One night, in the KCOU office, I discovered a box of 45s I didn't know the station had. The records weren't limited to any particular genre or organized in any obvious fashion, so flipping through them was intriguing.
When I came across "Breathtaking View" by The Trammps, I thought, "Now, there's a band I've never really thought about. I know they had the hit, 'Disco Inferno,' but that's not a song I'd go out of my way to hear. Let's hear what 'Breathtaking View' sounds like, though, and possibly find a place for it on the air."
I played it in cue off the air and was impressed. The opening lick grabs the listener's attention immediately and kicks off a solid example of well-crafted funk. It would be a blast, I think, to play any instrument on the track, as each one is essential to keep the groove moving. That's one instance in which I would have felt satisfied as a bass player to have a supporting role on a tune.
Lyrically, the tune boils down to, "Wow, that woman is stunning," and it doesn't really need to say anything beyond that. With such a prominent groove, The Trammps or a strong cover band could make singing about standard versus itemized deductions on a tax return sound funky.
The next time I was on the air, I played "Breathtaking View." I don't remember what I played before or after it, but I made it work. That's one of the many aspects of college radio that I miss--unearthing a tune, playing it on the air because it deserves the attention, and hoping that it's a pick-me-up for listeners who happen to catch it.
