Current Radio Rituals

 Terrestrial Radio

Weekdays

6:10 - 6:40 WFUV with Corny O'Connell

8:20 - 9:00 WBGO with Gary Walker

Weekends

Saturday

6:25 - 6:50 - WINS

6:50 - 7:50 - WCBS-FM with Sue O'Neill

8:00 - 9:30 (intermittantly) WBGO

Late afternoon - Don McGee's Mixed Bag on WFUV

Sundays

6:25 - 7:00 WINS

7:00 - 7:50 WCBS-FM America's Greatest Hits

8:00 - 9:40 Q-104.3 Breakfast with the Beatles

Late Afternoon - Sunday Supper with John Platt on WFUV

Satellite and Internet Radio

Monday

Lunch Hour - Classic Vinyl on SiriusXM

Evening - Breakfast with the Beatles with Dennis Mitchell (Podcast)

Tuesday

Lunch Hour - Willies Roadhouse on SiriusXM

Evening - Deep Tracks on SiriusXM

Wednesday

Lunch Hour - Outlaw Country

Evening - Cousin Brucie on SiriusXM 60s on 6

Thursday 

Lunch Hour - Dylanradio.com or Bob Dylan Tracks

Evening - Buried Treasure with Tom Petty on SiriusXM

Friday

Lunch Hour - BB Kings Blues Channel on SiriusXM

Evening - 60s 70s Show with Bob Radil on Rewound Radio

Saturday

Morning - Johnny Cash Radio

Late Morning WOLDRadio.com

Late Afternoon  - Don Tandler's Time Machine Show on Pop Gold Radio

Evening - Cousin Bruce on SiriusXM 60s on 6

Sunday

Mornings - Classic AT 40 with Casey Kasem on iHeart Radio

Late morning - Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew on BBC2

Early Evening - That Thing with Rich Appel on Rewound Radio

Late Evening - Doo Wop Stop with Cool Bobby B on SirusXM 50s on 5

Breakfast with the Beatles in the Morning

I usually listen to Breakfast with the Beatles on Monday evenings.  Last night I watched the PBS special on British Rock.  It featured Petula Clark, the Tremeloes, Peter and Gordon, the Searchers, Eric Burdon, and Paul Jones of Manfred Mann among others.  Many rock stars of the 60s are no longer with us.

Tags: Beatles, British Rock

Random Thoughts of the Day

Right now I am reading two Beatles books simultaneously:

Asher, P. (2019). The Beatles from A to Zed: An alphabetical mystery tour - this is by Peter Asher who discussed the book with Cousin Brucie and Dennis Mitchell host of the National Breakfast with the Beatles show.  I am still finding out more information about the Beatles after all these years.

Mansfield, K. (2018). The roof: The Beatles' final concert.  - Since I started reading this book I have listened to Let it Be Naked (without Phil Spector's overdub).  I am hoping that there will a DVD release of the film Let it Be in 2020, the 50th anniversary,

Only two days to go for the Bob Dylan concert at the Beacon Theater.  My show will be the first of 10 that he will be performing there.  The concerts on this leg of the Neverending Tour have been given favorable reviews.  More on this will be coming later.

Breakfast with the Beatles salutes George Harrison This Week

I have mentioned the syndicated radio show Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles several times in this journal.  Since it is not on a New York City radio station, I listen to the podcast every week.  In honor of George Harrison's birthday Dennis is featuring his music.  Here is the playlist:

FIRST SEATING

Appetizers 

It's All Too Much 

Don't Bother Me 

While My Guitar Gently Weeps 

THE CENTERPIECE: BRAINWASHED? 

Chains 

Taxman 

Sue Me, Sue You Blues 

Piggies 

Crackerbox Palace 

Special Order: Aloo Matar 

The Inner Light (hybrid extended) 

All Things Must Pass 

Prabhujee (with Ravi Shankar) 

You Like Me Too Much 

"THE ODD TRACK OUT" 

Let It Down (by Dhani Harrison) 

SECOND SEATING

Appetizers 

Within You Without You 

Heading For the Light 

If I Needed Someone (Japan 1991) 

Take Good Care of My Baby (Decca audition) 

THE BLUE PLATE SPECIAL: OLD BROWN SHOES 

You Know What To Do 

It Don't Come Easy 

I Me Mine 

I Need You 

My Sweet Lord (demo) 

Side Dish: Caviar de Harrisong 

Something 

Isn't It a Pity 

Savoy Truffle 

"THE ODD TRACK OUT" 

Give Me Love (Peace On Earth) (by Dave Davies)

Today's Radio Log

Times are approximate

6:30 AM - 1010 WINS with Mitch Lebe
6:50 AM - WCBS-FM with Randy Davis
7:30 AM - WOLD Central NJ - Breakfast with the Beatles with Dennis Mitchell
8:00 AM - Pirate Radio from the Florida Keys - Breakfast with the Beatles with Dennis Mitchell
10:00 AM - WBGO - Rhythm Review with Felix Hernandez
10:30 AM - Johnny Cash Radio
11:00 AM - Bob Dylan Tracks with Dan Murphy
12 Noon - Rewound Radio featuring Cousin Brucie on WCBS-FM in 1997 playing a 1957 countdown
3:00 PM - Nash-FM
4:00 PM - Pop Gold Radio with Don Tandler doing a countdown of Dec 2, 1969
5:00 PM - WFUV - Mixed Bag with Don McGee
8:00 PM Cousin Brucie on SiriusXM 60s on 6

My Usual Radio Rituals

Here is my usual weekly radio ritual.  Sometimes I diverge from it.

Monday

• WFUV - Corny O' Connell
• WBGO - Gary Walker
• SiriusXM - Classic Vinyl
• Breakfast with the Beatles Podcast with Dennis Mitchell

Tuesday

• WFUV - Corny O'Connell
• WBGO - Gary Walker
• SiriusXM - Willies Roadhouse
• SiriusXM - Deep Tracks

Wednesday

• WFUV - Corny O'Connell
• WBGO - Gary Walker
• SiriusXM - Cousin Brucie on 60s on 6

Thursday

• WFUV - Corny O'Connell
• WBGO - Gary Walker
• SiriusXM - Tom Petty's Buried Treasure

Friday

• WFUV - Corny O'Connell
• WBGO - Gary Walker
• SiriusXM - BB Kings Bluesville Channel
• Bob Radil's 60s 70s Show on Rewound Radio

Saturday

• 1010 WINS
• WCBS-FM Sue O'Neal
• Johnny Cash Radio
• Pop Gold Radio's Countdown with Don Tandler
• WFUV - Mixed Bag with Don McGee
• SiriusXM - Cousin Brucie on 60s on 6

Sunday

• 1010 WINS
• WCBS-FM - Scott Shannon
• Q104.3 Breakfast with the Beatles with Ken Dashow on Q-104.3
• Classic American Top 40 with Casey Kasem on IHeart Radio
• Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew Podcast
• WFUV - Sunday Supper with John Platt
• That Thing with Rich Appel on Rewound Radio
• Cool Bobby B's Doo Wop Stop on SiriusXM 50s 

Random Thoughts on Labor Day

We went out to breakfast down the street at Uncle Bill's Diner. We usually do that on Monday holidays. We went to my mother's old apartment in Forest Hills to clean out some stuff. We have until the end of September to get everything out. All of the small stuff is gone, but we will try to donate the furniture she doesn't need to a charitable organization. On the way we were listening to WFUV as they played Dylan's Labor Day song Maggies Farm.

After we finished in her apartment we drove to Westbury to see Mom in her new digs at The Bristal. She certainly appreciated our coming over. Joyce and Keith came by a little later and brought her some stuff she needed from the old apartment. The new place is certainly shaping up. It will still some time for her to adjust to the new living environment. I am sure that it is for the best.

On the way home I tuned in WCBS-FM to hear their Top 1001 listener countdown. As I turned on to the Northern State Parkway Dave Packer announced Like a Rolling Stone as the #21 song. It is still good to hear the Bob Dylan National Anthem on the radio after all these years. Knockin' on Heavens Door was the only other Dylan hit that charted with WCBS-FM's listeners at #370. Some what later, the countdown was posted on the station's web site. Rag Doll by the 4 Seasons was voted #1. I don't hate the song, but there were so many better 4 Seasons hits over the years. I have a feeling that someone may have stuffed the ballot box. In any event I have not been a big fan of countdowns in recent years.

When I got home I turned on the Met game. They lost to the lowly Washington Nationals 13-3. They even brought in Oliver Perez to mop up.

I went downstairs to read the Sunday New York Times. It was pretty boring since holiday weekends are usually slow news days. I opened up the book review section and saw an advertisement for:

Wilentz, Sean. Bob Dylan in America. New York: Doubleday, 2010. Print.

It is coming out on Tuesday. When I finish writing this entry, I will go to Amazon.com to order it. No need to run to the few bookstores which still exist. Maybe I'll buy a Kindle soon and just download it. Here are some comments from the advertisement:

"If you thought there was nothing new to say about Bob Dylan's impact on America, this book will make you think twice." --- Bill Flanagan

"Reading Sean Wilentz's Bob Dylan in America is as thrilling thrilling and suprising as listening to a great Dylan son" ----Martin Scorsese

Finally, readers of this journal know that I regular listen to Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles in the evening. This week the 1000th edition of the show was released. Congratulations to Dennis and his staff for producing such a fine radio program. I hope the show will be around for many years. to come.

My favorite Internet Radio

Since CBS radio flipped WCBS-FM to the Jack format I've had to look for oldies radio on the Internet.  REgular readers of this blog should hotice these on the header of each entry, but let me take this opportunity to summarize my favorites:

Breakfast with the Beatles http://www.bwtb.net - Dennis Mitchell plays Beatles songs not usually heard on the radio.

Sounds of the Sixties with Brian Matthew http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2  This show is played live on Saturday morning, but I listened to the archived version.  I only wish that I could have listened to Brian back in the 60s.  He plays a good mixture of British and American hits of that era.

WLNG http://www.wlng.com This station comes out of extreme Eastern Long Island.  Back in 1977-78 when I lived in New London CT I was able to pick it up over the air.  This is oldies radio the way it ought to be even though there are many announcements of lost pets.  Former WCBS-FM DJ Bob Shannon appears Tuesday from 11 AM - 3 PM.

Chicago's True Oldies Channel WZZN 94.7 FM http://www.947thezone.com/  If Chicago has an over the air oldies station on FM, why can't New York?  I like to listen to oldies legend Dick Biondi who can be heard for 10 PM - 1 PM EDT

WODS Boston http://www.oldies1033.com  The CBS radio jackasses who killed WCBS-FM kept the oldies station in Boston.  I especially like to listen to the Lost 45s on Sunday night with Barry Scott.  This show was syndicated for a while and was heard over the years on several stations.  This show features more 70s and 80s hits.

WOGL - Philadelphia http://www.wogl.com  Greater Media flipped their station in Philadelphia before Joel Hollander and the other CBS executives could kill WOGL.  I like the Elvis and Friends show heard on Sunday mornings.

WMTR - Morristown, NJ http://www.wmtram.com  I can pull in this station over the air from my GE Supperradio during the day.  Reception is poor overnight since the pattern changes after sunset.  Before WCBS-FM flipped, they played only pre-1964 hits.  Now they play oldies from 1955-72.

WNNJ-AM Newton, NJ which is in the Northwest corner of the state.  http://www.oldies1360.com  Former WCBS-FM personality Max Kinkel does the mornings there but he has been out since his automobile accident.

Breeze Radio Long Branch, NJ  http://breezeradio.com  Thie is an Adult Contemporary station which does play oldies.  Former WCBS-FM personality Mike Fitzgerald does morning drive while Bob Shannon has a weekend gig there.

WMGQ-FM - New Brunswick, NJ http://www.wmgqfm.com This too is an Adult Contmporary Station, but I listen mornings to hear former WABC and WCBS-FM personality Steve O'Brien.

XM radio - AOL subscribers can get 70 music stations.  I like the 60s on 6 especially on Friday evenings when they recreate a top 40 station of the 1960s.  I sample several other XM stations as well.

I am not counting Saturday Night Oldies with Mark Simone on WABC since I listen over the air.

 

 

 

44 Years since I first heard the Beatles

Every Monday I listen to the online version of Breakfast with Beatles with Dennis Mitchell on the Internet.  Q-104.3 has a Breakfast with the Beatles show on Sunday Morning.  I remember in early January of 1964 when I was in the 9th grade at Russell Sage Junior High School that WINS, WABC, and WMCA played I Want To Hold Your Hand every 10 minutes.  Those were the days.

My Favorite Radio Shows

My Favorite Current Radio Shows (in no particular order)

Dan Taylor’s Morning Show on WCBS-FM
Claudia Marshall on WFUV
Gary Walker - WBGO
Bob Shannon - WCBS-FM
Bob Shannon WLNG
Ron Parker - WCBS-FM
Sue O’Neal - WCBS-FM
Pat St. John - Sirius/XM 50s on 5 and WCBS-FM
Pete Fornatale - WFUV
Don Tandler - WHTG AM and the Breeze
Bob Radil - WNHU New Haven
Dylanradio.com
Breakfast with the Beatles -Ken Dashow WAXQ
Breakfast with the Beatles - Dennis Mitchell (internet radio)
Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew BBC2
Lost 45s with Barry Scott - WODS Boston
Beatlesarama.com
Cousin Bruce Morrow Sirius/XM 60s on 6
Dick Biondi - WLS-FM Chicago
Broadway Bill Lee - WCBS-FM
Joe Causi - WCBS-FM

Retired radio personalities and shows that are no longer on the air are not included. I am generally not into talk radio, so those shows are not included.

Internet Radio Rituals

I likely listen to more radio on my computer than I do on my radio.Here are some of my weekly internet radio rituals:

• Sunday Mornings - Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew (podcast)
• Sunday Early Evening - Lost 45s with Barry Scott on WROR Boston
• Sunday at 9 PM - Doo Wop with Cool Bobby B on SirusXM 50s on 5
• Monday Evenings - Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles Part 1 (podcast)
• Tuesday Evenings - Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles Part 2 (podcast)
• Wednesday Evening - Cousin Brucie SiriusXM 60s on 6
• Friday Evening - 60s 70s Show with Bob Radil on Rewound Radio
• Saturday Evening - Cousin Brucie on SiriusXM 60s on 6

Other Internet Radio Stations

• Pop Gold Radio - Don Tandler
• Hy Lit Radio - Sam Lit
• Johnny Cash Radio
• DylanRadio.com - Pete Freckleton
• Bob Dylan Tracks

Murray the K, the anti-chart guy

I think it is safe to say the Murray the K was controversial.  As my other entries on radio personalities, this is not be be an encylopedic biography.  You can see his Wikipedia entry for more information.  I listened to Murray when he appeared on WINS, WMCA and WOR-FM. He appeared on other radio stations in NY and other markets.  He really imposed his musical tastes on his audience which was really unfair especialy whe he appeared on the free form WOR-FM which was discussed in a recent journal entry of mine.  He was famous for running concerts at the Brooklyn Fox Theater.

I really think he had a lot of nerve to call himself the 5th Beatle.  WINS wasn't that influential in popular music duing the British invasion of 1964.  Bruce Morrow should have been the DJ with that moniker.  In any event I think that Billy Preston who played with the Fab Four in 1969 or so should be called the Fifth Beatle.

One thing that Murray said on the air that he said that if you enjoyed a record, you should not care of what number it is.  I must agree completely.  Many of my favorite songs never charted.  There are "chart guys" on various music message boards.  If they enjoy that, more power to them.

Murray was last on the New York airwaves in the early 1980s when he hosted a syndicated show called Soundtrack of the Sixties which was heard in NYC on WCBS-FM on Sunday mornings.  Murray became ill and Gary Owens became the New host as it moved to WYNY.

Let me clear up a little confusion about Breakfast with the Beatles that I usually hear on Monday nights.  It seems that nobody has a copyright on that name.  There is a version heard on Q104.3 in New York on Sunday at 8 AM.  The version that I am hearing now may be heard on http://www.bwtb.net .

Random Comments of the Day

The weather was really crappy today.  It started to snow in the morning and then changed to rain.  At least the cold snap ended.  With the exception of the last week, this has been a mild winter.

The iPhone5 uses the IO6 operating system.  I found out today that one can consolidate apps by placing them in a folder.  It was very useful to put all of my radio apps in one folder.

By listening to Breakfast with the Beatles with Dennis Mitchell I found out there will be a festival honoring George Harrison on February 16 in Fair Haven, Massachusetts.

One of the most popular Bob Dylan albums is Blood on the Tracks released in 1974.  A group called Mary Lee's Corvette covered the entire album.  The celebrate the 10th anniversary of the cover album the group is playing this Wednesday night at Joe's Pub in lower Manhattan.  I would go if this show were on a weekend, but it is just too inconvenient to go during the week.

Too Much of Nothing

Why am I listening to Breakfast with the Beatles when it is 9 PM on Friday when a particular Bob Dylan song is really hitting the spot?  Bob originally recorded Too Much of Nothing in 1967 with the Band at Big Pink.  Peter Paul and Mary had a wonderful cover version of this song.

 

A few years ago Bob produced and starred in a movie called “Masked and Anonymous”.  The Penelope Cruz character stated “His songs are so vague; you can interpret them anyway you want to.”  Very often you can change the names in a Dylan song and the song really fits the occasion.

 

Just change Valerie and Vivian to my two favorite bean counters and bureaucrats. J

 

The copyright belongs to Mr. Zimmerman.  Now since I bought the recordings, I must presume that I have the right to copy it to my blog.

 

Now, too much of nothing
Can make a man feel ill at ease.
One man's temper might rise
While another man's temper might freeze.
In the day of confession
We cannot mock a soul.
Oh, when there's too much of nothing,
No one has control.

Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion

Too much of nothing
Can make a man abuse a king.
He can walk the streets and boast like most
But he wouldn't know a thing.
Now, it's all been done before,
It's all been written in the book,
But whenthere's too much of nothing,
Nobody should look.

Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion

Too much of nothing
Can turn a man into a liar,
It can cause one man to sleep on nails
And another man to eat fire.
Ev'rybody's doin' somethin',
I heard it in a dream,
But when there's too much of nothing,
It just makes a fella mean.

Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Send them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion


Copyright © 1967; renewed 1995 Dwarf Music

Random Thoughts on a cold Sunday

I found out that John Strauss, the composer of the Car 54 Where are You theme, recently died at age 90.  This show which aired from 1961-63 was one of my favorites as a kid.  Facebook friend Jet Screamer is also an enthusiasts of the misadventures of Patrolmen Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon.  Even people who never watched the show know the theme song.



We saw the highly acclaimed move The King's Speech in Douglaston this afernoon. It seemed strange watching a movie aimed at an older audience. There was a story on tonight's 60 Minutes about the hidden letters behind the King's Speech.

I haven't done a radio log for a while so here it is for today:

WINS - News
WCBS-FM - Sue O'Neal
WAXQ - Breakfast with the Beatles with Ken Dashow
Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew on BBC2
WCBS-FM - Pat St. John
WCBS-FM - Steve O'Brien
Sirius/XM 50s on 5 with Norm N Nite
Dylanradio.com
Sirius/XM 60s on 6 with Cousin Brucie
WODS- Boston - Lost 45s with Barry Scott

When I Don't Listen to the Beatles or Dylan I Read About Them

Dennis Mitchell on his syndicated radio show Breakfast with the Beatles often interviews authors of Beatle books.  Some months ago he interviewed Robert Rodriguez, the author of Solo in the 70s: John, Paul, George, Ringo 1970 - 1980.  So much have been written about the Beatles in the 60s when they were together, but relatively little is available on their solo careers.  The book piqued my interest so I bought it for my Kindle Fire.  In my opinion George Harrison gained the most by the breakup of the Fab Four.  I am in the middle of it now.

There have been tons of biographies of Bob Dylan written over the years.  Dylan is a very private person who rarely does interviews.  The newest biography which was released today is called Another Side of Bob Dylan.  It was written by Victor Maymudes, a confidant of Dylan.  Since Victor died years ago his son has written the book.  I just downloaded it, but have to find the time to read it.

Thoughts of the Day

I was very glad that it did not rain today. Lee and I went out to play basketball early in the morning. After that Lee joined some of his buddies for bowling. I got a phone call from my mother saying that she was a little under the weather. She has a bad cold that she just can't get rid of. She asked me to come over to buy her some items at the grocery store. She only lives 10 minutes away. After I did some errands for her, I did my little hike in Forest Park.

Sports Notes

The NJIT basketball team started out where they left off last season by losing its opener to Manhattan College 56-32. They have now lost 34 games in a row to tie the NCAA record for consecutive loses. I am just stating the facts here.

The Knicks blew a lead and lost to the Dallas Mavericks 124-114 in overtime. The Knicks are now 6-4 which is much better than last season

Radio Notes

Today's stations

WINS
WCBS-FM
WAXQ - Breakfast with the Beatles with Ken Dashow
WBGO
XM/Sirius - 60s
XM/Sirisu - 70s featuring American Top 40 with Casey Kasem
WNYC-FM - standards show with Jonathan Schwartz
I was disappointed when I accessed WODS-Boston to hear the Lost 45s with Barry Scott. They were already playing all Christmas music. It is just too early for that.

Today's Radio Log

I haven't done this in some time so here goes.  Times are approximate.

• WINS - 6:30 AM - I have to catch up on the news
• WCBS-FM - 7:00 AM - America's Greatest Hits with Scott Shannon - One of my token listens to the former oldies station.  It changed with the times.
• WAXQ - 8:00 AM - Breakfast with the Beatles with Ken Dashow
• BBC2 - 10:00 AM Sounds of the 60s Podcast with Brian Matthew
• Classic AT 40 with Casey Kasem on iHeart Radio App - 2:00 PM - I catch his show once a week
• Rewound Radio - 3:00 PM - Jon Wolfert's oldies show featuring radio jingles.
• Definitely Dylan - 4;00 PM - Laura Tenschert's excellent show from the UK about Dylan
• WFUV - 5:30 PM - Just caught Sara Wardrop's show for a few minutes.
• That Thing with Rich Appel - 8:00 PM - Since WLNG dropped it, I found it on a station in Florida
• Pod Dylan 9:30 PM - I just discovered this podcast.  I'll have to try to catch up on older episodes.

I Won a Beatles Book

Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast with the Beatles has been discussed several times in Bruce's Journal.  It is not to be confused with Ken Dashow's program by the same name heard on Q104.3 in NYC.  Anyway, I have never been a contest nut although an acquaintance of mine who is a reader of this blog seems to thrive on trying to win contests where the prize is concert tickets.  Anyway Dennis Mitchell had a contest on his web site where the prize was the book seen above.  I have certainly read plenty of books about the Beatles as a group and about the four members.  This will be another one.  Each book provides a different view of the Fab Four.

Mets Win Home Opener 11-5

The oldies enthuiasts who read this blog should check out Breakfast with the Beatles at http://www.bwtb.net .  Today Dennis Mitchell is featuring Beatles songs less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Today was the penultimate opening day at Shea Stadium.  I had never attended an opener at Shea, but in 1983 I had jury duty which let out early on spening day.  That was the season that Tom Seaver returned to the Mets.  While I was waiting on the ticket line the game sold out.  Anyway, I was able to listen to the game on radio in my office from  1 PM to 2 PM while I was summarizing the transcript of the undergraduate focus group.  Pagebyrner, are you still reading?  Do you do focus groups.  Anyway from 2PM - 4 PM I was at the reference desk and was able to monitor the game from http://espn.com between reference transactions.   When I returned to my office at 4 PM the Mets had taken the lead 6-5 in the bottom of the 8th.  When I got home I found out the Mets broke it open and won 11 -5.