Shots A Collection of Sixties Soul Classics. These have some great old soul tunes that you're not likely to hear on what's left of the commercial oldies stations (and I use that term loosely).I don't know how many albums were put out in this series, I have three of them.
Tyrone Davis – Can I Change My Mind
JJ Jackson - But It's Alright
Barbara Acklin - Love Makes A Woman
Lou Rawls- Love Is a Hurtin Thing
Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache
Picking through the record box:
Lovin Spoonful - You Didn't Have To Be So Nice (by request!)
The Turtles - It Ain't Me Babe
Tams - Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
Drifters - Please Stay (The only glitch of the day--they wanted to sing sooner than I was ready for them to. Gotta wait your turn, guys!)
Johnny Mathis - What Will My Mary Say (A song I always loved, but secretly as a child. Little Beatles loving me didn't admit that I actually loved a song my mother did!)
Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspiration
Jerry Butler - Mr. Dream Merchant (last two also from Soul Shots collection)
Current section:
Quite honestly, I don't really know where this falls in the baby boomer demographic this show usually covers, but I did want to share this song with you. If some of you are around Nashville or if you read album liner notes, you may be familiar with the name Gordon Mote. He's been one of the first call session piano players in Nashville for quite a number of years, but he's also a wonderful singer. Of late he has been the pianist for the Gaither Homecoming Tour and has launched a gospel music solo career. This song was sent to country radio. I first heard it about two and a half years ago as a demo and I told Gordon then he had a hit on his hands and I've very glad he recorded it himself—this is from his most recent album Don't Let Me Miss The Glory.
Gordon Mote - Wake Up Dancin
Alan O' Day - I Hear Voices
Michael Loonan - Meet Me On the Way To Madison
I'm sure every city has its special venue where musical magic is made every night. For me it was Music City Cafe/Billy's On Grand in St. Paul, MN. Back in the 90s it was where I'd hear and came to know Michael Loonan and others who started out on a small stage and then went on to do me proud and become touring musicians.
Inspiration:
I tried to do this last week but ran out of time—these are challenging times we're all living in where we have to make compromises and sacrifices right now so hopefully this piece which I wrote for another website will help just a little bit.
http://sogospelnews.com/index/articles/comments/9817/
Wrap up: King Curtis - Soul Serenade
I actually was pleased with the show today. Scripting and conceiving the show seems to be working well for me.
Next week: a walk through history, looking at 1963 and the 45th anniversary of the JFK assassination. It still affects me to this day and I'll have some thoughts on growing up in the wake of that monumental event.
Déjà vu for those of you who saw a particular YouTube video featuring yours truly.
Anyway, what Soul Shot Saturday meant was I played a few cuts from some compilations that Rhino put out years ago called Soul Shots A Collection of Sixties Soul Classics. These have some great old soul tunes that you're not likely to hear on what's left of the commercial oldies stations (and I use that term loosely).I don't know how many albums were put out in this series, I have three of them.
Tyrone Davis – Can I Change My Mind
JJ Jackson - But It's Alright
Barbara Acklin - Love Makes A Woman
Lou Rawls- Love Is a Hurtin Thing
Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache
Picking through the record box:
Lovin Spoonful - You Didn't Have To Be So Nice (by request!)
The Turtles - It Ain't Me Babe
Tams - Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
Drifters - Please Stay (The only glitch of the day--they wanted to sing sooner than I was ready for them to. Gotta wait your turn, guys!)
Johnny Mathis - What Will My Mary Say (A song I always loved, but secretly as a child. Little Beatles loving me didn't admit that I actually loved a song my mother did!)
Sweet Inspirations - Sweet Inspiration
Jerry Butler - Mr. Dream Merchant (last two also from Soul Shots collection)
Current section:
Quite honestly, I don't really know where this falls in the baby boomer demographic this show usually covers, but I did want to share this song with you. If some of you are around Nashville or if you read album liner notes, you may be familiar with the name Gordon Mote. He's been one of the first call session piano players in Nashville for quite a number of years, but he's also a wonderful singer. Of late he has been the pianist for the Gaither Homecoming Tour and has launched a gospel music solo career. This song was sent to country radio. I first heard it about two and a half years ago as a demo and I told Gordon then he had a hit on his hands and I've very glad he recorded it himself—this is from his most recent album Don't Let Me Miss The Glory.
Gordon Mote - Wake Up Dancin
Alan O' Day - I Hear Voices
Michael Loonan - Meet Me On the Way To Madison
I'm sure every city has its special venue where musical magic is made every night. For me it was Music City Cafe/Billy's On Grand in St. Paul, MN. Back in the 90s it was where I'd hear and came to know Michael Loonan and others who started out on a small stage and then went on to do me proud and become touring musicians.
Inspiration:
I tried to do this last week but ran out of time—these are challenging times we're all living in where we have to make compromises and sacrifices right now so hopefully this piece which I wrote for another website will help just a little bit.
http://sogospelnews.com/index/articles/comments/9817/
Wrap up: King Curtis - Soul Serenade
I actually was pleased with the show today. Scripting and conceiving the show seems to be working well for me.
Next week: a walk through history, looking at 1963 and the 45th anniversary of the JFK assassination. It still affects me to this day and I'll have some thoughts on growing up in the wake of that monumental event.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
11/8/08 Playlist- Let's Dance!; Ten November
Let's Dance!
I thought perhaps I'd start out by trying to get you all up and dancing. I was inspired a bit this weekend, not because I went to see Michael McDonald last Saturday night and ended up dancing in the aisles. On Sunday I tuned in one of the local cable access channels here in Nashville and found this little dance show. These couples were about 40-70 years old in age range and let me tell you, they were boogieing down, bebopping, just having a grand old time. It looks like they were from some sort of dance club—they danced one song right after the other for a solid half hour—it was pretty cool. Maybe I'll join one of those dance clubs, who knows. But right now, come one, everyone up on your feet, let's dance!
Four Tops – It’s the Same Old Song (and one of my favorite things was watching them dance)
Major Lance – Monkey Time
Sly and the Family Stone - Dance To The Music
Twisting the Night Away – Sam Cooke
Cool Jerk – Capitols
Dee Dee Sharp - Mashed Potato Time
Picking Through the Record Box
As I talked about last week, this is the part of the show that is like picking through the box of 45's you had as you were growing up and just playing whatever looks good to you at the time. Now for those of you who are younger and don't know what I mean by a 45, well, I'll presume you've at least seen what a vinyl album looks like. This is a tiny version of that with a big hole in the middle and you have to put a little odd shaped plastic spindle inside it to play it on a turntable. I know someone who has a neck chain with a little spindle charm on it and I said to this person, "isn't it scary that we're in a world now with people who don't even know what that is?"
Uniques - Not Too Long Ago
Reflections- Just Life Romeo and Juliet
Sandie Shaw - Always Something There To Remind Me
Human Beinz - Nobody but Me
Orlons - Wah Watusi
Rooftop Singers - Walk Right In
Swinging Medallions - Double Shot of My Baby's Love
Current
This week we are coming up on the 33rd anniversary of the shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which disappeared on Lake Superior on the tenth of November, 1975, and its 29 crewmen disappeared without a trace. Many of you are probably familiar with Gordon Lightfoot's song on the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I played music from a production called Ten November. It's had dozens of performances across the US and Canada over the past 20 years. I saw it in St. Paul MN a couple of years ago and it was incredible. The liner notes to the soundtrack album, which is called Gales of November, tell us that the music and the play "reminds us how tenuous and precious are our ties to those we love in the face of the awesome power of nature." The singers are some of the finest voices in folk today: Prudence Johnson, who you may have heard regularly with Garrison Keillor on "A Prairie Home Companion", along with Ruth MacKenzie and Claudia Schmidt.
River to the Sea – Prudence Johnson (Gales of November)
Rich – Neal and Leandra – (Stranger to My Kin)
Listen Adversary – Prudence Johnson (Gales of November)
Wrap up - Telstar - The Toronados
I thought perhaps I'd start out by trying to get you all up and dancing. I was inspired a bit this weekend, not because I went to see Michael McDonald last Saturday night and ended up dancing in the aisles. On Sunday I tuned in one of the local cable access channels here in Nashville and found this little dance show. These couples were about 40-70 years old in age range and let me tell you, they were boogieing down, bebopping, just having a grand old time. It looks like they were from some sort of dance club—they danced one song right after the other for a solid half hour—it was pretty cool. Maybe I'll join one of those dance clubs, who knows. But right now, come one, everyone up on your feet, let's dance!
Four Tops – It’s the Same Old Song (and one of my favorite things was watching them dance)
Major Lance – Monkey Time
Sly and the Family Stone - Dance To The Music
Twisting the Night Away – Sam Cooke
Cool Jerk – Capitols
Dee Dee Sharp - Mashed Potato Time
Picking Through the Record Box
As I talked about last week, this is the part of the show that is like picking through the box of 45's you had as you were growing up and just playing whatever looks good to you at the time. Now for those of you who are younger and don't know what I mean by a 45, well, I'll presume you've at least seen what a vinyl album looks like. This is a tiny version of that with a big hole in the middle and you have to put a little odd shaped plastic spindle inside it to play it on a turntable. I know someone who has a neck chain with a little spindle charm on it and I said to this person, "isn't it scary that we're in a world now with people who don't even know what that is?"
Uniques - Not Too Long Ago
Reflections- Just Life Romeo and Juliet
Sandie Shaw - Always Something There To Remind Me
Human Beinz - Nobody but Me
Orlons - Wah Watusi
Rooftop Singers - Walk Right In
Swinging Medallions - Double Shot of My Baby's Love
Current
This week we are coming up on the 33rd anniversary of the shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which disappeared on Lake Superior on the tenth of November, 1975, and its 29 crewmen disappeared without a trace. Many of you are probably familiar with Gordon Lightfoot's song on the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I played music from a production called Ten November. It's had dozens of performances across the US and Canada over the past 20 years. I saw it in St. Paul MN a couple of years ago and it was incredible. The liner notes to the soundtrack album, which is called Gales of November, tell us that the music and the play "reminds us how tenuous and precious are our ties to those we love in the face of the awesome power of nature." The singers are some of the finest voices in folk today: Prudence Johnson, who you may have heard regularly with Garrison Keillor on "A Prairie Home Companion", along with Ruth MacKenzie and Claudia Schmidt.
River to the Sea – Prudence Johnson (Gales of November)
Rich – Neal and Leandra – (Stranger to My Kin)
Listen Adversary – Prudence Johnson (Gales of November)
Wrap up - Telstar - The Toronados
Sunday, November 2, 2008
11/1/08 Playlist
It was a long afternoon. Either that or I must have played a lot of short songs.
I couldn't decide what version of a song I wanted to play so I played them both:
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - The Casinos
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Eddy Arnold
It's Up To You - Ricky Nelson
Young World - Ricky Nelson
First set of songs from "The Brill Building Sound" box set. I have this on cassette and I never used the tape deck before, so I held my breath that it would work. And it did--yay!
Halfway to Paradise - Tony Orlando
Take Good Care Of My Baby - Bobby Vee
Run To Him - Bobby Vee
Bless You - Tony Orlando
Tell It To The Rain - Four Seasons
Are You Lonely For Me Baby - Freddie Scott
Concrete & Clay - Unit 4 + 2
2nd set from "The Brill Building Sound":
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Skeeter Davis
Hey Girl - Freddie Scott
Oh No Not My Baby - Maxine Brown
Current (or non-oldie) section:
Walls - Mary Jane Alm and Pat Frederick (this month's "Wendy V's Encouraging Words" was inspired by this song)
All My Loving - Buddy Greene
Some Velvet Morning - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Personal reflection:
I grew up with an older sister who is 10 years older than me. It was a helpful thing growing up with this music in the 60s when she was 18 and I was 8. Obviously, she bought most of the records. But, it wasn't long after that when I started bugging my folks for an allowance so that I could buy some, too. In any event, we would have our little sessions where we'd play records and she'd always want to be the one to pick (or "dictate", as she put it) what to play. I did get my licks in often, though.
Maybe some of you, when you dig out your old record collections, just sort of poke through and start grabbing songs to play just on impulse, not caring about how they fit together. Well, I do that sometime on this show. Just so's you know what's going on...
I couldn't decide what version of a song I wanted to play so I played them both:
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - The Casinos
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Eddy Arnold
It's Up To You - Ricky Nelson
Young World - Ricky Nelson
First set of songs from "The Brill Building Sound" box set. I have this on cassette and I never used the tape deck before, so I held my breath that it would work. And it did--yay!
Halfway to Paradise - Tony Orlando
Take Good Care Of My Baby - Bobby Vee
Run To Him - Bobby Vee
Bless You - Tony Orlando
Tell It To The Rain - Four Seasons
Are You Lonely For Me Baby - Freddie Scott
Concrete & Clay - Unit 4 + 2
2nd set from "The Brill Building Sound":
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Skeeter Davis
Hey Girl - Freddie Scott
Oh No Not My Baby - Maxine Brown
Current (or non-oldie) section:
Walls - Mary Jane Alm and Pat Frederick (this month's "Wendy V's Encouraging Words" was inspired by this song)
All My Loving - Buddy Greene
Some Velvet Morning - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Personal reflection:
I grew up with an older sister who is 10 years older than me. It was a helpful thing growing up with this music in the 60s when she was 18 and I was 8. Obviously, she bought most of the records. But, it wasn't long after that when I started bugging my folks for an allowance so that I could buy some, too. In any event, we would have our little sessions where we'd play records and she'd always want to be the one to pick (or "dictate", as she put it) what to play. I did get my licks in often, though.
Maybe some of you, when you dig out your old record collections, just sort of poke through and start grabbing songs to play just on impulse, not caring about how they fit together. Well, I do that sometime on this show. Just so's you know what's going on...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Radio Days (Last Night A DJ Saved My Life)
(That song happened to come on the streaming radio as I was writing this, so I had to include it in the title.)
We interrupt your regularly scheduled playlist rundown for this reflection.
So it's been a few weeks now that I started doing this show on Radio Free Nashville. How's it going? Well, I've been journaling some of that here. But it's funny how you walk into an experience and you have some expectation about what you're going to get from it...and it turns out to be much more than what you bargained for.
I am blessed to be scheduled where I am in the Saturday lineup. The djs in the slots around me have raised the bar high. At this point, I am the rookie in the midst of it all, the little peanut that jumps up that tries to meet it. Once or twice I'm able to touch it fast with at least a couple of fingers. It'll take time, I know, before I'm able to fully grab it. But after all, patience has never been one of my great virtues.
What I have gotten from it is much more than getting a chance to come in and play music and indulge my little penchant for sharing all these music trivia facts I've gathered in my head since I was at least 10 years old. It's been new friends. People whose eyes don't glaze over when you're doing all this rambling on about some song or singer. It's sharing the goose bump moments. Learning that just by simply giving those who've been at their music for 20, 30 years or so a chance to be heard is making a big difference for such a time as this.
Like the next song that started streaming as I wrote this, these are the sweetest days.
Thanks for tuning in on the journey.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled playlist rundown for this reflection.
So it's been a few weeks now that I started doing this show on Radio Free Nashville. How's it going? Well, I've been journaling some of that here. But it's funny how you walk into an experience and you have some expectation about what you're going to get from it...and it turns out to be much more than what you bargained for.
I am blessed to be scheduled where I am in the Saturday lineup. The djs in the slots around me have raised the bar high. At this point, I am the rookie in the midst of it all, the little peanut that jumps up that tries to meet it. Once or twice I'm able to touch it fast with at least a couple of fingers. It'll take time, I know, before I'm able to fully grab it. But after all, patience has never been one of my great virtues.
What I have gotten from it is much more than getting a chance to come in and play music and indulge my little penchant for sharing all these music trivia facts I've gathered in my head since I was at least 10 years old. It's been new friends. People whose eyes don't glaze over when you're doing all this rambling on about some song or singer. It's sharing the goose bump moments. Learning that just by simply giving those who've been at their music for 20, 30 years or so a chance to be heard is making a big difference for such a time as this.
Like the next song that started streaming as I wrote this, these are the sweetest days.
Thanks for tuning in on the journey.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
10/25/08 Playlist - Guest: Simpli Lauri
Playlist:
Brook Benton - Hotel Happiness
Sam Cooke - Soothe Me
Al Kooper - I Can't Quit Her (being inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame this week in Nashville)
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
Searching For My Love - Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces
The Name Game - Shirley Ellis
__
My in-studio guest was one of the singer/songwriters I see often in Nashville who has one of my favorite voices: Simpli Lauri along with her co-writer husband, Steve. I was distracted all week and didn't have much opportunity to prepare for the interview. They got a little lost on the way, so they stopped someplace and pulled someone off a cell phone call to ask directions! But anyhow, we got the interview in.
Tracks from her CD Body and Soul:
Whispers of Angels
Let Go of Me
Websites:
simplilaurimusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/simplylauri
Book: Can You Feel My Tears?
Written to comfort and inspire other families who face a grave illness, this moving, deeply personal memoir Can You Feel My Tears? is a heart wrenching tale of loss and renewal and a testament to the love of life and the joy of family.
The cost is $15.00, paid shipping to anywhere in the continental US. Mail a check or money order to:
Lauri Merrow
PO Box 191
La Vergne, TN 37086
Project Child Smiles: The idea is to pair artists up with children who are going through the hardship of an illness, or find themselves in the joyfulness of a remission, and they can share the ups and downs together, bringing smiles to the faces of children.
http://www.myspace.com/projectsmiles
http://www.simplilaurimusic.com/project_child_smiles
__
George Adams - Turn The Knife (rave review in Wendy V's Nashville Blend)
Cal Smith - Country Bumpkin (which was the track I wanted to play but I said I thought it would be Barbara Lewis, figuring the comp disk would be up to its old tricks again. That does it. I think on a future show I am just going to track through the disk and figure out what the missing song is and make sure I don't front announce anything.)
Brook Benton - Hotel Happiness
Sam Cooke - Soothe Me
Al Kooper - I Can't Quit Her (being inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame this week in Nashville)
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
Searching For My Love - Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces
The Name Game - Shirley Ellis
__
My in-studio guest was one of the singer/songwriters I see often in Nashville who has one of my favorite voices: Simpli Lauri along with her co-writer husband, Steve. I was distracted all week and didn't have much opportunity to prepare for the interview. They got a little lost on the way, so they stopped someplace and pulled someone off a cell phone call to ask directions! But anyhow, we got the interview in.
Tracks from her CD Body and Soul:
Whispers of Angels
Let Go of Me
Websites:
simplilaurimusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/simplylauri
Book: Can You Feel My Tears?
Written to comfort and inspire other families who face a grave illness, this moving, deeply personal memoir Can You Feel My Tears? is a heart wrenching tale of loss and renewal and a testament to the love of life and the joy of family.
The cost is $15.00, paid shipping to anywhere in the continental US. Mail a check or money order to:
Lauri Merrow
PO Box 191
La Vergne, TN 37086
Project Child Smiles: The idea is to pair artists up with children who are going through the hardship of an illness, or find themselves in the joyfulness of a remission, and they can share the ups and downs together, bringing smiles to the faces of children.
http://www.myspace.com/projectsmiles
http://www.simplilaurimusic.com/project_child_smiles
__
George Adams - Turn The Knife (rave review in Wendy V's Nashville Blend)
Cal Smith - Country Bumpkin (which was the track I wanted to play but I said I thought it would be Barbara Lewis, figuring the comp disk would be up to its old tricks again. That does it. I think on a future show I am just going to track through the disk and figure out what the missing song is and make sure I don't front announce anything.)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
10/18/08 Playlist - Great Voices
Woo hoo--this was I think the best show I've done yet. No technical glitches, no wrong buttons pushed, I stayed fairly focused and relaxed!
My unofficial theme was "great voices". I love instruments but there's something about a great voice that captures my attention like nothing else.
Playlist:
4 Tops - I Can't Help Myself (RIP Levi Stubbs)
Patsy Cline - Imagine That
Petula Clark - Don't Sleep In the Subway
Floyd Cramer - Last Date
(Here's the thing: I've got this compilation disk together and I believe I have about 20 songs on it. However, one of the CD players at the station apparently doesn't like one of the songs and isn't recognizing it. So, when I've cued up a song from it the last couple of times, I've gotten the song after the one I wanted. I've learned to get used to it and roll with it. That's how an instrumental got into a great voices set.)
Lovin Spoonful - You Didn't Have To Be So Nice
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks
Blues Project - No Time Like the Right Time
Rascals - Lonely Too Long
Sam Cooke- Nothing Can Change This Love. (I forgot to make this observation on air. Someday, listen to this song and "Loving, Touching, Squeezing" by Journey together. Methinks Steve Perry was attempting to channel Sam in this song.)
4 Tops - Ask the Lonely
Arthur Alexander - Anna
Esther Phillips - Release Me
(As I said, I should have flipped the order of those last two--lyrically would have made more sense. Hindsight 20/20.)
Michael McDonald - Baby I Need Your Loving
Mark Lowry - Whatcha Need
Alan O' Day - I Hear Voices (please check out the video for this song)
Gene Pitney - Town Without Pity
Herb Alpert and the TJB - So What's New
If you heard the show, I hope you tuned in early for the Geo on the Radio rebroadcast of Alex Harvey's in-studio performance. It was special. As Mark Lowry likes to say, "God showed up" in the studio that day. I do hope you also listen to Bobby Bob's Rock and Roll Revolution earlier at noon and Backstory on the Radio with River Jordan after me. I love my fellow DJ's shows and I'm honored to be in the same lineup as these folks.
My unofficial theme was "great voices". I love instruments but there's something about a great voice that captures my attention like nothing else.
Playlist:
4 Tops - I Can't Help Myself (RIP Levi Stubbs)
Patsy Cline - Imagine That
Petula Clark - Don't Sleep In the Subway
Floyd Cramer - Last Date
(Here's the thing: I've got this compilation disk together and I believe I have about 20 songs on it. However, one of the CD players at the station apparently doesn't like one of the songs and isn't recognizing it. So, when I've cued up a song from it the last couple of times, I've gotten the song after the one I wanted. I've learned to get used to it and roll with it. That's how an instrumental got into a great voices set.)
Lovin Spoonful - You Didn't Have To Be So Nice
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks
Blues Project - No Time Like the Right Time
Rascals - Lonely Too Long
Sam Cooke- Nothing Can Change This Love. (I forgot to make this observation on air. Someday, listen to this song and "Loving, Touching, Squeezing" by Journey together. Methinks Steve Perry was attempting to channel Sam in this song.)
4 Tops - Ask the Lonely
Arthur Alexander - Anna
Esther Phillips - Release Me
(As I said, I should have flipped the order of those last two--lyrically would have made more sense. Hindsight 20/20.)
Michael McDonald - Baby I Need Your Loving
Mark Lowry - Whatcha Need
Alan O' Day - I Hear Voices (please check out the video for this song)
Gene Pitney - Town Without Pity
Herb Alpert and the TJB - So What's New
If you heard the show, I hope you tuned in early for the Geo on the Radio rebroadcast of Alex Harvey's in-studio performance. It was special. As Mark Lowry likes to say, "God showed up" in the studio that day. I do hope you also listen to Bobby Bob's Rock and Roll Revolution earlier at noon and Backstory on the Radio with River Jordan after me. I love my fellow DJ's shows and I'm honored to be in the same lineup as these folks.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
10/11/08 Playlist - Technology is our friend (not always)
So I started my show a couple of minutes early...I began talking about Silver Stars at the Ryman last weekend. I was in the middle of thanking Billy Block for introducing me to Brenda Lee when suddenly we started hearing the automation kick in for one of my previous shows. Then, the online catalog disappeared and the computer started doing its own thing, much like if you're having a technical problem and a technician takes over your computer to resolve it. "Geo on the Radio", who is on before me, and I are shaking our heads wondering what on earth is happening. I didn't know whether to talk or what, so I stammered my way through the first couple of minutes of the show.
Eventually we learned that it was a couple of things: my automation from last week when I was off doing training hadn't cleared and there was some setup going on for the remote broadcast that River Jordan, whose "Backstory" show follows me, was doing from the Southern Book Festival. It kind of threw me off for the rest of the hour and I had to change a few things on the fly...luckily I had an hour's worth of CDs with me since I didn't have use of the online catalog. Anyhow, eventually I forged ahead:
Playlist:
Connie Francis-Many Tears Ago and Where The Boys Are (while we were trying to figure out what was happening)
Patsy Cline - Stupid Cupid (it was Connie's hit, but this was Patsy's live version from the "Live From The Cimarron Ballroom" CD)
Brenda Lee - All You Gotta Do
Beau Brummels- Laugh Laugh
Barbara Mason - Baby I'm Yours
Young Rascals - Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
Electric Prunes - Too Much To Dream
Uniques- Not Too Long Ago
American Breed - Bend Me Shape Me
Grass Roots - Where Were You When I Needed You
Pat Boone - Moody River
Drifters- Sweets For My Sweet
Current:
Terry Pinnegar - Mississippi 1916 (from Silver Stars compilation disc)
Simpli Lauri - Flying Free (single track)
Boomer Castleman - Never Say Never Again (Silver Stars compilation)
Joe Cruz - Good Luck Man (Good Luck Man)
Tribute to Lloyd Thaxton:
LA Times obit feature
Lloyd Thaxton blog
In reference to Lloyd's show closing where he'd say "my name is Lloyd Thaxton" and the teens dancing on the show would respond, "So What?", I played a little of his end theme to end my show today: "So What's New" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
What can I say? Sometimes technology is a great thing, and sometimes it ain't.
I really wanted a smooth show today. Next time will be better. I figure it's going to take me a year to get good at this. Hope you'll hang with me.
PS: Oh, I forgot--one cool thing was I stopped in to the station earlier and met Bobby Bob, who hosts Rock and Roll Revolution, an all-oldies show from 12-1. I'm a big fan of his show and I finally decided I needed to meet this guy and give him a word of encouragement.
Eventually we learned that it was a couple of things: my automation from last week when I was off doing training hadn't cleared and there was some setup going on for the remote broadcast that River Jordan, whose "Backstory" show follows me, was doing from the Southern Book Festival. It kind of threw me off for the rest of the hour and I had to change a few things on the fly...luckily I had an hour's worth of CDs with me since I didn't have use of the online catalog. Anyhow, eventually I forged ahead:
Playlist:
Connie Francis-Many Tears Ago and Where The Boys Are (while we were trying to figure out what was happening)
Patsy Cline - Stupid Cupid (it was Connie's hit, but this was Patsy's live version from the "Live From The Cimarron Ballroom" CD)
Brenda Lee - All You Gotta Do
Beau Brummels- Laugh Laugh
Barbara Mason - Baby I'm Yours
Young Rascals - Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
Electric Prunes - Too Much To Dream
Uniques- Not Too Long Ago
American Breed - Bend Me Shape Me
Grass Roots - Where Were You When I Needed You
Pat Boone - Moody River
Drifters- Sweets For My Sweet
Current:
Terry Pinnegar - Mississippi 1916 (from Silver Stars compilation disc)
Simpli Lauri - Flying Free (single track)
Boomer Castleman - Never Say Never Again (Silver Stars compilation)
Joe Cruz - Good Luck Man (Good Luck Man)
Tribute to Lloyd Thaxton:
LA Times obit feature
Lloyd Thaxton blog
In reference to Lloyd's show closing where he'd say "my name is Lloyd Thaxton" and the teens dancing on the show would respond, "So What?", I played a little of his end theme to end my show today: "So What's New" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
What can I say? Sometimes technology is a great thing, and sometimes it ain't.
I really wanted a smooth show today. Next time will be better. I figure it's going to take me a year to get good at this. Hope you'll hang with me.
PS: Oh, I forgot--one cool thing was I stopped in to the station earlier and met Bobby Bob, who hosts Rock and Roll Revolution, an all-oldies show from 12-1. I'm a big fan of his show and I finally decided I needed to meet this guy and give him a word of encouragement.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
9/27/08 Playlist
Today's playlist:
The Cheater - Bob Kuman and the InMen
Let's Live For Today - Grass Roots
Uptown - the Crystals
Concrete and Clay - Unit 2 +4
Soldier of Love - Arthur Alexander (not the 80's Donny Osmond hit, but also recorded by Marshall Crenshaw on his fine debut LP)
No Good To Cry - Wildweeds ("Big Al Anderson" was lead singer/guitarist)
Pouring Water on a Drowning Man - James Carr
In studio guest - Singer/songwriter Steve Craig who performed three of his songs live:
That's What She Said
If You Could See What I See
You Made Me
Just One Smile - Blood, Sweat and Tears
Am I Wrong - Al Kooper (from the Black Coffee CD. Also played "How Am I Gonna Get Over You" which ran into River Jordan's show...thanks, River for being so gracious about that!)
As for me, this radio show thing takes practice. I need lots of it.
No live show this coming Saturday as I have some required training. I'll be back on the 11th.
The Cheater - Bob Kuman and the InMen
Let's Live For Today - Grass Roots
Uptown - the Crystals
Concrete and Clay - Unit 2 +4
Soldier of Love - Arthur Alexander (not the 80's Donny Osmond hit, but also recorded by Marshall Crenshaw on his fine debut LP)
No Good To Cry - Wildweeds ("Big Al Anderson" was lead singer/guitarist)
Pouring Water on a Drowning Man - James Carr
In studio guest - Singer/songwriter Steve Craig who performed three of his songs live:
That's What She Said
If You Could See What I See
You Made Me
Just One Smile - Blood, Sweat and Tears
Am I Wrong - Al Kooper (from the Black Coffee CD. Also played "How Am I Gonna Get Over You" which ran into River Jordan's show...thanks, River for being so gracious about that!)
As for me, this radio show thing takes practice. I need lots of it.
No live show this coming Saturday as I have some required training. I'll be back on the 11th.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
9/20/08 Playlist
Playlist for show #2!
Beatles - Rock and Roll Music
Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki
Barbara Mason - Make Me Your Baby
Del Shannon - Little Town Flirt
Critters - Mr Dieingly Sad
Comments: the Critters' lead singer who also went on to join the Four Seasons and was a lead voice on December 1963 (Oh What A Night) was Don Ciccone (he sings the "I felt the rush like a rolling cloud of thunder..." part).
Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions (which I first heard by the Evergreen Blues months before the Grass Roots had their hit version--it got airplay in the New Haven/Hartford CT market)
Los Bravos - Black Is Black
In-studio guest interview: Randi Perkins
Tracks from "Life Is Good" CD:
The Last Harvest
North Dakota Farm Boy
Army of Angels
Website: www.randiperkins.com
www.myspace.com/randiperkinsmusic
This was my first in-studio guest interview and it went very well. It's easy when a writer has a lot of great stories to tell about the songs. Thanks, Randi!
Wendy V's Nashville Blend blog where you can read about the CLC writers night Randi hosts each quarter.
Last set:
Amy Holland - Miracle River (Journey To Miracle River)
Closer: Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In Crowd (and this time I got it cued right!)
Next week's live in-studio guest will be singer/songwriter Steve Craig.
Beatles - Rock and Roll Music
Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki
Barbara Mason - Make Me Your Baby
Del Shannon - Little Town Flirt
Critters - Mr Dieingly Sad
Comments: the Critters' lead singer who also went on to join the Four Seasons and was a lead voice on December 1963 (Oh What A Night) was Don Ciccone (he sings the "I felt the rush like a rolling cloud of thunder..." part).
Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions (which I first heard by the Evergreen Blues months before the Grass Roots had their hit version--it got airplay in the New Haven/Hartford CT market)
Los Bravos - Black Is Black
In-studio guest interview: Randi Perkins
Tracks from "Life Is Good" CD:
The Last Harvest
North Dakota Farm Boy
Army of Angels
Website: www.randiperkins.com
www.myspace.com/randiperkinsmusic
This was my first in-studio guest interview and it went very well. It's easy when a writer has a lot of great stories to tell about the songs. Thanks, Randi!
Wendy V's Nashville Blend blog where you can read about the CLC writers night Randi hosts each quarter.
Last set:
Amy Holland - Miracle River (Journey To Miracle River)
Closer: Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In Crowd (and this time I got it cued right!)
Next week's live in-studio guest will be singer/songwriter Steve Craig.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
9/13/08 Playlist (first show!!)
The first show went well, with only a couple of minor technical glitches (thank you, Geo on the Radio, for your help in getting me set up!). They have a new catalog system and a couple of us are going through a learning curve on it. Watching and doing are two different things, but once I was comfortable, all was cool.
I also learned that there were a couple of calls from people saying they liked the show. Thank you, thank you so much. What an encouragement for the first time out.
Here's the playlist:
Beatles - Rock and Roll Music
Beatles - I Feel Fine
Randy and the Rainbows - Denise (I liked this one so much I almost played it twice...first of the technical glitches!)
Chiffons - One Fine Day
Gene Pitney - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Intruders - Cowboys To Girls
Robert Knight - Everlasting Love
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Steppin' Out
Steve Alaimo - Every Day I Have To Cry Some
Blood Sweat and Tears - My Days Are Numbered
Buffalo Springfield - Mr. Soul
Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love
(This part of the playlist is devoted to current music, local/regional artists, so I will include album info in parenthesis and artist site links for these tracks)
Michael Loonan - My Aunt Annie (Share the Disguise)
TD Mischke - Jazz On the Radio (Whistle Stop)
Buddy Greene - Happy Man (Happy Man)
J.J. Jackson - But It's Alright (it was supposed to be "In Crowd" by Ramsey Lewis but I lied. No, it was the second technical glitch due to my forgetting to cue the right track.)
Topic notes:
Aircheck site links:
Reel Radio.com
Airchexx.com
I also talked a little about Michael Loonan and TD Mischke, two artists I played in my last set. I lived in St. Paul MN for 18 years before moving to Nashville last year and came across these guys when I found the late Don Vogel, a comic genius doing a talk show on KSTP-AM 1500 in the Twin Cities. TD (Tommy) Mischke was a sidekick on the show at the time (he's since gone on to his own show with a huge following), and he and Michael Loonan provided some very creative and musically superb bumper music for the show. On separate occasions, I went to hear both Tommy and Michael do shows in a small cafe about the size of the Bluebird--perhaps smaller. Both shows rocked my world and made me look around to see just how much other undiscovered talent there was in the area. It also ended up changing my life...I've been proactively supporting local/indie musicians for almost 20 years. It's been an incredible blessing and to able to now do this here in Nashville is a hardly describable joy. So, I do encourage all of you to get to a writers night in town and hear someone new. You never know how it will impact you and these artists are so appreciative of any support.
Back at you next week when my in-studio guest will be singer/songwriter Randi Perkins, who has a new CD release, "Life Is Good". We'll be talking about it and hearing some music from it.
I also learned that there were a couple of calls from people saying they liked the show. Thank you, thank you so much. What an encouragement for the first time out.
Here's the playlist:
Beatles - Rock and Roll Music
Beatles - I Feel Fine
Randy and the Rainbows - Denise (I liked this one so much I almost played it twice...first of the technical glitches!)
Chiffons - One Fine Day
Gene Pitney - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Intruders - Cowboys To Girls
Robert Knight - Everlasting Love
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Steppin' Out
Steve Alaimo - Every Day I Have To Cry Some
Blood Sweat and Tears - My Days Are Numbered
Buffalo Springfield - Mr. Soul
Jefferson Airplane - Somebody To Love
(This part of the playlist is devoted to current music, local/regional artists, so I will include album info in parenthesis and artist site links for these tracks)
Michael Loonan - My Aunt Annie (Share the Disguise)
TD Mischke - Jazz On the Radio (Whistle Stop)
Buddy Greene - Happy Man (Happy Man)
J.J. Jackson - But It's Alright (it was supposed to be "In Crowd" by Ramsey Lewis but I lied. No, it was the second technical glitch due to my forgetting to cue the right track.)
Topic notes:
Aircheck site links:
Reel Radio.com
Airchexx.com
I also talked a little about Michael Loonan and TD Mischke, two artists I played in my last set. I lived in St. Paul MN for 18 years before moving to Nashville last year and came across these guys when I found the late Don Vogel, a comic genius doing a talk show on KSTP-AM 1500 in the Twin Cities. TD (Tommy) Mischke was a sidekick on the show at the time (he's since gone on to his own show with a huge following), and he and Michael Loonan provided some very creative and musically superb bumper music for the show. On separate occasions, I went to hear both Tommy and Michael do shows in a small cafe about the size of the Bluebird--perhaps smaller. Both shows rocked my world and made me look around to see just how much other undiscovered talent there was in the area. It also ended up changing my life...I've been proactively supporting local/indie musicians for almost 20 years. It's been an incredible blessing and to able to now do this here in Nashville is a hardly describable joy. So, I do encourage all of you to get to a writers night in town and hear someone new. You never know how it will impact you and these artists are so appreciative of any support.
Back at you next week when my in-studio guest will be singer/songwriter Randi Perkins, who has a new CD release, "Life Is Good". We'll be talking about it and hearing some music from it.
Friday, September 12, 2008
About "Never Too Old"
This show celebrates those of us in the "upper demographic", or "baby boomers"...40s, 50s, 60s and so on who are active, energetic, engaged in life and out there making some valuable contributions. It's a unique mix of classics and current music and interviews. The music that we all grew up with and paved the way for artists to follow matters just as much to us today as when we were younger...we think it still holds up and deserves a place to be heard. Plus, there are many musicians and artists out there in this demographic that are far from "over", creating great music and work today. We'll introduce you to some of them on this show and let you hear what they've got going on right now.
If you're Generation X, Y, or younger, we especially welcome you to listen. Learn a bit about pop music history, explore some classic country, and meet some seasoned artists who still know their way around a good tune. We guarantee you'll come away as a new fan of somebody.
For me, doing this show fulfills a longtime dream to do something in radio. I grew up listening to the radio and have had a lifelong passion for it, as many who explored my website have figured out. I just happened to find out about Radio Free Nashville simply by picking up a flyer left in a library one day. I'm blessed to have this opportunity to share the music I love and help bring recognition to some of the great talent we have here in Nashville. I haven't done radio since my college days, so I am very excited. I have a list of folks I want to get on the show for interviews. Until I can get that going, the first couple of shows will probably be just music.
You're never too old to appreciate the past...and never too old to embrace the future.
If you're Generation X, Y, or younger, we especially welcome you to listen. Learn a bit about pop music history, explore some classic country, and meet some seasoned artists who still know their way around a good tune. We guarantee you'll come away as a new fan of somebody.
For me, doing this show fulfills a longtime dream to do something in radio. I grew up listening to the radio and have had a lifelong passion for it, as many who explored my website have figured out. I just happened to find out about Radio Free Nashville simply by picking up a flyer left in a library one day. I'm blessed to have this opportunity to share the music I love and help bring recognition to some of the great talent we have here in Nashville. I haven't done radio since my college days, so I am very excited. I have a list of folks I want to get on the show for interviews. Until I can get that going, the first couple of shows will probably be just music.
You're never too old to appreciate the past...and never too old to embrace the future.
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