WLSO.FM

ROCKOLLECTIONS: REMEMBERING GEORGE HARRISON & JOHN LENNON 2011 PT.1

It is that bittersweet time of year again.
Between the deaths of George Harrison and John Lennon- one by disease, the other murdered.
I hadn’t realized it was 10 years ago for George, he died on November 29th, 2001, and we here in New York were still reeling from the attacks of Sept.11th.
As is usual for these shows, I will try to play interesting things you may never have heard.
In this episode dedicated to George, I have a bare version, without the chorus, of a #1 Billboard song for him, followed by an answer song to it that came 35 YEARS later…and by another former Beatle!
Then a musical look at the friendship between George and Bob Dylan.
So if you were/are a fan of George Harrison, The Beatles or Bob Dylan, you should find something enjoyable and fascinating here.
Next up, John Lennon.
 
Mike
 

Tags: #1 Billboard song, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, John Lennon, New York, The attacks of Sept.11th, The Beatles

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MELLENCAMPCOUGARJOHN PT.4 END

Alright, putting a cap on the Mellencamp Chronicles.
We are at the point where John gets divorced (something I have never officially done!).
And discover that he never drank or took drugs, but from what I hear and see about divorces he must have been tempted!
He released a somber LP as a result, Big Daddy.
His next album went back to the basics, Dance Naked- an album that was only 29 minutes long.
While on tour, he had a heart attack and didn’t know it.
He performed from Aug.8 to Sept.2 before seeing a doctor, sensibly quitting the tour after that.
He had been smoking 4 packs of cigarettes a day, so he drastically cut down and changed his diet.
Got another song by him I had forgotten about, a real good one that namedrops John Lennon.
Then his version of a Van Morrison song, dueting with someone whose name I wouldn’t dare try to write.
It was ballsy enough of me to pronounce it, if I did so correctly- and it is just as hard to spell.
I will close this whole thing out with a song helping me be polite, as my parents tried to teach me.
Succeeding somewhat…lol!

Mike

Tags: Big Daddy, Dance Naked, Engineer Ken Stanley, John Lennon, john mellencamp, Van Morrison

RockRoll360 #136 - Light You Up (Part 1)

 

Another brand new compilation I put together here
during the month of January 2011. Another one of the
compilations I am very proud of. This one features great
deep tracks by Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, the late
Captain Beefheart and the late Gerry Rafferty.
I even place the announcement from Monday Night Football
from Cosell & Gifford, on the shooting of John Lennon, during
the game. Also great tuneage with newer material by Fink,
along with a uncut / unedited version (Rated R) of
Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons.

Sorry for the presentation of this show.
I happen to be going through another bad cold & or flu.
 
Please click play to listen or right click on the download
button to download, share, pass on and subscribe.

Music includes :::::

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (A COMPLEX KID )
                 / TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS  
SORT OF REVOLUTION / FINK  
ELECTRIC FUNERAL / BLACK SABBATH 
LITTLE LION MAN    (Rated R)    /   MUMFORD & SONS
HOME AND DRY  /  GERRY RAFFERTY
DIDDY WHAH DIDDY ‘ / CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND
LAST TRAIN TO LONDON / ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA  
RUBY BABY / DION  
MANDINKA / SINEAD O’CONNOR 
WATCHING THE WHEELS  ( Acoustic Version ) / JOHN LENNON

Sound bites includes :::::

Nick Danger segment - RR360 ID 
            / Firesign Theatre & RR360 WLSO.FM I.D.  
WCOZ - 94 & 1/2  Rock & Roll Radio in Boston
                                / Radio Station I.D.  
It’s Hancock now / Sound Bite from Family Guy  
WCIB - ( Falmouth-Hyannis ) Cool 102 Cool Classics
                    / Radio Station  I.D.  
Fortunately ( Vignette from bed-in ) 
                   / Sound bite from John Lennon & Yoko Ono  
Monday Night Football-John Lennon killing announcement 
            / Sound bite from Howard Cosell & Frank Gifford  

Tags: aaa radio, black sabbath, Classic Rock, Dion, eclectic, Electric Light Orchestra, family guy, fink, firesign theatre, frank gifford, free mp3, freeform, gerry rafferty, howard cosell, John Lennon, led zepplin, Monday Night Football, mp3, mumford and sons, music, progressive, Rock, RockRoll360, sinead o'conner, Tom Petty, wbcn, wcib, wcoz, WLSO, yoko ono

RockRoll360 #132 - A Christmas Goodbye to WBCN (Part.37)

War Is Not Over but Happy Christmas Anyway.
This podcast features The Top 15 of the most requested
Christmas songs during the 1990 season from Ken Shelton’s
Lunch Time show on WBCN 104.1 FM, which usually is broadcast
on the last Friday before Christmas. 

Sound Quality Good but sections of Fair from cassette. 

Thanks has to given for this show I put together from all
the MP3’s he made available to the world.
Revere Rock & Beyond    Webcaster unknown ! 

Please note: This whole show was not
from the original last 4 days broadcast.  *Also you might want to check out my last Christmas Theme Show
that can be found on Ep. 068  http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1588
and Ep. 069   http://wlso.fm/wordpress/archives/1590 Thank you for the support
Merry Christmas and God Bless You All.    
                                               Michael J. Andrade

The  TOP 15 Christmas songs on WBCN In 1990
       - WBCN Xmas Intro
       - WBCN Chipmunk Parody
       - On the air with Ken Shelton
  15 - All I Want For Christmas Is A Rock And Roll Guitar - The Stompers
  14 - The Christmas Song - Angel
  13 - Rockin’ In A Christmas/New Year - The Fools
  12 - New Kids Got Run Over By A Reindeer - The Stools
        - On the air with Ken Shelton
  11 - Please Come Home For Christmas - The Eagles
  10 - Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby/David Bowie
  09 - Christmas, Baby Please Come Home - U2
  08 - Happy Xmas - John Lennon
  07 - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You - Billy Squier
         - WBCN Father Christmas Parody
  06 - I Believe In Father Christmas - Greg Lake
  05 - Do They Know It’s Christmas - Band Aid
         - On the air with Ken Shelton
         - WBCN Commercial
         - On the air with Ken Shelton
  04 - Santa Clause Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen
         - On the air with Ken Shelton
  03 - 2000 Miles - The Pretenders
  02 - Father Christmas - The Kinks
  01 - Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
         - Comedy 104 - The Three Stooges

Tags: aaa radio, Angel, band aid, billy squier, bing crosby, Bruce Springsteen, Classic Rock, David Bowie, eclectic, free mp3, freeform, greg lake, John Lennon, ken shelton, mp3, music, progressive, Rock, RockRoll360, the chipmonks, the eagles, the fools, the kinks, the pretenders, the stompers, the stools, the three stooges, the waitresses, u2, wbcn, WLSO

ROCKOLLECTIONS: BEATLE GEORGE HARRISON ON THE BBC, AND MORE

I don’t know why it took me so long to listen to the Beatles BBC Sessions, guess I thought it would be dull, and besides, I had those new re-mastered CD’s they put out last year to listen to.
Well, looking for a new approach for this year’s annual remembrance of the deaths of George Harrison and John Lennon, I finally gave the BBC tapes a shot.
And these selections from 1963 are a JOY, a REVELATION!
Full of humor, they play so many both known and obscure old American Rock & Roll songs, you can see how closely they were listening to anything they could get their hands on from this country- many of them  B-sides that even I wasn’t familiar with.
Plus, like the Ed Sullivan Show and others, and unlike American Bandstand and others, the Beatles played LIVE on these BBC shows.
They had a grand time goofing on host Brian Matthew, just laugh out loud funny!
We’ll take George in this first half hour naturally, since he died 9 years ago on Nov.29, 2001.
Not just the BBC Sessions though, also a look at George’s sometimes seemingly hidden spirituality, even in hit songs- got one where it sneaks in at the end.
Would you be surprised to learn that George was the FIRST of the Beatles to do a solo project, back in 1968 when the group was still together?
Some music from that, including a song that is a far cry from what the Moody Blues did the same year, not to mention the album Oasis put out years later.
If you are the adventurous type, I have things here you probably have never heard.
Definitely not the same old same old.
Do enjoy!

Mike

Tags: 1963, 1968, American Bandstand, American Rock & Roll, B-Sides, Beatles BBC Sessions, Brian Matthew, John Lennon, Moody Blues, Nov.29 2001, Oasis, The Ed Sullivan Show

RockRoll360 #126 - Goodbye to WBCN (Part.35)

 

Sam Kopper on the phone from the very early days of WBCN.

This podcast features Sam Kopper the first WBCN program director
& Steve Nelson, a manager of the legendary Boston Tea Party,
where WBCN broadcast its first hour of rock programming
in 1968. The venue, which once hosted The Who, Led Zeppelin,
and crowd favorites The Velvet Underground, was a part of the
emerging rock audience in a city overrun with college students
and ready for new music.

Don’t forget segments with this symbol  (*)
was not from the original 4 day broadcast in August of 2009.

Old aircheck from Charles Laquidara *
“Season Of The Witch”  by Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger *
Looking Back at 41 Years - Charles Laquidara  
WBCN Comedy “Hi Ho Pursuit” 
Mark Hamilton, Sam Kopper & Steve Nelson speaks of
               the early days of WBCN
“It’s All Good” by  Bob Dylan 
More with Mark Hamilton, Sam Kopper & Steve Nelson who
                      talks about the future of Free Form WBCN on HD.
WBCN I.D. - Hi! This is John Lennon
“Watching The Wheels’   by John Lennon ( Acoustic Version ) *
WBCN I.D. Their really rockin’ in Boston
“Radio Radio ” by Elvis Costello
Mark Hamilton says his goodbye.
“We’ll Meet Again”   by  Johnny Cash
WBCN I.D. - That’s It ( Janis Joplin Edit ) *

Tags: aaa radio, brian auger, charles laquidara, Classic Rock, eclectic, elvis costello, free mp3, freeform, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Julie Driscoll, mark hamilton, mp3, music, progressive, Rock, RockRoll360, sam kopper, steve nelson, wbcn, WLSO

RockRoll360 #079 - Apple Scruffs ( Part 1 )

 

Welcome to Apple Scruffs ! … Nothing special here, just a little Beatle thing
going on here … Play, Download, Share and Enjoy.

Music includes ::::::: 

GIRL - THE BEATLES
APPLE SCRUFFS - GEORGE HARRISON
PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE - THE RUTLES
IT’S JOHNNY BIRTHDAY - GEORGE HARRISON
ISOLATION  ( Outtake) - JOHN LENNON
ABOUT YOU - PAUL McCARTNEY
BACK OFF BOOGALOO - RINGO STARR
TWIST AND SHOUT - THE MAMAS AND PAPAS
HAVE A CIGAR - PRIMUS
NO ONE KNOWS - QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE

Sound Bites includes ::::::::

WABC  Beatles Bumper - Radio Jingle
Beach Boys asked The Beatles - Sound Clip
WPRO  ( The Station that Reaches The Beaches) - Radio Jingle
She’s Dead - Sound Clip From  The Sopranos

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Tags: aaa radio, Beach Boys, Classic Rock, eclectic, free mp3, freeform, george arrison, George Harrison, John Lennon, mp3, music, Paul McCartney, primus, queens of the stone age, Ringo Starr, Rock, RockRoll360, The Beatles, the mamas and papas, The Rutles, The Sopranos, wabc, WLSO, wpro

RockRoll360 #072 - Goodbye to WBCN (Part.17)

Proud to replace the classic WBCN Bumper Sticker back
on my car above. Been off since 1992.

Continuing with The Goodbye to WBCN final 4 days of Broadcast.
Don’t forget segments with this symbol  ( # ) are bonus additions
and is not from the original 4 day broadcast.

Much music and good stuff here.  More stories from the WBCN staff will be
coming up in the very near future.

– WBCN - Bunch Of Music
– “Bridge Of Sighs”  by Robin Trower     #
– Station I.D. by Trent Rezner
– “Hand That Feeds” by Nine Inch Nails     #
– 1041 WBCN - Radio I.D.
– “Memo From Turner “   by Mick Jagger & Ry Cooder        #
– “Wildwood Weed’   by Jim Stafford       #
– Looking Back at 41 years  - John Lennon
– “Can’t Get No Sastifaction” by Devo
– “Message To You Rudy” by The Specials
– Mark Hamilton & Shed
– Looking Back at 41 Years - A Dangerous Lunch Today with Matt Siegel
– WBCN I.D.  - No Artificial Ingredients
– WBCN I.D. - If Your listening to another radio station - Your Stupid ! 
– Looking Back at 41 years  - Chris Robinson drug reference
– “I Love Girls”  by Iggy Pop
– Dr. Who excerpt “With Us Or The Enemy”
– “Dr. Who on Holiday”   created by Dean Gray
– Looking Back at 41 years  - The Kids Are Alright“

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Tags: aaa radio, Classic Rock, dean gray, devo, eclectic, free mp3, freeform, iggy pop, jim stafford, John Lennon, matt siegel, mick jagger, mp3, music, nin, nine inch nails, progressive, robin trower, Rock, RockRoll360, ry cooder, the specials, wbcn, WLSO

ROCKOLLECTIONS: REMEMBERING GEORGE HARRISON PT.2 END

We will conclude our remembrance of George Harrison for this year, and we will continue to hear some rare and odd selections by him. Plus my very very tenuous geographic connection to him and John Lennon.
Then it is on to George’s LAST recording- a song he wrote and recorded for a Jools Holland album- his own last album, Brainwashed, was to be released later.
The next song, Poor Little Girl, sounds somewhat similar (alliteration alert!), yet could easily have fit on a Beatles album- even the title sounds right!
It was only released on The Best Of Dark Horse.
Then what I consider the centerpiece of this show.
I found the original version of James Ray’s Got my Mind Set On You.
Broken into 2 parts for both sides of a 45 rpm single by Ray, I put them together- but if you listen closely you can hear where the break was.
A song George loved so much he remembered and recorded it 20 some-odd years later.
I’ll play them back to back!
From the Beatle days, a demo for Piggies in which he hadn’t gotten all the words together yet.
So don’t be surprised when he gets to the familiar “eat their bacon”, and instead it is “cut their pork chops”.
After that, I have an intimate, acoustic rendering of the not-too-well-known Run Of The Mill.
We will close things out with the title track instrumental music from George’s Wonderwall album under and above me.
It may surprise some that George was the FIRST of the Beatles to release a solo album!
Hope you enjoy this one, and stay tuned as John Lennon will get the same treatment.

Mike

Tags: Beatles, Brainwashed, Got My Mind Set On You, James Ray, John Lennon, Jools Holland, Piggies, Poor Little Girl, Run Of The Mill, The Best Of Dark Horse, Wonderwall

ROCKOLLECTIONS: REMEMBERING GEORGE HARRISON PT.1

It is time for our annual tributes to George Harrison and John Lennon.
Last year I did a split show.
But there is so much music out there by both of them, much of it unheard, I decided  each would get their own hour.
George died on November 29, 2001, with many of us here in New York City still reeling from the Sept. 11th attacks.
Looking over his songs, I wondered if they had taken on any greater meaning for him as he grew aware that he was terminally ill.
So, I thought I would open up with a few songs to show you what I mean.
But not wanting to play the same old same old, I will be playing different versions, or takes (sometimes demos), throughout these shows and John’s.
Take for instance, Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth, where he sings almost pleadingly “give me life, give me hope”. If he even heard it during his illness, how would that make him feel?
Or the Art Of Dying, would that give him some strength and solace?
George had an ongoing battle with cancer, and that moron who stabbed him and punctured his lung didn’t help.
Isn’t It A Pity he had to leave us.
I have some live things too- one from a concert in 1974 and another from 1991.
Engineer Ken saw him in ‘74 but doesn’t remember hearing the track I will play- a bluesy version of a lesser-known Beatles song, complete with vibes!
It is a different George than the serious one, joking around with the band members and making up new words.
Plus I have George doing an acoustic version of a previously unreleased Bob Dylan song that ultimately ended as electric on the Porky’s Revenge soundtrack (HUH?)
I promise you will hear things you have never heard before.
And all guitar players should particularly enjoy this episode and the next with George Harrison!

Mike

Tags: Art Of Dying, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Engineer Ken, Give Me Love Give Me Peace On Earth, Isn't It A Pity, John Lennon, New York City, Porky's Revenge, Sept. 11th

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CALLING ALL ANGELS PT.3

As we continue with our Rock & Roll musical exploration of Angels, I have to explain the beginning.
Frequently, people outside will wave, make faces or something, or Engineer Ken will say something into my headphones just as I am about to open the show in an attempt to make me laugh and screw it up.
That was the case here. See what I have to put up with, lol?
Being a man of limited ideas, since we opened Part One with a Calling All Angels, I thought we would do it again.
This time by a group called Train.
There are a few people I tell when I am thinking about doing a Theme Show.
Sometimes they have good, even brilliant, suggestions.
Sometimes horrid ones- AAHHHHHHHHH!!!!
And I keep it small because when they do suggest something and I DON’T play it, they may be insulted and I have to explain why I didn’t.
Not enough time mostly, didn’t fit in anywhere, or it just plain sucked.
This time, so many of them mentioned a song I had not the slightest intention of playing, I had to re-think it.
Kind of glad I did play it now, cause it did bring a warm memory of simpler times.
We will discover that Angels are not just for crackpots- there are many stores devoted to them, and prestigious universities teach courses in them, including Harvard Divinity School and Boston College.
Got a cover of an oldie to play you may not have ever heard, by John Lennon from a posthumous album released in 1984.
Interestingly, Angels can be found anywhere.
Knocking at your door, living right next door to you, even in a Broken Radio!
We’ll take a look and listen to that phenomenon.
One more episode to go, and 2 things to mention.
If you are interested in that terrific Wim Wenders movie, Wings Of Desire, a friend of mine named Matt pointed out to me that U2’s video for the song Stay (Faraway So Close) is an obvious homage to that flick.
Watch the video and you will get a tiny taste of Wings Of Desire.
And that next episode will be my 300th podcast.
Seems real nice to me that it comes in the Finale of remembering a loved one!

Mike 

Tags: Boston College, Broken Radio, Engineer Ken, Harvard Divinity School, John Lennon, Stay (Faraway So Close), Train, u2, Wim Wenders, Wings Of Desire

RockRoll360 #049 - Goodbye to WBCN (Pt. 7)

 

Carla Wallace, Traffic Manager, and the late great J.J. Jackson, WBCN announcer.
And yes, the same J.J. Jackson who moved on to the beginnings of MTV.

Continuing with The Goodbye to WBCN final 4 days of Broadcast.
Don’t forget segments with this symbol  ( # ) was not on the original
broadcast but added from by me, from my old WBCN
collection from the years 1977 -1988.

– W.. b.. c……. n…..      I.D.
– “Steady As She Goes”  by The Raconteurs
– WBCN  I.D.
– “Detachable Penis”  by King Missile
– 1041 WBCN I.D.
– “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”"  by Cage The Elephant
– Matt Shafer - And you are tune to the Boston Sunday Review
– 41 years  - How do you say Goodbye to old friends
– John Mellencamp with Ken Shelton in 1991 ( 1 Song )
– Larry Bird smoking in 1991(from John Melloncamp interview)
– Looking Back at 41 Years - Laquidara
– A Monday Working Man Lunch with Matt Siegel       #
– “Chain Gang ” by Sam Cooke       #
– Looking Back at 41 Years - John Lennon - Don’t Know Anything About The Beatles
– WBCN - WBCN HD 1 in Boston 
– Current DJ - Amy Brooks
– WBCN - This Is WBCN Boston ( Boston Montage)
– Ken Shelton with James Taylor  ( 2 Songs)
– Current DJ - Amy Brooks

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Tags: amy brooks, cage the elephant, charles laquidara, eclectic, free mp3, james taylor, John Lennon, john mellencamp, ken shelton, king missile, larry bird, matt segal, matt shafer, michael andrade, RockRoll360, Sam Cooke, the raconteurs, wbcn, WLSO

ROCKOLLECTIONS: BRENDA LEE PT.1

After my getting rejected again at the beginning of the show, lol, we’ll be taking a look at Little Miss Dynamite, Brenda Lee.
One of the very few women in early Rockabilly music, and toned down, I think, because it was a Boys Club.
If you want to hear a great current singer in that style, I suggest Rosie Flores, and particularly her album Rockabilly Filly.
At 4′ 9”, Brenda had a big voice, and I have always liked it when she would use that rough edge.
The GREATEST voice in Rock & Roll according to John Lennon!
In the 1960’s alone, she had 37 songs that charted on Billboard- surpassed only by a few, the likes of Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
An international star, she sold over 100 million records!
And New Musical Express, that old magazine over in England we heard so much about over here in the States, named her Best Female Vocalist 5 years in a row!
Brenda started early, winning a contest at 6 to appear on the radio.
Her break came after turning down $30 to perform somewhere, instead going to see Red Foley, who let her sing on his TV show that night.
The audience refused to let her leave until she sang 3 more songs.
Gotta love those success stories!
Some real good music here, with another half to follow.

Mike

Tags: Beatles, Best Female Vocalist, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Little Miss Dynamite, New Musical Express, Red Foley, Rockabilly, Rockabilly Filly, Rosie Flores

Longtown Sound 488 Pancake Wednesday John Lennon, Paul Thorn, Adrienne Pierce, Brett Dennen, Circe Link, Evan Harriman, Jack Falk Project

Wednesday is Pancake Wednesday, a well known Longtown fact. Uncleshag’s vision of the finest independent artists world-wide included with every breakfast served. So, it only figures that the ideal meal should accompany the very best music and fruits. Enjoy the blueberry, strawberry, the melons and whipped creme along with your plain, buckwheat or potato pancakes. Bacon and sausage optional! If tempted and without resistance, go for the heaping dish of vanilla ice cream on the side. A tasty treat! Have a great Wednesday and a Happy Birthday goes out to Lea over at In Tune - Check her out at MySpace and do whatever you think is right! Later! -unc.

Today’s Featured Artists-
John Lennon - You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
Paul Thorn - Long Way from Tupelo
Adrienne Pierce - Downside of Love
Brett Dennen - Darlin’ Do Not Fear
Circe Link - Blue Bird Tattoo
Evan Harriman - Fire In The Hole
Jack Falk Project - Cruising The Rainforest

Tags: Adrienne Pierce, Brett Dennen, Circe Link, Evan Harriman, Jack Falk Project, John Lennon, Paul Thorn

ROCKOLLECTIONS: MELLENCAMPCOUGARJOHN PT.4 END

Alright, putting a cap on the Mellencamp Chronicles.
We are at the point where John gets divorced (something I have never done, lol!).
And discover that he never drank or took drugs, but from what I hear and see about divorces he must have been tempted!
He released a somber LP as a result, Big Daddy.
His next album went back to the basics, Dance Naked- an album that was only 29 minutes long.
While on tour, he had a heart attack and didn’t know it.
He performed from Aug.8 to Sept.2 before seeing a doctor, sensibly quitting the tour after that.
He had been smoking 4 packs of cigarettes a day, so he drastically cut down and changed his diet.
Got another song by him I had forgotten about, a real good one that namedrops John Lennon.
Then his version of a Van Morrison song, dueting with someone whose name I wouldn’t dare try to write.
It was ballsy enough of me to pronounce it, if I did so correctly- and it is just as hard to spell.
I will close this whole thing out with a song helping me be polite, as my parents tried to teach me.
Succeeding somewhat…lol!

Mike

Tags: Big Daddy, Dance Naked, John Lennon, Van Morrison

ROCKOLLECTIONS: CHRISTMAS DAY 2007 PT.2

From Tiny Tim in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”-
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!

That’s all I wrote last year, again possibly giving people the impression there was no podcast, just a written statement of a wish.
And so I continue to try to clear up any confusion because there very definitely was one, for the only time Christmas Day fell on the day of my show!
Alright, I will continue with our musical travelogue of Christmas in strange places.
Another long set to start us off.
Then on to a surpising interpretation of John Lennon’s Happy Christmas by a band I love but never expected them to do this.
After that, a wonderful song that was inexplicably held back for years after the singer’s death! Very very strange, because it is so good.
We will give the final word to a fellow named David Mead.
As he expresses my feelings and gift to you, my friends!
Again, an intentionally different show because it was Christmas Day.
And if no one listens this time around, I’ll know that maybe it just doesn’t appeal to the folks.
But nothing will change- I am set in my eclectic, free-form ways, lol!
Next up, this year’s 2008 Christmas Party.

Mike

Tags: Christmas Party, David Mead, Happy Christmas, John Lennon

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS- REMEMBERING GEORGE & JOHN 2008 PT.2 END

Odd, how life and history affect us.
To one generation, today Dec. 7th brings memories of the bombing of Pearl Harbor- and they can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they got the news.
To many of the next couple of generations, they can do likewise for tomorrow Dec. 8th, when they heard of the senseless killing of John Lennon.
So now it is John Lennon’s turn In Their Own Words- and of course music too!
For some reason, all Lennon’s appearances on WNEW-FM are highlighted…except this one.
It took place on May 30, 1969 when he phoned Rosko (Bill Mercer), who was then on the air.
What followed was a far more incisive interview than when he talked to the others.
John talks about being a tough kid, not wanting to hear You Can’t Do That.
Then again, I didn’t like hearing that either, lol!
Oh, I mistakenly said it was a live track. Wrong, sorry- just made to sound that way. But a good remix!
John talks more about being a troublemaker with a chip on his shoulder.
But he found his peace.
Rosko asks him flat-out about his use of Christ in The Ballad Of John & Yoko, and you may be surprised with his answer.
Some more music and conversation, and I will close this year’s remembrance with a beautiful song by John.
Let’s all meet here next year, and I’ll have some more off the beaten path recordings by two guys who meant an awful lot to me!

Mike

Tags: , Bill Mercer, George Harrison, John Lennon, Pearl Harbor, Rosko, The Ballad Of John & Yoko, WNEW-FM, You Can't Do That

ROCKOLLECTIONS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS- REMEMBERING GEORGE & JOHN 2008 PT.1

Well this was an easy show for me.
I just let George Harrison and John Lennon do the talking- so In Their Own Words is what we’ll call it.
In this first half, George talks about the first song he wrote.
During the Beatles’ bloody Let It Be sesions, they were being filmed and there was a soundtrack, so he was caught on audio quitting the band.
When I first met my buddy Mike Hennessy, it was in a bar, and one of the songs on the jukebox he was playing was Blue Jay Way.
I thought that was very cool, not your casual Beatle song nor fan, and we are still pals to this day!
I have a different version of Blue Jay Way, Take 3- significantly different.
You’ll hear George’s appearance on Rutland Weekend Television…as a pirate!
And about his involvement with those Monty Pythoners.
Incidentally, that Rutland was the inspiration for the Rutles- that wonderfully funny parody of the Beatles.
Lots of rough mixes of George’s songs, and there was his love for the ukelele.
We will have Mr. Lennon up next!

Mike

Tags: Beatles, Blue Jay Way, George Harrison, John Lennon, Let It Be, Mike Hennessy, Monty Python, Rutland Weekly Televison, The Rutles

ROCKOLLECTIONS - REMEMBERING GEORGE & JOHN PT.1 2006 VERSION

Here is the 2006 version of the annual remembrance of George and John.

As I note in the opening, this is that odd time where we are between the deaths of George Harrison, November 29, 2001 and John Lennon, December 8, 1980- two former Beatles.
If you had the unparalleled joy of growing up with the Beatles, as they grew with us, and watching them develop into the what I will always call the Greatest Group That Ever Existed, then you know the sadness and mourning the loss of those 2 lads brought us.
And still exists to this day.
Thankfully, that negative can never approach the joy and pure fun their music contributed to our lives.
They were on Mt. Olympus, and we all were all happily looking up to them, eager for their next album and lesson therein. The Beatles spoke to us individually, yet we were unified in our reverence for them. They changed the music for the better, and made us better in the process.
That is why the loss of any of the Fab Four will always be personal.
I can honestly say- no Beatles, then I don’t love music the way I do!
In my constant effort to bring a different angle to these shows, in Part One we will concentrate on George and his legal problems, using music to do so.
Beginning with, in my opinion, the unfair lawsuit brought against him for plagiarism, and continuing with all the suing going on over the Beatles breakup.
You will find that George had a biting, sarcastic wit that could be dead on- and very much in evidence in some of these songs. We will take an entirely different look at John in Part Two.

Mike

Tags: Fab Four, George Harrison, John Lennon