Here is the music I selected on this day 19 years ago for my 5:30-10 a.m. shift on WEW:
1. Strange Meadow Lark-Dave Brubeck
(Contemplative piano playing sets the mood for the day...)
2. A Song For You-Ray Charles
(...and contemplative singing segues with it.)
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3. Tenderly-Rosemary Clooney
4. Light My Fire-Jose Feliciano
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5. Poor Butterfly-Erroll Garner
6. Put Your Head On My Shoulder-Paul Anka
7. Chiquita-Richard Clayderman
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8. I Got The Sun In The Morning-Les Brown and his orchestra with Doris Day
(The expression, "You can't crush an optimist," applies to Doris Day's sunny vocal approach here.)
9. Wake The Town And Tell The People-Les Baxter
10. When The Sun Comes Out-Nancy Wilson
(Notice the wake-up-and-take-in-the-sunshine theme in songs 8-10?)
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11. Love For Sale-Ellis Marsalis
12. This Could Be The Start Of Something-Lester Lanin
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13. Love's Theme-Love Unlimited Orchestra
(An instrumental that's as refreshing and uplifting now as it was in the '70s.)
14. Something To Remember You By-Don Cornell
15. Three Coins In The Fountain-Frank Sinatra
16. Stormy Weather-Lena Horne
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17. Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again-The Fortunes
(Despite its downcast lyrics, this oldie feels like a pick-me-up.)
18. Walk Right In-The Rooftop Singers
(The tune's dated slang somehow enhances its appeal today.)
19. Till There Was You-The Beatles
(One of Paul McCartney's best performances of a song someone else wrote.)
20. Venus-Frankie Avalon
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21. Prelude To A Kiss-Sonny Stitt
22. I Never Knew-Sam Donohue and his orchestra
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23. It's Only A Paper Moon-Nat King Cole
(A melody that never goes out of style...)
24. When I Take My Sugar To Tea-Glen Gray with Pee Wee Hunt
(...and it segues well with this melody.)
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25. Sometimes I'm Happy-Milt Jackson
26. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea-Stan Kenton
27. The Jumpin' Blues-Jay McShann
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28. It's All In The Game-Johnny Mathis with Take 6
29. How Little We Know-Joey DeFrancesco
(Smooth vocals from a strong CD, "The Street Of Dreams.")
30. It Had To Be You-Kay Starr
31. Come Rain Or Come Shine-Michele Shaheen
(A good version from a vocalist who deserves more acclaim.)
32. The Best Is Yet To Come-Peggy Lee
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33. Open The Door, Richard!-Count Basie
34. Java-Al Hirt
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35. Sioux City Sue-Bing Crosby
36. King Of The Road-Roger Miller
(For a looser rendition, check out R.E.M.'s version, along with other interesting oddities, on the "Dead Letter Office" album.)
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37. Steppin' Out With My Baby-Tony Bennett
38. Puttin' On The Ritz-Andy Prior and His Night Owls
39. Green Eyes-Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell
40. Up On The Roof-The Drifters
(As much of a stress-reliever as it was originally; this is still one of my favorite oldies.)
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41. Come Softly To Me-The Fleetwoods
42. Singing The Blues-Guy Mitchell
43. Cab Driver-The Mills Brothers
(One of my favorite songs that I ever played on WEW; if its bounce doesn't perk you up, here's hoping you have appropriate medication on hand.)
44. Alley Cat-Bent Fabric and his piano
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45. Basin Street Blues-Ella Fitzgerald
46. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry-John Pizzarelli
47. It's Just A Matter Of Time-Brook Benton
48. Only Love Can Break A Heart-Gene Pitney
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49. Melody-Paul Chambers
50. Pebble-Coleman Hawkins
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51. Don't Give Me That Jive-Fats Waller
52. C Jam Blues-Duke Ellington
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53. The Swingin' Shepherd Blues-Moe Koffman Quartette
(Yes, that's the correct spelling, in this case.)
54. Oh Marie-Dean Martin
(The caller who identified this as a Dean Martin tune won a Dean Martin box set. Each DJ was asked to choose a Dean Martin song and play it during his or her shift. Naturally, the longer people listen, the better the ratings are, so I waited until my last hour to play this.)
55. Unchained Melody-The Righteous Brothers
56. Angel Eyes-The Four Freshmen with the Stan Kenton Orchestra
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57. Walkin' My Baby Back Home-Johnnie Ray
58. In The Still Of The Night-The Five Satins
(Of the tunes on this playlist, this oldie is in the upper echelon of songs that have held up.)
59. Soft Summer Breeze-Eddie Heywood
(A refreshing piano instrumental that the former KCFM used to play during its Hit Parade format days.)
60. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off-Harry Connick, Jr.
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61. Easy Like-Billy Taylor
(An elegant piano instrumental that any good jazz station should play.)
62. Someone To Watch Over Me-Toni Tennille
63. Undecided-The Ames Brothers
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64. I Never Knew-Louis Armstrong
65. (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
(I brought in this CD from home each time I was on WEW, and I never got tired of playing this smoky piano instrumental at the end of each air shift.)
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--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.
