Monday, February 12, 2007

On The Radio

I was watching Fox's "Animation Domination" last night when I realized two sort of embarrassing fact about myself.
1) My fight against the addiction to television falls apart when it comes to Sunday nights.
2) I absolutely love the song Let The Sunshine In.

When I admitted to number 2, Bif threatened some sort of divorce proceedings, and I think she was only half kidding. While it is The 5th Dimension's version of the song that I am enamored of, I fully realize that the song comes from a musical Hair. I'm not particularly a fan of musicals but I have a chub for Let The Sunshine In. And most of the Rocky Horror songbook...

Oh and Hedwig, you cannot beat Hedwig with a big, rock musical stick.

All of this reminds me of my childhood infatuation with the theme song from Caddyshack, I'm Alright by Kenny Loggins. I could blame my musical taste on being a child, but truth be told if I'm Alright were to start playing in the cubicle behind me, I would smile and quietly sing along. As this child, I had once called the radio station KJR here in Seattle to request I'm Alright (Theme From Caddyshack) by Kenny Loggins. The stoned intern said, "I'm Alive? I don't know..." I reiterated that no, it was the theme from Caddyshack by Kenny Loggins, but got nowhere, and did not get to hear the song that day.

I cried. Okay, I didn't but c'mon, corporate radio trying to destroy a young fans love of a song? Whatever...

This in turn reminds me of calling San Francisco's Live 105 to get some info on a couple of songs. Big Rick Stewart had played a rocking version of Saints by the Breeders and a Nirvana song that would play fairly regularly, but wasn't on any albums. I called and spoke with yet another stoned intern. The conversation went something like:

Me: "Hey, where does that version of Saints come from? And what is the name of the Nirvana song you guys just played?"
Stoned Intern: "Saints? Yeah, I don't know... We didn't just play a Nirvana song."
Me: "Yes you did, like 9 minutes ago. It's the laundry room song?"
SI: "No, we didn't play one."

Ever since, based on two experiences, I have come to the conclusion that radio interns have made it their lives calling to screw with anyone who dares call in.

**It turns out there was a single version of Saints released (produced by J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. fame and originally released on the vinyl only Head To Toe EP) and that the Nirvana song was called Verse Chorus Verse (although, I think there's some speculation on that) and was an unlisted track on the No Alternative collection. I know you guys were worried.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice one, but you told me your favorite Kenny Loggins song is Return to Pooh Corner.

It's okay, I was obsessed with Holiday Road by Lindsay Buckingham when I was a kid, complete with casio synth dog barking in the end of the song.

Unknown said...

I've called radio stations twice...once to win a cup for correctly counting the number of times Prince says "Purple Rain" in the song and once to request a song.

And as a former radio station intern, I'm offended that you think they're all stoned. They were, in fact, just fucking with you since you called a radio station in the first place. And you probably sounded enthusiastic, immediately marking you as a crazy.

I'll give you some time, I'll just let you be.

Billy Badgley said...

I'm not assuming ALL radio interns are stoners, but knowing people who have worked radio (including college shows like myself) I have to say the odds are pretty friggin' high.

Anonymous said...

You're pretty friggin' high.

Anonymous said...

Only radio programs I called are the college stations, and they are usually so happy to hear ANYONE's voice--nevermind someone who actually enjoys that crappy music they are playing--that they give up the goods without much pause... stoned or not.