Manufactured contest hysteria

During my time in radio, I wasn't involved with all that many contests.  Thus, when I got to give away a CD, I treated it like a tightrope walk.  Typically, I would talk at least twice as fast as I usually do.  Occasionally, a caller would say, "Oh, I'm caller three?  I didn't even know there was a contest.  I actually just called to request a song..."

If that caller wasn't the designated winner, I'd usually say something like, "OK,I'llplayitsoon,Thanks...," without pausing between words.  

It was always important to me to announce the winner's name on the air or say, "We have a winner," on-air as soon as possible.  Looking back, it wasn't necessary to sound so hyped up.  I wasn't giving away millions of dollars in a lottery, after all. Still, there's something about a contest that triggers reflexive excitement in a DJ, I think.

Justifiable sarcastic guffaws

I can understand how a caller's arrogance might irk a radio talk show host.  I remember a caller starting his rebuttal with a condescending, "Oh, ho, ho, ho..."  "Well, hee, hee, hee, hee," the host responded. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!"

I didn't blame the host for laughing.  Sometimes, a caller's attitude warrants it.

An overlooked cover tune CXI

When you like the sentiments of a song but don't want to wallow in them, hearing an upbeat version of a familiar tune is sometimes the answer.  If vocal renditions of the standard, "There Will Never Be Another You," depress you, listen to how the Sala Brothers approach it.  The tempo moves briskly, and the trumpet captures the melody prominently.  The piano and drums add to the jazz combo feel, making wistful sentiments sound somehow invigorating.

Judging an album by its cover II

Unlike yesterday's album cover image of a yellowjacket, I pulled out a CD whose cover illustrations of birds draw me right into the music.  I'd also hoped that the thoughtful Celtic vocals of Niamh Parsons on her "Blackbirds & Thrushes" CD would calm my cat, Collette, down.  Collette was running amuck this afternoon, switching her tail and leaping from place to place.  

Collette finally calmed down halfway through the CD.  I think it was the strong cover of "The Water Is Wide" that did it.  I suspect that Collette heard, as I did, why its lyrics hold up and why there are so many versions of it.  

On the other hand, maybe Collette was just tired.

Judging an album by its cover

Logically, when a group is called Yellowjackets, you'd expect an illustration of that insect on at least one of their album covers.  I can't rationally explain why I hadn't pulled out the group's self-titled album and listened to it in years.  The band's smooth jazz goes down easily, and I remember liking it when hearing it previously.  Irrationally, however, I think I associated the album cover with being stung.  

Recently, however, I cast that subconscious association aside and listened to the album again; it was as consistent as I'd remembered it.  Too bad I'd let the cover art prevent me from enjoying it for so long...

FM dial scan highlights CLXXXII

Sunday through Wednesday highlights:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• I Almost Forgot About You-Melissa Carper & Rebecca Patek (The guitar and vocals remind me of Leon Redbone's Tin Pan Alley stylizing.  I can imagine Melody Gardot singing this.)
• The One Who Really Loves You-Mary Wells (Rhythmically and lyrically, this has a cool cha-cha-cha feel, not unlike "It Takes Two To Tango."  Rosie & The Originals also do a strong version.)

WSIE 88.7 FM 

• Jazzman-Carole King (This is how you catch the listener's ear and sustain it with a great hook.  It's no wonder that this perfect balance of vocals, piano, and saxophone resulted in such a huge hit.)
• I'd Rather Be Lonely With You-Janet Evra (Honest, endearing lyrics about missing someone.  Check out the song's animated video on YouTube.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Caramel-Chiara Civello (Civello's breathy vocals and the accordion accompaniment bring out the jazz-adaptable qualities of this Suzanne Vega tune.)
• Transatlantic-Peter Furlan Project (The airy, expansive trumpet part reminds me of Freddie Hubbard and Jon Faddis.)

40 years later...

...I would rather be 51 years old than 11 years old.  Still, looking back on this day 40 years ago...

...This was the day that my interest in radio solidified.  I recorded my first radio show on February 22, 1982.  While my knowledge of music was greater than that of the average 11-year-old, it pales compared to what I know now.  Nevertheless, I put together a solid show, including hits from Olivia Newton-John, The Police, Loverboy,  The Commodores, and Earth, Wind & Fire.

At age 11, you don't really have power or authority over anyone or anything--except your own radio shows for a fictitious station you've created.  At the end of that first show, I proved to myself that I could put together a coherent set of music, segue it smoothly, and sound confident and enthusiastic as a DJ.  I proved that I could set and carry out an agenda that mattered to me.  That ignited my lifelong passion for radio and listening to as much music as possible.

The tape of that radio show is no longer playable; one of the tape's cogs came loose years ago and fell into the tape's inner workings.  I don't even know where that tape is.  Still, I take heart in knowing that I created a radio show that sparked my interest in broadcasting and music.  It didn't matter that I was the only one who heard it.

Comfort in semi-esoteric knowledge

For decades, I've felt strangely satisfied when I can name a tune that not everyone knows.  Even when no one was around, I've said, "That commercial is using Spyro Gyra's 'Last Exit' as its background music.  That contest promo is using 'Morning Star' by Kool & The Gang."

There's no reason for me to announce such things to no one, but I do.  This afternoon, while watching a rerun of "Saturday Night Live," I exclaimed, "Hey, that's Fats Domino's 'Ain't That A Shame' the band's playing, leading into commercials."

There's no prize for knowing any of those songs in those contexts.  That doesn't stop me from acting like there is, though.

The foot-biting default option XII

To the tune of "We Got The Beat" by The Go-Gos, my cat, Collette, and her kittens just sang to me, "We'll bite your feet.  We'll bite your feet. We'll bite your feet.  Yeah, we'll bite your feet."

I'm not sure how much more foot-biting my aging toes can take, but I admire the cats' choreography--and their lack of ambiguity.

Happily anonymous?

In the early '90s, I heard a radio host interview the lead singer of an a cappella group.  The singer gave his name, after which the host said, "And the others are the others..."  He didn't say it unkindly, but I thought, "I wonder how that must feel, knowing that you're part of a group that's about to pull off some great song covers, but to the host and the audience, you're thought of as one of the others?"

An overlooked cover tune CX

Although George Benson's music rightfully gets a lot of airplay today, his version of "Cast Your Fate To The Wind" doesn't come up that often.  While Vince Guaraldi's original, declarative piano version is still the definitive rendition, Benson's take on guitar conveys the breezy feeling of letting the wind take you where it will.  It's equally at home in a traditional jazz or smooth jazz playlist.

Online radio sampler highlights CLVI

Six early morning highlights:

KCSM (San Mateo, CA)

• Cakewalk-Oscar Peterson (A brisk workout for piano and rhythm section; Sammy Nestico's "Pressure Cooker" could segue with this.)
• Modinha-Eliane Elias (This cover of an Antonio Carlos Jobim tune sports pensive piano and vocals.)

WCBY (Cheboygan, MI)

• Blue Bayou-Linda Ronstadt (One of Ronstadt's best hits; it segues well with Stephen Bishop's "On And On.")
• Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)-John Denver (An honest summary of life's ups and downs.)

WKSU (Kent, OH)

• Henriette Bosmans: Poem For Cello And Orchestra (Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra/Ed Spanjaard, conductor; Dimitri Ferschtman, cello) (Ferschtman's resonant vibrato brings heroic, anthemic passages and gripping, foreboding ones to life effectively.)

WUSC (Columbia, SC)

• Everybody Else-The Casket Girls (A memorable refrain of ironic lyrics over swirling organ chords.)

An overlooked cover tune CIX

If you've attempted to play the piano by ear or taught a music class in which students were allowed to noodle around on the piano, you've probably heard the oldie, "Heart And Soul."  The Cleftones and Jan & Dean had hits with their respective versions.

Livingston Taylor's cover of it deserves airplay.  In a voice similar to that of his famous brother, James, Taylor captures the happy-go-lucky feel of the lyrics.  The piano accompaniment gives the tune a glossy, jazzy sheen.  After listening to it last night, I realized how appropriately heartfelt Taylor's version is.

Two years later...

When my government-provided Covid tests arrived in the mail, I sang, to the tune of the "I Palindrome I" chorus by They Might Be Giants, "Boo, Covid-19.  Boo, Covid-19."  That's a far cry from my initial reaction to Covid-19 in pre-vaccine times.

Shared dedications?

I wonder how the dwindling number of radio stations that still play requests handle multiple Valentine's Day requests for the same song.  Do most stations operate on a one-couple-per-song basis, or do they mention the names of every couple who request a song?  

Couples sometimes refer to a favorite tune as "our song."  That "just between us" song meaning must feel compromised, I would think, when a DJ says, "This is Kenny Rogers with 'Through The Years,' going out to Jane and John...and Mary and Bill...and Rachel and Steve..."

The proper highlight reel tone

During the eight years that I did radio sports reports, I didn't think about the athletes whose accomplishments I was touting--not in the moment, at least.  I didn't know them, they weren't in my age bracket, and I hadn't attended their games.  Even if I had attended their games, I would have felt much of anything.  I wasn't on the field, and the players weren't my relatives, friends, or kids.  And yet...

...I always did my best to sound upbeat and congratulatory on the air.  When a football player scores multiple touchdowns every week, why not say, "With all the predictability of a sunrise, (So-and-so) led the scoring for (his team) by running in four TDs?"  When a softball pitcher throws one shutout after another, why not say, "(So-and-so) pitched her fifth straight shutout of the season?"

Sometimes, when broadcasting prep sports achievements, I'd think back to how good it felt to have newspaper recognition that I'd made it into various high school orchestras.  I thought about how satisfying it felt to have my writing, especially my humor columns, published in the school paper and receive positive feedback.  I felt on top of the world at those times--just as the football player running in touchdown after touchdown and the softball pitcher who didn't allow other teams to score must have felt.  I was blessed with my abilities, and those students were blessed with theirs.

Why not tout those achievements on the radio?  After all, who doesn't like to hear someone say, "Job well done?"

Context? CLV

Upon entering the radio studio where I had just finished my shift, the next announcer said, "I get to go to work now, not school.  Work is so much easier than school."

I know what he meant, at least as it applies to radio.  If you like your job and it's mostly predictable, it doesn't feel like drudgery.  School, however, requires you to take classes that don't always cater to your abilities or interests.

Back announcing music you've played, promoting upcoming programs and concerts, and reading weather forecasts?  Admittedly, that's usually easier than school.

Context? CLIV

It caught me off guard to turn on the radio this afternoon and hear, "I was promised a murder, so somebody had to die."

Fortunately, it was just a movie reviewer commenting on how long it took a film to get around to a murder.

Defiantly petty, Defiantly imperfect

Before going on the air at a radio station, I sat in on an outgoing DJ's shift.  After immediately realizing that he'd misstated the time on-air by an hour, he answered the request line phone.  According to the DJ, the caller asked, "Do you know what time it is?"  The DJ replied, "Yes, it's...," and gave the correct time.  The caller replied, "Ah, but you on the air, you said..." "Yes, I made what is known as a mistake," the DJ responded. "Have you ever made a mistake?"

Listeners, be advised.  If you call in a correction, your tone might make all the difference in how your correction is received.

Persistent earworm alert CCLIV

Sometimes, it's possible to respect a song, even when you don't completely warm up to its vocals.  I've only ever heard Leah Andreone's "It's Alright, It's OK" on former St. Louis station WVRV.  Inexplicably, after not thinking of it for many years, it hasn't left my mind for three days.

Commendably, its lyrics acknowledge how precarious life is for people in dysfunctional families.  I'm not familiar with that situation, but it's good to know that such a song might give those in such difficult situations strength to endure the hard hands they've been dealt or the resolve to seek help.  Although I haven't sought out "It's Alright, It's OK" since hearing it way back when, it reminds me that not every song exists to make listeners comfortable.

Singing the words, not living them

As mentioned in a previous post, my sixth grade chorus teacher, Mrs. B., steered clear of cheesy written-for-kids tunes that other instructors might have chosen for us.  I'd forgotten until recently, however, that one of the hits we sang in her class was "Stray Cat Strut" by Stray Cats.

It's amusing to remember this.  Stray cats typically need tough exteriors to survive, and kids at ages 11 and 12 only have so much of that.  It's challenging to sound tough and jaded before you've held a job or driven a car.  

Luckily, however, we weren't graded on authenticity.  That was for the best, as I wouldn't have felt right carrying dead birds around in my mouth or hissing at people who'd done me no harm.

The foot-biting default option XI

Earlier today, I thought, "Maybe I'm going about this all wrong.  Maybe, if I want my cat to stop biting my feet, I should appeal to her humanity."  Thus, to the tune of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," I sang, "Collette, Collette...We don't need to escalate.  Biting's not the answer..."

It didn't work.  Collette still bit my feet.

So much for diplomacy.

FM dial scan highlights CLXXXI

 Six Sunday standouts:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Just Let It Snow-Lynn Miles (An appropriate way to acknowledge one's Winter blues.)
• Charlie Moore-Eliza Gilkyson (This thoughtful new release's lyrics show that being a recluse doesn't mean you aren't looking out for others' welfare.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• Turn, Turn, Turn-Lori Williams (A pleasant, contemplative cover of the famous Byrds tune.  I could imagine Cassandra Wilson singing this similarly.)
• You Gotta Know-Kait Dunton (Suitable lyrics for times when life feels like a weary slog.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Days Of Wine And Roses-Cassandra Wilson (This standard is ideal for an alto voice, especially Wilson's.  The warm saxophone and rhythm section accompaniment enhances the vocals.)
• It Ain't Necessarily So-Herbie Hancock (Even if a listener doesn't recognize this as a Gershwin tune, it stands on its own.  The assured rhythm section, which Hancock leads on piano, sells it convincingly.)

Persistent earworm alert CCLIII

Lately, whenever my cat, Collette, chases me, Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On" starts running through my mind.  To be fair, there aren't any dire stakes here--just the possibility of having my feet bitten.

Only in college XCII

An exchange I remember between two college DJs about 30 years ago:

DJ 1: I want to play a song for a friend who has his first day of work (at a restaurant) today.  Any suggestions?

DJ 2: I don't know..."Slack Mother#$&*er?"

Wisely, DJ 1 didn't play DJ 2's suggested song by Superchunk.

Online radio sampler highlights CLV

Eight standout tunes heard on Midwestern radio stations this morning:

KCOU (Columbia, MO)

• I Can't Go For That-Hall & Oates (This sing-along hit still holds up.  Its R&B feel made it a staple track on KMJM 40 years ago.  I was surprised to hear KCOU play this.)
• Shona-Jake Chudnow (A throbbing dance instrumental.  If computer servers could sing to each other, I suspect it would sound something like this.)

KOJH (Kansas City, MO)

• Along The Way-Sylvia Bennett (This new track sports pleasant guitar and vocals.  Lyrically, it reminds me of the Eliane Elias tune, "We're So Good.")
• Deep Blue C-Lisa Addeo featuring Ryan Montano (A driving smooth jazz groove for piano and trumpet.)

WJPC (Chicago, IL)

• That's Alright, That's OK-Nanette Maxine (An admirable way to handle the heartbreak of rejection.)
• Take A Message-Remy Shand (Laid-back vocals; this is an easy-to-listen-to R&B groove.  I was sure when I first heard it on KDHX in 2001 that it would be a hit.  I'm still puzzled that it wasn't.)

WMKV (Reading, OH)

• Through-Paul Weston Orchestra (A classy, lush midtempo easy listening melody for clarinet, saxophone, piano, and strings.  I liked hearing the faint crackle of vinyl on this track.)
• You Stepped Out Of A Dream-Nat King Cole (Cole is the perfect vocalist for these lyrics.  I also recommend John Pizzarelli's version, which I played multiple times on WEW.)
  

Context? CLIII

I wonder how I would have reacted 40 years ago if I could have heard a radio broadcast from 2022.  There would have been the shock of learning about the pandemic, of course, but there's a smaller matter that would have puzzled me.  If I heard a radio announcer giving a list of school closings, I would have wondered what a "remote learning day" means.  I probably would have thought, "Does that mean the school expects everyone to gather in a different remote building?  That doesn't make sense.  The purpose of a snow day is to keep people from going out during hazardous weather.  Or, will students be expected to work on some remote project by themselves for the day, such as reading part of a book at home that interests them?"

Without any context, I wonder what my final guess on that definition would have been in pre-Internet times.

Delayed gratification IV

One pitfall I experienced in commercial radio was leveling with listeners by telling them that we couldn't play requests.  It was especially awkward to tell listeners this when their requests were in the rotation and hadn't been played recently.  In one case, I remember telling a caller that we were required to follow the playlist, but his requested song was scheduled to come up in 12 hours.

I could just imagine a station bumper between songs promising "your favorite music--within a half-day of your craving for it."