Category: Radio

Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap

Saturday night is oldies night everywhere, it seems, even in Canada, eh? CBC Radio One has Randy Bachman’s Vinyl Tap. Randy Bachman was the first name in Bachman Turner Overdrive, and before that with Burton Cummings he formed the core of The Guess Who, a band that had a string of big hits in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

The Guess Who

David Lee Roth had an infamous failed attempt at being a DJ, but other musicians have done well as radio hosts. I always enjoy Nights With Alice Cooper, aired Saturdays over WZLX in Boston. Bachman is also very good. It comes in on 1550 AM on my GE Superadio III, but it’s better to play the live streaming audio.

Tonight, Bachman had an all-British show, starting with songs by Cliff Richard and The Shadows, and finishing, of course, with Petula Clark. Here are the last 10+ minutes of tonight’s program.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/FEB/RandyBachman.mp3]

Did you hear “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” by The Foundations? To my ears this is definitely a different vocal than the American single, maybe even a different singer. I happen to have an original 45 of the song from 1967. And here it is.

The Foundations 45 Single

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/FEB/BabyNowThatIveFoundYou.mp3]

As always, I’ll rely on Pop Musicologist D.F. Rogers to provide some explanation.

On The Beat In New Hampshire

Tom Moroney - Simply Put on Bloomberg RadioTom Moroney is host of a show on Bloomberg Radio called Simply Put. Prior to that he was a newspaper columnist. Kudos to Tom for succeeding in the two businesses I tried, but gave up! By chance Tom lives not far from here, and we cross paths every so often. My sister Jean and I went to high school with Tom. We were all in the drama club, along with a remarkable woman named Noreen Barnes, a dear friend who is now a college professor in Virginia. Here’s a picture of Tom and Noreen in a high school play together. I don’t want to say how long ago this was!

Noreen Barnes and Tom Moroney

Tom Moroney is up in New Hampshire right now, covering the Presidential primary. The surprise news at the moment is that Hillary Clinton is holding a lead over Barack Obama. Here’s a brief clip of Tom on the radio tonight.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/Moroney.mp3]

Being PETicular

Petula ClarkMy sister Jean has reminded me that it’s been a while since I’ve posted something about dear Petula Clark. Indeed! First, I would like to send you over to View Images to see a fabulous collection of over sixty Pet photos, some very early, and some very recent.

What a long and varied career Pet has had. She is so deserving of the title of Dame in the UK, but we’re still 100 shy of the 1000 mark for signatures on the PETition. I guess I’m not really entitled to say “we’re” because I can’t vote, not being a citizen or resident of the UK. There are only a couple more months to vote, folks! So please do it now. While you’re doing that you can listen to an audio interview with Pet, conducted for the U.S. Army in December, 1966, by disk jockey Harry Harrison, while he was with WMCA in New York. In ’68 Harrison jumped over to WABC to replace the departing Herb Oscar Anderson.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/PetArmy.mp3]

As a child, Petula sang for the British troops on BBC radio during World War II. She was famous for singing “Mighty Lak A Rose.” Later, as a young woman she sang it again. I’m not sure exactly when this recording was made.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/MightyLakARose.mp3]

And finally, I’ve a confession to make. I never wanted any of the Beatles to hold my hand. That’s why I’m glad Pet recorded her own version of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/PetHoldHand.mp3]

Welles and Barrymore In “A Christmas Carol”

Lionel Barrymore

From Christmas Eve 1939, here is Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air, performing “A Christmas Carol,” by you-know-who, featuring Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge. Everything clicked that evening, and if you’ve never heard this outstanding hour-long radio adaptation, I highly recommend it.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/DEC07/ChristmasCarol.mp3]

New Tube Radio

A recording of the song ‘Layla’ is on the audio player. It was taken from an FM tube radio.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/NOV07/nanoradio-layla.mp3]
Courtesy Zettl Research Group,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California at Berkeley

Bad reception? An old LP played with a broken needle? No! Quite the opposite. It’s from the most advanced, state-of-the-art FM radio ever devised. It’s not a tube radio, but a nano-tube radio! Edwin Armstrong would be pleased.

Alfred Hitchcock’s First Anthology Show

Happy Halloween! I first became aware of master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock from a parody of him on The Flintstones. I knew they were making fun of somebody, but I didn’t know who.

Alvin BrickrockAlfred Hitchcock

In this droll dual takeoff of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Hitchcock feature film Rear Window, Fred is unnerved by his new neighbor Alvin Brickrock, a short, squat Britisher who can be heard arguing with his harridan of a wife. Then, one night, the arguing stops suddenly–and not long afterward, Mrs. Brickrock disappears. These and several other ominous incidents lead Fred and Barney to conclude that Alvin Brickrock is actually the notorious wife slayer Albert Bonehart. The satire is played to the hilt, concluding with Mr. Brickrock bidding the audience a fond “Good ev-e-ning.” ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hitchcock was a unique personality, being equal parts artist, craftsman, impresario, and businessman. In 1940, long before his anthology TV show of suspenseful stories began in 1955, Hitchcock directed a radio adaptation of his British film ‘The Lodger,’ which is available for your listening pleasure on the audio player.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/OCT07/TheLodger.mp3]

Showcased on a program called ‘Forecast,’ Hitchcock was helping audition what would later become the premier radio anthology series of suspenseful stories. It was called, aptly, ‘Suspense’, and it ran for 20 years, ending in 1962 as one of the very last radio drama programs.