February 3, 1959 The Day the Music Died

[CTListener]

I didn't see anyone doing that. But just think, if the coin toss had gone differently Waylon Jennings would have died in that plane crash instead of J.P. Richardson and we would be discussing a Country star that never was.

We wouldn't be discussing him at all. He was just a member of Holly's band, hadn't recorded anything on his own. But then, maybe Richardson would have capitalized on the success of "Chantilly Lace" and gotten out of Beaumont, eventually becoming a big-market, nationally syndicated radio personality, like Rick Dees.

 

[wadio]

Management knows that their product is listening. Of course they care about relevance. What you find irrelevant others may find very interesting. You are addressing an issue of personal preference, not management's disregard for listeners.

Personally, I would enjoy an occasional mention of what the hits were in a "in a day like today" feature. For decades those memory pieces have been attractive to, at least, Boomers and Gen X listeners.

Well, that was just one example. You can spin it any way you want, but I can recall when you tried to justify running a, "Winter is on the way ..." furnace commercial in April, so I'll have to take that with a grain of salt.

 

[semoochie]

I've mentioned this before but Buddy Holly only had two or three real hits in America and his career was mostly over by 1958. In fact, his single at the time of his death peaked at #13. In England however he had one big hit after another, topped the charts when he died and continued to have posthumous hits! His lasting fame came from The Beatles and others, honoring his memory and influence. Otherwise, he wouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.

 

[davideduardo]

Well, that was just one example. You can spin it any way you want, but I can recall when you tried to justify running a, "Winter is on the way ..." furnace commercial in April, so I'll have to take that with a grain of salt.

IIRC, I explained that if a client chooses not to revise copy it is not the station's fault if it seems off. I am sure we will hear any number of "Superbowl" related ads still running on Monday and some will not be the station's fault.

And in some cases, clients have standing orders to run a particular ad when a particular condition is met. Anti-freeze and snow tire ads any time the temperature went below freezing go back to the 40's. So if there is a later freeze in April, it can trigger a furnace ad. If the client and the sales rep did not contemplate the need for copy revisions, it is hardly the station management's fault.

In any case, you are talking about a commercial which is a third party bit of rented time. Content such as "46 years ago, the #1 song was..." is part of the programming. You find it to be useless fill, others may find it to bring back memories and, thus, be entertaining.

TV and radio have been overflowing in the last few days with Superbowl content and comments. I don't follow American football and have never been to a complete game or watched on all the way through... so I find that content boring, irrelevant and annoying. But I know I am in a very small minority, and that most folks love the game and the excitement. So I don't criticize the media for going with a popular subject.

 

[wadio]

I think it's not too difficult to determine when someone is asleep at the switch.

When I worked in radio we cared. If a client was running copy that was 6 months out of date we cared enough to let him know. And the client always responded. Why in the world would any client want to look like a fool to his audience? And, come on, that furnace ad ran every day for weeks well into the summer months. It wasn't triggered by a freeze warning!

BTW, where commercials are concerned, I don't care what they're for -- I say, bring 'em on -- they pay the bills.

But I seriously doubt that these music-related "features" are placed into talk streams with any thought whatsoever - they're simply dumped there. Can I prove it, no. But when I hear what sounds like a 10 year old girl gushing about the "TV top 10," back to back with Tom Brokaw trying to sound relevant by opining about the "disembodied voice in a GPS," I have to believe nobody's paying attention.

Does management every fall down on the job in your opinion?

 

[davideduardo]

Does management every fall down on the job in your opinion?

Of course it does. That is why some station is last in the ratings. It's why stations change format. It's why an occasional station loses its license. It's why the geny does not go on when the power goes off.

In those cases, the causes can be many: poor budgeting, poor supervision, lack of knowledge, lack of skills to name a few.

But most radio management, whether it be for an AM daytimer doing paid religion or a full-facility music FM, understands that there is a need to satisfy a group of listeners in order to generate revenue.

 

[wadio]

That's fair.

My only point is that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I hear a lot of "sloppy" radio these days and it hurts. I honestly think it matters to the audience, even if in a subliminal way. That can't be good for ratings, for advertisers or for revenues.

And as human beings there's something to be said for the feeling that we've done our best.

 

[landtuna]

Just to make a point I was trying to make the other day when this thread was active....

Today is Super Bowl Sunday but the top trending on Yahoo.com is......Richie Valens.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

I've mentioned this before but Buddy Holly only had two or three real hits in America and his career was mostly over by 1958. In fact, his single at the time of his death peaked at #13. In England however he had one big hit after another, topped the charts when he died and continued to have posthumous hits! His lasting fame came from The Beatles and others, honoring his memory and influence. Otherwise, he wouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.

BTW Fats, Chuck, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee are all still with us!! (had to Google Jerry Lee to check) 2nd BTW The Hollies took their name because of Buddy Holly (I don't think any band called themselves the Presleys, not to minimize Elvis' huge impact and influence on pop music and culture)

 

[ChannelFlipper]

"Quack" back at you!

I still believe there is a place for "Disco Duck" on the radio and there is nothing you can say to make me think otherwise!

 

[landtuna]

...(I don't think any band called themselves the Presleys, not to minimize Elvis' huge impact and influence on pop music and culture)

When Elvis hit the big time I remember a nationwide upheaval by parents, church leaders and all manner of social "experts" (including racial bigots) finding fault with his presentation of the music. He was pilloried for suggestive dancing on stage, his overall image as a "bad boy" and his covering of formerly Black music.

Holly, by comparison, had none of that.

Probably why no bands picked up his namesake (even though "Colonel" Tom Parker would not have allowed it anyway).

 

[semoochie]

BTW Fats, Chuck, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee are all still with us!! (had to Google Jerry Lee to check) 2nd BTW The Hollies took their name because of Buddy Holly (I don't think any band called themselves the Presleys, not to minimize Elvis' huge impact and influence on pop music and culture)

Yes, that's because the Hollies was an English band and Buddy Holly's huge success there had tremendous influence on virtually all members of the British Invasion!