Some of the most musically adventurous air shifts I ever hosted on KCOU took place from 2-6 a.m. When you have to select music for four hours and have a huge, multi-genre library from which to choose, you end up drawing on every obscure bit of your musical knowledge. You won't love every song you select, but you trust that each song should appeal to someone. Here is my overnight playlist from September 7, 1992:
1. Party Up-Prince
(Still one of Prince's most infectious grooves.)
2. Break The Chains-24-7 Spyz
3. Long Distance-Bobhouse
4. Shiver-Love Nest
(This is from 1991, but it sounds like a catchy '80s hit, especially during the chorus.)
5. Cold Rain And Snow-The Grateful Dead (*)
(An early track from the band that's unusually concise, by Grateful Dead standards.)
6. Roll On, Rolling Stone-Jimmy Cliff
7. What Is Sadness? (Club Mix)-Device
(Sports a memorable, rhythmic refrain, "So, tell me, what is sadness?")
8. Love Is Strong-Death Groove Love Party
9. Purr-Sonic Youth
10. Second Guess-Gray Matter
11. What Happens Now?-Kitchens Of Distinction
12. Jim Is The Devil-The Jigsaw Seen
13. From The Sky-Mighty Lemon Drops
14. Stranger Things-The Sneetches
(One of my favorite power pop songs by one of the best bands I ever played on KCOU; jangly guitars, tight lyrics, and a strong hook make up this and many of the band's best efforts. Also recommended: "...And I'm Thinking," "Love Comes My Way," and "Only For A Moment.")
15. Sense-The Lightning Seeds
(Another '90s track that would have been at home on the charts during the '80s.)
16. Ten Feet Tall-XTC
(This is the version from the "Drums And Wires" album. This rendition, in which the lyrics aren't enunciated as clearly as the version on "Rag And Bone Buffet" is the catchier one, interestingly.)
17. Wait Up-Uncle Tupelo
18. Morning Is The Long Way Home-Leo Kottke
(I played the earlier version of this tune from the "Ice Water" album. Kottke, as usual, plays the guitar as though he has four hands and his rough, unadorned vocals work well here.)
19. Hot Fingers-Lonnie Johnson & Eddie Lang
20. Trenchtown Rock-Bob Marley
21. The Great Tree-This Picture
22. Don't You Want Me?-The Human League
(A chart-topper from 1982 that encapsulates the synth-driven sound of the early '80s. Among other things, it proves that "either with or without you" is a hard phrase to sing at this tempo.)
23. Usual Damage-Stigmata A-Go-Go
24. Cloud Shine-Levitation
25. Crazy-Seal
(The hit that launched Seal's pop career, and it's still one of his most compelling songs. "Newborn Friend" deserved just as much acclaim.)
26. Whatever Happened-The Spin
27. Still The One-King Missile
28. Put It Where You Want It-The Average White Band
(Joe Sample and The Crusaders deserve credit for pulling this off first as an infectious jazz instrumental.)
29. I'll Take You There-The Staple Singers
(One of the more effective, attention-getting opening notes and a sense of conviction in the vocals that sounds just as convincing today.)
30. Something On Your Mind-Professor Longhair
31. Thanks A Lot-Otis Clay
32. Sand-The Urge
33. Playin' Poker With Al Roker-Soda Can
34. Mirror In The Bathroom-The English Beat
(Vocally and instrumentally similar to the band's "Twist & Crawl." One of their catchier efforts, although my favorite track of theirs is still "Save It For Later.")
35. Silent City-Matthew Sweet
(As I asked in a previous post, why wasn't this a hit?)
36. Children Of Time (Forever)-Matthew Sweet
37. The Way Will Be Opening-Stereolab
(I started to mellow things out on tracks 37 through 43, as well as 45, and I'm still happy with the way they flow.)
38. One Place-Everything But The Girl
(Still one of the best songs on this playlist, in my opinion; the protagonist makes a convincing case that she would be happy in one place instead of living a musician's life and touring so often. Tracey Thorn's vocals, as usual, are thoughtful and easy on the ears.)
39. Best Friends-Angelo Badalamenti ("Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" soundtrack)
40. Dans La Nuit, La Neige-Popul Vuh
41. (mixed with track 40) When All The Laughter Dies In Sorrow-Kendrew Lascelles
(Another reason I loved being on the air at KCOU: While playing Popul Vuh's intense instrumental, which is ideal for the middle of the night, I had a brainstorm. I ran to the stacks to see if we had Chicago's third album. Fortunately, we did, as I remembered a spoken word piece from it that I thought would mesh perfectly with Vuh's track. I cued it up, waited for an appropriate moment in "Dans La Nuit...," and started it playing with a new, somber accompaniment. The combo was as smooth as I thought it would be, and something I never could have done at a commercial radio station.)
42. Don't Let It Break Your Heart-Richy Kicklighter
(Time for some late-night smooth jazz guitar...)
43. I Just Wanna Stop-Gino Vannelli
(...And, as long as the mood is mellow...)
44. Un Pezado De Cielo-Luz Casal
(Let's start off a new set with some pepped-up Spanish vocals...)
45. Where Are You Tonight?-Cowboy Junkies
(...and mellow things out again with some beautiful singing by Margo Timmins.)
46. God Bless The Child-Asleep At The Wheel
(With source material this solid, you can't help but be on solid ground.)
47. Guys And Dolls-Michael Hashim
48. Trinidad-Don Grusin
49. Temporary Love-Vinx
50. Public Enemy #1-LeRoi Brothers
51. Opaque-Green Pyramids
52. Hippity Hop-The Sun Sawed In 1/2
(An early, fun romp from this enduring St. Louis band. Also recommended: "Bed Of Roses," "The Carnival Ride," "Head In The Sand Stan," and "Life.")
53. Hay Fever-14 Iced Bears
54. Close-Severin
55. Call It Sleep-Steve Vai
(Serves as a drift-off-to-sleep tune at the beginning and end and a wake-up call in the middle, as Vai's guitar wails. It's as good a way as any to cap off four hours of multi-genre music.)
(*) indicates a listener's request.
