2/22/09 Playlist: In Studio Guest Kim McLean

Forget about last week's train wreck of a show. This one couldn't have been better.

Opening theme—Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - So What's New

Well, today was a special edition of "Never Too Old". I had singer/songwriter KimMcLean in the studio as a guest. She's got a beautiful new CD called Rapunzel's Escape.

I changed up the format for today. For this first half hour I mixed up the record box, soul and one not so oldie/current portions and brought in Kim in the second half hour. I started the first set off with a song that I did get by request last week. This is a song I've played pretty often on my show, most recently on my 1964 show. It's one that I think wears very well, even being about 40 years old...I never get tired of it.

The Reflections – (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet
Byrds – 8 Miles High
Rascals – Groovin
Drifters – I Count the Tears
George Adams – Stronger Than Words
Sorry, ladies, should have given you a goosebump and tissue alert on that one. Now that is a singer's singer.

I asked Kim McLean what some of her favorite oldies were, and it turned out the station did have one or two of them here in the catalog.
Archies – Sugar Sugar
Gladys Knight and the Pips - I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Barbara Acklin - Love Makes A Woman
Temptations - You're My Everything

I want to thank people for e-mailing me and giving me encouragement about last week's show which became a bit of a technical challenge...I am upfront and honest about all the glitches that happen on this show and I'm hearing that people enjoy it when I make my comments about all that in the blog. It's kinda fun, and I do try not to take things and myself too seriously.




In-Studio Guest: Kim McLean; also joined by Devon O'Day (backing vocals) and Will McLean-Johnston (aka "Will McJ") on percussion.

Kim McLean, originally from Greensboro NC, is an award winning songwriter who’s had more than two hundred songs recorded by artists like Tim McGraw, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and a Gospel Song of the Year recorded by The Martins, "Count Your Blessings". She's also done a duet with Dolly Parton called “Angels and Eagles". Kim McLean’s music is available through Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, and all major online retailers.

Featured tracks from Rapunzel's Escape

Cracks In The Concrete - live performance
Rapunzel - CD track
Any Day - CD track
Beautiful Goodbye - live performance

Upcoming in store appearance – Shoppes On The Harpeth – Apricot Lane store on Hwy 100 in Nashville, February 28 2 p.m.

Websites: www.kimmclean.com
www.myspace.com/kimmclean

Encouragement:
One of the greatest gifts anyone could have, I think, is the gift of song. Especially this week I've witnessed the gift of music touch and move people, inspire them to action. If you do have that gift, I do hope you are using it to bring joy to others. Maybe you have another gift—you could be a writer, a painter...or simply being someone with a good listening ear. Don't pass up the chance to be the difference to someone...use whatever gifts you have to brighten your corner of the world, and someone else's.

Closer – King Curtis – Soul Serenade

It had been a while since I've had guests on a show, so I was a little nervous and hoped I wouldn't seem too amateurish in front of such accomplished songwriters and one seasoned professional radio personality. But Kim and Devon made it easy and it helped that they've also become friends of mine; what I didn't mention on the show is that I've been blessed for the last few months to be part of a Tuesday night prayer group led by Kim and Devon.

By the way, there's a chance this interview may be archived on Kim's website at some point as soon as I can get the archive file to them, so stay tuned for this...I'll keep you posted.

2/15/09 Playlist: Name Dropping

Opening theme—Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - So What's New

I thought we'd drop a few names today on the show, being that name dropping is a time honored tradition in show business and a few other circles. I won't do that for every song throughout the hour today as overkill can get a little obnoxious and annoying. Moderation is the key, after all. But I just had to start this out with perhaps one of the ultimate name dropping hit songs...of course, I mean the Name Game by Shirley Ellis.

Shirley Ellis – The Name Game
4 Seasons - Dawn (Go Away)
Del Shannon – Hats Off To Larry
Left Banke – Walk Away Renee
Beach Boys – Wendy
(A little self-promotion never hurt anyone, so there it is.)

Giving a show plug here: check out Geo On the Radio on Saturdays from 1-3...hear a lot of indie artists, some oldies, acoustic, comedy, all kinds of "good stuff". And I want to mention that Geo played a show at Red Tree Coffee in nearby Kingston Springs on Friday night. He's an awesome singer and writer and he had a great, enthusiastic turnout...a couple of other RFN DJs came out to join me to support him. If you're a fan of somebody that's what you want for them more than anything else, to see them succeed and knock it out of the park, so it was a sweet thing for all of us to witness. You can read more about that night here, or go to wendyv.com and click on the Nashville Blend link. Scroll down to the entry on Red Tree coffeehouse.

Segment 2: Picking Through the Record Box
The one thing I've noticed in this whole name theme as I was putting this together is that the girls rule—there's no shortage of songs with girls names in the title. I kept that going a little longer as we got into this set.

Grass Roots – Bella Linda
Johnny Mathis – What Will Mary Say
Beau Brummels – Laugh Laugh
Brook Benton - So Many Ways
Dionne Warwick - Message To Michael

Next week on the show I'm doing something that I have not done for the longest time since I tweaked my format and have not yet done since I have been in the Sunday morning time slot: I will be having guests in the studio. I didn't think anyone would want to get up this early in the morning to come in, but a couple of friends of mine approached me about it and they have some great new music to share with us. Kim McLean and Devon O'Day will be with me next week. Kim has a new CD out called Rapunzel's Escape and we'll playing music from that release and be talking with Kim and Devon a bit about what they're up to. So do tune in next week if you can.

Segment 3: Soul Stew
Here's a song I meant to play last week but didn't so I got it in this week:

Wilson Pickett – Mustang Sally
Patti Drew – Workin On A Groovy Thing
James and Bobby Purify – Let Love Come Between Us
Sam and Dave – I Thank You

Segment 4: Non-oldie/Current/New
A few weeks ago I received a MySpace friend request from a country pop band from Glasgow, Scotland called OneDay40. They described their music as "Matchbox 20 in a street fight with the Eagles". Since I'm a pretty big fan of Matchbox 20, and the Eagles, too, that got my curiosity right away. I checked these guys out and every track they had posted was excellent and the vocals were great. So I picked up one track to share with you today—this is from their album "Unfinished Business".

OneDay40 – Sad Cowboy (Unfinished Business)
Kim McLean – Elisabeth (Rapunzel's Escape)

Encouragement:
This song I just played is about a person who is an inspiration to someone. Do you have someone who is an inspiration, a teacher, a mentor, a positive role model in your life? And the most important question: do these people know the impact they have had on you? Givers, you see, also deserve to receive. By not holding back and telling them just what they've meant to you, you're giving great blessings back to them. Encouragers also need encouragement...and you just could be giving back to them at a time when they most need it.

Closer – King Curtis – Soul Serenade

Well, things had been going pretty good more or less up until today. Today's show, sorry to say, was a technical train wreck. Some of it was my bad, some of it wasn't. First, one of the CD players was left on continuous rather than single play and I didn't notice that in time, so I had Buddy Holly playing in the middle of the next cut. I could have used Buddy's "Peggy Sue" today I suppose, but the song that played by mistake wasn't it.

Then there was the usual "dance mix" problem with one song (a known issue, I'm told). Because of this, I opted to use my tape cassette version of "I Thank You" by Sam and Dave instead of the station catalog, thinking I'd be safe. Wrong. It was the last song on the side of the tape and I figured it would be okay if I left it in the player and let it stop. Well, it didn't. Turns out it's an auto reverse tape deck. So you can guess the rest. And don't ask me how "Message To Michael" started playing again from the catalog toward the end of the show. I have no clue. It messed me up and threw me off.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me vent.

2/8/09 Playlist: Quirkyalone Day

Opening theme: So What's New - Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass

Segment 1: International Quirkyalone Day
Well, this coming Saturday is a holiday, sort of, as you probably know. If you listen to the media, everyone is supposed to be getting flowers, candy and have a spouse or significant other. But, if that all doesn't apply to you, if you aren't partnered and you don't get candy and hearts and flowers, you don't have to feel left out. There is an alternative that you may not be aware of and you can celebrate instead...and it just happens to happen on February 14th. It's called "International Quirkyalone Day" and that is described as a "do-it-yourself celebration of romance, friendship, and independent spirit; a feel-good alternative to the marketing barrage of Valentine's Day". Here is the definition of a "quirkyalone": A person who has the capacity to enjoy single life (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple.

The "quirkyalone movement" arose from the publication of an essay in 2000 in the Utne Reader by writer Sasha Cagen, who later on in 2004 also wrote a book,called "Quirkyalone: A Manifesto For Uncompromising Romantics", published by Harper Collins. The quirkyalone.net website states that by 2003, the movement grew so large that it staged its first holiday: International Quirkyalone Day, February 14. As Sasha Cagen writes in her original essay, "We are the puzzle pieces who seldom fit with other puzzle pieces. Romantics, idealists, eccentrics, we inhabit singledom as our natural resting state. In a world where proms and marriage define the social order, we are, by force of our personalities and inner strength, rebels."

Now I'm being realistic here, if I tried to avoid your typical love song throughout today's show, I wouldn't have had much of a show. So for at least this first part of the show I started off with a set of songs that aren't about sappy romantic bliss. If I were to give a musical quirkyalone award to someone, that might go to John Fogerty, who while with Creedence Clearwater Revival managed to rack up a string of hits that weren't about romance.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Who'll Stop The Rain
Simon and Garfunkel – I Am A Rock
Beach Boys – In My Room
Statler Brothers – Flowers On the Wall
Lesley Gore – You Don't Own Me (note to self: remember that the cassette player in the studio has its own power button. Turn it on first before you hit the "play" button and expect the cassette to play.)

I have sort of a "quirkyalone" story for you. Last year, back when I was working, one of our co-workers was just starting a relationship and her boyfriend sent her a dozen roses at the office. I remember saying to my co-worker in the next cube that no one ever sent me roses. Well, the next day, a dozen roses were delivered to me...courtesy of that same co-worker. It was a sweet and thoughtful gesture and really, it should be what it's all about. You know?

Segment 2: Picking Through the Record Box
I have a birthday to acknowledge for this week. One of my musical heroes, Al Kooper, turned 65 years old on Thursday. I played a couple of songs from him, the first from his Soul Of A Man CD which featured live performances from his 50th birthday celebration.

Al Kooper - My Days Are Numbered
Blood Sweat and Tears - Just One Smile
Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs – Wooly Bully
Bobb B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans - Zip A Dee Doo Dah
Rascals - People Got To Be Free

I want to thank some folks who left some nice comments on last week's 1964 show on the MySpace version of the blog. I invite you to please post your comments as well. Thanks also to those who sent me e-mail via MySpace.

The Facebook group is now up to 51 members--thanks one and all!

Segment 3: Soul Stew
Impressions - It's All Right
Temptations - Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down
Jackie Wilson - Baby Workout
Wilson Pickett - In the Midnight Hour

Segment 4: Non-oldie/Current/New
I had to switch gears quickly. A couple of songs which I brought in on my stick drive to play were in a format other than MP3 and the playout system didn't recognize them. Fortunately I had Amy Holland's CD with me and found a song from the CD which lyrically fit nicely with the rest of the show.

Amy Holland - A Few Short Hours (Journey To Miracle River)

Encouragement:
Somewhere on the quirkyalone.net site is a picture of a candy heart which said "Be Yours" on it. I remember I printed it one year, stuck it on a button and wore it to work one February 14. But really, it's not so much an act of defiance of Valentine's Day. In the midst of all this self-celebration is a very valid truth. We all need to believe that we have something good within ourselves that we can offer others. If you don't love yourself first, you really won't be very good at loving someone else or being a good friend. So first, think of yourself, your talents, abilities, your kindness and compassion as the gift to others as it truly is. That, my friends, is the bottom line.

Closer: King Curtis - Soul Serenade

The technical gremlins were out in full force today. Two songs I played from the playout system sounded like a malfunctioning CD, and did that sticking effect like I was playing some sort of dance mix of the songs. I'd have figured it to be a CD issue...except these were MP3 files I was playing and not from CDs themselves. I have no idea why that happened. Other than that, a fun show.

2/1/09 Playlist: 1964

Opening theme: So What's New - TJB

Underwriter: Today I redeemed myself by reading the underwriter announcement for Sole Supports and pronouncing the word "orthotics" clearly and correctly!

Unfortunately, once again, the mouth working flawlessly did not continue throughout the show. I was telling my fellow DJ, Kerry Miller, whose show "Samurai Songs" follows mine, about my snafu the first time I did the Sole Supports announcement and he said "Oh well...sometimes we put our feet in our mouths." A perfect observation. (By the way, sorry, Kerry...I almost got the prounication of "shakuhachi" right. Next time, perhaps.)

Segment 1: 1964
Today I took a look at the year 1964. This week will be the 45th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America—an event which was, of course, a pivotal one in pop music history and pop culture. For those of you who weren't there, if you were but you were too young to remember what it was like, or if you just want to relive what it sounded and felt like...I set the scene with a :15 Beatles segment from a CD called "20th Century Time Capsule". It was from a press conference when the Beatles explained how they got the group name ("We could have been called shoes for all you know...").
Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
Dionne Warwick – Walk On By
Beatles – This Boy
Reflections – Romeo and Juliet
Beatles - I Call Your Name
Nashville Teens – Tobacco Road (actually a group from England)

A Beatles related tale for you: Dad wasn't a big fan of all that rock and roll, but when it came to doing something for us, he'd get in on the act. I remember that he called a local radio station in a mock British accent to try to win us some tickets to the premiere of the Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night". Alas, his acting was in vain--all he heard at the other end was a recorded message. I think we did get tickets somehow because I do remember going.

By the way, this week was another Beatles related anniversary, the 40th of their famous rooftop "Get Back" performance. Here in downtown Nashville an excellent tribute band, the Wanna Beatles, performed a rooftop concert at Rippy's Barbecue this past Friday. It was a lot of fun and I even got interviewed for the TV news show, got to plug my show, not a bad deal!

Segment 2: Picking Through the Record Box
Keep in mind as we pick through the record box that 1964 was still very much a transitional year as far as the music charts went. If you look at a top 100 chart for the year, it was still a wide stylistic mix. The British invasion did not totally overrun the charts as yet, which I must admit surprised me. Traditional pop music for example was still very much a strong presence, producing hit records like this Louis Armstrong classic that went to the top of the charts.
Louis Armstrong – Hello Dolly
Four Seasons- Big Man In Town
Roy Orbison – Oh Pretty Woman
Gene Pitney – It Hurts To Be In Love
Rolling Stones – It's All Over Now
Bobby Rydell – Forget Him

I've had a couple of comments left at the blog and last week I had one from a great-nephew of Sam Cooke, who is the author of a book about him called "Our Uncle Sam"—that was pretty exciting. I certainly do invite you to comment as well.

Segment 3: Soul Stew
Back in 1964 the Motown sound started to become a major musical presence. One of the most successful groups in that year was the Supremes. Though they made a significant chart debut in 1963 ("When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes), '64 was when they really charged onto the scene with a huge string of hits.
Supremes – Come See About Me
Temptations – Girl Why You Wanna Make Me Blue
Drifters – Under The Boardwalk
Sam Cooke - Ain't That Good News

Next week on the show I'm going to be marking a holiday of sorts that happens on the 14th of February. No, it's not the one you're thinking of, I'm sure. Here at Radio Free Nashville we try to give voice to alternative viewpoints, so in that spirit I'll be celebrating International Quirkyalone Day on the show. If you're curious as to what it is, I hope you'll tune in and learn what that's all about.

Segment 4: Non-oldie/Current/New
I have a couple of very fine covers of songs that were out in 1964. I started with Buddy Greene from his CD "Rufus". He does a beautiful cover of a song from the Beatles first US release.
Buddy Greene – All My Loving
Samantha Mooney – I Only Want To Be With You (cover of Dusty Springfield's hit from 1964; Paper Memories CD)

Encouragement: Wendy V's Encouraging Words column (www.embraceencouragement.com), February 2009: In These Hard Times

Closing theme: King Curtis - Soul Serenade