IT'S HALLOWEEN!!

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Lately, I’ve been so distracted by day-to-day responsibilities and mundanities that I’ve lost track of the date. Heck, I sometimes forget what time of year it is, never mind what time of day, so when my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning and the announcer stated that it was Halloween, I was indeed surprised, albeit indifferent; So what? I already had an entire show planned out for today, and I didn’t see any good reason to change my plans. Then, this announcer started discussing Halloween songs, and proceeded to play his “Halloween music.” I was definitely horrified by his song selection, but not for the appropriate reasons. He wanted to convey the broad scope of music appropriate to this holiday, and he did so by playing Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”, and then “Monster Mash” back to back…my God, is that the best he could do? I felt as if I had been cheated, and thought I could definitely do better, so I instantly changed my mind and decided to do my own show of “Halloween music.” The problem with this sudden shift in plan is that I have no opportunity to properly prepare the show, so I am flying by the seat of pants, so to speak. As I type this, I have NO IDEA what I will play, but I DO know that it will not be “Toccata and Fugue” or “Monster Mash.” I’ll leave those to everyone else, while we dig a much deeper, and a seriously weirder, hole of our own.
One thing about growing up in the post-punk era is that it is easy for most of us to recall a few obscure songs that sound as though they were lifted straight from a horror movie soundtrack. There was no shortage of spooky songs to go around in the eighties. Almost every band tried to be creepy, so we choose liberally from this era, while handpicking some choice rockabilly and a few classic cuts to round out our selection. I could give you a full list, but then it might lose its surprise, so if you want to know what we play, you’ll simply have to listen……………….BOO!!!!

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 134c - THE BEACH BOYS

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Our third installment on the Beach Boys captures Brian Wilson, the band’s main songwriter and producer, walking the fine line between what he wanted, and what was expected of him; between assured commercial success and artistry; between straightforward pop music and the new sounds he started to hear in his head; between pleasing his bandmembers and pleasing himself.
In 1965, the music scene was changing rapidly. Brian was aware that the band’s imminent obsolescence was a distinct possibility of he didn’t show evidence of growth, but the band felt that their formula was a surefire success that shouldn’t be messed with. Unfortunately for Brian, all of the immediate evidence indicated that the band was probably right. Time has proven otherwise, but it must have been hell for him to feel such a strong urge to create something special while meeting resistance on all fronts.
Today’s show represents the era immediately before Brian set to work on his magnum opus, “Pet Sounds.” Here’s a list of recordings featured;
1) When I Grow Up to Be a Man
2) She Knows Me Too Well
3) Little Old Lady from Pasadena (live)
4) Dance, Dance, Dance
5) Do You Wanna Dance?
6) Please Let Me Wonder
7) Don’t Hurt My Little Sister
8) Help Me, Rhonda
9) California Girls
10) Let Him Run Wild
11) You’re So Good to Me
12) The Little Girl I Once Knew
13) Alley Oop
14) Barbara Ann

FAMILY LUMBER - EP

Check It Out - New music by 'American Radio' Co-Host Mike Tietjen
Inanimate Object
Buddy System
It Has To Be
Something To Work On
Awhile
What Phase
Slowly Freezing

Family Lumber EP

Written and recorded by Mike Tietjen
All recorded at home except for 'Buddy System' which was recorded at Woodmax Gulf
Spoken word on 'Inanimate Object' by John Williams
Door opening on 'Slowly Freezing' by Sam Tringas

SINGLES FROM THE SUMMER OF LOVE - AUGUST 1967

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Most people think of San Francisco when they think of the Summer of Love. Granted, a great deal of change did occur in California, but the West Coast wasn’t the only place experiencing change in 1967, as can be attested by the list of songs below. Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, and New York were all experience change in their own way, and of course England was being led to new ground, with the Beatles taking charge.
Here’s a list of our favorite pop songs that debuted in the waning days of the Summer of Love;
1) The Letter – The Box Tops
2) Reflections – The Supremes
3) Baby, I Love You – Aretha Franklin
4) Cold Sweat (full length version) – James Brown
5) Funky Broadway – Wilson Pickett
6) San Franciscan Nights – Eric Burden & the Animals (as a ‘Great Miss’)
7) Brown-Eyes Girl – Van Morrison
8) Baby, You’re a Rich Man – The Beatles
9) All You Need Is Love – The Beatles

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 134b - THE BEACH BOYS

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The day that this show aired, weather was truly miserable and flash floods caused me to spin into panic as the show began while I still sitting at the wheel of my car. After what must surely qualify as one of the strangest radio show introductions of our existence, we finally settle down to the business at hand.
Today’s show focuses on an era when the Beach Boys took control of the pop charts, and many considered them to be America’s finest band. A lighthearted spirit of sunshine pervaded every track, and outward appearances made them the cheeriest bunch of guys to ever share a microphone. The mood of their music was as harmonious as their vocals, but the reality of the situation was considerably more complicated. Brian Wilson, the main songwriter and arranger, felt competition from every quarter, and his insecurities forced him to constantly challenge himself. As time passed, Brian’s perception of outside pressure continually mounted, while the arrangements grew more and more ornate. All the while, the music maintained its sunny patina and fans couldn’t help but smile whenever the Beach Boys came on the radio.
Here’s a list of songs from today’s show (despite the late start, we still got in plenty of classic tracks, as this list attests;
1) Surfer Girl
2) Little Deuve Coupe
3) Catch a Wave
4) The Surfer Moon
5) Surf City – Jan and DDean
6) Surfers Rule (excerpt)
7) In My Room
8) Be True to Your School
9) Little St. Nick
10) The Warmth of the Sun
11) Fun, Fun, Fun
12) Don’t Worry Baby
13) I Get Around
14) Little Honda
15) Wendy
16) All Summer Long

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 134a - THE BEACH BOYS

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Ah, from such humble beginnings…
Nobody except Brian Wilson himself could have expected things to turn out as they did for the Beach Boys. An unassuming bunch of kids in a fledgling suburban neighborhood, the three Wilson brothers, their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine were simply having fun, imitating oldest brother Brian’s favorite group, the Four Freshmen. When middle brother Dennis suggested that Brian attempt to write a song about a new craze called surfing, it just seemed like a novelty that might – just maybe – get the boys some local recognition, and then their fifteen minutes of fame would sizzle out.
It didn’t work out that way. Even Brian may not have fully understood the scope of his vision yet, but his innate sense of harmony and his developing production skills would continually raise the ante until the Beach Boys became the single most important band in America, rivaling the Beatles in popularity. Before that happened, though, they were teenagers singing simple songs that other teenagers could understand, and they retained this motif for virtually their entire career. Before Brian’s skills stretched the boundaries of popular music, there was this - from such humble beginnings.
Here’s a list of songs featured in today’s show:
1) Surfin’ (Rehearsal)
2) Little Sirfer Girl (excerpt)
3) Surfin’
4) Luau (demo)
5) Their Hearts Were Full of Spring
6) Surfin’ Safari
7) 409
8) Ten Little Indians
9) County Fair
10) Chug-a-Lug
11) Little Girl (You’re My Miss America)
12) Punchline
13) Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry
14) Surfin’ U.S.A. (demo)
15) Surfin’ U.S.A.
16) Shut Down
17) Farmer’s Daughter
18) Lonely Sea
19) Surfin’ U.S.A. (live)

THE MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ON CD

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A few weeks ago, in our coverage of the ‘Summer of Love’, we dedicated one program to the Monterey Pop Festival, a key event in the development of pop music history. What many people do not know, however, is that Monterey had already been hosting a Jazz Festival for years before then. Recently, a batch of some the jazz festival’s most interesting performances have been made available on CD, and they are incredible, not only for the quality of the performances themselves but also for the stellar clarity of the production. Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gilllespie and Sarah Vaughan all have disks that feature previously unreleased performances, and each of them is a major find for fans of these artists.
To introduce our listeners to the concept of this jazz festival, and also to the overall quality of the music they provide, we dedicate today’s show to sampling some of the best that they have to offer. Here’s a list of songs featured in today’s show;
1) Trinidad, Goodbye - Dizzy Gillespie
2) Back Home Again in Indiana - Louis Armstrong
3) Now You Has Jazz - Louis Armstrong
4) There Will Never Be Another You - Sarah Vaughan
5) Autumn Leaves - Miles Davis
6) Rhythm-a-ning - Thelonius Monk

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 9b - SYDNEY BECHET

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This week we complete our coverage of jazz innovator Sidney Bechet by continuing to focus on his classic recordings. Bechet remained musically active throughout his life, and his later days are filled with numerous recording sessions and live performances. For the purpose of our show, we focus mainly on his most influential work, which is mostly derived from his earlier years. His autobiography and a choice recorded interview with Bechet’s brother completes the picture.
Here is a list of songs featured in today’s program;
1) Shag
2) Polka Dot Stomp
3) Blues in Thirds
4) Viper Mad
5) Summertime
6) Really the Blues
7) Blue Horizon
8) Petite Fleur
9) Old Man Blues

THE WAR: MUSIC FROM THE PBS DOCUMENTARY

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In the past week or so, another brilliant Ken Burns-affilated documentary has been airing on PBS. In a rather unusual move, a multitude of cd's have been released to accompany the series and extrapolate on the experience. Sometimes poignant and moving, at other times fun and exciting, it mostly serves as an emotionally compelling document of an incredible time in history. For today's show, we extract a few tracks from each of the four cd's associated with this series.
Here's a list of songs that are utilized in today's program;
1) American Anthem - Norah Jones
2) How Long Blues - Count Basie
3) We'll Meet Again - Benny Goodman
4) Body and Soul - Coleman Hawkins
5) Blues in the Night - Cab Calloway
6) Cherokee - Charlie Barnet
7) Pistol Packin' Mama - Al Dexter
8) Frenesi - Artie Shaw
9) American Patrol - Glenn Miller
10) C Jam Blues - Duke Ellington
11) Song Without Words - Yo Yo Ma and Emmanuel Ax