Reportedly, it was recorded and mixed directly to a mono tape machine. No multi-track tape. Not sure if I buy this account but this is the legend...
Bob
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"I'll play the radio on southern stations"
- Thread starter Schroedingers Cat
- Start date
Reportedly, it was recorded and mixed directly to a mono tape machine. No multi-track tape. Not sure if I buy this account but this is the legend...
Bob
A song lyric is a song lyric and it might be best not to read more into it than is there, but I suppose this narrator could be DXing or driving to the south and listening to the radio.
What many people have forgotten is the close relationship between radio airplay and record sales, at least at that time. You could get airplay by putting lines like "I'll play the radio on Southern stations" in the lyrics. Or "Pilot of the Airwaves, here is my request...I'd be happy just to hear your voice, saying this is for the girl who didn't sign her name, guess she needs a dedication just the same! Late at night I'm still listening, don't waste my time chasing sleep." "She was working for the Friends of 'BAI." So the inclusion of some lyrical scenario of a "chick listening to the radio" at home, or in a convertible with the top down, guaranteed getting the PD/MD's attention and airplay.
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Oh, I forgot Frank Slay's production with Jerry Corbetta, "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You". "He remembers the all night creature, at Stereo 92", who sounds a lot like Wolfman Jack.
"Barefoot in Baltimore" is alive, well, and in regular rotation on my iphone and computer. Yeah, the marimba solo is sensational....as are the harmonies.
I've also got "Tomorrow", which IIRC was the direct follow-up to "Inscense" (sp?) and also has some excellent harmonies (and keyboard work).
Back OT. KAAY was the big southern top-40 signal here in the midwest, but obviously not doable in Baltimore, with WBAL on the channel with 50kw.
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Some of those stations that were I-B and nondirectional until LSS might have come in occasionally. Just looked at KWKH 1130, but it looks like it was MOR/Chicken Rock, so I don't know if they both would have liked that playing in the convertible.
Back off topic: "Incense" is the correct spelling.
"Both?" You don't play when you both liked, you play what SHE liked. She's the southern belle, and they're hell at night.
That was the only song on the album that wasn't in stereo.
My older brother had the album and I liked playing it too when I was a kid.
We had the 45 too of Incense and Peppermints and the B side wasn't even on the album.
I only found out recently that both songs were recorded before they changed their name to The Strawberry Alarm Clock.
The lead singer on the record wasn't actually in the band. He was a 16 year old friend of the band who came to the session. Slay didn't like the voice of the band's actual lead singer and enlisted their friend to do lead. The band didn't get songwriter credit, even though it was their idea. They lost out on lots of money.
I bought the single, but years later. I may have more than one. It was on UNI, off the top of my head. Now I'll look to see if I'm right. Uni is right! I had some kind of multicolor label pictured. Not a rainbow, but red, blue, green and yellow stripes, NOT in rainbow order (ROYGBIV, also a G Rated way of remembering some of the Resistor Code).
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Yes UNI records, which was the precursor to MCA Records, now part of UMG.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uni_Records
It's possible the original master was lost in the UMG fire ten years ago.
Moonlight Feels Right was on Private Stock, an indie label that only existed for about 5 years:
https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/Private_Stock_Records/
Private Stock was formed by Larry Uttal. Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio bought the master for "My Eyes Adored You" (Private Stock 45003, but was there a 45001 and 45002?) from Motown/Berry Gordy for $4000.00, which probably saved it from the fire. Though Berry Gordy was a big fan, and had signed The Four Seasons/Frankie Valli to Motown in 1971, no one at Motown thought it would be a hit. Larry Uttal thought otherwise. Private Stock had a lot a successful singles despite being a small label. I'm not sure why Samantha Sang's "Emotion" was on Private Stock and not RSO, with the heavy Gibb Brothers association. Maybe they thought it would be ignored on RSO?
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He had a big voice for 16. Not as strong as Alex Chilton of the Box Tops, but strong.
Probably because she was no longer managed by Robert Stigwood by then.
Agree. Neither he nor Chilton sounded like teenagers. On the other hand, Barry Winslow of the Royal Guardsmen was 17 when "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" was recorded and sounded as if he could have been 14 or 15.
Talking about regional channels, Charleston only had two radio stations until 1946 or 1947 (1250 and 1390). Then 730 and 1340 started.
And Charleston was the largest city in South Carolina for a long time. The state of SC didn’t even have a permanent station until 1930.
And Charleston was the largest city in South Carolina for a long time. The state of SC didn’t even have a permanent station until 1930.
The population of Charleston in 1930 was 62,000. Charlotte NC had 82,000 at that time. New Orleans, by comparison, had 300,000 people.
South Carolina was still very rural. Not the place you'd expect to find a technological advance like radio in the 30s or 40s.
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