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Hell Froze Over this a.m. when...

Does anyone know if they play "Blinded By The Light" ? I always liked that one. :)
 
dfaulkner said:
Does anyone know if they play "Blinded By The Light" ? I always liked that one. :)
;) I meant that as a joke, but it may not be that far off.
 
That playlist is interesting - and if it is an accurate reflection of what is played on the air, it does indicate an almost complete purge of the big bands from their format.

When I used to listen to the station's earlier incarnations, you would very regularly hear Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller recordings. They were usually the same handful of recordings by those artists played year after year - but those artists were at least represented. And they would play others as well - I specifically recall a Charlie Barnett recording being played because I remember a co-workers's elementary school aged kid hearing my radio and exclaiming "That's neat - what is that?"

A word search of the KAAM playlist .pdf for "Goodman" and "Shaw" turns up nothing. A search for "Miller" turns up MITCH Miller. Yuck. A search for "Dorsey" turns up not Tommy but rather brother Jimmy for the very big hit he had with his 1957 revival of a 1937 song, "So Rare" - a recording he made shortly before he passed away. If I recall correctly, that was the very last recording by any of the swing era big bands to hit the top of the charts - and, apparently it is the last representative of the genre left in their playlist.

So that definitely indicates the direction that they are going. Perhaps they know what they are doing. But I still think that younger listeners who are open to music from previous periods are going to be MUCH more likely to find swing/big band appealing a lot of what I see on the list. And if they don't bring in younger listeners open to music from previous generations - who is going to listen as the generation raised on FM ages and will likely be able to find the music from their youth on FM?

As an "oldies" station they are doomed - but they might have a shot at surviving as a classics station. And it is not like they would have to reinvent the wheel to make the transition. There is a fellow who has previously posted here who has a station in East Texas that has done just that: http://www.kzqx.com/

Here's an experiment: spend an hour or so listening to KZQX's online stream and an equal amount of time listening to KAAM's non specialty programming. Ignore the djs and commercials and just focus on the selection of music that is presented. You will hear some overlap in terms of the recordings being played - and you will probably find that both stations have their fair share of both good recordings and duds. But see if you don't agree that KZQX's playlist flows better, is far less jarring in terms of contrasting songs and presents a more thoughtful selection. If both stations were on the air in D/FW, which would you be more inclined to listen to? Which station do you think would have a better chance of attracting a younger audience?

Personally, I think KZQX has done a much better job in terms of their musical selection and a much closer example of what I mean by a "classics" station verses a mere "oldies" station. The one thing I do like about KAAM is they feature live djs - and the one I heard last time I listened in I thought was quite good. Put the KZQX playlist in their hands and I think the result would be a much better and more compelling station.
 
KZQX is an excellent example of what an older demographic format should be. They have class.

KAAM is an excellent example of WKRP prior to the arrival of Andy, Venus and the rebirth of Johnny Caravelli. plus let us never forget the awesome girl-next-door-sexy Bailey Quarters.

Thing is, WKRP really never made it as an AM rock station, (the 4 year run on TV chronicled that), the handwriting was on the wall.

That same handwriting stares 770 in the face.

To the 770 brain trust, face the music (pun intended)! You will be better off as a brokered/infomercial station. You'll have a constant stream of income, and you won't have this board picking on you (much) anymore.

I'm willing to bet that they may have played "Mambo #5" by Perez Prado at one time or another though!
 
1131 views so far. Threads about KAAM or hell freezing over draw a crowd. ;D

I've been listening since approx 1505. I think they're sticking fairly close to their list, but not entirely. It's been a bit Platinumesque, but not entirely. With the addition of News at the top of each hour, better jingles & the subtraction of show tunes, it would be more like what "Unforgettable 870 KFJZ" was doing when I worked there in the summer of 86.

Overall, it's been pleasant. Didn't like the several minute selection from the Musical "High Pitched Squealing On Broadway" around 1630. (I think that's the musical it came from.) :D

Just that & a several minute selection around 1810 that seemed to be part of a Spanish Opera about a striped pair of pants. ;D

I've never understood the attraction of Hermann Bocklemann, but that's just me, he must draw an audience, he's been there for years.

They're on night pattern now. Much weaker on the radio in the room where I'm writing this. (Quick, someone, get them an "emergency" FM transmitter.) :D

But, seriously, overall, not bad. Far more songs that I like than dislike. Just miss News at the top of the hour like they had in their 620 days.

I'll keep listening for part of each day.
 
LibertyNT said:
OHTBGH said:
Madonna???

Hmmm...I think that was already beat.

Air Britannia's last show on KAAM Johnny Drake played My Way by the Sex Pistols with Sid Vicious on Vocals! (Edited for one word of course)

Come to think of it, Punk Rock would be 30 years old now.

Oh man, it fits the specs!

Time for a 2 hr Saturday night Punk Rock show on KAAM!

;D

-BGH
When was Air Britannia on KAAM?
I know I carried it until he quit making new shows about 5 or 6 months ago.


August 2005-August 2006. The show was created and started there.

He was working on a new format that is supposed to debut soon.

He lost the studio he was working from and we are building a new one he will be using from home.

Because of the loss the format was postponed. And he has had many problems with the Interent where he lives and he may be moving to FIOS or 4G to get out as well.

Johnny is 65 and this "technobabble" (As he calls it) often irratates him as well. So the smoother things work the more he can concentrate on doing a prefessional show.

He just found out in the last two years what a neat idea a "mobily phone" (as he calls it) is!

Stay Tuned!

-BGH
 
317C50KW said:
KZQX is an excellent example of what an older demographic format should be. They have class.

KAAM is an excellent example of WKRP prior to the arrival of Andy, Venus and the rebirth of Johnny Caravelli. plus let us never forget the awesome girl-next-door-sexy Bailey Quarters.

Thing is, WKRP really never made it as an AM rock station, (the 4 year run on TV chronicled that), the handwriting was on the wall.

That same handwriting stares 770 in the face.

To the 770 brain trust, face the music (pun intended)! You will be better off as a brokered/infomercial station. You'll have a constant stream of income, and you won't have this board picking on you (much) anymore.

I'm willing to bet that they may have played "Mambo #5" by Perez Prado at one time or another though!

Shhhhh! don't give them any ideas and ruin it for the rest of us! They're already brokering and more colon clensers all the time!

-BGH
 
woodyrr said:
I thought you were going to say: "Hell Froze Over this a.m. when... KAAM played a song."

In all fairness, I remember being surprised one day to hear something that I am used to hearing on the Hot AC programming that I listen to most of the time. It might have been Kelly Clarkson,
-snip-

I remember what I heard: It was Lucky by Colbie Calliat. There's nothing "oldies" or "classic" about that as it was released last year iirc.

In recent years, about the only big band or swing tune that I recall hearing on KAAM was Begin the Beguine by Artie Shaw. Time was (in the 1310 and 620 days), when I visited Dallas, I could be assured that I would hear Glen Gray's No Name Jive (the six minute plus version) and Undecided by the Ames Brothers. I don't recall hearing either during the over ten years that it has been KAAM 770. These two selections, along with others of that 1940s to 1955ish period was guaranteed to put a smile on my face.

I guess that I'm not in as big of a toot this time as I was when KAAM left 1310 and then 620, because as a result of mp3s and portable mp3 players, I have all of those good old songs in my library and don't have to rely on KAAM to be able to hear them any more. Being able to listen to Chuck's KZQX stream over the internet is good too. Unlike a playlist, you have more of a radio sound with the jingles, spots, weather, and other things - but not too much of that - as well as higher fidelity sound.

I wish KAAM the best, but it sure is painful watching their feet kick in the wind as they are dangling from a branch sticking out of the side of a mountain.
 
I heard one Big Band selection in my hours iof listening yesterday "Pennsylvania 6-5000."
 
dfaulkner said:
I heard one Big Band selection in my hours iof listening yesterday "Pennsylvania 6-5000."

That's the Glenn Miller Orchestra
 
charles123 said:
dfaulkner said:
I heard one Big Band selection in my hours iof listening yesterday "Pennsylvania 6-5000."

That's the Glenn Miller Orchestra

Is that too new or being an ochestra not considered Big Band ? I'm guessing, it can't be too recent, Mr. Miller was killed in WWII.
 
dfaulkner said:
charles123 said:
dfaulkner said:
I heard one Big Band selection in my hours iof listening yesterday "Pennsylvania 6-5000."

That's the Glenn Miller Orchestra

Is that too new or being an ochestra not considered Big Band ? I'm guessing, it can't be too recent, Mr. Miller was killed in WWII.

That's the only version I know
 
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