Charlie Watts, the drummer for the greatest rock and roll band ever, has died at the age of 80. Just last week Watts decided that he would not be taking part in the Rolling Stones' tour this fall. He had beaten cancer once, but decided that the rigors of the road - and his ongoing … Continue reading Rest in peace, Charlie Watts: The Rolling Stones, “Mixed Emotions” (1989)
1989
Rest in peace, Benny Mardones: “Into the Night” (1980)
(Above: Benny Mardones. Credit: Billboard/Getty Images) Billboard magazine is reporting the death of pop singer/songwriter Benny Mardones today at the age of 73 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Mardones was born in Cleveland in 1946. His musical career began after serving in the Vietnam War when he moved to New York City and … Continue reading Rest in peace, Benny Mardones: “Into the Night” (1980)
Rest in peace, Marie Fredriksson: Roxette, “The Look” (1989)
(Above: If you didn't have this LP, someone that you know did.) Word is circulating this morning that Gun-Marie Fredriksson passed away yesterday at the age of only 61. Fredriksson had been battling a brain tumor. She, along with Per Gessle, were the forward faces of a band that you couldn't get away from hearing … Continue reading Rest in peace, Marie Fredriksson: Roxette, “The Look” (1989)
Guilty pleasures: Neneh Cherry, “Buffalo Stance” (1989)
(Above: This time, she is *not* introducing the high hat.) Thirty years ago this week "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry was on the doorstep of the Billboard Top 40. It entered Casey's countdown on May 6, and climbed up all the way to #3 before falling back off the charts. Neneh Cherry is the stepdaughter … Continue reading Guilty pleasures: Neneh Cherry, “Buffalo Stance” (1989)
Radio and Records Top 89 of ’89: AOR (December 15, 1989)
(Above: Before the Internet, it's how we looked for work.) Once upon a time, even DJs read the paper, and that paper was Radio & Records. R&R, as we called it, was a paper that served as the journal for both the radio and the music industries. It was where you read about program directors … Continue reading Radio and Records Top 89 of ’89: AOR (December 15, 1989)
Rest in peace, Pat DiNizio: The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You” (1989)
(Above: One of The Three LPs of early 1990.) For the last year or so it's felt like there's been an increase in the rate of death in the music world. Basic math explains a bit of this: the Baby Boom generation + time = end of life. Rock stars in their 70s and 80s … Continue reading Rest in peace, Pat DiNizio: The Smithereens, “A Girl Like You” (1989)
A frustrated rocker: The Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, August 5, 1989
(Above: Me in my WJTW shirt in the production room of WCFL/Morris, 1990. I do not know why I am wearing it there.) In the summer of 1989 I was just starting to get my legs under me in terms of my radio career. The station I worked for in Joliet, Illinois, WJTW, gave me … Continue reading A frustrated rocker: The Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, August 5, 1989
Great lost hit: Henry Lee Summer, “Hey Baby” (1989)
(Above: The CD single artwork.) The post earlier this week about my time at WJEQ/Macomb, Illinois talked about a lot of the "oh wow" music that the station played. Since I was only at the station for a few months, I don't have a lot of tape to go through. But over the next few … Continue reading Great lost hit: Henry Lee Summer, “Hey Baby” (1989)
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
Light and easy: Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, “One Note Samba/Spanish Flea” (1966)
(Above: 1706 Brady Street used to be the launch pad for flamethrowin' beautiful music.) In the fall of 1989 I moved away from home to take my first full-time job in radio at KRVR in Davenport, Iowa. Earlier that year I had decided to spend more time at my radio job and less time in … Continue reading Light and easy: Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, “One Note Samba/Spanish Flea” (1966)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 