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| From | "David Bash" <bashpop@earthlink.net> |
| Subject | Re: WNEW-FM |
| Date | Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:41:58 -0700 |
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--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, Steve Alter <shteevea@...> wrote:
>
> WPIX FM actually led the way in punk and new wave on mainstream radio,
> paving the way for WNEW, it was immortalized by Squeeze in "I Think I'm Go
> Go" for that. Greatest radio station in the world for a brief window in
> time.
>
> Eytan Mirsky <eytanmirsky@...> wrote: CC (commenting on Ramones being
> played on radio in "The Bronx is Burning":
>
> See, now we know the show was pure fiction:? Ramones on the radio.
>
> Me:
> That was my immediate reaction, too, but the truth is that WNEW did play
> the
> Ramones in the late '70's and I'm pretty certain they played the Rubinoos,
> too. (They definitely played Jonathan Richman.)
Yeah, they played Shoes, too; in fact, I remember hearing "Do You Wanna Get
Lucky", from Black Vinyl Shoes, on my way to NYU for my journalism classes.
At the time I had no idea who was doing the song, and I'll never forget
saying to myself "you'd better back announce this, you bastard!".
Fortunately, the DJ did, and immediately after class I drove out to Zig Zag
Records in Brooklyn, where I'd seen a copy of Black Vinyl Shoes, and bought
it!
WNEW-FM played a lot of cool obscure stuff, but they also had quite a strong
New York bias, and played WAY TOO MUCH Springsteen (or "The Boss", as they'd
so reverently call him in hushed tones, with each back announce).
For the most part, I couldn't stand their DJs, as they came off as supreme
know-it-alls, and they did so all so smugly; you could plainly hear in their
voices "yeah, I have this cool job, and YOU don't!". Nevertheless, after my
first trip to the UK in November 1979 I decided to call the station to speak
to the one guy who played the most obscure pop, Vin Scelsa (he was the one
who'd played Shoes), and tell him about some of the cool finds I'd made
there (including Chris Rainbow, who was recently brought up on the list),
and wanting to get together with him to share what I'd found. His response
was "I don't meet people". To which I said, very cleverly, "oh".
And who could ever forget Scott Muni, or "Professor Scottso", who, when
giving background info on songs he'd just played, made more mistakes than a
chess player with a 100 ranking.
Then there was Jonathan Schwartz, who was also a musician. I remember
seeing him on a local program doing some tune he'd written called "Thieves
In The Night". When it was done, he repeated the title verbally,
emphasizing each syllable as if he was so proud of himself, while in fact
the song was pretty much the most pretentious piece of crap I'd ever heard.
--
Pop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David (N.P. Home Of The Brave, by Chris Rainbow. Such a sublime album. I
just got it and Looking Over My Shoulder from CD Japan, for a lot less money
than Amazon is charging).
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