MY BACK PAGES: "Radio, Radio"

We are taking a break this week from blogging this week to do consulting work for a new client. New Spark News posts will return on Monday 8/20.

This week we are featuring some of our favorite oldies about radio. Most of these songs come from the period when we worked in album rock radio. These songs meant sometime to us then and still do today. 

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS

Radio, Radio

In 1977 I was consulting college stations who wanted to upgrade from “Class D” status.  Three friends and I had recently opened an advertising agency in Sioux Falls: Media One. It is still there today [link].

At that time I was listening to Elvis Costello and the Attractions and my hippie friends at the agency gave me a hard time about liking a male musician with short hair.

Then Costello & company played Radio, Radio on Saturday Night Live and everybody knew what I was talking about. As you will see in the video, Costello started out doing one song and then suddenly shifted into the song Radio Radio.  It was stunning.  My friends started asking me for music recommendations.

 The lyrics from Radio, Radio said a lot to me because commercial radio at the time was become more research oriented. Many AC and “soft rock” stations would only play songs that research indicated would not cause anyone to tune-out. We used to call it Music You Don’t Mind Hearing.

Some of my friends sit around every evening
And they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
And the promise of an early bed

You either shut up or get cut up; they don't wanna hear about it
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
Tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel