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"Bathroom" records

Re:

> (timing taken from allmusic.com)
>
> Steely Dan - Deacon Blues (7:35) and Aja (exactly 8:00 -
> great for lazy backtiming into network news)
> Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song (7:38) and Kashmir (8:28)
> Lynard Skynard - Freebird! - live version (not a favorite
> but it was long - 13:40)
>
> And I remember fondly several FM "free form" stations I grew
> up listening to as a teen in the mid 70's (KTYD in Santa
> Barbera CA in 1973, and KKUL in Tulsa OK in 1975-6) used to
> play the whole first side of "The Who Sell Out" where every
> song was segued with UK pirate radio jingles, great album!
>
> I remember hearing many AOR Jocks accidently play 2 Moody
> Blues songs back to back, since all thier classic 1967-74
> albums were segued.
>
> Billy G.
> http://listen.to/jangleradio
>
No one has mentioned Side 2 of Abbey Road! Everything from Sun King through The End works well.
 
> > Any others?
>
> I managed to use the long version of Tommy James & The
> Shondells "Crimson And Clover" once when I worked at an AM
> oldies station years ago which did not play classic rock
> album cuts.
>

Yeah...classic rock is kind of cheating...there was a spell it seemed that the album version of EVERY song was at least 7 min.
 
> "Low Spark" mentioned above ran around 11 minutes, that was
> worth at least a trip to the bathroom and the pop machine. I
> remember doing country where the bathrooms were a long way
> down the hall, and most of the songs were in the 2 1/2-3
> minute range.
>

That's when you need "El Paso" by Marty Robbins. It's around 5 minutes long.
 
Re:

AOR/"free-form" was a whole different game than Top 40 or Oldies.

I remember hanging out with a small group of friends with the overnight DJ at Boston's leading AOR WBCN in 1974. About 3 AM, he put on a whole side of the Allman Brothers live album "Eat A Peach", and we all went across the street to an all-night pizza joint (it was illegal to leave the station on-air with no operator in the studio back in those pre-automation days, but we had the munchies, you know...).

When we got back (with full stomachs) just in time for him to back announce the tracks, he made it sound like he had been really into grooving on the tunes in the studio!


> > (timing taken from allmusic.com)
> >
> > Steely Dan - Deacon Blues (7:35) and Aja (exactly 8:00 -
> > great for lazy backtiming into network news)
> > Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song (7:38) and Kashmir (8:28)
> > Lynard Skynard - Freebird! - live version (not a favorite
> > but it was long - 13:40)
> >
> > And I remember fondly several FM "free form" stations I
> grew
> > up listening to as a teen in the mid 70's (KTYD in Santa
> > Barbera CA in 1973, and KKUL in Tulsa OK in 1975-6) used
> to
> > play the whole first side of "The Who Sell Out" where
> every
> > song was segued with UK pirate radio jingles, great album!
>
> >
> > I remember hearing many AOR Jocks accidently play 2 Moody
> > Blues songs back to back, since all thier classic 1967-74
> > albums were segued.
> >
> > Billy G.
> > http://listen.to/jangleradio
> >
> No one has mentioned Side 2 of Abbey Road! Everything from
> Sun King through The End works well.
>
 
WhiteBird- It's a Beautiful Day
Freebird- Lynard Skynard
Roundabout-Yes
Your Move/All Good People- Yes
Hocus Pocus-Focus
Green Eyed Lady (Long Version) Sugarloaf


Just an off the cuff question KM. You also were a programmer. How did you feel when one of your Jocks would break format, and put on one of these 'relief' records?

> Hey Jude - Beatles
> In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly
> Vahevala (live version) - Loggins and Messina
> Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
> Tobacco Road - Edgar Winter's White Trash
> Karn Evil 9 - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
> Also Sprach Zarathustra (album version) - Deodato
>
> Any others?
>
 
> Just an off the cuff question KM. You also were a
> programmer. How did you feel when one of your Jocks would
> break format, and put on one of these 'relief' records?

Well, that question would have only been germaine at one of the stations I programmed, because a good number of them were automated with local voicetracking (lots of time to go to the bathroom once you fed your tracks to the machine), or were all music-on-cart with the ability to set up an auto-segue with the cue tones, if needed.

The remaining station, which was an AOR, actually had those songs in a separate category, to be played once per shift at the jocks' discretion. If they needed the category for a bathroom break, they could use it there, otherwise they could play a track from there anywhere they wanted.

This is what happens when the PD is also air talent. Contingencies are planned for.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Used Ray Charles at Smokin' Oldies on many occasions, as What'd I Say was the longest song we had in the library. I notice you included Renaissance, yet no Yes? Great show with both at the Fabulous Forum, circa 1975!

> Like a Rolling Stone
> The End- The Doors
> Can't You Hear Me Knockin' - Rolling Stones
> What'd I Say-Ray Charles (long version)
> Shout-Isley Brothers (long version)
> half of the Renaissance catalogue :>) that progressive rock
> radio played
> Low Spark of the High-Heeled Boys -Traffic
> Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding-Elton John
>
 
> Used Ray Charles at Smokin' Oldies on many occasions, as
> What'd I Say was the longest song we had in the library. I
> notice you included Renaissance, yet no Yes? Great show with
> both at the Fabulous Forum, circa 1975!

Darn, I forgot about Yes of course!
How about playing the whole side of "Close to the Edge"? haha
Didn't see them live until much later around 1988

Saw Renaissance at Princeton University in '75 I believe.
 
On the other side format wise

In the 70's I worked for a great little MOR station in Fort Lauderdale. Since it was the overnight shift I could play comedy cuts if I needed a long break. There was also a 5:10 version of Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver, MacArthur Park of course and a Streisand Medley "One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not A Home" I think it was 6:56.

Most of time I had to look for a song short enough to backtime into network news on the hour. So at least I had a 5 minute break every hour!

Stop laughing!

MikeM
 
By the time it is over, you would need to go again.

I would call this song, a "blacklight record." Or an LSD record.


> In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re: The Best"Bathroom" record In The Fifties

El Paso-Marty Robbins. Or was that from 1960? I can not think of any song as good as that from the pre 1964 years.




> I said "records" not "songs" because of the era I am
> recalling.
>
> Mike Dane made the point that a lot of DJs liked "MacArthur
> Park" because of the length. That was what used to be
> called a "bathroom" record because you could make a run for
> the bathroom while it played and make it back before anyone
> knew you had left the control room.
>
> Other "bathroom" records I remember using (bear in mind,
> part of my on-air career was in AOR, so some of these would
> be considered Classic Rock now, if anyone even would still
> play them):
>
> Hey Jude - Beatles
> In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly
> Vahevala (live version) - Loggins and Messina
> Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
> Tobacco Road - Edgar Winter's White Trash
> Karn Evil 9 - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
> Also Sprach Zarathustra (album version) - Deodato
>
> Any others?
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
At my first station, we had mostly vinyl and a few carted. This one was on cart. Also the long version of Beginnings was carted up.

> Frampton, "Do You Feel Like We Do" (13 minute live version
> only).
>
> (bathroom break plus a short nap)
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re: "Bathroom" records... I Can't Resist

I can't resist this. If you are doing overnight and in a pinch (and male) there is always a used Coke can.

All right now I said it. I know some of you thought of it, but were scared to say.

Used Coke cans make good ashtrays too.



> "Low Spark" mentioned above ran around 11 minutes, that was
> worth at least a trip to the bathroom and the pop machine. I
> remember doing country where the bathrooms were a long way
> down the hall, and most of the songs were in the 2 1/2-3
> minute range.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re:

Professionalism is a wonderful thing.


> AOR/"free-form" was a whole different game than Top 40 or
> Oldies.
>
> I remember hanging out with a small group of friends with
> the overnight DJ at Boston's leading AOR WBCN in 1974. About
> 3 AM, he put on a whole side of the Allman Brothers live
> album "Eat A Peach", and we all went across the street to an
> all-night pizza joint (it was illegal to leave the station
> on-air with no operator in the studio back in those
> pre-automation days, but we had the munchies, you know...).
>
> When we got back (with full stomachs) just in time for him
> to back announce the tracks, he made it sound like he had
> been really into grooving on the tunes in the studio!
> <P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
> By the time it is over, you would need to go again.
>
> I would call this song, a "blacklight record." Or an LSD
> record.
>
>
> > In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly

I guess you never did AOR, pepper.

The live version of Loggins & Messina's "Vahevala" is longer than the Iron Butterfly song. <P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Re:

> Professionalism is a wonderful thing.

There are, of course, lots of reasons other than the munchies or not wanting to relieve oneself in a Coke can for playing long records.

Doing nights at one station where the FM was live and the AM was automated, with the studios at the AM transmitter site, I often used the 20-minute version of "Vahevala" by Loggins & Messina (and other "whole side of the album" cuts) to give me enough time to go out to the towers and take the nighttime base current readings.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Yes, I did. One term, fall, 1977 in college. 2-6AM on WKDU-AOR. And I did play Alice's Restaurant.


The station copy of Iron Butterfly LP was stolen.


> > By the time it is over, you would need to go again.
> >
> > I would call this song, a "blacklight record." Or an LSD
> > record.
> >
> >
> > > In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly
>
> I guess you never did AOR, pepper.
>
> The live version of Loggins & Messina's "Vahevala" is longer
> than the Iron Butterfly song.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
 
Re:

> > Professionalism is a wonderful thing.
>
> There are, of course, lots of reasons other than the
> munchies or not wanting to relieve oneself in a Coke can for
> playing long records.
>
> Doing nights at one station where the FM was live and the AM
> was automated, with the studios at the AM transmitter site,
> I often used the 20-minute version of "Vahevala" by Loggins
> & Messina (and other "whole side of the album" cuts) to give
> me enough time to go out to the towers and take the
> nighttime base current readings.

Yes, you could use the time to set up the automation of the other station for the next day. Remember those caraousel cart machines that you programed with the little peg boards?
Also, I used Light My Fire for a trip to the john or a smoke. In Gadda Da Vida was good for showing a visiting female fan, er, ah, how to use the production room!
>
 
> Yes, I did. One term, fall, 1977 in college. 2-6AM on
> WKDU-AOR. And I did play Alice's Restaurant.

I stand corrected. One term's experience at a college station is better than no experience at all.

> The station copy of Iron Butterfly LP was stolen.

Perhaps -- to continue your original thought -- someone lost it while tripping on acid ...

>
>
> > > By the time it is over, you would need to go again.
> > >
> > > I would call this song, a "blacklight record." Or an
> LSD
> > > record.
> > >
> > >
> > > > In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (album version) - Iron Butterfly
> >
> > I guess you never did AOR, pepper.
> >
> > The live version of Loggins & Messina's "Vahevala" is
> longer
> > than the Iron Butterfly song.
> >
> <P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Automation

> Yes, you could use the time to set up the automation of the
> other station for the next day. Remember those caraousel
> cart machines that you programed with the little peg boards?

I've seen those, but never worked at a station that used those.

I mainly worked with Schafer 903s, although I did work at one station with a IGM RAM system. Both were microprocessor-based systems which electronically controlled Carousels, Audiofiles, and Instacarts.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
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