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Post by erik on Sept 21, 2012 22:18:49 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker re. "Long Long Time":
From what I have heard, every radio station in Los Angeles preferred to play the uncut 4:30 version of "Long Long Time", because of the heavy demand for it. KRLA AM 1110, at that time one of the highest-rated stations on either side of the dial here, had such a volume of requests for that song that they literally forced Capitol Records to release it as a single, much as another L.A. radio station (KHJ AM 930) had done three years earlier with "Different Drum." But they, like the other radio stations in town, played it uncut, which was a very smart move on their part (IMHO).
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 22, 2012 12:08:21 GMT -5
From what I have heard, every radio station in Los Angeles preferred to play the uncut 4:30 version of "Long Long Time", because of the heavy demand for it. KRLA AM 1110, at that time one of the highest-rated stations on either side of the dial here, had such a volume of requests for that song that they literally forced Capitol Records to release it as a single, much as another L.A. radio station (KHJ AM 930) had done three years earlier with "Different Drum." But they, like the other radio stations in town, played it uncut, which was a very smart move on their part (IMHO). What really blew my mind was that Capitol put out the edited version on the 45 for the record buying public, rather than the full version. Given that the public and radio seemed to prefer the full version and not the edited version, one would've thought Capitol would've just made the edited version of the song as a radio-only 45. Curiously, Grand Funk Railroad's "Closer to Home" (a.k.a "I'm Your Captain"), also out from Capitol at the same time was also released in edited form although there was perhaps a little more understandable as the full length version of the song was an aching ten minutes long! But, what made the GFR edited single somewhat irritating was that even in its edited form on 45, it was still longer than the full length version of "Long, Long Time." The GFR song's edited form was five and a half minutes long. The GFR song probably could''ve been edited to four minutes as its total length included about five minutes's worth of rhythm guitar (and very little lead guitar), bass, drums, strings and flutes, and Mark Farner singing "I'm getting closer to my home" before it faded out. "Closer to Home" was no "Layla" or "Hey Jude." Wasn't a bad song but the full length version was just a tad pretentious.
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Post by erik on Sept 22, 2012 19:02:31 GMT -5
I'd almost call this a comedy of errors at Capitol, though "Closer To Home" did reach a slightly higher chart peak (#22) than "Long Long Time" (#25).
It's kind of strange, then, to point out that, while Linda (despite her detractors, whom I need not name), was highly acclaimed by a great many critics and a lot of peers, Grand Funk, for all their success (by abandoning the progressive rock of "Closer To Home" for more typical blue-collar hard rock), was almost certainly the most critically derided band of any kind in rock and roll history.
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 23, 2012 12:38:30 GMT -5
I'd almost call this a comedy of errors at Capitol, though "Closer To Home" did reach a slightly higher chart peak (#22) than "Long Long Time" (#25). It's kind of strange, then, to point out that, while Linda (despite her detractors, whom I need not name), was highly acclaimed by a great many critics and a lot of peers, Grand Funk, for all their success (by abandoning the progressive rock of "Closer To Home" for more typical blue-collar hard rock), was almost certainly the most critically derided band of any kind in rock and roll history. I think the critics' main problem with GFR was with their album sales. GFR was doing better than most groups and artists with claims of each album selling at least a million copies. And their management and Capitol certainly liked bragging about that accomplishment. I can't recall if the group did as well but music critics really didn't like for certain acts to be successful. The only acts they wanted to be successful were the ones they approved of, and no one else. I would love to have seen Linda have been that successful from the start on her album sales, although the critics probably would've attacked her unmercifully. I think part of the reason for the critics' acclaim of Linda in the early days was because she didn't have albums selling in the millions. That made her someone they could promote and then could claim some of the credit when she did make it. Of course, like almost any other act the critics promoted that eventually made it and sold in the millions, then those same critics would get into a snit about the artist's success and start knocking them at almost every turn. That certainly happened with Linda. I think Bruce Springsteen was the only artist that didn't happen to as I recall the critics constantly went overboard with the fawning and overappraising about how great Bruce Springsteen and his music was. The irony about Springsteen is that his music was also blue collar hard rock, almost the same as GFR but perhaps better produced and arranged than GFR's, yet I can't recall any negative criticism about his music from the critics. It's always been good. I'm sure there are many who would agree with the critics (especially the superzealous Springsteen fans) but have to wonder if Springsteen shared in that assessment?
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Post by erik on Sept 23, 2012 13:25:35 GMT -5
What I've often heard about Grand Funk was that their sound was very "industrial strength" hard rock, which is understandable given that their hometown happens to be Flint, Michigan, then an automotive capitol. I think one of the reasons, incidentally, that GFR was so often derided by critics had more to do with the way their own manager Terry Knight went about with the promotion, which was consistent and blatant almost to the point of brainwashing in some people's minds.
In contrast, whether at Capitol or at Elektra/Asylum, I don't think Linda was ever over-promoted or over-hyped. Maybe she was under-promoted at Capitol because they didn't know what to do with someone who mixed folk, country, pop, and rock on her albums; but on Asylum, she was promoted in a good way that generated album sales and hit singles, never overblown like what we see so much of today (IMHO).
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Post by Richard W on Sept 24, 2012 10:09:48 GMT -5
Yesterday on XM 70: "Living in the USA" on Casey Kasum's program; on XM 32 (The Bridge): "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me."
Two in one day was pretty satisfying.
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Post by erik on Sept 24, 2012 14:39:09 GMT -5
Quote by richwar:
Must be one of those stations where they don't use Dave Marsh as a program consultant (LOL).
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Post by sliderocker on Sept 25, 2012 14:04:46 GMT -5
What I've often heard about Grand Funk was that their sound was very "industrial strength" hard rock, which is understandable given that their hometown happens to be Flint, Michigan, then an automotive capitol. I think one of the reasons, incidentally, that GFR was so often derided by critics had more to do with the way their own manager Terry Knight went about with the promotion, which was consistent and blatant almost to the point of brainwashing in some people's minds.
I think that Terry Knight was part of the problem Grand Funk Railroad had with critics. Knight himself had been a musician and in a band at one time yet he never achieved fame with that band or on his own as a musician. Through GFR, he may have been living the dream that had eluded him as a musician though no question his best calling was as a manager. He and GFR later parted ways yet I don't think GFR's success would've occurred without him. Knight also had Bloodrock, yet he was less successful with them, only one hit with them, the very bizarre "D.O.A.," which was an eight and a half minute tune about two people dying in the back of an ambulance after a plane crash. It had to be heard to be believed.
In contrast, whether at Capitol or at Elektra/Asylum, I don't think Linda was ever over-promoted or over-hyped. Maybe she was under-promoted at Capitol because they didn't know what to do with someone who mixed folk, country, pop, and rock on her albums; but on Asylum, she was promoted in a good way that generated album sales and hit singles, never overblown like what we see so much of today (IMHO).
Likewise, I don't think Linda was ever overpromoted or overhyped by Elektra/Asylum but with Capitol, I think part of the problem with them on the underpromotion was that she was just one more artist on a label that had hundreds of solo artists and groups signed to them. Also, she may not have gone along with every scheme someone at the label concocted for their artists. I recall that both Bobbie Gentry and Anne Murray recorded albums with Glen Campbell and wonder if Capitol could have wanted Linda to have recorded an album with Campbell as well and she balked at the idea? Record companies up through the very early 70s had no problem teaming male and female country singers together in the hope such a teaming would catch on with the part of the public that listened to country. Most teamings were only modestly successful but Capitol seemed quite intent on teaming Campbell with some country-oriented female performer but it just wasn't an idea that ever worked.
Still, I believe Capitol could've built Linda into a major, major star long before 1974. "Different Drum" and "Long, Long Time" showed her potential. It might have been a question of getting the right songs for her, which didn't mean recording songs that had been hits for others. Capitol's country artists were notorious for having one or two previously unheard songs on their albums with everything else being a cover of what had recently been a hit for someone else. I don't think any of the artists ever had the kind of management set up in which they had first option access to newly-written songs. Linda's rock leanings also didn't work very well with the middle of the country road country songs that were being written at the time, yet the songwriters who wrote rock songs were usually the artists as well - people who didn't need to submit their songs to artists like Linda for their consideration. And because Linda didn't write in the early days of her career, and her management and Capitol didn't have publishing companies set up for her or seem to be involved in finding her original songs, she was pretty much left to fend for herself, what she could find to record. As major a talent as she would become, her management and record company should've been doing all they could to have made that happen.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Oct 1, 2012 18:47:12 GMT -5
heard "you're no good" on 99.7 the breeze on the jersey shore today during the lunch hour show segment!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by cymru56 on Oct 7, 2012 13:01:31 GMT -5
Different Drum - Terry Wogan Show BBC Radio 2 Turned on the car radio just after leaving mass this morning and it was like stepping back in time 40 years as I heard the song that first brought our girl to my attention. Did I feel blessed !
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Post by eddiejinnj on Oct 13, 2012 18:16:02 GMT -5
heard "Blue Bayou" this morning on 99.7 the breeze on the jersey shore. we were riding through a pine barrens road and her voice just seemed to go so well with the surroundings!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by erik on Oct 14, 2012 12:22:00 GMT -5
KSWD 100.3 FM (The Sound): Peace, Love, And Sunday Mornings
8:50 AM--"Love Is A Rose" (also talked a bit about Linda being mentioned in Neil Young's memoir).
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Post by eddiejinnj on Oct 16, 2012 7:26:18 GMT -5
yesterday, "when will i be loved" on 99.7 the breeze at the jersey shore!!!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2012 18:53:14 GMT -5
Not exactly on the radio but at a Thai restaurant my partner Pam and I heard 'Different Drum' on kind of an oldies mix. Lots of goodies including Mamas and Papas, Judy Collins, Byrds, etc
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Post by erik on Oct 27, 2012 11:16:14 GMT -5
This morning on KOLA 99.9 FM San Bernardino.
Casey Kasem's American Top 40: The 80s.
Week ending October 30, 1982.
After debuting at #40 the previous week, "Get Closer" moves up six spots to #34.
Also on the chart: THE ONE YOU LOVE--Glenn Frey SOMEBODY'S BABY--Jackson Browne SOUTHERN CROSS--Crosby, Stills, and Nash BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY--Juice Newton EYE IN THE SKY--Alan Parsons Project NOBODY--Sylvia YOU CAN DO MAGIC--America HEART ATTACK--Olivia Newton-John HEARTLIGHT--Neil Diamond TRULY--Lionel Richie
This was the first time I had heard "Get Closer" getting played on the radio in any context probably since 1984.
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Post by erik on Oct 28, 2012 12:45:37 GMT -5
This morning on KOLA 99.9 FM San Bernardino
Casey Kasem's American Top 40: The 70s
Week ending October 30, 1976.
The Divine Diva Of The Desert's L.A. rockabilly reworking of "That'll Be The Day" spends its second week at its peak position of #11; only the Wilson Sisters' "Magic Man" kept it out of the Top Ten (it is also at its peak position of #27 on the C&W singles chart).
Also on the chart: NADIA'S THEME--Barry DeVorzon/Perry Botkin Jr. THE RUBBERBAND MAN--The Spinners WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD--Gordon Lightfoot THIS ONE'S FOR YOU--Barry Manilow LOVE SO RIGHT--The Bee Gees DON'T FEAR THE REAPER--Blue Oyster Cult BETH--Kiss FERNANDO--Abba NIGHTS ARE FOREVER--England Dan and John Ford Coley YOU ARE MY STARSHIP--Norman Connors
At 9:03 AM on KSWD 100.3 (The Sound)'s Peace, Love, And Sunday Mornings: "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me"
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Post by eddiejinnj on Nov 2, 2012 9:44:15 GMT -5
had the local govt station on re: messages for the storm. while getting all the info they played linda's "tracks of my tears" in the background!!!!! unfortunately appropriate for many during the storm. how did you fare rob? we finally got electric yesterday afternoon but many are still without electric. God bless all!!!!! eddiejinnj
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2012 9:54:30 GMT -5
I had electric restored Thu. morning about 1 am.. thanks for asking Eddie
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Post by erik on Nov 5, 2012 22:22:43 GMT -5
Last night on KOLA 99.9 FM @ 9:07 PM: "You're No Good"
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Post by Dianna on Nov 6, 2012 17:46:02 GMT -5
I had electric restored Thu. morning about 1 am.. thanks for asking Eddie Glad you are okay too, Robert. I had no idea you lived out east. For some reason I thought you lived out west. sorry.. but again, glad you are okay!!!
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Post by erik on Nov 6, 2012 22:39:17 GMT -5
This evening @ 5:57 PM on KOLA 99.9 FM: "Ooh Baby Baby"
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Post by erik on Nov 11, 2012 13:28:14 GMT -5
This morning on KOLA 99.9 FM:
Casey Kasem's American Top 40: The 70s
Week ending November 12, 1977.
A double dose of the Divine Diva of the Desert--two songs, both moving up the chart (no other female artist before her could claim to have done this):
"It's So Easy" moves from #29 to #22. "Blue Bayou" moves from #16 to #11.
Also on the chart:
YOUR SMILING FACE--James Taylor BOOGIE NIGHTS--Heatwave NOBODY DOES IT BETTER--Carly Simon HELP IS ON ITS WAY--Little River Band I GO CRAZY--Paul Davis HERE YOU COME AGAIN--Dolly Parton I FEEL LOVE--Donna Summer BRICKHOUSE--The Commodores ISN'T IT TIME?--The Babys SWINGTOWN--Steve Miller Band
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Post by eddiejinnj on Nov 11, 2012 17:11:48 GMT -5
last night "when will i be loved" on 107.1 the breeze at the jersey shore. eddiejinnj
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Post by erik on Nov 16, 2012 22:13:32 GMT -5
Last night on KSWD 100.3 FM (The Sound)'s 10 @ 10, for 1976:
"That'll Be The Day"
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Post by FEDUPSTADT on Nov 17, 2012 23:39:32 GMT -5
Not a Linda song, but on WCBS=FM (oldies) in NY today, as part of their station advertisement I heard Linda's voice (along with a few others) say "Hi, I am Linda Ronstadt". Kinda cool. Been a long time since I've heard her speaking voice on the radio.
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Post by erik on Nov 25, 2012 13:28:18 GMT -5
This morning on KOLA 99.9 FM:
Casey Kasem's American Top 40: The 70s
Week ending November 29, 1975
"Heat Wave", which had dropped from its peak position of #5 two weeks earlier to #16 one week later, takes an unexpected two-point rise back up to #14.
Along with:
BLUE EYES CRYING IN THE RAIN--Willie Nelson NIGHTS ON BROADWAY--The Bee Gees SECRET LOVE--Freddy Fender EIGHTEEN WITH A BULLET--Pete Wingfield SKY HIGH--Jigsaw COUNTRY BOY (YOU'VE GOT YOUR FEET IN L.A.)--Glen Campbell LOVE ROLLERCOASTER--The Ohio Players THIS WILL BE--Natalie Cole ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT--Kiss VENUS AND MARS ROCK SHOW--Paul McCartney and Wings
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Post by sliderocker on Nov 25, 2012 18:06:58 GMT -5
Weird thing about the AT40 lists: it's amazing how many of those songs haven't been heard on the radio in years. I couldn't even begin to recall what "Eighteen with a Bullet," "Love Rollercoaster" or "Secret Love" sounded like. If it wasn't for the fact I like Macca's mid-70s stuff, you'd proably find me scratching my head trying to recall "Venus and Mars/Rock Show." Of course, some of the songs have never faded from memory or are still played on the radio with some regularity but did the hundreds of thousands that were never played on the radio deserve to be forgotten? While some may have deserved that fate (in the minds of some), I think it's a shame so many were forgotten. I used to listen to AT40 in the 70s but grew bored of it after a short. Now, the reruns of that show bring back the memories and the forgotten hits, and I'm kind of glad those shows are still around because I get to hear more of Linda than is played on the three oldies stations in the area.
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Post by erik on Nov 25, 2012 20:34:01 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker re. AT 40: It just reminds one of what we all missed about that decade, Linda especially. It is also a matter of knowing exactly which dates are spotlighted each week. For purposes of which dates are spotlighted each week, I go to this site (the dates of the following week's AT 40 reruns are usually listed by Monday afternoon): www.kolafm.com/page/71/Casey_Kasem
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Post by sliderocker on Nov 26, 2012 15:15:17 GMT -5
It just reminds one of what we all missed about that decade, Linda especially. It is also a matter of knowing exactly which dates are spotlighted each week. For purposes of which dates are spotlighted each week, I go to this site (the dates of the following week's AT 40 reruns are usually listed by Monday afternoon): www.kolafm.com/page/71/Casey_KasemThanx for the link, Erik. It still blows my mind that the 70s were some 30 plus years ago, more than 40 for 1970-72. I started out the 70s in my mid teens and ended the 70s in my mid-20s. Pity we could never freeze time and never grow older than we wanted to be or wanted others to be. If I could've, I would've kept Linda in her 20s but such is our fate that we can't do that because time is fluid and keeps moving on to the future, with no known path back to the past, except maybe in our dreams.
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Post by sliderocker on Nov 27, 2012 5:14:31 GMT -5
"I'll Be Home for Christmas," XM/Sirius channel 17. One of my favorite Christmas tunes with one of my favorite lyrics: 'I'll be home for Christmas/If only in my dreams.'
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