(Above, Me, every time I turn on the radio lately.) You get two for the price of one tonight - the next box was also from the 1980s. It's marked Box 3. I skipped Box 1 because it contains all picture sleeves and (I suspect) bigger hits than we'll find here. In the last post … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 2, Also The 1980s
Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
(Above: Charlie Brown gets it.) It's a quiet Saturday night. Mrs. O has plans with some colleagues tonight. My plans involve a frozen pizza, a couple beers, and a box of 45s. Over the years I've amassed a pile of records. Some came from radio stations where I worked (ssh). Some, as I've referred to … Continue reading Saturday night with a box of records: Part 1, The 1980s
Guilty pleasures: Lesley Gore, “California Nights” (1967)
(Above: Lesley Gore as Pussycat, 1967) I will freely go on record as saying I like Lesley Gore records. There. It's out there. Sure, the songs are sometimes over-simplistic. They're often dismissed as watered-down tales of high school romance that devolves into fights ("Judy's Turn to Cry") and frustration about the egghead not noticing her … Continue reading Guilty pleasures: Lesley Gore, “California Nights” (1967)
Remembering our leaders: Tom Clay, “What the World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin, and John” (1970)
(Above: CKLW's Tom Clay, in younger days.) Federal holidays to honor great Americans are celebrated in strange ways. Just a few minutes ago I saw a Tweet from a sandwich shop urging me to "dream big," since it is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the way to dream big is to think about … Continue reading Remembering our leaders: Tom Clay, “What the World Needs Now/Abraham, Martin, and John” (1970)
The big on-air farewell: Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Leaving On a Jet Plane” (1969)
(Above: Some of the trucks I've rented over the years.) One of the rarest things in radio is a planned, scheduled last show. I've had more than my share of them, across almost 30 years on the air. Usually, an air personality doesn't get a last show. It can be risky: a story that I … Continue reading The big on-air farewell: Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Leaving On a Jet Plane” (1969)
Happy birthday to the 45 (1949)
(Above: The RCA Sample 45 to introduce the format. I covet this item.) 68 years ago today, RCA Victor debuted the new 45 RPM record, without which, this blog would have no title. One of the things that I have enjoyed working into history lectures is the history of recorded music. Time was, if you … Continue reading Happy birthday to the 45 (1949)
RIP Peter Sarstedt: “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)” (1969)
(Above: How do you pass up a picture sleeve like this?) I didn't know who Peter Sarstedt was until two things happened several years ago: I picked up a book on British chart history for a project and saw that he had the Number One song in the UK the day I was born. I … Continue reading RIP Peter Sarstedt: “Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)” (1969)
Checking the charts: Billboard Hot 100, January 7, 1989
(Above: I have this CD. It's wimpier than the Brand X bags in a Hefty ad.) On a snowy Saturday night in Grand Rapids I took a pilgrimage to the local pizza shop to pick up dinner. Since the roads were bad, the drive took about three times as long as usual. I tuned into … Continue reading Checking the charts: Billboard Hot 100, January 7, 1989
New year’s resolutions: Dramarama, “Last Cigarette” (1989)
(Above: Cover art for Stuck in Wonderamaland, 1990) I was never really a smoker. I was in the habit of buying cigarettes only when working at my first job, which I fondly think back on as "petroleum distributor." To be correct, I had exactly three jobs that were not in radio: -Gas pump jockey, Brian's … Continue reading New year’s resolutions: Dramarama, “Last Cigarette” (1989)
Fast away the old year passes: Dan Fogelberg, “Same Old Lang Syne” (1980)
(Above: How many New Year's Eves were spent.) This is a series of stories in a few parts that all sort of fit together - it's like "Love, Actually" without the pretty models. New Year's Eve used to be my favorite holiday. We would all gather together with a lot of alcohol and a … Continue reading Fast away the old year passes: Dan Fogelberg, “Same Old Lang Syne” (1980)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 