Moo 102?

[stod]

Was it a huge failure when 102.9 was playing some alt.country and classic rock in the mid 90's?

 

[jetfli]

Was it a huge failure when 102.9 was playing some alt.country and classic rock in the mid 90's?

It wasn't really alt. country like we know it today (Americana), it was more of the upbeat side of country at the time (some called it "power country"). When you ask some of those involved, they'll say you had country fans that didn't like the classic rock, and classic rock fans that didn't like the country. I listened to it quite a bit though, but then I have an appreciation for lots of different types of music -- that's why on shuffle my iPod can move from Ramble On by Led Zepplin to Night Life by The Little Willies to Black and White Thunderbird by Britt Savage (and...) to I Know I'm Losing You by Rare Earth, etc... Anyway, in today's world of variety hit stations, I think the right people could do it right.

 

[JimmyJames]

Wasn't Jessie Scott (recently of X-Country ch. 12 on XM) a part of Moo 102? How long did this station last? And wasn't the shift to more mainstream country done along with the moniker change to "Power Country" on the same frequency?

 

[stod]

I remember them playing "Drown" and "Windfall" from Son Volt.

KDF was also playing "Drown".

I remember I was so dumb that I thought alt.country could actually be popular.

 

[SwissVol]

Was it a huge failure when 102.9 was playing some alt.country and classic rock in the mid 90's?

It wasn't really alt. country like we know it today (Americana), it was more of the upbeat side of country at the time (some called it "power country"). When you ask some of those involved, they'll say you had country fans that didn't like the classic rock, and classic rock fans that didn't like the country. I listened to it quite a bit though, but then I have an appreciation for lots of different types of music -- that's why on shuffle my iPod can move from Ramble On by Led Zepplin to Night Life by The Little Willies to Black and White Thunderbird by Britt Savage (and...) to I Know I'm Losing You by Rare Earth, etc... Anyway, in today's world of variety hit stations, I think the right people could do it right.

I enjoy programming my ipods. I listen to way too much Jim Ladd on KLOS FM since I find myself playing themed music sets on that ipod deal. Why just today I did all of the sun songs. I started with Aquarius by the Fifth Dimension to Here comes the sun by Richie Havens to Sun is still shining by the Moody Blues to You talk Sunshine but I breath fire by The Amboy Dukes to Waiting for the Sun by the Doors. Hey, I enjoyed it and could not help to wonder if there was a commercial regular terrestiral station that played this, would anyone bother to listen. Oh darn, there I go again on this need for Deep cut classic rock type radio again.

 

[deltas69]

curious about such a format..other than the fifth d and ritchie havens songs, i'm not familiar with the other cuts..since most listeners of that era grew up on the top 40 of the period..would they recognize such deep cuts as you call them..nothing right or wrong about them..just ..is playing unfamiliar music going to draw an audience (all this assuming such a station existed)..i know there were a lot of people that didn't go for the status quo of the formats back then and longed for a more diverse playlist..but by and large they were in the minority i would think..this was in an era when there were maybe 2 or 3 at best hits on an album, the rest just filler...some of the filler may have been just as good, but for whatever reason, didn't make the playlist cut..we used to play "southbound" and "morning dew" by the allman brothers at WHIN, but really didn't think about them as deep cuts..just good songs we played with the other music..i'm sure there were other tunes we played "outside the norm" so to speak..just didn't think of them as such at the time..we would play hendrix,purple haze, but also fire,hey joe,the wind cries mary..don't know if the the other top 40 stations in nashville were playing things like that or not..strangly it took three of us a month to convince buntin that "ramblin man" WAS NOT a country song and get it played..kris bradley was always lobbying for the mothers of invention..but we drew the line at "weasels ripped my flesh"..i never did get the those guys..i'd be first in line to listen to such a format..but would it/could it sell in town..sales wise ?

 

[SwissVol]

curious about such a format..other than the fifth d and ritchie havens songs, i'm not familiar with the other cuts..since most listeners of that era grew up on the top 40 of the period..would they recognize such deep cuts as you call them..nothing right or wrong about them..just ..is playing unfamiliar music going to draw an audience (all this assuming such a station existed)..i know there were a lot of people that didn't go for the status quo of the formats back then and longed for a more diverse playlist..but by and large they were in the minority i would think..this was in an era when there were maybe 2 or 3 at best hits on an album, the rest just filler...some of the filler may have been just as good, but for whatever reason, didn't make the playlist cut..we used to play "southbound" and "morning dew" by the allman brothers at WHIN, but really didn't think about them as deep cuts..just good songs we played with the other music..i'm sure there were other tunes we played "outside the norm" so to speak..just didn't think of them as such at the time..we would play hendrix,purple haze, but also fire,hey joe,the wind cries mary..don't know if the the other top 40 stations in nashville were playing things like that or not..strangly it took three of us a month to convince buntin that "ramblin man" WAS NOT a country song and get it played..kris bradley was always lobbying for the mothers of invention..but we drew the line at "weasels ripped my flesh"..i never did get the those guys..i'd be first in line to listen to such a format..but would it/could it sell in town..sales wise ?

Delta, sheesh, leave it to you to talk familiarity and common sense. Just kidding dude. Gosh, I have mentioned Jim Ladd a few times in here and his show is somewhat of a throwback to a more album rock era. The thing is to just say what the hey, lets just pick those tunes out and bah golly if they fit the mood of the jock on duty, what the hey. It is free form classic type rock dude. This kind of radio once existed. It actually existed here for less than 2 years before more practical minded programmers came in, but man was it just sheer fun to be a part of it, either as a listener or a DJ.

Would it attract big ratings? Nope!!! I know that. If Sweet home Alabama is or More than a feeling by Bosting is not played with great frequency, this kind of deeper cut rock would probably not get much attention. However, when I listen to Ladd's show in LA and it seems to work there, I say why could it not work in Nashville?

It is fun rock radio. I miss it.

I was playing a Frank Zappa tune today as I sat here on the ole computer and I though, man this song is just to weird.. However, I load many a Zappa tune on my playlist. To answer your question though of would it work, knowing Nashville the way I know Nashville, and I love Nashville, but no. More than likely it would not work. Oh, you'd have people listening calling requesting obscure Fairport Convention songs and you could record their voices clamming that this was the best station ever, but would it work? I hate to say this, but probably not, well, maybe, I think or it could. LOL Maybe LOL

 

[deltas69]

i'd bet that most of the demo attracted to the rock side of music is dead tired of sweet home alabama, more than a feeling..and the other 200 suspects trotted out on a daily basis..and we dis' cussed the SOS aplenty here..i'm not familiar with the jim ladd show,..but as we all know KALI FORN YA is a different world compared to staid and sane nashville..i bet such a format would garner listners..but here's the rub..they would all be our age..say 50 plus give or take a few years..and as such off limits to a 28 year old media buyer who has that paper on the wall stating he has all the answers..i keep hearing that the 55 and over demo is not a viable source for ad revenue..i'm 57..and when my dad was 57..he WAS an old man..he'd survived the depression, and raised a family and never made more than 7 bucks an hour in his life..and by the time i was born in 1951..he had a 2500 sq ft home, and was debt free (long before dave ramsey),had owned only five cars in his 88 years of life and still had THREE of them when he died...but 57 today is not the same as 57 in 1969, his age when i graduated from high school. all my friends within a few years of my age do not think of ourselves as old by any means..some of us are writing checks our bodies have a hard time cashing,,lol..but we are not "going quietly into that good night"..you'd think that some station in town that's pulling crap for numbers would say..hey..what the hell..lets do something different..if you've got a 1 share and try something bold and daring and you go to a 2 share..hey ..you just doubled your book..and if you were keeping the doors open with a one share..no where to go but up..i just do not understnd the mindset that keeps someone from going against the grain..when you have nothing to lose and something to gain..

 

[SwissVol]

I hate to mention Jim Ladd again because he is way out there in LA and akazillion miles away from sane Nashville, but Ladd has many 20 and 30 something listeners. They drop him messages on his my space page. It works there, at least Ladd makes it work on his 5 hour nightly show. Whether it would work with another hosts, well, who knows. Ladd is such a charismatic character, he makes things work. Everything else has been tried, not once, not twice, but many times. Maybe when the time is right, and they (Big corporate boss men) can pull in the right folks, maybe we can get this going again. Oh my there I go again. LOL Delta, I like your take on this and I know damn well, you make too much sense on this.

 

[deltas69]

you make too much sense on this. ..precisely why i, and sadly many more of us are no longer in radio......i wonder..is there a station in town, willing to broker a six to midnight block on sat or sunday night..and let some of us go balls to wall with our personal format ? swiss, you can do your deep cutz, i could do my all hitz all the time..scott could be the disco duck..lol..something different from week to week..rotate it on a monthly basis and see just what clicks with listeners after six months or so..i'd do it for gas money just to have some fun with it..but here's the deal..we bring and play the music..no board ops, just our stuff, a mic and headphones..we promise not to say those seven words george carlin warned us about.. ;D ..on second thought..sounds like too much fun..and GAWD knows..can't have that in nashville radio...