• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Tricking younger people into listening to 1970s music?

K

kevtronics

iHeartRadio's online "Lite Rock" AC channel has liners saying "Variety from the '80s 'til Now". But I noticed that almost every time they use that liner, it is either preceding or following a song from the 1970s! For example, just recently they ran that liner and immediately followed it with Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" from 1972.

Is this just sloppy programming? The Lite Rock channel does have voice-tracked DJs, so I'd think at least some effort goes into it. Or is it a purposeful attempt to make '70s music seem newer than it really is, to listeners who are too young to remember when the songs were new?
 
Sounds like you're over-thinking it. I doubt there's some ulterior motive. The computer plays the liner, and then plays the next song in que.
 
I also noticed that some of the DJs on the Lite Rock channel are either pretending to be live or are actually live or near-live (i.e. voice-tracking for immediate broadcast). One mentioned playing a request that "just came in from a listener named Sara a few minutes ago". But of course if you voice-track that, everyone else except Sara won't know it isn't actually happening live!
 
kevtronics said:
I also noticed that some of the DJs on the Lite Rock channel are either pretending to be live or are actually live or near-live (i.e. voice-tracking for immediate broadcast). One mentioned playing a request that "just came in from a listener named Sara a few minutes ago". But of course if you voice-track that, everyone else except Sara won't know it isn't actually happening live!
Click to expand...

There doesn't even have to be a Sara at all. Just take calls, tell them "I'll see if I can play that for you," then play a "request" from any common given name at regular intervals. One of those names can be Sara, and if one of the Saras in the audience happened to call for what was probably a song already in the rotation, she gets her little thrill. If not, well, the jock only said he MIGHT be able to play it, and besides, he will likely play it anyway in the course of regular programming without mentioning Sara at all, so Sara gets to hear her song regardless.

Come to think of it, you don't even have to take calls! Just do the little "request" intros every so often whether you're live or voicetracking.
 
CTListener said:
Wild Cherry, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, Randy VanWarmer, Blue Swede and Terry Jacks all say hi. :)
Click to expand...

Never heard of Wild Cherry, Bo Donaldson/Heywoods and know Randy Van Warmer from name only.

Blue Swede and Terry Jacks were one hit wonders IIRC. Not descriptive of the 70's.

And here I was thinking someone would bash Disco.
 
CTListener said:
Come to think of it, you don't even have to take calls! Just do the little "request" intros every so often whether you're live or voicetracking.
Click to expand...

With all the ways to listen, stream, download why would anyone actually phone a station to request a song?

That is soooooo 50's!
 
CTListener said:
There doesn't even have to be a Sara at all. Just take calls, tell them "I'll see if I can play that for you," then play a "request" from any common given name at regular intervals. One of those names can be Sara, and if one of the Saras in the audience happened to call for what was probably a song already in the rotation, she gets her little thrill. If not, well, the jock only said he MIGHT be able to play it, and besides, he will likely play it anyway in the course of regular programming without mentioning Sara at all, so Sara gets to hear her song regardless.

Come to think of it, you don't even have to take calls! Just do the little "request" intros every so often whether you're live or voicetracking.
Click to expand...

The problem is that in most markets Bill and Bob and Mary and Alice won't do it. It's also Rajit and Hazaam and Pedro and Carmen. If a station sticks with standard mostly British-type names, they exclude a huge part of the audience.
 
landtuna said:
Never heard of Wild Cherry, Bo Donaldson/Heywoods and know Randy Van Warmer from name only.

Blue Swede and Terry Jacks were one hit wonders IIRC. Not descriptive of the 70's.

And here I was thinking someone would bash Disco.
Click to expand...

Wild Cherry did that moronic steaming pile of excrement called "Play That Funky Music." Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods did the maudlin "Billy, Don't Be A Hero." Randy Van Warmer's hit was "Just When I Needed You Most," a simpering stew of self-pity delivered in a whimper. All were major hits of the '70s, but you may have been away serving Uncle Sam when they were hits. The Heywoods song -- about a soldier who gets a Dear John letter from his girlfriend and decides to run into enemy fire out of pure despair -- I'd imagine wasn't one cleared for the AFRTS playlist.

Blue Swede were two-hit wonders. Their cover of the Association's "Never My Love" did quite well as a follow-up to "Hooked On A Feeling."
 
CTListener said:
Wild Cherry did that moronic steaming pile of excrement called "Play That Funky Music." Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods did the maudlin "Billy, Don't Be A Hero." Randy Van Warmer's hit was "Just When I Needed You Most," a simpering stew of self-pity delivered in a whimper. All were major hits of the '70s, but you may have been away serving Uncle Sam when they were hits. The Heywoods song -- about a soldier who gets a Dear John letter from his girlfriend and decides to run into enemy fire out of pure despair -- I'd imagine wasn't one cleared for the AFRTS playlist.

Blue Swede were two-hit wonders. Their cover of the Association's "Never My Love" did quite well as a follow-up to "Hooked On A Feeling."
Click to expand...

I was back from the war in the 70's and living mostly in Noo Yawk. Never did hear Blue Swede's "Never My Love" back then and would have questioned why it was a hit. Same with "Hooked". Thought the Association's version was much, much better. I seem to remember that Blue Swede was a band that sang their songs phonetically because none of the members spoke English.

I remember "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" but it was quickly forgotten and I don't remember the Heywoods.

I listened to AFRTS only sporadically (due mainly to lousy atmospherics in S.E. Asia) but the only song I remember today that was banned in the mid-60's was Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction".
 
CTListener said:
Wild Cherry did that moronic steaming pile of excrement called "Play That Funky Music." Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods did the maudlin "Billy, Don't Be A Hero." Randy Van Warmer's hit was "Just When I Needed You Most," a simpering stew of self-pity delivered in a whimper. All were major hits of the '70s, but you may have been away serving Uncle Sam when they were hits. The Heywoods song -- about a soldier who gets a Dear John letter from his girlfriend and decides to run into enemy fire out of pure despair -- I'd imagine wasn't one cleared for the AFRTS playlist.

Blue Swede were two-hit wonders. Their cover of the Association's "Never My Love" did quite well as a follow-up to "Hooked On A Feeling."
Click to expand...
I think you're confusing "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" with "Billy & Sue", who "back home, was runnin' 'round". I provide both here, for posterity, courtesy of You Tube: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...6E58A6D01D47A33A58A36E58A6D01D47A&FORM=WRVORC https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...ECB2467C4708B3914F8EECB2467C4708&&FORM=VRDGAR Fun fact: The former was originally a British hit for Paper Lace.
 
semoochie said:
I think you're confusing "Billy, Don't Be A Hero" with "Billy & Sue", who "back home, was runnin' 'round". I provide both here, for posterity, courtesy of You Tube: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...6E58A6D01D47A33A58A36E58A6D01D47A&FORM=WRVORC https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...ECB2467C4708B3914F8EECB2467C4708&&FORM=VRDGAR Fun fact: The former was originally a British hit for Paper Lace.
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. The girlfriend in the Heywoods' "Billy" song only wanted Billy to come home safely to her once his service was over. No "dear John" letter. But she did throw the consolation letter from Uncle Sam away.
 
CTListener said:
Wild Cherry did that moronic steaming pile of excrement called "Play That Funky Music."

Randy Van Warmer's hit was "Just When I Needed You Most," a simpering stew of self-pity delivered in a whimper.

Blue Swede were two-hit wonders. Their cover of the Association's "Never My Love" did quite well
Click to expand...
Now I consider these to be good songs.

I don't know who Blue Swede is but I did like The Association's version.
 
Billy's girlfriend didn't want Billy to join in the first place.


CTListener said:
You are absolutely right. The girlfriend in the Heywoods' "Billy" song only wanted Billy to come home safely to her once his service was over. No "dear John" letter. But she did throw the consolation letter from Uncle Sam away.
Click to expand...
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom