Ones and Zeros

Christmas 1982 the audiophile community was all abuzz over the shiny 12 millimeter disk that would revolutionize sound forever. The CD or, as originally known  the Digital Audio Compact Disc, was billed by Sony and others as “perfect sound forever” and I had to have one. By 1983 I was in the showroom of my local high end audio shop Audio Outlet. I was 17 and newly employed so all I could afford then was only a listen. CD players cost as much as my first car and CD’s themselves were about 18 bucks so buying one was not feasible. The technology was so new that most people would have to wait at least a decade before CD’s would be common in homes and 15 years, the late 90’s, before most cars were equipped with players.

Looking back on 1983 at my first audition, I didn’t believe my ears. The sound of instruments was clear and distinct with life like separation as though the musicians were actually performing live. I forgot that I was listening to a recording and transcended to a different setting altogether. As good as that first session was, none of the music I liked was yet available on the new format so I had to continue buying vinyl for a while. As much as I wanted one I told the eager salesman that “My ears loved it but my pocketbook couldn’t take it.” It would be four more years before I got my first CD player. That was 1987 and CD’s were still about $18 a piece, worth every penny however scarce. As time progressed the hardware and software became much cheaper. For me, though, recording digitally on CD was only a pipe dream. My hobby, and by then profession, was recording. I did everything in an analog world.

The best thing about digital sound is not what it adds it is in what is missing. Freedom from noise, tape hiss, immeasurable wow and flutter, extended frequency response and wide dynamic range are all earmarks of the CD. Many sound enthusiasts claim that digital sound is harsh and bemoan the loss of what analog added to the signal. Most call this “warmth.” Modern recording engineers agree that analog is better and attempt to replicate the sound in software. I would have seen this trend as a step backward in my youth, although now I appreciate both approaches to recording sound.

Analog reminds me of how 35mm film makes an image warm and inviting while digital is akin to the look of live video, realistic and stark. Both technologies continue to coexist. Since no technology really is “perfect forever” blending both is the way to go. The best attribute of digital is its ability to archive without any loss of quality on the shelf. Analog tape, on the other hard, degrades over time. Cassette tapes, especially, lose high frequency content over time. That is why I have been transferring my analog originals to digital with a few recordings made into CD’s. Most of the transfers exist on my hard drive. I began my digital migration in 1995 with the now defunct Sony Mini Disc then to CD and finally Mp3 files. A Peanut Whistle subscriber has suggested that I transfer my dad’s old recordings to CD. Thanks, I’m way ahead of you. I’ve been doing just that for the past 15 years.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Adventures in Babysitting

Here’s a repost from last year’s Peanut Whistle blog:

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 and the Sunlighters whose 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, “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!!.. ” Bless her heart. 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)” 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—actually, I was usually a babysitter of taped programming. 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 Stern. 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

reposted from The Peanut Whistle blog Sept 16, 2009

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck blog. All rights reserved

File Under: Audio

The dictionary defines an audiophile simply as “an audio enthusiast.” A short, all too simple definition for my lifelong obsession with sound. Thanks go to my dad for getting the ball rolling on my aural hobby. As early as age three I remember his portable reel-to-reel and microphone recording me in one of his interviews with me his toddler son barely old enough to talk. Flash forward a few years later I had taken up the hobby recording sound effects—doors slamming, thunder clapping—with a stereo cassette boom box and an electret condenser microphone. Just like Daddy I had been bitten by the audio bug.

Age 17, I began and continued a career in radio only as an excuse to play with all the knobs and switches that shaped sound. It was never for the purpose of money or fame. I was also a very young and capable soundman in church often wearing my emotions on my sleeve because older folks often lacked the deep understanding of audio I possessed. In time I learned to put my hobby in perspective: got a real job, learned how to deal with ignorance, developed diplomacy and generally became less of a nerd. As the short dictionary definition proves, society as a whole cares much less than I do for audio. That’s alright we all have our interests. If only I could combine my experience and attitude now into my teen ears.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle blog. All rights reserved.

‘Check this

Once again answering the questions that no one asks Gospel Aircheck comes to the rescue! How exactly is an aircheck made. Well, I’m glad you asked. The most simple method is using a component stereo system or boombox with a built in tape recorder and an AM/FM radio and rolling tape on your favorite radio station. An unattended recording of a station is called an unscoped aircheck. You see ‘scoped is short for telescoped, which is technical jargon for an edited recording of a program:often with commercials, music, and ID’s removed leaving the DJ’s voice only. Therefore, “unscoped” has not been edited. The problem with editing from one tape to another is that some audio quality is lost. The upside is that you never miss anything in an unscoped aircheck. Of course, this quality reduction only applies to analog tape. Certainly you could hover over the pause button and edit on the fly, but miscues are inevitable with live programming.

Most of the recordings I made of my own DJ shows were on analog cassette tape made on professional equipment directly from the source, the station’s soundboard. The resulting recordings are vastly superior to what is possible on any consumer gear, especially the lowly boombox. The problem I have with recordings of this type is that they are often too good. They don’t sound like authentic (gritty) over-the-air broadcasts. By the late 1980’s I started recording from the station’s modulation monitor, which is a fancy very expensive radio tuner that broadcasters use to listen to their signal. A modulation monitor is factory preset to receive one frequency, your own. Capturing broadcasts this way not only preserves content it gives a representation of signal quality as well. Naturally, hobbyists don’t have the luxury of a direct recording; but I have recently read about software that automatically digitally records radio shows just like VCR’s and DVR’s have done years for TV. So far only Internet radio streaming, not old fashioned AM/FM, is covered.

I switched to digital editing of my analog originals in 1995 and never looked back. Happy airchecking!

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck blog. All rights reserved.

Let’s Roll, Again

In a previous post on Gospel Aircheck I wrote about one special summer when I hosted a roller skating party. That time was 25 years ago. Even then I questioned if skating was relevant to the 1980’s youth that rolled every Saturday night to Contemporary Christian music. Those kids now have children and—gasp—grand children of their own old enough to roller skate. Would this new generation find this pastime as appealing? Recently, I took a very informal poll and found that the consensus among teens of today is that the topic is completely alien to them. Roller skating to gospel music? “Could I text while doing this?” I imagine them saying.

That brings me to my idea: what if skating was re-introduced to this new generation? It would begin small with reserving a rink for a private party, say a church group. I’m developing the playlist of tunes, mixing current and skate-able CCM oldies on my laptop Ableton software. The selection process seems difficult due to the fact that the present crop of popular Christian music is impossible to skate to. The idea is incubating, but shows promise. I’m afraid these kids just wouldn’t be interested. Maybe this would appeal to those “40-somethings” of my generation. But, I’d hate to see any one of us break a hip.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck blog. All rights reserved.

This is the Spot

Welcome to the best kept secret on the Internet—my weblog known as the Peanut Whistle!

Try not to keep it under wraps too long. Looking at the statistics for my blog they show a either a flat or very slow growth. If you have enjoyed reading my posts, please comment. Remember I am a big boy, so if you haven’t enjoyed it, comment as well. I have allowed our domain name to expire due to lack of readers. The blog has returned to its former Blogspot address. Right now you are invited to catch up on the blog by scanning the archive for posts that you may have missed. Thanks…

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. the Peanut Whistle blog. All rights reserved.

Save Them LORD

“Pass me not, Oh gentle Savior / Hear my humble cry / While on others thou art calling / Do not pass me by”

In our Christian parlance getting saved means confessing one’s sins, repenting and accepting Jesus Christ as a personal savior. In other words, born again. Music is often a topic of discussion with Angie and me. Even though I am ten years older than my wife, we share common musical tastes. From time to time we will wonder if some of our secular music heroes are “saved.” We’ve determined that many secular performers are Christian; they’re just not singing or performing gospel music. What a shame. Don’t get me wrong, secular music is not evil. I would just like to hear these amazing talents used for His service.

There are widely reported examples of singers who “got saved:” Bob Dylan, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, and others. Not that we only pray for famous people, far from it, we would like everyone to believe. I think a good many may already be Christians—just not obviously so. What I am trying to say is how cool it would be to hear a gospel album from Eric Clapton! Even though in his recent autobiography the guitar legend made a somewhat vague declaration of faith. Let’s see a more overt testimony, please.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck blog. All rights reserved

Today in Yesterday

Previously on the peanut Whistle…

I found the song, inspired by the Lennon and McCarthy original Yesterday, called Calvary. The Winans rearranged the words in a delightful gospel version to the unmistakable tune of the Beatles classic. It seems that the family of singers had grown up singing it, but, to the best of my knowledge had not recorded it. In the early 90’s the entire Winans family, including Bebe and Cece, were special guests on the Oprah Winfrey Show Christmas special. I thought they had sang without musical accompaniment although there was a grand piano providing the music. See the very brief video on YouTube, just search “Winans – Calvary”.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Blog. All rights reserved.

Yesterday

“Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

Now it looks as though they’re here to stay

Oh, I believe in Yesterday”

—McCartney & Lennon, The Beatles, 1965

My favorite Beatles song has the most cover versions of any song ever written according to Guinness Book of World Records. One particularly good version of the song is a gospel interpretation that I heard one day about 20 years ago on the Oprah Winfrey Show. As far as I know, it was never recorded. The very popular group, The Winans were guests on the show one day. In the episode one of the Winans brothers sang the tune a cappella. It was a gorgeous version of the song retold as a salvation story. One of these days I hope to find it.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Brainstorming

Over the last couple of years I have been toying around with several ideas for a new type of Christian radio station. Certainly not to compromise my beliefs, this new station would feature songs and styles from the many different artists both Christian and those not normally labeled as Christian performers per se. Taking some of the liners and id’s from my previous Internet stream, the GRIN, and combining music from the separate genres I put together a demonstration of how it might sound using Ableton Live software. You know what? It sounded great!

Songs such as Foreigner’s I want to Know What Love Is segued perfectly with Big Daddy Weave’s Hold Me Jesus. Good music is good music, no matter what the label. Back in the mid 80’s I wanted so badly to play the hit by Foreigner and thought it would fit perfectly with our gospel format. Secular music was taboo on our air so we played the gospel version by the New Jersey Mass Choir, the actual choir used to back up the rockers on the original song. The gospel cover version was not bad, I just wanted to play the original. 25 years later, I still believe that playing secular music is not a compromise of personal beliefs. However, it does not fit most listeners expectations of what a “Christian” station should be.

My station would have a very deep playlist that featured songs old and new. It would not mirror the new way of thinking with Christian programmers these days: where a song that is older than, say, six months is discarded. For the first time in my life, it would be a format that I would actually listen to. Of course the idea is still incubating.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.

Muzac of Your Life

Does anyone remember elevator music? The company most famous for providing innocuous string arrangements of popular tunes was Muzac®. These sleepy arrangements could be heard in doctors’ offices, banks, grocery stores, and of course elevators.

Today I continued my audition of several cassette tapes made by my late father. His hobby was recording reel-to-reel and cassette audio tapes of anything and everything. He captured music, conversations, sermons, airchecks, sound effects and spoken word diaries. He was blind so printed labels of the tapes were not a priority. You can imagine the challenge it has been weeding through his hundreds of tapes over the past 19 years following his passing. Just a moment ago I was listening to myself as a teen discuss training my 12 year old sister how to drive. My mother, panic stricken in the backseat threatened, “I’ll jump out, if you let her drive!” My dad loved to record us with our guard down a la Allen Funt and his Candid Camera approach to recording conversations.

Some of his tapes are a hodgepodge with no apparent theme or direction. A sermon on one side then on the next side a section of conversation, some things recorded off radio. He never left a moment blank on a tape. Usually he’d put some dreadful elevator music at the end of a side for no reason other than filling out the tape. It was not your usual Muzac® fare. No, these elevator gems were popular hymns and gospel songs he found on a long forgotten FM Christian radio station owned by Moody. They were apparently an automated not-profit broadcaster bent on putting listeners to sleep. My dad was a fiery Pentecostal preacher whose musical leanings were more upbeat; I will never understand why he listened to this station. Maybe he had found an insomnia cure.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Blog. All rights reserved.

Titanic Rant

We just wrapped up a decent restful weekend: a lazy Saturday, great Sunday service followed by a cookout at the in-law's, then an enjoyable day with the family on Labor Day. What more could I ask for? These are the things that keep me sane; they take my mind off the stresses of being a dad. 

Previously on Gospel Aircheck I reviewed a morning show that a former radio station home does. I have listened in occasionally via an Internet stream. It starts my weekdays and I have to admit, it has grown on me. The hosts provide some laughs, both intended and not. It is hilarious hearing the awkward way this former gospel station handles their new secular oldies format. The Christian owned station is out of their element. And that is their charm. I'm counting down the days until this new enterprise tanks. Changing the format is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. How long it will take to sink remains to be seen. I do not judge anyone on their musical preferences, but drifting away from a gospel format into mainstream popular (read: secular) music dilutes their Christian principles, period. No more will be invested in this topic. I'll step down from my soapbox now.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden,Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.

Mr. Microphone

“I’ll be back to pick you up later,” the young man announced from his convertible to the blonde stranger standing on the curb. His voice had been mysteriously amplified over his car stereo. One of the wonders of the late 1970’s, Mister Microphone was one of those $19.95 as-seen-on-TV wonders that everybody had to have. A toy, really, it was a cheap wireless mic that sent a signal via FM that was tuned in on a nearby radio affording many hours of fun—such as picking up chicks. I assure you no young woman has ever been wooed by one of these novelties. Sorry Romeo.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

Three Day Weekend

Wow! Friday already. “Everybody’s working for the weekend,” someone once sang. That may seem ridiculous if you’re reading on a Tuesday. Lately, I have been doing some research in history. Specifically, my own history. Back when I was a teen I kept a dairy spoken into a cassette tape. Listening to playback now makes me keenly aware of how I went about recording these journal entries was all wrong. First, I was perpetually stuck in the present. Every minute detail was recorded: what time I got up, what I ate for breakfast, how often I showered (on and on). Secondly, that overshadowed chunks of important details of the big picture. Of course, it was impossible to know at the time I would be listening to these tape 25 years later.

I refer back to these recordings often: when preparing the blogs or checking facts. The dairy survives to this day to jog my often poor recollections. It keeps me from embellishing—mostly. The disadvantage: unpleasant facts reemerge causing me to reopen old wounds. A quarter century is way too long to hold grudges. So, I have to mentally separate from the old me as though I don’t know the young man on the tapes. It keeps me sane.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden. Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved

It's All About me

Constantly taking inventory of the who, what, where and when this blogger sometimes asks the question: why? The purpose of the Peanut Whistle is simple; compose a record of my life now and provide examples of an earlier time that explain what brought me to the present. More often than not my radio career is at the forefront. A goal of mine at the dawn of 2010 was to delve into the relevant topics of the day, but something from my past continues to intrigue me.

This is a great time in my life. Having started a family in my late thirties has kept me on my toes for the last decade. The down side is that since I am, shall we say, more mature keeping up with three little children and a 15 year old is more of a challenge. By the time my parents were in their late twenties they had three kids. A possible advantage to  the age gap shared with my kids is a better perspective on life. Nevertheless, I wouldn't change anything.

I had been out of radio officially many years before my crew were born. I played one of my aircheck tapes in the car of a radio show I did at age 19. My six year old son asked, "Is that you, Daddy?" It dawned one me: they have no idea that I had a life before them.

So, why write the Peanut Whistle? It is dedicated to my children should they ever have interest in their old man; what he accomplished, how he lived, what his life was like in the old days. Being relevant is less important than drawing a vivid portrait of my kids' heritage. Hopefully, along the way the masses will appreciate my posts. But if that doesn't happen I'm satisfied with this somewhat autobiographical picture of my story.

Stay tuned

©2010 Neal Rhoden, The Peanut Whistle. All rights reserved.

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 another 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

reposted from my Peanut Whistle blog Sept. 17, 2009

©2010 Neal Rhoden,Gospel Aircheck. All rights reserved.