For a moment I thought I might not have a last show. I looked at the WRFN online program guide on Saturday and saw that the 8 a.m. time slot was filled with automated programming. I didn't want to not do this show because I had Lance Hoppen of Orleans booked as a guest and we tried three times to make this happen due to previous conflicts. But I checked with the powers that be and learned it was just all set up ahead of time for the next week due to the holidays. Whew.
The show went out on a high note because Lance Hoppen of the group Orleans was my guest this morning. First I started things off with a short set of songs from some of my favorite collections and anthologies I've played on my show over the past year and a half that have served me well. Here's one from a compilation series I've enjoyed playing cuts from on the show, called Hard To Find 45s On CD.
Nathaniel Mayer – Village Of Love
Gene Pitney – Town Without Pity
Los Bravos – Black Is Black
Grass Roots – Where Were You When I Needed You
Tyrone Davis – Can I Change My Mind
Guest - Lance Hoppen
Well, the third time's the charm. I've tried to have Lance Hoppen on earlier this year and something came up on two other occasions (one of those being the technical improvements that came with the station). Lance is the bass player with the group Orleans who had some of the most memorable hits of our generation such as "Still The One" and "Dance With Me". Lance and the band are still active. I saw Lance recently on two occasions, once with Orleans at the recent "Rock The Power" show and at the Tunesmithing writer's night where he performed as a duo with his brother Larry Hoppen, the lead vocalist of Orleans.
Orleans is about to celebrate its 38th anniversary. The band got its start as a trio in Woodstock, NY. with Larry Hoppen, John Hall and Wells Kelly. Lance joined after high school graduation. The rest of the story is well detailed on the band's website bio. The band also just released a very comprehensive DVD of the band's history with some rare archival footage.
Lance described Orleans as a band that's had a tendency to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. From initial success to being dropped by their label and scoring another hit, a difficult decade in the 80s and personnel changes (sudden departure of John Hall and passing of Wells Kelly), the band nonetheless found itself bouncing back from circumstances and continuing to keep on.
Rock and Pop Masters is another band started by Larry Hoppen a decade ago. Lance and most of the present Orleans band is part of this, including about 30 well known singers from other groups and hits (Survivor, Pablo Cruise, Deep Purple, Rascals) rotating gigs at various times. The group just released a fundraiser song "The Real Meaning Of Christmas", a song originally done by the Winans, which benefits Feeding America (www.lesshungermoremusic.com).
At one point, Lance referred to this group as RPM. Hmmm...about 30 singers, RPM. That opened the door wide for me to insert a cheap pun. "Well, Lance, if you have that many singers, if you get up to about 33, then you would have 33 RPM!"
Lance very generously brought along a bit of music to play on the show.
Song list:
Orleans - Dancing In the Moonlight (the band has a strong connection with this song...Larry and Wells were in a band with Wells' brother Sherman, the writer of the song.) We played a very nice Orleans version of this song.
Rock and Pop Masters - The Real Meaning of Christmas
Lance Hoppen - Start From Where You Are. A demo recorded by Lance which appears on the Orleans Obscurities CD (isn't that a great title?), and presently nominated for a Positive Music Association award.
Orleans - New Star Shining. From the Still The One Live CD, A Christmas song written by John and Johanna Hall, which I recognized as done by the Gaither Vocal Band on their "Still The Greatest Story Ever Told" album. It was also covered by Ricky Skaggs and other artists.
Links:
orleansonline.com
lesshungermoremusic.com
Frequency To The Heart
I have one more Frequency To The Heart, (and I will bring this feature with me to TJ and Company by the way). But this is for all of you who are going through tough times right now, financial, personal, or whatever. I think I've said this before here but it's worth repeating. While you're waiting for the job to come or for the crisis to pass, find the time regularly to do something you love. It may not be for money but it's for the spirit and that's very important too. It gives you some hope to face each day. I know of which I speak...that's what I've been doing here and that's what I'm going to continue doing.
So...that's it for Never Too Old. I want to thank everyone for listening to me this past year especially in this early time period, and thanks as well to program director Beau Hunter and our station managers here at RFN, Ginny Welsch and Greg Welsch, for letting me do my thing with this show here and for the blessing to move on and team up with my buddy and radio mate T.J. Kirby. Most of all, a very special thanks to all those guests who got up at what is an ungodly hour for musicians to come be with us and play and sound great. Remember to go out there and support the music of the baby boomers!
The blogs for the Never Too Old show will remain up and posted because there is a lot of good stuff up there about some of the guests I've had on the show, plus past Frequency To The Heart readings and show reflections that I think you'll enjoy. I will also have the My Space page and the Facebook Never Too Old show group up a little while longer as well. But I do encourage you to join the T.J. and Company group on Facebook and watch for a TJ and Company MySpace page and yes, a new blog! Those last two will all be up by January.
Things I will not miss: dealing with the board and the technical flubs. Not that it's all that difficult. It's just not my thing. T.J.'s doing that part on Saturday. I'll be the keeper of the logs and the blog, admin details and guest hospitality along with being the sidekick.
Update: I will be joining T.J. Kirby on "T.J. and Company" starting January 2.
Again, thanks for being part of this journey. I'll see you next year on T.J and Company, Saturday afternoons, 3-5 p.m. Central on Radio Free Nashville. Be there!
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