How The Hell Does This Work ?

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The research project I’ve been doing about Women was pretty well all wrapped up until Santa bless his heart left me one last interview under the tree that I would love to unwrap. Even with all I have given this project not to mention the time consuming focus groups I’ve been involved in, I was still only able to come up with the short list of what Women want … Money, choices, protection, an errand boy and lots and lots of shoes. Now if I can just figure out how to get all that on the air I’ll be golden.

The most loyal friend a Man can ever have is a Woman. When you have a Women on your side she always has your back and if given half a chance probably would rip the heart and throat out of any Woman who was even contemplating doing you wrong.

Air talent really like to feel comfortable while being on air. But I always thought they sounded a lot better when they were a little uncomfortable and maybe even somewhat stressed out.

The smartest people in the room are the ones who hired people smarter than themselves to do all the work. This always allows them ample time to go to the bank to deposit all the money they’re making.

Can you find anybody in America who still thinks going into Vietnam was a good idea. Here’s a scary thought for ya … Those who did are still in charge.

OK we’ve had “It’s All Good” followed by “Just Saying” and now we are into “It Is What It Is” I need a new one, whatchya got ?

Rock & Roll was not invented by a Black Man nor was it invented by a White Man. R&R is a fusion of two musical worlds and it’s at it’s best when done by a White Man singing like a Black Man and/or a Black Man singing like a White Man. I have hundreds of examples of this as I’m sure you do. Giving credit where credit is not due seems to be the politically correct thing to do these days but it still doesn’t make it true or as my old pal Aristotle used to say A is A. The British invasion by the way was also not very British. It was 4 guys with English accents trying to sing and sound like like 4 Black Females from Detroit. They failed miserably but changed the World.

Have you ever noticed that swear words that are not religious in nature describe the best and worse things we will ever experience in this World all at the same time.

Don’t you kinda wonder if when all the Blockbuster executives were in another meeting about how to get more people in their stores they were too busy meeting to notice the receptionist up front was ordering up another movie from Net Flicks to watch later that night. Executives unfortunately are always too busy meeting and putting new systems together to notice what’s going on in the real world.

Ken Held, The King Of Doo Wop here in South Florida and I were talking recently about a tune called “Gee” by the Crows which Ken informed me was the first Black Doo Wop song ever to cross over. I still remember the first time I heard it. My Cousin Ben who was an Army Cadet in Winnipeg at the time snuck me into a small dance lounge on the base when I was only 14 and I think the requirement was you had to be 17 or something. I only remember two things from that night … All the girls had breasts and they played the recording of “Gee” over and over again. Both are stuck in my head forevermore.

Both God And the Devil are in the details but pure Genius is hidden in the subtleties.

In 1934 the Auto Club of New York took a poll which revealed that 56% of drivers felt a car radio was a dangerous distraction while driving. Thank God it still is.

People tend to only understand the part they like about a brand new project.

The only reason for Death is to make Life worth living.

Sadly because of consolidation over 2000 radio people have recently have lost their jobs. What I don’t get is what part of that don’t the people who are constantly asking for raises get.

Wow 2012 already! Well we’ve never been here before so how the hell does this work?

Jennifer Suna Randal wrote on my wall that Records are forever. She is so right and I’m very proud to say I have a few of them hanging on my wall.

Women are just as attracted to good looks as men are. It’s just not as important to them.

I remember sitting around a hotel suite in Winnipeg in late 1964 with Peter & Gordon, Manfred Mann and The Zombies while they were doing interviews on CKY over the phone. One of them said to the DJ … If you ask me the wrong question the interview is over. That’s the day the Dee Jays died.

I’m hearing a lot of no more Obama stuff but very little of if not Obama stuff, what stuff ?

When Cami was a little girl I would take her to the Mall and we would stop into a few shops looking for some cool stuff for her While in there the older sales ladies would say to her … How sweet of your Grandpa to bring you shopping. Cami would immediately say to them, That’s not my Grandpa that’s my Daddy.(Cami’s Grandfather was still alive at the time so she couldn’t understand how these people could confuse me with him) The sales ladies would look at me with mild shock on their face and I would say, That’s right ladies and I’m still making them because I can !

Ask anyone under 40 what time it is they will look at their phone plus answer you digitally. Cami has no idea what time a “Quarter To Three” is.

Perception is not reality but it may be the reality we live with. My perception of the good times was I shared them with a lot of people but their perception probably was … I was lucky they helped me.

Lee Abrams said we should always respect Radio’s rich history but even more importantly we need passion for it’s future.

16 thoughts on “How The Hell Does This Work ?

  1. Instead of “It’s All Good” and “It is what it is”, how about “Paty”…Since so many people very rarely say “Please” and “Thank You”, just combining them into one word would save them a lot of pain.

  2. George, I love when you talk ‘dirty’. Yeah call me The DOO-WOP KING. That only took me since 1968 on the radio. Working with you is more fun than I deserve. Jennifer Suna (Randall) echoes that sentiment and digs your mention above. Hey,
    Tom Jicha of the FORT LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL just reported:
    “KEN HELD DOO-WOP SHOP” Moves to 850 WFTL RADIO in South Florida
    and ONLINE @ 850WFTL.COM each SUNDAY, 6pm-9pm ET.
    Co-Host JENNIFER ‘J J’ SUNA (Randall).

    Luv U Buddy!

  3. Your posting brings to the surface three thoughts:

    1.) It may be time to launch a new one-hour weekly talk show: “The Shoe Show”, all about shoes for men and women. It should be a hit if the near-riots in every major city this past December over the “new” Air Jordans are any indication. The theme could adulterate the song, “I’ve got a new attitude !” into “I’ve got a new pair of shoes !”

    2.) With much love, respect and admiration for that fearless leader whom we all revere, we could try to revive that beloved phrase from 1969-1970 and the refrain from “Grazin’ In The Grass”: “Can ya digg it !?!”

    3.) Yes, there are several “fathers” of Rock and Roll, from “Rocket 88” and to Alan Freed, but it was my year in Memphis and the times I spent being exposed to real blues by my operations manager at WFYI Public Radio, Jay Zochowski, whom had made it a quest to meet the surviving black bluesmen of the Mississippi delta area around Clarksdale to teach me about Robert Johnson and his 29-recordings and to introduce me to Robert Ledford, Yank Rachelle (whom is buried in Indianapolis) and
    brought David “Honeyboy” Edwards in his mid-90s to the WFYI Blues Stage at Penrod in 2002. They sang from their hearts and souls without embellishment. These men were to not only the fathers of the blues, but when their 1920s-1930s recordings were heard and embraced by the Elvis Presleys, the Jerry Lee Lewises, the Carl Perkins and the Johnny Cashes of the world in the hands of the producers like Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis and the other independent record producers in Chicago, Detroit, Philadephia and New York, that collective created Rock and Roll.

    • Don’t forget Jed Muddy Waters thought Chuck Berry was a Singing Cowboy which proves my point. Muddy Waters never sang Rock & Roll but Chuck Berry sure did.

      • Well said. I grew up in and around the indie record biz in NYC as a little kid in the ’50s and had relatives who wrote and managed many of the singing groups of that era. I know all the old-timers personally, both black and white, many no longer on this earth, but I must admit that the first performers that I was exposed to were R&B singers, and my Show has always been a tribute to the primarily black artists that went largely uncredited and who created this genre of vocal group harmony. The stories I relate BETWEEN the songs are all based on my personal experience and first-hand conversations with these largely forgotten African-American pioneers. I am always amazed when a Canadian kid from Manitoba tells me that he heard these recordings as a kid. Check out the Program and you’ll hear incredible unreleased material, demos, even acetates transferred to CDs. As George so well knows, I do this gig for the pure love of this ‘roots’ music, and over the years the Show has earned fans like Dion, who often comes to the studio unannounced just to hang out and learn. Yeah, it’s entertaining … it’s even educational … but without the pain. As radio columnist Tom Jicha said, something good has to be said for a broadcast that has lasted 30+ years on the radio in this market. Hell, I even get under-40 year-olds who grew up listening to the DOO-WOP SHOP….so it’s all good.

        • Ken, I think the artists who I adore are very lucky they have a guy like you who adores them also. Being a artist at one time and I say that very humbly, it was all we ever wanted. We didn’t do it for the money, what money, we did it because we needed to be loved. Ken you love these artists and they know it. I’m sure they all return your love.

  4. George-
    I see you are allowing “lust” to cloud your statistical research again.

    In fact, you already delivered what a woman wanted on radio a long time ago. His name is Ken LeMann. Kenny used to seduce ’em like no “air talent” I’ve ever heard. What you’ve discovered is that women want the same thing they’ve always wanted…in that same order. Surprised?

    When the sales/programming/management department has any influence on what the talent says, the “romance” and the “picture” gets lost. Until the “commercial” can be separated from the “show”….radio IS truly dead.

    You’ve got the loyalty thing all mixed up too! Of course she’s loyal…until the first time you offer a differing “opinion”…then you’re dead meat!

    The deception starts the first time you agree that attending her sister-in-laws/kids 5th grade graduation party is EXACTLY what YOU wanted to do that day!

    Speaking of what happens to you when the romance is over…I had once of those “internal” medical exams this past week. I wasn’t bothered by the camera…but I WAS concerned about the lighting, the microphone, and the Executive Producer!

    • Paul we’ve got to get you back on the air you’ve got too much talent to do nothing but sit on a yacht, let me do that for you. I think I’ll make you Buzzy’s Boss because he needs daily spankings as you know and that might be enjoyable for both of you. Well at least you! Maybe Buzz could learn to like them or straighten up.(-:

  5. I’ll take from your lips. a new one… whatchya got ?
    and, “Quarter To Three”, that would be Gary U.S. Bonds… an expanded version of “A Night with Daddy ‘G’ – Part 1” George, you could rebrand yourself as Daddy G.

    • I thought the 1/4 to 3 was rather subtle but good for you Mr. Below and Cami still does call me Daddy when she is low on funds so daddy geo might be appropriate.

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