Crossroads

Robert Johnson- a man who really knew his music

Hello All,

Time is an amazing thing. It happens to move so fast and yet at the same time seems to last an eternity. I was moved to think about this when Linda and I were watching edited highlights of the Grammy Award Ceremony on Channel Four the other day.

When we did our radio show on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) in Florence, Massachusetts, we always aimed to be as contemporary as we could, without leaving our true music tastes behind. We always played artists we liked but always enjoyed finding new artists to get into so much so we were excited when we could play them on our show. Our show was never an homage to yesteryear, so it was important to find new acts to reinvigorate the show.

Quite often, certain acts make me think that "so and so did that twenty five years ago" (Good Afternoon Lady Ga-Ga!) and the obsession with having mulitudes of dancers and oh so spectacular light shows detract from the actual purpose of why you go and see an act perform . . . in some ways, with "rock and roll" pushing 60 and acts like "The Beastie Boys" getting nominated for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (why?), you could say we're at a crossroads (hence the reason for the picture of Robert Johnson!) Where's the stimulus to be excited about the future of music? Who are the stars who, 30 years from now, will be the pop "royalty", the acts who'll be the closing finale of the Grammys in 2042? Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen can't go on forever! (Having said that, Macca's new album sounds really good and Bruce's new single has for me the most poignant lyrics I've heard in quite a while . . . very pertinent for the time we live in. I'm sure President Obama wouldn't get any grief from "The Boss" if he used that song for his presidential campaign!)

Both Linda and I are of the opinion that you have to be true to yourself and be who you are. Musically, your true talent will come out if you do what you do best. No frills, just a good band. Also, the best acts always shine if you tip your hat to your musical tastes once in  a while.

So, watching the Grammy Awards got me thinking. If we were on the radio today, what current stars would be on our playlist? Two examples leapt out from the glitzy showbiz "do" we watched the other night. The first artist was Bruno Mars.

Bruno Mars - for us, the next King of Pop

This talented artist, who was exceptional at The Grammys, grew up in Hawaii and was influenced by Elvis, Motown, James Brown and doo-wop! Yet he manages to sound so contemporary. How come? The guy has talent. He sings with emotion and yet has fun at the same time. Watching his performance in L.A. on the telly he looked liked he was enjoying himself. His band sounded tight, they looked good and I certainly couldn't see any frills on the stage. Just a really fine band.

Oh yes, the guy can write a good tune as well. Anyone who listened to the radio in 2010 will have heard the tune "Forget You" sung by Cee-Lo Green. A huge hit all over the world. Bruno co-wrote that. Enough said. His most recent album, "Doo-Wop and Hooligans" is excellent.

A good song about human emotions will always resonate with the listening public. It's not just me who thinks that . . . Chuck Berry said that too, and he did well for himself.

Talking of songs about emotions brings us to the next artist, the woman who reinvigorated "The Tottenham Sound" and gave it a degree of popularity not even Dave Clark himself could dream of.  Adele.

The Queen of Tottenham!

 A female who for us is the future "Queen" of singing in Great Britain. There's not a lot more that can be said about this woman. Her achievements at The Grammys speak for themsleves. She puts her heart and soul into every song she sings. What's refreshing is how down to earth she is. There's no extravagant stage show, no cast of thousands surrounding her on stage. Just her and her band. A welcome change from some other female singers of today. Janet Jackson set the standard for singing and dancing 20 years or so ago.  Some of todays acts needn't bother.

Adele also is a standard bearer for the renaissance of common sense in the way women look. It's to Adele's credit that she hasn't let the media industry's obssession with being stick thin and artifically enhanced in the breast department influence her. As she herself said recently in an interview with Anderson Cooper "I don't want to be stick thin with my tits hanging out!"

The morale of all this is quite simple . . . beleive in yourself, do what you love and stick with it. Don't be artificial. If you have a talent, you should use it. Those who believe in you will encorage you. Find an outlet for the talent you have. This (writing) is mine, and if I can find one anyone can!

Keep listening to music whenever you can . . .

Serenity Now,

Ed

PS Look out for blogs coming soon on www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com !

The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast Video Memories





Classic Late English Breakfast Video

In this country, having a number one at Christmas is a HUGE event. There have been occasions when the most unlikely of stars has had a number one at Christmas . . . like this famous person, just over 40 years ago . . . enjoy the majesterial Benny Hill!

To Keep or Not to Keep The Status Quo - That is the Question!

You have to maintain THIS Status Quo!

David Bowie famously warbled once upon a time about changes. In it he says "I still don't know what I was waiting for . . . a million dead-end streets . . . every time I thought I'd got it made . . . It seemed the taste was not so sweet . . . so I turned myself to face me . . . but I've never caught a glimpse of how the others must see the faker . . . I'm much too fast to take that test . . . Don't want to be a richer man . . . just gonna have to be a different man" Very poetic and quite prophetic of the times we live in. Time they say is a great healer. But change is something that takes time to deal with. Radio is no different.

When we were on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) I for one was very pleased indeed. I had realized my dream, albeit in the not so spacious surroundings of the Florence Community Center on Pine Street in Florence. Nevertheless, I felt I had reached the promised land. For the two and a bit years that both Linda and I were actively involved in that station we were proponents of change. We had a vision for that station; sadly there were elements within that organization who were not quite so in tune with our way of thinking. We were too commercial, too business orientated for their way of thinking. It surprised us really as we were amongst people who purported to be strong advocates for change.

Eventually something had to give and we left. We enjoyed our time as radio presenters and if it never happens again nobody can say I never gave it a shot - I took my chance and made an impression on people's lives during the period of January 2007 to March 2009. We weren't the first people to leave a radio station, and we won't be the last. During our time in the Pioneer Valley we witnessed the sadness our good friend John Allen felt when he got his marching orders from WRNX.

 

John in his usual understated state of mind!

John was a popular man on that station. . . having been fortunate to open for the legendary Big Bad Bollocks on St.Patrick's Day in 2007 with my oh so brief stab at stand-up (a rendition of my jingle and a George Bush gag - always bound to work in the Pioneer Valley!) I can tell you he's a popular fella!

Working in radio isn't quite as glamorous as it may seem, especially in Western Massachusetts. The pay isn't as lucrative as you may imagine. We remember one person who hosted a popular morning talk show on WHMP who also had a job working in a video store - remember those kids?! - so it isn't all glamorous BBC style salaries. I still haven't given up on the idea of being a writer or a radio presenter. . . one day my chance will come!

Dan and Kim - a married couple on the radio . . . where've I seen that before?!

Only recently, we witnessed the surprising announcement that Dan and Kim had left Mix 93.1. A surprising move we thought, as they appeared to be extremely popular. However, in my opinion, giant organizations such as those who own the stations in that part of the world feel that "the bottom line" is  the most important thing going . . . people and their feelings don't count quite as much. You can't have someone working for you (to quote WWLP 22 News!) whose popularity is gathering momentum at an alarming rate. The giant behemoth that is the corporation and the profit comes first.

I was thinking about this the other day whilst driving home from work this week. You know how it is when you're making the long drive home (23 miles in my case) and you start to contemplate the meaning of life when you've spent the day answering query after query, as my ears were peppered with questions based primarily on why the cost was so much? How does a company justify charging one price to one person and offering the same product to a new customer for considerably less? Companies that have been in existence for many many years tend to believe their own hype and the people who work there once indoctrinated spew it out ad nauseum. Nobody seems to question things over here like they did in Western Massachusetts . . . asking themselves is what I'm doing right? Doing a course on American politics at Greenfield Community College was the best thing I ever did. It opened my mind up to to the concept of questioning things, of NOT accepting the Status Quo. If the colonies hadn't done it, they'd still be part of Great Britain. If women hadn't done it, they'd still be dismissed in the patronizing way they were (it must be said there's still HUGE room for improvement on that issue)

 

It's OK to believe in a product, but is it OK to actively deliver it in a way that is casually dismissed as "the way the world is these day?" I found myself thinking about the good old days of Valley Free Radio and those people who seemed so far removed from me back in the day. They thought they were so removed from the "real world" . . . they liked the idea of being subversive . . . they wanted to change things and make the world a better place. If they could have been a pirate radio station I'm sure they could but they had to conform to the real world and the rules and regulations of the FCC. Why can't I?

 

The truth of the matter is if the Status Quo needs to be changed for your own self preservation, then it HAS to be done. It is vital for your own peace of mind to do things that you believe in. The people in the media in the USA who actively question things, who actively aspire to educate via the platform they choose, whether it be the press or the radio or TV, need to be applauded and encouraged. I admire Thom Hartmann, Ed Schultz, people who don't accept the Status Quo. One day I hope to be like them. Time is on my side . . . just like this band sang about back in the 1960's!

A bit political this blog but politics plays a big part in every body's life . . . even aspiring writers like me! I hope you like this blog, and please look out for football ramblings in www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and please read about our continuing adventures in www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com

Until the next time, don't give up the dream . . . I won't.

Elvis has left the building . . . and moved to Congleton??!!!!

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing isn’t it? It takes your mind off things and can give you warm and fuzzy moments when you need them. Never more so has nostalgia taken on extra importance than in music here in Great Britain.

Here in England the entertainment news has been festooned (what a good word!) with the announcements of bands reforming. I personally am pleased to hear that The Stones Roses are to reform. The ageing teeny bopper band Steps are to reform as well. I personally couldn’t care less!!!!

The rock and roll generation is getting on in years now. The first “teenagers” are now in their ‘70’s. They find that the chances of hearing their musical heroes on the wireless, slowly decreasing. So, how do you manage to quench your desire to hear the classics of yesteryear? Simple – tribute bands or cover bands!

Linda and I had the pleasure of seeing a cover band last Saturday night in Congleton. We had been invited by my Uncle Ellis to come down to his “club”, (The Band Club) and watch a band who specialized in performing the hits of days gone by. The name of the group – “Nostalgia”! What made the night even more pleasing was that there was no cover charge! Uncle Ellis also seemed to think that cheap booze was a good selling point – can’t think why!

I had never been to this place before. When we entered the place, well, it seemed like I was in a parallel universe! It really was paying homage to the club scene of days gone by so famously satirized by Peter Kay in the now legendary Channel Four situation comedy “Phoenix Nights”.  Apart from going to Blackpool, this occasion was the best example I could offer my lovely American wife of how to pay homage to all things British!

I mentioned Elvis in the title of this piece for one reason– he was everywhere in the club! Elvis pictures and other memorabilia covered the club – pictures of Elvis from every period. You name it – from 50’s Elvis to fat, jump- suited burger loving Elvis . . . they were everywhere!

The band started playing at 9pm. Now, here’s the deal – they were really good! A three piece group, consisting of a drummer, bass player and lead guitarist (who happened to be the lead singer) entertained the audience very well indeed. Their repertoire spanned the decades. Everyone was catered for from the young to the not so young.

I mentioned the not so young because I don’t think Linda and I have ever had a night out where there have been so many crutches, walking sticks and even the odd oxygen tank in view!  It was wonderful to see people of all ages together having a good time.  The band took a well-deserved break at 10pm. Now it was time for the serious stuff – the bingo!

The bingo saw audience participation reaching new heights (“two little ducks . . . twenty two!” “quack quack” “thank you quackers” . . . truly comedy gold!)  There were other competitions held for the people in the club to take part in. One such competition proved to be very profitable for Linda and myself.

The competition was straight forward enough . . . a card was passed around with the names of English football teams on it. You had to pay £1 and pick a team. If the team you had picked matched the team that was under the square that would be scratched off, you won the princely sum of £20! Now, Manchester United had already been picked so we wondered which team to pick. Suddenly, it appeared to us, like a vision . . . Northampton Town! Well, it had to be picked didn’t it? Guess who won – us! It felt appropriate to have picked Northampton (never NoHo remember!) and we were really pleased to have won the £20! It was about time Northampton did us proud! Only kidding!

The band reappeared at 11pm. Now they really kicked-in! The volume level went up a notch, not quite to 11 I might add, but it was mighty close! Special mention has to be given to the medleys performed by the band. Songs by the Rolling Stones and Elvis, amongst others, were performed and were excellent.

I was once told that “cover bands” were not the real deal by someone I used to work with. I happened to have mentioned I once saw a Bon Jovi tribute band many years ago in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent called “By Jovi” and were very entertaining. This person played in a band. It happens to be quite a good band and Linda and I enjoyed seeing them play once. Here’s where I have a side-beef with that theory. These tunes covered by bands such as Nostalgia are truly classics. They are songs that defy time. They are songs that truly, when performed well, give a sense of joy to many people from the younger folk to the ones who shake their crutch in time to the music!

There were smiles all over the club. People started to dance. Elvis impersonators appeared out of the woodwork! “Nostalgia” was engaging, friendly and played some really good music. Songs from the current era such as Paolo Nutini’s “New Shoes” sat perfectly alongside such classics as “Proud Mary” and The Beatles’ “Love Me like You Did Before” and “Roll over Beethoven”. For the record, Ike and Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary” wins for us . . .

It made Linda and me really happy to see people like my Uncle Ellis have such a good time. Seeing Elvis classics performed not only live but well, give a big Elvis fan like my Uncle Ellis such a thrill. We were cheated out of Elvis in 1977 at the age of 42. Way too young. It is truly magical that “Nostalgia’ is around to satisfy the desires of fans young and old in my home town by playing the classics.

Listening to music is a wonderful way to pass the time. Listening to the music of your youth or music that you just happen to like being played live and played well is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday evening. I’m sure we’ll go again to the Band Club in Worrall Street Congleton. There’s a great Chinese nearby . . .

Enjoy your music and go out and gamble and see a live band at a local club some time, you may have a very pleasant surprise!

Enjoy yourself and please check out www.motdusaway.blogspot.com and www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com whenever you can!

Eddie

“Sunshine Indoors” - The Joys of English Radio

How often have you thought how things would be different if you were in charge? I’m sure reading this you’ll be saying “quite often Ed!”

Travelling from North Hatfield to Easthampton or Northampton (gosh, that seems like a million years ago already!) Linda and I would listen to the radio and say “we’d never have played that on that radio station’s breakfast show” or “why do they keep playing that song again?” It certainly seemed repetitive to say the least.

 Having had a taste of radio stardom (!) with our stint as presenters on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) we developed a good idea of what makes for a good idea on the radio. We understood that commercial radio in the United States is governed by the advertisers and the record companies, but there seemed to us to be a lack of variety in radio. There was definitely a lack of creativity in the programming schedules or in presenters’ output.

Coming in your ear on the weekend!

In our time on Valley Free Radio, a lot of the music shows and shows that pretended to be something else but played music nonetheless, just played song after song after song. Then you’d hear “um, well in that set you heard . . .” and inform the listener what songs had been played, providing they could remember the songs!

So, we started to listen to radio online. In particular, radio from my homeland. It became clear to us that our music show “The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast” was very clearly an English styled show. Lively and informative, our show strived to entertain and educate the listener. It was interesting to find out facts about the artist and the song. For example, did you know Jimi Hendrix’s real name was John Allen Hendrix?

Now we’re back in Great Britain, we’ve listened to a lot of radio. Commercial radio over here has had Linda commenting on occasions “US radio has a lot to answer for!” However, one commercial radio station has got us gripped – Smooth FM 100.4.

This station, based here in the North West, encapsulates what a good station should do. Its music, always varied, captures more than one demographic. Good music appeals to all ages. It used to be known as Jazz FM back in the day. We have found Jazz FM to be alive and well on digital radio – more of that later!

This station has become a “ contemporary oldies” station with that important interjection of the best of the best music today offers. That’s OK. Good music stands the test of time and deserves its place on the air, irrespective of how old it is. Stations like Smooth FM know that people still have a desire to listen to the music of their youth for longer these days than ever before! Let BBC Radio One cater to the younger element.

Mentioning the BBC leads me onto that esteemed organization. The notion that you should pay a “tax” (the Licence Fee) of £146 in order to be able to watch television and listen to the radio would send a proportion of uninformed Americans running for their rifles if they tried to bring it in over there!  However, here’s the ironic thing - one of the most reliable source of news according to people we spoke to in the USA was the BBC!

We knew that the BBC offered a lot but the quality and depth of programming really is great value for money. I’d like to concentrate on radio. The value for money is really quite extraordinary. It is possible to listen to programmes whose subject matter ranges from old theatres to Lucille Ball to the NFL!

The subject of the NFL brings me nicely onto digital radio. We invested in a digital radio not long after we arrived in this country. The BBC offers the listener the opportunity to listen to its output in crystal clear quality. Football commentaries sound way better on DAB - believe me - than listening to them on the medium wave (AM). Stations have been set up that are broadcast only on DAB (digital audio broadcasting). One such station is BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra. This station offers sports fans extra sports coverage, giving fans a wider choice of games to listen to over the course of a weekend. It also covers sports that are not considered “mainstream”.  American football being one of them!

This has pleased both Linda and me extremely. We both miss the USA in many ways. Linda got me interested in American football right from the minute I got to the States. It took me a month to get the gist of the game and now I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It’s great that we can keep in touch with what’s going on in the NFL over here. One day we’ll have Sky TV and be able to watch games again. I’m eternally grateful that Linda had the Fox Soccer Channel when we were living in Western Massachusetts. One day I’ll repay my lovely wife and have Sky Sports and be able to watch the likes of Tom Brady, Wes Welker once more (glad The Patriots won yesterday by the way!)

James Hunter, man of the people and purveyor of fine tunes, featured regularly on both “The Late English Breakfast” and on “The Nightclub”. We waxed lyrical about him on the show on many occasions and talked about him on this fine blog. Imagine our surprise when listening to Jazz FM we heard that Mr. Hunter was to appear on a show on that station. It was great to hear about a show that features music played at Ronnie Scott’s famed night club in London.  It proved to be a good listen. He was his usual articulate and funny self and the tunes we heard, recorded live at Ronnie Scott’s, were excellent. Click on the link I’m providing and see how good he was when he played The Ironhorse Music Hall inNorthampton (Hamp, never No-Ho!) in 2010.

It was great to meet him and one day I’ll show you the picture of the James Hunter poster he very graciously signed for our show. So, not all things British are crap and inferior! British radio has a lot to offer. It’s well worth a try. If you’re not in Great Britain as you read this, go online and see for yourself. If you ever remember listening to our show which paid homage to all things British on a station full of Yanks, you’ll know why Brits like me can talk and put on a good show!

Enjoy your music wherever you listen to it and if you have any suggestions for topics, please get in touch. Before I forget, check out the blog my wife and I have created about our adventures in England www.lindaandeddiesexcellentadventure.blogspot.com .

 Ed

He Who Pays The Piper Calls The Tune . . . Or Does He?

He who pays the Piper Calls The tune - or does he?

Morning All and thanks for tuning in!

So, interesting times lie ahead for the music business I see. According to the New York Times, there are potentially troubled waters in wait for the record companies. The article highlights the fact that the more older artistes stand a chance to win back the rights to songs of theirs from 35 years ago.

Basically, if you put out an album in 1978 you are now in a position, thanks to Federal Law, to file papers to win back the rights to music you released by the year 2013. It got me thinking, to use an old phrase, which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

I'm going to nail my colours to the mast. I'm going to lean towards the side of the artist in this occasion. I'll tell you why.

The artist comes up with the idea for a song. He writes the song. If the song is a success for the record company that releases it, history has shown us that until recently, the performer that wrote the song doesn't do as well financially because of the way the deal was negotiated. I tend to get the impression that although the artist does okay, it could be better. How is it that the Rolling Stones were so successful in the 1960's and yet had to leave Great Britain as tax exiles? They owed more money than they earned!!!! If you read Ian McLagan's book "All The Rage" you'll find him feeling very aggrieved about the situation The Small Faces were faced with financially.
In more recent years, there's been celebrated cases featuring George Michael and Prince where contractual differences have been aired..

This is flat out wrong. I've heard it referred to as slavery but to me that has to be an exaggeration. What it is is gross exploitation. It is symbolic of the "get what you can at the expense of whoever you can" mentality that has besieged our society in recent times.

I always remember seeing an interview with Keith Richards on television. He lamented the fact that the first time he saw one of his blues heroes, namely Muddy Waters in Chicago at Chess Studios, he was, and I quote, "painting the goddamn ceiling".  The situation in the USA may have had something to do with the fact that some radio stations weren't to keen on playing music performed by black men.

It's time for the record companies to realise that yes they do provide a platform for a singer or a band but they have to be more, well, truthful with them. It is time for them to be more fair in how the money, of which there is plenty, is shared. It needs to be done in a more equitable fashion. While I think about it, it's time for companies to clean up their act with regards to the way they market their female stars.

Let's take Mariah Carey and Beyonce as our subject matter. Two very talented singers in my opinion. Two attractive females if I may say so. They are at the stage in their careers where they in a position to have a greater control over how they are marketed. Yet for some reason they both feel that they have to perform on stage in clothes that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Mariah Carey - natural beauty

As you can see she doesn't really need to appear on stage with barely anything on. I say this as a confirmed red blooded heterosexual male! It seems to be the same all over the shop! I saw an advertisement on the Fox Soccer Channel for one of the many organizations selling replica shirts. The company felt it necessary to have a commercial featuring a well developed female wearing a football shirt promoting the company. If I want to buy a football shirt I don't need a woman wearing a shirt that appears to be a size too small to promote it, I promise you!

Then there's Beyonce. The girl can sing for certain. She's another really attractive woman. I remember when she performed during President Obama's inauguration night. She sang Etta James' "At Last" She had played Etta James in the film "Cadillac Records", which was loosely based on Chess Records if you remember. She, along with the first couple, looked radiant as you can see from the picture below.

An elegant couple serenaded by an elegant woman

The flip side of Miss Knowles, originally from Texas (not the most liberal of places in my book if the current governor is anything to go by!), is someone who goes out of her way, or so it seems , to exploit her sexuality to sell music.

Really Beyonce, is it necessary?

Ladies, neither of you will see 30 again. Mariah has become a Mother. There's being confident about your body and dressing in a way to accentuate your femininity and there's dressing like a prostitute. The old adage "everything in moderation" is very true. I'm a red blooded heterosexual male. I make no apologies for it. I like females. I shouldn't be made to feel guilty about my sexuality. Living in the Northampton area does make that a little difficult at times! However, I like my females to have a bit of class and dignity - that's why I married my wife!

Female singers (and male singers for that matter) do have an obligation to think about what they're doing in order to protect the waning morality that appears evident in society.. There's always going to be some impressionable young girl out there wanting to copy their latest move, their latest dance style or how they dress. You don't have to copy stars from yesteryear either (a recent picture of Lady Ga Ga was crying out Madonna circa 1985 "Desperately Seeking Susan") and in yesterday's New York Times Beyonce seemed to trying to pull off a Tina Turner look.

Be yourself and be true to yourself. I enjoy writing. I wish I had had the conviction to pursue writing in more depth. Oh well, who knows what's going to happen!

Enjoy your music wherever and however you listen,

Ed

The Introduction To Greatness! Classic Song Introductions

Let The Magic Begin!

Morning all and thanks for tuning in!!

Picture the scene if you will . . . you're driving along in your car and THAT song comes on. You know the one, the one that instantly makes you turn the volume up to eleven in a Spinal Tap way in the car because for some reason that song makes you want to tap the steering wheel even more than normal. It's a song that may have special memories or may just be because it's damn good! What makes the song that damn good may just be the introduction.

The Independent newspaper put an article online recently where Donald McInnes sang the virtues of his favourite introductions to songs. That article got me thinking . . . what would be my favourite introductions to songs be? Naturally you can't include every decent song intro ever heard on the radio as you'd be here for ever! So, I tried to limit it to songs that were played on The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast back in the day on Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org)

Now like I say it is not possible to include every classic song with a great intro (The River 93.9FM www.wrsi.com) are playing "This Could Be The Last Time" by the Rolling Stones as I write; made me think "Bugger! Should have included that in my list!" Oh well there'll have to be a second blog on this subject! Anyhow, without further ado, here's my choices of songs (in no particular order) we played (or wish we could have played) that have, in my opinion, a great introduction.


The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women     This song is memorable for many things. Having seen the Stones twice in concert I know the enormous blow up dolls have to be seen to be believed! However, the cowbells, so loved once upon a time by Saturday Night Live live long in the memory. The song that was released the day after Brian Jones' death in 1969 got to number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic truly is a classic. All together now "I met a gin soaked bar room queen in Memphis . . . " One further closing note on this classic tune, one I'm sure Stones aficionados know, is that the version of the song that appears on their 1969 "Let It Bleed" album is the equally legendary but vastly underrated  "Country Honk" . Do check it out if you have the chance.

Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music Whenever I played this song in my bedroom back home in Congleton it would get pretty near full volume! For me it's one of the great underrated soul classics of the 1960's. It's not on the radio enough times in my opinion. Both Linda and I rate it high - highly enough that when we started our show on Valley Free Radio back in 2007 we decided that when we were recording our show trailer - "Want something new and exciting in your lives? You need The Nightclub hosted by Linda and Eddie Kennedy" we had Sweet Soul Music as the backing music. A great tune and one that'll get you grooving! If you don't have it buy it whenever you get the chance.

Simply Red - Money's Too Tight To Mention  This song is "totally" relevant, to use today's increasingly annoying parlance! The song was originally a hit for The Valentine Brothers.This excellent song was a top twenty hit in the UK in 1985 and the nation's first sighting of the talent that is Mick Hucknall. For me Mick is one of Great Britain's best ever singers. The lyrics, that tell the tale of a man trying to make ends meet are sadly oh so relevant today. The song's mention of "Reaganomics" is particularly relevant as many political and economical commentators attribute today's problems to the policies first seen under the former actor and California Governor in the USA and similar to the policies put into practice under Mrs. Thatcher in Great Britain.

Luciano Michelini - Frolic Ah yes, the theme tune to end all theme tunes! Sunday nights are so much better now on HBO at 10pm now the unmistakable "bum bum bum doo doo doo, do do do . . . " now resonates joyfully in our house! The TV show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" written by and starring Larry David is one of the all time great situation comedies. It basically satirizes modern day life and is one respect a continuation of the excellent work he and Jerry Seinfeld started with "Seinfeld" back in the 1980's and 1990's. It truly is a hilarious show and I understand why Seinfeld is so popular in this country because of my understanding of Curb. The show is popular in Great Britain, well it was at 16 Back Lane! The show makes me so happy - it cracks me up to be honest - so when my British radio show on Valley Free Radio started I could only think of one theme tune to use!

 The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night  "Claaang! It's been a hard day's night!" There are a million and more Beatles' tunes I could have picked but this one resonated with me because the opening to the tune is so different, so unique, that you instantly know what the song is. This UK and US chart topper is just a great fun tune to listen to. The title "A Hard Day's Night" was attributed to Ringo Starr when he was feeling bewildered after filming . . . not knowing how long they'd been filming, he said it had been  a hard day's . . . night's work of filming! The song knocked The Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now"

Michael Franti and Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You)  One of the most catchy tunes I've heard in a long long time. My darling wife Linda loves it to pieces as well! We're often found boogieing to this tune in the kitchen or in the bathroom in the morning. You know, the way we first found out about this tune was courtesy of an adopted American but always a Scot to me by the name of Craig Ferguson. He featured it on his show with quite possibly one of the funniest little sketches Linda and I have seen on  a chat show for quite some time. Its joyous upbeat nature is so refreshing to listen to.  

The Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive  The soundtrack to an era - who said disco sucks? Saturday Night Fever will be shown on TV forever. Now it's a movie that will serve as a commentary of New York City in the 1970's, but what cannot be forgotten is how good the music was and still is. This song wasn't supposed to be a single, but airplay given to the album generated demand for "Stayin' Alive" to be released as a single. Record label RSO gave way. It proved to be a good move as it became a number 1 hit here in the States and a number 4 back home in Great Britain. Not bad going for a family act from Chorlton Cum Hardy Manchester!

The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle  I had a t-shirt that resembled the cover of this fantastic single. I had the privilege of seeing this band at The Apollo Theatre in Manchester back in 1990. Some band called The Verve were the support act! It was originally recorded by Otis Redding (who died the day I was born if my memory serves me correctly. Our show was always full of facts of that nature!) It's a great single, one that always gets my foot tapping. I remember when we played the song on our show and it sure sounded good with good speakers in that radio studio. Again, the opening few bars are instantly recognizable . . . I think Chris Robinson  and the boys do the song immense justice. Dare I say they make it their own? Discuss!

 Blur - Parklife  Another class tune from the 1990's. The battle of the bands, Oasis versus Blur,  a so-called re-run of The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones, was a common feature during the decade. This song with its contribution from celebrated actor Phil Daniels (who sprung to national acclaim back home in the 1970's with his now legendary performance in "Quadraphenia") was the 3rd single to be released from the album of the same name. A top 10 hit in Great Britain it instantly takes me back to the time when the Premier League was a relatively new idea and nobody knew who Victoria Adams was . . .    (Mrs. Beckham in case you didn't know)  

Booker T and The MG's - Green Onions   Pure genius! The only way to describe this instrumental. It's hard to imagine that this timeless classic is nearly 50 years old. It inspired a generation of musicians. I'm not making this up - we've read Ian McLagan's autobiography! I also know that back in time in Riverside Drive in Florence Massachusetts a young girl called Moraski grooved to this in her family's basement . . . wonder what happened to her? (She married me!)

So there's my first choice of classic songs with great intros. I've enjoyed putting this list together. It is a great indicator of the music we played on our show. We wanted to be a show you could listen to whilst having your evening meal on Sunday nights and also have a bop to if the mood took you! People have wide tastes in music and we wanted to cater to them. Although it's over two years since we did our show we'll always have great memories of it.

Enjoy your music,

Ed

                                                                



Winning!

He Ain't The Only One!

Morning Campers and a Happy Weekend To You All!

Charlie Sheen is a complex character, isn't he? However, one thing I believe that isn't complex but quite wonderful is the word "winning".

The word that Charlie used to describe his state of mind as he took on the world (or CBS!) has become one of the buzz words of the year. You're told when you're young at school that winning isn't everything and that the taking part is the most important thing. That's true.

However, winning does generate wonderful feelings. On a small, but nonetheless important, level, is the sense of satisfaction you get from winning something on the radio.

Back in the day when Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) 103.3FM had the privilege of having Linda and I entertaining people on Saturday and later Sunday nights with "The Nightclub featuring The Late English Breakfast" we were proud to be able to offer, on occasions, prizes to give away. The listener would get a CD from us or on occasion a DVD. Once were able to give away a signed James Hunter CD. We were really proud to do that!

The mutual sense of happiness is clearly evident. The listener gets the satisfaction of winning a CD or tickets to a show or whatever the prize on offer happens to be. The radio presenter gets the satisfaction of making a listener happy, content in the knowledge that he has made someone's day. A radio presenter is a performer; the radio waves or the Internet is his or her stage and making someone happy is a performer's raison d'etre in my humble opinion. I've been fortunate to perform on stage and on the radio and the sense of satisfaction and happiness you get from making someone happy is enormous. When they (the listener or the viewer) are moved to comment positively it really does make your day!

The Saw Doctors

Here in the Pioneer Valley Linda and I have been fortunate to win competitions on the radio a few times. Our friend John Allen,  the singer of the infamous Big Bad Bollocks and like me an Englishman, awarded us tickets when we won one of his competitions when he was the D.J. on one of the local radio stations here WRNX 100.9FM (www.wrnx.com) to see the Irish Band The Saw Doctors at The Calvin Theatre. We have the T-Shirt, we really did go!

The local stations are good at generating listener involvement through competitions here in the Pioneer Valley. On a personal note, The River (www.wrsi.com) 93.9FM has proved to be a profitable source of happiness, especially Monte's Breakfast show! We've won competitions on his show on two occasions, albeit a year apart!

Last year, we won tickets to go see a guy by the name of Joseph Arthur performing at The Ironhorse in Northampton (www.iheg.com). He was very tall and he had a unique stage presence. Neither Linda or I had heard of him so it was a bit of a gamble but hey, it was a night out! It turned out to be a very good experience. He 's a great guitarist, one who I believe has worked with George Harrison's son. He's also a very talented artist. He painted as he sung. We have a signed copy of the show at home.
 

Joseph Arthur live at The Ironhorse Summer 2010

It proved to us that it pays to be open minded when it comes to going to gigs. You know your type of music but always be prepared to try new artistes.

Today, we won another competition on his show! The prize was another trip to The Ironhorse to see the celebrated singer Marc Cohn (www.marccohn.net). If that name sounds familiar, it's because he's best known for the hit "Walking in Memphis" a top 20 hit over here and a top 30 hit back home in 1991 - wow, 20 years ago! He released a CD last year entitled Listening Booth: 1970.  The premise behind the album being 1970 was the year he really began to appreciate music as an 11 year old. It's tribute album, filled with hits of the year but he's a good singer so the songs he chose to cover will be given excellent treatment when performed live, I'm supremely confident!

The happiness you get from winning a competition on the radio cannot be quantified in my opinion for both the listener and the radio presenter. It truly enhances the radio experience. I hope it continues for many more years to come. I am proud to have played my little part helping to entertain people here in the Pioneer Valley.

Thank you for reading this blog and enjoy your music and enter a competition sometime - you never know, you might win!

Eddie