thank god for classic rock radio..
Secret_Chimp
915 Posts
Not just because it's pretty much the only listenable msuic programming on the radio here in DC, but because every now and then you hear a track you haven't heard in god knows how many years and re-realize just how dope it really is.Example: I Keep Forgetting - Michael McDonald 
This is my new favorite song.
This is my new favorite song.
Comments
which dc station is classic rock ?
i thought there was soft rock or oldies,
format changes like the weather on dc radio
94.7
no mention of WPFW 89.3?
Anyway, I catch him playing prime year CTI, Prestige, Kudo, and Blue Note all of the time. And he is also open to requests. Call 'em up, he's really dude.
Also, there used to be a daytime DJ named Cleveland which was my favorite programmer of WPFW because he would mix blunted acid jazz beats with some pretty nice funk and neo-soul into his mix. Havn't heard about dude in a while, though.
can't forget democracy now with Amy Goodman either. hollur!
big ups to WPFW!
oh yes, 94.7 is deinitely dope too.
how can you forget Jammes Funk Saturday mornings.
This BJ AND I'M GOING DOWN TO BARRY FARMS TO PICK UP MY BROTHER JIMMY AND THEN WE HEADING OVER TO SOUTHERN AVE TO PICK UP MY GIRL BIG SHIRL. GET ON THE TRAIN.
Very true, but I'm talking about during the day, which is when I mostly listen to the radio (while I'm driving around). During the day they got some really bad talk radio programs (America Now excepted) and some music that I'm really not feelin at all. Except for Friday afternoons when that Cleveland dude is on. He plays some good shit.
WPFW's definitely the best station in town. But overall I'd say the radio situation here in DC is miserable. There used to be that jazz station on 90.1, but now that's C-SPAN. So sad.
I gotta say though that some of those DJs on there talk waaaay too much, especially while they're playing the music. They seem to love to talk over the music with some shit that I can't imagine anybody wants to hear. Shout outs are cool and all, but damn. Am I alone here?
is there focus group research that tells PDs "increase plays of 'Hang on Sloopy'"?
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If it's tied to Clear Channel or any other big corporations, sometimes it has to do with commercial placement, or a tie-in to a movie. I wish it was a bit more random, where they would play something a bit out of the ordinary, and not just the "Lost 45". The music that comes from Clear Channel stations are sourced in Colorado, with playlists and tracks distributed to every channel in that manner. There is an established playlist for a two week period, and it can either be run automated, or if someone is there, they can rearrange songs and commercial time. But it will always be the same songs.
When I did that radio contest a few years ago, I brought CD's but they told me it's not needed, everything was there. I wanted to play some music I brought in, but it had to be screened beforehand. Yes, it was a Top 40 station so there was no chance of me playing any megamixes of any kind. If I didn't want to play Nelly, I could jump right to Sean Paul, Alicia Keys, or whomever.
But as far as how a song like "Hang On Sloopy" can be heard 8 times in a day while it may be every two months you hear Betty Wright, I'm sure it's a bit of politics going on, which is why there have been a few articles concerning payola and pay-to-play schemes in the last few weeks, and regulations on how to stop that.
I think of that hearing that Don Henley was a part of a few years ago, where he talked about someone like him finding it hard to get his new music on the radio, and yet he's established, and wondered how a new artist can get exposure when the idea of "local radio" has almost been wiped out. College radio still makes an impact, but look at all the issues that went through around 2000/2001 when college/university stations wanted to stream their broadcasts. Most stations decided to drop their streams altogether, while others said "fuck it, we're going to give the people what they want".
But pay attention the next time McDonald's or Burger King puts a new song in rotation. Within a week, you will hear that song over and over. It's less of a reminder of how good the song is, but a way to tell you that you deserve a break today. Yeah, you're lovin' it.
Well, I respectfully disagree. I don't know anything about the station you're discussing, but I love when those chitlin'-circuit blues DJ's talk over the record. Not just the shoutouts and dedications, but when they "dialogue" with whatever song's playing - say, Little Milton might sing "that's why I'm walkin' the back streets & crying," and the DJ might go "just sing to her, she might come back!" Arkansas Red at WHPK and Pervis Spann at WVON (both in Chicago) have made the talkover a work of art, damn near.
From what I understand, I think you're right. Oldies radio is all about the memories, not the music. Some baby-boomer audiences get itchy hearing songs they don't know or remember.
A lot of that was a huge influence in the 50's and 60's for the DJ's in Jamaica, who would also talk and answer back to their records. That would work its way in the sound systems, and in time would find it transformed into something new, with a bit of help from Kool Herc.
There's definitely some good talkovers going on on this station, especially in the early mornings on the weekends when the older dudes rap along with the music.. but a lot of these djs are just talking to hear themselves. And it's fucking annoying. Especially when they cut the track out completely to say something stupid. But maybe this only bothers me.
If you want to listen to this chumpy you can dload it here: Some pretty nice stuff.
WPFW Evening Broadcast 8/12/05
peas.
G funk era.
that magazine as "Anticon is a Witch!"[/b]