A comment about 60 Minutes

I have been a big fan of 60 Minutes since the show's inception in 1968.  I don't watch every show or  segment, but over the years it has been one of my favorite news shows.  It is annoying to turn on CBS at 6:55 and find out that a football game is still in progress.  OK, I'll watch the end of an out of town game and wait till 7:15 or so for the start of 60 Minutes.  Very often CBS will switch to another game still in progress.  They will not start 60 Minutes until all 4 PM games are completed which could be as late at 7:45.

Today, I turned on CBS at 6:55 while a golf tournament was playing an extra hole because of a tie at the end of regulation play.  I was pleasantly surprised when the announcer said that on the east coast the golf tournament will be seen on the Golf Channel while 60 Minutes will begin at its regular time on CBS.  I doubt that this will happen during football season.

I am concerned about the Never Ending Tour

Bill Pagel has a web site called Boblinks where he documents all of Bob Dylan's concert appearances.  As of today there is nothing posted for 2012.  This causes some concern for me since Bob will be 71 years old in May.  I do think he should slow down, but I sure hope the tour will continue with a yearly stop in NYC.

I recieved the Chimes of Freedom 4 CD set in the mail yesterday.  I am listening to about 1 hour of it at a time and am halfway finished.  Over 70 recording artists have covered his songs in the fundraiser for Amnesty International.

Please Support WBGO and/or WFUV

Regular readers of Bruce’s Journal have seen me suggest that radio listeners donate to their favorite not for profit radio station(s). Today WBGO and WFUV are having pledge drives. I donated to WFUV in the Fall and gave my yearly donation to WBGO today. A poster on the Radio-Info board questioned the advisability of fund drives in January since many are paying off their bills from Christmas shopping. Both of these fine radio stations offer programming not found on commercial stations.

Today WBGO is also broadcasting on a HD2 channel. It is the same jazz programming on their parent station. There are so few HD radios out there so I presume that 88.3 HD2 will have very few listeners. I do suggest they provide another format such as blues or Latin jazz on the subchannel.

The Brian Matthew Story is Coming to BBC2

A one hour documentary on British radio personality Brian Matthew, host of Sounds of the 60s will be heard next week on BBC2.  The Brian Matthew Story will be heard Wednesday February 1 at 5 PM EST.  I may be able to listen to it live, it not I can hear the archived version.  There must be a law in the UK similar to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act since the show can only be archived for one week.  I highly recommend this to my radio friends.

Preview of Bob Dylan Tribute CD

I received an e-mail from Amazon.com yesterday saying that the 4 CD set 'Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.' was mailed to me.  Alan Berman told me that he saw it at a Barnes and Nobles in Manhattan which is now one of the few stores that sell CDs.  I will anxiously check my mailbox starting tomorrow.  Anyway, even the young Miley Cyrus covered Dylan.  Below is her version of You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.

I Will Miss Music Stores Tomorrow

Years ago I would have Nobody Beats the Wiz and Cocoanuts in downtown Flushing where I could buy CDs on the way home from work.  Sadly,those stores are long gone since most people download their music from iTunes or Amazon.com.  Tomorrow is the release date of Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 years of Amnesty International.  I have already mentioned that CD in this journal several times already, so if you want to complain that I write too much about Dylan, please do so.

Anyway, I decided to be "old school" and get the CD in the mail from Amazon.com.  I can wait a few days.  I will certainly have a report after I hear it.

British Oldie of the Day - Foot Tapper by The Shadows

There were so many artists including Cliff Richard, Helen Shapiro, and the Move among many others who were big stars in the UK, but were almost unknown in the USA.  At the end of Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew he always plays Foot Tapper by the Shadows.  I always listen till the end of the show to hear this #1 hit which never charted in the USA.  Here it is from Youtube.  Enjoy!