Persistent earworm alert LXXXI

There must be at least a few of us who involuntarily think of an early '80s United States Postal Service PSA when dropping any mail into a mailbox.  For decades, sending any mail has made me start hearing, "Good news travels better in a letter with the right zip!"  That might explain why I check any zip code I write on an envelope at least twice.  That habit started early, as that PSA aired frequently during the Saturday morning cartoons I watched when I was in grade school.

I watched that PSA on YouTube this morning for the first time in at least 35 years.  I'd forgotten that Sammy Davis, Jr. and his father were in it, extolling the importance of using the right zip code.  It's a testament to the jingle's staying power that I've never forgotten that chorus, however.

Sometimes, the twain shall meet.

When a baseball strike is looming, you can simply report it as news, or you can convey the news more poetically, as WMRY's Leo Chears did on August 3, 1985.  As soft jazz played in the background, Chears said, "And the Redbird cap is a little bit tilted.  The Cardinals were losers this afternoon to the Phillies, now leading the East by a half-game and not knowing what comes after tomorrow.  Well, we all hope that baseball continues.  The modern sounds will continue, and we hope you stay right here on 101 FM."

Usually, there isn't much common ground between jazz and baseball, so it was refreshing to hear two different worlds cross paths, if only for a minute.

Glad to have supported this store

I've written previously about the irreverence of Mr. H., the proprietor of a former '90s Kirkwood music store, Backroads Music. Here's another example: In his May 1995 store newsletter, Mr. H. wrote this review: "Shedding their romantic notion of the inherent purity of revolutionary peasants has helped the venerable folkies Peter, Paul & Mary to put out their most accessible and least strident album since black and white TV.  Entitled 'Lifelines,' it is a fine blend of old and new."  I've read a lot of music reviews, and I can't imagine any other critic phrasing his candid yet positive assessment of a group or an album that way.  In this same newsletter, Mr. H. prefaced a list of recommended old-time country releases with "Obviously, there can't be too many new releases by mostly dead people, but there are some enticing new reissues..."

If those quirky reviews don't make you want to buy some music, I can't help you.

"Let's just say the next DJ is here."

I just noticed that on the back of one of my archived playlists, I wrote the name of the DJ due in after me.  Next to it, I'd written, "Melodic maven?  Melody master?"  I'm guessing I wanted to say something more creative that day than just, "So-and-so is up next..."  Looking back, though, I probably went with that conventional option.  Just as Jerry Seinfeld advised underselling a comedian's introduction, you don't want the person choosing music for four hours after you to be stuck with the pressure of having to be a melodic maven or melody master.

"Congratulations, but..."

After getting a supplementary job as a smooth jazz DJ in the '90s, a co-worker at my full-time job told me, "I feel defeated.  I've been looking for a radio job myself.  I'm not jealous so much of what you're doing as the fact that you're doing it."

I wasn't sure how to react, but I'm pretty sure I said something like, "Here's hoping you get that radio job you want soon."  I thought but didn't say, "I'll bet a lot of aspiring comedians have this kind of exchange."

A Christmas/New Year's Day bridge

Kudos to KDHX for playing Artisan's "The Wassail Bough" on Sunday.  If you're looking for a tune that covers Christmas and New Year's Day, this is it.  Essentially, it's an a cappella version of "Here We Come A-Wassailing" with the "new year" phrase repeated and emphasized.

Sylvia's day at the spa

During a semi-recent vet visit, the vet tech went two steps beyond the norm.  She offered my cat, Sylvia, some food and wrapped her in a warm towel.  I asked Sylvia after the appointment if they had played soothing new age music for her--perhaps something seasonal by George Winston or Enya.  Sylvia's answer was a meow, so I'm not sure if that was a yes or a no.  If they play requests, I'm thinking Shastro's "Stream Of Life" would be a relaxing choice for her.

I'm always glad to know that the animal hospital takes good care of her.