(Above: Claudine Longet and Andy Williams. Not pictured: firearms, Spider Sabich.) I got drawn into one of the new retro TV channels (Get TV) tonight. I am, admittedly, a sucker for old programming. (If they'd run the original ads and dispense with all of the new ones targeted at old people, like catheters, reverse mortgages, … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: Andy Williams, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of the Year”(1963)
Month: December 2016
12+ Blogs of Christmas: It Must Be Saint Nick
(Above: A man who has sold a lot of product.) December 6th is the Feast of Saint Nicholas. The story "A Visit from St. Nicholas" has been a longtime Christmas classic. From these events, we got Santa Claus, who has had an important role in the marketing of the Christmas season. Santa has also figured … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: It Must Be Saint Nick
One morning in college radio: December 5, 1988
(Above: Some of the WLRA airstaff, Spring 1988. Yours truly is in the mismatched Hawaiian clothing at the left of the frame.) Monday, December 5, 1988 was a chilly day in Chicagoland. In the news, PTL Ministries head Jim Bakker was indicted on charges that he defrauded his flock. (The various Bakker scandals would introduce … Continue reading One morning in college radio: December 5, 1988
12+ Blogs of Christmas: Band-Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (1984)
32 years ago today - December 4, 1984 - one of the most polarizing Christmas songs ever was released. It's the song that people love to hate. Time is not necessarily kind to all music. Some songs, when you look at them closely, aren't as, well, nice. Songs like "Ahab the Arab", "Speedy Gonzales", and … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: Band-Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (1984)
12+ Blogs of Christmas: “Sleigh Ride”
(Above: You can't go wrong with Santa Alpert.) Some of the annual Christmas selections cause problems for radio programmers. You can't just play the same songs too close to each other, no matter how many times they were done. While there are some unique versions that stand out, there are some Christmas songs that people … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: “Sleigh Ride”
12+ Blogs of Christmas: The Rotary Connection, “Silent Night” (1968)
Thanksgiving is over. That's when the Christmas music starts. That was my rule as a program director. It probably cost me a few ratings points over the years, but I took it seriously. Thanksgiving remains one of my favorite holidays, and I didn't like seeing what was happening to it - the disappearance into the … Continue reading 12+ Blogs of Christmas: The Rotary Connection, “Silent Night” (1968)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 