ROCKOLLECTIONS: SALUTE TO RADIO- THE RISE OF FM

Time to continue our Salute To Radio, for my 15th Anniversary doing the Rock show.
Previously, I made some promises here- I say them again.
You will hear the BEST damn songs about Radio you will ever hear!
As a kid I liked the radio, but when I heard FM, I fell in love!
These next two chapters will be about the grand, and for the most part failed, experiment of FM Progressive Rock Radio.
I was fascinated and spent every spare moment listening to this new music and the men and women who were playing it.
If you lived through it, you’ll know what I mean.
But if you didn’t, I cannot emphasize enough the bond between the then small audience, and the more-than-just-DJ's, on the Free-Form Stations.
They each had their own personality...yes they actually HAD personalities!
As well as their own peculiar taste in music- and free range to play what they wanted.
They became a friend.
What a wonderful musical education I got from them, beyond Rock & Roll and into Classical, Jazz, Blues, Country, you name it!
An impression so indelibly made, it is without a doubt the reason I play music the way I do right to this day.
So join me for a time before the suits and the greedheads stepped in and ruined it all!

Here are the links to go back to Rock Radio's Finest Time, at Mike Pell Rockollections:

At Podomatic:

http://radiopell.podomatic.com/entry/2013-11-03T20_17_13-08_00

At Soundcloud:

http://soundcloud.com/radiopell/07-salute-to-radio-2013

Mike

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Comment by Mike Pell on November 15, 2013 at 1:59pm: Johnny did that?
Man, I didn't notice, gotta go back and listen.

Doing next week's show now.

Comment by RJhog (Admin) on November 13, 2013 at 3:41pm: Mike, I just listened to Smiling Bill McCall again. I didn't realize that Johnny rhymed the words "car" and "tomorrow". How cool was that?

Comment by Mike Pell on November 5, 2013 at 12:14pm: Jon, I know what you mean with sometimes they're so bad they're good.

Plan 9 From Outer Space anyone, lol?

Comment by Mike Pell on November 5, 2013 at 12:13pm: RJ,

The idea came to me weeks ago, and I knew I HAD to start that show with Steely Dan- nothing could change that or top it, and I was excited about it- nice you picked up on the choice.

A lot of Almost Golden Pells as you went along I see, lol!
I like Lou Reed, I like almost everybody- you hardly ever hear me say I DON'T like some artist or group.

Great song to us Easterners there by The Velvet Underground.

I figured you would have heard all of those I played up to this point with the Doors.

That was Midwest Midnight by the Michael Stanley Band, and I had you down for it or the Johnny Cash.

And Smiling Bill McCall by Johnny Cash wins the 198th Golden Pell...and now I decidedly know you are not counting, lol!

Don't feel bad, I am a huge Johnny Cash fan, and I just recently came across that song myself by accident.

The flip side of another unknown song on a single.

I said it was obscure even by my standards!

And we agree again, I jumped on it because it is a great storysong from the master!

Like I told Jon, get ready for the next chapter...it ain't pretty.

Thanks for the listen and writing, bro,

Mike

Comment by Jon on November 5, 2013 at 7:19am: Sometimes I catch those TCM movies, I always check to see what they're playing and, yeah, some of those are REALLY bad, but sometimes they're so bad they're good.

Comment by Mike Pell on November 5, 2013 at 6:43am: Jon,

Yes it does make sense, sharp thinking on your part, lol!
I was gonna mention the movie but I had other things I wanted to say.

Every time I watch SNL, I am disappointed- there is so much that's silly to me.

I wouldn't have thought they'd remember Lou Reed, so that's cool.

Man you do know some movies!

I don't recall Get Crazy...do you ever watch TCM Underground on Saturday nights?

They play some horrid, some very good, Cult movies.

Maybe I'll see it there.

That's what I do, I sneak up on you with something like the Michael Stanley Band, lol!

Not sure if they were big on the East Coast, but there are some songs he did that I dig.

Glad you liked this half, get ready for the next chapter...it ain't pretty.

Thanks for the listen and writing,

Mike

Comment by RJhog (Admin) on November 4, 2013 at 11:34am: Love the kick off with Steely Dan. Nice touch.

Sad to hear about Lou Reed, but I was never a fan. Mainly because other than Take A Walk On The Wildside, I've never heard his work (except for Lulu, which we won't mention, though I just did). But this song from The Velvet Underground wasn't half bad. I thought about awarding it the Golden Pell...

...but then you played The Michael Stanley Band. That was a cool little song. Midwest Midnight I think you said. So I was gonna give that song the Golden Pell...

...but then you played Smiling Bill McCall by Johnny Cash. Johnny's my boy, so he definitely gets the GP. You'd think since he was my boy, I'd have heard that song, but it's not true. A great story song from one of the greatest story tellers ever. So the 198th Golden Pell is awarded to Johnny Cash.

Comment by Jon on November 4, 2013 at 8:25am: From the movie titled "FM". Makes sense, huh?

I was surprised that SNL had an in memoriam for Lou Reed this past weekend. Nice on their part. He was in a cool movie titled "Get Crazy" in he early 80's, haven't seen it in yeard but believe it has something to do with a rock promoter trying to throw a New Years Eve Bash or something along those lines.

Michael Stanley Band? Haven't heard them mentioned in years. Not a huge fan, but I think they were pretty big on the east coast.

I liked this show.