Today, we shine the light on another hometown hero. Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II, better known to the music world as Donald Byrd, was born on this day in 1932.
He was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother introduced him to jazz music, and his uncle gave him his first trumpet. He attended Cass technical high school. Byrd played in a military band while in the US air force, took a music degree at Wayne State University in Michigan and then studied music education at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He joined the Jazz Messengers in the mid-1950s. Byrd’s trumpet predecessors in Blakey’s company had already included the graceful, glossy-toned Clifford Brown and the Dizzy Gillespie-influenced Kenny Dorham, but the newcomer with his polished phrasing and luxurious tone was recognised as a technical master equal to both. He was even heralded as the new guiding light in jazz trumpet.
He was prolifically active in the late 1950s, in demand for sessions on the Savoy, Riverside, Fortune, and Blue Note labels. At the end of the decade he was also leading or co-leading his own ensembles. He was mostly operating in the laconically pyrotechnical, blues-inflected hard-bop style.
He formed the Blackbyrds, a soul and funk band, from a pool of his Howard University student. In the early 70’s his music ventured into dancefloor jazz and fusion. In 1973, his album Black Byrd was a million seller and brought Blue Note label more income than it had ever generated from any release before.
In 1975, he released the album Places and Spaces. Allmusic awarded the album with 4 stars and its review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine states: “Boasting sweeping string arrangements, sultry rhythm guitars, rubbery bass, murmuring flügelhorns, and punchy horn charts, the music falls halfway between the cinematic neo-funk of Street Lady and the proto-disco soul of Earth, Wind & Fire.”
In the late 80’s, when I worked at WKSG, Kiss-FM, we had a regular listener who would call and ask for Donald Byrd, even though we were an oldies station. He called every station in town and it wasn’t odd to be listening to another station and hearing him on the air. His name was Joe. He always asked for the same song, “Wind Parade.”
On one occasion, my pal Johnny Molson and I were talking with Joe, and he has some funky jazz playing in the background. We asked him what he was listening to and found out it was Byrd. So we did to him what he did to us, we requested he play Wind Parade. Neither of us had ever heard the song before. I think we were both genuinely interested to hear it.
As the song begins, there is a piano and syncopated cymbal beat. The a guitar riff plays along with the established beat. What Johnny and I did not expect was Joe belting out the words and singing along to the song. I cannot even describe what it sounded like, but John and I immediately collapsed in laughter.
As we laughed at this unexpected solo, the music continued. At some point he stopped singing and asked, “How do you like it, Johnny?” He had barely caught his breath long enough to say, “That’s great, Joe” only to continue laughing more.
And that is how I discovered Donald Byrd. One day, while shopping at a local record store, I couldn’t believe it when I found his greatest hits CD. I picked it up without hesitation and gave it a listen. There is no doubt, he could play the trumpet well, and there were some neat tracks on the CD. It was “Wind Parade” that got the most play. Every time the vocal hit in the song, I could hear Joe singing along!
He passed away in 2013. One obituary said, “Byrd’s real legacy is his contribution to music education in a culture that spawned jazz but then neglected it – a role he pursued from the unique vantage point of having been a leading player in the idiom. His work has been sampled by pop and hip-hop artists including Public Enemy and Ice Cube, and many young musicians at work today owe their education, and the widespread acceptance of their art, to his tireless pursuit of stature and respect for jazz.”
Normally, I would steer clear of this song, but because it is his birthday, I will feature it today.
Happy 83rd Birthday to Bob Lind!
In 1965, Bob Lind signed a contract with World Pacific Records, which was a division of Liberty Records. It was there that he recorded his composition (and only hit) Elusive Butterfly.
From songfacts.com:
Bob Lind wrote this song, where he sees himself as a butterfly hunter. He is looking for romance, but he finds it as elusive as butterflies are to capture. It turned out to be the only hit for Lind, who did a lot of traveling as a kid and ended up playing folk music around Denver when he flunked out of Western State College. He wrote “Elusive Butterfly” as the sun was coming up after staying up all night. He says the song is about “The magic of the quest, the thrill of searching, even when that which is sought is hard to see.”
One of music’s greatest bass players, Carol Kaye, played on the song. She told songfacts.com:
“It was at Sunset Sound. It was kind of a boring tune. I think it was D-flat or something, and it stays a long time in that chord and then it moves in a funny way to the next chord, it’s like a sidebar phrase or something like that. I missed it and I went to go up to the G-flat or whatever and I missed it and I came right back down. I did a slide up and down. And they stopped and I thought, ‘Uh oh, he caught me.’ He said, ‘Do more of those!’ (laughing) So the slide was born, then. I’d stick that slide in here and there on the records I cut.”
I chuckled when I read her quote calling the song “boring.” When I was at WKSG in Detroit, this song would come up on the play list from time to time. Johnny Molson, who did the evening show before I came on the air, had the best description of the song. He told me that the song “sounds like someone ate a Hallmark card … and threw up.”
Happy Birthday to Johnny, by the way. Who knew he and Bob shared a birthday?
Plagued by drug and alcohol problems, Lind gained a reputation in the business for being “hard to work with.” He eventually left the music business for some time, but his music was recorded by over 200 artists. Those artists include: Cher, Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton, Eric Clapton, The Turtles, Johnny Mathis, Nancy Sinatra, The Four Tops, and Petula Clark!
In 1988, he moved to Florida. He wrote five novels, an award-winning play, and a screenplay, Refuge, which won the Florida Screenwriters’ Competition in 1991. He also worked briefly for the Weekly World News and is credited with co-writing their famous “Bat Boy” story.
I’d say that he should stick to singing, but I’m not really keen on that either… So, Happy Birthday, Bob.
This week, I got an unexpected package in the mail. The contents made me laugh out loud. Let me set it up for you…
I woke up one morning after having a ridiculous dream. In the dream, I was meeting my old radio buddy, Johnny Molson. I do not know the reason for our meeting. In the dream, he hands me this tricycle. The thing is literally beat to hell. It is rusted and the front wheel is bent. I am speechless and have no idea what to say. Before I can say anything, John says:
“The guy at the antique shop says it could have, and probably belonged to Dean Martin! See the whiskey stains on the seat?!”
I wake up and chuckle from this dream and I message him to tell him about it. He responds:
I responded that if I ever got ahold of Jerry Lewis’, I would do the same.
That had to be two or three weeks ago. I had all but forgotten about this until I got home from work one night. The package was sitting on the kitchen counter. When I opened it, I saw a picture frame. As I pulled it out of the box, I began to laugh out loud. The picture?
That wasn’t all. There was a note:
It was a much needed laugh. Even as I look at the pictures in this blog, I’m laughing. It is so important to have friends who will go the extra mile and put extra effort into getting a laugh. John and I have been friends for over 30 years and I’ve always appreciated his quick wit.
Today is a day to celebrate the Disc Jockey. I was lucky enough to be both a radio DJ and a Mobile DJ. I have mobile DJ stories, but they aren’t as interesting as my radio DJ stories. This is an adaption of an earlier blog. If you are a newer follower, these will be new to you. If you’ve been around since the inception of this blog, enjoy these again.
In my over 30 year radio career, I have (like all of my radio friends) a gazillion stories. There are some that I just can’t share here. But, here are some that I’ll share off the top of my head. I am sure there are plenty more, but for now – enjoy these:
WKSG –
My career started here. I was a lowly intern ripping news and sorting it. I then started to intern with Paul Christy, the morning guy. He eventually was responsible for me doing overnights full time.
Keith Who?
I only used my real name once in my entire career – and almost didn’t. Every hour at the top of the hour we had to play our Legal ID. The FCC requires the station to identify itself and where the signal originates from. Our Legal ID had was what we called a “donut” in the middle of it. The voice guy gave the station slogan, followed by the Station ID. After that there was a 2-3 music bed where the DJ would say what time it was and their name. I’d heard it a hundred times. “It’s 10 O’clock and I’m Jim McKenzie”, “It’s 3 O’clock and I’m John Bailey”, “It’s 7 O’clock and I’m Johnny Molson” – every jock did it. My first night ever on the air, I hadn’t decided what name I was going to use yet. The ID played and I had no choice – “It’s midnight and I’m … (brain fart – and real name)”. I really had no intentions of using my real name, I just hadn’t decided on my on air name yet. A gal I went to high school with was listening that night. I remember her calling and asking if I was Keith (real name). It freaked me out. She told me that she heard my that first night and thought that I had said my real name. I used Keith Allen every day after that and have never been anyone else.
Thinking Inside the Box
Speaking of those live ID’s, Johnny Molson was on before me each night. It seemed that he and his crew always were trying to mess with me when the ID played. They would make weird noises, bang on cart racks, or knock over my music stack. They would do all kinds of things to try to get me to mess up when I turned on the microphone. . Sometimes they’d get me to crack up and sometimes I was able to keep it together.
One night, the time was ticking away to the ID and they were all out of the studio. The ID started and I heard the studio door behind me open fast. They had found a huge box and as I started to talk, they threw it over my head. My hands, thankfully, were still by the mixer board so I could see what button I had to push next. I didn’t know what to do, so I just continued to talk with the box was over my head. Listeners heard nothing but a muffled voice and the music bed. Johnny was cracking up the whole time. He told me, “I can’t believe you just kept going”!
Saturday Snooze
At one point during my time at Kiss-FM, I was doing Friday night and Saturday mornings. This consisted of me being on air from 12a-6a doing my own show. Then running Paul Christy’s show on tape from 6a-10a.
I don’t recall why I hadn’t slept much the day prior, but I was tired. I finished my show at 6. I got about an hour into Paul’s show, and I was feeling exhausted. I had started a song, put my elbows up on the board, my fists to my cheeks, and nodded off. About 20-25 minutes later, my head fell from my hands and I was startled awake. I had no idea where I was. The phones were all lit up, and nothing was on the air!
In a panic, I grabbed the first song on the music stack and jammed it into the machine. Fittingly, the song was “You’ve Got Your Troubles” by the Fortunes. Once the music started, the phones stopped ringing. I, however, knew that Paul was always listening! I dreaded the call that I knew was coming. I was sure to get fired for messing up his show! 10 minutes later the “PC hotline rang”.
I answered it and as usual, Paul was chomping on something (he was always eating when he called). “How’s it going?”, he asked. There was no way he didn’t hear the silence! He had to have heard it, I knew he did. Why wasn’t he saying anything? I finally blurted out that I had fallen asleep for a couple minutes and awaited the verbal beating. Nope. Not Paul. He laughed and said, “You Asshole! I remember this one time I fell asleep while I was at Super CFL in Chicago….” and told me his sleepy story. That was the kind of guy Paul was … a damn cool dude!
Hot Java
One more Paul story for you. He drank coffee all throughout his shift. He liked it black and hot! One time he had Vince, a morning show member, get him some coffee. It sat next to him for awhile while he was doing other things. He finally grabbed it and took a sip. He was disgusted.
He yelled, “What the hell is the matter with you guys?! You call this hot coffee?! I could piss warmer than this!! Get me some fresh stuff and make sure it is hot!” So Vince went to the coffee pot, filled the cup and then put it in the microwave for about 2 …or 10 minutes. I don’t remember, but it was in there for a good while. He took the steaming cup to Paul. Well, rather than setting it down as he normally did, put it to his lips and took a sip. Needless to say, it burned the hell out of his tongue and lips! Paul yelped, “Jesus! What is wrong with you?!” Holding his tongue in pain, he continued, “I use this thing for a living!!” I think every one of us broke a rib laughing so hard. I can still see him holding his tongue with one hand and fanning it with the other!
WMXD
I followed Paul here to do some part time work after being let go from Kiss-FM. The format started as a mix of Urban/R&B music and Pop. Eventually it went all R&B and Urban. It was here that I met The Electrifying Mojo.
Keef
I had known of Mojo for years. He was a Detroit legend. He had this mysterious persona on t he air. I don’t know that there were any photos of him anywhere. So when I saw him for the first time, I was taken aback. He was much shorter than I had imagined.
I have to say, Mojo was one cool dude. He played most of his stuff off vinyl records. The thing I remember most about Mojo was that the studio was always like a sauna! It was always SO hot when I came in. I don’t know how he was able to work with it that hot.
The studio was always a mess, too! Not garbage messy, but music messy. There were always vinyl records all over the studio. He’d have them stacked on the reel to reel tape machine or on the counter tops. Sometimes, there were stacks of them on the floor of the studio. With the records everywhere, it was hard for me to get in and gather the first hour of music for my show. You could barely move in the studio.
He always called me “Keef” or “Baby Keef” when he got ready to wrap up his show. He had a signature line that he always said at the end of his show:
“Hold on tight. Don’t let go. Whenever you feel like you are reaching the end of your rope – tie a knot. Don’t slide off. Keep hanging. Keep remembering that there ain’t nobody bad like you.”
I had heard him say this on the radio many times, but to watch him say it live in the studio … I was in awe.
WHND
Honey Radio! I grew up listening to this station and I was honored to have the chance to work with radio legends! Richard D, Jon Ray, Boogie Brian, Ron Tavernit, Bill Stewart, Greg Russell, and so many others were such an influence. Honey was the first oldies station in the country – and I got to be there as they turned out the light…..
Worst Five Minutes of Detroit Radio – EVER
You can read all about my buddy Rob in a previous blog. I am not sure if I tell this story in that blog or not, so I apologize if I did. It was the last week Honey was on the air – the week of Thanksgiving 1994. Our listeners knew that this was Honey’s last week and we had been given free reign to have fun.
We had a listener who used to call up and his name was Mitchell. I had gotten to the point where I could do his voice pretty well. I had been doing a character based on the real listener and I called him “Mitch”. True story – Mitch would call and talk to us and really never have anything to say. He’s jump from topic to topic. If you let him, he’d never stop talking. So I decided to prerecord some calls as Mitch where I just rambled about nothing and then hung up. Afterward, we’d say something like “He’s a nice guy, but ….” kind of a thing. It was ridiculous.
So now it’s the last week we are on the air. It had become clear that some people were upset the station was going off the air. They were calling us in the studio and calling the managers to voice their anger. I said to Rob, “I bet Mitchell is really angry about the station.” He said, “They better lock the doors, man. That guy is likely to come in here with a gun or something. That was the idea. So we planned a bit.
I was going to do the character live on the air. I was going to come in and say how upset I was the station was going off the air. I would yell and scream and (using the theater of the mind) pull out a gun and start shooting it (keep in mind this was 1994 and public shootings were not as prominent). At this point in the bit, our bouncer character (loosely based on Charles Bronson) was going to come in and grab the gun. He would then beat up “Mitch” and throw him out the studio window. To accomplish the bit we needed sound effects (to make it sound real on the air).
To help you understand what happens next, here is a picture of a studio. It is not the WHND studio, but the Cart machines in the picture are like the ones there.
If you look at the left side of the picture, you will see the machines above the headphones. There are three machines on the left, a stack of carts in the middle and three machines on the right. At Honey, the machines went like this:
1 4
2 5
3 6
Ok, now to the mess.
We had these 6 cart machines and every song, commercial, or sound effect was on its own cart. So in cart player #1 was the song we just played. Cart #2 had the door closing sound effect for when Mitch comes in. Cart #3 holds the gunshot sound. Cart #4 is the “fight scene” – the sound of two guys beating each other up. Cart #5 is where the sound of glass breaking (the studio window) for when Mitch gets tossed out . Finally, Cart #6 had our first commercial.
The plan was that after Mitch was thrown out the window, we would go to a commercial break. I would have already put the commercial we were going to play first in Cart player 1. Once the glass breaks and we wrap up the bit, go to commercial and proceeded with the show. That however, is NOT how it happened on the air.
As soon as I began to do the character live on the air, I saw Rob crack a smile. That is all it took. Seeing him smile made me start to laugh hard. As his Elvis character, Rob tries to save the bit. So I once again try to do the “Mitch” character – which only made me laugh harder. By this point we are both laughing so hard that we have tears in our eyes. Rob, as Elvis, says “That takes care of that bit, man!”
Because we are totally losing it on the air, my first thought is PLAY THE COMMERCIAL! I go to start the commercial, but the commercial never made it to the machine! So the button I pushed was the gunshot sound effect, which only made us laugh harder….you hear us dropping carts and shoving the commercial in the machine and finally we went to commercials. I have often called this the worst 5 minutes of Detroit radio. To me it is also the funniest 5 minutes of our show.
Update: I found the Audio and made a YouTube Video:
My apologies ahead of time …
Becoming The President
The late Richard D was one of the funniest men I ever worked with. He gave me lots of direction and I have talked about him in previous blogs, as well. I was producing his show the Top 12 at 12. This was an hour of his show which featured the Top 12 songs in Detroit on that day. They found those 12 songs from local charts from radio stations and newspapers. Each day featured a different year.
It was a fun show to produce. It included new stories, TV and movie clips, old commercials, info about how much things were from that year, etc… Richard had to play that day’s 12 songs from the chart. Every now and then there was extra time because of short songs. We would then give him songs that were on the charts from that week to play as “extras.” Usually it was a song that was just being released or had been a hit earlier in that year.
On one show, the countdown was from 1966. I had put a Dean Martin song in there as an extra and he played it. After the song, he made some comment about it not being the greatest song or something and moved on. So I went into the studio, as I often did, to give him crap. I said something along the lines of “Why are you messing with Italians! Dean was Italian and so I am I! Look here you “old bastid (a term of endearment), If I were you, I’d watch what you say about Dean Martin … and Frank Sinatra for that matter!” The whole time he laughed. I left the room as he continued to laugh hysterically.
I thought that would be the end of it, but Richard loved an opportunity to make me the butt of a joke. After the next song he said on the air, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I must offer an apology. A little while ago I played (whatever the song was) by Dean Martin and made some negative remarks about it. Immediately after that, Keith Allen came in here with about 12 goons who roughed me up a bit and told me that my comments were distasteful. So I must now publicly apologize. I really had no idea that Keith Allen was the President of the Dean Martin Fan Club!”
From that day on, I always tried to find a way to sneak a Dean Martin song into my show. After each of those songs I would say I was President of the Dean Martin Fan Club.
Related side story
When Honey went off the air, I received a package from a listener named Sandy. She and I remain friends with to this day. The package was a complete surprise and it was awesome. Sandy had sent me a membership to the REAL Dean Martin Fan Club! To make things even better, there was a note in the package. It read: “I thought you might actually want to be a member of the Fan Club you claim to be President of….”
The Sign Off
For years I listened to Boogie Brian rhyme as he talked up song intros until he nailed the post (where the vocalist starts to sing). He would do this with no effort at all. His energy was constant and the smile in his voice was ever present – until November 25, 1994. That was the day Honey stopped broadcasting locally before eventually signing off. My partner Rob and I were listening to his sign off from the other room. The day had already been full of listeners wishing us well and many tears were shed. The biggest tears came as Boogie signed off that day. A powerful memory that I will never forget.
WWWW
My Worst Prediction
In 1994, I had just come back from working on the west side of the state. It was there that I did country radio for the first time. After I was hired at W4 Country, there was a change in management. The new PD, Tim Roberts, would take the chair and offer some advice that I still use today. Every year, Tim was responsible for booking acts to the Downtown Hoedown. It was a huge three day festival with many stages and many acts. At the time took place in Hart Plaza in Detroit.
We worked at the Hoedown in shifts as I recall and mine was over. I was waiting in the blue W4 Country Suburban to go back to the station with Tim Timmerman. The Dixie Chicks were an up and coming act who had a very traditional sound. Their music was really not like anything on the radio at the time. While I loved it, I didn’t think it would do as well as it did. Tim looked out the window of the Suburban and said “Dude, it’s the Dixie Chicks! We should go get a picture!” I was exhausted and I told him that he could go if he wanted to. I then said something about them being way too traditional and that “they probably won’t go anywhere”. Boy, was I wrong! There’s an opportunity I missed and regret to this day!
Thanks for reading, it’s always fun to share radio stories. There are plenty of my DJ Heroes mentioned above, too. That’s fitting for National DJ Day!
I am no neuroscientist, but I know a little about music. It is a proven fact that that music and happiness are linked intimately. Science also shows happiness will actually make your brain work better. Now, neuroscience has come up with the ultimate list of tunes to make you happy.
Note: I have to tip my hat to my old radio pal, Johnny Molson for this. He featured this on: Mike and Molson – The Podcast.
Back in 2015, a music-loving Dutch neurologist did us all a favor. He figured out what makes for the most mood-boosting tunes. The reason for the study came from an unusual source: the British electronic brand Alba. Apparently, they wanted to know what made for a happy song. They reached out to Dr. Jacob Jolij for the answer.
The first thing that Dr. Jolij reminds us is that taste in music is subjective. You may not like what I do and vice versa. “Music appreciation is highly personal and strongly depends on social context, and personal associations. In that respect, the idea of a ‘feel good formula’ is a bit odd,” he commented.
There is something that you can do that can help find the answer. He asked the listening public to submit examples of their favorite feel good tracks. Those tracks were then analyzed for patterns to reveal what characteristics are generally associated with smile-inducing songs. After the analysis, he compiled a list.
He found that the happiest tunes are slightly faster than your average song. They will be between 140 and 150 beats per minute on average. They will also be written in a major key, and either about happy events or complete nonsense. Dr. Jolij combined these factors into a formula for the happiest songs possible. With hat formula, he went searching for existing hits that matched his template.
Based on that template, here are the ten songs that are scientifically proven to make you happy!
10. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
9. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
8. Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
6. I’m a Believer – The Monkees
5. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
4. Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
3. Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
2. Dancing Queen – Abba
and the number one song that is scientifically proven to make you happy:
1. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop them in the comments.
This blog’s title is the only way I can think of describing what I have to say is the funniest thing I have watched in a VERY long time! Before I go on, I need to acknowledge and thank Lisa at Boondock Ramblings and Erin at Cracker Crumb Life for leading me to discovering what I am about to write about.
Both of these bloggers are doing a weekly series entitled “Tis the Season Cinema. Each week they are reviewing a holiday movie or special. As a fan of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, when I saw they were reviewing “A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong” I had to read about it.
The 2017 production is done by the Mischief Theatre, a comedy troupe I have never heard of. They had a show on the BBC called The Goes Wrong Show in which the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society puts on a weekly play. As the play is presented in front of a live audience, whatever can go wrong – does! It is sheer silliness and I laughed like I haven’t laughed in a long time!
I watched this before I went and watched episodes of the show. It is something you can watch and not worry about having seen anything prior. One source describes the episode this way:
Blacklisted by the BBC after ruining Peter Pan, the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society do not take their ban lying down and force themselves back on the BBC by hijacking the jewel of the Christmas schedule, a live production of A Christmas Carol, staged by a professional cast. As the Cornley gang try to make the show work on television, they soon realize they are completely out of their depth, with no idea how to direct a live studio or handle the special effects. Worse still, their internal rivalries are revealed on television, while an angry professional cast tries to get back into the studio.
You can watch A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong on YouTube for Free (with ads) here:
After watching this, I had to see more. I believe Lisa from Boondock Ramblings mentioned that they did a series called The Goes Wrong Show and I searched for it on YouTube. I was able to watch the entire first season (like 6 or 7 episodes) for free. I again found myself laughing hysterically. It had all the silly situations from Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the fantastic site gags and dialogue from Airplane.
The cast is simply amazing. The fact that they can keep a straight face amid all the chaos is truly something worth seeing. I can’t recommend this highly enough. Do yourself a favor – check this gang out – and enjoy some laughs!
After Thoughts
My brother watches a lot of British shows. So I asked him if he had ever seen it before. He replied that he had and that he loved it. He also stated that he has watched the shows more than once. Shame on him for not telling me about this sooner!
Johnny Molson, a buddy of mine from radio, often appears in plays in the Springfield, Illinois area. He recently performed in The Play That Goes Wrong. He promoted it on his Facebook page and I remember thinking how cool it would be to see him in the play. I had NO idea that this play was actually written by some of the cast members of The Goes Wrong Show! It was a HUGE hit in London. From Wikipedia:
The Play That Goes Wrong is a 2012 play by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company. It won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards. As of September 2021, the show has been running since 2012 in London; since 2014, the play has undertaken five tours of the UK.
This only makes me wish I had been able to see Johnny in this play even more.
Perhaps it will make the rounds again somewhere close by. Until then, I will watch what I can on the internet or streaming. There is a Peter Pan episode I have yet to see. Maybe I will review that for you at a later date.
The English language is full of words that rarely get used today. I don’t know what made me think of this particular word this week. I don’t know if maybe I heard someone say it on the radio or TV, but the word makes me chuckle. The word is “cockamamie.” It means ridiculous. Example: Who came up with this cockamamie idea? When I came into work this week, as a joke, I told the other techs to find a way to use the word in a sentence during their conversations with patients. Believe it or not, I was actually able to!
My radio buddy, Johnny Molson, used to (and probably still does) get a “word of the day” in his e-mail. I know a few Facebook friends who post a “vocabulary” word to use in conversation during that day. I enjoy seeing those posts and find the words interesting. Recently, actor Eddie Deezen (of Grease fame) posted the word “Bruxism” – which I know because of my job in sleep medicine. That is the correct medical term for “teeth grinding.”
So for the fun of it, here are some words (and definitions) you should strive to use in every day conversation. Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments!
Grumbletonians – People who are angry or unhappy with the government.
Fudgel – The act of giving the impression of working but actually doing nothing.
Snollygoster – A person who has intelligence but no principles, especially a politician.
Ultracrepidarian – Somebody who gives opinions about topics they know nothing about.
Kakistocracy – Government by the least qualified or worst people.
Chuckaboo – A best friend or a really close friend.
Humbug – Deceptive or false talk or behavior.
Balderdash – Nonsense.
Curmudgeon – Ill-tempered (often old) person.
Willy-Nilly – Haphazardly.
Skedaddle – Flee. Leave.
Osculate – To kiss.
Rigmarole – Confused talk or complicated procedure.
Hullabaloo – Uproar.
Brouhaha – A state of commotion or excitement.
Doohickey – Gadget or attatchment.
Finagle – To trick.
Hornswoggle – To dupe or hoax.
Lackadaisical – Lacking energy or enthusiasm.
Spiffy – Stylish.
Gobbledygook – Nonsense. Indecipherable writing.
Kerfuffle – A disturbance.
Lollygag – To meander or to delay.
Fakakta – Screwed up.
Plethora – Large amount or in excess.
Kibitzer – Yiddish term for a spectator. Usually one who offers (often unwanted) advice or commentary.
Quagswag – To shake to and fro.
Callipygian – Having well-shaped buttocks.
Skinflint – A person who spends as little money as possible; a miser.
Guffaw – A loud and boisterous laugh.
I think I am done with this cockamamie post! Thanks for reading!
Life used to have a routine. I could plan my day. Phrases like: Business as usual, status quo, day to day affairs, normal activities, daily grind, staying the course, standard practice, and as per usual – don’t mean anything anymore. Nothing is normal anymore. As a midnight shift worker, it’s hard to know what day it is, but when the routine is thrown off, it becomes more difficult.
Give Me Just A Little More Time
I have been seriously trying to make time to sort through thoughts. Believe it or not, it’s been a little easier to do since I have been at home a bit more. Last week I only worked about half of my 40 hours because of low census and the eventual closing down of our lab. I was able to get some hours helping out in the Labor Pool at the hospital.
Our techs were reassigned. Some had jobs in the hospital, but I was reassigned on Wednesday night to go to the hospital to help direct traffic. We were given one of those orange vests and we were sent out to the main parking lot. Our job was to make sure the cars that were lined up to be screened for the Covid-19 virus had first been checked in at the ER.
Basically, a check in at the ER determined whether or not your situation or symptoms warranted actually getting the test. You probably know that there are a limited amount of tests, so the ones who would benefit from a self quarantine were sent home, while others drove to where I was and got in line to be screened. Screenings were done in their cars.
I reported to work at 6:45 pm. Seeing the line of cars made this whole thing much more of a reality for me. There were plenty of cars in line. Some of them had not been screened at ER, so we had to instruct them to go there first. As you can imagine, there was a lot of stress, worry, and anger going on. I saw a road rage incident while we were out there. Apparently, a car in front of another was not pulling up far enough and the rear car kept beeping at him to move forward. A few beeps and the driver was out yelling at the other. Security had to be called. It was nuts!
As the evening progressed, the line became shorter. Testing ended at about 2 am, and that was when we left. I had to go inside to use the restroom at one point and I can tell you that the doctors, nurses, and staff in the hospital were busy! They were frazzled, but it was a picture of controlled chaos. Kudos to these men and women, who are doing everything they can to help stop this thing!
My Anniversary
I was standing in the parking lot directing traffic at midnight yesterday. I set an alarm so I would not forget to wish my wife Happy Anniversary. I posted this on my Facebook page:
“Two years ago today, I married my best friend. Two years ago today, I married my one true love. Two years ago today, I married the woman who completes me, brings me joy, companionship, encouragement, support, and love. I swore two years ago that I could never love another female like I loved her … then she gave birth to our daughter. I am blessed beyond measure having these two in my life!
Happy anniversary, Sam, I cannot wait for the years ahead.
Thank you for two amazing years – our adventure continues….”
People Unite
Covid-19 is a worldwide issue! It is everywhere and it is effecting everyone. In my many years on the radio, I have had the chance to meet and become friends with some musical artists. Working in country radio, I can tell you that the country artists are just amazing. I could sit and chat with them about songwriting, their tour, their families, etc… I always enjoyed having the chance to interview them on the radio.
With all of the social distancing and people being told to stay home, the musical artists are taking a hit. You may be upset that the concert you planned to attend has been postponed, but I can tell you that the artists are just as upset. Going out on tour, talking to radio stations, meeting fans, and performing for you is what they love to do! Covid-19 has forced them to stay home, too!
You probably read where Garth Brooks is going to do a live concert on the internet this week. There are many other artists who are doing the same! Brad Paisley did an acoustic session on Facebook, so did Jewel.
My buddy, James Otto, was the first one I heard mention that he was going to do it. I was at work when it was live, but I did catch it afterward on Facebook. It was great! It was so simple and awesome. It reminded me of the time he had come through town before his hit Just Got Started Lovin’ You hit the air. He came in, we interviewed him on the air, and then he did a little acoustic set for the staff in the conference room. God, do I miss those! My apologies to James for this incredibly terrible screen shot of his live stream.
He sounded great! Thanks for the much needed “pick me up”!
It’s also been great to see video messages from Simon Pegg, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Buble’ and other celebrities! These messages have brought music, hope, laughs, and entertainment to folks cooped up in the homes. I have read about celebrities offering dance instruction, comedians doing comedy sets, celebrities reading books to kids, chefs doing cooking lessons, and more! It’s great to see so much good amidst the craziness in the world.
Staying Connected
The WiFi is working at my house, and I use it not only to surf the internet, check e-mail, and to write this blog, I also use it to make video calls. I have an Android phone and just can’t convince myself to switch to an iPhone. My wife tried to get me to switch so we could use FaceTime. Well, I found Google Duo does the same thing. So I am able to video chat with her and see the baby while at work at night. I can also video chat with my dad and my brother so they can see the baby, too!
My buddy Johnny Molson (more on him in a minute) has been taking part in Zoom meetings. Basically group chats with friends, so they can all keep in touch. Restaurants, bars, and places to gather have been closed, so these video group chats can allow folks to gather while social distancing themselves from others.
My new doctor has tele-medicine available. We can video chat with her if we need to. My therapist is actually going to be doing my session via video today. It should be interesting. I will keep the phone above the waist….I am wearing my Minion pajama bottoms! LOL
Already bored with TV
I don’t have a whole lot of stuff I watch on TV. Lately, it’s been The First 48, Forensic Files, Live PD, and a few others. Some of these cable channels are doing these all day marathons, and I wish they wouldn’t. I love a good rerun, but I I don’t think I like them with these types of shows. Maybe I am just picky. Hell, I will watch reruns of old shows like Sanford and Son, Columbo, Perry Mason, and Mission: Impossible all day – it doesn’t bug me at all. I just can’t sit and watch these over and over.
This is where the internet is helpful again. Does your imagination need a workout? Books can help, but if you want to “watch a show”, may I recommend Old Time Radio Shows? They are like watching TV shows, only without the video. Families would gather in front of the radio at night and listen to their favorites – remember the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie is listening to Little Orphan Annie?
I have Sirius XM in my car, and I love the Old Radio Show Channel. I’m not sure if the copyright on some shows are a factor or what, but I have heard the channel host say that “certain shows are no longer available” for them to play. I end up hearing a lot of shows that I was never really interested in.
I realize that these shows are dated, but they are still very entertaining. Many are available on YouTube. If you like crime shows – check out Dragnet, Broadway is My Beat, Sherlock Holmes, or Gangbusters. If you like mystery and suspense – try The Mysterious Traveler, Suspense, The Whistler, or Nightbeat. For Movie adaptations – try Lux Radio Theater, Screen Directors PlayHouse, or CBS Radio Mystery Theater. If you want to laugh – try The Jack Benny Program, Fibber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, Our Miss Brooks, The Fred Allen Show, Burns and Allen, The Life of Riley, or Abbott and Costello. Sometimes I do a google search for an actor and find shows they were on (“Edward G. Robinson on radio” will bring up a few). Let your imagination get a workout while stuck at home!
New Sleep Habit
As a sleep technologist, we tell patients all the time of the importance of having a bedtime routine. That can really help assure that you fall asleep and keep you in a regular sleep pattern. With a 6 week old baby, you can imagine how the bedtime routine has changed! Sam has a routine with the baby ever night. When I am home – I basically throw that routine off.
The baby has a sound machine that plays music. The bassinet has a button that makes it vibrate. Then she has a stuffed animal that lights up and puts lights on the ceiling.
Hers is an elephant, but the dog above shows how it works. At any rate, all of these things are on as Ella goes to bed. It’s been a routine now for 6 weeks.
I noticed this week after coming home after my shift and trying to sleep during the day, that I was having an issue falling asleep. You know what it is? I have found that I actually find it hard to fall asleep now without that silly music on! I thought it was crazy, until Sam told me that she felt like she had to turn the stars on so she could see them on the ceiling to fall asleep. If you are a parent, has something like this happened to you?
“Buy me a coffee”
I noticed this recently on some of the blogs I follow. At the end of their blog, there is an icon that says “Buy Me a Coffee.”
So, is this like a “tip?” “Hey, buddy. Nice blog – have a coffee.” I hadn’t noticed this before, but I am seeing it more and more. Don’t get my wrong – I LOVE coffee, but I am not going to beg my readers for one. I’m all for getting together and having coffee together, I would love that! I just think it’s odd. I mean, if you really want to buy me something, I’m not going to turn away diapers or formula! LOL
Parting thoughts ( that I wish I had written )
I mentioned Johnny Molson, above. He wrote a very cool piece that I shared on Facebook and I wanted to share it here as well. I could have copied and pasted it, but I didn’t want to be accused of plagiarism. So surf over here and check out this piece that really speaks to our current situation.
While I don’t always plan ahead what I am going to blog about until a day or so before, today’s Halloween Blog was something I planned on writing about a few months ago. I was reminded of the topic after listening to one of the shows I did with my partner, Rob, on Honey Radio.
Somewhere down the line, I plan on writing an entire blog about “drops”. In the radio biz, a “drop” is a snippet from a movie, a TV show, or some other form of audio that is used in pieces of production, or on it’s own. So how do you use a “drop”? Above, you see a picture of The Three Stooges. In their short “Micro-Phonies”, the boys end up in a recording studio. Moe stands at the microphone while Larry and Curly make noise. Moe yells, “Quiet, numbskulls! I’m broadcasting!” I used this drop all the time. I would use it with stuff our voice guy sent us. The piece would be produced and it would play between songs. The entire piece would start with some sound effect, then the voice guy saying “You’re listening to Keith Allen! (Insert drop – “Quiet, numbskulls! I’m broadcasting”!) Then the voice guy would tag it by saying the station – “on Flint’s Classic Rock Authority – 103.9 The Fox!” (or whatever station I was at).
My buddy Johnny Molson, who I worked with at my first radio job had a bunch of funny drops. Some were from movies, while others were from listener phone calls. He had one he’d play that always made me laugh (some guy yelling “Listen kid, why don’t you just beat it!”)
Rob and I spent hours watching TV and movies looking for little lines that could be taken out of context to play on the show. He had plenty of drops from the Steve Reeves Hercules movies, Star Trek the original series, Spencer for Hire, Batman, Dragnet, and so many more! When we were live on the air, I used to purposely throw drops in when Rob was talking as one of the characters just to make him laugh. He was so good, he rarely did. As a matter of fact, he would often just react to the drop. There were, however, a few drops that would crack him (and me) up. They came from a record album that he had growing up. Which, incidentally, is the topic of this blog.
Famous Monsters Speak
When I think about monsters, I think of the Universal Studio Monster movies from the 30’s! Bela Lugosi will always be Dracula to me!
…and in 1931, Boris Karloff was the Frankenstein monster!
In 1963, screenwriter Cherney Berg (who is the son of actress, screenwriter, and producer Gertrude Berg), wrote the script for the album Famous Monsters Speak. Side 1 focused on a story that featured the voice of the Frankenstein monster. The story is set at some scientist convention and they are playing the tapes of the Frankenstein monster. Side 2 focuses on a story of Dracula, when someone stumbles on his crypt. The voice work for the entire album is done by Gabriel Dell.
Gabriel Dell (on the right in the photo above) was an actor who starred in movies with the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids, and the Bowery Boys. I have often said that a good actor is one who can act by just using their voice (which is why I really love listening to old radio shows). The entire album is voiced by Dell. As the Frankenstein monster he is terrifying, while as Dracula he is equally creepy! Keep in mind this was an album that would be found in the children’s section of the record store! Rob told me his dad had bought it for him as a gift for a birthday or Christmas or something!
When Rob and I worked together, he had a few drops from this album. As a morning show, we often looked for drops that talked about waking up, drinking coffee, etc… On this album, Dracula simply said, “I command you – Awaken!” We often used that. He also says, “Stupidity has always been my best protection”, which we used when saying that one of the characters on the show was stupid. Then there was this clip of Dracula gaining the trust of an unsuspecting victim by asking for directions. In context, it is not funny, but out of context … (In a Transylvanian accent) “I beg your pardon, but I am a stranger to your city and have lost my way. Can you tell me pleas – the bus to Kensington Gardens?” (This was one that I would throw in on occasion and would make him laugh – just because it was so bizarre). On the Frankenstein side of the record, there is a 4 or 5 second clip of the monster making a growling/howling/yelling noise. We used to promote that Richard D. was coming in after us, and we’d say the sound was Richard “warming up in the next studio”.
Those short clips/drops were all I knew of this album, until long after we were off the air. I knew where they came from. I had just those audio clips and would laugh when I heard them. Then one day I was out at some used record store. I found the album! I called Rob and told him that I had found it and was going to listen to it. He laughed like hell. “I can’t believe you are so excited to find that damn record! I guess that’s why I love you, kid!” I can still hear him saying that to me.
When I listened to the album, instead of laughing (ok, I did when the monster made the “Richard D” noise), I was genuinely freaked out. I couldn’t believe that this was a kids record! It was done in the same vein as so many of those “Headless Horseman” and “Superman” records that had stories and a book. There was no book with this album, and really, you didn’t need one! Dell’s performance on the album is brilliant. A guy named Hal Johnson is listed as the sound effects man and those effects are awesome! The album is just as good as an old episode of Suspense, The Mysterious Traveler, Lights Out, or The Whistler. Gabriel Dell’s performance makes me tired just listening to it – he really get’s into it!
So, here for your Halloween listening enjoyment – turn down the lights – and listen to Famous Monsters Speak.
Side 1 – The Voice of the Monster
(The Richard D “warming up” sound can be heard at 4:50-4:54 of this clip)
Side 2 – Dracula Returns
(Kensington Gardens line begins at 10:44 – they way he says “Kensington Gardens” always made Rob and I laugh)
In honor of today being National Radio Day, and as a former full time radio DJ, today’s tune was VERY easy to pick.
Charlie Dore is a singer songwriter from England, who reached the Top 20 with this song in 1979. I was about a decade away from my start in radio when this song came out. When I started working at WKSG, Kiss-FM in Detroit, we were “all request.” I did the overnight show and many people called to hear their favorite songs. I remember one listener in particular (her name was Heather) who used to request this one all the time.
What I love about this song is that it shows what all DJ’s hope to accomplish – bonding with our listeners! We hope that when you listen, you feel like you are hanging out with a friend. That’s what made me want to get into radio, really. I listened to Jim McKenzie all the time when I was working in the Parts Department at Suburban Marine. Jim always seemed like a friend. He had a friendly voice, told stories, was nice to his listeners, and funny. While I worked, I was hanging out with my friend.
This was a common theme with my favorite DJ’s. They were story tellers. They were friends. They included me in the stuff they were talking about. I laughed with them. They did radio, as my mentor Jay Trachman would say, “one to one.” So many great DJ’s: Paul Christy, Jim McKenzie, John Bailey, Gail McKnight, Johnny Molson, Richard D., Boogie Brian, Ted “the Bear” Richards, Ron T., Jon Ray, Kris King, Tim Roberts, Brian Cleary, Dan Richards, Jim Biggins, and SO many more! The list of people who I worked with and admire is a long one! They were all “Pilots” of the airwaves!!
Happy National Radio Day to all my radio friends!!
Pilot of the Airwaves
[Chorus:]
Pilot of the airwaves
Here is my request
You don’t have to play it
But I hope you’ll do your best
I’ve been listening to your show
On the radio
And you seem like a friend to me
Or a record of your choice
I don’t mind, I’d be happy just to hear your voice
Saying this is for the girl
Who didn’t sign her name
Yes, she needs a dedication just the same
[Bridge:]
Late at night I’m still listening
Don’t waste my time chasing sleep
People say I look weary
But that’s just the company I keep
Ooooh, you make the nighttime race
Ooooh, I don’t need to see your face
You’re sounding good (Sounding good)
Sounding good to me
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
You’re sounding so good to me
[Chorus]
Oh, I’ve been listening to your show on the radio
And you seem like a friend to me
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 