We began with a salute to Lou Christie, who died last week at 82. Then it was an onslaught of summer, which itself came a day early this year and immediately hit the gas and hit a 101 heat index down here. After two dozen summer songs, there were birthdays to note, from Grateful Dead
The one-two punch of Sly Stone’s death last week followed by that of Brian Wilson led to a packed double tribute this week for both of them. For Wilson it meant the whole of “Pet Sounds” surrounded by what led up to it and what followed. As much as we played, there was much more
Jury duty left an impression last week, so there were more than two dozen songs about judges, juries, pleas and sentences. Some used the nomenclature of the courtroom as romantic metaphors, but others had gavel sound effects. All were preceded by “Here Comes the Judge,” a catch phrase so potent they named a GTO after
The weirdly formatted Capital Radio this week was due to my own miscalculations about the American justice system. That is to say, I didn’t think I’d get picked for jury duty. Therefore, the usual 1 o’clock show was delayed by five hours and cut in half by a previously scheduled program. Still, it was fun
What they used to call Decoration Day was noted on Capital Radio last Monday (posted only now because I’ve been away). But there were two dozen songs about soldiers, war and repercussions of a military-based society. We began by saluting Miles Davis, born that day in 1926, and had more birthdays later for early blues
Pete Townshend turned 80, Grace Jones is 77 and Paul Brady, 78. All were celebrated on Capital Radio this week as were other music figures born this day, from rocker Joey Ramone to songwriter Micky Newbury and bassist Herbie Flowers. We paid tribute to two artists who died Friday, Broadway composer Charles Strouse, who was
That odd, outmoded way of signaling via smokestack, came alive last week in the announcement from Vatican City. That its new occupant was from Chicago promoted songs about that toddlin’ town as well as smoke. Devoted a lot of songs to what would have been the 97th birthday of Burt Bacharach (he only made it
Cinco De Mayo brought a handful of themed songs to Capital Radio today, from El Vez and Liz Phair to Brave Combo and Bob Dylan, who sings of marrying Isis on the 5th day of May. It was Tammy Wynette’s birthday, and also that of Blind Willie McTell, Johnnie Taylor and Ian McCulloch of Echo
Cutting into the annual 24 Hours of Christmas programming for my own holiday edition of Capital Radio, I tried to concentrate on somber, more solemn numbers appropriate for the day rather than dazzle dazzle of jingle bells. Themes of “Christmas Day is Here” were much favored over “Christmas time is coming.” Nice to have Coltrane
The last show before Christmas warrants the annual avalanche of holiday songs, starting with the Bosstones, Aimee Mann and Nick Lowe, shifting to ’60s oddities from Bobby Goldsboro and Brian Hyland, and enduring rokcers from the Kinks and the Ramones. There was so much Yuletide, there wasn’t time for the usual birthday salutes, except for
