• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

And The Stiffs Just Keep On Comin'

Starz' "Cherry Baby" may have been a stiff nationally but both WPHD and 97 Rock made it into an album rock hit in Western NY.

Back to the subject of stiffs, here's one from 1970 that was unusual...it was a song that was a big breakout hit for the guy who co-wrote it, wihile at the same instant it was stiffing for a group that had already had several platinum singles and probably expected to chart with this one too. I'm talking about "Your Song", which introduced Elton John to the world and made him a star, while Three Dog Night's version of the same Elton John/Bernie Taupin composition, itself a nice midtempo ballad performance, went noplace.
 
Bob1370 said:
Starz' "Cherry Baby" may have been a stiff nationally but both WPHD and 97 Rock made it into an album rock hit in Western NY.

I do remember "Cherry Baby" from 'KB...(of course!)

And here's another one. Jane Olivor remade "He's So Fine" in 1978. I only thought of this one last night because an up-and-coming artist my wife knows was looking for an "out-of-the-box" suggestion for songs to perform live. Why this came to mind is beyond me...I haven't heard it since it stiffed in '78. Must've made quite an impression:

Here's Jane Olivor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYkT_-UH1Vw

Here's the artist my wife knows. The video depicts the recording of a song that I think may work on AC, HAC, maybe even Top 40's who've had success with Colbie Caillat/Sara Bariellis etc...name is Brooke Annibale...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwbFEZME0lc

BTW Bob, my wife is curious if you remember a spoof Phil Markert did called "Ron (Rod?) Rednecksky", based on Tully Valley Teacher Rev. Ron Rice? She had him for 6th grade social studies...
 
"BTW Bob, my wife is curious if you remember a spoof Phil Markert did called "Ron (Rod?) Rednecksky", based on Tully Valley Teacher Rev. Ron Rice? She had him for 6th grade social studies..."

Sure do. It was hilarious, as ol' Ron hit the air in the morning talking about all the doings in "O-Tis-co." The voice of Ron Redneckski was a suburban Syracuse teacher himself, Rick Perry, who doubled as our Sunday morning music host. Rick and Phil would work up and script the bits and go on the air with them live, Rick would do 'em on the phone with Phil before his first morning class. Don't know if any of his students were in on the gag....
 
My wife loved the gag but felt sorry for Ron Rice's kids...lol...great stuff, thanks.

Now back to the stiffs thread. Starring...

Ringo Starr - "Wrack My Brain"
Burton Cummings - "You Saved My Soul"
Mick Jagger - "Lucky In Love"
 
Heard this one painting a store that had Sirius/XM's 60s On 6 playing: Til the End of the Day from the Kinks. It's one of my favorites and I wouldn't have known it was a stiff except for a guy on the crew who asked, "what the hell is this?!" I thought it was a hit in '68. Checked Whitburn and discovered it peaked at #50 in '66. Maybe Sirius/XM was doing a 60's Stiffs on 6 weekend. ;) More Pabst please!
 
Sometimes local hits were obscure elsewhere, but I must agree that "Til The End Of The Day" is not one that I heard very frequently.
 
Radknowski said:
Heard this one painting a store that had Sirius/XM's 60s On 6 playing: Til the End of the Day from the Kinks. It's one of my favorites and I wouldn't have known it was a stiff except for a guy on the crew who asked, "what the hell is this?!" I thought it was a hit in '68. Checked Whitburn and discovered it peaked at #50 in '66. Maybe Sirius/XM was doing a 60's Stiffs on 6 weekend. ;) More Pabst please!

I remember it as an oldie on (who else?)...I remember Sandy Beach playing it in PM drive, circa 1971...
 
Rockwell followed his #2 "Somebody's Watching Me" with a #35 "Obscene Phone Caller". Seems a bit paranoid to me. ;) Now, back to the Wease/WECK/Pegula portion of this board... :p
 
What? You thought I'd let the opportunity slide? Thanks yugoidar. Here now, submitted for your listening, slow dancing and dining pleasure, a song that was a big AOR hit but just didn't make it as a single, "Your Own Special Way" by Genesis. Uncle Oskie is workin' on a three day old Panatella. The van is loaded and ready to roll. We're off to throw mud and paint.
 
Yes! Something non-WECK related! ;D Excellent choice for a stiff. I really like the song, so different than the pop music machine Genesis became during the 80s.
 
One song that was a big hit in some markets like Chicago and Detroit in the mid-70s but charted only briefly if at all here, was the Isley Brothers' "Fight The Power." Not at all the same as Public Enemy's late 80s record of the same title, but the same general idea. Some PDs probably got scared by the overall message while others probably got turned off by the word "bulls++t" in the chorus.
 
Solsbury Hill gets a crazy amount of airplay. You can hear it on AC, Classic Hits and Classic Rock. I'm surprised it hasn't been covered by Kenny Chesney for Country radio.
 
I'm surprised it hasn't been covered by Kenny Chesney for Country radio.

9 er...not a bad point. But I think Country is so far beyond that...that it ain't gonna happen.
 
qman said:
Another big AOR hit which never made the top 40 but will get played on AC radio is Salisbury Hill by Peter Gabriel.

Another couple of Gabriel songs which did not hit top 40 but get occasional airplay are "I Go Swimming" and "Red Rain".
 
John C said:
In honor of last night's concert, one of Bob Seger's most popular songs which never hit the top 40, Turn The Page.
Tres cool. But did he do "2 + 2 Is On My Mind" one of his great songs from the psychedelic psyixties as The Bob Seger System.
 


Back
Top Bottom