Love FM's Saturday Night Dance Party

[BrianThaB]

Any thoughts on Love FM's Saturday night dance party?

Here are my thoughts:

The mixes were good. I like the variety and music as every DJ tried to have enough variety in songs so it does not sound like the same mix for 5 hours.

One thing sticks out however like a sore thumb: Music was very safe and very vanilla.

I am sure Tim may get a "no-no" from management for throwing in Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" in the mix hehe

It shows management put a little scare into these guys for not touching any house music or freestyle for that matter other than Lisa Lisa and Shannon.

So we now know that it was airing house that management did not like and why JM3 was let go.

I hope it works in the long run. Brian Middleton and Tim Spinnin' Schommer are good guys. I met Brian at a couple remotes and he was always wanting to meet and talk to his listeners. You can tell he is having fun and not just going through the motions. The interactions with the audience is totally non-Love FM like and it is a nice change from the rest of the station.

The thing I worry about is that name can only take you so far. Both DJ's are known for house and freestyle and if they are told to or can't mix what their heritage is, it could turn some people away.

I like to hear other's thoughts...

 

[tsimpson]

You asked:

I LOVED the music, the way it was mixed, the intensity. I called my buddy six states away and he listened online.

Read if you like, dont discount the opinion too fast. Can you imagine how INCREDIBLE the show would be if the listeners could be part of it? A phoner here and there just over the intro? It would take no time at all to do and guarantee listeners for life. Its "nice" to have a "mixer" playing cool music and making it sound good but the show needs to be a show. Its not a DJ gig at the Airport Holiday Inn and needs to use the magic of radio. Make the listeners a star too! Its so easy and the only people that argue against phoners are either egomaniacs or lazy, I don't see either here. I ten second caller over ever other song would make it sound so alive.

Sell the show to a Retro night at a club, get a co sponsor thats a beer company, get another that will deilver food and make it the biggest party on the air. I have seen it work.......it still does......

 

[Noiseboxxx]

you'll never hear a beer company commercial on a bonneville station, if i remember correctly.

brian was the first mixer on b96 back in the day, so he is MUCH more versatile than just "house" music. he can play anything, and he's got so much musical knowledge it's scary. he's a big D-Train fan. ask him. LOL

tim can play anything too - he's just a GREAT remixer and editor.

but the phoner idea and listener interaction would be a great plus as well.

i wish them nothing but the best!

 

[Damixah3]

You asked:

   I LOVED the music, the way it was mixed, the intensity. I called my buddy six states away and he listened online.

  Read if you like, dont discount the opinion too fast. Can you imagine how INCREDIBLE the show would be if the listeners could be part of it?  A phoner here and there just over the intro? It would take no time at all to do and guarantee listeners for life. Its "nice" to have a "mixer" playing cool music and making it sound good but the show needs to be a show. Its not a DJ gig at the Airport Holiday Inn and needs to use the magic of radio. Make the listeners a star too! Its so easy and the only people that argue against phoners are either egomaniacs or lazy, I don't see either here. I ten second caller over ever other song would make it sound so alive.

  Sell the show to a Retro night at a club, get a co sponsor thats a beer company, get another that will deilver food and make it the biggest party on the air. I have seen it work.......it still does......

You might want to know a few things in JM3's defense.....JM3 asked the bosses repeatedly about having a host, it was declined...It seems to me, bosses never intended for JM3 to stay on board.

JM3 also plays more than House music...he played everything  on LOVE(Disco , Dance  House & Old School) and did it well......You make it seem like he was one sided with music. Plus they replaced him with 5 guys. and he did it ALONE for 29 weeks.....

Second, Julian Perez was the FIRST mixer on B96. Matter of fact Julian pitched the Idea to B96 after leaving WBMX, the ORIGINAL mixing station. Where the Hot Mix 5 originally started.


The show was good, I will give that to them. From talking with JM3, it seems all the ideas he gave them they did after they got rid of him.....

 

[BrianThaB]

Damixah3,

I know DJ JM3 played everything which is what made his mixes awesome. I was noticing that house was the one dance genre missing from the show last night.

Do you think that is management's idea or just a coincidence?

I think your comments put alot of food for thought though.

 

[Damixah3]

Damixah3,

I know DJ JM3 played everything which is what made his mixes awesome. I was noticing that house was the one dance genre missing from the show last night.

Do you think that is management's idea or just a coincidence?

I think your comments put alot of food for thought though.

Hey Brian the B,

The "more than house" comments was directed to the other posters on the thread......

I think partially(removing house) it was managements idea, but I dont think Middleton and the crew will have the freedom JM3 had (at least not right away).

 

[Noiseboxxx]

Damixah3 - Julian was NOT the first mixer on B96. Brian was there LONG before Julian, and doing a Saturday night mix-show. Julian and crew pitched a HOUSE music mix-show...I could get into how/when/who helped make that happen, but it's history and it doesn't really matter now, does it?

As far as the mix-show on Love FM - if it brings in money for Bonneville, they will keep it. If not, it may not survive.

 

[djzack67]

"Any thoughts on Love FM's Saturday night dance party?"

I liked the format, I missed some house sounds, but , it worked for me. Being a guy who worked the clubs from 1987 - 2005. It was a great mix of styles that i used to mix. As pointed out eariler in a post, i was wishing for a bit more Freestyle and house. But i'm sure the boys are taking it safe.

The program really flowed nicley with Tim as the host. The call -ins worked real well to. Totally reminded me of early B-96 pre mix saturday night programing.

With proper marketing, i could see remotes happening real soon.

 

[Damixah3]

Damixah3 - Julian was NOT the first mixer on B96. Brian was there LONG before Julian, and doing a Saturday night mix-show. Julian and crew pitched a HOUSE music mix-show...I could get into how/when/who helped make that happen, but it's history and it doesn't really matter now, does it?

As far as the mix-show on Love FM - if it brings in money for Bonneville, they will keep it. If not, it may not survive.

Noiseboxx -

I was aware that Brian was a on Air Host. But I never knew anything about him being a mixer untill later....After all I listened to WBMX and the Hot mix 5....

But no matter....

 

[Hamp]

I for one will not be listening to the dance party anymore unless changes are made. What's the point of having all of these grade-A mixers if you are going to have them all play nothing but the same tired tunes over and over again? If you want a "classic dance" station in Chicago, you HAVE to play some House Music, there is just no way around it. House Music IS "classic dance" in Chicago. At least when JM3 was mixing, he did EVERYTHING, not just the same few songs from the 70's to 90's that we CONSTANTLY hear on commerical radio.
Oh, and for those House detractors, don't say the party under JM3 wasn't a success because he played some House Music, that's bull!!! It was because the party wasn't promoted well, bottom line.

 

[Noiseboxxx]

Damixah3 - Julian was NOT the first mixer on B96. Brian was there LONG before Julian, and doing a Saturday night mix-show. Julian and crew pitched a HOUSE music mix-show...I could get into how/when/who helped make that happen, but it's history and it doesn't really matter now, does it?

As far as the mix-show on Love FM - if it brings in money for Bonneville, they will keep it. If not, it may not survive.

Noiseboxx -

I was aware that Brian was a on Air Host. But I never knew anything about him being a mixer untill later....After all I listened to WBMX and the Hot mix 5....

But no matter....

I never said anything about Brian being an on-air host, but that is correct. He was also doing a mix-show on the B at least 2 or 3 years before Julian, Tim, Bill, Frankie and the rest came along.

I listened to the Hot-Mix 5, both on 'BMX and 'GCI, and the mixers on B96 because I not only enjoyed them, and because most of the guys were in the record pool I was running at the time. I worked with all those guys for 7 or so years before I moved to Los Angeles and other recording industry adventures.

- - - - - -

Hamp - don't get so bent out of shape. You have to remember - station owners are not in this business for you or the music. They're in it for the MONEY. That's a lesson that I've had to learn the hard way...over and over again. Until you or I can become station owners, not much we can do about the decisions that the people who do run stations make. If the sales department can't "sell it" - it gets changed. Then programming has to come up with a "sellable" product. Basic fact. Maybe that's what's going on here. And if I'm wrong, surely someone here will correct me.

 

[Damixah3]

Actually the sales department sold 90% spots during the show before the change....Middleton hired on with the intent of taking over the mix show....nothing to do with sales......

 

[Noiseboxxx]

wow. i had no idea. interesting.

thanks for the info.

 

[Hamp]

Damixah3 - Julian was NOT the first mixer on B96. Brian was there LONG before Julian, and doing a Saturday night mix-show. Julian and crew pitched a HOUSE music mix-show...I could get into how/when/who helped make that happen, but it's history and it doesn't really matter now, does it?

As far as the mix-show on Love FM - if it brings in money for Bonneville, they will keep it. If not, it may not survive.

Noiseboxx -

I was aware that Brian was a on Air Host. But I never knew anything about him being a mixer untill later....After all I listened to WBMX and the Hot mix 5....

But no matter....

I never said anything about Brian being an on-air host, but that is correct. He was also doing a mix-show on the B at least 2 or 3 years before Julian, Tim, Bill, Frankie and the rest came along.

I listened to the Hot-Mix 5, both on 'BMX and 'GCI, and the mixers on B96 because I not only enjoyed them, and because most of the guys were in the record pool I was running at the time. I worked with all those guys for 7 or so years before I moved to Los Angeles and other recording industry adventures.

- - - - - -

Hamp - don't get so bent out of shape. You have to remember - station owners are not in this business for you or the music. They're in it for the MONEY. That's a lesson that I've had to learn the hard way...over and over again. Until you or I can become station owners, not much we can do about the decisions that the people who do run stations make. If the sales department can't "sell it" - it gets changed. Then programming has to come up with a "sellable" product. Basic fact. Maybe that's what's going on here. And if I'm wrong, surely someone here will correct me.

If station owners are truely in the business for the MONEY, then why not put out something that will make money? Maybe sales departments need to learn to how to sell certain things, rather than playing it safe all of the time. How many times can people hear the same old school songs over and over again without getting tired of them. I am tired of the argument that dance music can't make money for stations, that's bull!!! Maybe if the lazy station owners and sales people actually did their jobs and figured out how to promote specialty shows and music, the station would make MONEY!!! A product has to be quality before MONEY even figures into the equation.

 

[Damixah3]

If station owners are truely in the business for the MONEY, then why not put out something that will make money?  Maybe sales departments need to learn to how to sell certain things, rather than playing it safe all of the time.  How many times can people hear the same old school songs over and over again without getting tired of them.  I am tired of the argument that dance music can't make money for stations, that's bull!!!  Maybe if the lazy station owners and sales people actually did their jobs and figured out how to promote specialty shows and music, the station would make MONEY!!!  A product has to be quality before MONEY even figures into the equation.

The biggest problem is there is a great divide between the arbitron reporters and the average listener. The people who report the ratings, more then likely have not been to a underground party or experienced the dance culture other then whats been pushed in the mainstream focus...

Thats why when a station plays Kool & The Gang or Earth Wind & Fire the reporters perk up and say "Oh I LOVE this station!!!!". Put on some D Train or Sharon Redd (whch was HUGE dance artist by the way) You will find them turning off the radio...The Average listener would perk up on the latter artist (D train & Sharon Redd)and tuning in more...

Instead of increasing the awareness of the " favorites" of the average listener to the arbitron reporter, They take the easy route of playing "mass appeal hits". Which gives the illusion that the Arbitron reporter is the only type of listener out there.....so a tale of 2 cities.......

 

[rkchgo]

If station owners are truely in the business for the MONEY, then why not put out something that will make money? Maybe sales departments need to learn to how to sell certain things, rather than playing it safe all of the time. How many times can people hear the same old school songs over and over again without getting tired of them. I am tired of the argument that dance music can't make money for stations, that's bull!!! Maybe if the lazy station owners and sales people actually did their jobs and figured out how to promote specialty shows and music, the station would make MONEY!!! A product has to be quality before MONEY even figures into the equation.

And a station owner who wants to make money doesn't take risks with completely unproven formats. Look, I have nothing against a dance format, but no one here has ever offered any reasonable evidence that that format can actually produce a profit on a full-signal stick. So it's the same old "I like the format, therefore it will make money" argument. Which we've been over before.

I feel sorry for the long-dead horse that keeps getting beaten.

 

[djzack67]

Being a DJ in the clubs from 1987- 2005, i will say that the music is stale and there should be more house music in the programing. House music was born here in Chicago and is of the format of dance. But, remember this they (Station Owners) are going for the avreage listener. The dance music genre has always had a hard time getting itself a name and a station and the lovers of true dance music are a far less then the average listener. I hope the changes can be made and a true chicago dance retro music mix show.

But until that can happen, I will be happy with the current mix show. Its nice to finally have a mix show on the air thats NOT all rap , R & B, and Hip Hop.

 

[mixitman]

bring back JM3!!!!!

 

[Hamp]

If station owners are truely in the business for the MONEY, then why not put out something that will make money? Maybe sales departments need to learn to how to sell certain things, rather than playing it safe all of the time. How many times can people hear the same old school songs over and over again without getting tired of them. I am tired of the argument that dance music can't make money for stations, that's bull!!! Maybe if the lazy station owners and sales people actually did their jobs and figured out how to promote specialty shows and music, the station would make MONEY!!! A product has to be quality before MONEY even figures into the equation.

And a station owner who wants to make money doesn't take risks with completely unproven formats. Look, I have nothing against a dance format, but no one here has ever offered any reasonable evidence that that format can actually produce a profit on a full-signal stick. So it's the same old "I like the format, therefore it will make money" argument. Which we've been over before.

I feel sorry for the long-dead horse that keeps getting beaten.

You're missing the point. It takes proper PROMOTION for ANY type of format to work, not just this attitude of "if we play the same songs over and over again people will listen" crap. You also say that there hasn't been a dance-formatted station on a full signal stick that has made money, ok what about when B-96 did it AND IT WORKED!!!!

 

[Hamp]

If station owners are truely in the business for the MONEY, then why not put out something that will make money? Maybe sales departments need to learn to how to sell certain things, rather than playing it safe all of the time. How many times can people hear the same old school songs over and over again without getting tired of them. I am tired of the argument that dance music can't make money for stations, that's bull!!! Maybe if the lazy station owners and sales people actually did their jobs and figured out how to promote specialty shows and music, the station would make MONEY!!! A product has to be quality before MONEY even figures into the equation.

And a station owner who wants to make money doesn't take risks with completely unproven formats. Look, I have nothing against a dance format, but no one here has ever offered any reasonable evidence that that format can actually produce a profit on a full-signal stick. So it's the same old "I like the format, therefore it will make money" argument. Which we've been over before.

I feel sorry for the long-dead horse that keeps getting beaten.

If YOU (rkchgo) don't like the music, that's your business. You don't have to attack others that do and want to hear more of it on the airwaves. Don't give these BS excuses on why House Music shouldn't be played on the radio. This is CHICAGO, one of the world's best House cities and if you don't like it maybe you need to move!!!!