Today marks the first in a new series of posts that I hope to continue: Who Did It First? Many of the songs we enjoy had lives before they were hits. Sometimes, it's simply a case of the wrong song at the wrong time. Sometimes, it's sheer luck that something becomes a hit in the … Continue reading Who Did It First? PhD, “Little Suzi’s On The Up” (1981)
Glittering prizes and endless compromises: Rush, “The Spirit of Radio” (1981)
Sometimes a song has two distinct memories, and it's hard to decide which one is more powerful. Today is your lucky day, for you get both of them. In 1982 I was a freshman at Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. My formative years were spent between Tinley … Continue reading Glittering prizes and endless compromises: Rush, “The Spirit of Radio” (1981)
One day in college radio: November 14, 1988
Above: A clinic in how not to design a business card, in terms of readability. Monday, November 14, 1988 was an overcast day around much of Chicagoland. The snows of winter weren't falling yet, and on the campus of Lewis University thoughts were beginning to turn to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. The Chicago Bears had … Continue reading One day in college radio: November 14, 1988
Lost local hits: Cornerstone, “Holly Go Softly” (1970)
Above: The Top 10 on WLAV/Grand Rapids, MI, 2/20/1970. You wouldn't likely predict that a song about a young man trading sex for money would have been a big hit in the conservative burg of Grand Rapids, Michigan in early 1970. But that's exactly what happened when "Holly Go Softly" by the band Cornerstone made … Continue reading Lost local hits: Cornerstone, “Holly Go Softly” (1970)
Forgoing your college eligibility: Stevie Wonder, “I Wish” (1976)
(Above: Me in a WJTW polo shirt. For some reason, this was taken in the production room of WCFL-FM/Morris.) 28 years ago tonight, I did my first professional radio show at WJTW-FM in Joliet. In an earlier post I discussed how I had applied for a job at the station in sales, but that my … Continue reading Forgoing your college eligibility: Stevie Wonder, “I Wish” (1976)
Election day special: John Records Landecker, “Press My Conference” (1974)
(Above: JRL in what is described as a "pensive promo shot.") I've been tremendously lucky to have worked with some of the most talented people ever to grace a radio station. I've joked with students that in some ways I was a sort of Forrest Gump of radio, being in the right place at the … Continue reading Election day special: John Records Landecker, “Press My Conference” (1974)
Election week special: Presidential satire albums (1962 – 1982)
Radio history trivia: for a number of years, it was against the law for anyone to impersonate the voice of the President of the United States on the radio. This was a response to the "scare" of The War Of the Worlds (1938). I say "scare" in quotation marks because media research has shown us … Continue reading Election week special: Presidential satire albums (1962 – 1982)
Election week special: The Royal Guardsmen, “Snoopy For President” (1968)
There hasn't been much funny nor entertaining about the election season this year. Rational discourse has gone out the window in favor of the repeated posting of memes. Even the most benign and apolitical of subjects take a turn in that direction in the comments sections on social media. If only we could go back … Continue reading Election week special: The Royal Guardsmen, “Snoopy For President” (1968)
Lost local hits (Grand Rapids, MI): The Fredric, “The Girl I Love” (1968)
(Above: The Fredric, circa 1967). In an earlier post I wrote about the phenomenon of the local chart hit, a product of a bygone era when local radio programmers had sway in adding songs to the playlists of their radio stations. It was a phenomenon I investigated in writing my dissertation to see if the … Continue reading Lost local hits (Grand Rapids, MI): The Fredric, “The Girl I Love” (1968)
Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts: Henry Mancini, “Experiment in Terror” (1962)
For Halloween, let's do three stories in one. The first has to do with haunted radio stations. I understand that many of you do not believe in ghosts, or a supernatural presence, or what have you. That's fine. Had you worked with me at WXLP in the Quad Cities, you may have an opinion that … Continue reading Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts: Henry Mancini, “Experiment in Terror” (1962)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 