Context? LVI

At age 11, I received my first rock encyclopedia as a gift.  While perusing the entries of various bands, I spotted the cover of Cream's album, "Goodbye."  I hadn't heard "White Room," "Sunshine Of Your Love," or "I Feel Free" yet.  With no preconceptions of the band's music, I thought, "The band members are dressed like a nightclub act dancing across the stage one last time before taking a bow.  Do they do rock covers of songs you'd hear in a club, like 'On The Sunny Side Of The Street?'  How could they make that song work in a rock context?"

Then, after hearing the songs mentioned above, along with "Badge," "Politician," and "Tales Of Brave Ulysses," I realized the answer was a resounding no.  And, that was fine with me...

...It's still fine now.  It's amuses me that I ever thought Cream could be a nightclub or even a pseudo nightclub act.  Still, when your first and only impression is that album cover...

"Be prepared to stretch for time..."

About 30 years ago, I was listening to an afternoon FM radio call-in show.  I pitied the host, as it was nearly 20 minutes into the show before anyone called in.  The host prompted the audience, saying he was surprised that no one had called to talk about free elections held in the Soviet Union or the Exxon Valdez oil spill.  He also played various songs from a box set.  He hinted strongly that he "would like to talk with other people today." 

Finally, someone called in--to correct a fact the host had mentioned.

Talk show hosting is harder than it seems sometimes.

Sharp feedback

Even though the orchestra director's comment was probably accurate, I felt sorry for the player who had to hear him say, during a rehearsal, "You need to work harder."  I felt even sorrier for the player who had to endure the director's blunt remark, "You need to work."

"Better than having one's eyes gouged out..."

I remember hearing a radio station breaker between songs that said the station was "better than a sharp stick in the eye."

Memorable?  Yes, but that's setting the bar a tad low.

Context? LV

During a dress rehearsal, the conductor was getting cross with his orchestra for having imprecise rhythm.  It was the only setting in which I'd ever heard an adult indicate the rhythm of a measure by shouting angrily, "DA-DE-DUM!'"

I still wonder what anyone wandering into the rehearsal hall must have thought, hearing a grown-up shout those three syllables with increasing agitation.

Credit to the improvisers

I have to respect any "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" cast member who can improvise even remotely funny lyrics during a hoedown, march, or gospel song game.  Coming up with something clever or witty to say is challenging enough, but being asked to set it to music, with no time to think, is next to impossible.

Context? LIV

Heard on a contemporary hit station in March 2016: "...You have to get this next one right...Listen closely to this hip hop clarinet classic."

I turned the radio off at that point.  I still wonder, though, which hip hop song lent itself to a clarinet interpretation.

Persistent earworm alert CXL

Having anxiety about how a situation might turn out?  Then, you might also be thinking about the same song that's in my mind tonight--"The Waiting" by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers.

"The waiting is the hardest part," indeed.

Disclaimer: Not to be taken seriously

About six months ago, some kids were making noise while crossing the street.  While stopped at a red light, I sang the chorus of an Amanda Shires song softly to myself, "When you need a train, it never comes..."

It's probably for the best that I never raised kids.

When silence isn't everlasting

Over the years, I've learned not to assume that silence means a radio station is off the air.  If you hear silence on a Classical station, there might be a pause between movements of a piece.  If you hear silence on a noncommercial community station, the DJ might be having trouble getting a finicky CD player to play.  If you hear silence on an NPR station, the announcer might be pausing deliberately to let his or her words sink in--or just might have finished a secular prayer for a better world.

Silence...On the radio, it's usually temporary.

Persistent earworm alert CXXXIX

After being in a car accident today that has left me shaken yet thankful, the same three sung words keep recurring.  They're the title of the Moody Blues song, "Isn't Life Strange?"

And, yes...Yes, it is strange--and unpredictable...and unnerving sometimes...

Context? LIII

This is one of the most disturbing out-of-context statements I've heard on the radio recently:

"They didn't trust them after the killings."

I still don't know what that was about, but regardless of the context, my gut response is, "If that response isn't understandable, what is?!"

Rockin' out, within reason

How do rock stations draw more listeners, mainly older ones, into the tent?  The strategy used to be promoting "classic rock without the hard rock."  In other words, if you're looking for Eric Clapton, The Eagles, and Genesis, the station will have you covered.  It's best to look elsewhere, however, if you want to hear intense metal from someone shouting, "Demon and beast and beast and demon!"

Persistent earworm alert CXXXVIII

Over the last two days, Foreigner's "Long, Long Way From Home" has been stuck in my mind.  That's not a bad thing, as I think it's Foreigner's best hit.  Lyrically, it must ring true to a lot of people taking leaps of faith, such as moving to a new city, pursuing a risky artistic career, or leaving the security of a job that no longer inspires them.  Lou Gramm's vocals underscore what a chance the protagonist is taking.  The tune also sports one of Foreigner's best hooks, "I'm looking out for the two of us..."

Embarking on a dice-rolling endeavor?  This is your song.

Second fiddle to the hockey team?

People sometimes gloss over Father's Day unfairly.  I thought this while listening to some morning DJs sign off on Friday.  They were talking excitedly about the St. Louis Blues winning the Stanley Cup, the upcoming parade for the team, and how Laura Branigan's "Gloria" caught on as the team's postgame song.  As one of the DJs wished everyone a nice weekend, another one chimed in, "Happy Father's Day."  Another DJ responded, "Yeah. That, too," prompting some giggling from the other DJs.  Obviously, no malice was intended, but it was interesting, hearing a grain of truth about the holiday acknowledged.

If you're a father, here's hoping you haven't felt marginalized today.

Second nature tuning

Here's how ingrained tuning to the note A is for me: Recently, that note sounded when a dialog box popped up on my computer.  I got out my upright bass and waited for someone to play the full A chord on the piano.

I waited a long while but eventually gave up.  I could have tuned the bass without the chord on piano, but that would have felt wrong.

Persistent earworm alert CXXXVII

A jingle that KYKY played often in 1985 has run through my mind tonight.  If you're a St. Louisan who listened to Y98 FM back then, you might remember the jingle, "Four in a row!  Four in a row! Y98 FM!" It's amusing to recall a time when four songs played back to back on the radio could excite an audience.

Bleeding blue tonight II

Hours and hours later, the 24 continuous hours of the Blues hockey postgame song, Laura Branigan's "Gloria," on KYKY haven't worn out their welcome.  The powerful opening swoosh, the synthesized version of a trumpet at the end, and Branigan's full-throated conviction in the vocals still hold up. 

I wonder if the farmer who told the station he was trying to figure out how many plays of "Gloria" it took to plow his field came up with an accurate tally.

Bleeding blue tonight

In 1983, I called a friend.  Without explanation, I played a tape of some well-crafted Dan Kelly St. Louis Blues hockey radio play-by-play.  Kelly's call concluded, "...And (Bernie) Federko on the power play gives the Blues the lead!"  My friend played along, saying, "Alright!  They scored!"  His enthusiasm was genuine, even though that regular season game had been played weeks earlier.

Most Blues fans aren't using cassettes to relive tonight's game, but I'm sure many of them are playing and replaying video and audio of tonight's Stanley Cup win.  After 52 years of waiting, why shouldn't they?

Persistent earworm alert CXXXVI

Over the years, on mundane, mediocre days, Leo Kottke's version of Fleetwood Mac's "World Turning" has come to mind.  Kottke gives the tune a stark, bleak feel on the guitar and in the vocals, while keeping the listener's toes tapping with an infectious, uptempo beat.  That fitting combination acknowledges a so-so day, but it's also a pick-me-up.

That's a savvy trick to pull off.

Only in college LXVII

Once, I inadvertently cued up a song I didn't mean to play.  By mistake, I ended up playing "Wooly Bully" by Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs on KCOU.  It was a big hit in 1965, but that song has always grated on me.  It was the only time I ever apologized for playing a song on the air that I didn't like.  On a commercial station, I never would have done that.  On a noncommercial college station, however, I was able to express my dislike for a song.

It was liberating, for a moment, not to have to be objective.

Got to pick up a fiddle

As a bass player, I'll admit to envying the violinists when one of my high school ensembles rehearsed W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues March." While the bass line underpins the melody, it's worth learning the violin so you can carry a tune--that one, specifically.

Fitting music for local victors

What song should I play to wish the St. Louis Blues luck in winning the Stanley Cup tomorrow?  The obvious contenders are the team's postgame victory song, Laura Branigan's "Gloria," or any version of W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues March."  (The Tex Beneke version is particularly strong.)  I'll add another contender to those, however--the Ralph Sutton Trio's rendition of "St. Louis Blues" from the "Home Again" CD.  There's some raucous piano playing for an appreciative audience.

Not your best option

You know your chances of being on the air are slim when the program director tells you, "Alright, I've got your number.  I'll call you if need be.  You never know.  One of us might die."

I couldn't, in good conscience, wish for an opening at that station--at least not under those conditions.

Choosing the right one

I don't remember the call letters, but in the late '80s, I listened briefly to an AM religious station.  I'm not sure I've ever listened to the station since then, but I still remember one excerpt from an interview with a priest. 

"Marriage is about saying, 'I choose you,'" he said.

I've thought about that quote many times since then, and I'm thinking about it again today.  For my own existence and the happiness of our family, I'm extremely thankful that my parents chose each other during their wedding 50 years ago today.

For yesterday's sensibilities

Unfortunately, in this age of too short attention spans, it's unlikely that any commercial record label would allow an artist to take as long as Gerry Rafferty did getting to the first verse on "Get It Right Next Time."  That's a shame because the slow build from the keyboard and saxophone creates suspense, making the vocals all the more captivating when they finally come in.  Record label executives wouldn't likely tolerate that in a hit single today, alas.

FM dial scan highlights CXV

Tuesday morning standouts:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Reel Medley: The Four-Faced Liar/Baggett St./The Witches' Kitchen-Peter Ostroushko (This spirited fiddling segues well with today's WSIE selection.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Move, Move, Move-Flying Horse Big Band (This energetic, organ-propelled instrumental would flow well with "El Nino" by The Sound Stylistics.)

KCLC 89.1 FM

• Babylon-David Gray (Pop music could use more thoughtfully written and sung tunes like this.  Gray pulls off the hat trick of being cerebral, heartfelt, and tuneful here.)

WSDZ 95.1 FM

• You Love Me (Best Of My Love)-Anita Wilson (Wilson turns the rhythm of a catchy hit by The Emotions into her backdrop for thanking God.)

K297BI 107.3 FM, a.k.a. KNOU-HD2

• This Present Past 2, Sheldon Blues (Live At The Sheldon)-Peter Martin (If this is the caliber of  infectious piano-based jazz listeners can expect from Martin, I see why his albums have earned rave reviews, and I wish I'd seen this concert.)

Only in college LXVI

"You'll have to get used to hearing yourselves on a tape recorder," one of my communication  instructors told us on the first day of class.  She said this gravely, as if we were about to undergo surgery.

I thought, "Everyone in this room aspires to be or already works in radio or TV.  Chances are, we've all heard our recorded voices many times before and won't mind hearing them again." 

You expect a teacher to cover the basics on the first day of class, but...

A good time to elaborate

After promoting a Paul McCartney concert in the '80s, an album rock DJ said on-air, "I can tell that a lot of people going to the concert don't usually attend concerts.  They call the radio station and ask, 'Where do I get tickets?'  When I tell them, 'Any of the usual outlets,' they ask, 'What are those?'"

It would have been best if the DJ had told callers, "Any of the usual outlets, such as..." Most likely, the callers wouldn't have been offended.

Online radio sampler highlights XCIII

Ten ear-catching selections heard today:

KQMQ (Honolulu, HI)

• Stuck On You-Ekolu (I never imagined this Lionel Richie hit in a Hawaiian reggae context, but it works, thanks to strong lead and backing vocals.)

KTWV (Los Angeles, CA)

• Here I Am (Come And Take Me)-Al Green (To many listeners, Green is best known for "Let's Stay Together."  I'd contend that "Here I Am..." deserves the same level of airplay, for its memorable hook and the way the tune builds.)
• The Glamorous Life-Sheila E. (A strong groove from 1984 that still holds up lyrically as a testament to inner strength.)

KVSF (Santa Fe, NM)

• Eyes-Miki Yamanaka (Swingin' piano and rhythm section.)
• Reunion Blues-Alvin Queen Trio (Impressive interplay between piano and drums on this tribute to Oscar Peterson.)

KVTI (Tacoma, WA)

• Botany Bay-Kate Rusby (Beautifully sung lyrics about the sorrow of being separated from one's beloved.  The sentiments here mesh with "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" by The High Kings.)
• La Petite Marche/Life Is Good Jig/The Physicist-Laura Cortese (From a pastoral melody to a rollicking jig to a romp of a reel, this is some captivating Celtic fiddling.)

WALR (Atlanta, GA)

• You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)-The Stylistics (One of the better-phrased warnings in pop music, sung in excellent falsetto.  Be sure to check out Dionne Warwick's original version, as well.)

WDIY (Allentown, PA)

• Spanish Harlem (Live At The Fillmore East)-Laura Nyro (Most listeners would cite Aretha Franklin or Ben E. King as the definitive singer of this tune, but Nyro makes a convincing case for just a voice and a piano.  Nyro's voice is ideal for the octave leaps.)
• Spring And All-Mary Chapin Carpenter (There's a mournful, "Nothing gold can stay" outlook in Greg Brown's lyrics, and this is the voice that makes them resonate.)