Only in college VIII

From an early '90s KBIA staff meeting:

Program director: When you're on the air giving severe weather reports, it's important to stay calm.
Announcer (pretending to panic and running off:) We're all going to die!
Me (pretending to quote from a weather bulletin:) "Radar indicates that a green splotch is headed our way..."

A tune that's not just for kids

I was surprised to hear a song I hadn't thought about since grade school in a new light.  Saturday morning, I heard John McCutcheon's version of "Skip To My Lou" on KDHX.  McCutcheon stays faithful to the song, commits fully to the vocals, explains patiently that it can be sung with alternate lyrics, and pulls off a strong version of it with Celtic instrumentation.  I never thought I'd say it's possible to rock out to "Skip To My Lou" while driving, but in this case, it's plausible.

Safety first?

An early '80s memory from the neighbors' house across the street: One night, one of the kids had been on a date and gotten into a minor car accident.  He'd been singing along with a Beach Boys tune, "Little Deuce Coupe," on the radio, and didn't notice his car was too close to a guard rail.  After telling his siblings about it, his brothers and sisters got together the next day and recorded themselves reenacting the incident.  An outtake of the recording session went like this:

Brother #1 (singing along with The Beach Boys:) She's my little deuce coupe.  You don't know what I got...
Sister #1:  Look out!  The guard rail!
("Little Deuce Coupe" trails off and stops.)
Brother #2:  Aw, @#&*.
(Pause)
Sister #1:  My voice is too high and screechy there.  Maybe you should try it.
Sister #2:  OK, I'll try.

After recording another take, they gave the tape to their brother as a birthday gift.

Canned announcing, compromised product

A former broadcasting school instructor told students during a critique session that one of the biggest challenges is that, for the first seven units of the announcing program, they have to do mock radio air shifts by sitting in a room with just a tape recorder.  For levels 8-10, they would go into studio booths and do radio shows in real time with music.  Until then, however, he said students "have to relate to nothing.  You're just sitting there in a nearly empty room staring into space and then, out of the blue, you say, 'Hey, wasn't that a great song by Van Halen?!'"

It's interesting to recall this now in an age of frequent voice-tracking; it's all the more common now for professional announcers, who often aren't even in the same city as the radio station, to have their breaks recorded separately from the music and mixed in as needed.  Although it saves money to have one announcer record breaks for multiple stations with the same format, the relating-to-nothing, canned approach removes the local flavor and in-the-moment feel that a local station ought to have, and it can't update anyone during a news or weather emergency.

Forgot the lyrics? No problem...

A former co-worker, upon hearing Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" start on the radio, began singing along.  Not knowing the lyrics didn't deter him.  "Something, something, something; something, something, something," he sang in time to the music.  Nearly all of us have done that with one song or another--more than we might realize, I suspect.

FM dial scan highlights XXXIX

Some of the better selections I've heard since Monday:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• The Ballad Of El Goodo-Big Star (A good set of lyrics about staying true to yourself.)
• Went To War-Amason (I'm glad the protagonists in the song were able to step away from the rat race and find their quiet place and that this Swedish group got a tuneful song out of it.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• One Mint Julep-Hank Crawford & Jimmy McGriff (An impressive sax and keyboard rendition that gives the tune a bounce in its step; it's played in a different style than the famous Ray Charles rendition, but it works just as well.)
• Autumn In New York-Renaud Penant Trio (An elegant, sublime piano-led rendition that evokes the feel of the season.)

KNOU 96.3 FM

• Thinking Out Loud-Ed Sheeran (Universal lyrics are the song's key to having stayed on the charts so long.  The Ralph Butler Band performed a good cover of it here in June.)
• Ghost-Ella Henderson (A powerful vocalist with self-assured emoting beyond her years; this release from January is a sign of good things to come.) 

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. KNOU-HD2 

• Antonio Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D major, RV93 (Lausanne Chamber Orchestra/Lawrence Foster, conductor; Sharon Isbin, guitar) (An immediately accessible Baroque piece, performed with a light touch.  If you like the stately feel of Baroque harpsichord pieces, you'll likely enjoy the first movement.  If you keep listening, you'll experience the concerto's moving, slow second movement and energetic third movement.)

An atypical standout IV

Green Day released its most accessible pop song, "Warning," in 2000.  More than any other song of theirs, "Warning" has a sing-along, verging on power pop, quality.  Urging listeners to "live without warning," the band runs through a list of warning announcements, signs, and questions, beginning with "This is a public service announcement; this only a test."  I'm pretty certain no other band has ever made lyrics such as "May impair your ability to operate machinery," "Caution: Police line; you better not cross," and especially "Did you remember to pay the utility?" sound this tuneful.  Thanks to a basic, memorable guitar refrain and a tongue-in-cheek approach to lyrics, "Warning" stands out as the band's most lighthearted, ear-catching tune. 

A manufacturing glitch, obviously

A conversation I had with someone prior to rehearsing a duet in high school:

Me: Do you want to use the metronome to keep time?
Cellist: No, I don't like metronomes.  They speed up.
Me: Really?  All of them speed up, huh?
Cellist (starting to smile:) Yes, they speed up.
Me: That's a peculiar glitch they all have in common, then.

FM dial scan highlights XXXVIII

Among the better songs I heard this morning:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• The Parting Glass-The Voice Squad (Captivating three-part Celtic harmony.  Also recommended: "Annan Waters," "Good People All (Wexford Carol)," and "The Coventry Carol.")
• Songs Remember Me-Beccy Cole (A thoughtful release from April; Cole's smooth alto voice recalls songs that have special meaning to the protagonist.)

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most-Regina Carter (Carter approaches this standard with a contemplative, elegant touch on the violin, just as Ellis Marsalis does on his piano rendition.)
• Birks' Works-Dizzy Gillespie (One of Gillespie's most familiar melodies, enhanced with big band backing.  Also recommended: "Doodlin'," "I Can't Get Started," and "Jessica's Day.")

KSHE 94.7 FM 

• Everybody's Everything-Santana (It's difficult not to imagine Mardi Gras kicking into high gear in New Orleans when I hear this track; still one of the band's most energetic knockouts.)
• Open My Eyes-The Nazz (One of the greatest, crunchiest rock keyboard and guitar intros and recurring riffs in rock history; I'm surprised I've never heard any radio station or music service segue "Open My Eyes" with The Who's "I Can't Explain.")

Credit where it's due; A favorite album track

Outside of a concert recording, it's unusual for an artist to give spoken credit on an album to the other musicians who played on it.  Noted jazz organist Jimmy Smith does this, however, at the end of his "Off The Top" album.  The track, "Jimmy Smith Rap," is him talking about what a blast the album was to make, thanking George Benson, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, and Stanley Turrentine for their contributions, and talking about the staying power of jazz, pointing out that other forms of music are "here today and gone tomorrow."  It's a considerate way to end an album and capture the joy of making great music, in the moment.

Shuffle mode results XXIV

Today's iTunes shuffle mode results:

  1.  Klimbim-Don Ross
(One of the most tuneful, upbeat guitar instrumentals I've heard, with a great hook and a ringing tone.)
  2.  1,000 Times-Terri Hendrix
(Hendrix conveys emotional honesty, lyrically and vocally; this is possibly her most endearing song.)
  3.  Verdi Cries-10,000 Maniacs
(One of Natalie Merchant's most heartfelt performances; strings add to the song's poignancy.)
  4.  Take Me Out To The Ballgame-Sam Bush
(It's not customary instrumentation for this tune, but it actually works well on the mandolin.)
  5.  Charmed Life-The Orange Peels
(Who wouldn't want to play guitar or drums on this track?  Not the most encouraging lyrics, but they're sung with clarity and conviction.)
  6.  Give It Another Day-Edie Brickell
(A good hook and a throwback of piano line draw the listener in.)
  7.  Valley Of The Archer-Stevan Pasero
(One of Pasero's most memorable guitar pieces in a minor key.  Also recommended: "Waves At Turtle Bay" and his "Christmas Classics For Guitar" CD.)
  8.  Always There-Ronnie Laws
(Sports a cool, of-its-time, jazzy sax riff from '75.)
  9.  Wild Mountain Thyme-10,000 Maniacs
(Mary Ramsey sings this Celtic standard effectively.)
10.  Olympic Reel-Natalie MacMaster
(A fiddler's spirited romp.)
11.  Thaw Out-Albert Collins
(Good interplay between organ, guitar, and drums.)
12.  Caminho-Jazzamor
(A natural segue with any version of "Mas Que Nada.")
13.  Silent City-Matthew Sweet
(Sweet has had a long career, but with radio-friendly fare like this, it's surprising he hasn't had hits.  "I've Been Waiting," "Sick Of Myself," "Time Capsule," and "Silent City," among others, should have been mainstream hits.)
14.  Too Kool For School-Theo Bishop & Brian Hughes
(A smooth, uptempo sax/keyboard/bass groove.)
15.  Elegant Soul-Gene Harris & The Three Sounds
(An apt title for this lush, moving slow dance instrumental.)
16.  Fortune Teller-Troubadours Of Divine Bliss
(Have you put your hands to good use by helping others?  That's the theme of these compelling lyrics, set to a captivating backdrop and featuring endearing vocal harmonies.)
17.  Git Fiddler (Live)-Amanda Shaw
(It has to be a blast to play fiddle or guitar on this, especially live.)
18.  Don't Ever Love Me-Harry Belafonte
(Things don't pan out for the couple in this song, but what a song.)
19.  Ring Them Bells-Sarah Jarosz
(A well-sung, well-played version of a Bob Dylan tune.)
20.  The Sea Is My Soil-Herb Alpert
(An overlooked Alpert album track that features some of his best horn playing and appealing strings; it pulls off its transitions from slow, contemplative number to mariachi-infused celebration and vice versa.)
21.  Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine-P.M. Dawn
(From "Of The Heart, Of The Soul, And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience," an accessible rap album that's as compelling now as it was in the '90s.  Also recommended: "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss," "To Serenade A Rainbow," and "A Watcher's Point Of View.")
22.  No Man's Land-Garrison Starr
(Effective, emotionally honest vocals.)

Adoration with a qualifier

A song I heard on KPTZ yesterday deserves its own post.  When someone sings to or about his beloved, he often sings cliches about climbing the highest mountain or swimming the deepest ocean for her.  He doesn't usually put a qualifier on his adoration.  He doesn't pull off what Fats Waller did in "You're Slightly Less Than Wonderful."  The title alone puts a realistic qualifier on things; essentially, it's the equivalent of a Valentine's Day card that reads, "I love you, too...for the most part."  And yet, in Waller's song, with its long piano intro and sincere vocals, the qualified sentiments work.  Quite an impressive songwriting feat...

Online radio sampler highlights XXII

Some of the stronger tunes I've heard today:

KALX (Berkeley, CA)

• Famous Blue Anorak-Bubblegum Lemonade (Released in 2013, this catchy tune captures the jangly guitar sound of the '60s.)

KCOU (Columbia, MO) 

• Morning World-Teen Daze (A new track that falls somewhere between indie and mainstream pop; its floating-in-space instrumentation meshes perfectly with its vocals.)
• Real June-Seoul (It's good to know that two stations at 88.1 FM, in Columbia and St. Louis, are playing one of 2015's most tuneful, seemingly Beach Fossils-inspired melodies.)
• The Moment-Tame Impala (An ethereal synth-based track with echo-laden vocals that could segue with XTC's "King For A Day.")

KDVS (Davis, CA) 

• Hand Clapping Song-The Meters (One of many tracks that shows the group's vocal and instrumental consistency.)
• Tin Town-Seals & Crofts (This early Seals & Crofts tune has a Cat Stevens feel.  Also recommended: "Gabriel, Go On Home" and "Hand-Me-Down Shoe."  I enjoyed the all-1970 theme of today's "Fever Dreams" show.)

KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA) 

• West Dakota Breezes-Chuck Suchy (Lyrically, the tune shows an appreciation for rural life, and the balalaika adds poignancy to this tune that has an otherwise old school country feel.)
• Far East Blues-Hap Palmer (There's an impressive blend of cultures in this instrumental; the tune has an unusual blend of prog rock, easy listening strings, and Indian music influences.  I was surprised to learn that this is considered a tune for kids.)

KURE (Ames, IA)

• New Slang-The Shins ("New Slang" pulls off the impressive trick of setting not-so-upbeat lyrics to a sing-along arrangement.)

WESA (Pittsburgh, PA) 

• Sweet Lorraine (Live)-Martin Taylor (A pleasant guitar melody that would have sounded equally at home on a Chet Atkins, Earl Klugh, or Joe Pass album.)
• I'm Beginning To See The Light-Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis (A hipper, jazzier arrangement of the tune than you generally hear.)

WRMC (Middlebury, VT) 

• Sunndal Song-The Apples In Stereo (Lyrical reassurance that someone still cares.)

Persistent earworm alert IX

I considered classifying today's entry as an overlooked cover tune, but it works just as well as an enjoyable yet persistent earworm.  Sometimes, unexpected instrumentation, when it works better than you ever imagined, can make you appreciate a theme song that you never disliked but also never sought out.  Prior to hearing this reworking, I never thought of the mandolin as the obvious lead instrument for a spacey TV or movie theme.  I've learned, however, that when multiple mandolins join forces, they produce the wonder known as Nashville Mandolin Ensemble's "Where No Mandolin Has Gone Before, a.k.a. 'Star Trek.'"  Just when you think you've heard the limits of what's appropriate for the mandolin...

Fulfilling a smart aleck's song request

Songs are rarely more concise than the shortest song I ever played, by request, for a KCOU listener.  The caller requested "All" by the band All.  For the uninitiated, the song is one second long and consists of the band shouting, "All!"  I played it, and I'll admit it tested my turntable segue reflexes.  Rarely does a DJ have to segue a one-second song with another song so rapidly.  I made it work, and fortunately, it was just a once-in-a-lifetime test.

This segue works. Really.

I've never heard these two songs back to back, but after listening to Joni Mitchell's "Raised On Robbery" a few minutes ago, I'm convinced that "Interplanet Janet," a Lynn Ahrens tune you might remember from "Schoolhouse Rock," works as a segue before it.  Nothing ties these songs together lyrically; in terms of feel, however, the tunes just flow.  Some of the best segues spring to mind for that reason.  Trust me; these two songs would segue perfectly and unexpectedly on a good freeform radio station. 

A long, subtle format transition

Imagine a radio station taking two or more years to ease into a new format today.  KEZK 102.5 FM, which cornered the St. Louis market on easy listening music in the '70s and '80s, pulled off such a transition in the late '80s and early '90s.  During its years as an easy listening station, it was common to hear 101 Strings, The Hollyridge Strings, Bert Kaempfert, and Paul Mauriat's soft instrumental arrangements of pop songs from various decades.  Near the end of the '80s, however, KEZK set the stage for its long, thought-out transition to a soft rock station.  Instead of switching abruptly between formats, KEZK eased into the transition by gradually increasing the frequency of vocals from such artists as Anne Murray, Neil Diamond, and John Denver.  To ease the transition instrumentally, occasional light jazz instrumentals from artists such as Earl Klugh, George Benson, and Bob James were added to the mix.  Thus, around this time 25 years ago, you might have heard Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme," John Denver's "Calypso," and an Earl Klugh instrumental in the same hour.  By the early '90s, the format had morphed subtly into all soft rock.  Looking back, that was a smart way to handle the switch--and appropriate, too, for two formats that pride themselves on being in no hurry to end one song and start another one.

Glass half full? Glass half empty?

Even if it isn't your cup of tea, check out Roger Whittaker's song, "New World In The Morning."  Are the lyrics idealistic or realistic?  Depending on how you receive them, either interpretation is plausible.

Foreboding phantom or nonchalant spectre?

The conductor of an orchestra in which my brother played violin came up with an unusual way to shoehorn part of an overture into a concert.  He wanted it to be part of the program, even though the orchestra never rehearsed it in its entirety.  His solution: Perform the overture from "Phantom Of The Opera" in concert up to the point that the ensemble had rehearsed it and change the last note so that it suddenly switches from a minor to a major key.  As my brother pointed out, this surprise ending couldn't help but make you think the phantom would stroll out and say, "Hi, I'm the phantom of the opera.  What's up?"

WEW playlist flashback: 8/12/96

In addition to hosting my own weekend shows on WEW in the Summer of '96, I also filled in for Maria, the program director, a number of times.  Here were the songs I chose to play from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 1996:

  1.  Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most-Ellis Marsalis
---
  2.  I Remember You-Mary Cleere Haran
  3.  Unforgettable-Nat King Cole
  4.  As Time Goes By-Natalie Cole
---
  5.  I'll Remember April-Chet Baker
---
  6.  Cherry-Harry James and his orchestra
  7.  Swingin' Down The Lane-Les Baxter
  8.  Chattanooga Choo-Choo-Glenn Miller
---
  9.  I Thought About You-Tony Bennett
10.  Blue Skies-Bing Crosby
---
11.  I Get A Kick Out Of You-Dionne Warwick
12.  Mississippi-Kay Starr
---
13.  Deep Purple-Nino Tempo & April Stevens
(Looking back, I wish I'd played this song more often; it's lyrically solid, sung well, and has a memorable melody.  It's easy to hear why it topped the charts in 1963.)
14.  Strike Up The Band-Rosemary Clooney
---
15.  How Little We Know-Joey DeFrancesco
(Instrumentally and vocally, DeFrancesco is adept at conjuring up bygone eras.)
16.  All Or Nothing At All-Frank Sinatra
---
17.  Every Day I Have The Blues-Count Basie
---
18.  Come Rain Or Come Shine-Michele Shaheen
19.  It Might As Well Be Spring-John Pizzarelli
(I brought in Pizzarelli's "After Hours" CD frequently; every song fit WEW's format then.)
---
20.  Lo Joe-James Williams
21.  Skyliner-Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band
(A natural big band segue...)
---
22.  Moonlight In Vermont-Tony Bennett (*)
23.  Bye Bye Blackbird-Johnny Mathis
---
24.  Love Song-Ramsey Lewis
(If you like the feel of Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme," you might like this track, as well.  It's one of the highlights, along with the title track, from the "Sun Goddess" album that KNJZ used to play.)
25.  Fly Me To The Moon-Bossa Nova-Joe Harnell and his orchestra
---
26.  Up On The Roof-The Drifters
27.  Mairzy Doats-The Merry Macs (*)
(If you worked at a nostalgic radio station, and a listener requested "Mairzy Doats," what would you use as a segue?)
28.  Linda-Ray Noble and his orchestra
---
29.  Cow Cow Boogie-Freddie Slack and his orchestra featuring Ella Mae Morse
(As I mentioned in a previous post, programming the music for a radio station's audience means thinking like a program director and remembering that you don't have to love every song you play.)
30.  Nice Work If You Can Get It-The Andrews Sisters
31.  Hello Dolly-Louis Armstrong and The All-Stars
(If it had been any version other than Armstrong's, I don't think I would have considered playing it. Armstrong pulls this off without sounding too precious.)
32.  Devil's Island-Wayne Shorter
(Good to have some traditional jazz in the mix...)
---
33.  St. Louis Blues-Tex Beneke
34.  Fortune In Dreams-Pat Longo with Frank Sinatra, Jr.    
---
35.  Off The Top-Jimmy Smith
---
36.  Brazil-Bo Thorpe and his orchestra
37.  In The Bag-Lionel Hampton
38.  Special Delivery Stomp-Artie Shaw
39.  Mambo Riff-Lester Lanin
---
40.  Kansas City-Wilbert Harrison
41.  Cab Driver-The Mills Brothers
42.  Take The A Train-Dexter Gordon
---
43.  Broken-Hearted Melody-Sarah Vaughan
44.  Chain Gang-Sam Cooke
45.  Lover Come Back To Me-Ella Fitzgerald
---
46.  Blue Tango-Leroy Anderson
(A tune fit for dancing with abandon...)
47.  Cast Your Fate To The Wind-Vince Guaraldi Trio
(...before coming back down to Earth and appreciating a great instrumental with a more existential outlook.)
48.  Stranger On The Shore-Richard Clayderman
49.  I'll Never Smile Again-Ray Anthony
50.  What's New-Linda Ronstadt
51.  Star Eyes-Kitty Kallen
---
52.  Apple Honey-Woody Herman
53.  Geronimo-Les Elgart
54.  Hallelujah-Tommy Dorsey
55.  Four Of A Kind-Stan Kenton
---
56.  The Swingin' Shepherd Blues-Moe Kauffman Quartette
57.  Canadian Sunset-Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra
---
58.  Theme From "A Summer Place"-Percy Faith and his orchestra
59.  Soft Summer Breeze-Eddie Heywood
60.  Tumblin' Tumbleweed-Billy Vaughn
61.  Easy Like-Billy Taylor
---
62.  Chances Are-Johnny Mathis
63.  (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
---

(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.

Online radio sampler highlights XXI

I've heard a bonanza of captivating music today, including:

KCNV (Las Vegas, NV)

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) (German Brass) (A stately, appealing rendition.)
• Sergio Assad: Coral Reef (Recife Dos Corais) (Marc Regnier and Marco Sartor, guitars) (A warm, fast, spirited reading.)

KGNU (Boulder, CO) 

• Brokedown Palace-Watkins Family Hour (Sara Watkins and Fiona Apple are excellent, as usual, on this impressive cover of a Grateful Dead tune.  It's one of four strong 2015 releases I heard on KGNU today.  Also recommended: "Early Morning Rain.")
• Morning Glories-Danielle Ate The Sandwich (A low-key acoustic charmer.  The band's name is the type of indie moniker that would have made me curious if I'd seen it in KCOU's music library.)
• Rain Just Falls-Pine Hill Project featuring Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell (A fine pairing of two consistently solid singer-songwriters.  Also recommended: Kaplansky's "You're Still Standing There" and Shindell's "I'll Be Here In The Morning.")
• I'm Doing Fine-Allison Moorer (Sung with considerable conviction; I'm inclined to take the protagonist's word for it that she's fine.)

KHDB (San Diego, CA) 

• My Promise-Earth, Wind & Fire (Released in 2013, this tune captures the spirit of the band's uptempo '70s hits.)

WDNA (Miami, FL) 

• Blues Guaguanco-Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (The energy level is in the stratosphere here...)
• Folhas Secas-Doug Beavers (...and it slows down into sublime mode for this elegant trombone and strings number.  This is possibly the most beautiful instrumental released so far this year.)

WSUM (Madison, WI) 

• Farm, Ca.-Jana Hunter (Low-key vocals float over a spacey violin and guitar backdrop.)

WUKY-HD3 (Lexington, KY)

• Surrey With The Fringe On Top-Craig Larsen (This is the coolest version of "Surrey..." I've heard; Larsen & company jazz it up and make it swing.)

WZUM (Pittsburgh, PA) 

•  I Say A Little Prayer-Aretha Franklin (Dionne Warwick's version gets most of the radio airplay, but Franklin's powerful take is equally compelling.)

FM dial scan highlights XXXVII

'70s pop, thoughtful singer-songwriter music, crunchy guitar rock, and tasteful jazz are all represented in today's FM dial scan highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Love Is Like Oxygen-Sweet (A simile from '78 that holds up; with a guitar riff like this, this must have been a blast to play in concert.  Hearing Casey Kasem quote the chorus one week on "American Top 40" was icing on the cake.)
• Cardbord Castles-Dengue Fever (An infectious blend of swirling surf-style/spy movie theme guitar and catchy vocals; a 2015 standout track that sustains a compelling grove for five minutes.)

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• All Through The Night-The Randy Johnston Trio (A fast romp released in 1998 that brings the feel of a '60s Jimmy Smith album to mind; great interplay between saxophone, guitar, organ, and drums.)
• It's No Time To Be Blue-Kenny Burrell ("Blue Bossa" with lyrics.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Glad All Over-The Verbs (A good cover of the Dave Clark Five tune, with a more contemporary feel.)

KLOU 103.3 FM

• Danny's Song-Loggins & Messina (Still one of the more heartfelt songs about making a go of family life with limited means.)

Paw-kneading tail-tappers

On this day 32 years ago, my father walked into the playroom of the house where our family lived from 1975-1989 and said, "I got this cat..."  He was an orange tabby that we named Rusty.  I wrote in a previous post about Rusty's penchant for singing during rests when I played the bass.  During his 17 years and change with the family, Rusty also enjoyed listening to music, especially jazz and swing guitar instrumentals, as far as I could tell.  Some of the best guitar-based selections that were music to Rusty's ears and would likely soothe most human ears are:

• Tal Farlow's "Yardbird Suite."  It's a brisk, uptempo number that's among Farlow's best tracks.
• "Avalon" by Duke Robillard and Herb Ellis.  Their version starts off in a midtempo groove but doesn't take long to pick up speed.  Given the strength of the song, virtually any instrumental or vocal version of it swings.  John Pizzarelli sings one of the strongest versions of it.
• virtually anything by Wes Montgomery.  "Polka Dots And Moonbeams" comes to mind first, though.
• just about anything by Earl Klugh.  His "Late Night Guitar," "Solo Guitar," and "Soda Fountain Shuffle" albums are especially consistent and easy on the ears.

If at least a few of those selections don't perk you up immediately, hopefully, they will on repeated listens.  I'm glad to have known a cat who kneaded his paws and tapped his tail in time to so many classy instrumentals.

Only in college VII

Usually, there's no compelling reason to dress up at a college radio station.  A KCOU general manager, however, once got behind on laundry and wore a suit one day because he had no other clean clothes.  On another occasion, another station executive was semi-dressed up in business casual clothes.  I was the first person to arrive after he'd gotten there.  We had this exchange:

Me : Going a bit more formal today, I see.
Exec: Yeah, I'm going to my job at the newspaper after I leave here.  It's in an office, and we all dress up a bit because sometimes, people come into the office. 

One by one, others arrived at the station.  Each person who walked in asked him why he was dressed up.  The fourth and fifth exchanges about his attire went like this:

DJ: You're looking formal today.
Exec: Yeah, I'm wearing this for my job later today.

When the eighth DJ to arrive asked why he had dressed up, the exchange went like this:

DJ: So, why so formal today?
Exec: I GET DRESSED UP OCCASIONALLY, OK?!

I then walked out of the office and walked back in, pretending I'd just arrived.  Our exchange:

Me: Gadzooks! What on Earth are you doing, showing up here dressed like that?
Exec (moaning, while smiling slightly:) Arrrrrgh!!!!

The lesson here?  If someone's attire at a college radio station is uncharacteristically formal, it's probably best not to ask why.

An age-old question

When setting the alarm on a clock radio, does it make more sense to choose a radio station you like, giving you something positive to hear when getting up, or a station that plays grating music you don't like, giving you the incentive to get up and turn it off?  Until recently, I'd always gone with the former, but in recent days, I've chosen stations I don't like so much.  I've gotten up well ahead of time, as a result.

Sparking a radio listener's memory

One of the perks of getting to choose the music I played on WEW was hearing about positive memories it elicited from listeners.  One afternoon, when I played Lionel Hampton's "Flying Home," a listener called in.  He told me, "I want to thank you for playing Lionel Hampton.  I hadn't heard 'Flying Home' in some time, but it took me back to World War II, when I heard him perform it.  I'm 74 now, but for a few minutes, I was 18 again.  Thank you."

Not many other jobs would elicit that type of positive reaction, so I'm thankful to have had that one.

Pandora standouts

One of the most interesting features of pandora.com, to me, is that once it determines that you like a particular genre of music, it will play long sets in that genre. Some of my recent listening sessions have resulted in these sequences:

• four guitar instrumentals in a row
• four R&B vocals in a row
• 13 songs in a row by women singer-songwriters; that's the longest Pandora has ever stayed on one genre for me.

Among the recent highlights I've heard:

July 28

• Bensusan-Michael Hedges (Pleasant shades of Al Petteway's music and the softer side of Leo Kottke.) 
• Star Of The County Down-Jim Henry & Brooks Williams (An often-covered Irish folk tune; Williams delivers, as usual, on a plaintive vocal number.)
• There Is A Tree-Carrie Newcomer (Newcomer's beautiful alto voice and heartfelt songwriting are remarkably consistent from album to album.  These are some of her best lyrics.)
• The Water Is Wide-Bryan Sutton featuring Becky Isaacs Bowman (A richly sung version of this standard; I also recommend Mary Black's version.)
• There Is A Ship (Live)-Peter, Paul & Mary (A natural continuation of "The Water Is Wide," as it uses the same melody.  Mary Travers sings it movingly.) 
• Pale September-Fiona Apple (Dissonant, intimate, and sung compellingly in Apple's inimitable low register.  The piano and strings underscore the song's poignancy.)

July 29 

•  A Home-Maia Sharp ("A Home" and "Something Wild" are the two biggest standouts on the "Fine Upstanding Citizen" CD.)

August 4

• You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine-Lou Rawls (Hardly anyone else on Earth has ever sung with this level of self-assurance. It's not surprising, with a voice like this.)
• I Am A Town-Mary Chapin Carpenter (Thoughtfully describes the atmosphere of an overlooked town; some of her best lyrics.  Also recommended: "A Road Is Just A Road.")

August 5

• Mother And Child Reunion-Paul Simon (Still one of Simon's best hits.  It features one of the most unique instrumental intros, a great set of lyrics, and effective lead and backup singing.  Essentially, it's a perfect record.)

Who remembers such things?

Every now and then, I've been reminded that not everyone remembers specific dates and times in connection with radio station debuts, format changes, and air shifts that contained a lot of good music. 

Years ago, I elicited quizzical looks from people when they mentioned some event that took place on June 1, 1984.  "The same day, then, that KGLD went on the air with its oldies format," I mentioned.  "Yes," one of them responded haltingly. "I'm sure we all remember that." 

Another time, one July 29, I reminisced with someone about a WEW air shift that had gone well.  "I remember that day in '96," I said.  "It was raining that day, and that led me to choose a lot of upbeat songs that deliberately played against the gloom outside.  I remember having some good conversations with listeners that day, as well."  "Do you have a photographic memory?" she asked.

No, I don't have a photographic memory; it's just puzzling what stays in my mind 19 or 31 years later.

"Closer To...?"

If you've ever watched "Party Of Five," you probably know the BoDeans tune, "Closer To Free," that was its theme.  A TV encyclopedia lists it incorrectly as "Closer To Me," which changes the song's meaning considerably.  Can you imagine any TV show theme including the lyric, "Everybody wants to be closer to meeeeeeee?"  Certain reality shows, perhaps?

Ideal radio talk show music II

Ready for an evening of energetic yet civil talk radio discussion?  (Yes, those two qualities can exist simultaneously in that format.)  If you're a radio talk show host, let Acoustic Alchemy set the tone with "Trail Blazer," one of its instrumentals from 2000.  A welcoming piano intro leads into a guitar melody that's upbeat and perfect for setting the tone of discussion.  Also, like David Benoit's "No Worries," it works as bumper music.

Persistent earworm alert VIII

Turntable scratching in its early days.  A keyboard riff that doesn't wear out its welcome and stays with you for days.  A respected jazz artist with a long career who releases a single that captures the synthesized sound of the early '80s.  Add those elements up, and you have...

..."Rockit" by Herbie Hancock.  Released in 1983, the tune is extremely of its time.  After hearing it on KDHX last night, I've been unable to dislodge its riff from my mind.  Considering Hancock's earlier work, especially his acclaimed "Maiden Voyage" album, I wouldn't have predicted that he'd release such a popular instrumental.  He did, however, and it captured the pop music zeitgeist of the time perfectly.