(Above: The box of records that used to belong to my parents. I've had it for 45 years.) Think back to when you were a kid. What was the one gift that you received that you remember more than any of the others? The one that, though you didn't know it at the time, changed … Continue reading The gift that kept on giving: My first 45s, 45 years later (Part 1)
1960s
One night in college radio: The Tuesday Night Classics, WLRA-FM, February 23, 1988
(Above: The author, right around the time that this show aired. His fashion sense is only marginally better.) February 23, 1988 was a Tuesday. I had just gotten back from a vacation with my family to New Orleans to take part in the Mardi Gras festivities - my first time ever visiting the Crescent City. … Continue reading One night in college radio: The Tuesday Night Classics, WLRA-FM, February 23, 1988
“L’amour est bleu” and other mellow sounds: The Billboard Hot 100, February 17, 1968
(Above: The song at Number One, as I remember it looking....) Fifty years ago this week Paul Mauriat's "Love Is Blue" was the number one song in the country. About three years after that it became my earliest memory of a phonograph. I've shared a picture before of my mother holding me next to our … Continue reading “L’amour est bleu” and other mellow sounds: The Billboard Hot 100, February 17, 1968
Rest in peace, Edwin Hawkins: The Edwin Hawkins Singers, “Oh Happy Day” (1969)
(Above: The Singers, performing live) The music world lost Edwin Hawkins today at the age of 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The Edwin Hawkins Singers shared Gospel music in the late 1960s, a time when many others were singing about a desire for peace without relying on Scripture. The Singers released an LP … Continue reading Rest in peace, Edwin Hawkins: The Edwin Hawkins Singers, “Oh Happy Day” (1969)
Rest in peace, Rick Hall: Arthur Alexander, “You Better Move On” (1961)
(Above: You may not know this man, but you know his work.) We might chalk this up as our first major musical loss of 2018: Rick Hall, who engineered the Muscle Shoals sound and, in the process, created dozens of classic R&B records, passed away today at the age of 85. The list of names … Continue reading Rest in peace, Rick Hall: Arthur Alexander, “You Better Move On” (1961)
Christmas on the air: The songs I hated – and loved – to play
In the last post, I talked about working in both retail and in radio. In both careers I got to deal with people, often at their worst. I also worked on or around Christmas in both jobs, and it is for that reason that I think I never truly appreciated the holiday like I did … Continue reading Christmas on the air: The songs I hated – and loved – to play
‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the mall: Atlantic Soul Classics (1985)
(Above: The mall used to get a bit trashed on the day after Christmas.) In my career, I have worked in three main areas: Retail (1985-1988). My first job was selling cigarettes to minors at a gas station in Tinley Park, IL. From there I moved to working at the mall. Most of the time … Continue reading ‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the mall: Atlantic Soul Classics (1985)
Rest in peace, Dick Orkin: The Adventures of Chickenman (1967)
(Above: An LP I do not own, have been looking for for some time, and will have a harder time getting now.) Late Christmas night we got word from Lisa Orkin that her father, Dick Orkin, passed away at the age of 84. The name might not ring a bell for you unless you are … Continue reading Rest in peace, Dick Orkin: The Adventures of Chickenman (1967)
The Graduate at 50: Simon and Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence” (1965)
(Fun fact: that leg belongs to Linda Gray, or so she claims.) Every semester, in every class I teach, I save time on the last day for a lecture I call "So, What Didn't I Teach You?" It's an opportunity for students to question me about anything that they were expecting to cover in the … Continue reading The Graduate at 50: Simon and Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence” (1965)
Christmas on the hi-fi: The Ray Conniff Singers, “Ring Christmas Bells” (1962)
(Above: Darn, that looks like fun in stereo.) When we think of classic Christmas albums, many of the same names come to mind, but one we don't think of by name was playing on darned near every hi-fi in the country 55 years ago. In 1962 Columbia Records released We Wish You a Merry Christmas, … Continue reading Christmas on the hi-fi: The Ray Conniff Singers, “Ring Christmas Bells” (1962)
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