Adios Christmas 103

[keyjock]

He's just ok...nothing special in anything he says.

I really don't think his filling-in was for the purpose of doing or saying anything 'special!'
I just think Falconi wanted him there to keep things flowing quickly and have a known station personality there for those 'new' listeners hanging in after the Christmas format. If you were to ask JJ, he'd probably be the first to tell you that he is not a morning drive-time jock. He's from the old school days of "shut up and play the hits!" And to keep it music intensive while Dale and his crew enjoy their vacation.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

The common version of the "American Pie" single was a Part 1/Part 2, about four minutes each, and "Part 1" got played a lot when it was a hit, although the full-length got a lot of play, too.

"American Pie" and "Light My Fire" were also very different kinds of songs. "Pie" has vocal all the way through, and tells a story (of sorts) about the history of rock'n'roll which needs to be heard in it's entirety to be cohesive. That's why it's usually played all the way through.

The single edit that was made to "Light My Fire" simply cut out the psychedelic instrumental jam in the middle of the album version. Such instrumental jams were appropriate for FM album rock radio, but not Top 40 radio back in the day, and nowadays they're likewise appropriate for Classic Rock stations, but not Oldies stations which go for the Top 40 sound.

 

[scooty430]

I know, Eli, but it is still a dreadful song. Doesn't come close to the majesty of Quicksilver Messenger Service (Have Another hit: OF FRESH AIR!), Grand Funk's CLOSER TO HOME (I'm Your Captain), or Blue Cheer's "I'm The Light", all inspiring songs that don't get the airplay of ... Stuck In The Middle of Gerry Wheel's Baker Street.

Those are all Classic Rock tunes, really. You should be listening to ZLX. (Of course, they probably play Baker Street too.)

 

[scooty430]

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In the summer of 1967 when "Light My Fire" was a hit, commercial rock stations in Boston were all Top 40 stations (WRKO AM/FM, WBZ, and WMEX). They all played only the 45 version, day or night. The only station in the area where I heard the album version of "Light My Fire" in 1967 was on MIT college station WTBS (now WMBR). WBCN didn't start playing album rock until March 1968.

[/quote]


I can't speak for what was played in 67, as I wasn't alive, but in the 70s, the two top 40 stations in Boston (WVBF and WRKO) played album cuts sometimes, especially VBF. I heard the long version of Light My Fire on both of those, as well as the short version sometimes.

And of course, with WCOZ, WBCN, and later WZLX always playing the longer version, I think many people are used to that one.

Don't live in Boston anymore, but the oldies station out here in LA (a very conservative one, I might add,) plays the long version.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I know, Eli, but it is still a dreadful song. Doesn't come close to the majesty of Quicksilver Messenger Service (Have Another hit: OF FRESH AIR!), Grand Funk's CLOSER TO HOME (I'm Your Captain), or Blue Cheer's "I'm The Light", all inspiring songs that don't get the airplay of ... Stuck In The Middle of Gerry Wheel's Baker Street.

Those are all Classic Rock tunes, really. You should be listening to ZLX. (Of course, they probably play Baker Street too.)

The only one of those that WZLX plays is Grand Funk's "Closer To Home". Quicksilver Messenger Service and Blue Cheer no longer exist on commercial radio, even on Classic Rock stations.

WZLX doesn't play "Baker Street". It's too pop for their Classic Rock format. It's frequently played in Boston on WROR (Classic Hits) and WODS (Oldies), and it also shows up on WMJX (AC) and WMKK (Mike-FM, Adult Hits).

I can't speak for what was played in 67, as I wasn't alive, but in the 70s, the two top 40 stations in Boston (WVBF and WRKO) played album cuts sometimes, especially VBF. I heard the long version of Light My Fire on both of those, as well as the short version sometimes.

That happened during a period in the 70's when Top 40 stations were playing some album tracks because they were worried about losing their ratings to progressive album rock stations, which were flourishing at the time. It was a brief period on WRKO, but WVBF always included some album rock. The equivalent nowadays is "Classic Hits" stations like WROR, which play mostly Top 40 oldies from the era, but also with a few big album hits, and album versions of songs like "Light My Fire".