Not enough time to pull together a complete Comments Page ... so that'll run later in the week.
Meanwhile, here are some of your recent thoughts regarding Oldies Radio!
re: ON THE RADIO:
Kudos to Scott Shannon for FINALLY acknowledging "I've Never Been To Me" by Charlene as "The Cheezy Easy Listening Song Of The Day" on The True Oldies Channel. Shannon has long been associated with this song as having been instrumental in turning it into a hit back in 1982, when it climbed the national charts to #3. (We've certainly given him grief about it over the years ... lol ... and Scott admits it's "not my proudest moment".)
The record was first released five years earlier and it absolutely tanked ... reaching #97 on the Billboard chart ... and it took three weeks to climb THAT high!!! It had been all but forgotten until Scott Shannon heard his girlfriend at the time play it one night when he was over at her apartment.
"What's that?" he asked. When she told him that it was her favorite song ... and he agreed that it had an interesting sound ... she said "Then you should play it on the radio" ... so he did! Suddenly, "I've Never Been To Me" was the most requested song down in Tampa, Florida! So much so that the record company quickly re-released the song and it began its climb up the charts.
In reality, it just may be the CHEEZIEST Easy Listening Song he's ever played ... and we give him MAJOR props for detailing his involvement with the success of that song. WTG, Scott ... now THAT's entertaining radio! (kk)
Kudos to Scott Shannon for FINALLY acknowledging "I've Never Been To Me" by Charlene as "The Cheezy Easy Listening Song Of The Day" on The True Oldies Channel. Shannon has long been associated with this song as having been instrumental in turning it into a hit back in 1982, when it climbed the national charts to #3. (We've certainly given him grief about it over the years ... lol ... and Scott admits it's "not my proudest moment".)
The record was first released five years earlier and it absolutely tanked ... reaching #97 on the Billboard chart ... and it took three weeks to climb THAT high!!! It had been all but forgotten until Scott Shannon heard his girlfriend at the time play it one night when he was over at her apartment.
"What's that?" he asked. When she told him that it was her favorite song ... and he agreed that it had an interesting sound ... she said "Then you should play it on the radio" ... so he did! Suddenly, "I've Never Been To Me" was the most requested song down in Tampa, Florida! So much so that the record company quickly re-released the song and it began its climb up the charts.
In reality, it just may be the CHEEZIEST Easy Listening Song he's ever played ... and we give him MAJOR props for detailing his involvement with the success of that song. WTG, Scott ... now THAT's entertaining radio! (kk)
By the way, this weekend The True Oldies Channel is ushering in Summer with their Summer Blast Weekend. You'll find us doing the same thing tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... so be sure to check back to find out about our latest FH Poll!
Did you get a chance to listen to Jeff James' first "Windy City @ 6" program Friday Night on Y103.9? Boy, talk about some obscure tracks!!! These aren't just songs that haven't been played on the radio in 35-40 years ... I'd venture to say that some of these tracks NEVER saw airplay! VERY different programming with a decidedly local feel. My suggestion: mix it up a little bit more. Some of these tracks are simply too obscure to be embraced by even the most dedicated listener. Let's face it, I know a LOT of music ... so when I hear three songs in a row that I don't recognize (or have never heard before), the regular, non-music guy will be totally lost ... and potentially switching the channel. It was great to hear "Love You So Much" by The New Colony Six and "Step Out Of Your Mind" by The American Breed ... because there is some recognition, familiarity and affection for these tunes ... and, even here in Chicago, we don't get to hear them that often anymore. I say, play more of these kinds of tracks and slip in one of those "odd" ones every fourth or fifth song or so ... and I think you'll find the audience far more receptive to giving some of this "new", unfamiliar music a try. Over the long haul, this will also give you the chance to develop a more loyal listening base. (kk)
And, speaking of the local Chicagoland music scene, we received several nice notes complimenting Dave O'Gara's new "You Can Listen" / "Lost Archives of Top 40 Radio" podcasts. (I've listened to a few of these now and they're quite entertaining ... again, he tends to feature songs that you just don't hear anymore ... but that are immediately familiar once you DO hear them.)
You can catch several episodes here: Click here: YOUCANLISTEN.COM
And thanks for all the Forgotten Hits plugs along the way! (kk)
In other radio news ...
Here is a file of a documentary the bbc had about Alan Freed and payola -- click & download here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/tethjy3joqn/Payola
DJ Stu Weiss
Hey whattya know! I finally got my own page on the KING-FM website, so I guess I'm "officially" on the payroll :)
"Wild" Bill
http://beta.kign-fm.tritondigitalmedia.com/page.php?page_id=65
"Wild" Bill Cody was born and bred in the heart of the western wilderness, Denver Colorado. He grew up with an ear glued to a radio (KIMN AM 950) and always wanted to be a radio DJ.
In high school, some of Bill's first jobs were as a cheese cutter at the "Swiss Colony Cheese" in Denver and a grave digger, (Crown Hill Cemetery in Denver). Upon graduation from high school Bill enlisted in the Coast Guard and immediately was delegated to picking up the people that jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge (True). He later went to radio communication school and was assigned to numerous Coast Guard radio and communication stations then to a Coast Guard Icebreaker out of Kodiak Alaska where he saw the world and actually broke ice all the way to the North Pole. Bill actually was featured on Paul Harvey News as performing the "Bluest Streak" EVER, running around the outside of the Icebreaker totally naked while in the Bering Sea with temperatures approaching 30 degrees below zero!
After a stint in the Coast Guard Wild Bill decided to pursue a career in REAL radio and began on a Top 40 station in Virginia Beach, Va (WJLY-FM) in 1976. It was there he broke his first Guinness Book World Record of riding a roller coaster for 818.8 miles and 1100 rides (that's where he picked up the moniker "Wild" Bill Cody). After that, Bill continued to raise money for charities (especially Make-A-Wish, and different Humane Societies) by breaking a Guinness Book Record for handshakes, (87,812), being buried alive for 56 hours with no food, no water, no bathroom facilities, jumping on a pogo stick for 20 miles, getting back on a roller coaster for 96 hours and taking a jount on a riding lawn mower from Cincinnati to New Orleans, La, 1100 miles, a 10 day trek (raising money for flood victims) and the list goes on.
Bill has worked at a plethora of radio stations, including (are you ready?) after Virginia Beach, Va, (in order) stations in Leadville, Co, Sterling, Co, Colorado Springs, Casper, Cody, Casper, Billings, Alburquerque, Denver, Reno, Chicago, Cincinnati, Reno, San Francisco, Reno, Santa Rosa, Colorado Springs, Ft Collins and Bill promises his LAST STOP is here at KING-FM a station that he dearly loves ... WHEW!
Needless to say with all this traveling, Bill has NEVER been married but did date his long time girlfriend P.M. Esther for many years. Bill now resides on his 5 acre "Cody Ranch" with his 3 Big Red Irish Setters, Lucy, Bluey and Bo, and swears he is here to stay! Even though Bill has never been married he is still looking and extremely "eligible".In his spare time Wild Bill tinkers around with his guitars and hopes someday to get back into a rock 'n roll band and continue to entertain you on KING-FM!
Talk about a guy who has dedicated and devoted his life to the art of entertaining on the radio!!! How on earth did THIS guy ever find himself off the air?!?!? Congratulations, Bill ... and a BIG WTG!!! Send us a "Listen Live" link and we'll be happy to pass it along to all of our readers! (kk)
Kent ...
Running this weekend on CBS-FM in New York ... The Top 500 Artists.
If you're interested, you can listen on wcbsfm.com
Frank B.
The Top 500 Artist Countdown « WCBS-FM 101.1#more-7557#more-7557#more-7557#more-7557
And, talking about The Top 500 Artists, Rolling Stone Magazine has just published THEIR version of The Top 500 Songs Of All-Time list ...
Needless to say with all this traveling, Bill has NEVER been married but did date his long time girlfriend P.M. Esther for many years. Bill now resides on his 5 acre "Cody Ranch" with his 3 Big Red Irish Setters, Lucy, Bluey and Bo, and swears he is here to stay! Even though Bill has never been married he is still looking and extremely "eligible".In his spare time Wild Bill tinkers around with his guitars and hopes someday to get back into a rock 'n roll band and continue to entertain you on KING-FM!
Talk about a guy who has dedicated and devoted his life to the art of entertaining on the radio!!! How on earth did THIS guy ever find himself off the air?!?!? Congratulations, Bill ... and a BIG WTG!!! Send us a "Listen Live" link and we'll be happy to pass it along to all of our readers! (kk)
Kent ...
Running this weekend on CBS-FM in New York ... The Top 500 Artists.
If you're interested, you can listen on wcbsfm.com
Frank B.
The Top 500 Artist Countdown « WCBS-FM 101.1#more-7557#more-7557#more-7557#more-7557
And, talking about The Top 500 Artists, Rolling Stone Magazine has just published THEIR version of The Top 500 Songs Of All-Time list ...
Entertainment Tonight had a segment this evening on the new Rolling Stone Magazine issue with their list of the Top 500 Songs of All Time. Guess who had the most songs on the list? The Beatles, with 23 songs. Guess who was second? The Rolling Stones, with 17. And guess who was third? Yep, here we go - ELVIS, with 11 songs on the list. Thank God, at least he beat out Michael Jackson! The #1 song of all time???? They awarded that to Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" - how appropriate. Get the new issue to see the complete list.Always TCB'ing in HUNTSVILLE
Jennie
Passing along our VERY special thanks to FH Readers Bill Fortune and Rich Strong ... Here are some photos from the recent Dick Biondi 50th Anniversary Radio Bash!
The incomparable Dick Biondi
Chicago Gold Royalty: Carl Giammarese (of the Buckinghams), Jimy Rogers (of the Mauds), Jimy Sohns (of The Shadows Of Knight), Ronnie Rice (of The New Colony Six) and
Jim "Hooke" Pilster (of the Cryan' Shames) flank Dick Biondi and
WLS-FM Jock Greg Brown at The Biondi Bash!
Carl Giammarese, Greg Brown, Ronnie Rice and Jimy Rogers 
Ides of March frontman Jim Peterik gets some friendly advice from a broadcasting legend ... ("No, I DON'T think we should have called the band "Et Tu, Brute" instead!!!)
And the marquee of The Chicago Theater ... absolutely AMAZING! re: LET'S NOT FORGET IT'S MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND:
This weekend ... before you take a bite of your hot dog ... or take a dip in the pool ... please take a moment to remember and thank all that came before us to defend our freedom to do so ... and the boys who are STILL overseas right now protecting our rights to be free.
Kent ...
Here are the TOP PATRIOTIC VIDEOS FOR 2010! Includes ELVIS, Lee Greenwood, TOBY KEITH, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, THE JOEL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE Kate Smith, Fess Parker, James Brown, Johnny Horton, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Neil Diamond, The Marine Corp Band, The Army Marching Band, The Navy Band, The Marine corps band, The Air Force Marching Band, and MUCH MORE !
This weekend ... before you take a bite of your hot dog ... or take a dip in the pool ... please take a moment to remember and thank all that came before us to defend our freedom to do so ... and the boys who are STILL overseas right now protecting our rights to be free.
Kent ...
Here are the TOP PATRIOTIC VIDEOS FOR 2010! Includes ELVIS, Lee Greenwood, TOBY KEITH, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, THE JOEL DIAMOND EXPERIENCE Kate Smith, Fess Parker, James Brown, Johnny Horton, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Neil Diamond, The Marine Corp Band, The Army Marching Band, The Navy Band, The Marine corps band, The Air Force Marching Band, and MUCH MORE !
-- Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/the-top-the-best-and-the-greatest-patriotic-music-videos/
And here are a couple of brand new tracks recorded by FH Reader Trade Martin ...
Memorial Monday video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcCiO021tek
And here are a couple of brand new tracks recorded by FH Reader Trade Martin ...
Memorial Monday video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcCiO021tek
Pledge & National Anthem composite video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSzhmo0y9NE
All my fine media friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSzhmo0y9NE
All my fine media friends:
I am sending you these records just in case you can use "Memorial Monday" (2 versions), "Pledge Of Allegiance" or "Star Spangled Banner" for your Memorial Day holiday shows. Maybe even for some patriotic bumper music. Have a great weekend.
Best regards,
Trade.
PS - I've got a new and very strong "Memorial Monday" and "Pledge - National Anthem" big screen quality composite video for meetings and patriotic gatherings on YOUTUBE.
Best regards,
Trade.
PS - I've got a new and very strong "Memorial Monday" and "Pledge - National Anthem" big screen quality composite video for meetings and patriotic gatherings on YOUTUBE.
Here is a VERY memorable piece for ANYONE who grew up during the 1960's ...
It's Red Skelton's reading of The Pledge Of Allegiance from this television series ... some incredibly powerful stuff then ... and it STILL holds up well today. (We've featured this track a couple of times before in Forgotten Hits ... and it's become a bit of a list favorite ... and rightfully so. Skelton did this bit shortly after it was decided that children could no longer recite The Lord's Prayer at the start of their school day ... when WE were growing up, it was common practice in most grade schools to stand for The Pledge Of Allegiance, followed up by a morning prayer. Listen closely and you'll hear a few audience members snicker a little bit at the beginning of this piece, in anticipation of a comedy bit by the old pro ... but soon it kicks in that Red is EXTREMELY serious ... like I said, one of the most powerful moments in '60's television.)
Click here: YouTube - Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance
It's Red Skelton's reading of The Pledge Of Allegiance from this television series ... some incredibly powerful stuff then ... and it STILL holds up well today. (We've featured this track a couple of times before in Forgotten Hits ... and it's become a bit of a list favorite ... and rightfully so. Skelton did this bit shortly after it was decided that children could no longer recite The Lord's Prayer at the start of their school day ... when WE were growing up, it was common practice in most grade schools to stand for The Pledge Of Allegiance, followed up by a morning prayer. Listen closely and you'll hear a few audience members snicker a little bit at the beginning of this piece, in anticipation of a comedy bit by the old pro ... but soon it kicks in that Red is EXTREMELY serious ... like I said, one of the most powerful moments in '60's television.)
Click here: YouTube - Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance
