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Green Onions with Wolfman Jack?

V

vchimpanzee

I heard "Green Onions" by Booker T & the MGs today on the Good Time Oldies station. While I've never confirmed this, because of some unusual songs I've heard, and two songs in a row by the same artist, I have reason to suspect the affiliate is actually inserting a song of its own during a commercial break. That plus the fact it seems unusual to have a commercial and then a song and then the weather forecast, though if the weather forecast takes 30 seconds, it's possible the satellite is providing a song between two commercials.

I've never heard this happen before, though. At the end, although he seemed to get cut off before he finished, Wolfman Jack or someone who sounds a lot like him was making comments. Since DJs don't sound like that any more, I'm thinking that was part of the recording.
 
The Green Onions track may have been from one of the American Graffiti LPs, where the Wolfman, as in the movie, intro's and talks over the songs.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I heard "Green Onions" by Booker T & the MGs today on the Good Time Oldies station. While I've never confirmed this, because of some unusual songs I've heard, and two songs in a row by the same artist, I have reason to suspect the affiliate is actually inserting a song of its own during a commercial break. That plus the fact it seems unusual to have a commercial and then a song and then the weather forecast, though if the weather forecast takes 30 seconds, it's possible the satellite is providing a song between two commercials.

I've never heard this happen before, though. At the end, although he seemed to get cut off before he finished, Wolfman Jack or someone who sounds a lot like him was making comments. Since DJs don't sound like that any more, I'm thinking that was part of the recording.
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Satellite networks have a "timed record" to cover optional local breaks, and possibly instrumentals to cover to the top of the hour.
 
gr8oldies said:
Satellite networks have a "timed record" to cover optional local breaks, and possibly instrumentals to cover to the top of the hour.
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The reasons I think this could be local are songs by the same artist who was just played or something that sounds like the big band era, from the era when the Good Time Oldies affiliate I listen to had America's best Music.
 
I heard the recording again today. Wolfman Jack, if it is him, said after telling us how excited he was that green onions will keep the vampires away.
 
vchimpanzee said:
The reasons I think this could be local are songs by the same artist who was just played or something that sounds like the big band era, from the era when the Good Time Oldies affiliate I listen to had America's best Music.
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Don't overthink this too much. They cover certain optional breaks with filler music, that's all. There are only so many songs, especially instrumentals, that are timed to fit in certain windows.
 
vchimpanzee said:
The reasons I think this could be local are songs by the same artist who was just played or something that sounds like the big band era, from the era when the Good Time Oldies affiliate I listen to had America's best Music.
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@vchimpanzee
Having worked at a station that ran the Americas Best Music Format.. i can tell you theres a 99 percent chance its off the satellite. These songs are timed out exactly.

ABM offers a 3mins 30 secs or 6 minute break at TOH. you can rejoin the network feed at either point. They fill with music for stations that don't break away at all or dont take the whole 6 minutes so theres content there and not dead air. I had a chat with network PD Karl Southcott about radio stuff from time to time and there's only so many songs in that category.

Back when Karl was there, he was PD and Air talent for just that network, thats it. And not to knock whos there now, Cheri Marquart.. but shes PD of multiple formats now and Ops Manager for several of them too.. so some things arent quite like they used to be.

If a station filled with a song and didnt care to time it out, you'd have the local content and the satellite feed crashing into each other, among other problems... and most stations dont have time to hand pick stuff to fill this category. It's MUCH easier to fill a 3:30 or 6 min break with news and psas or or per inquiry spots if you have nothing else for that break

I'm the PD of an NPR station in Alaska and we use instrumental songs like Green Onions to fill out the end of hour hours that are automated with recorded NPR content so we dont cut off a promo or actual song halfway through to meet news or start the next song.
 
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I worked a station that was a Jones Satellite affiliate. The network offered 4 breaks of 3.5 minutes with 6 minutes at the top of the hour. In every instance there were songs designed to fit :00 to :03, :03 to :06 and each of the 3.5 minute breaks. Sometimes the song was shortened with a quick fade (ie: Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts was, I think, 3:21 but potted down to fit a 3:00 window). Other songs shorter than 3:00 generally included the air talent filling the needed seconds. With careful listening, you could tell where there were very short pauses to detect when the break actually began.
 
b-turner said:
I worked a station that was a Jones Satellite affiliate. The network offered 4 breaks of 3.5 minutes with 6 minutes at the top of the hour. In every instance there were songs designed to fit :00 to :03, :03 to :06 and each of the 3.5 minute breaks. Sometimes the song was shortened with a quick fade (ie: Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts was, I think, 3:21 but potted down to fit a 3:00 window). Other songs shorter than 3:00 generally included the air talent filling the needed seconds. With careful listening, you could tell where there were very short pauses to detect when the break actually began.
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Yup, thats how it was at Americas Best Music when I was at WKBI 1400. WE even ran it in the studio not connected to the transmitter for a week connected to the speakers and kept an eye on it so we could catch any faults and fix it before it went on air. .and guess what? we discovered a few... :)
 
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