Resolution Revolution

  Merry Christmas readers!

  Many years ago I decided to abandon the idea of News Years resolutions because they mostly involved weight loss. My announced plans of getting into the gym and dropping a few pounds fell by the wayside; usually by January 5th. In the years since my decision to quit the practice of  making vows I would not keep I have actually benefited by losing the weight and keeping it off  for more than 13 years. In summer of 1995 I got off by big butt and took a job that involved physical labor. Up until that point I worked as a radio disk jockey spending most of my day either sitting or reclining inventing ways of getting out of actual labor. That first hot August night I began a real job literally sweating the pounds away. Work is good for both body and mind. However, moderation can be viewed as beneficial.

  You see, I took the weight loss thing to the extreme and lost too much. People close to me said I looked sick having dropped almost 100 pounds in a fairly short amount of time that summer. I had my doctor prescribe a diet that I followed to the letter for almost four years. Later I realized that the plan was intended to remove the blubber quickly and not a maintenance diet designed to keep a healthy weight. Although I can no longer fit into those size 30 jeans I am comfortable in my skin whereas before the weight loss I was overly self-conscious. 14 years ago I firmly decided to leave my old career behind. It was killing me.

  Having said all that brings me back to todays topic: resolutions. This Peanut Whistle blog has become too much of a trip down only one address on memory lane. It has become too focused on a past that is dead and gone. While I still value my experiences as lessons for the future; the present time is the best I have lived in due to the wonderful additions over the past decade of a loving wife and four great kids who have no first hand knowledge of what has been presented in this blog. For the first time in many, many years I am making a resolution. For 2010, I intend to make Peanut Whistle more current with topical stories from my life as well as observations of trends in the music, Internet and broadcasting industry from my unique perspectives as a former DJ. Only my original Gospel Aircheck blog will have posts similar to the ones formerly featured here in the 'Whistle. My lessons learned throughout this exercise has been that the present is to be valued just as much as the past and that the good old days weren't always as good as I remembered. As Stevie Wonder penned,

"They've been wasting most their time / Glorifying days long gone behind  / They've been wasting most their days / In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise" 

  Instead of a Pastime Paradise let's go forward expecting our best days are ahead.

Stay tuned.







©2009 - 2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Decisions, Decisions, Part Two

  For a brief time in late 1986 my dad and I shared similar paths. We were both dissatisfied with how work prospects had dried up in the small coastal town we lived in for 13 years. In early summer of the year he asked if I had ever considered moving away to a bigger city and presumably a better life. He felt limited by the market and I agreed. Most disk jockeys of my era shared the opinion that moving "upmarket" was always a good idea. It meant better exposure and more money. The novelty of my first radio home had worn off. I was ready for a bridge burning change irrespective of an actual moving day. At the time I called it burnout. I was lying to myself; radio was my life. But what was I to do? I had a certain numerical figure in mind my current situation fell far from the mark of meeting, so a new career seemed necessary.

  Savannah, Georgia was known as a medium sized radio town ranked at about number 149 while Atlanta was a major market constantly in the top 10 of all US cities. By December of '86 my family had settled into our new home just outside the Atlanta metro, Douglasville. I had got a job immediately as an office temp doing telemarketing. At least I was using my voice, just in a different direction. The money was much better, almost my goal amount.

  My previous employer had set up an interview at a 50,000 watt sister station in Atlanta that I felt was a false opportunity. About an hour commute was unappealing even for the dollar figure, nearly twice my old rate. I would have been upside down with the fuel cost alone!

  I forever viewed this as a good decision although it meant a gap between radio homes. How long a gap was uncertain. The good news was that by the end of February I was in broadcasting again, This time at a 1,000 watt AM daytimer located mere minutes from home with comfortable pay.

  The station was in a facility recently remodeled and filled with the latest pro equipment. Despite its transmitted power, it was the best sounding facility of all my radio homes. Three months into my stay there the owner made the astounding announcement the the station would be sold! What had I got myself into?

  I had gained favor with the GM, "Vic", who gave me a 10% raise after only 30 days. It was this manager whose resignation, I assume, was catalyst for the sale. The business was owned by a local church, he was the pastor. The back story I can only speculate. I believe that the radio station was Pastor Vic's baby and his leaving gave those less enthusiastic of his cause leeway to unburden the load that we undoubtedly were. Key people eventually resigned and I became Program Director By November of 1987, finally earning my magic number, to the penny.

  Ironically, my monetary victory was shallow. I was unhappy. The money did not satisfy my artistic leanings. The station was boring. Except me, we had little or no listeners as we sailed on adrift, waiting to be sold. That process would take another three years. I have to give the owners credit for their integrity. Pulling the plug on the whole operation and going dark would have been the best course but they nobly kept us paid never missing a beat once. Unprecedented creativity was about to be unleashed from me as I was to find out with the successor at radio home 3. That is another story.

Stay tuned

The Big Tease

This is my new idea for an instructional video. Subject: Radio Broadcasting Technique, peanut whistle style.


Stay tuned
©2009 – 2010 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Decisions, Decisions, Part One

A question I often pondered is why did I stay in radio so long? The answer is not so easy. The money was not good at all. I started out as a minimum wage button pusher at a 5,000 watt AM daytimer in Savannah, Georgia in 1983. By 1986 I had squeezed another 15 cents an hour out of management. Wow! What a windfall. In 20/20 hindsight, I believed the low wages was ownership’s way of taking advantage of us admittedly unambitious disk jockeys who lived and breathed radio. In other words we were underpaid because we loved the medium too much and were fools enough to take the monetary abuse. The first four years was a love hate relationship. Fact was that I could have been more proactive in sending out airchecks to bigger stations; but I felt at the time a longing to stay in gospel radio. Lack of confidence also played a role.

I was a shy teenager who had friends working at the Piggly Wiggly making upwards of a dollar more an hour. The “prestige” of my job somehow compensated for the gap. Personal appearances at skating parties paid way more than my station in summer of ‘84 but these gigs became non-existent on into 1985, a pivotal year for me.

Realizing that my pleading with a system that was either unwilling or unable to give a substantial raise caused a sense of futility hidden from plain view. Those closest to me knew of my dissatisfaction. For the sake of my craft I was willing to continue honing my DJ persona while I secretly, later openly, pursued a better paying job.

A promising airplane factory job was the first I turned down. A five week training course completed, I flat refused to see myself ever taking any amount of money to do shift work. My dad had pulled some strings with a college buddy’s wife well connected with the plant. The job would have been a sure thing. Somehow radio beckoned and I returned full time despite the better money and benefits. Needless to say greed never played a role. The tug of radio was an irresistible force. It was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, the greater good, my purpose; a calling. With that rationalization my wander lust subsided, for the moment.

By the end of 1986 I was fed up by the insult of a tiny raise not compensatory with my perceived improvement  that I legitimately worked very hard  obtaining, thank you very much; artistically indignant to coin a phrase. In reality my skill set was only better in delivering time, temperature and record introduction with inflections borrowed from the FM top 40 disk jockeys I attempted to emulate never imagining that personality radio was the wave of the future.

The days of my type of DJ were numbered while the shock jock was on the cusp of forever changing the way radio was done. Not that I wanted risqué talk a part of my repertoire rather the courage of these innovators to break the rules by speaking in their natural voices, expressing the listeners’ mind and bringing a brand of honesty that turned broadcasting on its ear was what I came to admire today.

In my defense, personality radio was not part of my training or nature. Being myself on-air horrified me so  advice to lighten up would have likely fallen on deaf ears. I would have scoffed at the idea seeing it unprofessional. In the final analysis, no one mentored me to excellence. Only the mechanics of running the board were taught, the rest was hit or miss self education.

Radio home number one was never a cohesive unit; a beast lacking focus. It was truly chaotic and not in a good, creative contrasting way. There were other DJ’s who did time, temp and intros “better” than me, for sure, but that method was going the way of the dinosaur. The radio industry evolved as my station spewed an extinct form I would eventually unlearn at my next two stations…

stay tuned

copyright 2009 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

A Real Class Act

A super group took the stage exactly two years to the day prior to my entry into the world. Jake Hess and the Imperials, a hand picked gathering of superstars of the gospel music industry. A band of ringers that included: Jake Hess on lead, Gary McSpadden on Baritone, Sherrill Nielsen tenor, and the incomparable Armond Morales with his trademark silky bass. The night was January 16th, 1964 in Hadleyville, Alabama, Jake’s home town. Gospel music was never again the same. This group was different, they sounded modern. A little too different at first for some. Jake is quoted  as saying, “I don’t think we’re going to do it.” Armond lent some encouraging words, “Don’t limit God.” In a March, 1989 article from CCM magazine celebrating the groups’ 25th anniversary, the late Jake Hess concludes, “…If it hadn’t been for those three little words I don’t think there would be an Imperials today.”

Although singers came and went the Imperials sound remained consistently great. They backed Elvis Presley on stage and record, accompanied Jimmy Dean and many other stars of the music industry. The group has numerous Grammy and Dove awards; and in 1998 they were inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame. They’re the New York Yankees of Gospel.

Founding member Armond Morales suffered through a battle with cancer a while back and relinquished the Imperials’ name to son Jason and a new generation of singers. Now the original group is known as the Classic Imperials. Following a miraculous recovery, Armond continues the heritage began in ‘64 along with Dave Will, Rick Evans and Paul Smith.

In 1983 I made my first Lp purchase for my new stereo. The record was Stand by Power by the Imperials featuring then new lead singer Paul Smith. The album produced many hits including: Lord of the Harvest, Because of Who You Are and Stand by the Power. I have been a fan ever since.

Of course I knew of the group through my dad’s record collection. He had a scratchy mono Lp copy of the first record, Introducing Jake Hess and the Imperials. As a teen I was thrilled to spin their new record  that was in itself another triumph in redefining the Christian music art form. Somehow they managed to outdo themselves with every new album just as No Shortage, One More Song for You and Priority had done.

Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with lead singer Rick Evans. We had a delightful conversation via Facebook about the forthcoming new album. I asked Rick how the new project was going, he said, “[It’s] a long process, but we are getting closer each day.” I replied that I could identify seeing that the creative process can be time consuming, my radio days and nights were often spent in countless hours on one 30 second spot. “We are lucky to be have a record company that is willing to take the time to make this right,” Evans continued. I asked if he could give me any glimpse into the songs included on the project. Rick replied, “Very different. We used some of the best writers in Nashville. They came up with a work of art. The record will actually be a journey of a person’s life. It is a cool concept and will be wonderful introduction back into the music marketplace.” Kind of like Styx and some of the other “concept” bands of the ‘70’s I jokingly referred. Not missing a beat the Classic Imperials new lead singer responded, “No actually you are on the right track. It is more like the Beatles and the Lonely Hearts [Club] Band thing. It will be GREAT!”

“It was twenty years ago today,
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile.
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years,
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Funny how the Classic Imperials and the Beatles started about the same time. The good news is we still have the Beatles of gospel here and now. Thanks to Rick and all the Classic Imperials for not only entertaining us, but more importantly ministering in ways those other guys never attempted.

Stay tuned.

My Dennis the Menace

  Today's post is a departure for me. I feel it very therapeutic venting about one of my peanuts. My brilliant three year old Madison is a bit of a scientist. Today she was testing the destructive properties of H2O on electronics. It seems that water when poured directly on cordless phones and cassette tape recorders ceases viable operation of said devices.  Very interesting. How could I go nearly twenty years owning a Panasonic portable tape recorder without introducing 20 ounces of Aquafina to the circuit board? Both the phone and the tape recorder are drying now. The secret to preserving electronics when accidentally wet is do not turn them on. Remove batteries immediately and let the cases air dry thoroughly. I learned my lesson when I dropped a Nintendo DS game system into a bowl of water last year. I turned the game on after briefly blow drying it. That was a big mistake! If power is applied to a wet circuit board then you might as well throw it away. I repeat, immediately remove the power source and let the device dry thoroughly a day or two before powering up again. There seems to be no quick fixes. Auto parts stores carry a product known as wire drier and of course WD40 spray that work well on ignition distributors, spark plug wires and such, but I've never used these remedies on small electronics. I recommend taking the safe route.

 

  My life is far from being a cartoon strip but Angie and I believe we have a Dennis the Menace on our hands. She is smart but is into everything. My little bit has made more experiments than I can recall and presented more challenges than her other three siblings combined. Thank God for kids.

Stay tuned

©2009 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

1980's CCM Spec Show

©2009 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

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  I had so much fun with the music in this show from the late 80's. Contemporary Christian Music was worlds apart from today's counterpart. Listen as I echo the then popular CHR format in this unscoped gem from 1987 that was done in my Atlanta studio at radio home number two. This recording did not air on any radio station and was only intended to be a speculative demonstration of the J900 format I invented at my original radio home. The idea has not been presented unedited until now. Enjoy.

Stay tuned.

Let's Roll!

  For those of us schooled in the Pentecostal and Southern Baptist conventions dancing and rock music, for instance, was taboo in any form so the youth of my day felt they needed a substitute. The ultra conservative “Holiness” sects would argue that even innocuous substitutes for raunchy dancing and, by extension, even roller skating was just as sinful and viewed as a gateway to Hell.

  Shoot, in modern churches dance teams Rock-n-roll bands are very common in worship; my, how times have changed. I recently attended a church youth presentation of a mainline denomination that featured fast paced dancing to secular popular music accompaniment with no pretense of using a Christian alternative. Funny how even the churches are becoming more politically correct, omitting Christ when convenient. Those kids knew nothing of the restrictions I grew up with so I took no offense, especially considering the current rueful tone of Christian music.

  Winning the “lost” teens of my day involved using our generation's happier gospel music set to a modern beat. As I have noted in a previous post; I briefly moonlighted as DJ on Christian skate nights. The pairing of Southern Gospel and skates has always been surreal to me. I never thought the genre was compatible. So in 1984 I jumped at the opportunity to spin rock derived Contemporary Christian music (CCM) for the attending youth groups each week at the Savannah Skate Inn on Saturdays . The tunes were fast paced and skate-able, freedom for our otherwise restricted youth. Not so in today's more bland homogeneous and bleak themed CCM. Christian skate night simply would not work for the present generation.

  It was hard enough selling the idea of rolling to gospel music in my day when CCM was generally better, stylistically. The unchurched scoffed; we were preaching to the choir of those who attended (maybe a few invited their “unsaved” friends.) The ultra conservative simply weren't allowed or came without the knowledge of their pastor. It was a wholesome activity, I figured, so why did it fail? It might just boil down to a fickle public that summer. Who knows?

  My passion was reaching my peers. In some ways I was successful. My 2 years of persistent argument finally broke down the tradition machine that was my radio employer. They allowed us CCM six hours in the afternoon where I had been playing mostly Southern Gospel. Previously one or two CCM selections would sneak through unnoticed. Because of my commitment to the music, I finally got up enough courage and did a whole unauthorized contemporary show early one Saturday morning with the same record collection featured in the skating parties. Listener response, although small, was mostly favorable.

  It seemed that management was afraid of the CCM genre due to the possible backlash from our bread and butter religious brokered programs until we broke the ice with a few experiments. Spooked by the possibility of financial ruin they never totally committed; most of the conservative local preachers were on mid-day, but I believe the station would have reached more listeners with an all day consistent format of more modern sounds. That has been a purely hypothetical idea, of course. My second radio home was 100% Contemporary Christian weekdays and they never lost a brokered program because of music format, go figure.

Stay Tuned

© 2009 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Let's Roll!

At the close of the Disco era was a fad known as Roller Disco. The popular dances and music moved into the roller skating rinks for those skilled enough.

I was not one of them. I had two left feet but learned to circle around the floor until I fell and hurt my backside on an eighth grade field trip and experienced pain for most of my high school years thus ending my skating “career.” I was too chicken to ever try again until tempted thirty years later when I had my own children. I'm still as clumsy as ever, but as far as my kids know, I can skate even though I am actually wearing shoes. That will be our little secret, dear reader. Shhh!

Disco is dead, but not forgotten. The genre evolved into “Dance” music. It is still played sometimes in its original form at the rinks around here, especially on special skate nights for old folks like me. Well, I'm not a fan of the music but it was designed to dance and later roll to; not many other forms of music are as compatible.

For those of us schooled in the Pentecostal and Southern Baptist conventions dancing was taboo in any form so the youth of my day needed a substitute. The ultra conservative of our sects would argue that even innocuous substitutes for the raunchy dancing and skating was just as bad and viewed as a gateway to Hell. Shoot, in modern churches dance teams are very common; my, how times have changed. I recently attended a church youth presentation of a mainline denomination that featured fast paced dancing to secular popular music accompaniment with no pretense of using a Christian substitute. Funny how even the churches are becoming more politically correct, omitting Christ. Those kids knew nothing of the restrictions I grew up with so I took no offense, especially considering the current character of Christian music.

Winning the “lost” teens of my day involved using our gospel music set to a modern beat. As I have noted in a previous post; I briefly moonlighted as DJ on Christian skate nights. The pairing of Southern Gospel and skates has always been surreal to me. I never thought the genre was compatible. So in 1984 I jumped at the opportunity to spin rock derived Contemporary Christian music (CCM) for the attending youth groups each week at the Savannah Skate Inn on Saturdays . The tunes were fast paced and skate-able. Not so in today's more bland homogeneous CCM. Christian skate night simply would not work for the present generation.

It was hard enough selling the idea of rolling to gospel music in my day when CCM was better. The unchurched laughed; we were preaching to the choir of those who attended (maybe a few invited their “unsaved” friends.) The ultra conservative simply weren't allowed or came without the knowledge of their pastor. It was a wholesome activity, I figured, so why did it fail? It might just boil down to a fickle public that summer. Who knows or cares?

Stay Tuned

© 2009 The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

I Want to Know

    A new 2 CD 1 DVD release from rock icons Foreigner has kept me entertained for the past few days at home, in the Civic, and my minivan. Their first all new album in a decade and a half, “Can’t Slow Down” is superb. I especially like the title cut and “Too Late” a very catchy radio ready tune I’ve been singing for days. These guys have successfully preserved that Foreigner signature sound while evolving into the present with new lead singer, Kelly Hansen. He has admirably taken over for long time front man Lou Gramm, who at one time I thought irreplaceable.

    What intrigued me into buying the new set was a curious CD of remixes of the hits we all know well. Was this just a new remastering job from previous “master” tapes? Was any new vocals or loops added? I knew that the songs already sounded great but was unprepared for what I would discover. Producer Marti Frederiksen and his recording engineer Anthony Focx have uncovered the original multi-track tapes and exactly matched the original mixes. These new mixes a far clearer than their predecessors with deeper bass and better sounding representation of Lou Gramm’s awesome vocal performances. It was as if I was hearing them for the first time (pun intended). In fact, Feels Like the First Time opens up the disk with the electric guitars cranked to 11. Wow!  I quickly pulled out an original CD. The older mixes sounded muffled by comparison, as if someone had placed a blanket over the loudspeakers. The new mixes truly sound like they were recorded yesterday. The only limit now are the constraints of the 16 bit, 44.1 kHz sampled CD format itself. I hope more hits are forthcoming as remixes. It truly gives new life to the Classic Rock genre.

    I first notice Foreigner in the early 1980’s when I borrow the foreigner 4 album from a friend. The opening bass line of Jukebox Hero hooks me and the rest is history. Forward to 1986, I Want to Know What Love Is is a huge hit on radio and Mtv. I am especially intrigued by the heavy gospel influence and wish to share the song on my radio show on Gospel 90 AM. I am not allowed to play the “secular” version, but the station is given the gospel version of the song by the New Jersey Mass Choir who backs Foreigner on the original.

  I can name numerous mainstream hits adapted for the gospel market. Accusations of hypocrisy notwithstanding I have never seen anything wrong with presenting a “secular” artists’ songs in a “religious” setting providing that the lyrics are compatible. The movie An Officer and a Gentleman produced Up Where We Belong sung by Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker made better by The PTL Singers & Orchestra (a BeBe and CeCe Winans duet) and a marvelous cover version on Christian radio arguably the biggest hit on my first radio home. The gospel version was only slightly modified by singing Lord lift us up where we belong instead of love lift us up. How is that any different than Love Lifted Me? God is love, right?

  Before I close; ever consider Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven for gospel radio airplay? That song holds up well despite being secular. Unmodified it would make a great candidate for what I call a reverse crossover. Yesterday I heard Kirk Franklin do an old Kenny Loggins number, This is It, made a great gospel song. Bravo.

  Anyway I am pondering similar ideas for my new Internet radio station that will feature a good mix of secular and sacred both old and new. It will be a whacky format for sure. It will be positive music in the purest form. The best of both worlds without rules of outdated traditions aimed at the seekers of this world not unlike myself.

Stay tuned

The Birthday Truck

Lame is the term I have borrowed from a younger generation to describe some of the ineffective, cloying attempts I have made at entertaining my radio audiences. Today I recall one of the primary examples. 

In September of 1990 I was paired with a co-host against my will, mainly. I had worked solo almost exclusively up until that point. I felt it was a bad idea from the inception that I share my show with a newbie with a natural gift of gab named Angie Mabry.

Her easy acclimation to radio made the forced pairing much more tolerable. We seemed to mix well on the air and off. Our station owner/general manager introduced our duo on the daily half hour Swap Shop program with the intention of expanding her role as eventual morning show co-host.

We went to work in numerous procrastinating planning sessions trying to conceptualize what the new morning show would sound like. Our boss grew weary of our preliminaries and finally compelled us to begin the 6 am to 9:30 am program at the beginning of November. What we settled on was an emphasis on fluff talk and downplayed our music format which we perceived appeasing the “blue hairs”, our undesired elderly demographic. Most of our style was modeled after the secular morning zoo shows of the day but stopped short and we were limited by our aging southern audience and their obsolete traditions. As far as I have known no attempt had ever been made on a southern gospel station for such a show so our new enterprise was in uncharted waters amidst the brokered religious programs keeping us afloat.

One of the most memorable episodes of Mabry and O’Neal show was the Birthday Truck. My on-air partner feigned anxiety over her November 13th birthday as the event neared. Her day was hyped over a week or so around the office and on the air. By the 14th the semi bringing a mountain of gifts was a day late and Mabry was “worried.” The birthday bit climaxed with a visit from the red-neck truck driver (voiced by me) who had troubles finding the station and struck her parked Honda Prelude while pulling into our tiny parking lot. The skit was more lame than anything on Saturday Night Live, pretty bad.

We had some chemistry. We were both in our mid twenties sharing similar views. I skewed a little more conservative. Our ad libs were much more entertaining than the prepared text we thought was funny. Interactions with our sports & news director, Fred Brewer fared much better. He had a dry poignant humor that would have been a better match for a morning show. Our boss saw things differently favoring a male female duo. Had the show been played straight with unforced comedy lacking in phony laughter we might have had a hit. We simply tried too hard.

  The best conversations were the real ones involving our friendly UGA and Georgia Tech football rivalry. I was the long time Dawgs fan while she preferred the Yellow Jackets. To her credit Tech had the superior squad and was national champs that year. For some inexplicable reason sports coverage on a southern gospel station was considered taboo by listeners so the best element of our show seemed too secular. The outspoken Southern Baptist and Pentecostal based audience was resistant. We were viewed as sell outs. Our 2,500 watt AM signal disappeared into the haze that was too far on the fringe of the Atlanta environs to be competitive in the major market so our locals won in the end.

I don’t recall the show lasting much past the new year. The partnership ended on a sour note, I don’t remember the precise circumstances but our radio savvy sales manager “Just” Janet Barcus  played Mabry’s understudy and eventual replacement as the curtain fell on my third radio home in February of ‘91. Click on the Mp3 below for the Birthday Truck aircheck...

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The station now has a 50,000 watt construction permit that is wasted on the same old format with a playlist of obscure southern gospel tailored to those born sometime during the Civil War. Their signal reaches further now though. I don’t believe the current owners wish to program for the major market they now cover. What a shame.

Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Tech,UGA,Bulldogs,football,Angie Mabry,Jim O'Neal,WDCY,southern culture,radio history,radio culture,morning zoo,DJ,Janet Barcus,southern gospel,1990,1991,News talk,Fred Brewer

The Birthday Truck

Lame is the term I have borrowed from a younger generation to describe some of the ineffective, cloying attempts I have made at entertaining my radio audiences. Today I recall one of the primary examples. 

In September of 1990 I was paired with a co-host against my will, mainly. I had worked solo almost exclusively up until that point. I felt it was a bad idea from the inception that I share my show with a newbie with a natural gift of gab named Angie Mabry.

Her easy acclimation to radio made the forced pairing much more tolerable. We seemed to mix well on the air and off. Our station owner/general manager introduced our duo on the daily half hour Swap Shop program with the intention of expanding her role as eventual morning show co-host.

We went to work in numerous procrastinating planning sessions trying to conceptualize what the new morning show would sound like. Our boss grew weary of our preliminaries and finally compelled us to begin the 6 am to 9:30 am program at the beginning of November. What we settled on was an emphasis on fluff talk and downplayed our music format which we perceived appeasing the “blue hairs”, our undesired elderly demographic. Most of our style was modeled after the secular morning zoo shows of the day but stopped short and we were limited by our aging southern audience and their obsolete traditions. As far as I have known no attempt had ever been made on a southern gospel station for such a show so our new enterprise was in uncharted waters amidst the brokered religious programs keeping us afloat.

One of the most memorable episodes of Mabry and O’Neal show was the Birthday Truck. My on-air partner feigned anxiety over her November 13th birthday as the event neared. Her day was hyped over a week or so around the office and on the air. By the 14th the semi bringing a mountain of gifts was a day late and Mabry was “worried.” The birthday bit climaxed with a visit from the red-neck truck driver (voiced by me) who had troubles finding the station and struck her parked Honda Prelude while pulling into our tiny parking lot. The skit was more lame than anything on Saturday Night Live, pretty bad.

We had some chemistry. We were both in our mid twenties sharing similar views. I skewed a little more conservative. Our ad libs were much more entertaining than the prepared text we thought was funny. Interactions with our sports & news director, Fred Brewer fared much better. He had a dry poignant humor that would have been a better match for a morning show. Our boss saw things differently favoring a male female duo. Had the show been played straight with unforced comedy lacking in phony laughter we might have had a hit. We simply tried too hard.

  The best conversations were the real ones involving our friendly UGA and Georgia Tech football rivalry. I was the long time Dawgs fan while she preferred the Yellow Jackets. To her credit Tech had the superior squad and was national champs that year. For some inexplicable reason sports coverage on a southern gospel station was considered taboo by listeners so the best element of our show seemed too secular. The outspoken Southern Baptist and Pentecostal based audience was resistant. We were viewed as sell outs. Our 2,500 watt AM signal disappeared into the haze that was too far on the fringe of the Atlanta environs to be competitive in the major market so our locals won in the end.

I don’t recall the show lasting much past the new year. The partnership ended on a sour note, I don’t remember the precise circumstances but our radio savvy sales manager “Just” Janet Barcus  played Mabry’s understudy and eventual replacement as the curtain fell on my third radio home in February of ‘91. Press play...

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The station now has a 50,000 watt construction permit that is wasted on the same old format with a playlist of obscure southern gospel tailored to those born sometime during the Civil War. Their signal reaches further now though. I don’t believe the current owners wish to program for the major market they now cover. What a shame.

Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Tech,UGA,Bulldogs,football,Angie Mabry,Jim O'Neal,WDCY,southern culture,radio history,radio culture,morning zoo,DJ,Janet Barcus,southern gospel,1990,1991,News talk,Fred Brewer

Welcome to the Future

It’s funny how the idea for this post came to me right before I hear a new Country song with the exact same concept and title by Brad Paisley that has been percolating in my own brain for the past several weeks. I have had 43 wonderful years on this planet and I see the time we live in right now, technologically, is the best in history. Personally, I have carried the past around like a golden god not realizing that now is the best time to be alive. Forget recessions and floods, today is where I need to be not trapped in some nostalgia hell like an 80 year old. Yes there were good times and I will continue to recall them in posts.

We are living in a world that the Jetsons would envy. Our society has advanced in the last 25 years at a pace more rapid than the quarter century that preceded it. Compare and contrast 1960 through 1985 politically, socially, technologically, and artistically. Changes and advancements were made just not as rapidly. The focus of this blog is art and tech so I won’t stray too far. In 1985 I was still using the same stereo Lp for music that my dad used in 1960. In ‘85 the compact disc was new having been introduced to the marketplace Christmas of 1982. It was the age of Reganomics an the birth of Mtv.  I was a teenager full of wonder but never dreamed of how the future would unfold.

This present generation has all but abandoned the CD and other physical music media for downloads from Internet sources both legal and otherwise. Not to mention what all we can do with our cellular phones. This was a device that resembled a brick a generation ago. We are using our tiny cell phones now for everything; Web surfing, video, music, texting, games, the list is endless. We do everything with these devices except make a phone call, it seems.

The downside of living today is that I believe we have lost some of our humanity. We have substituted Email and social websites for actual human contact. In the process we are much more rude less evolved and dumbed downed in the absence of more “primitive” communication. Don’t get me started on the atrocious grammar and spelling I see on the Internet. When was the last time you wrote an actual letter with a pen and paper? Thought so. Well, we’re here, Welcome to the Future.

Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Brad Paisley,Country music,society,music albums,Lp,records,technology,opinion

Welcome to the Future

It’s funny how the idea for this post came to me right before I hear a new Country song with the exact same concept and title by Brad Paisley that has been percolating in my own brain for the past several weeks. I have had 43 wonderful years on this planet and I see the time we live in right now, technologically, is the best in history. Personally, I have carried the past around like a golden god not realizing that now is the best time to be alive. Forget recessions and floods, today is where I need to be not trapped in some nostalgia hell like an 80 year old. Yes there were good times and I will continue to recall them in posts.

We are living in a world that the Jetsons would envy. Our society has advanced in the last 25 years at a pace more rapid than the quarter century that preceded it. Compare and contrast 1960 through 1985 politically, socially, technologically, and artistically. Changes and advancements were made just not as rapidly. The focus of this blog is art and tech so I won’t stray too far. In 1985 I was still using the same stereo Lp for music that my dad used in 1960. In ‘85 the compact disc was new having been introduced to the marketplace Christmas of 1982. It was the age of Reganomics an the birth of Mtv.  I was a teenager full of wonder but never dreamed of how the future would unfold.

This present generation has all but abandoned the CD and other physical music media for downloads from Internet sources both legal and otherwise. Not to mention what all we can do with our cellular phones. This was a device that resembled a brick a generation ago. We are using our tiny cell phones now for everything; Web surfing, video, music, texting, games, the list is endless. We do everything with these devices except make a phone call, it seems.

The downside of living today is that I believe we have lost some of our humanity. We have substituted Email and social websites for actual human contact. In the process we are much more rude less evolved and dumbed downed in the absence of more “primitive” communication. Don’t get me started on the atrocious grammar and spelling I see on the Internet. When was the last time you wrote an actual letter with a pen and paper? Thought so. Well, we’re here, Welcome to the Future.

Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: Brad Paisley,Country music,society,music albums,Lp,records,technology,opinion

Alias Jim O'Neal

Here's one of my first Southern Gospel Favorites shows from 1990 as my alter ego, Jim O'Neal. Press play to enjoy

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wet your whistle

Welcome to the newly redesigned Peanut Whistle. For those of you reading via Facebook notes thank you very much for viewing the basic text of this blog. You will enjoy the Whistle so much more by visiting the website from which this blog originates. Our address is www.thepeanutwhistle.com or click any time you see a hyperlink (usually in blue letters). One of the best features of my new site is the extra audio, video and photos I have included as support for the text. There is music and links galore, so go wild.

Your word of mouth advertising is very crucial to keeping the Peanut Whistle afloat. Also, if you see anything advertised that interests you please feel free to visit my sponsors then return by hitting the back button on your browser. Visit us often because I am constantly adding new content even to older blog posts. For instance, the Gran Torino post includes new pictures of the old wreck. Facebook only archives posts as they originally appeared.

When you are on www.thepeanutwhistle.com check out the side bars for the audio & video and click away on the numerous play buttons as you scroll down the page. There are numerous links beneath our snazzy new header. They lead to my other blog, Gospel Aircheck, my YouTube channel, and the more technical pages I have set up.

Be sure to check out our audio restoration services as well. Peanut Whistle Audio (PWA) will turn your old analog cassettes into CD’s and other digital media. Our rates are very reasonable. “We work for peanuts.” Contact us at nealrhoden@thepeanutwhistle.com

Stay tuned.

Swap Shop

One of the joys of small and medium market radio is the contact by phone with my listeners both on the air and off. This was no more apparent that at radio home number four, WBKI, in tiny Bremen, Georgia. We had a live call in show called Swap Shop. It was tremendous fun. Callers would phone in their radio classified ads. Anything from bedding and blankets to cars, trucks and farm animals. Along the way I made some telephone friends who felt they knew me personally. I suppose I did a fairly good job of listening to them and recapping what was listed after the conversation ended.

This was all of course absolutely live, without profanity delay, to the air. I was always fearful of losing our FCC license over some nut dropping a cuss word or two. It never happened though. Whew. There is nothing like doing seat of your pants radio. Introducing records is ok, but nothing beat witnessing the unexpected, unscripted, spontaneous and organic process that was Swap Shop. I had a few regulars; Ole Waco Nut for one who lived in nearby, you guessed it, Waco, Georgia, that is. I think he made his living selling items on our show.

Then there was town gossip, Virginia, who who had all the latest news from the whacky goings on in the little town along with her plugs for fresh eggs and chickens from her farm. She visited in person on my last day at the station to wish me farewell. We had an entire hour wall to wall with callers. Quite surprising, with a 2,500 watt signal, the hour never lagged.

I had attempted at number two radio home, WSPZ, something called On Air Market a quarter hour show that seemed like an eternity. I came in around 3:45 pm for the show where no live callers were featured due to our owners’ paranoia. The savory seasoning of live conversation was missing, thus the show, like the station in general, was extremely bland. I had a producer screening and taking dictation of caller submissions who would chime in when needed, like Roz on the TV show Frazier.

Market Calls on 900 AM in Savannah was similar. As a fledgling broadcaster I feared accepting the challenge of live call-in until 1986 when I had three years DJ experience under my belt at my first radio home. Previously, I had refused hosting the show. The one time I finally did it my delivery was so impersonal and unmemorable that I overcompensated and overshadowed the callers not allowing personality to shine through. I got almost every recapped phone number wrong. Thank God it was only 30 minutes. Actually, 20 minutes of show and 10 minutes of pervasive music to fill the voids. Seven years later It prepared me for Swap Shop on WBKI in what not to do.

Stay tuned.

Swap Shop

One of the joys of small and medium market radio is the contact by phone with my listeners both on the air and off. This was no more apparent that at radio home number four, WBKI, in tiny Bremen, Georgia. We had a live call in show called Swap Shop. It was tremendous fun. Callers would phone in their radio classified ads. Anything from bedding and blankets to cars, trucks and farm animals. Along the way I made some telephone friends who felt they knew me personally. I suppose I did a fairly good job of listening to them and recapping what was listed after the conversation ended.

This was all of course absolutely live, without profanity delay, to the air. I was always fearful of losing our FCC license over some nut dropping a cuss word or two. It never happened though. Whew. There is nothing like doing seat of your pants radio. Introducing records is ok, but nothing beat witnessing the unexpected, unscripted, spontaneous and organic process that was Swap Shop. I had a few regulars; Ole Waco Nut for one who lived in nearby, you guessed it, Waco, Georgia, that is. I think he made his living selling items on our show.

Then there was town gossip, Virginia, who who had all the latest news from the whacky goings on in the little town along with her plugs for fresh eggs and chickens from her farm. She visited in person on my last day at the station to wish me farewell. We had an entire hour wall to wall with callers. Quite surprising, with a 2,500 watt signal, the hour never lagged.

I had attempted at number two radio home, WSPZ, something called On Air Market a quarter hour show that seemed like an eternity. I came in around 3:45 pm for the show where no live callers were featured due to our owners’ paranoia. The savory seasoning of live conversation was missing, thus the show, like the station in general, was extremely bland. I had a producer screening and taking dictation of caller submissions who would chime in when needed, like Roz on the TV show Frazier.

Market Calls on 900 AM in Savannah was similar. As a fledgling broadcaster I feared accepting the challenge of live call-in until 1986 when I had three years DJ experience under my belt at my first radio home. Previously, I had refused hosting the show. The one time I finally did it my delivery was so impersonal and unmemorable that I overcompensated and overshadowed the callers not allowing personality to shine through. I got almost every recapped phone number wrong. Thank God it was only 30 minutes. Actually, 20 minutes of show and 10 minutes of pervasive music to fill the voids. Seven years later It prepared me for Swap Shop on WBKI in what not to do.

Stay tuned.

The Truth with My Hand Up

My hand to God this is the truth. If it had not happened in church to someone I know and trust. Yada, yada… In my last post I spoke of some gospel lyrics near and dear to my heart; this next song is especially touching to a car guy such as myself (the actual words from my cousin Ray):

Actually it’s...Jesus, he will be my snow tires, in the winter he’s my anti-freeze, when I need him, he is my oil filter, and he's my windshield when there is a breeze!!! C'mon, sing it this time if ‘ya know it!!.. (true song....written by a well-intentioned, but hardly mentally gifted girl from my childhood)

At least it rhymes. Thanks Ray! She took a metaphor and ran with it. Now on to something completely different.

I first met gospel comedian Wendy Bagwell in 1983 at a big gospel music show in Savannah, Georgia. He was over six feet tall with curly dark hair. The only man I have ever met named Wendy. Like Johnny Cash and his Boy Named Sue I believe Bagwell would have had a great story to tell with the origin of his name. This was about the time he first told his Three German Police Dogs story about the disruption that ensues when a yellow cat is introduced to three seeing eye dogs belonging to a group of famous blind singers at the Ebenezer Freewill Baptist Church all day singing and dinner on the ground homecoming. “Those blind folks didn’t know what was going on,” he said, “They just thought they done took that job too cheap.” His theory was that the blind group, unaware of the ruckus, assumed the crowd had broke out in an old fashioned shouting revival.

It turns out that Mr. Bagwell was quite the shrewd businessman as well. He owned Bagwell Sales in metro Atlanta, Georgia. My parents, who were both blind, did business with his furniture store several times over the years. My mom, who is not the least bit shy, confronted Wendy about his comments in the famous bit. “I’m blind, but I know what’s going on,” she commented to him. “I know you do,” Wendy replied with a broad smile and a wink in his voice. “This is the truth what I’m telling you with my hand up,” he would often say before one of his stories which were probably slightly exaggerated. Stretchers, if you will, were his calling card. He was a master showman of the Gospel world. Wendell “Wendy”Lee Bagwell died in 1996 and now has a stretch of US 278 in Georgia, our home state, named after him. Rest in peace.

Stay tuned.

nealrhoden@thepeanutwhistle.com

Just for Fun

Throughout my storied radio career I have come across some very entertaining and often comical songs and tales geared to the Gospel audience. Sometimes the comedy was intentional. Most obvious is the work of Wendy Bagwell & the Sunlighters who’s work is intentionally funny. A few local singers with minimal exposure have been overlooked for their accidental comedic portfolio. Take for example a fellow in Savannah who penned the timeless classic, “Jesus Rode a Donkey Down Victory Drive.” His poetic device, a metaphor entailing our Lord riding a burro down world famous palm lined Victory Drive on His way to Tybee Island apparently.

The next songs my cousin Ray told me about a few years back. A songster in his hearing sang, “In the winter You’re my afghan / in my car You’re my anti-freeze” and he also mentioned the big hit by country music’s Bobby Bare, “Dropkick Me Jesus (Through the Goal Post of Life)” from 1976. Give me a break.

Let’s not forget the Jerry & the Singing Goff’s cover version of “God’s Gonna Get ‘Cha (for that)” was originally done by George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Ain’t nothing like basing your theology on a country song. The Jerry Goff cover version was played lyrically unmodified on Gospel stations all across the USA in the late 70’s.

Often I would host, in person, preachers live at my radio homes. Some were earnest but a little confused. Once in my first studio I had a preacher lady give her testimony. The rather large elderly black woman was getting very excited about her personal relationship with Christ when in her discourse claimed that, “Jesus is my boyfriend!” What!? I had to hide my face in my hands laughing hysterically as I could plainly be seen through her studio location into my control room seat by glass partitioning.  I could see thousands of radios simultaneously switching off.

Other preachers were allowed language freedoms not afforded Howard Stearn. A few of these guys often used descriptive pejorative terms of certain lifestyle groups. If the FCC had known, our license might have been pulled. None of these shows were auditioned before hand or on a profanity delay when live. All required was their money for airtime. 

Then there was a certain preacher from Dallas, Texas whose Success in Life show debuted on our air in about 1985. He claimed that indescribable wealth could be yours with a thousand dollar “vow” to his ministry. He was later exposed of fraud on ABC news when hundreds of letters from listeners were found outside his offices in the dumpster having contributions excised from them. He made claims of praying over each letter personally. That his very tears stained the notes until the ink bled. He also had a TV show. I think you can still see this name it and claim it charlatan on cable to this day.

I think God must have a marvelous sense of humor. Many think they are inspired. Some are. A few, well, let’s leave God alone to judge.

Stay tuned.

The Silent Decades

For over ten years I thought very infrequently of my radio past. Up until Fall of 2008 I had suppressed any thought or public mention of my previous life in broadcast media. One evening while working as manager of an auto parts retail store I was discussing with a fellow manager and part time country musician his passion for recording his music. I know he wasn’t impressed by my story but I felt the need to enlighten him with the brief details of my 12 year DJ career. I was ignored but relieved that I finally revealed a past that I was quite proud of at one point and I really didn’t expect his arrogant personality to receive it. The conversation was merely a catalyst for a new phase of my life.

It was a load off my chest because I was once again captured by the radio bug. I was burned out with the retail hell into which I had fallen. I needed more out of life. I was waxing sentimental over my old career and could not escape thinking about and writing about it. This obsession eventually became a blog, podcast and Internet radio station, The GRIN.

Still, I need a tangible outlet for my audio passion. As I noted in a previous Gospel Aircheck  post I’m trying to get involved in church sound and media again. This objective seems out of reach. I detect little movement from those who could use me and I am somewhat discouraged. Do I face reality and completely abandon my dream? Or should I be more proactive?

Is it 1995 all over again when I saw a new door open in a completely different field? ‘95 was a turning point into the world of retail. It was my final foray into radio because my new employer would not allow me the one day a week I worked at WBTR-FM. Forward to 1999, I got involved with the sound crew of an Assembly of God church known regionally for its Revelation to Calvary production that ran for weeks and was advertised on the Atlanta market’s large FM Christian station, WVFJ.

Here I was a somewhat jaded former broadcaster now volunteering with a highly professional crew. The pastor stressed excellence in the audio and it showed. Theatrical sound effects, creative audio processing and other elements of a proper audio presentation were the norm. It was the best sound I had ever heard in a church setting. Regrettably, I had to leave the team after 8 months or so when marriage to my first wife ended in 2000. My ex attended the church before me and it was agreed that I would leave.

Another ten year cycle passes and I find myself in the present wanting to take what I’ve learned to a new church setting. One pastor is interested in an effective media presentation complete with theater style lighting and effects. So far I’m still deciding weather to get involved with the Media Shout computer operator position Pastor sees me filling. I have liked photography, computers and video as a hobby but audio is my obsession. Maybe the path is clearer as I wrap up. I’ll see eventually. For now I’m remaining at my home church, warming a pew.

One constant in my life is my love of all things audio. Over the last 30 years I have learned all I could about analog and digital sound. In fact, I have started a new business Peanut Whistle Audio Restoration. I specialize in analog cassette and reel to reel transfer to CD-R and other digital media. I will take your tapes, remove noise and normalize for CD then transfer to your choice of digital media all for a very reasonable price. Other services are available. The only limits are our imagination. I apply all my radio production and theatrical audio expertise to every project. Custom editing is available. Email me nealrhoden@thepeanutwhistle.com or call 678-230-2424

Stay tuned.

Gran Torino

Long before the 2008 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name I owned two of them. I am speaking of the Ford Gran Torino. One a 1973 four door station wagon olive green with fake wood side panels that I drove most of the 11th and 12th grade. I went everywhere in that thing; assisted my dad in his piano tuning business, drove him to church trotted off to his preaching engagements and in later years to my job at WEAS. The thing looked like a tank and finally died when I lost the transmission in it.

Next was a tomato red two door Starsky and Hutch special. I loved that car. Unlike the TV show which featured a ‘74 model mine was a ‘76 without the broad white racing stripe. I had bought it from my station manager for a $1,000.00 and she let me make payments of $50.00 a paycheck. Good job security I suppose. I kept it detailed and made the local Western Auto my second home. One Sunday after church, I wrecked my baby by rear-ending a black Trans-Am or Camaro similar to the Smoky & the Bandit car Burt Reynolds drove. There was hardly a scratch on the car I hit. My eight year old beauty sustained major front end damage. The plastic grille was smashed along with a huge dent in the right front quarter panel. The one and only body shop estimate I got was for $1,200.00. Oh my God! 200 more than I paid for it. To top things off I was ticketed for driving too close, made a court appearance and covered the $50.00 fine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have collision insurance or $1,200.00 so I had to drive her wrecked.

 

Despite all the cosmetic flaws, I kept the Torino running good. I had a great honest mechanic at the Ford dealership who would do maintenance and repairs on his lunch break and charged me cost for the genuine Ford parts. I learned a lot about cars from this veteran wrench turner. He was a master diagnostician who seemed to know everything. God places the right people in your path.

I, on the other hand, was a complete novice. I bought a cheap Western Auto ratchet set and got started making repairs on a trial and mostly error basis with a Chilton’s manual by my side. One day I decided to remove the non functioning Eight Track stereo. Hey, I worked at a radio station so this should be reasonably easy. Right? I exorcised the unit and left a yawning hole in the panel which was never filled with a new radio. My dad ribbed me constantly for my amateur surgery. The patient did not survive. As a substitute I took along a Sony portable radio for musical accompaniment and news on the 30 minute ride to work every day.

From that point forward I decided to learn all I could about cars; their intricate electrical systems, ignitions, and parts. Self education paid off later in life when I embarked on a lucrative 13 year career in auto parts following my life in radio; obtaining an ASE certification along the way, all thanks to my initial tinkering with the Gran Torino.

Stay tuned.

Thanks for viewing the Whistle. Come back soon! Check out my companion blog Gospel Aircheck at http://gospelaircheck.blogspot.com

Rock Even Mom Will Love

The 1980’s were a musical decade chock full of synthesizer driven pop thanks to the Yamaha DX-7 keyboard. An instrument heard on almost every track from Van Halen’s Jump to Amy Grant’s Find a Way. Looking back at the decade of my late teens; most of the eras top 40 or as it became known then contemporary hit radio (CHR) songs had that signature sound. Today’s post isn’t really about keyboards. It chronicles my youth obsession with Contemporary Christian Music and particularly Amy Grant.

I eventually graduated from pop culture to more mature fare listening to the Blues, Classical, Jazz, Oldies, Talk, and of course Gospel. All the time I have been simply a lover of music. These days I do not understand why I found certain songs appealing. Chalk it all up to maturity.

Amy grant was a promoters dream. She was, as her concert commercial noted, a phenomenon. I never before or since have seen a bigger star in Christian music. By 1985 she had become such a success in CCM that the secular record label, A&M had signed her allowing her to retain her Word Records affiliation as she was now promoted as singing, “music with meaning.” Her then current hit, Find a Way was popular on both secular and Christian radio. Her Unguarded album was sold with two different covers: one on the Word label of her pictured dancing, harmlessly, and the A&M cover with her dancing in a more sensual pose. The dual covers stirred up quite a controversy in the Christian press and Gospel radio circles.

I attended an October 1985 concert by Amy and saw her perform a couple more times by the late 80’s. The first show was at the Savannah Civic Center Arena and I remember how awkward I felt dipping and swaying to the beat of Everywhere I Go. I was no dancer. Screaming teen girls rushed the stage like any other rock star show. Theatrical smoke and lighting effects prevailed along with high decibel ear splitting sound. It seemed that it was more of a cult of personality instead of an exposition of God’s plan of salvation. The show was, however,  positively reviewed the following day in the local paper and was described as “Rock that even mom’ll love.”

The Grant era ushered in Christian radio that was extra light on the plan of salvation and heavy on entertainment. As I scan the Atlanta radio dial these days the two biggest Christian FM’s promote themselves as family friendly or positive music, Christ has been put aside for the sake of the almighty dollar. Most of the music they play is so bland, vaguely Christian, that secular radio is more preferable when I listen to radio at all. Do not misunderstand, I am not a critic of any particular Christian artist. Secular promoters and corporations have no business in the the Lord’s work period. Watering down the Gospel is not an option. There are hard rockers that are Christian to the core with an obvious message prevalent in their music. On the other hand there are singers who happen to be Christian who sing secular music. I have no problem with them living within their own convictions. Please, whatever you sing; pop or rock,  just don’t call it Gospel if it has no ministry content. Download the commercial here or press play below.

May the Good News go with you. Stay tuned.

Truly Awesome

You know there are just some songs upon first hearing that I knew would become more than just a hit, but a phenomenon. Such was the case in the late 80’s of Awesome God by the late Rich Mullins. As both a radio programmer and music director thousands of Lp’s and 45’s were submitted to me for airplay. Most were somewhat derivative. I had a good built in hit-o-meter and could sense the records that would stand out among the vast sea of pretenders.

“You’ve got to hear this new song!” I exclaimed to my music director. She agreed that the Awesome God tune was exceptional. We  decided right away to put it into heavy rotation. The 21 years that followed have proved the songs initial staying power due to its simple, profound message. It has been covered by numerous artists including Carmen, Michael W. Smith and others. It has been sung in churches the world over and continues to inspire new marvelous versions for a completely new generation.

God is timeless. He is truly awesome. That is not just an English adjective to describe Him. He is the Word itself. Take from verse one:

When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain't just puttin' on the ritz
(our God is an awesome God)
There is thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fist
(our God is an awesome God)
Well, the Lord wasn't joking
When He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason that He shed his blood
His return is very close and so you better be believing
that our God is an awesome God

May the good news of the Gospel go with you.

Gran Torino

Long before the 2008 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name I owned two of them. I am speaking of the Ford Gran Torino. One a 1973 four door station wagon olive green with fake wood side panels that I drove most of the 11th and 12th grade. I went everywhere in that thing; assisted my dad in his piano tuning business, drove him to church trotted off to his preaching engagements and in later years to my job at WEAS. The thing looked like a tank and finally died when I lost the transmission in it.

Next was a tomato red two door Starsky and Hutch special. I loved that car. Unlike the TV show which featured a ‘74 model mine was a ‘76 without the broad white racing stripe. I had bought it from my station manager for a $1,000.00 and she let me make payments of $50.00 a paycheck. Good job security I suppose. I kept it detailed and made the local Western Auto my second home. One Sunday after church, I wrecked my baby by rear-ending a black Trans-Am or Camaro similar to the Smoky & the Bandit car Burt Reynolds drove. There was hardly a scratch on the car I hit. My eight year old beauty sustained major front end damage. The plastic grille was smashed along with a huge dent in the right front quarter panel. The one and only body shop estimate I got was for $1,200.00. Oh my God! 200 more than I paid for it. To top things off I was ticketed for driving too close, made a court appearance and covered the $50.00 fine. Unfortunately, I didn’t have collision insurance or $1,200.00 so I had to drive her wrecked.

 

Despite all the cosmetic flaws, I kept the Torino running good. I had a great honest mechanic at the Ford dealership who would do maintenance and repairs on his lunch break and charged me cost for the genuine Ford parts. I learned a lot about cars from this veteran wrench turner. He was a master diagnostician who seemed to know everything. God places the right people in your path.

I, on the other hand, was a complete novice. I bought a cheap Western Auto ratchet set and got started making repairs on a trial and mostly error basis with a Chilton’s manual by my side. One day I decided to remove the non functioning Eight Track stereo. Hey, I worked at a radio station so this should be reasonably easy. Right? I exorcised the unit and left a yawning hole in the panel which was never filled with a new radio. My dad ribbed me constantly for my amateur surgery. The patient did not survive. As a substitute I took along a Sony portable radio for musical accompaniment and news on the 30 minute ride to work every day.

From that point forward I decided to learn all I could about cars; their intricate electrical systems, ignitions, and parts. Self education paid off later in life when I embarked on a lucrative 13 year career in auto parts following my life in radio; obtaining an ASE certification along the way, all thanks to my initial tinkering with the Gran Torino.

Stay tuned.

Oops!

Please read or better Listen to the post/podcast Skate, Skate,Skate first. I will see you in a minute to clear up my story…

Normally I take pride in the accuracy of my posts, but a previous blog needs correction. Over the years I have kept both written and spoken word diaries on tape and I will from time to time refer to them when writing these posts. Skate, Skate, Skate, posted last week, was a mostly accurate account I made straight from my memory without diary backup. I even neglected to consult a 1984 calendar for dates.

This morning I went back to my sources to fact-check and confirmed that the Christian Youth Skate was indeed held on Saturday nights at the Savannah Skate Inn as reported beginning June the 9th, 1984. However, the Youth Skate I brought over to Skatetime USA in the summer of ‘84 was on Mondays from 8 until 10:30 pm, not ever on Saturdays as I recalled previously. I can’t confirm that we directly competed with Skate Inn on my own radio station’s Christian Monday’s but I do log in early 1985 that we had just restarted  doing Mondays at the Skate Inn and I was now volunteering (March, 1985).

Cannibalizing a party my main employer held would have been asinine, I was only 18 though. “Friendly” competition between the rinks was common then and it is a fact that Tommy, Skate Inn manager, resented the inference I made in a commercial for Skatetime USA that their facility was superior to his. I agree that it was unethical of me, Tommy had a point. No copies of those Skatetime USA commercials have survived, so I have no way of confirming content.

Two parties on the same night? It is reasonable to assume that both parties occurred  on Mondays; why would have Tommy been so angry about just a line of copy? I am almost 100% sure now that there were simultaneous parties for at least a while.

I made the same hourly wage at Skatetime USA. The Monday party was an hour shorter than Saturday. I left the radio station early on skate nights and had floaters fill in on my shift.

It was Skatetime USA that had the Technics SL-1200  turntables not the Skate Inn. Their turntables did not provide the instants cues of the Technics. They were good consumer units, but I don’t remember the brand. I discovered a photo on Facebook of the Savannah Skate Inn sound booth from the era that confirms this. Both rinks sounded great! I give Skatetime USA the nod for sheer oomph.

My memory has been jogged by tapes that record certain events in minute detail. The whole skate party controversy is basically mentioned in passing. High school graduation angst is front and center. But a detail I inadvertently omitted is that Skate Inn discontinued the gig by “laying me off”. I blame slow ticket sales. My role was not as proactive as I had thought. There was a very brief gap between gigs. Monday Christian Youth Skate lasted a few weeks and I have confirmed it ended on Monday, August 20, 1984; corroborated by a personal letter I received, an ‘84 calendar and the audio diary. I don’t record when it started; by the time I logged it in the diary it had become a weekly routine.

Stay tuned.

Oops!

Please read or listen to the "Radio Rewind" post/podcast Skate, Skate, Skate first. I will see you in a minute to clear up my story…(thanks to digital technology, many of the errors in the post have been corrected. The podcast remains unchanged.)

Normally I take pride in the accuracy of my posts, but a previous blog needs correction. Over the years I have kept both written and spoken word diaries on tape and I will from time to time refer to them when writing these posts. Skate, Skate, Skate, posted last week, was a mostly accurate account I made straight from my memory without diary backup. I even neglected to consult a 1984 calendar for dates.

This morning I went back to my sources to fact-check and confirmed that the Christian Youth Skate was indeed held on Saturday nights at the Savannah Skate Inn as reported beginning June the 9th, 1984. However, the Youth Skate I brought over to Skatetime USA in the summer of ‘84 was on Mondays from 8 until 10:30 pm, not ever on Saturdays as I recalled previously. I can’t confirm that we directly competed with Skate Inn on my own radio station’s Christian Monday’s but I do log in early 1985 that we had just restarted doing Mondays at the Skate Inn and I was now volunteering (March, 1985).

Cannibalizing a party my main employer held would have been asinine, I was only 18 though. “Friendly” competition between the rinks was common then and it is a fact that Tommy Edwards, Skate Inn manager, resented the inference I made in a commercial for Skatetime USA that their facility was superior to his. I agree that it was unethical of me, Tommy had a point. No copies of those Skatetime USA commercials have survived, so I have no way of confirming content.

Two parties on the same night? It is reasonable to assume that both parties occurred on Mondays; why would have Tommy been so angry about just a line of copy? I am almost 100% sure now that there were simultaneous parties for at least a while.

I made the same hourly wage at Skatetime USA. The Monday party was an hour shorter than Saturday. I left the radio station early on skate nights and had floaters fill in on my shift.

It was Skatetime USA that had the Technics SL-1200 turntables not the Skate Inn. Their turntables did not provide the instants cues of the Technics. They were good consumer units, but I don’t remember the brand. I discovered a photo on Facebook of the Savannah Skate Inn sound booth from the era that confirms this. Both rinks sounded great! I give Skatetime USA the nod for sheer oomph.

My memory has been jogged by tapes that record certain events in minute detail. The whole skate party controversy is basically mentioned in passing. High school graduation angst is front and center. But a detail I inadvertently omitted is that Skate Inn discontinued the gig by “laying me off”. I blame slow ticket sales. My role was not as proactive as I had thought. There was a very brief gap between gigs. Monday Christian Youth Skate lasted a few weeks and I have confirmed it ended on Monday, August 20, 1984; corroborated by a personal letter I received, an ‘84 calendar and the audio diary. I don’t record when it started; by the time I logged it in the diary it had become a weekly routine.

Stay tuned.