Interesting read and backgrounder. I was thinking of Goffin and King as another song writing duo and how later Carole got to sing her Tapestry - then I saw the reference to Goffin / King and the photo of Carole with Cynthia (and the pressure of fashion trends and hair styles for the time).
"... in the evenings worked with Carole King and Gerry Goffin, who taught her to be less sophisticated in her lyrics and more commercial."
I clicked on the video of Elvis and was intrigued by how he handled singing with the help of the sheet of lyrics
My thoughts from reading the obituary in The Telegraph
And I see where Scott Hughes sent me another link on Cynthia Weill, saying 'this is better'
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Cassette tape creator dies and memories of Mix Tapes
Opinion piece in The Guardian by Barbara Ellen -
Cassette tape
"Thank you for the music, Mr Ottens. Nothing will ever top the mixtape
The death of the inventor of cassettes should sadden anyone for whom they were the final word in cool"
This article got me thinking about how in the late 1960s and 1970s we got into making our own selection of music (My wife and I's first home stereo was made by Thorn and with a turntable and cassette player and the firm in Henderson, Auckland tossed in a free cassette for our purchase. The Cantor from Kentucky, Solomon King.
I remember the challenge of timing out your music selection so that one side of the cassette finished on a completed song. Otherwise it was rudely cut off.
I also remember loaning my LP of Neil Diamond - Moods to Dave K who did his cassette copy and had to buy me a replacement LP as he had left Neil Diamond in his car in the hot sun!
Fellow Unforgettable Music Society member Jim Wolf used to work closely with me in sourcing material and Jim will know how we used to be offered cassette tape collections from deceased estates from Unforgettable Music Society members who wondered what they might do with their parents' collection of music on cassette. Plus we were offered cassette copies of songs recorded off air (Dave of Te Aroha comes to mind)and people talked about how they used to try and avoid the back announcements. Sometimes these were our best offerings of rare material - until Alex Farkash came on the scene and was constantly adding to his digital collection.
to a copy & paste of the article by Barbara Ellen
The inventor of the cassette tape, Lou Ottens, has died, aged 94. It’s quite a moment for those of us whose youths were defined by the humble mixtape, the ecstasy and the agony of all those unspooling C90s and twisted-up C60s. I take that back: there was nothing humble about the mixtape. A great mixtape was a work of art, requiring focus and vision. The careful selections. The all-important order. The different-coloured pens. The naming of the tape across the spine (felt-tip, bubble graphics, perhaps a tragic years-too-late anarchy symbol). Occasionally, you’d find old, cracked cases in your pocket, or at the bottom of bags, sometimes in two pieces, like a broken heart, and you’d scan titles, wincing at Former You’s poor choices. The Bangles slapped next to Wire? Was I some kind of monster? I say “attention to detail”, you say “clear signs of neuroticism bordering on sociopathy”, and maybe we’re both right. Now there’s Spotify but, back then, mixtapes were the ultimate expression of the high-voltage, gloriously unreasonable teenage brain. They represented hinterland (“This is who I am and I should probably apologise for that”); dexterity (finger poised to turn the record button on and off at the right moment); criminality (if home taping was killing music, we all had blood dripping from our hands); frustration (your mum boiling a kettle halfway through a track); and, of course, romance: the giving/receiving of a mixtape was the supreme heartfelt gesture, the sonnet of its time, albeit one that sometimes ended in heartbreak and pettiness: “I don’t like you any more. Give me my tape back.” Mixtapes allowed music fans to be their own superstar DJs and, crucially, they were all about autonomy. You could slip a tape into your machine of choice (tinny tape recorder, dinky Walkman, full-throated ghetto blaster) and go wandering, anywhere you liked. In this way, the mixtape was as portable as a good book. If you got it right, it was equally inspiring, an anthology of sound.
My efforts to 'insert' the link into this post, don't seem to be working, so meantime
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/13/thank-you-for-music-mr-ottens-nothing-will-ever-top-mixtape
"Thank you for the music, Mr Ottens. Nothing will ever top the mixtape
The death of the inventor of cassettes should sadden anyone for whom they were the final word in cool"
I remember the challenge of timing out your music selection so that one side of the cassette finished on a completed song. Otherwise it was rudely cut off.
I also remember loaning my LP of Neil Diamond - Moods to Dave K who did his cassette copy and had to buy me a replacement LP as he had left Neil Diamond in his car in the hot sun!
Fellow Unforgettable Music Society member Jim Wolf used to work closely with me in sourcing material and Jim will know how we used to be offered cassette tape collections from deceased estates from Unforgettable Music Society members who wondered what they might do with their parents' collection of music on cassette. Plus we were offered cassette copies of songs recorded off air (Dave of Te Aroha comes to mind)and people talked about how they used to try and avoid the back announcements. Sometimes these were our best offerings of rare material - until Alex Farkash came on the scene and was constantly adding to his digital collection.
to a copy & paste of the article by Barbara Ellen
The inventor of the cassette tape, Lou Ottens, has died, aged 94. It’s quite a moment for those of us whose youths were defined by the humble mixtape, the ecstasy and the agony of all those unspooling C90s and twisted-up C60s. I take that back: there was nothing humble about the mixtape. A great mixtape was a work of art, requiring focus and vision. The careful selections. The all-important order. The different-coloured pens. The naming of the tape across the spine (felt-tip, bubble graphics, perhaps a tragic years-too-late anarchy symbol). Occasionally, you’d find old, cracked cases in your pocket, or at the bottom of bags, sometimes in two pieces, like a broken heart, and you’d scan titles, wincing at Former You’s poor choices. The Bangles slapped next to Wire? Was I some kind of monster? I say “attention to detail”, you say “clear signs of neuroticism bordering on sociopathy”, and maybe we’re both right. Now there’s Spotify but, back then, mixtapes were the ultimate expression of the high-voltage, gloriously unreasonable teenage brain. They represented hinterland (“This is who I am and I should probably apologise for that”); dexterity (finger poised to turn the record button on and off at the right moment); criminality (if home taping was killing music, we all had blood dripping from our hands); frustration (your mum boiling a kettle halfway through a track); and, of course, romance: the giving/receiving of a mixtape was the supreme heartfelt gesture, the sonnet of its time, albeit one that sometimes ended in heartbreak and pettiness: “I don’t like you any more. Give me my tape back.” Mixtapes allowed music fans to be their own superstar DJs and, crucially, they were all about autonomy. You could slip a tape into your machine of choice (tinny tape recorder, dinky Walkman, full-throated ghetto blaster) and go wandering, anywhere you liked. In this way, the mixtape was as portable as a good book. If you got it right, it was equally inspiring, an anthology of sound.
My efforts to 'insert' the link into this post, don't seem to be working, so meantime
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/13/thank-you-for-music-mr-ottens-nothing-will-ever-top-mixtape
Friday, May 10, 2019
Burt Bacharach muses on politics
He adored Dusty, drove Cilla to exhaustion and had so many hits he lost count. Now, the 90-year-old says it’s time to get political
Sunday, December 9, 2018
A ranking of 100 — yes, 100 — Christmas songs
An opinion piece by Alexandra Petri
Columnist for the Washington Post
December 7
If you are on the Internet long enough, there comes a year when you will be forced to rank something. Now it is my time. So I am taking the liberty of going through the 100 holiday songs being foisted upon us everywhere and ranking them from Most Especially Heinous to Best. This is probably a good idea, and I feel fit and confident! I bet this will be an easy, pleasant process. I’m amazed I haven’t already compiled several lists just like this!
100.“Little Drummer Boy.” My hatred for this song is well-documented. I think it is because the song takes approximately 18 years to sing and does not rhyme. The concept of the song is bad. The execution of the song is bad. There is not even an actual drum in the dang song, there is just someone saying PA-RUM-PA-PUM-PUM, which, frankly, is not a good onomatopoeia and probably is an insult to those fluent in Drum. I cannot stand it. Nothing will fix it, even the application of David Bowie to it. Every year I say, “I hate this song,” and every year people say, “Have you heard David Bowie’s version?” Yes. Yes, I have. It is still an abomination.
and so Alexandra Petri continues her wry look at her tastes in Christmas Music
I'm surprised at her ranking Dominic The Donkey so high on her list
5. “Dominick the Donkey.” Jiggity-jig! Hee haw! Hee haw! Now I am beginning to see that there is a problem with this list, which is that my taste is very strong and very bad, but I really like this song about a donkey. I love, as a genre, songs that try very hard to make a new seasonal figure happen. This song was like, “I see you, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and I raise you *apparently pulling several names and modifiers from a hat* Dominick, the Italian Christmas Donkey!” These songs always create a problem for their character to solve, or some magic, and I love, too, how prosaic the problem is that Dominick resolves: The reindeer can’t do hills! All hills? No, just Italian hills! Great! More of this, please. Also love the overlap between this song and “Blade Runner.” Not a lot of Christmas songs can pull off what “Dominick the Donkey” does. I am all in on “Dominick the Donkey.” I am a lot of fun on car rides, as I bet you can tell.
4. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” This song has always read as passive-aggressive to me, and I find that enjoyable.
3. “Underneath the Tree.” I wish we lived in a world where one of our biggest complaints, as a society, was that no song since “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been added to the Christmas canon. This should be a BIG complaint! (Also, what a world that would be! No Islamic State!) I think “Underneath the Tree” deserves to be added to the canon. Three reasons: Kelly Clarkson is great; it hits all the Christmas bases in a quick, efficient list (“You’re here, where you should be. / Snow is falling, and the carolers sing. … Presents, such a beautiful sight!”); and it slaps! Let it into the canon!
2. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” My spouse disagrees that the tune of this song is good. He says it is too whimsical. Well, I am 99 items into the list, and there is no turning back now. Unlike other holiday songs, which are saccharine at best and lachrymose at worst, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is just a man facing insult after insult from a deep bass voice with no reference to Christmas whatsoever. It is a welcome reprieve. I am correct to put it here.
1. “Good King Wenceslas.” This is a GREAT song. I never tire of hearing about the only semi-impressive good deeds of this medieval monarch. He made the sod slightly warm! Hooray! Good for you, King Wenceslas! All the rhymes work! Every word is satisfying to sing! WENCESLAS! ON THE FEAST OF STEPHEN! DEEP AND CRISP AND EVEN! What a rollicking, hearty song. WENCESLAS! All songs should be like this. I wish we sang this song year-round.
100.“Little Drummer Boy.” My hatred for this song is well-documented. I think it is because the song takes approximately 18 years to sing and does not rhyme. The concept of the song is bad. The execution of the song is bad. There is not even an actual drum in the dang song, there is just someone saying PA-RUM-PA-PUM-PUM, which, frankly, is not a good onomatopoeia and probably is an insult to those fluent in Drum. I cannot stand it. Nothing will fix it, even the application of David Bowie to it. Every year I say, “I hate this song,” and every year people say, “Have you heard David Bowie’s version?” Yes. Yes, I have. It is still an abomination.
and so Alexandra Petri continues her wry look at her tastes in Christmas Music
I'm surprised at her ranking Dominic The Donkey so high on her list
5. “Dominick the Donkey.” Jiggity-jig! Hee haw! Hee haw! Now I am beginning to see that there is a problem with this list, which is that my taste is very strong and very bad, but I really like this song about a donkey. I love, as a genre, songs that try very hard to make a new seasonal figure happen. This song was like, “I see you, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and I raise you *apparently pulling several names and modifiers from a hat* Dominick, the Italian Christmas Donkey!” These songs always create a problem for their character to solve, or some magic, and I love, too, how prosaic the problem is that Dominick resolves: The reindeer can’t do hills! All hills? No, just Italian hills! Great! More of this, please. Also love the overlap between this song and “Blade Runner.” Not a lot of Christmas songs can pull off what “Dominick the Donkey” does. I am all in on “Dominick the Donkey.” I am a lot of fun on car rides, as I bet you can tell.
4. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” This song has always read as passive-aggressive to me, and I find that enjoyable.
3. “Underneath the Tree.” I wish we lived in a world where one of our biggest complaints, as a society, was that no song since “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has been added to the Christmas canon. This should be a BIG complaint! (Also, what a world that would be! No Islamic State!) I think “Underneath the Tree” deserves to be added to the canon. Three reasons: Kelly Clarkson is great; it hits all the Christmas bases in a quick, efficient list (“You’re here, where you should be. / Snow is falling, and the carolers sing. … Presents, such a beautiful sight!”); and it slaps! Let it into the canon!
2. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” My spouse disagrees that the tune of this song is good. He says it is too whimsical. Well, I am 99 items into the list, and there is no turning back now. Unlike other holiday songs, which are saccharine at best and lachrymose at worst, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is just a man facing insult after insult from a deep bass voice with no reference to Christmas whatsoever. It is a welcome reprieve. I am correct to put it here.
1. “Good King Wenceslas.” This is a GREAT song. I never tire of hearing about the only semi-impressive good deeds of this medieval monarch. He made the sod slightly warm! Hooray! Good for you, King Wenceslas! All the rhymes work! Every word is satisfying to sing! WENCESLAS! ON THE FEAST OF STEPHEN! DEEP AND CRISP AND EVEN! What a rollicking, hearty song. WENCESLAS! All songs should be like this. I wish we sang this song year-round.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
How is it that the song Moon River became associated with Andy Williams?
Online BBC says ... He was best known for the song Moon River, the Oscar-winning song featured in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Wikipedia says .. Williams owned the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, named after the song "Moon River", with which he is closely identified.
From what I remember Andy's version was an album cut, the hit singles belonged to Danny Williams in the UK and Jerry Butler in the US?
How is it that the song Moon River became associated with Andy Williams?
Going to the guy who has done the research on what records sold in N.Z. before our chart system got more organised and published, I asked Mark Matheson how did Andy's version do in N.Z.?
Very well, said Mark, It was the flip side to Can’t Get Used To Losing You.
Was played well and the album sold in the thousands.
All three versions sold well here. His would probably the best remembered now I would think as the other two faded out of sight in New Zealand.
He also had huge hits earlier here with “Butterfly” “Lips Of Wine” “I Like Your Kind Of Love” “Lonely Street” “Hawaiian Wedding Song” & “The Village Of St Bernadette” etc.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Engelbert comes second last
Eurovision ends in Swedish win and humiliation for Engelbert Humperdinck
UK comes second to last as British fans question wisdom of entering septuagenarian crooner in this year's contest
The song sounded OK - maybe not great but not terrible on the Graham Norton Show
Sunday, April 1, 2012
New faces on Sgt Pepper album cover for artist Peter Blake's 80th birthday
Gosh, I'm in my 'Paul McCartney year', as in side 2, track 2 so I got out my old vinyl cover
The story from the Guardian ....
British pop artist Sir Peter Blake has taken inspiration from his most famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures he most admires as he marks his 80th birthday. Twiggy, Amy Winehouse, Grayson Perry, JK Rowling and even Monty Python's emblematic foot all feature in a reworked version of the 1967 cover created for his birthday celebrations. Blake, often called the godfather of the British pop art scene, said: "I've chosen people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends. "I had a very long list of people who I wanted to go in but couldn't fit everyone in – I think that shows how strong British culture and its legacy of the last six decades is."
British pop artist Sir Peter Blake has taken inspiration from his most famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album cover – to celebrate the British cultural figures he most admires as he marks his 80th birthday. Twiggy, Amy Winehouse, Grayson Perry, JK Rowling and even Monty Python's emblematic foot all feature in a reworked version of the 1967 cover created for his birthday celebrations. Blake, often called the godfather of the British pop art scene, said: "I've chosen people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends. "I had a very long list of people who I wanted to go in but couldn't fit everyone in – I think that shows how strong British culture and its legacy of the last six decades is."
Friday, March 30, 2012
Further thoughts on podcasting in the radio world
Further thoughts, that I related to, rather than the pitches for religious programmes
Larry B. • I was able to get a podcast monetized 6 years ago! Should be a snap today! You are right in that the model is not working. No need to trash it. Just think outside the box. As we sit here and discuss "is podcasting radio?", we are still stuck in the rut of thinking the revenue streams are going to be of a similar model as well.
I found it very easy to create a revenue stream. Yes it takes making connections with related businesses and selling but none of that can happen or is needed if you are just another "radio" style show in a huge sea of shows. Who cares that you are doing a talk show in city X that reflects the same or similar content a listener can get off the radio or 12 other pod versions of it.
That is the issue!
Break out with new content that builds niche audiences and caters to specific industries and business. Here is a hint, one style of show is not even close to cutting it! Bring other talent in as hosts so people don't have to listen to your opinion all the time. Give things away!
Personally, I feel much of radio has resisted jumping into podcasting because most of the stations do not want to or know they are not going to be able to keep up with all of the content creation. It is easier to just purchase the programming you want to fill space, other than jock talk, and sell against that. The other issue is staying inline with a stations normal branding. Podcasting allows everyone to have a voice but not everyone needs to be heard as some people have no restraint.
The politics a station has to deal with just does not apply in podcasting and allows so much freedom of expression that many struggle to believe what they are hearing. Yes, some of it is good and some of it is really bad, but just like Youtube, a mass of audio dumping onto the web has a spectrum of quality. Over time people will settle in on what they normally listen to once they find it and find loyalty there. That loyalty can be of value to the right person.
Asking for money from your audience is like driving that Ferrari to mow the lawn but asking people to pay to sit in the stands(porch) and watch. You ask the home owner(industry related businesses) to pay. They are the ones that need content to leverage their brand against.
Streaming is great but normally is nothing more than the same show of traditional radio with a 30 second delay and different advertisers.
There has been so much doubt about podcasting from the start. I was there at the start. It has not changed. Good material and content will always prevail no matter what format you deliver it in. Convenience rules and is also something radio cannot address well compared to podcasting. Mainstream radio has the money locked up and is not going to let it go easily but is losing that hold as we speak.
There are a mass of companies out there that want your podcast audience/demo and will pay if you can figure out how to develop something inline with their customer base and expanded demo. Using a traditional radio style approach and programming, is at a minimum, off putting to these savvy marketing execs.
Brand building through content creation and distribution is what I consult in and I am open to talking more about ways to monetize content as well. lawrencebrumwell@gmail.com
LarryB 1 day ago Charley H.
Charley
Charley H. • I could not disagree with Robin and John more about Monetization. Leo Laporte's TWIT network made over 2 million dollars last year, and there are guys like Jason Van Orden and Cliff Ravenscraft that have left rather lucrative jobs to podcast full time.
While they are exceptions to the rule, it is totally possible for a podcaster with a reach of a couple thousand listeners to pull down 1K per month from their podcasts. I also know a couple of people that have paid their way through college solely on income from their podcasts.
Here is my take on the differences between radio and podcasting.
While AC radio is always looking to reach "Becky" (or whatever her name is now) as their target demographic, she is looking for podcasts like Mommycast and other things she is interested in, like maybe a tv show she watches like Once Upon A Time or Fringe that she can listen to on her schedule rather than listening to the same music rotation all day everyday.
I guess I will sum this up by saying they call it BROADcasting because you are trying to reach the broadest audience possible within a single format while the successful podcasts are all about building a relationship with your audience around a specific niche topic.
Larry B. • I was able to get a podcast monetized 6 years ago! Should be a snap today! You are right in that the model is not working. No need to trash it. Just think outside the box. As we sit here and discuss "is podcasting radio?", we are still stuck in the rut of thinking the revenue streams are going to be of a similar model as well.
I found it very easy to create a revenue stream. Yes it takes making connections with related businesses and selling but none of that can happen or is needed if you are just another "radio" style show in a huge sea of shows. Who cares that you are doing a talk show in city X that reflects the same or similar content a listener can get off the radio or 12 other pod versions of it.
That is the issue!
Break out with new content that builds niche audiences and caters to specific industries and business. Here is a hint, one style of show is not even close to cutting it! Bring other talent in as hosts so people don't have to listen to your opinion all the time. Give things away!
Personally, I feel much of radio has resisted jumping into podcasting because most of the stations do not want to or know they are not going to be able to keep up with all of the content creation. It is easier to just purchase the programming you want to fill space, other than jock talk, and sell against that. The other issue is staying inline with a stations normal branding. Podcasting allows everyone to have a voice but not everyone needs to be heard as some people have no restraint.
The politics a station has to deal with just does not apply in podcasting and allows so much freedom of expression that many struggle to believe what they are hearing. Yes, some of it is good and some of it is really bad, but just like Youtube, a mass of audio dumping onto the web has a spectrum of quality. Over time people will settle in on what they normally listen to once they find it and find loyalty there. That loyalty can be of value to the right person.
Asking for money from your audience is like driving that Ferrari to mow the lawn but asking people to pay to sit in the stands(porch) and watch. You ask the home owner(industry related businesses) to pay. They are the ones that need content to leverage their brand against.
Streaming is great but normally is nothing more than the same show of traditional radio with a 30 second delay and different advertisers.
There has been so much doubt about podcasting from the start. I was there at the start. It has not changed. Good material and content will always prevail no matter what format you deliver it in. Convenience rules and is also something radio cannot address well compared to podcasting. Mainstream radio has the money locked up and is not going to let it go easily but is losing that hold as we speak.
There are a mass of companies out there that want your podcast audience/demo and will pay if you can figure out how to develop something inline with their customer base and expanded demo. Using a traditional radio style approach and programming, is at a minimum, off putting to these savvy marketing execs.
Brand building through content creation and distribution is what I consult in and I am open to talking more about ways to monetize content as well. lawrencebrumwell@gmail.com
LarryB 1 day ago Charley H.
Charley
Charley H. • I could not disagree with Robin and John more about Monetization. Leo Laporte's TWIT network made over 2 million dollars last year, and there are guys like Jason Van Orden and Cliff Ravenscraft that have left rather lucrative jobs to podcast full time.
While they are exceptions to the rule, it is totally possible for a podcaster with a reach of a couple thousand listeners to pull down 1K per month from their podcasts. I also know a couple of people that have paid their way through college solely on income from their podcasts.
Here is my take on the differences between radio and podcasting.
While AC radio is always looking to reach "Becky" (or whatever her name is now) as their target demographic, she is looking for podcasts like Mommycast and other things she is interested in, like maybe a tv show she watches like Once Upon A Time or Fringe that she can listen to on her schedule rather than listening to the same music rotation all day everyday.
I guess I will sum this up by saying they call it BROADcasting because you are trying to reach the broadest audience possible within a single format while the successful podcasts are all about building a relationship with your audience around a specific niche topic.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Podcasts
Interesting discussion on podcasts on LinkedIn that caught my eye (rather than my ear)
Is Podcasting Radio? Do people still care?
Does radio need to be live, are podcast and on demand audio formats (BBC iPlayer / Soundcloud) now as important and excepted by the listening public as live radio.
A mate of mine recently said "Podcasts are dead" is that true to you or have they evolved into something else?
Could audio books be classed as a form of on demand radio programming? I really interested in hearing what people think.
6 comments
Marc L. • I think podcasting is a strong part of the on demand media choices out there. Just take a look at sites like BlogTalk where anyone with an opinion can do a show. Mind you, the quality might not be the best, and the talent might be a bit rusty, but it gives the host the chance to be their own "voice of reason". From a listener perspective, people don't have to wait to listen to a radio program (or don't have to miss a radio program) as a result of podcasting. And, listeners can fine tune their listening choices thanks to podcasts. Dead? Nahh...just quietly lurking in the shadows.
Radio, in it's purest form, should always be "live", but the term "radio" is changing itself.
Robin D. • Taking it literally, podcasting is not radio.
"Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies significantly below those of visible light." - Wikipedia
"Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium." - Wikipedia So in reality, podcasting is another form of broadcasting, and has established itself as a prominent means of enjoying exclusive and diverse material without being tied to a piece of equipment at a set time in a set place. The sheer flexibility and variety of available podcasts, and the ease with which anyone can put out their own ones makes it a serious force to be reckoned with. As Marc says, "quietly lurking in the shadows", it's still the Web's best kept secret and has huge potential. The technology is expanding all the time, and our biggest increase in feedback now comes from the ability to play podcasts on car stereos.
When is an audio book classed as a form of on demand radio? I would say when it takes the form of a podcast downloaded from a radio station's website, such as a play, comedy show or documentary. If it is purchased in a bookshop or supermarket and marketed as an audio book, then it is definitely an audio book. To use the old adage - if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and feels like a duck, then it's definitely a duck!
Is Podcasting Radio? Do people still care?
Does radio need to be live, are podcast and on demand audio formats (BBC iPlayer / Soundcloud) now as important and excepted by the listening public as live radio.
A mate of mine recently said "Podcasts are dead" is that true to you or have they evolved into something else?
Could audio books be classed as a form of on demand radio programming? I really interested in hearing what people think.
6 comments
Marc L. • I think podcasting is a strong part of the on demand media choices out there. Just take a look at sites like BlogTalk where anyone with an opinion can do a show. Mind you, the quality might not be the best, and the talent might be a bit rusty, but it gives the host the chance to be their own "voice of reason". From a listener perspective, people don't have to wait to listen to a radio program (or don't have to miss a radio program) as a result of podcasting. And, listeners can fine tune their listening choices thanks to podcasts. Dead? Nahh...just quietly lurking in the shadows.
Radio, in it's purest form, should always be "live", but the term "radio" is changing itself.
Robin D. • Taking it literally, podcasting is not radio.
"Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies significantly below those of visible light." - Wikipedia
"Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium." - Wikipedia So in reality, podcasting is another form of broadcasting, and has established itself as a prominent means of enjoying exclusive and diverse material without being tied to a piece of equipment at a set time in a set place. The sheer flexibility and variety of available podcasts, and the ease with which anyone can put out their own ones makes it a serious force to be reckoned with. As Marc says, "quietly lurking in the shadows", it's still the Web's best kept secret and has huge potential. The technology is expanding all the time, and our biggest increase in feedback now comes from the ability to play podcasts on car stereos.
When is an audio book classed as a form of on demand radio? I would say when it takes the form of a podcast downloaded from a radio station's website, such as a play, comedy show or documentary. If it is purchased in a bookshop or supermarket and marketed as an audio book, then it is definitely an audio book. To use the old adage - if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and feels like a duck, then it's definitely a duck!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Trials of obtaining music
I had given Brian my standard advice of doing a Google search for the artist - song title and looking for a Last FM or Amazon result and using that to click on more information on any CDs listed to find an image of the CD, sometimes track listing, and perhaps a CD number to then go track it down in their favourite record store or at The Warehouse.
Sent: Sun 12/02/2012 9:23 p.m.
To: Ray Mankelow
Subject: That song
Hi Ray,
I have been given your email as part of a quest that I have been on for the last Fifty plus years. The song "Stair Way Of Love" had me enraptured as a mere Five to about Ten year old. I could even get it on my Crystal Set if I was very careful and didn't breath to loudly. I never could remember the singer, too young I suppose. However, now I appear to be getting closer to one of my most cherished dreams, to have some sort of record that will enable me to play it over and over again. All that stands in my way now, is how on earth does an old bloke like me figure out this down load business. I don't own any I pod, E pod or any other sort of pod, I have a rather ancient CD player and that's it. I did manage to bring up the site as given to me by one of your fellow D.J's, it certainly sounds like the right one, but there was only a snippet of the song which certainly sounded right, the intervening years being what they are. At least now I am a little closer, the song was sung by Michael Holliday, and the year sounds about right.
Will it be possible for me to buy the disc from somewhere, possibly a whole Michael Holliday disc.
With a little, a whole lot , of help from my reasonably savvy Wife we, with pointers in right direction, might even manage to burn it to a CD.
I would love to be able to listen to the whole song, but don't even know where to start.
This list of questions, I realise, is a hell of a cheek and a most unreasonable imposition, but the technology is way over my head and I don't have anyone else to ask.
So, I am taking a big breath and asking you to give of your unmistakeable ability with this technology and tell me, WHERE TO FROM HERE.
Please, please help me when you get a moment and you will make an almost old man very happy.
Most humble regards,Brian
Ray Mankelow
Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 10:01 PM
to Brian
Once you've sampled the song and decide this is the track you want click on any of the albums pictured above - for example
The Magic of Michael Holliday
and you will see this includes "Stairway Of Love"
Now you know what CD you are looking for in your favorite record store.
Where abouts do you live and/or what Record Store would you go to?
11:23 AM
Hi Ray, that song is really starting to get in my head, my face, all the places that I don’t want it to, except somewhere I can actually listen to it, all of it.
I live in Pukekohe, there used to be a record shop, a good one, it closed. I Have’nt got a clue where I could go to even start to make enquires about a CD. It’s possible that the Warehouse might have something, but it’s like looking for the EYE of a needle in a haystack in those bins. I think that I might have to put that song right back to where it has been for all these years, in my distant memory. I really thought, with all the modern Techno gear available these days it would be a piece of getting a song, even just to listen to it again. That does not appear to be the case, not where I am concerned anyway.
Thanks anyway for all your help and Raylene’s.
There are about a dozen Emails in my file, all full of your good information, but I can’t unravel any of it to make it work.
I suppose that fact that I have seen sixty quite a while ago might have something to do with it. This is way over my pay scale, as the saying goes.
Cheers
12:21 PM
Hi Ray,
Absolutely had to send you a quick line.
I DID IT!
Believe it or not, I actually ordered a CD from Amazon of Michael Holliday with THAT SONG on it. What a process! My blood pressure has gone into dangerous, I have a headache, but I did it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the help that you have given me. At long last, well sometime in April, at least, I will be able to sit back and let all those childhood memories come flooding back. FABULOUS. LOVE IT.
Thanks again
Ray Mankelow
12:51 PM
to Brian
Well done, enjoy when the CD arrives.
As with all things, it's easy when you know how - it's just getting to that knowledge!
I was asking about location as there was one store in Taradale that seemed to be able to get records in for customers. I think it was Wayne of Zinc Records that would go to the trouble to source a song, whereas most record stores (with young staff) find it too difficult to go out of their way. Lucille Starr - The French Song was a case in point. Wayne at Zinc could get it in for customers but Coast listeners from around the country were being told it was just NOT available.
From an email sent Friday, June 26, 2009 8:41 PM that endorses the efforts of Wayne of Zinc Records
Hello Ray
SO good to hear you on Coast tonight and so glad you are getting plenty of shifts! To me you are a very special announcer. Do you remember poking me in the direction of Wayne at Zinc Records in Tarradale - Napier - well Wayne and i have developed a very special - almost 'pen friend' type correspondence - he is SO good at local news etc plus able to get any music purchases I require - ie, I have acquired several really good music DVDs from him which I really enjoy watching. Would love Coast to give him a plug?? Am currently listening to Kristoffeson - belive he turned 73 the other day? Remember my love of that famous line of his " Fumbled through my closet and found my cleanest dirty shirt"? Still love it. Meantime take care, keep up the good work and best wishes and regards from Jewells (Jim)!
Sent: Sun 12/02/2012 9:23 p.m.
To: Ray Mankelow
Subject: That song
Hi Ray,
I have been given your email as part of a quest that I have been on for the last Fifty plus years. The song "Stair Way Of Love" had me enraptured as a mere Five to about Ten year old. I could even get it on my Crystal Set if I was very careful and didn't breath to loudly. I never could remember the singer, too young I suppose. However, now I appear to be getting closer to one of my most cherished dreams, to have some sort of record that will enable me to play it over and over again. All that stands in my way now, is how on earth does an old bloke like me figure out this down load business. I don't own any I pod, E pod or any other sort of pod, I have a rather ancient CD player and that's it. I did manage to bring up the site as given to me by one of your fellow D.J's, it certainly sounds like the right one, but there was only a snippet of the song which certainly sounded right, the intervening years being what they are. At least now I am a little closer, the song was sung by Michael Holliday, and the year sounds about right.
Will it be possible for me to buy the disc from somewhere, possibly a whole Michael Holliday disc.
With a little, a whole lot , of help from my reasonably savvy Wife we, with pointers in right direction, might even manage to burn it to a CD.
I would love to be able to listen to the whole song, but don't even know where to start.
This list of questions, I realise, is a hell of a cheek and a most unreasonable imposition, but the technology is way over my head and I don't have anyone else to ask.
So, I am taking a big breath and asking you to give of your unmistakeable ability with this technology and tell me, WHERE TO FROM HERE.
Please, please help me when you get a moment and you will make an almost old man very happy.
Most humble regards,Brian
Ray Mankelow
Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 10:01 PM
to Brian
Once you've sampled the song and decide this is the track you want click on any of the albums pictured above - for example
The Magic of Michael Holliday
and you will see this includes "Stairway Of Love"
Now you know what CD you are looking for in your favorite record store.
Where abouts do you live and/or what Record Store would you go to?
11:23 AM
Hi Ray, that song is really starting to get in my head, my face, all the places that I don’t want it to, except somewhere I can actually listen to it, all of it.
I live in Pukekohe, there used to be a record shop, a good one, it closed. I Have’nt got a clue where I could go to even start to make enquires about a CD. It’s possible that the Warehouse might have something, but it’s like looking for the EYE of a needle in a haystack in those bins. I think that I might have to put that song right back to where it has been for all these years, in my distant memory. I really thought, with all the modern Techno gear available these days it would be a piece of getting a song, even just to listen to it again. That does not appear to be the case, not where I am concerned anyway.
Thanks anyway for all your help and Raylene’s.
There are about a dozen Emails in my file, all full of your good information, but I can’t unravel any of it to make it work.
I suppose that fact that I have seen sixty quite a while ago might have something to do with it. This is way over my pay scale, as the saying goes.
Cheers
12:21 PM
Hi Ray,
Absolutely had to send you a quick line.
I DID IT!
Believe it or not, I actually ordered a CD from Amazon of Michael Holliday with THAT SONG on it. What a process! My blood pressure has gone into dangerous, I have a headache, but I did it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all the help that you have given me. At long last, well sometime in April, at least, I will be able to sit back and let all those childhood memories come flooding back. FABULOUS. LOVE IT.
Thanks again
Ray Mankelow
12:51 PM
to Brian
Well done, enjoy when the CD arrives.
As with all things, it's easy when you know how - it's just getting to that knowledge!
I was asking about location as there was one store in Taradale that seemed to be able to get records in for customers. I think it was Wayne of Zinc Records that would go to the trouble to source a song, whereas most record stores (with young staff) find it too difficult to go out of their way. Lucille Starr - The French Song was a case in point. Wayne at Zinc could get it in for customers but Coast listeners from around the country were being told it was just NOT available.
From an email sent Friday, June 26, 2009 8:41 PM that endorses the efforts of Wayne of Zinc Records
Hello Ray
SO good to hear you on Coast tonight and so glad you are getting plenty of shifts! To me you are a very special announcer. Do you remember poking me in the direction of Wayne at Zinc Records in Tarradale - Napier - well Wayne and i have developed a very special - almost 'pen friend' type correspondence - he is SO good at local news etc plus able to get any music purchases I require - ie, I have acquired several really good music DVDs from him which I really enjoy watching. Would love Coast to give him a plug?? Am currently listening to Kristoffeson - belive he turned 73 the other day? Remember my love of that famous line of his " Fumbled through my closet and found my cleanest dirty shirt"? Still love it. Meantime take care, keep up the good work and best wishes and regards from Jewells (Jim)!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Thoughts for the Chairman's Report 2012
Fit for purpose - a message, a saying, that Warren Vickery wanted me to remember as we said goodbye at the Hospice.
Warren was referring to dealings with the Government's fobbing UMSi off from getting an Auckland wide frequency with their machinations on granting us a license that had so many restrictions.
What the Government (and it's agencies) was offering was definitely NOT fit for purpose in Warren's mind. A mind that was continuing to plan/plot/strategise around these impossible conditions and to achieve an Auckland wide frequency for the Unforgettable Music Society.
I wonder what Warren would have made of Lawyer Mai Chen's book, Public Law Toolbox. Her book has advice on where to go, who to see and how to make representations. Instead of hiring a costly legal team to fight a battle against a government decision, she advises spending time hunting out the right body to take up the cudgels on your behalf.
Chen writes that, dealing with government does not have to be David vs Goliath. "Governments have unique vulnerabilities."
Secondly, timing is critical. "Most clients do not understand that government works to yearly and three-yearly (election) timetables.
Thirdly, find a common national or public interest. "The most important determinant for success in fixing a problem with government is not who you know, as clients often think, but whether there is a shared national or public interest for fixing a problem. Politicians and officials have to be able to justify policy or law reform, or expenditure of public funds to the electorate. The skill is in finding a shared interest with government in having a problem resolved.
Finding a national or public interest was a suggestion that had the UM Society try to develop a relationship with Grey Power. Warren was the main driver in that. I'm not sure that our Unforgettable Music voice has risen high enough up in the concerns of Grey Power as a body.
You may have seen/heard that Kiwi FM has been allowed to relax their commitment to all NZ music from 100 to 60%.
Ministry of Economic Development was looking at including the non-commercial Kiwi FM frequencies for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and two others - all of which were set aside for the youth radio network - in a review.
Whether that review gives us any opportunities to lobby our cause for the music for the Seniors of this country and steer the Government boffins away from youth radio network thoughts.
A John Drinnan story on Kiwi FM suggests that Government tender could realign the division between the two players in the commercial radio duopoly of Radio Network and Radio Works. That is especially the case in Auckland where the two firms are finely balanced.
With the passing of Warren and no visible means of financial support to get our Auckland-wide radio dreams up and running - is the Unforgettable Music Society 'fit for purpose'
Maybe the internet is a way of the future. Social media giants in Google and Facebook are using the radio model in some ways, offering a free service in exchange with putting up with some Ads. Facebook has to offer something to its users to attract more eyes that appeal to advertisers. Much like a radio programme attracts ears (listeners) to sell to businesses that want to use those ears to get to the purchasing minds. Somehow the social media likes of Facebook are (appealing to their users egos) getting more involved with their users, learning more about each and everyone of them to customise sales messages in a way radio hasn't been able to. Imagine an Ad break between songs that has different messages targeted at different listeners - individualised to each listener. Rather than say, just having Auckland Ads for Auckland listeners and Christchurch Ads for Christchurch listeners.
Maybe if we are streaming Unforgettable Music on the internet we could engage with listeners with our common interest in music. Maybe we could create podcasts on feature artists (Today FM Tonight At Seven style) and these podcasts could have targeted Ads based on customer supplied information.
At the moment we have a number of individual low power fm stations (mostly in Auckland) that use a base of Unforgettable Music to deliver their own particular style.
After posting this, through Richard Phelps on FB, I can across a discussion on using QR codes on radio
Warren was referring to dealings with the Government's fobbing UMSi off from getting an Auckland wide frequency with their machinations on granting us a license that had so many restrictions.
What the Government (and it's agencies) was offering was definitely NOT fit for purpose in Warren's mind. A mind that was continuing to plan/plot/strategise around these impossible conditions and to achieve an Auckland wide frequency for the Unforgettable Music Society.
I wonder what Warren would have made of Lawyer Mai Chen's book, Public Law Toolbox. Her book has advice on where to go, who to see and how to make representations. Instead of hiring a costly legal team to fight a battle against a government decision, she advises spending time hunting out the right body to take up the cudgels on your behalf.
Chen writes that, dealing with government does not have to be David vs Goliath. "Governments have unique vulnerabilities."
Secondly, timing is critical. "Most clients do not understand that government works to yearly and three-yearly (election) timetables.
Thirdly, find a common national or public interest. "The most important determinant for success in fixing a problem with government is not who you know, as clients often think, but whether there is a shared national or public interest for fixing a problem. Politicians and officials have to be able to justify policy or law reform, or expenditure of public funds to the electorate. The skill is in finding a shared interest with government in having a problem resolved.
Finding a national or public interest was a suggestion that had the UM Society try to develop a relationship with Grey Power. Warren was the main driver in that. I'm not sure that our Unforgettable Music voice has risen high enough up in the concerns of Grey Power as a body.
You may have seen/heard that Kiwi FM has been allowed to relax their commitment to all NZ music from 100 to 60%.
Ministry of Economic Development was looking at including the non-commercial Kiwi FM frequencies for Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and two others - all of which were set aside for the youth radio network - in a review.
Whether that review gives us any opportunities to lobby our cause for the music for the Seniors of this country and steer the Government boffins away from youth radio network thoughts.
A John Drinnan story on Kiwi FM suggests that Government tender could realign the division between the two players in the commercial radio duopoly of Radio Network and Radio Works. That is especially the case in Auckland where the two firms are finely balanced.
With the passing of Warren and no visible means of financial support to get our Auckland-wide radio dreams up and running - is the Unforgettable Music Society 'fit for purpose'
Maybe the internet is a way of the future. Social media giants in Google and Facebook are using the radio model in some ways, offering a free service in exchange with putting up with some Ads. Facebook has to offer something to its users to attract more eyes that appeal to advertisers. Much like a radio programme attracts ears (listeners) to sell to businesses that want to use those ears to get to the purchasing minds. Somehow the social media likes of Facebook are (appealing to their users egos) getting more involved with their users, learning more about each and everyone of them to customise sales messages in a way radio hasn't been able to. Imagine an Ad break between songs that has different messages targeted at different listeners - individualised to each listener. Rather than say, just having Auckland Ads for Auckland listeners and Christchurch Ads for Christchurch listeners.
Maybe if we are streaming Unforgettable Music on the internet we could engage with listeners with our common interest in music. Maybe we could create podcasts on feature artists (Today FM Tonight At Seven style) and these podcasts could have targeted Ads based on customer supplied information.
At the moment we have a number of individual low power fm stations (mostly in Auckland) that use a base of Unforgettable Music to deliver their own particular style.
After posting this, through Richard Phelps on FB, I can across a discussion on using QR codes on radio
Saturday, October 8, 2011
CRIMSON AND CLOVER
Tommy James & The Shondells
US#1(2) from 1 February and NZ#1(3) from 24 April 1969 Their 5th million-seller, with global sales of over 4 million - Monster Hit in NZ (from my Million-Sellers file) See also Wikipedia
Thursday 6th Oct Bill Ashworth popped up on Facebook chat ...
Hey Ray, next time you are on Coast can you find the exact album your version of Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Sondells is from? I bought one off i-tunes but I like the version that Coast plays
Hi Bill, the version Coast play is the long version, presumably the album version. Coast have the song on a computer hard drive, so not sure if I can check on the source. Will check one of my music books.
Pat Downey's book on Top 40 songs on CD, says 5:23 (LP) version is on K-Tel 3183 Psychedelic Mind Trip. Plus a 5:09 (LP version faded early) was on Time-Life 2CLR-04 Classic Rock - 1968.
Suggest do a Google search and see what Amazon and Last FM offer up
Bill came back with ...
Hello Ray, Thanks for the clues, the version I have is from their album Crystal Symphonies The Psychedelic Years, is extended play 5:31 but is modified from the Coasts version which I prefer.
then later Bill reported he had ...
Found it on i-tunes Pop Hits Vol 2- 5 minutes 30 secs
Pat Downey's book says that a 5:30 version was on Rhino 70534 Crimson & Clover/Cellophone Symphony. (LP version with :07 of studio talk) Pat Downey also notes there was available (a noble attempt at recreating the 45 version but unfortunately this is not the real 45 version) for example on Rhino 70630 Billboard's Top Rock & Roll Hits of 1969.
Bet you didn't realise things can be so complicated when you're trying to obtain an 'original' version of a song.
US#1(2) from 1 February and NZ#1(3) from 24 April 1969 Their 5th million-seller, with global sales of over 4 million - Monster Hit in NZ (from my Million-Sellers file) See also Wikipedia
Thursday 6th Oct Bill Ashworth popped up on Facebook chat ...
Hey Ray, next time you are on Coast can you find the exact album your version of Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Sondells is from? I bought one off i-tunes but I like the version that Coast plays
Hi Bill, the version Coast play is the long version, presumably the album version. Coast have the song on a computer hard drive, so not sure if I can check on the source. Will check one of my music books.
Pat Downey's book on Top 40 songs on CD, says 5:23 (LP) version is on K-Tel 3183 Psychedelic Mind Trip. Plus a 5:09 (LP version faded early) was on Time-Life 2CLR-04 Classic Rock - 1968.
Suggest do a Google search and see what Amazon and Last FM offer up
Bill came back with ...
Hello Ray, Thanks for the clues, the version I have is from their album Crystal Symphonies The Psychedelic Years, is extended play 5:31 but is modified from the Coasts version which I prefer.
then later Bill reported he had ...
Found it on i-tunes Pop Hits Vol 2- 5 minutes 30 secs
Pat Downey's book says that a 5:30 version was on Rhino 70534 Crimson & Clover/Cellophone Symphony. (LP version with :07 of studio talk) Pat Downey also notes there was available (a noble attempt at recreating the 45 version but unfortunately this is not the real 45 version) for example on Rhino 70630 Billboard's Top Rock & Roll Hits of 1969.
Bet you didn't realise things can be so complicated when you're trying to obtain an 'original' version of a song.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Big Pizza Pie
Searching through CD back ups of data and found my answer to the question what was a big pizza pie a replacement for?
Answer: "Jerry Lewis even had a hand in altering the lyrics slightly - substituting ‘gefilte fish’ for ‘big pizza pie’and the song became Dean’s first million seller." (Notes from Tonight At Seven script for a feature on Today FM)
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie
That's Amore - eye - pie but what rhymed with gefilte fish?
Some links to You Tube clips of the song, with lyrics
or to see Dean do the song in the movie The Caddy
Friday, June 17, 2011
Rock legend Carl Gardner, lead singer of the Coasters, dies age 83
As the lead voice of the Coasters in the late 1950s, Carl Gardner delivered some of early rock 'n' roll's most indelible lines.It takes a microsecond for any fan to recognize "Yakety Yak," where the first sound out of the grooves is Gardner's voice barking, "Take out the papers and the trash / Or you don't get no spending cash."
The root of teenage exasperation was never nailed more succinctly.
Gardner, who started as a traditional rhythm-and-blues harmony singer and in later years became an advocate for artists' rights and fair financial compensation, died 12 June 2011 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was 83 and had been suffering from congestive heart failure and vascular dementia. He retired from singing with his last Coasters group in 2005.
The Coasters were formed in 1956 around Gardner and bass Bobby Nunn, who had previously sung in the respected Los Angeles group the Robins.
The Coasters became the musical vehicle for the songs of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, who used rock 'n' roll to create a hilarious chronicle of American life, particularly American teenage life.
"Along Came Jones" satirized TV Westerns and "Charlie Brown" honored the original slacker. "Poison Ivy" may be the only pop hit ever to mention Calamine lotion, and "Searchin'" turned a routine love song into a pop culture drama by having the elusive girl pursued by contemporary TV stars like Sugarfoot and Paladin from "Have Gun Will Travel."
Gardner took pride in the group's ability to deliver tongue-in-cheek humor while still creating songs that sounded compelling on a car radio.
At the 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, where the Coasters became the first vocal group inducted, he said he considered the group professional entertainers rather than the street-corner singers who were popular in the late 1950s.
"People may have called it doo-wop or novelty music," he said. "But we sang songs that lasted."
Again thanks to Music Maestro Mark for passing on the obituary
Recently I had discussion about the tune that used as the theme for the Benny Hill Show. This was inspired by the sax solo by King Curtis in The Coaster's 1957 No.1 hit "Yakety Yak" and became a hit for Boots Randolph, which he called Yakety Sax. A US#35 from February 1963.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Whiskey In The Jar
from Facebook posting and comments ...
What song immediately puts you back in school with a car full of friends singing at the top of your lungs? come on , we all did it?
mine was " i'm every woman " by Chaka Khan and " Le Freak " by Chic
There were a number of songs mentioned and then came one I thought was from my era ...
CC whiskey in the jaro! remind me who sang it!
May 28 at 6:16am · Like
Ray Mankelow I remember the Seekers doing Whiskey In The Jar, probably best known by The Dubliners. What ho the daddy oh.
May 28 at 9:28am · Like
LH Sticking my beak in - Thin Lizzy did a great version with Phyll Lynott singing.
Wikipedia says ...
"Whiskey in the Jar" is a famous Irish traditional song, set in the southern mountains of Ireland, with specific mention of Cork and Kerry counties, as well as Fenit, a village in Kerry county. It is about a highwayman, or perhaps a footpad, who is betrayed by his wife or lover, and is one of the most widely performed traditional Irish songs. It has been recorded by numerous professional artists since the 1950s. The song first gained wide exposure when the Irish folk band The Dubliners performed it internationally as a signature song, and recorded it on three albums in the 1960s. Building on their success, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy hit the Irish and British pop charts with the song in the early 1970s. The American metal band Metallica brought it to a wider rock audience in 1998 by playing a version very similar to that of Thin Lizzy's with a heavier sound, and won a Grammy for the song in 2000 for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Music Maestro Mark said, The Highwaymen had a popular version in 1962. So perhaps that is the one in my subconcious. Then Mark followed up with 'By the way The Dubliners version was only available here on an album.' So that probably precludes them reaching my ears over the radio.
Last-fm says the Highwaymen's version appears on the album Encore and other website mention the album 'Still Rowing'
I found it difficult to find a Highwaymen version on You Tube but, I did get to hear the song
Checking the various versions I found the lyric line was "Whack for my daddy-o" and not as I thought 'What ho the daddy Oh'
And music buff and collector, Scott said ...
I'm familiar with the Thin Lizzy version. Can imagine the Dubliner's doing it, remember them doing Seven Drunken Nights ? Great Irish humour.
Song that takes me back like that is Goodybe Yellow Brick Road. Just two notes of the intro and it's like being sent back in a time machine to summer late 1973 / early summer 1974.
My song of strong memories is the Loving Spoonful - Daydream. That puts me around the swimming pool in the sunshine at Ohakea Air Base during my first year in the RNZAF.
The other memorable songs listed on that Facebook page were ...
MB We are all gonna on a summer holiday we sang that every boxing day as we all headed off camping and yes stop laughing please I have camped in the PAST !!!!
May 27 at 3:43pm · Like · 1 person
JH Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and wings
May 27 at 7:33pm · Like · 1 person
EH I can make you feel good - Shalamar
May 28 at 5:54am · Like · 1 person
What song immediately puts you back in school with a car full of friends singing at the top of your lungs? come on , we all did it?
mine was " i'm every woman " by Chaka Khan and " Le Freak " by Chic
There were a number of songs mentioned and then came one I thought was from my era ...
CC whiskey in the jaro! remind me who sang it!
May 28 at 6:16am · Like
Ray Mankelow I remember the Seekers doing Whiskey In The Jar, probably best known by The Dubliners. What ho the daddy oh.
May 28 at 9:28am · Like
LH Sticking my beak in - Thin Lizzy did a great version with Phyll Lynott singing.
Wikipedia says ...
"Whiskey in the Jar" is a famous Irish traditional song, set in the southern mountains of Ireland, with specific mention of Cork and Kerry counties, as well as Fenit, a village in Kerry county. It is about a highwayman, or perhaps a footpad, who is betrayed by his wife or lover, and is one of the most widely performed traditional Irish songs. It has been recorded by numerous professional artists since the 1950s. The song first gained wide exposure when the Irish folk band The Dubliners performed it internationally as a signature song, and recorded it on three albums in the 1960s. Building on their success, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy hit the Irish and British pop charts with the song in the early 1970s. The American metal band Metallica brought it to a wider rock audience in 1998 by playing a version very similar to that of Thin Lizzy's with a heavier sound, and won a Grammy for the song in 2000 for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Music Maestro Mark said, The Highwaymen had a popular version in 1962. So perhaps that is the one in my subconcious. Then Mark followed up with 'By the way The Dubliners version was only available here on an album.' So that probably precludes them reaching my ears over the radio.
Last-fm says the Highwaymen's version appears on the album Encore and other website mention the album 'Still Rowing'
I found it difficult to find a Highwaymen version on You Tube but, I did get to hear the song
Checking the various versions I found the lyric line was "Whack for my daddy-o" and not as I thought 'What ho the daddy Oh'
And music buff and collector, Scott said ...
I'm familiar with the Thin Lizzy version. Can imagine the Dubliner's doing it, remember them doing Seven Drunken Nights ? Great Irish humour.
Song that takes me back like that is Goodybe Yellow Brick Road. Just two notes of the intro and it's like being sent back in a time machine to summer late 1973 / early summer 1974.
My song of strong memories is the Loving Spoonful - Daydream. That puts me around the swimming pool in the sunshine at Ohakea Air Base during my first year in the RNZAF.
The other memorable songs listed on that Facebook page were ...
MB We are all gonna on a summer holiday we sang that every boxing day as we all headed off camping and yes stop laughing please I have camped in the PAST !!!!
May 27 at 3:43pm · Like · 1 person
JH Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and wings
May 27 at 7:33pm · Like · 1 person
EH I can make you feel good - Shalamar
May 28 at 5:54am · Like · 1 person
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Narcissism and hostility show an increase in popular music
Listening to World Watch on National Radio Sunday morning heard an item about research showing an increase in the focus on self in song lyrics.
Radio NZ websites says Worldwatch audio is not available on demand due to copyright restrictions. So did a Google search and found various results including a New York Times feature ...
Now, after a computer analysis of three decades of hit songs, Dr. DeWall and other psychologists report finding what they were looking for: a statistically significant trend toward narcissism and hostility in popular music. As they hypothesized, the words “I” and “me” appear more frequently along with anger-related words, while there’s been a corresponding decline in “we” and “us” and the expression of positive emotions.
And also covered in a Blog Post
I liked the line from Dr Margaret Paul; "Many do not understand the vast difference between being self-centered and being self-responsible and self-caring."
Radio NZ websites says Worldwatch audio is not available on demand due to copyright restrictions. So did a Google search and found various results including a New York Times feature ...
Now, after a computer analysis of three decades of hit songs, Dr. DeWall and other psychologists report finding what they were looking for: a statistically significant trend toward narcissism and hostility in popular music. As they hypothesized, the words “I” and “me” appear more frequently along with anger-related words, while there’s been a corresponding decline in “we” and “us” and the expression of positive emotions.
And also covered in a Blog Post
I liked the line from Dr Margaret Paul; "Many do not understand the vast difference between being self-centered and being self-responsible and self-caring."
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Phoebe Snow dies, aged 58
US folk and blues singer Phoebe Snow has died, 26 April 2011, of complications from a stroke she suffered last year, aged 58.
The singer-songwriter, who was best known for her 1975 hit Poetry Man, had been in a coma since the stroke in January 2010, her manager said.
Snow largely dropped out of the public spotlight soon after her first album to care for her daughter who was born with a severe brain injury.
However she continued to make albums, releasing 16 during her career.
Born Phoebe Ann Laub in New York City in 1950, the singer changed her name after seeing Phoebe Snow, a fictional advertising character for a railroad, on trains that passed through her hometown in New Jersey.
Her acclaimed 1974 self-titled album debut reached number four in the chart, spawning the hit Poetry Man as well as earning Snow a best new artist Grammy nomination.
A year later, when Valerie was born with hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain cavity, Snow decided to care for her at home rather than place her in a hospital.
Although she was not expected to live more than a few years, Valerie later died in 2007 aged 31.
"Occasionally I put an album out, but I didn't like to tour, and they didn't get a lot of label support," the singer told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2008.
"But you know what? It didn't really matter because I got to stay home more with Valerie, and that time was precious."
Again thanks to Music Maestro Mark for passing on the obituary
Homage to a songwriter and a song query
Ray Columbus has paid homage to the songwriter of the iconic Number 1 Australasian smash hit for Ray Columbus & The Invaders 1964 hit, 'She's A Mod'.
Terry Beale died peacefully in the UK at home in Redditch, Midlands. Born on September 20, 1944, Beale was the lead singer and songwriter in a Birmingham band called The Senators. 'She's A Mod' was never a hit for The Senators but they were a part of the new wave of British invasion bands that arose in the early 1960s. Their line-up included the future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.
Jack Argent, the song publisher of The Beatles in Australia, offered 'She's
A Mod' to Ray Columbus & The Invaders and the band made the song a national sensation.
The song was a perfect fit for Columbus, who had made the 'Mod's Nod' dance infamous in Australia as they sought to counter the 'Surf's Stomp'. The song quickly rose to Number 1 in New Zealand and Australia and reached the top 100 charts in the United States. Ray Columbus & The Invaders were the first New Zealand band to achieve this.
Song query with the line about Pictures in the Hallway
Does this ring a familiar bell? said Rick Morin in an email asking for help for a Coast listener about a song she been hunting for ages now, "the problem is I dont know its name. The only part of the song I know is "Pictures in the Hallway" its a female singer and its about her husband that died in the war and all she has left is the pictures in the hallway. It would be a really big help if you know its name or where I can find its name. My grnadmother used to play it for me and it would mean a heap if I can find it."
I put out the request to music buffs but only one came back with 'No joy with that one , obviously very old.'
I mentioned to Rick that a Google search suggests a song played on Coast
The Windmills Of Your Mind by Noel Harrison
Round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending on beginning on an ever-spinning reel
...
Was the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
Or the fragment of a song
Half-remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over
Were you suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of her hair?
I hadn't heard back from Rick if this answered his listener's query but Scott said "It could well be, the only thing that didn't fit was song relating to WW2. I remember this as theme to movie Thomas Crown Affair. He might not have been what you would call a singer, but interesting lyrics regardless. He also did a song called A Young Girl, rather a morbid tale about a girl ending up dead in a ditch."
Terry Beale died peacefully in the UK at home in Redditch, Midlands. Born on September 20, 1944, Beale was the lead singer and songwriter in a Birmingham band called The Senators. 'She's A Mod' was never a hit for The Senators but they were a part of the new wave of British invasion bands that arose in the early 1960s. Their line-up included the future Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.
Jack Argent, the song publisher of The Beatles in Australia, offered 'She's
A Mod' to Ray Columbus & The Invaders and the band made the song a national sensation.
The song was a perfect fit for Columbus, who had made the 'Mod's Nod' dance infamous in Australia as they sought to counter the 'Surf's Stomp'. The song quickly rose to Number 1 in New Zealand and Australia and reached the top 100 charts in the United States. Ray Columbus & The Invaders were the first New Zealand band to achieve this.
Song query with the line about Pictures in the Hallway
Does this ring a familiar bell? said Rick Morin in an email asking for help for a Coast listener about a song she been hunting for ages now, "the problem is I dont know its name. The only part of the song I know is "Pictures in the Hallway" its a female singer and its about her husband that died in the war and all she has left is the pictures in the hallway. It would be a really big help if you know its name or where I can find its name. My grnadmother used to play it for me and it would mean a heap if I can find it."
I put out the request to music buffs but only one came back with 'No joy with that one , obviously very old.'
I mentioned to Rick that a Google search suggests a song played on Coast
The Windmills Of Your Mind by Noel Harrison
Round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending on beginning on an ever-spinning reel
...
Was the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway
Or the fragment of a song
Half-remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over
Were you suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of her hair?
I hadn't heard back from Rick if this answered his listener's query but Scott said "It could well be, the only thing that didn't fit was song relating to WW2. I remember this as theme to movie Thomas Crown Affair. He might not have been what you would call a singer, but interesting lyrics regardless. He also did a song called A Young Girl, rather a morbid tale about a girl ending up dead in a ditch."
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