American Hit Radio Interview – Twi the Humble Feather

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Twi the Humble Feather’s new CD is called “Music for Spaceships and Forests.” That title only begins to suggest the unique nature of their music. Regular listeners to American Hit Radio already know that I spend a LOT of time sifting through music both new and old. Over the years, I’ve learned that it is rare to hear something truly unique. I can say without hesitation that bandembers Anthony Lebron, Hektor Fontanez and Brian Doring have created something new and different. It took a while for the spiritual nature of their music to set in and move me, but repeated listenings made it obvious that there is an elemental quality to their sound that taps into something deep and soulful. Their music is both childlike and profound, containing a spiritual essence that draws from fantasy, as well as a more earthly desire for enlightenment, or lightness of being. They are also really nice guys, so it was a true pleasure to have them perform live in our studio. Tune in and listen to something that is both unusual and beautiful. From all of us at American Hit Radio, we are pleased to present Twi the Humble Feather.

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-8 –EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN A-SIDE, PART 8

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By the Spring of 1962, Berry Gordy Jr. began to enjoy the sweet taste of success. The label’s hits were sporadic, but there were enough to finance his operation and continue plans for its growth. One unfortunate aspect of this confidence was Berry’s desire to be all things to all people. There was a hardly a style that Berry was unwilling to attempt, but variations from his hit formula rarely turned to gold. This week’s show covers an era when Motown was throwing virtually anything against the wall to see what would stick. For that reason, this show displays more variety than any of our previous shows on Motown, but it is also the most inconsistent show to date.

Here’s the list of singles (the ‘A’-sides only) as they were released by Motown in the Spring of 1962, in chronological order;

1)    Your Heart Belongs to Me - The Supremes

2)    Exodus – Hank and Carol Diamond

3)    Opus No. 3 – Earl Washington All Stars

4)    Because I Love Her – The Valadiers

5)    I Call It Pretty Music But the Old People Call It the Blues (Part 1) – Little Stevie Wonder

6)    Sleep (Little One) – Herman Griffin

7)    Dearest One – Lamont Dozier

8)    Same Old Story – Mickey McCullers

9)    Do You Love Me – The Contours

10)  Back In My Arms – Hattie Littles

11)  Fire – Gino Parks

12)  I Found Myself a Brand New Baby – Mike and the Modifiers

13)  Mojo Hannah – Henry Lumpkin

THE BEST OF JULY 1968

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One of the purposes of American Hit Radio is to convey what it must have been like to be alive at a specific time when certain songs were new. As such, the Summer of 1968 was one hell of a time to be alive. While the political landscape had grown increasingly treacherous as the year progressed – leading to the election of Richard Nixon in November – the popular music of this era captures much of the emotional turmoil that defined the attitude of American youth. You can almost feel the implied politics in “Born to Be Wild” and “Jumping Jack Flash,” while the Moody Blues and the Byrds took a decidedly different approach. The result is a musically diverse environment, with plenty of emotional content. It was unique time in history, and the music reflects that better than any other artistic genre of that era.

            Here’s a list of songs from today’s show;

1)    Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones

2)    People Got to Be Free – The Rascals

3)     Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf

4)     Stay in My Corner – The Dells

5)    White Room – Cream

6)    I Am a Pilgrim – The Byrds

7)    Five to One – The Doors

8)     Ride My See-Saw – The Moody Blues

9)     The Horse – Cliff Nobles & Co.

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-7 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN 'A'-SIDE, PART 7 (1962)

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This show represents our first coverage of Motown for the year 1962. The label had come a very long way since its inception in 1959, but it had a lot further to go. Under Berry Gordy’s leadership, the Motown imprint had become a recognizable symbol of quality, but only to those who happened to buy the few songs that had become hits. “Shop Around” and “Please Mr. Postman” put the label on the map (or ‘put the map on the label’ might be more appropriate in this case), and by 1962, Berry Gordy Jr. was more determined than ever to make a permanent impression on America.

            Here is how the year started;

1)    Mr. Sandman- Marvin Gaye

2)    What Is a Man Without a Woman – Henry Lumpkin

3)    The One Who Really Loves You – Mary Wells

4)    Your Baby’s Back – The Downbeats

5)    Big Joe Moe – Singin’ Sammy Ward

6)    Everybody’s Talking About My Baby-  Debbie Dean

7)    I Out-Duked the Duke – Little Otis

8)    You’re My Dream Come True – The Temptations

9)    You Deserve What You Got – Eddie Holland

10)  I’ll Try Something New – The Miracles

11)  Playboy – The Marvelettes

12)  Come into My Palace – Lee and the Leopards

13)  If Cleopatra Took a Chance – Eddie Holland

14)  Soldier’s Plea – Marvin Gaye

HOW MUSIC CHANGED – HONORABLE MENTION – TONY BENNETT

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Lately, our Fridays have been (and will continue to be) monopolized by our coverage of Motown singles, so we thought it may be nice to mix things up a bit by incorporating a few ‘honorable mention’ programs. Tony Bennett is an artist who by rights could have been included in our list of the 250 most influential aspects of the 20^th century. His style may be viewed by some as conservative, but he has been influencing vocalists for a full half century with his prowess and good taste. Sure, Frank Sinatra dominates the field, but Tony has cut a niche that is his and his alone. With this show, we celebrate a few highlights from Tony Bennett’s career. Songs include;

1)    Because of You

2)    Cold, Col Heart

3)    Rags to Riches

4)    Stranger in Paradise

5)    Lost in the Stars

6)    Once Upon a Time

7)    I Left My Heart in San Francisco

8)    I Wanna Be Around

9)  The Good Life

10)  Fly Me to the Moon

11) Steppin' Out with My Baby

12)  The Best Is Yet to Come

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-6 - EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A-SIDE’, PART 6

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Today, we wrap up Motown’s second year as an independent label by focusing on its releases from the last few months of 1961. The quality of the material was still sporadic, and certainly formulaic, but things were coming together that indicated the likelihood of an even brighter future. The various personnel – musicians, singers, songwriters – were all working together as a team, which lent a sense of continuity to the label’s work. Eventually, this would become obvious to the public at large, but in 1961, Motown was still a ‘cottage’ industry, perhaps unwittingly working toward what eventually became universally known as ‘The Motown Sound.”

            Here’s a list of recordings from today’s show;

1)    Jamie – Eddie Holland

2)    Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) – The Valadiers

3)    Actions Speak Louder Than Words – Mable John

4)    What Makes You Love Him (2^nd Version) – Sammy Ward

5)    Check Yourself – The Temptations

6)    Small Sad Sam – Bob Kayli

7)    Whose Heart (Are You Gonna Break Now) – Don McKenzie

8)    Xmas Twist – The Twistin’ Kings

9)    Please Mr. Kennedy – Mickey Woods

10)  Twistin’ Postman – The Marvelettes

11) Congo (Part 1) – The Twistin’ Kings

12) What’s So Good about Goodbye – The Miracles

13) I’ve Been Good to You – The Miracles

ALBUM TRACKS FROM THE SUMMER OF ‘68

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Album Rock’ was not invented in the Summer of 1968, but that is the time when it came into fruition. In point of fact, a lot of album rock wasn’t even particularly good, but it was different from the commercial pop music that dominated radio. If nothing else, the late ‘60s were a time for experimentation, and albums offered something different to an audience that was craving for a new means of expression. This is the time period when album sales began to compete openly with 45 RPM sales, when recording artists were willing to release music that was decidedly “un-commercial,” and when audiences were willing to listen to songs that were much longer and yet less structured.

            Today’s show provides music from a sampling of albums released in the early Summer of 1968. Here’s a list of albums covered in today’s program;

            Pink Floyd – A Saucerful of Secrets

Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake

The Bee Gees – Horizontal

Fairport Convention – (Debut Album)

Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison

Sly and the Family Stone – Dance to the Music

 

INDEPENDENCE DAY- IS THIS THE BEST WE CAN DO?

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I wish it wasn’t so, but there are an awful lot of things going on as this National holiday approaches that have me feeling curmudgeonly. It’s hard to celebrate the greatness of America without acknowledging that quite a few things have been incredibly out of synchronization in the past few years. As I type this, I’m forced to deal with issues that I previously could not even imagine. I’m very grateful to be able to say that both of my parents are alive, but the harsh realities of 2008 are weighing very heavily on both of them. My father has worked hard his entire life, and he put away what seemed to be a more than adequate nest egg. However, instead of retiring into a life of leisure, my parents are deeply concerned about the inadequacy of a health care system that may bankrupt them at any minute, increasing fuel and food expenses that have risen so high as to dwindle their principle, and a drop in the value of their home which leaves them with little equity to spare.

            Meanwhile, there have been oversight hearings in Washington, D.C. about the “disappearance” of 363 tons of U.S. cash, most of which has been stolen by corrupt, ‘privatized’ members of the armed forces, or has fallen into the hands of the very same people we have been claiming to be our enemy. Imagine 363 tons of cash – and we aren’t talking about copper pennies. We aren’t even talking about $1 dollar bills. It is estimated that we lost 363 tons of bills valued between $20 and $100 dollars. Can you even fathom this? Can you imagine what Americans could do with that money? How can we even wonder why the American dollar is so devalued when billions and billions of dollars are stolen or lost to war profiteers and scoundrels? 99% of Americans struggle to keep their heads above water, but a fraction of 1% know which pot to stick their fingers in. The rest of us pay for it.

            Furthermore, we live in a time when Hispanic non-citizens are quickly becoming America’s #1 export. Who does this benefit? Our civil rights have practically vanished in the name of war, with quasi-legal wiretapping, endorsed “coaxing” techniques (we can’t call it ‘torture’) of illegal combatants, and an Executive branch that is unaccountable for ANY of this. Each one of us is a little less American each and every day that we allow this to happen. That is why I am having a hard time celebrating the greatness of America. As citizens, we have allowed the thieves to rule the roost, and we have been either hypnotized by the media, or collectively cowardly in chastising leaders who do nothing while our lives and values as American citizens crumble before our very eyes. So, I will celebrate the longevity of America’s existence, but my celebration is tempered by a desire to see that justice is done to those who have raped our savings, pillaged our civil rights and stole our dignity as citizens, and I’ll try to retain the naive optimistic hope that better times – and better politicians – are coming.

            Here’s a list of curmudgeonly songs that convey my spirit this 4^th of July

1)    Moneyland – The Del McCoury Band

2)    American Gangster Time – Elvis Costello

3)    America Loves a Minstrel Show – American Music Club

4)    American Idiot – Green Day

5)    I Can’t Take It No More – John Fogerty

6)    Shock and Awe – Neil Young

7)    American Dream – Lucinda Williams

8)    What Happened? – Merle Haggard

9)    Amerika v 6.0 (The Best We Can Do) – Steve Earle

10)  This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-5 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN A-SIDE, PART 5

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This is our fifth show in what promises to seem like a never-ending series of programs dedicated to playing every single Motown A-side from the ‘60s. That’s a LOT of music, folks. Eventually, we expect that it will also mean a lot of hit records, too, but the early years at Motown were comparatively lean. For example, here we are, five shows into our series, covering the Autumn of 1961, and this is the first program to feature a national #1 hit.

            Hits are nice, but the real purpose of this series of shows is to display the full range of Motown’s output, and to convey how difficult it was to consistently hit the charts, even for a label as successful as Motown. It is telling that after the #1 hit, none of the other songs had any impact on the national charts, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting. Here’s a list of songs featured in today’s program;

1)    The Stretch – The Contours

2)    Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes

3)    Itsy Bity Pity Love – Debbie Dean

4)    They Shall Be Mine – Rev. Columbus Mann

5)    Someone to Call My Own – The Ecuadors

6)    Love Me – Pete Hartfield

7)    Everybody’s Gotta Pay Some Dues – The Miracles

8)    Angel in Blue – Joel Sebastian

9)    Strange Love – Mary Wells

10)  The Day Will Come – Freddie Gorman

11)  Have I the Right – Popcorn & the Mohawks

12)  Zing Went the Strings of My Heart – The Satintones