(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)
You can’t have one without the other: The Kings, “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ To Glide” (1980)
(Above: The Kings debut LP. I'll take a hundred or two for it.) I actually got to thinking about this topic in the car this morning on the way to campus. One of the Sirius XM classic rock channels (and I have all of them on the same bank in the memory) played Elton John's … Continue reading You can’t have one without the other: The Kings, “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ To Glide” (1980)
30 years ago this week: Billboard’s Top 40, November 29, 1986
To close out the Thanksgiving weekend, we made a trip to Chicago to celebrate with my dad as he turned 70. One of the things I normally listen to in the car on weekend trips into the city is Sirius XM's 80s on 8 channel. While the novelty of the original MTV VJs on the … Continue reading 30 years ago this week: Billboard’s Top 40, November 29, 1986
Tinkering with tape: Elton John, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973)
(Above: 1970s technology - turning kids into radio stars all over the world) November 25, 1976 was Thanksgiving Day. As we almost always did, we went over the canal and around the forest preserve to get to my grandparents' house on the South Side of Chicago. Our ritual for the holiday was not unlike what … Continue reading Tinkering with tape: Elton John, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973)
How terribly strange to be seventy: Simon & Garfunkel, “Old Friends” (1968)
(Above: Mom showing me how the phonograph works, circa 1971.) My parents turn seventy this week. To be precise, my father does: my mother passed away before turning 59. In my family, you either live a very full life or a very short one. My grandmother (Dad's mom) also has a birthday today, and is … Continue reading How terribly strange to be seventy: Simon & Garfunkel, “Old Friends” (1968)
Greatest misses: Roger McGuinn, “King Of The Hill” (1991)
The Byrds were great. Tom Petty was and is great. Put those singers on the same record, and it's bound to be a hit, right? Not so fast. This is one of the reasons the pop charts fascinate me. (Well, one of the reasons is my belief that they are contrived, but that makes for … Continue reading Greatest misses: Roger McGuinn, “King Of The Hill” (1991)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 