(Above: Clearly, someone was keeping score at home.) Christmas 1978 would have placed me in the fifth grade at Helen Keller Elementary School in Tinley Park, Illinois. The upcoming year would see me start to pretend that I was on a radio station for a class assignment; this career aptitude (or ineptitude) would not be … Continue reading 40 Christmases ago in Chicago: The WLS Top Forty-Fives, December 23, 1978
collecting
Rest in peace, Galt McDermot: Oliver, “Good Morning Starshine” (1969)
(Above: My parents had the LP. I have the 8-track.) Composer Galt McDermot passed away today, one day short of his 90th birthday. McDermot was responsible for setting the words of James Radio and Gerome Ragni to music for inclusion in a stage show the two had written - Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock … Continue reading Rest in peace, Galt McDermot: Oliver, “Good Morning Starshine” (1969)
Rest in peace, Joe Osborn: The Association, “Windy” (1967)
(Above: Trust me, you have heard this man at work.) In many walks of life there are those that receive the credit, the adulation, and the recognition while a lot of the actual heavy lifting is done by others. Rock and roll is no exception. Yesterday I got word that bass player Joe Osborn passed … Continue reading Rest in peace, Joe Osborn: The Association, “Windy” (1967)
Rest in peace, Geoff Emerick: The Beatles, “A Day In the Life” (1967)
(Above: Geoff Emerick with a well-known collaborator.) Geoff Emerick was a production genius. Anyone who spends any time in radio working as a production director has dreams of spinning the dials on a fantastic production. Emerick, who passed away yesterday at the age of 72, was at the controls for some of the most legendary … Continue reading Rest in peace, Geoff Emerick: The Beatles, “A Day In the Life” (1967)
Rest in peace, Peggy Sue Gerron: Buddy Holly & the Crickets, “Peggy Sue” (1957)
(Above: Jerry and Peggy Sue Allison) Word has come out of Lubbock, Texas by way of TV station KCBD that Peggy Sue Gerron has passed away at the age of 78. You likely don't know her, but you know the song that was written for her. Peggy Sue dated Jerry Allison in high school, and … Continue reading Rest in peace, Peggy Sue Gerron: Buddy Holly & the Crickets, “Peggy Sue” (1957)
Rest in peace, Marty Balin: Jefferson Starship, “Miracles” (1975)
(Above: Balin with the rest of the Airplane on the cover of Surrealistic Pillow.) Marty Balin, one of the founding members of the Jefferson Airplane, passed away yesterday at the age of 76. No cause of death has been given. Balin, along with Paul Kantner, Jack Casady, and - of course - Grace Slick, formed … Continue reading Rest in peace, Marty Balin: Jefferson Starship, “Miracles” (1975)
Greatest misses: Barbara Acklin, “Am I The Same Girl?” (1969)
(Above: Hidden in this album is a great song.) Sometimes, what may be the best version of a song is the one that finishes in third place. 1n 1968 session musicians at Brunswick Records went into the studio and laid down a jam. That track was released by Brunswick and first hit the Billboard Hot … Continue reading Greatest misses: Barbara Acklin, “Am I The Same Girl?” (1969)
Songs of senior year: The Billboard Hot 100, September 21, 1985
(Above: The new sign in front of Andrew High. I never sped past this playing the "Miami Vice" theme.) September 21, 1985 is a Saturday - which is the day that all of the Billboard charts come out. It was a hectic time at the start of my senior year of high school. The night … Continue reading Songs of senior year: The Billboard Hot 100, September 21, 1985
Ten Albums: Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde (1966)
At long last, we have reached the top of my personal Top Ten. To recap: 10. Too Much Joy, Cereal Killers (1991) 9. R.E.M, Document (1987) 8. They Might Be Giants, Flood (1990) 7. Dire Straits, Making Movies (1980) 6. Simon and Garfunkel, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966) 5. The Who, Meaty Beaty Big … Continue reading Ten Albums: Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde (1966)
Ten Albums: The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds (1966)
We're getting closer to the top. #2. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966) I guess I was always a Beach Boys fan. When I got my first collection of 45s at the age of 4, one of the records in the pile was "Wouldn't It Be Nice." As a small child I played it … Continue reading Ten Albums: The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds (1966)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 