>>>I
got an email from a listener who told me that he does not like it when I
mention how many years ago a song came out. He says that it makes him feel old
and he then turns off the radio.
I have always thought that saying the year a song came out
brings back even more memories of high school, college, girl friends, parties,
weddings, etc. Another dj told me some years ago that he was not allowed to
mention a song's year of release at his station because a 'consultant' had
advised his station to never do that. The expert mentioned the fact that it
made people feel old and younger listeners would be turned off because of how
long ago it actually was. I don't agree with this, however, I thought perhaps
you could ask your readers sometime and see how they feel.
(Phil - WRCO)
(Phil - WRCO)
>>>I've
run into this more and more lately ... and the general
consensus seems to be that listeners don't want to be reminded about how old
they are ... and putting a time stamp on this music may turn younger listeners
off because of how "ancient" and "dated" it is. Even Rewound Radio uses the
slogan "It's not how OLD it is ... it's how GOOD it is" as part of their regular
campaign. Then again, stations like The True Oldies Channel and Real Oldies have worn the banner proudly on
their chests, exclaiming EXACTLY what they
are. Honestly I think "oldies
music" has become more of a genre than an implication of a particular age ...
sure, you're only going to hear music of a certain era ... but it's a "feel
good" period in music when competition and creativity were at an all time high
... and all of this is reflected in the wide variety of sounds that captivated
all of us then and helped to broaden our horizons as to just
how much great music was really out there in this creative and rapidly evolving
time. A couple of years ago we ran a very
successful series called "What Is An Oldie?" ... but even our team of experts
couldn't seem to narrow it down to anything specific.
I'm happy to put your inquiry out there and
see what comes back ... a pretty mixed bag of responses I would imagine ... with
no real right or wrong answer. What say you? Drop us a line if you've got an
opinion on this topic and we'll run some of your responses next week in
Forgotten Hits. (kk)
Naturally, I couldn't resist the temptation to wax on (get it?) about
the sad state of radio today ... Geez are
there ANY oldies stations left that actually proudly PLAY this music???
(kk)
It is sad I
will admit. There are a few of us left living the dream in the smaller
markets. Most owners just let a computer run the whole thing after a live
morning show. We may not have the deepest voices and the funniest sound bites,
but we are live and local.
Phil
As you know, there was a time when radio was the be-all / end-all
to our daily existence ... and there were radio stations that REALLY cared about
what they put out there ... it MATTERED to them to be the FIRST one on the air
with the latest hits by the biggest artists ... and they would stop at NOTHING
to make that happen. Radio was personality-driven and, as such, many of these
disc jockeys became nearly as popular as the artists themselves. Doing nightly
and weekly record hops only helped to fuel the fire. And yes, it WAS the day of
Top 40 Radio ... so the play list was limited and repeated a lot ... but that's
because that was the market at the time ... and we, as anxious kids and fans of
this music, stayed tuned in from dawn to dusk (and then some, with radios hidden
under our pillows when we were supposed to be sleeping at night!) because we
couldn't wait to hear the latest Beatles or Beach Boys record again in two
hours.
Where oldies radio has dropped the ball is the fact that there is
no longer a need for a restricted, tight play list. Because this music
encompasses the entire era, there is no end to the realm of possibilities of
what can be played today ... and would sound good on the
radio.
We didn't care back then ... we carried around our tiny little
transistor radios and listened to the latest sounds coming out of a tinny,
one-inch speaker. Years later we went to tremendous sound systems with HUGE
speakers and surround-sound ... only to end up again today listening to most of
this music today on a tiny iPod or out of our little computer speakers. To that
degree, everything old is new
again.
Remember, it was a black-and-white world then for the most part
... we had three tv channels to choose from so we all watched the same shows.
The next day, you could talk to just about anyone because odds were they watched
whatever YOU watched the night before!
Same with the
radio.
When WLS would run a promotion at the beach, the radio crew could
move from one end of the beach to the other and every single radio was tuned to
the same station! Even as a spectator, you didn't need to bring your own radio
to the sandy shore ... every step you took kept you in touch with WLS, whether
you had a radio with you or not! So again, we were all exposed to the same
sights and sounds ... and built our memories around
this.
By the time we were old enough to be cruising around in our cars
at night, we had a few more options to choose from ... but odds are if you were
listening to one radio station and pulled up next to a car at a stop light that
was blasting a better tune, you simply pushed the button and changed the station
so that YOU could listen to it, too! (Man, life was SO much simpler then!!!
lol)
With literally over 10,000 legitimate hit songs to choose from
during the 25 year period of 1956 - 1980, it completely blows my mind that a
radio station wouldn't program at least 2500-3000 of them ... more variety for
the listener AND the guy in the booth who has to play them! As mentioned SO
many times before in these pages, many of us have ended up hating some of the
very songs we loved the most, simply because of over-saturation of this same
material ... and there's really no excuse for it ... especially not with so much
good music to choose from! Back then, it wasn't an
option ... and, thankfully, records were released at such an incredible rate
(bands were releasing three, four or five singles per year ... and sometimes as
many as two or three albums!), the play list changed frequently enough that
boredom never had a chance to set in. There is absolutely NO excuse to subject
us to this repetitive cycle of music today.
(kk)
We got a few responses and opinions on this one ... let's face it, it's
totally subjective ... but maybe if more radio people understood how their
listeners REALLY felt (rather than being told what some consultant wants them to
hear), they could program their radio show accordingly and cater to the fans who
actually spend time listening to them ... rather than a bunch of suits sitting
in an office programming cookie-cutter radio stations all over the country, insuring that each one sounds exactly the
same as the other. Here are a few of the responses we received.
(kk)
Hi Kent,
I have to admit I was surprised
that anyone has a problem with a D.J. giving the year a song came out. I am with
you in that it catapults you to revisit certain times in your life. Heck, with
the memory not as good as it once was, music often is my link to many things I
may have otherwise forgotten.
When you ran the piece on "What is an Oldie",
my children were unanimous. They believe an oldie is music from your parents
generation.
I love the Mark Lindsey song you posted
recently, "First Hymn from Grace Terrace". I have always loved the song but I
did not know it was Mark Lindsay singing it. I thought it was Bobby Goldsboro or
someone like that. I hope that doesn't offend Mark. In any event ... good song
... thanks for bringing it back to me.
Stacee
I agree that knowing when a song came out
helps trigger a particular memory of a special time. One of the reason we do
The Saturday Surveys is to better show you what "bulk" of music was out at a
particular time, as sort of a "this is what we were all listening to on the
radio then". If one song doesn't spark a memory, odds are another one will.
(kk)
Hi Kent,
As an Oldies freak, and also
someone who grew up in the 60's 70's, I like it when a DJ tells when a song was
out. I already know I'm getting old so most times I know when those songs came
out. I still like it though, cause I don't always remember correctly.
Again I'm an Oldies freak and
really love knowing the history of our music. I suppose the average listener
doesn't care as much. Then again, if I were a young listener and I thought a
song was cool, I might be interested in hearing more songs from that year if I
knew when it came out. I think most radio consultants should be fed to the
dinosaurs since they've screwed up our beloved radio so much.
Bill
Hey Kent -
Regarding your
discussion on mentioning how old a record is - I say do it, cuz we all know how
old we are, and it does bring back memories (hopefully good ones) from those
days. And I saw a guy the other night at the Elk Grove Survivor concert wearing
a t-shirt that said 'I love Geezer Rock'! He said a bunch of people wanted to
take a picture of his shirt! Made me laugh, and at this point, that's the best
thing to do!
Marlene
Marlene
Hi
Kent,
Just saw
this article and thought I'd pass it along. Not sure I agree with it, however.
Seems to me as though Classic Rock tunes are the same in all parts of the
country. This article sites Clear Channel folks as saying that's not so?
Bill
It sure
seems to be the same everywhere WE go!!! (kk)
Kent,
We most emphatically want to know the year a song we hear was a hit. Giving us the year is more effective than telling us how many years ago we heard it. People don't necessarily want to do the math, and giving us the year immediately lets the listeners key in to their own life experiences during the year the song was popular. The delivery can vary from "From the summer of '71, it's Three Dog Night" to "Where were you on this day in 1967?", to any variation on the theme. The problem with most stations that still play a few oldies is that the jocks are just not familiar with the music, or the era, or the history of the world or the bands and artists. The jocks are off the hook by just playing the music - and since so much is voice-tracked, they are unable to inject any energy in the way the music is presented. It's just so dull.
Semi-related side note: I don't have Sirius / XM in my car and recently rented a car for several days that included it. We were on the road for long hours each day, so I had a good opportunity to listen to several channels. I was quite surprised at how often I heard repeats on the 60s channel. Honestly, several tracks that weren't Top 10 hits were being repeated every day, and sometimes even more often. With such a vast library to choose from, I was thoroughly unimpressed - and thankful for my iPod.
David
We most emphatically want to know the year a song we hear was a hit. Giving us the year is more effective than telling us how many years ago we heard it. People don't necessarily want to do the math, and giving us the year immediately lets the listeners key in to their own life experiences during the year the song was popular. The delivery can vary from "From the summer of '71, it's Three Dog Night" to "Where were you on this day in 1967?", to any variation on the theme. The problem with most stations that still play a few oldies is that the jocks are just not familiar with the music, or the era, or the history of the world or the bands and artists. The jocks are off the hook by just playing the music - and since so much is voice-tracked, they are unable to inject any energy in the way the music is presented. It's just so dull.
Semi-related side note: I don't have Sirius / XM in my car and recently rented a car for several days that included it. We were on the road for long hours each day, so I had a good opportunity to listen to several channels. I was quite surprised at how often I heard repeats on the 60s channel. Honestly, several tracks that weren't Top 10 hits were being repeated every day, and sometimes even more often. With such a vast library to choose from, I was thoroughly unimpressed - and thankful for my iPod.
David
Why would anybody pay
money to hear the same songs you're already hearing everywhere else, over and
over and over again. The entire concept of what satellite radio was SUPPOSED to
be seems to have been lost along the way. And this time it can't be because of
advertising pressure ... these stations run commercial free. So what's left?
Ignorance and Laziness? Or perhaps a combination of the two?
Kent,
Can you please
add Kevin Boles to your email list? He is a 27 year old with the heart of a 1950s and 1960s fan. He is a
DJ on WATD in Marshfield, MA, playing the music we grew up with. He is a great
kid and has visited me many times while I have been in the hospital. Thank God I
am going home on Saturday, However I have been in the same hospital as Lenny
Baker of ShaNaNa so Lenny and I have been spending a lot of time together and he
needs to be lifted in prayer, I am very worried about him.
Keep doing what
your doing, because you are great at what you do.
Jimmy Jay
Glad to hear you're feeling
better, Jimmy and are on the mend ... it's gotta feel good just to be back home
again. SO happy to hear that a 27-year-old has found an appreciation for this
great music ... so much so that he wants to share it with others. It's kind
like I've always been saying ... give it a listen ... and you just may like what
you hear!
(kk)
Regarding announcing the year of a song's popularity,
an informal survey got me four responses and three of the four said they're
satisfied just knowing the decade, as opposed to the specific year. Actually
since you're posing the question to music lovers, many of whom know the year
whether or not the jock announces it, the fourth responder and I agree that they
should announce the year. I'll take it one step further and say ANY info the
jock has, provided it's accurate, is always appreciated.
Jack
Certainly makes the whole listening process a lot more
interesting to my ears ... but you're right ... more often than not, I end up
cringing at some bad, misinformation being passed along instead. (That's why I
like hearing from some of these "vintage" jocks that were actually there at the
time ... many of them had the chance to hang out with these artists during some
type of concert or promotion or in-studio visit ... THOSE are the stories I love
hearing!) kk
Hmmmmmm. I think the problem is more of a
personal one when it comes to naming years. Facts are facts. Should we change
history? No naming of when Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin actually recorded and
were popular? Or is it just a fear of a personal era ... any era that involves
us? We don't have to run around the neighborhood and say, "They are playing a
song from 1962 on the radio and it makes me feel sooooo old!". Nobody need
know. Enjoy the song, forget the year. I'm sure there are some under 30's who
feel the same way about 90's songs. Oh well. THIS will be the best year of my
life for me!
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
Perhaps because I've been a fan of music for so
long, hearing it now acts as sort of a "time stamp" for me. I already know that
my favorite year in music was 1967 ... as such, the minute a song from 1967
comes on, I proudly puff out my chest and say "I rest my case" ... but the years
ALSO reflect how the music changed and developed over time. I have ALWAYS
enjoyed hearing the stories behind the songs, particularly from the artists
themselves. It adds so much more to the listening experience. In fact, for
years now I've been telling Scott Shannon of The True Oldies Channel that he
should share more personal experiences on the air. This guy has been there and
done it all ... met SO many of these great artists and has SO many stories to
tell, all from a first-hand, hands-on experience. I believe the listeners will
respond well to Scott's personal anecdotes ... I know I'D sure love to hear
them!!! Not every song ... not even every day ... just once in a while ...
maybe a few times a week ... share a particular memory or incident related to
that song or artist that make the record more "personal" for the listener.
(kk)
And, speaking of Scott Shannon, we heard from
HIM, too!!! The newly revamped True Oldies Channel (v2.0) is up and running ...
and better than ever ... on the web. Fewer commercials ... more music ... more
variety ... I've been listening and he has amped up the playlist with more
late-'50's and early-'60's music ... and more "wow" songs. Oh heck, I'll just
let HIM tell you all about it!
KENT ,,,
COULD YOU PLEASE LET YOUR READERS KNOW THAT THE TRUE
OLDIES CHANNEL IS UP AND RUNNING WITH VERSION 2.0 !!! STREAMING 24/7 AT:
WWW.TRUEOLDIESCHANNEL.COM.
YOU CAN GET IT ON LAPTOPS, DESKTOPS ... AND THERE ARE EVEN
FREE APPS FOR ALL SMART PHONES, AND I-PADS. WE ALSO
NOW ROLL WITH A VERY LOW COMMERCIAL LOAD, (4 MINUTES AN HOUR) AND FORGOTTEN HITS READERS WILL LOVE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE REDONE
THE MUSIC MIX ON THE TOC TO INCLUDE A TON OF FORGOTTEN HITS FROM THE 60'S.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO LISTEN AND OFFER
FEEDBACK!
SCOTT
DJ
I've been listening quite a bit myself lately ... and it's great to hear the "beefed-up" True Oldies Channel ... running with more
freedom and variety than ever before. Who would have EVER thought, all these
years later, that Scott would be more popular than ever with his new WCBS-FM gig
and the newly revamped True Oldies Channel? (Remember the old adage "Life
begins at 40"? He truly seems "reborn" at the age of 66!) And it sounds like
he's having the time of his life ... happier than ever ... and every bit of that
comes across on the air! (Scott's been doing this for a long, long time ...
since he was just a young boy, he's known exactly what he's wanted to do ... and
he's been living that dream ever since. How many of us out there can make THAT
statement?!?! Some of you may remember, many, many years ago, reading in your
history books as a child, that the night that Thomas Edison first invented
electricity, a young Scott Shannon exclaimed, "Good! Now I can listen to
Dick Biondi!!!") kk
