(Above: Leonard Chess, who I don't think looks like Adrien Brody.) One hundred years ago today - March 12, 1917 - Lejnor Czyz was born in Motal, which was in Poland then but is in Belarus today. I'm sure that no one in the village had any idea that he'd go on to become a … Continue reading Leonard Chess at 100: Jackie Brentston and his Delta Cats, “Rocket 88” (1951)
One morning in college radio: WIUS-FM, March 6, 1990
(Above: The square in downtown Macomb. I vaguely remember a restaurant there called "Eat," which I am sure is long gone by now.) March 6, 1990 was a Tuesday. In Macomb, Illinois, students at Western Illinois University were preparing for their much-needed spring break. Among them, though, was an interloper: a college-aged radio veteran posing … Continue reading One morning in college radio: WIUS-FM, March 6, 1990
A Friday night watching MTV Classic’s “I Want My ’80s”
It's a cold Friday night in Michigan. Spring break at GVSU has technically started, but we're too exhausted to do anything more than plop down on an overstuffed couch and relax. There's nothing on television worth a darn (we had Will and Grace on WeTV, but that ended in favor of Marriage Bootcamp and promos … Continue reading A Friday night watching MTV Classic’s “I Want My ’80s”
30 years ago this week: Billboard Hot 100, February 28, 1987
(Above: Whoa-oh, we're halfway there.) Where were you thirty years ago today? New in theaters this week: a quirky film by two guys named the Coen Brothers called Raising Arizona. More people were going to see Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. In the news, Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev proposed a treaty that would eliminate both … Continue reading 30 years ago this week: Billboard Hot 100, February 28, 1987
“Who own the Chiefs?” Maxine Nightingale, “Right Back Where We Started From” (1976)
(Above: Jim Carr, about to be schooled on various hockey penalties.) Forty years ago this weekend one of my favorite films of all time made its premiere. Slap Shot is, in a variety of ways, offensive. It's also hilarious. Director George Roy Hill took a cast of legit stars (Paul Newman, Strother Martin) and unknowns … Continue reading “Who own the Chiefs?” Maxine Nightingale, “Right Back Where We Started From” (1976)
Junior (and senior) samples: Lyn Collins, “Think (About It)” (1972)
(I'll stop you, since you've heard this one before. Trust me.) I don't see myself as old. I see myself as "older." For as much as I want to believe that I'm still in my early 20s, playing the role of college radio rebel, there are indications that I am not. To wit: -My hair … Continue reading Junior (and senior) samples: Lyn Collins, “Think (About It)” (1972)
Car mixtape review: 60’s Cruising Tape (1986)
(Above: The 1969 Buick Electra I bought for $400 in February of 1986.) In the last post I referred to buying a '69 Buick and driving around listening to mixtapes put together full of Oldies music. I was a constant anachronism in high school: whatever was in, I wanted no part of, instead choosing to … Continue reading Car mixtape review: 60’s Cruising Tape (1986)
Days of future, past: The Dream Academy, “Life In a Northern Town” (1986)
Right about this time in 1986, a catchy song with a simple chorus that - on the whole - wasn't so simple was peaking on the Billboard charts. "Life In a Northern Town" appealed to me when I first saw it on MTV. I had never been to England, which is depicted in the video. Hell, … Continue reading Days of future, past: The Dream Academy, “Life In a Northern Town” (1986)
Cut loose like a deuce: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By the Light” (1977)
Forty years ago this week - February 19, 1977, to be exact - Manfred Mann's Earth Band dug up an old Bruce Springsteen song and took it to the top of the pop charts. From a pop chart standpoint, that's rarified air for the Boss. Consider that Springsteen has never had a #1 hit. "Dancing … Continue reading Cut loose like a deuce: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By the Light” (1977)
An overdue Grammy: The Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964)
(Above: Poster for a movie soundtrack that didn't win a Grammy.) I think it's more fun to watch Twitter during an awards show than to watch the awards show itself. No matter who wins what, someone's got an opposing opinion, and the preponderance of gadgets allows those opinions to get out immediately. Such was the … Continue reading An overdue Grammy: The Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 