(Above: The same groovy look that CKLW, KHJ, and many other stations used for their surveys.) Every few weeks I've made it a point to dig out an old AM radio survey and look at what was popular on a local playlist. Inevitably, two things happen: a) I look at WLS from Chicago, since those … Continue reading Great playlists: WGRD’s “Big 30 In the Furniture City,” July 15, 1970
1970s
Going to the jack-o-lantern: Lyrics misheard by children, young and old
(Above: The lack of a pumpkin on the sleeve should have been my first clue.) I've always been one to judge a song by its lyrics. I should clarify that: if the song has lyrics, I want them to be great. (I'm a sucker for a terrific instrumental, but even then I probably start making … Continue reading Going to the jack-o-lantern: Lyrics misheard by children, young and old
A notable exception: The Doobie Brothers, “Another Park Another Sunday” (1974)
(Above: Even the album title is decent.) I suppose now is as good a time as any for a confession. There are some groups that, try as I have, I just can't get into. Groups that, as a fan of music from a particular period, I am supposed to embrace. We all have a few … Continue reading A notable exception: The Doobie Brothers, “Another Park Another Sunday” (1974)
Rest in peace, Bob Dorough: Schoolhouse Rock, “Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here.”
Bob Dorough passed away on April 23, 2018 at the age of 94. That's not a name most people recognize, but if you are an American between, say, 30 and 50, you are intimately familiar with his work and may not even realize it. In fact, you may owe him a debt of gratitude. Dorough … Continue reading Rest in peace, Bob Dorough: Schoolhouse Rock, “Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here.”
Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Top 45s, April 1, 1978
(Above: No one has ever doubted this claim.) April Fool's Day 1978 would have been at the end of fourth grade for me. By this time I was starting to add my own records into the pile of vinyl that I had inherited from my parents (written about variously here and here, among other places). … Continue reading Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Top 45s, April 1, 1978
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
Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Survey, January 28, 1978
(Of course he does.) The last week of January, 1978 saw me as a fourth-grader at Helen Keller School in Tinley Park, Illinois. I was still about a year and a half away from "playing radio" in Mr. Johnston's sixth-grade class. I would have been about two months away from receiving my first stereo system … Continue reading Forty years ago in Chicago: The WLS Survey, January 28, 1978
We can make it hap: Chicago, “Dialogue” (1972)
(Above: Terry Kath represents the hometown team.) Chicago guitarist Terry Kath died forty years ago today - January 23, 1978 - in one of rock and roll's stranger stories. Kath, who had fancied himself somewhat of a gun enthusiast, shot and killed himself at his home in California. Reportedly, his last words were "See, it's … Continue reading We can make it hap: Chicago, “Dialogue” (1972)
Take a local joker and teach him how to act: Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)
Forty-five years ago today - January 5, 1973 - the debut album of Bruce Springsteen was released. Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ didn't sell well, but caught the attention of critics. Creem magazine's Robert Christgau suggested that Springsteen had that same sort of "absurdist energy" that made Dylan a genius; in short, the "new Dylan" … Continue reading Take a local joker and teach him how to act: Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)
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
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 