Ramble On: The WTTS Blog

While delivering thousands of songs alphabetically during World Class Rock A to Z, memories are sparked and thoughts engaged.   Today, a song played while in the “T”s.  The song “Talk To Ya Later” by The Tubes presented itself as we progressed through the letters.  While sitting (with headphones on) and listening to the song, I was taken back to 1983.  That was the year that I actually met Fee Waybill, lead vocalist of The Tubes.  I attended a celebrity softball game between a local radio station and members of the band.  I remember saying to myself  “why has nobody turned out to see this band disguised as softball players?  Don’t they know that these are THE TUBES playing in our own backyard?”.  With no thought of the band actually hating the experience and just wanting to get it over with, I approached Fee Waybill for an autograph.  He was kind, but less than enthusiastic about having to stop forward motion and the tick of the clock to honor my request of his signature.  I was not prepared.  I asked for the autograph, but had no marker and NOTHING for him to sign.  Instead of completely embarrassing me, Fee grabbed a softball that had been in play, and signed it.  He then passed it to the other members of the band who nodded, signed the ball, then moved on.  I have kept this signed, dirty softball for 25+ years in my collection of “all things musical”.  At first, the softball was displayed prominently in the center of every room in every apartment in every city.  Then, the band’s fame slowed down, my taste in music improved and my collection grew to new heights.  The softball went from the center of every room, to the end of my mantle, to the shelf in the bathroom, to the open door cabinet in the mudroom, to a shelf in the attic.  It’s not that I am ungrateful to the band for generously contributing to my collection, it’s just that the older I get, the more my prize looks  like…well, just a dirty ball.  After listening to the tubes earlier today, I think I will “break out the ball” once again.  Maybe I could clean it up without smudging the autographs.  After all, I realize that ANY contribution to my musical memories and innocent youth should be proudly displayed.

Thanks for listening to 92.3 WTTS.  I truly appreciate you.

Laura Duncan

OK..so maybe I got the dunce cap back this morning but nobody wants to hear about that, right?

Now this is interesting. Sadly we lost Doug Fieger, the Knack’s lead singer to lung cancer on Valentine’s Day. He was only 57.  The woman who inspired Doug to write his biggest hit, “My Sharona” was a girl Doug had a huge “thing” for although she was dangerously young at the time.

Sharona Alperin is now a realtor to the stars in California and quite successful. The “then and now” shots are below.

Although the two had a relationship for awhile they were not involved at the time of Doug’s death but remained close.-PM

I just got done playing a lot of very cool “Oh, On, Once, and One” songs. This morning, we heard a good dose of INXS (4 songs in the “late M”/”N” section, all within an hour). This afternoon, we were treated to three from Pink Floyd. Along the way, we heard two versions of “Once In A Lifetime” (one of my “top-five-all-time-favorite tunes) – the Talking Heads original, followed by a cool live version from Phish.  Turns out, Phish are big Heads fans, and routinely cover the band in concert.  I’m reminded of one of the best concert movies ever made, “Stop Making Sense” from 1984.

We couldn’t get to all the cover versions of “Once In A Lifetime” – so I thought I’d share another favorite version here:

On to Pink Floyd (another favorite of mine).  We heard “On The Turning Away,” “One Of These Days” and “One Slip” within an hour or so.  Even though the band hasn’t released an album in 16 years, or toured in 15, or really spoken to one another throughout, they’re still making news.  Just last week, Dark Side Of The Moon was named the “#2 Album Of All Time” by the official newspaper of the Vatican.  Makes you wonder if the pope’s ever done that Dark Side/Wizard Of Oz experiment…

Hope you’re enjoying World Class Rock A To Z.

-Brad

Some areas of the alphabet have a lot of covers – and we hit that stretch this afternoon.

Three versions of “Maybe I’m Amazed” (two from McCartney, then the haunting 2004 edition from Jem), then covers of “Me & Bobby McGee” (Melissa Etheridge), ”Mercury Blues” (Steve Miller and David Lindley versions) and “Message In A Bottle” (a live cover from John Mayer’s “Any Given Thursday” album).

Looks like we’ll be in the “M” songs for quite a while, with the Mr. and Mrs. tunes on the way.  Hope you’re enjoying World Class Rock A To Z .  

-Brad H. (The time waster of the afternoon?  Live John Mayer from Birmingham, AL):

I have said before how World Class Rock A to Z carries over into our personal lives.  We spend so much time preparing, so much time trying to keep all songs in alphabetical order that it becomes somewhat of an obsession.

This past weekend, my husband and I went out to dinner.  We ran into some friends in the restaurant and were invited to sit down with them.  We graciously accepted their offer.  Our orders were placed and we engaged in conversation, talking about our lives and common friends.  The food arrived rather quickly and we all prepared to “dig in”.  Watching my friend across the table prepare to eat, I realized that I was rather uncomfortable.  It was an uncontrollable uneasiness as I watched him begin.  He had ordered the steak dinner which came with an order of broccoli and mashed potatoes.  While he continued to speak about recent events, I began to cringe.  My dear friend across the table began to eat his food OUT OF ORDER.  In my warped A to Z mind, I felt that he should eat the broccoli first, followed by the mashed potatoes and THEN cut into his steak.  If he wanted, AFTER tasting all the food in that order, he could then take a drink of water.  I didn’t say anything until it was obvious that I was very uncomfortable.  When asked if I was “OK”, I responded in kind and explained that if he would arrange the food on his plate in alphabetical order, it would be easier for him to eat it that way.  We all laughed as I proceeded to explain my A to Z sickness.  All was well, he understood and I felt much better.  At least I did, until he ordered a Beer and drank it AFTER taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

Thanks for listening to World Class Rock A to Z.  You make my manic mind feel better.

Laura Duncan

Hello, my name is George Drake, Jr. and this was my first experience with World Class Rock A to Z (aside from listening to it prior years).  Through the “popper stopper” of the microphone the A-Z Dunce Cap was staring at me, mocking every word I said all while laughing throughout.  The dunce cap Todd wore earlier this week is not the current one we’re using.  Now it’s a mix between a fishing hat (floppy 360° brim) and the seat of a motorcycle (it’s leather now as opposed to newspaper).  It looks like something I wouldn’t want to wear while golfing unless I had a chain wallet to accompany it.  However, it’s now George: 1 Dunce Cap: 0.

Victory.

Aside from the brutal stare down the dunce cap gave me, I had a ridiculously good time.  I enjoy being in a room with loud music because I can sing (and can’t hear myself) and dance (while not being watched).

Song I sang loudest to: “I’ve Seen All Good People” – Yes (while playing air-organ)

Song I danced most to: “Josie” – Steely Dan

Song I almost lost my voice to while yelling the choruses: “Jet” – Paul McCartney & Wings

My personal best air-guitar experience from today: “Jealous Again” – Black Crowes

My name is George Drake, Jr. and I have tasted the sweet nectar of World Class Rock A to Z and I can say now — it is good.

A Friday afternoon of alphabetical fun, and we end the workweek just 8 letters into the WTTS music library.  Hope you’re enjoying World Class Rock A To Z.  Some new tunes made their way into the alphabet this year, like “Halfway Gone” from Lifehouse and “Harold T. Wilkins” from Fanfarlo.  And of course, we heard some of our all-time favorites, like this gem from Hoosier-born John Hiatt:

I wonder if John Hiatt knew “Have A Little Faith In Me” would become one of the all-time requested/played wedding songs when he wrote it back in 1987. Regardless, it’s one of those timeless songs we love to play during A To Z. I’ll be back Sunday afternoon. Wonder where we’ll be in the alphabet? And wonder how big and nasty this impending storm will be.  Have a great weekend, and enjoy A To Z.

-Brad Holtz

…but not the end of the good songs, if you catch my drift.

Oh, but Holtz gets Great, I just get good.  (Todd stomps off in a huff.)

Actually, the fact that he gets the “Great” songs means that the Gs are coming to a close, probably before the clock strikes one, which is when he’ll shift to the Hs, including a Jeff Buckley favorite, a couple of good moments from the Stones, and back-to-back songs from Neil Young, one a two-decades-down-the-line comment on the other.  Stay tuned.

-Todd.

Now Mendenhall’s in the penalty box with me!  (See entry below this one.)

And for what it’s worth, it would have been the Industrial Arts teacher who would’ve beaten a respect for the language into me, if it had come to that.  Which it didn’t.  That’s why my crazy-fly self puts up a sign over the supposedly offending digits, so’s to not bring the potential wrath of Mr. S. down on my poor, poor butt.  I do it now because I didn’t do it then.  The smile in the photo is the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down, to lift from that sage and grungy poet, Mary Poppins. 

Today, I hand off to Mr. Holtz, he who is, last I heard, not currently hanging out here in the land of misfit toys that is the Dunce Museum.  He will usher in the Fs not long after noon.  I’m reasonably no offending songs that start with an “F” will be played today.

-Todd.

Call it integrity, or maybe fear of getting caught, but instead of just skipping Five for Fighting’s “Easy Tonight” after I had already played Mellencamp’s “Eden is Burning”, I copped to the screw-up and put it back in. Besides, I really like the song!

I think I’m taking this much better than Todd did when he had to wear the hat. If you scroll down you’ll find a picture of him implying an obscene gesture. I personally find this quite offensive.

I learned not to make such gestures when I was paddled for it in Junior High School. The PE teacher went medieval on my a–. Maybe Todd could’ve benefitted from such a lesson.