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We’ve got some great mixes in hand and on the way – where is yours?

About Today’s Mix:

Today’s mix comes our way via Stacy, aka @jukebox65 on Twitter.  Stacy and I first met in person during Record Store Day earlier this year, and spent some good time nerding out about music.  She also pointed me towards a still sealed vinyl copy of Bruce Springsteen’s Live: 1975-1985 box set, which had been passed her way previously by fellow ATV regular Craig, while both were browsing at Blue Arrow Records.  It seems that neither of them could commit to purchasing this holy grail item, and friends, I assure you that I had no problem committing to THAT purchase.

I have to be nice to Stacy at this point, because she knows sensitive and potentially damaging things about me from hanging out with the ATV collective, most recently at the Cracker Beachland gig.  So when she got in touch and said that she had a mix for the series, I knew that “no” was not on my list of potential answers.  And truth be told, it’s a great mix – I think ya’ll will like it!  Enjoy!

P.S. – A few side notes:

1)  There’s a theme.  See if you can pick up on what that theme might be.

2)  The inclusion of “Roadrunner” makes me wish that I had the “Cleveland” version of Joan Jett’s take on “Roadrunner.”  I had a CD dub of it somewhere, taken from reel-to-reel tape, and it was pristine.  Said CD copy is on the list of things that have been misplaced during several moves.  Arrrgh!  I know there is also a promo 45 version as well – the version is unique, because it namechecks Cleveland (duh!) and WMMS specifically.  Get in touch if you have a copy – I’d love ya.

3)  There is some kick ass art that Stacy made for this mix – look for that to be posted here a little bit later.

Mix Notes:

On The Radio

Radio, Radio/Elvis Costello
This is Radio Clash/The Clash
Rock and Roll/The Velvet Underground
I Bet You They Won’t Play This Song On The Radio/Eric Idle
Radio Free Europe/REM
The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)/The Doors
Capital Radio/The Clash
On My Radio/The Selecter
Radio Song/ Dirty Pretty Things
Roadrunner/The Modern Lovers
I Can’t Live Without My Radio/LL Cool J
Radio KAOS-Radiowaves/Roger Waters
On the Airwaves/The Shazam
Mexican Radio/Wall of Voodoo
Radio Nowhere/Bruce Springsteen

Download complete mix (link is good for one week only)

“Radio, Radio”/Elvis Costello – from This Year’s Model, U.S. release May 1978. The song replaced “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea” and “Night Rally” from the U.K. release. Does that kind of thing still happen from release to release? No matter it’s a great song, from an under-appreciated songwriter. (IMHO)

“This is Radio Clash”/The Clash, November 1981.  I have a 12” “single” of this with 4 different versions of the song. The Clash dabbled in everything but they loved rap and hip hop. Here’s the proof.

“Rock and Roll”/The Velvet Underground  – Originally from 1969: The Velvet Underground Live. Studio version is on Loaded, released 1970. The last Lou Reed VU album. Loaded also includes Sweet Jane, which got near constant airplay in Cleveland in the 70s.

“I Bet You They Won’t Play This Song On The Radio”/Eric Idle –  Random silliness from a Pythoner. Not much else needs to be said. From Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album, 1980.

“Radio Free Europe”/REM,  The 1981 Hib-Tone single version. This was included on Eponymous, 1988. Redone for their debut, Murmur, on I.R.S. in 1983 with producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon. No matter the version it’s all Stipe’s masterful mumblings till the chorus when everyone can join in…

“The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)”/The Doors –  From the great L.A. Woman album, April 1971. Supposedly inspired by the pirate radio station in Mexico where Wolfman Jack got his start. Bluesy and boozy, it sounds like it could come out of the fog and wrap around you.

“Capitol Radio”/The Clash, April 1977. I’m still looking for the 45 of this. I’ll get it don’t you worry. It was sent to readers of NME magazine by sending back a coupon. There is another version called Capitol Radio Two which is the same biting and ripping at the establishment radio programmers, but a little longer. It was re-released to fill the demand left by so few copies of Capitol Radio One.

“On My Radio”/The Selecter, 1979; from Too Much Pressure.  Part of the ska/2 tone wave in England along with The Specials, The (English) Beat and Madness. Which lead to American ska/punk bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rancid, Sublime and No Doubt.

“Radio Song”/ Dirty Pretty Things, 2007 –  from the Run Fatboy Run soundtrack. I knew nothing of these guys when I found this song. Seems they are an offshoot of the bad boy Libertines. And both bands are defunct. I like the song though and will look into their two albums. I think I need to subscribe to NME.

“Roadrunner”/The Modern Lovers 1972. Taken from The Modern Lovers (not released until 1976.) So many versions of this song but this is the original. All about driving around with the radio on….All-American through and through.

“I Can’t Live Without My Radio”/LL Cool J –  Yes the ladies love cool James. From his debut album Radio, 1985. It’s got old school hip-hop written all over that boom box.

“Radio K.A.O.S. – Radiowaves”/Roger Waters 1987; from a concept album of the same name. Poor Billy is misunderstood and hears radiowaves in his head. This is from a live performance that includes Jim Ladd…. The last DJ.

“On the Airwaves”/The Shazam –  Another group I’ve only just heard of. From Nashville. I heard this on The Underground Garage and thought it was Cheap Trick. This is from the EP The Rev. 9, 2000. Rev. 9 is actually The Beatles “Revolution #9.” I will buy the rest of this album just for that.

“Mexican Radio”/Wall of Voodoo –  From Call of the West, 1982. In looking for the obvious story on this (the Mexican radio stations that blasted past the FCC) I found a song I missed for this…”I Heard It On The X” by ZZ Top. Oh well. Also see “The WASP.”

“Radio Nowhere”/Bruce Springsteen – From Magic, 2007. And in the end, the radio we listen to now is so processed and formatted, it’s Radio Nowhere. So I buy XM Radio and listen to The Underground Garage and E. Street Radio.

Is there anybody alive out there?