My music picks for my 6-10 a.m. shift on this day 20 years ago:
1. When Lights Are Low-Herbie Mann
(This classy, low-key flute melody was one of my favorite tracks that I brought in from home for the first song of the morning. It doesn't jolt the listeners; it eases them into the new day.)
2. I Only Have Eyes For You-Count Basie Orchestra with George Benson
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3. My Heart Stood Still-Erroll Garner
4. Symphony-Freddy Martin and his orchestra
5. Tennessee Waltz-Patti Page (*)
(The listeners' requests were an interesting, diverse lot that day, as you'll see.)
6. These Foolish Things-Chet Baker
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7. My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time-Les Brown and his orchestra with Doris Day
8. Out Of This World-Mary Cleere Haran
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9. Somewhere Along The Way-Nat King Cole
10. When Sunny Gets Blue-Johnny Mathis
(One of the safest choices for a vocal ballad, in this format.)
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11. Stardust-Artie Shaw (*)
12. One Together-Fleetwood Mac
(I might be the only DJ in history to pair these two songs together on the air. Somehow, the segue works. "One Together," much like "Mission Bell" from the "Kiln House" album, has a throwback feel.)
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13. What's New-Milt Jackson
14. Someone To Watch Over Me-Linda Ronstadt & The Nelson Riddle Orchestra
15. From The Bottom Of My Heart-Harry James and his orchestra with Frank Sinatra
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16. When My Dreamboat Comes Home-Kay Starr
17. I Got Rhythm-Tony Bennett
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18. Coquette-John Pizzarelli
19. Blue Light, Red Light-Harry Connick, Jr.
(A sly melody that has to be a blast to sing or play.)
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20. Mairzy Doats-The Merry Macs (*)
(When a listener requests a whimsical tune like this, it can be tricky to find an appropriate segue...)
21. Trickle Trickle-The Manhattan Transfer
(...This is one option, however.)
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22. Sleepytime Gal-Glen Gray (*)
23. Embraceable You-Ray Anthony
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24. Sunday Will Never Be The Same-Spanky & Our Gang
25. Music Box Dancer-Frank Mills
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26. Relaxin' At Camarillo-Charlie Haden Quartet West
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27. Charles Matthew Hallelujah-Dave Brubeck Quartet
(Written to celebrate the birth of one of Brubeck's sons. The tune takes the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" and works its way through several jazzy variations of it.)
28. Lady Be Good-Melissa Manchester
29. Day In-Day Out-Michele Shaheen
30. Pressure Cooker-Sammy Nestico
(One of the most challenging jazz tunes I ever played on the bass; fast, constant shifting between notes is required, and it almost necessitates the use of a bionic arm.)
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31. You Go To My Head-Charlie Watts
32. Canadian Sunset-Hugo Winterhalter and his orchestra
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33. Dream A Little Dream Of Me-Mama Cass
34. King Of The Road-Roger Miller
35. Twilight Time-The Platters
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36. Moanin'-Joey DeFrancesco
37. Summer Samba-Walter Wanderley
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38. Sunset In Paradise-Pete Fountain
(Rest in peace, Pete Fountain; the longtime clarinetist passed away on August 6.)
39. Bourgeois Boogie-Ornette Coleman & Prime Time
(This is about as far out as I went on WEW, musically; the majority of the audience was in the 75-plus age bracket, so I suspect they wouldn't likely have welcomed a jazz tune that was more raucous and experimental than this.)
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40. The Lion Sleeps Tonight-The Tokens
41. Michelle-The Beatles
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42. Rockin' In Rhythm-Duke Ellington
43. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie-Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
44. Let's Go, Joe-Cab Calloway
45. Arise And Shine-Vanessa Rubin
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46. A Swingin' Safari-Billy Vaughn and his orchestra
47. Cab Driver-The Mills Brothers
48. Twistin' The Night Away-Sam Cooke
(One indication that a song has you under its spell: You sing and move along to it with wild abandon while driving. A former co-worker told me she'd done this, to the amusement of another driver. Good for her, not caring what the other driver thought.)
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49. Begin The Beguine-The Andrews Sisters
50. Black Nightgown-Woody Herman
51. I've Got The World On A String-Louis Prima
52. I Never Knew-Louis Armstrong
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53. Get Me On Your Mind-Jay McShann and his orchestra
54. There I Go-Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra
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55. Chiquita-Richard Clayderman
56. (CLOSING THEME) Closing Time-Tom Waits
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(*) indicates a listener's request.
--- indicates a short break for a slogan and time check or a longer break for back announcing the music.
