Not the best slogan for morning DJs

I remember seeing a newspaper ad in the '90s for a modern rock station's morning team of two women DJs.  It was--and still is--unusual for a commercial radio station to have a pair of two women DJs, particularly in morning drive.  Instead of highlighting the two of them as strong or humorous announcers, the ad's caption read, "Mornings are a b@#&h."

Reading that, I thought, "Seriously?  I wonder how those two DJs feel about that."

"Enjoy the poorly received soft rock of..."

In the late '80s, a radio station that had changed to a soft rock format here asked listeners to call a phone number and leave their comments.  Surprisingly, when the station ran promos for the new format, it included some of the negative feedback.  I suppose the station deserved praise for representing all points of view, but it was strange to hear a promo in which the first reaction from a listener was, "I don't like it," and one of the other reviews was, "I used to listen to your station all the time, but now, I hardly ever listen."  I've still never heard any other station take that approach.

Not a good time for chatter

Mr. D., my high school orchestra director, was irritated.  Two violinists kept talking as he was talking.  Instead of telling them to quiet down, he turned to the bass section and said to me, "Andrew, you're in (another ensemble besides this one.)  What happens during a rehearsal when a violinist yells across the room, 'Hey!  What are you going to have for lunch today?!'"

I paused and responded, "I don't know because that doesn't happen.  People just don't do things like that."

"Exactly," he replied.  "You just don't do things like that.  You just don't do them."

The violinists stopped talking after that.

Persistent earworm alert XLVII

If computers had emotions and could sing, I suspect they'd mimic the vocals in Zapp's "Heartbreaker."  I remember KMJM playing "Heartbreaker" and "I Can Make You Dance" in 1983, and for a time, whenever I'd hear either of those songs, I'd think, "There are the singing computers again."  I didn't think that was good or bad.  Usually, when those songs came up on the radio, I'd let them play out.  "Heartbreaker," in particular, is difficult to forget once you hear it.

Context? XXI

On Wednesday, I heard one KDHX announcer say to another, "We're sitting ducks."

"Hmmm," I thought.  "Is she talking about what I think she is?"

The other host told her, "Careful.  He'll come after you on Twitter."

Just as I thought...After less than a week into a new presidential regime, the announcers' context was already clear, and their concern was justifiable.  I'm sure I haven't heard the last of such dialogue.

Persistent earworm alert XLVI

Sometimes, the most everyday sight triggers a tune that won't leave your mind.  Seeing a bus yesterday put Frankie Smith's tune, "Double Dutch Bus," in my mind.  KMJM played it a lot when it was released in 1981.  I don't hear it on the radio these days, but its beat and nonsensical rhymes aren't forgotten easily.  "Bip, bomp, bam, alakazam" is just one phrase from the tune that now seems permanently lodged in my mind.  I'll just have to accept that when I'm trying to recall a name or phone number, that phrase or another comparably goofy one from "Double Dutch Bus" might come up instead.

Only in college XXVII

There's one aspect of working at a station where you choose your own music that I haven't mentioned on this blog--the combination of admiration and envy you feel when another DJ chooses a song or segue you wish you'd picked.

One early morning while I was working at KCOU, I turned on the radio and heard an overnight DJ say, "It's 2:00, and this is KCOU, Columbia." He then started his first song--the "Mary Tyler Moore Show"'s first season version of the theme song, "Love Is All Around," by Sonny Curtis.

"Great way to start your show!" I thought while nodding approvingly.  Then, the envy set in.  "Do not covet thy fellow DJ's song picks" isn't one of the 10 Commandments, but I was still irked with myself that I hadn't thought to begin one of my on-air shifts with one of the best TV show themes.

I was very sorry to learn of Mary Tyler Moore's passing today.  Over the last few hours, I've been watching various "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Dick Van Dyke Show" excerpts and thinking about how "Love Is All Around" was a great encapsulation of the way Moore portrayed Mary Richards.  I'm sure that theme will run through my mind many more times tonight, and I won't mind at all--or begrudge any DJ who plays it on the radio.

Online radio sampler highlights LII

Tuesday night standouts:

KEXP (Seattle, WA)

• Sonkolon-Fatoumata Diawara (Compelling, sobering vocals and guitar from this Mali-based singer-songwriter.)

KHUM (Ferndale, CA)

• Cha Cha-Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics (Ethiopian musician/composer Astatke anchors this hypnotic blend of flute, horns, piano, and percussion.)

KMHD (Portland, OR)

• Everybody Loves A Lover-Shorty Rogers (A '50s trumpeter whose polished big band music I should have played on WEW...)
• A String Of Pearls-Les & Larry Elgart (...because "Everybody Loves A Lover" segues well with one of the most famous swing melodies.)
• You Are There-Connie Evingson (Evingson's warm vocals offer hope to people who can't be with the ones they desire.)

WKZE (Red Hook, NY)

• Sea Of Heartbreak-Rosanne Cash (Cash's melodic voice is perfect for this cover of the Paul Hampton-Hal David-penned tune.  Also recommended: Poco's cover, which KSLQ used to play in the early '80s.)
• Breathe-Alexi Murdoch (An effective vocals/guitar/gripping key reminder not to become too frenzied and overwhelmed.)

WPRB (Princeton, NJ)

• My Life As A Bad Movie And An Even Worse Soundtrack-Late Night Television (A cathartic, guitar-heavy track, featuring rock-out vocals fitting for when life is falling apart.)

Only in college XXVI

A Spring 1992 memory: My 6-9 a.m. shift on KCOU was about to begin, and I had an inspiration.  I ran to the jazz LP stacks to pull out a George Duke album.  As I walked back into the studio, I told Lisa, the DJ on the air before me, "I read that today's sunrise will be at 6:08, so I want to have George Duke's song, 'Sunrise,' cued up.  If I time it right,..."

"...people will hear it just as the sun's rising.  That's cool," Lisa responded.

As planned, I played "Sunrise" just as the sun was rising, and hopefully, for the 15 or 20 people listening then, at least some of them made the connection.  I still recommend Duke's tune about not giving up hope.  It features Sheila E., prior to her solo career, on vocals, and it's an uplifting way to start the day.

I'm sure I'm not the only DJ on Earth to have programmed a song about the sunrise that way, but on that day, I felt like I was.  (After all, that's a typical idealistic college DJ's notion.)  I don't doubt that any number of DJs have carried out a similar plan with a song called "Sunrise."  If they did that in the past 13 years, though, it was most likely with the equally appealing Norah Jones tune.

Yes, you're on the air, but...

An announcer I know once said it concerned her that too many student DJs at her station had the attitude, "We must be good (announcers) because we're on the air."  After hearing announcers on that station stumble through newscasts, having to make such corrections as, "The team is the newest NHL aff.  Um, affiliate, I mean..." or lead into music sets with polite but stilted intros such as, "Here is a song by Duke Ellington.  Please enjoy it," I couldn't dispute that.

Not meant to last, usually...

A comedy routine or a song parody...Which of these typically has a shorter shelf life?  I've bought very few comedy albums and song parodies over the years.  After all, once you know the joke(s), there usually isn't much inclination to listen again.

A disturbingly appropriate tune for today

When I heard Living Colour's "Cult Of Personality" for the first time in 1988, its high energy vocals and blistering guitar shredding impressed me.  I listened to the tune numerous times during my senior year of high school and freshman year of college.

Today, I'm zeroing in on the lyrics as I listen, and the tune seems disturbingly, eerily prescient.  On this day, lyrics such as, "I tell you one and one makes three," hit too close to home.

I want to believe this is an overreaction, but I'm not convinced of that yet.  I'm sure I have plenty of company there.

An overlooked cover tune XXIII

I hadn't imagined Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding?" with bluegrass instrumentation, but Lucy Kaplansky and company cover it that way.  Kaplansky's vocals convey the sincerity of the lyrics, and Larry Campbell accompanies her on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and dobro.  It's a highlight of Kaplansky's "Flesh And Bone" CD.

An overlooked cover tune XXII

"Begin The Beguine" is one of my favorite big band tunes.  It features a stately, elegant melody and works even better in an easy listening/swing arrangement.  I played multiple versions of it on WEW, but there was one version I didn't realize existed until recently.  Nino Tempo and April Stevens, best known for their catchy version of "Deep Purple," covered "Begin The Beguine."  I'd had it on CD for years but hadn't realized it until today.  As I listened to it, I thought, "Did the Everly Brothers arrange this?  It sounds ideal for their voices."  Tempo and Stevens do the song justice, however, as I imagine the Everly Brothers would have.

An overlooked cover tune XXI

Sometimes, an unexpected reworking of a tune catches you off guard.  That happened to me yesterday morning.  While listening to WSIE, I had a "What on Earth...?" moment.  Kurt Elling was singing The Guess Who's "Undun."  The sad tale of a woman who takes her own life never struck me as a tune that anyone besides The Guess Who could or should sing.  Elling's rendition, however, made me think twice.  By slowing down the tempo and singing "Undun" in a detached yet wistful jazzy R&B style, Elling offers a credible take on The Guess Who's atypical pop hit.  Never in a million years would I have imagined anyone taking "Undun" in that direction, with jazz combo backing, to boot.  Elling does, however, and somehow, it works.

When the music fits the scene

The well-written dialogue, strong acting, and use of music in the TV drama, "This Is Us," continue to impress me each week.  Last week's show got off to a strong start by using Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" effectively.  However, it saved its most effective use of musical underscoring for the end of the episode.  As Rebecca, played by Mandy Moore, envisions raising her kids in the fixer-upper of a house that her husband, Jack, played by Milo Ventimiglia, purchased, Labi Siffre's "Watch Me" underscores the scene.  The tune's sunny vocals and guitar part emphasize the potential for happiness in raising kids there.  As I watched, the guitar line reminded me of Bread's "Make It With You," and Siffre's vocals struck me as an approximation of how Yes might have sounded as a folk-rock group.

It always impresses me when any TV drama pulls off the hat trick of solid writing, acting, and use of music in a poignant scene.

"I enjoy that program that you don't have."

"I just wanted you all to know that I'm really enjoying your news program," a listener on the phone said.  "That's kind of you.  Thank you," I responded.

It was kind of the listener to compliment WEW, even though it didn't have a news program.  Granted, Les Baxter's "Wake The Town And Tell The People," which I was playing, sounded like a news organization's slogan...

...Still, that's quite a stretch.

Acknowledge. Then, move on.

Sometimes, an orchestra director chooses to acknowledge an issue with his players passively instead of harping on it.  (Yes, it happens sometimes.)  My high school orchestra always knew when the director was unhappy with the class's playing but didn't want to dwell on it.

"Goooooing onnnnn...," he'd say, elongating the syllables to let us know he heard our miscues.  Other times, at the end of a movement the class hadn't played well, he'd say, "Pitch that, and go to (the name of the next movement, piece, or composer.)"

Sometimes, that's the best approach for a director to take with an orchestra.  Acknowledge indirectly that you heard the musicians' mistakes, infer that more practice is needed without saying it, and then, go on to the next movement or piece.

Does anyone else hear this?

Sometimes, I wonder if I'm the only one who hears the common ground between certain tunes.  For instance, does anyone else who hears Nilsson's "Gotta Get Up" think, "Billy Joel could sing that. I don't know if he would have written such a song, but his voice fits it?"  Or, when listening to Gerry Rafferty's "Night Owl," has anyone else ever thought, "This could segue with ABBA's 'Take A Chance On Me.'  'Night Owl''s opening riff sounds like a slower version of Take A Chance...''s theme?"  Or, am I hearing things in those songs that aren't there to the extent I think they are?  Is there wisdom I should heed from Paul Simon's "Think Too Much (B)" or "Think Too Much (A)?" I wonder...

Persistent earworm alert XLV

Since yesterday, a tune from 1978 has been on my mind, for unknown reasons.  Allan Clarke, a former lead singer of The Hollies, recorded a tune I hadn't thought of in years, "(I Will Be Your) Shadow In The Street."  Listening to it now, it strikes me as a somewhat friendlier way of conveying the "You won't forget me" sentiments found in the Stevie Nicks-penned Fleetwod Mac tune, "Silver Springs" or the surveillance aspects of The Police's "Every Breath You Take."  Conceivably, it could work as background music for a commercial about drones.   I think it would also segue with Lee Ritneour and Eric Tagg's  "It It You?" 

It's odd how a song that you haven't heard in years can suddenly click with you on multiple levels.

FM dial scan highlights LXXV

Afternoon and late night standouts heard recently:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Stand Tall-Childish Gambino (Jazzy, inspirational R&B vocals with fusion-style instrumentation seemingly pulled out of the '70s.  Something about the tune, especially from the 4:45 mark on, fit particularly well with the out-of-character-for-January 71-degree temperature in St. Louis this afternoon...)
• The Three Of Me-William Bell (...and it segued well with this bluesy, well-sung tune about deciding what kind of person you want to be.  Both of these songs were released in 2016; I wish I'd known that last year.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Wade In The Water-Eva Cassidy (A natural fit for Cassidy's soaring voice.)
• Fadin' Away-Robert Cray (A good midtempo blues number, with a reassuring reminder from Cray that "good times always follow the bad.")

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Old Friends-Everything But The Girl (Tracey Thorn's voice is ideal for bittersweet, nostalgic lyrics such as these.)
• Everyday I Write The Book-Elvis Costello (An example of how tastes change: When this song was released, I was indifferent to it.  Over time, however, I came to appreciate its lyrics and low-key, midtempo vibe.  I understand now why it's one of Costello's most-played tunes on the radio.)

Appreciating live albums and band intros

I've always liked band intros on live albums because they give the players their due and, quite often, end an album on an upbeat or warm note.  My favorite band intro is on the "Scratch" album by The Crusaders.  During "Way Back Home," trombonist Wayne Henderson tells the audience, "I want to tell you who's playing for you--individually, though..."  With the audience's approval, he introduces Max Bennett, Larry Carlton, Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, and Joe Sample, expressing his appreciation for the musician and/or a mention of each artist's hometown or nickname.  Joe Sample's keyboard underscores the intros, and after Henderson says, "...We got one more--me, Wayne Henderson, trombone...," the rest of the band joins in just in time for Felder's saxophone solo.  The Crusaders finish "Way Back Home" with an appropriate concert-ending keyboard flourish from Sample.  I imagine the audience at The Roxy the night the concert was recorded must have gone home glowing as much as the musicians.

Decades ago, I used to think that live albums were, at best, a compromise.  I thought, "Even if a live album contains good versions of a band's tunes, they're likely to be imperfect and marred by crowd noise."  What I didn't see then but definitely acknowledge now is that a strong live performance can be even better than a studio album.  Instead of a technically perfect, patched-together-from-multiple-takes studio edit, you get an honest picture of how the band played on a particular night, solos that weren't on the original recording, and a glimpse of the band's humanity and appreciation for its audience.  Not a bad combination of benefits for the money you shell out...

An occupational hazard of vinyl

I remember listening to a singer-songwriter radio show in the '90s.  The DJ gave a thoughtful intro to the song she was about to play, saying that it was appropriate for such a rainy day.  Then, the song started.  It was immediately apparent that she was playing a record, as a contemplative singer who recorded a thoughtful song at 33 RPM was singing--at 45 RPM.  When that happens, the DJ can fade the song out and start another song.  Or, the DJ can switch the turntable speed and open the microphone to say, "Let's try this again."  A third option is to switch the turntable speed during the song without explaining what happened.  The DJ in this case went with option three, causing the singer's voice to careen from an overly caffeinated chipmunk octave to her natural alto sound.  Alas, if an announcer plays enough records on the air or in a club, that's bound to happen at least once in a career.  Obviously, turntables aren't used nearly as often these days, but certain college stations and noncommercial stations still use them part of the time.

Tardy? Yes, but...

I've written before about Mr. D., my middle and high school orchestra director.  Mr. D. had a sense of time that was all his own.  Fairly often, he would start talking after class about a piece we were playing, a piece another orchestra was playing, or about his experiences as a music teacher.  During my junior year, I would ask him to fill out a tardy excuse slip for my next class.  After about five minutes of additional talking, I'd have to ask him to change the time on the slip.  It got to the point where he just dispensed with the tardy slips.  Instead, I asked him to initial a piece of notebook paper.  I would walk into my sixth hour class, hold up the page with Mr. D.'s initials, and the teacher wouldn't question it.  After all, he'd heard about Mr. D.'s in-his-own-world ways.  Considering that music teachers often exist in their own reality, I probably wasn't the only student who had such a routine.

Pizza tastes great, but let's be more original.

A broadcasting school assignment that has stayed with me: Students were asked to record a one-minute ad-lib about a favorite food or beverage.  I began my ad-lib, "David Letterman once said there isn't a man, woman, or child who doesn't enjoy the taste of a lovely beverage.  My beverage of choice is Dr. Pepper.  Mr. Pibb deserves a nod, too, although given the similarity in cherry-based flavor, I think Mr. Pibb is really Dr. Pepper under an alias..."

The instructor who listened to my tape said, "It was refreshing to hear your ad-lib.  You're one of the few people who chose to talk about a beverage.  I get so tired of hearing one tape after another in which students say, 'My favorite food is pizza...'"

If you're given the chance to ad-lib for an assignment or during an interview, pull the best original thoughts you have out of your mind and articulate them.  Chances are, you'll get a higher grade, and you might just get a job, as a result.

Online radio sampler highlights LI

Standout selections heard last night:

KGNU (Boulder, CO)

• The Green Meadow-Raspberry Jam Band (An endearing, flute-dominated waltz.)
• Love And The Gibson Girl-Nyle Frank (An endearing, intimate piano instrumental.)

WIIT (Chicago, IL)

• Emily-The Mowglis (I've listened to this tune several times since hearing it last night.  Its clap-along, sing-along quality lends itself easily to repeated listening.  Does anyone else remember "Ashes Of My Heart" by The Bad Examples?  WFXB used to play it in 1993, and I used to play it on KCOU.  The Mowglis use a chord progression similar to that of "Ashes...," with tempered lyrics and sunny instrumentation.)

WTJU (Charlottesville, VA)

• Kiko And The Lavender Moon-The Ed Palermo Big Band (The Los Lobos tune, covered ably in an arrangement I wouldn't have imagined until last night.)
• Perfect Day-Duffy King (An energetic smooth jazz/traditional jazz/international/lounge guitar instrumental.  I wish I would have known about this tune when I was compiling my favorite music of 2016 list.)

WTUL (New Orleans, LA)

•  Fortune Teller (Revelator)-Coco Robicheaux (A cool, self-assured spoken word piece with equally cool saxophone/rhythm section/backing vocals accompaniment.  I could imagine it flowing well with War & Eric Burdon's "Spill The Wine.")

WXPN-2 (Philadelphia, PA)

• In France They Kiss On Main Street-Joni Mitchell (This template worked well many times for Mitchell; it's easy to hear elements of "Big Yellow Taxi," "Free Man In Paris," "Help Me," and "Coyote" in this tune.)
• Just Like You-Keb' Mo' (Keb' Mo' sings some of the strongest lyrics I've heard about the common humanity we all share.  This is one of his best songs, in my opinion.)
• Love's In Need Of Love Today-Joan Osborne (When looking for strong material to cover, you can't go wrong with Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" album.  I can't imagine anyone improving on Wonder's original version, but Osborne's rendition has the necessary gravity and sincerity.)

WYCE (Grand Rapids, MI)

• Cumberland Gap-Courtney Hartman (An appealing uptempo acoustic guitar instrumental that would segue with "In The Long Run" by The Staves.  This is another 2016 track I wish I'd heard before I assembled my favorite music of the year list.)

Rap isn't such a stretch for this band...

After hearing the recently released demo versions of Crowded House's "Hole In The River" and "That's What I Call Love," I'd be curious to hear their take on Blondie's "Rapture."  After hearing their loose, freewheeling versions of those two songs, I think they could pull it off, along with its rapping.

Seriously, where is that lost shaker of salt?

I've listened to "Standing On The Outside," from Leo Kottke's "Chewing Pine" album, several times over the last two days.  If I didn't know otherwise, I'd swear it's a lost Jimmy Buffett tune.  Does anyone else hear it that way?

An overlooked cover tune XX

I've always liked the close harmony singing on Poco's hit, "Crazy Love."  I'd never imagined it with a faster tempo and a bluegrass bent in the vocals and instrumentation.  One day, though, on KDHX, I heard Tina Adair perform it that way, and I realized how well the tune works in that arrangement.  Unfortunately, that's the only time I've heard her version on the radio.  Her reworking of the tune deserves more frequent airplay, so just maybe, this is the catalyst...

...Probably not, I realize, but I still have hope...

Persistent earworm alert XLIV

Since early this morning, Django Reinhardt's version of "Brazil" has been stuck in my mind.  It's a pleasant rendition to have in repeat mode, actually.  While I don't dislike the versions with vocals, Reinhardt's subtle yet brisk guitar instrumental is the arrangement I'd most want to hear.  I used to play it on KCOU and WEW but hadn't thought of it in years.  I have no idea what triggered it, but its melody is starting again in my mind.  "Dum, dum, dum. Dum-da-dum-dum-dum..."  Reinhardt proves that a relaxing tempo doesn't always have to be a slow one.

Mucking out those gutters

One of the most enjoyable parts of broadcasting school was getting to write commercials.  Because most of the commercials a student wrote wouldn't air on any radio station, you could prove you knew how to write ad copy while sometimes incorporating your sense of humor into it.

In a commercial I wrote, I asked, "Want to clean those gutters without climbing a ladder?  Let (company such-and-such) clean the gutters for you.  At (company such-and-such), they'll take the risk of falling and killing themselves for you..."

My tongue-in-cheek commercial elicited some laughs from instructors and students, although one instructor cautioned me, "I take it you know that you could never actually air this commercial.  Obviously, you don't want the audience to say, 'Oh, my God,' while imagining the poor gutter workers falling off the ladders."

Well, yes...I knew that.  Invoking the image of workers falling off ladders isn't exactly humane--or good for business.