Context? LXX

Last week, I heard an announcer say that a station had to elicit contributions from five new members before she'd "unlock" a Beethoven piece and play it on the air.  Five new members called in during the pledge drive, so she played the piece.  I wonder, though.  What would she have done if not enough listeners pledged their support?  Would she have played a discordant bagpipe concerto instead?  If so, wouldn't listeners have thought, "What on Earth is this?  Isn't it pledge drive week?  Don't stations usually play the most accessible music possible to attract more financial support?"

Also, in this time of easily accessible music and programming, it's a tough sell for an announcer who asks listeners, "Where else can you hear this music or this (national) programming?"  Many listeners likely think, "For the music, there's iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, satellite music services, cable music services, YouTube, and my own collection.  As for the national programs, I can hear them on one of your many online affiliate stations."

Probably far-fetched

Knowing how temperamental some conductors are, I wonder if any of them have taken a page out of my cat's book.  When my cat, Collette, is displeased with me for not giving her a 12th helping of food in a day, she sometimes bites me on the leg.  Although they'd have to answer to the person they've bitten and possibly the police, I wouldn't put it past a few conductors to bite some of their musicians on the leg in anger.

Peace: An idealistic but laudable goal

About 40 years ago, "Let There Be Peace On Earth" was one of my favorite hymns to sing in church.  I liked the song's goal of a peaceful planet, with everyone doing their part.  Although I don't dislike the hymn now, I look back and think, "It's easier to be peaceful when you don't have to have a job, pay bills, or have any major health issues.  The lyrics still appeal to the idealist in me, though, so no wonder that my nine-year-old self liked it."

Perspective, within reason II

My cat, Collette, continues to knock over the radio in the kitchen, but not as often.  Today, when she knocked it over, it remained on the table, on its side.  A few days earlier, she knocked it off the table, but it landed upright on the floor, still playing.

Slowly but surely, she's learning respect for the medium of radio...

...However, that won't prevent me from putting the radio out of reach, on top of the refrigerator.

Explaining the static

When your radio station is off the air temporarily due to technical problems or transmitter issues, you might have an exchange like the one I had with a listener:

Me: (Name of station.)
Listener: Yes, what's wrong with my radio today?
Me: The station is temporarily off the air.
Listener: Oh.  It must be the rain.

It wasn't the rain, but I appreciated that the listener cared enough to listen and ask what was wrong.  I also appreciated that she didn't ask me to announce on the air that the station was off the air.  You'd think that would never happen, but...

The power of a resonant voice

Upon first hearing Lou Rawls sing "Forever I Do (The Wedding Song)" in the '80s, I thought, "I wonder how many couples are convinced or not convinced by the richness and elegance of these vocals that they're making the right commitment."  Half-seriously, I also thought, "I wonder how many couples have thought of that song when deciding whether to stay together and asked themselves, 'How well are we living up to the vows we made?'"

Decades later, I still have the same reaction.

Context? LXIX

A listener once called a smooth jazz station where I worked and asked why we didn't play Led Zeppelin.  I tried not to sound incredulous, but at the time, I thought it was a silly question.  "We're a smooth jazz station," I thought.  "Why would we play Led Zeppelin?"  Then, I thought, "To broaden its bases, the station now has Chicago, Steely Dan, and Crosby, Stills & Nash on its playlist, among other rockers."

In that light, it wasn't such a silly question.

Dreams are odd... II

Once again recently, I dreamed I was in a record store catering to cats and their people.  Unexpectedly, the staff, wearing whiskers and cat ears, broke into a verse of a Leo Sayer song, CDs of which were on display by the counter.  The title spelling, however, had been altered to cater to a cat's perspective.  If you're my age or older, you know where this is going, right?  No doubt, you know the staffers were all singing, "When I kneeeeeeeeeeeeead you..."

Perhaps it's possible for a store to try a little too hard to elicit business.

Context? LXVIII

Within the past month, I could have sworn a heard a radio newscaster say, "...Being struck in the head repeatedly leads to a greater chance of brain damage."

By definition, shouldn't the news be a segment in which people learn things they don't know?

Online radio sampler highlights CII

Five noteworthy selections heard today:

KCSU (Fort Collins, CO)

• Bamboo Forest-Mr. Elevator (A psychedelic instrumental from 2019, seemingly pulled out of the late '60s.)

KSER (Everett, WA)

• Lapinha-Jennifer Scott & Kristen Strom (An appealing uptempo stew of spirited vocals, flute, and rhythm section.)
• Pais Tropical-Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (Rhythmically, a progressive radio station would have a clever segue if it played Chad & Jeremy's "A Summer Song" before this.)

KVOD (Lakewood, CO)

• Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major, S.49: III. Rondo (German Chamber Philharmonic, Bremen/Thomas Klug, conductor; Alison Balsom, trumpet) (An energetic performance, played at precisely the right tempo; I was reminded of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in the same key.)

WICR (Indianapolis, IN) 

• The Incredibles-Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (Ideal spy movie accompaniment, with a formidable brass section and blaring trumpet played in the style of Maynard Ferguson.)

KCOU playlist flashback: 2-4 p.m., 2/19/92

I'm trying to remember why I subbed the last two hours of this Wednesday afternoon shift.  Most likely, the DJ who was on from 1-2 p.m. had to study for a test or do something vaguely undefined.  KCOU was my home away from the dorm, so I probably happened to be there at 2 p.m., ready to pick out music, as usual.  Looking back, there was an obvious tug-of-war going on between what some of the listeners wanted to hear and what I wanted to play.  Here's the playlist I put together:

   1.  I Got A Line On You-Spirit
(Classic rock stations don't play this as often as they used to, but a hook that grabs you this immediately is a safe way to start an air shift.)
   2.  So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star-The Byrds
(See my comments on Spirit's "I Got A Line On You.")
   3.  Man In the Box-Alice In Chains (*)
   4.  Magician-Lou Reed
   5.  Jerry Was A Race Car Driver-Primus (*)
(Just try getting the bass or guitar line out of your mind.  Can't do it, can you?  Maybe if you resort to hypnosis...)
   6.  Rat Sandwich-Beyond Zebra
   7.  Yield Not To Temptation-Col. Bruce Hampton & His Aquarium Rescue Unit
   8.  Dance The Devil Away-Outback
(An appealing combination of conventional and not so conventional instruments coalesces in this expansive instrumental.  The first time I heard this, I thought, "Where are these nomadic players going with this?  Wherever it is, I trust their judgment, so I'm here for the duration of seven minutes and change.")
   9.  California Uber Alles-The Dead Kennedys (*)
(I didn't mark the set breaks on this playlist, but I assume I did some back announcing or played a breaker just before this.  It's unlikely I would have segued "Dance The Devil Away" with a tune that's this overly caffeinated.  It's also unlikely that I would have played it if a listener hadn't requested it.)
 10.  House Of Pain-The Ancients
 11.  Under Easy-The Posies
(This was one of my go-to power pop songs.  Jangling guitars and a sing-along chorus usually go over well with me, as they do here.)
 12.  Shiver-Love Nest
(For a time, this was another go-to track for me, especially for its "Shiver, shiver, shiver" chorus.)
 13.  T.V. Scream-Dreamhouse
 14.  High On Emotion-Chris DeBurgh
(I've never cared for DeBurgh's hit, "The Lady In Red."  To me, it's too plodding and calculated.  "High On Emotion," however, should have been a hit; DeBurgh sings it with utter conviction, and I still want to hear it decades later.)
 15.  Where Will You Wait For Me?-The Bishops
 16.  Entertain Me-Psychedelic Furs
 17.  God Is A Real Estate Developer-Michelle Shocked
 18.  Space Age Love Song-A Flock Of Seagulls (*)
(The keyboards and guitar could not be locked more into early 1983 here; that's a compliment, as they're key to the song's continued appeal.  This should have been the band's biggest hit.)
 19.  Inside Job-Little Village
 20.  If I Lose-Ditch Witch (*)
 21.  We Can Work It Out-Coffin Break
(Let's just say I prefer Paul McCartney's more hopeful approach to the lyrics.)
 22.  Homeward Bound-The Coolies  
(Let's just say I prefer Paul Simon's gentler, more introspective approach to his appreciation of home.)
 23.  Suspended Animation-Benediction
 24.  Random Bullets-Bone
 25.  Journey To The Center Of The Mind-The Amboy Dukes
(One of the best propulsive rock intros ever, lodged firmly in 1968 in the best possible way.)
 26.  Bend Me, Shape Me-The American Breed
 27.  (Today Is) Blackie's Birthday-Urge Overkill (*)
 28.  I Saw The Light-Todd Rundgren

(*) indicates a listener's request.

Persistent earworm alert CLXXIX

There's something persistent about the "Sanford & Son" theme.  For decades, it has lodged itself in my mind and started playing at random moments while I'm driving, sleeping, or thinking.  Boots Randolph composed a winner with that theme.  Even without the TV show, the melody stands on its own.

Persistent earworm alert CLXXVIII

I've never been a huge fan of Eurythmics.  The one song of theirs that I like, however, is my persistent earworm tonight.  It's their 1985 hit, "Would I Lie To You?"  Whenever I hear the opening notes, I expect to see a group of friends hitting the open road and driving too fast.  The tune has an appealingly carefree, energetic quality that was a departure for the group, at least among their hits.

FM dial scan highlights CXXIV

Tuesday through Sunday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• I Got'cha'-Greenflow (Jazz meets R&B in about the best possible way here.  This 1977 track, with its of-its-time whispered, minimalist vocals and laid-back groove that brings Earth, Wind & Fire to mind, should be better known.  If you like the feel of Lenny Kravitz's "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," this should appeal to you, as well.)
• My Baby, She's Alright-Scruffy The Cat (A great, crunchy guitar hook, harmonica, and percussion mesh with the vocals perfectly in this strong exhibit of why some of us can't get enough power pop.  This is from 1987; I don't know how I hadn't heard it until recently.  "She" by The Brothers Steve would sound great before or after it.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Georgy Porgy-Toto (It was a surprise to hear this on WSIE.  I'd forgotten how appealing its melody is.  To me, it sounds somewhere between "Took The Last Train" by David Gates and Bobby Caldwell's "My Flame.")
• Deja Vu-Dionne Warwick (An ideal track for a Quiet Storm format; these are some of Warwick's sultriest vocals.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• The Purple Condor-Danilo Perez (A mystical odyssey that lasts almost nine minutes; with appealing orchestral backing and Perez on piano.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• We Can Be Together-Jefferson Airplane (The essence of 1969, with its idealism and generation gap encapsulated in the band's best song.)
• As I Look Into The Fire-Heartsfield (Speaking of late '60s idealism, this tune has it in its lyrics, as well, despite being released in 1975.  If you were to change the key of the famous guitar lick in "Long Train Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers and give it a sunnier chord sequence, this would be the result.)

An unlikely guest vocalist

For a brief time in the early '80s, the church I attended experimented with new hymns and having a guitarist instead of an organist accompany them.  The hymn "On Eagle's Wings" came up a lot during this time.  Once, while the congregation was singing it, I thought, "I wonder if they could get Willie Nelson to sing this during Mass.  It seems right for his voice."

I still think that.  I also still think it would have made Mass feel a bit less staid.

Making the effort

It doesn't get played all that often today, but the Orleans song, "Love Takes Time," was a bigger hit in 1979 than I remembered.  Some listeners might dismiss the tune as overtly commercial, but I've always liked it.  Its outlook about love being hard to find and having to work at it once you find it is refreshingly realistic.  Despite that dose of cold water reality, the song's optimistic tone in the vocals and keyboard makes me want to hear it.  The lyrics indicate that relationships aren't always easy and require a lot of maintenance, but the vocals and keyboard suggest that if you put in the effort, things just might work, after all.

Valentine's Day is as good a day as any to remember that, I think.

Persistent earworm alert CLXXVII

For some reason, Zapp's song, "I Can Make You Dance," is on my mind tonight.  I haven't heard or played it on the radio in many years, and I can't think of any obvious trigger for it.  KMJM used to play it in the '80s, but I haven't heard it with any regularity since then.  Although it's not a song I would typically seek out, I always respected that the main lyric is, "I can make you dance if you want me to."  That "if you want me to" makes all the difference and shows that the lyric is an offer, not a command.

The wrong Lewis

About 20 years ago, I watched a friend rehearse songs for a production of "Beehive: The ''60s Musical."  One of her castmates had a monologue about listening to Jerry Lee Lewis on the radio; instead, she accidentally said she'd been listening to Jerry Lewis.

If you're over a certain age, you can guess what happened next.  The piano player stopped in midsong, the cast burst out laughing, and the music director belted out a loud "LAAAAAADY!"

To her credit, the castmate who slipped up laughed along.

Only in college LXXII

I was surprised about 30 years ago when a soft rock station not only played my request but a recording of my request line call on the air.  The DJ asked, "So, what are you up to this evening?"  "Oh, not a lot," I replied. "I'm just contemplating infinity." 

I suppose not everyone says that when making a request.  Still, it made for an odd segue into a song by Survivor.

Leaving the singing to the singer

Generally, it's ill-advised for a singer to force audience participation at his or her concerts.  Occasionally, I'll see footage of a singer demanding that the audience sing along and saying, "I can't hear you!" or "Louder!" I'll think, "I know confidence is essential for a singer, but don't press your luck.  Maybe the crowd doesn't want to sing.  Just be happy that they like your music enough to show up for it."

Context? LXVII

In an episode of Animal Planet's "The Vet Life," an animal hospital's three veterinarians are about to film a video of themselves promoting their facility.  Dr. Blue suggests doing some vocal warm-ups first and starts saying, "Red leather, yellow leather."  His coworkers, Dr. Ross and Dr. Lavigne, decline to join in. 

In seventh grade vocal music class, we started the year by learning vocal warm-ups, such as "Red leather, yellow leather, good blood, bad blood."  I was at ease saying such gibberish in that class.  It made sense in the context of the class, and everyone in class was saying it.  Outside of that class, however, I would have felt downright silly saying such things.  I'm sure Dr. Blue had good intentions, but I can understand the other doctors' reluctance to say, "Red leather, yellow leather," at work.

Perspective, within reason

One recent day, I got angry with myself for inadvertently knocking over a radio before going to sleep.  I'll admit to saying something stronger than "Mothers of invention!"  Then, I calmed down and reminded myself, "It's the middle of the day.  I haven't awakened anyone.  No one is harmed by the radio landing on the On switch and playing five seconds of Mariah Carey.  The radio isn't broken.  Nothing terrible has happened."

When my cat, Collette, knocked over another radio in the kitchen, I got angry initially but reminded myself that nothing awful had happened.  The radio wasn't broken and still worked.  I then put the radio on top of the refrigerator, so Collette couldn't knock it over again.  After all, I only have so much patience--and perspective.

A linguistic irritant XVIII

Lately, as a substitute for profanity when I'm not that angry, I've been exclaiming, "Mothers of invention!"  Admittedly, it feels silly to use the name of Frank Zappa's band as a mild exclamation of irritation, so I'm admonishing myself for this.

Persistent earworm alert CLXXVI

I wish I could remember the source of this earworm.  I vaguely recall, during the late '70s or early '80s, a TV contest in which a cartoon character, a puppet, or some adult performer asked kids to mail in their name, address, phone number, and possibly the answer to a trivia question for a chance at winning a prize.  What stuck with me was this performer or character singing, "Just write this down on an index card and send it off to me!"  I'm not sure why those instructions were sung, but I've been trying to remember the origin of that lyric for decades. 

Who sang that line?  What was the trivia question, if there was one?  Was this a national or local contest?  I might never remember.

A linguistic irritant XVII

It amused me when a breaker between songs on the radio said, "Surrender to (station's call letters.)" "Surrender?" I thought.  "Is resistance futile?  It is good jazz, I'll admit.  I'm not surrendering to it, though.  I'm listening to it of my own free will."

SiriusXM highlights CXVI

Monday and Tuesday standouts:

'40s Junction

• I'm Getting Sentimental Over You-The Four Freshmen (This style of songcraft isn't in vogue today, but it deserves the listener's respect.  Being able to play smooth vocal harmonies like these was one of the reasons I enjoyed choosing the music when I was on-air at WEW.)

'80s On 8

• Another Nail In My Heart-Squeeze (The tune's energy is similar to the band's "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell.)"

The Bridge

• Lines On My Face-Peter Frampton (This 1975 track sports one of the cooler spacey guitar intros and deserves airplay more than the same three Frampton hits that dominate rock radio playlists.) 

Heart & Soul

• Before I Do-Sevyn Streeter (If I were a program director, I'd play Aaliyah's "At Your Best (You Are Love)" before this.  In addition to pairing one smooth vocalist with another, it would be an interesting way of following idealistic lyrics with realistic ones.)

No Shoes Radio

• Steal My Kisses (Live)-Ben Harper (The guitar and bass propel the tune just as compellingly in concert as they do on the studio version.)

Real Jazz

• But Not For Me-Ahmad Jamal (A beguiling piano-anchored, jazz combo cover.)

The Spectrum

• Message Of Love-The Pretenders (This tune's unique rhythm stands out among the many Pretenders tunes that still get radio airplay; whether you're the vocalist, guitarist, bassist, or drummer on this track, your role in the tune's feel is integral.)

Indecision or calculation?

It's not unusual, at least in my experience, for cats to bend people to their will.  My cat, Collette, has adopted a routine in which I let her into a room and close the door.  After only a short time, she asks to be let out.  I let her out, but almost immediately, she pushes the door open and comes back in. Then, almost immediately, she leaves again.  We'll repeat this routine up to five times.  Today, in jest, I started reciting the first lyric of David Bowie's "Modern Love."  (i.e. "I know when to go out--and when to stay in...") 

Fortunately, I don't think Collette took offense.  Maybe, the next time she enters and leaves a room repeatedly, I'll quote from The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"

Stingray Music highlights LXXXIII

Friday and Saturday highlights:

The Chill Lounge

• Tears Like Summer (Original)-Depthide (Spacey electronica fit for a leisurely night drive.)
• Sola Sistum-Underworld (Rhythmically, this would sound appropriate after Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters.")

Folk Roots

• 4 June 1989-Mary Chapin Carpenter (A beautifully written and sung tribute to those who perished in the Tiananmen Square massacre and what it feels like to have to follow orders when you sympathize with your supposed enemy.)

Indie Classics

• You Said That Last Night-The Apples In Stereo (Lyrically, this is a good way of asking, "Do you really mean what you said?"  Somehow, the crunchy guitar accompaniment makes it go down easier.  Also recommended: "The Bird That You Can't See" and "Tidal Wave.")

Jazz Masters

• Goodbye-Bill Evans (A contemplative piano piece, fit for a small club where the audience can absorb every note.) 

Jazz Now

• Every Time We Say Goodbye-Andrea Petrity (An elegant piano rendition.)

Smooth Jazz 

• Catembe-Jonathan Butler (An easy-on-the-ears, laid-back, midtempo guitar groove.)

Reconsidered merit VI

Outside of "Downtown Train," "Forever Young," and "Young Turks," I've never been a fan of Rod Stewart's music.  Lately, however, I've been thinking I should give "You're In My Heart" more of a chance.  It has one of the best acoustic guitar intros in pop music, honest lyrics that say, in essence, "I'm attracted to you, so thank you for being you," and a chorus with more of a sing-along quality than I'd been willing to admit.  Is it one of my favorite songs?  No.  But it deserves more credit than I'd been giving it.