Be A DJ For A Day (Or At Least One Shift)

Given the extraordinarily pathetic nature of radio these days, I sometimes fantasize that I am a DJ at a free form FM station as they existed in the late 60's/early 70's (I obviously have no life). I program my own four hour air shift (gotta do something at the office). Anyone like to play this little game? Assume that you have the Friday, 6 to 10 PM shift at an FM free form rock station. Assume it is the present day. What would each hour look like? Here's my show:

Hour #1

Here Comes The Weekend-Dave Edmunds
This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide-The Kings
Death Or Glory-The Clash
Along Comes Mary-The Association
Mary Ann With The Shaky Hand-The Who
Big Man In Town-The Four Seasons
All I Wanted Was You-Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
Into The Mystic-Van Morrison
The Only Living Boy In New York-Simon & Garfunkel
Rock & Roll Is Dead-The Rubinoos
Dream Police-Cheap Trick
Dancing Days-Led Zeppelin
Better Days-Bruce Springsteen

Hour #2

American Squirm-Nick Lowe
Fools Gold-Graham Parker
Oliver's Army-Elvis Costello
Golden Down-Willie Nile
Ticket To Ride-The Beatles
Victoria-The Kinks
Denise-Randy & The Rainbows
Let Him Run Wild-The Beach Boys
Rockaway Beach-The Ramones
Baby Blue-Badfinger
Rubber Bullets-10CC
Absolutely Sweet Marie-Jason & The Scorchers
Tangled Up In Blue-Bob Dylan

Hour #3

The Punk Meets The Godfather-The Who
Holidays In The Sun-The Sex Pistols
Chuck Berry-Johnny B. Good
Jailhouse Rock-Elvis Presley
Rave On-Buddy Holly
Incident On 57th Street-Bruce Springsteen
Waterloo Sunset-The Kinks
Supper's Ready-Genesis

Hour #4

Got To Be A Better Way Home-Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
The Card Cheat-The Clash
I Wanna Be Sedated-The Ramones
Sister Morphine-The Rolling Stones
The Needle & The Damage Done-Neil Young
And Your Bird Can Sing-The Beatles
Vagabond Moon-Willie Nile
Manic Monday-The Bangles
Walking On Sunshine-Katrina & The Waves
Good Golly Miss Molly-Little Richard
Fun, Fun, Fun-The Beach Boys
Gimme Shelter-The Rolling Stones
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away-The Beatles

Thanks for reading if you got this far without falling asleep.

Jeff

 

Jeff,

Don't feel too weird; I've actually had the same fantasy.

In lieu of posting my own make-believe playlists, I'll recommend an excellent book about the heyday of underground FM radio: "Voices in the Purple Haze," by Michael C. Keith. I think it's still in print and is a compelling read for those of us who are old enough to remember the halcyon days of unbridled creativity, when every week brought a slew of great new records....

 

Do college radio. I'm glad my Allma Mater will let me back in to do the occasional shift. Fact is though, I haven't been there since a year after I graduated. I'm east of Boston, they're in the Massachusetts Berskires. Ick.

Fact is, you CAN be a radio DJ here on the net with a few tools and some music. People DO tune in on Shoutcast for all kinds of pirate radio sounds.

Always wanted to do Jazz on Wednesday night here in town in a local radio station. However, if the station manager started acting like most of them did in my early career, I would just hit him square in the nose.

Friend of mine took an exciter (part of a transmitter) and an Optimod (stereo multiplex for FM stereo) and "excited" the railing in his apartment building. (This guy was a F... pure nutcase). He knew full well he didn't match the resistance right. But, he recorded a full 2hr show on 1/2 track, and we went around town in his car listening to it. Sounded great! Hey, my friend the a..hole with his very own radio station in the 15th floor of his apartment building!

Course, the exciter smoked up after he left it on for more than 4 hours or so. Smelled like you could imagine. There went a couple grand. Up in $moke.

 

I understand that now, for $2500 for a low power FCC license and some radio gear, anyone can run a radio station. It is all part of the FCC's effort to give the public more of an alternative to what the two or three major broadcast companies offer. They also wanted to encourage radio pirates to go legal. Of course, the majors fought this all the way to the end.

 

I'm lucky enough (I think!) to have done college and commercial radio (almost 15 years worth) before I got out.

Jeff, that's a mean playlist! Although your sample hours are a little short for non-commercial radio. Add about 15 minutes worth of commercials for commercial radio.

 

Jeff:

"Rock & Roll Is Dead" by the Rubinoos is one of my favorite air-guitar classics! Overall, you have some excellent taste in music.

 

Thanks Jimbo.

The Rubinoos are one of the great should have been but never were bands. Willie Nile is also a guy who should have been a big star. Never put out a bad album. Great lyrics, great hooks, great singing, great performer. "Places I Have Never Been" is one of my all time favorite albums. He's a good guy too. e-mail him at his website and he usually replies within a day or two.

Jeff