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WMSS 91.1 = awesomely unique

V

vinyltapecd

I just recently discovered this station and found out, after some research, that they are a high school station. I want to start a thread dedicated to them because I think their programming from 8 AM - 3 PM on weekdays is pretty cool, at least in comparison to anything else around here. I'm not even sure what their format is, but these are a few songs I heard (stations around here aren't willing to touch these songs, even though they were all big hits). I should point out that they mix in other types of music on weekday mornings/afternoons, so I really have no clue what their format is, but the following are the types of songs that I personally like, which they played recently:

Games People Play- Spinners
I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song- Jim Croce
So Far Away- Dire Straits
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother- Hollies
Happy Together- Turtles
Stay the Night- Benjamin Orr
Every Woman in the World- Air Supply
Sexy Eyes- Dr. Hook

I just wanted to see if anyone has any comments, thoughts, or info about this station.....
 
I would call this format "Soft Gold."

Certainly different than anything in the area and fills the hole left by the demise of Mix 1067.
 
Well I was listening this morning and they seem to be playing mostly modern alternative music today. Usually they play the type of songs I mentioned in the morning, and then switch over to the alternative format only around 3 PM. Even in the mornings, they often mix in a little bit of alternative and other types of music, but today they are hardly playing any of the "soft gold" stuff at all. Hope it's not a permanent trend...

Seltzer, do songs like "So Far Away" by Dire Straits and "Stay the Night" by Benjamin Orr fit the profile of a soft gold format? These were minor top 40 hits in the 1980s but I wasn't sure what they had in common with the other songs I listed, so that's why I wasn't sure how to categorize this format. Plus, as far as I remember, Mix 106.7 (and other similar stations like WSOX) are generally much more limited in the sense that they only play the much bigger hits and they also tend to avoid the softer songs almost entirely. For instance, out of the list I gave, I think only "Happy Together" or "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" would even have a chance on MIX or WSOX, but even these might be considered too soft. So that's why I thought this station seemed particularly unique.
 
Ahem--may I recommend Nice 960 AM WHYL for your soft gold fix?
 
bl40modulimiter2 said:
Ahem--may I recommend Nice 960 AM WHYL for your soft gold fix?
Click to expand...

WHYL is a great station that definitely plays a (literally) NICE selection of music, so the name fits them well. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I don't listen to music on AM because of the poor sound quality. I'm particularly reluctant to listen to "soft gold" or soft AC/easy listening music on AM radio, because these types of music have such rich instruments and catchy tunes, and I basically think it is a shame when all of this gets lost due to the severe limitations of sound quality on AM radio. For me, most of the fun in listening to "soft gold" music is gone if the sound quality is that poor.

In fact, I think FM radio is perfect for soft gold type music because the dynamic range compression gives a warm, full sound to the music. Ironically, most of the music on FM radio today DOES NOT have rich instruments or catchy tunes, and therefore it would not lose as much if it were to be placed on AM instead. Go figure.....
 
vinyltapecd said:
Well I was listening this morning and they seem to be playing mostly modern alternative music today. Usually they play the type of songs I mentioned in the morning, and then switch over to the alternative format only around 3 PM. Even in the mornings, they often mix in a little bit of alternative and other types of music, but today they are hardly playing any of the "soft gold" stuff at all. Hope it's not a permanent trend...
Seltzer, do songs like "So Far Away" by Dire Straits and "Stay the Night" by Benjamin Orr fit the profile of a soft gold format? These were minor top 40 hits in the 1980s but I wasn't sure what they had in common with the other songs I listed, so that's why I wasn't sure how to categorize this format. Plus, as far as I remember, Mix 106.7 (and other similar stations like WSOX) are generally much more limited in the sense that they only play the much bigger hits and they also tend to avoid the softer songs almost entirely. For instance, out of the list I gave, I think only "Happy Together" or "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" would even have a chance on MIX or WSOX, but even these might be considered too soft. So that's why I thought this station seemed particularly unique.
Click to expand...
Both are kind of soft but if I ran station I would not play them. I doubt many listeners would know them.I went on line and this station is run by Middletown High School. Interesting format for high school kids. I'd expect more of a CHR approach.
 
Yeah I'm not even sure what the deal is with this station. Yesterday they played way more alternative music than usual, but in the midst of it I heard the following songs...a unique combination to say the least, no idea how to categorize it:

Give Me Love, Give Me Peace on Earth- George Harrison
Steady- Jules Shear (#57 Billboard, from 1985)
Islands in the Sun- Weezer
Mandy- Barry Manilow
Daddy's Home- Shep & the Limelights (1961)
Billy Don't Be a Hero- Paper Lace (this was NOT the hit version is the US, it only reached #96)
 
Wow! The Paper Lace version of "Billy Don't Be A Hero". I grew up in the Washington area and WPGC (the markets Top 40 powerhouse) started playing the Paper Lace version. When the Bo Donaldson version took off, WPGC continued to play the Paper Lace version even though Bo Donaldson went to #1. In fact, the only place you heard the Bo Donaldson version in Washington was when it was played on American Top 40 (ironically on WPGC),
 
I haven't been in touch with anyone from there for a couple of years, but they had a fairly large music library. I think when the kids are in the studio there is more flexibility in what they play. When they are automated, then it is more mainstream older music.
They moved into new studios about 3 years ago with new tower. I think they are using an old antenna from the WSOX Red Lion site that they moved to Middletown. I use to listen to them when I was waiting to pick up my kids after school. There were alot of school girl giggles at that time.
 
Games People Play- Spinners
I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song- Jim Croce
So Far Away- Dire Straits
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother- Hollies
Happy Together- Turtles
Stay the Night- Benjamin Orr
Every Woman in the World- Air Supply
Sexy Eyes- Dr. Hook

Almost a duplicate of WJPA FMs playlist in Washington, PA and they call themselves an oldies station.
 
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