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Post by Pete70s on Oct 21, 2005 15:09:17 GMT -5
I was going to post this in the No One Else Remembers thread where Ed and Dawn were discussing radio "Playlists", but realized I was going on a WAY off-topic tangent, so out of respect I'm giving it a post of it's own.
If anyone here has ever wondered why most of my favorite songs are NOT the artists biggest hits, THAT'S why! Radio has totally driven these songs into the ground, while totally ignoring other songs that are just as good, if not better! It's gotten to the point where if I'm listening to a Greatest Hits CD, I'll always skip over the songs the radio overplays, I just don't wanna hear them!
Almost all radio sucks now, it's all corporate. Boston don't even have a REAL oldies station anymore. Sure, there's Oldies 103, but I REFUSE to consider Fleetwood Mac and Wings "Oldies" (as much as I like them). Maybe Satelite or Internet radio will be the best alternative, but at the moment, I have neither. (I work in AM radio, and the format in general is as good as dead, and in all honsesty, I'm glad I'll be graduating college and moving on soon!)
When I was up in Maine a couple of months ago, they had a pretty decent oldies station (I heard B.J. Thomas's "I Just Can't Help Believing" on it. Don't think I've ever heard that on oldies radio before, save "Lost 45's).
What I don't like are these big executives who make big money to sit around a board meeting and make peoples decisions for them! They spout all this B.S. about how "Surveys have shown that bla-bla-bla.... So we're going to play these same 100 songs over and over.." That's when I make the decision to turn the radio off and put in a CD!
A good example of this, (without going too much off-topic): Have you noticed that the Cartoon Network NEVER shows classic cartoons anymore? My girlfriends kids are 5 and 8, and they've never even seen LOONEY TUNES!! (Sure, there on Boomerang, but nobody I know has it yet, and by the time we DO, they'll probably be as bad as CN is now..)
Well, I recently read an article about how Cartoon Network plans to update Looney Tunes for the new generation. Complete makeovers for all the characters in a futuristic setting. Their defence? "In the age of technology, old cartoons can't hold these kids attention.".... What a CROCK of B.S!!
Who are they to tell our kids what can and can't hold their attention? Whenever my girlfriend and I put in a video of classic Popeye, Tom and Jerry, or Mighty Mouse cartoons, THE KIDS LOVE THEM!!
So what I make of this is that it's all about control. These big-shots want to control young kids because they're the easiest market to target, they're impressionable. That's the only reason why Eminem and other (C)rappers are so big (It sure as hell ain't talent!). These people are making TONS of money by knowing who to target, and it REALLY pisses me off!
At the turn of the milennium, my biggest fear was that the media would do EVERYTHING they could to make sure the 20th century is forgotten (practically ERASED) as time goes on. Almost six years later, I see it coming true. "Oldies" radio isn't playing "true" oldies anymore, and "Classic" TV networks are showing less and less "classics".
I'm not against progress, and I try not to be "stuck in the past", but I'm all for preserving heritage (remember when Nick At Nite used that for a motto?). I think that classics, whether they're cartoons, movies, TV shows, or music, should be kept alive for future generations to appreciate, not swept under the rug like old news! But if these cretins have anything to say about it, it ain't gonna happen!
So there's my rant for the day.. I figure as the Click's resident "curmudgeon" I had to say my piece!
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Post by SAT-I need more room!! on Oct 21, 2005 16:29:11 GMT -5
I think you know by now that I am the same way with liking non-hits. I take a lot of shit in "real life" for liking mostly the non-hits from artists. On here some people have mentioned it, just in a nice way though.
I'm with you on the oldies thing. It's very strange when much of an oldies setlist is made up of the Doobies, Steely Dan, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, etc. I always said that offers nothing for someone like my almost 70 year old uncle who's tastes run 98% before the Invasion. What they need to do is have Oldies divided by eras. And they did that here with a station that is all before the Invasion.
But the regular oldies station sucked, and now it's gone, it's one of those "We play anything!" stations. The Timeless Rock station here is actually the best because while I do have to sit through Reeling in the Years and Your Song, I'll still hear Dr. Wu and Amoreena.
You are SO right about the cartoons! I've found you just have to do what you said you do-put on videos of the classics! Skylar loves Bugs Bunny, Scooby, Flintstones, Sherman & Peabody, etc, because I have DVD's for her. So while she does watch Spongebob and Fairly Oddparents (I admit I'm a mark for that one), she really loves the classics.
As far as that "can't hold their attention", you're SO right-BS!! We bought one of those cheapo variety tapes at Wal-Mart for $1 that had Little Audrey on it (or Little Haudrey as Skylar calls it!) and she LOVES it! Skips, pops, bad picture and all!
Anytime I've gotten shit for liking older stuff I have always said, "do you suddenly STOP liking stuff just because it's old? Will you stop liking Seinfeld, Pearl Jam, etc in 10 years?" Actually, the fans of grunge HAVE stopped like that music!
Bottom line is, if it's good it'll last!
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Post by KittyKat - RIP Luciano on Oct 21, 2005 18:28:51 GMT -5
In the past couple of weeks I've basically given up on radio except for the public radio station here that plays jazz. I'm just over it all. I've never listened to radio for "oldies"; I've always used it as a medium for discovering and being exposed to new music, even this pursuit has been annoying lately because of the way that most stations are run. I'm now going online to get my exposure to new music. I-tunes has become my best friend.
The only time I listen to the radio is occasionally in my car and to wake up to in the morning. Otherwise I'm listening to the XM satellite in my boyfriend's car or cds.
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Post by Dawn on Oct 21, 2005 18:30:16 GMT -5
Well said, Pete, and I agree with you on all counts. Radio is indeed in a sorry state these days, and despite the increased number of “classic” related formats on the radio in recent years – Oldies, Timeless, Classic Rock – all too often it ends up being a case of the same tired, overplayed songs in new packaging. In terms of depth and true variety of songs on these stations’ playlists, I honestly haven’t seen much improvement. Even if a few new, relatively unheard songs are introduced on these formats, they’re quickly overplayed to the point where the freshness is gone.
I used to think that the narrow playlists of the oldies stations I listened to were a result of them broadcasting in a relatively small metropolitan area, with little attention being paid to the programming of these stations because of the smaller advertising revenues. But even in the much larger markets I’ve traveled to recently, such as Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, the oldies format has consisted of almost exactly the same limited, tired playlists as here at home. There are a few exceptions, such as a station out of the Scranton, PA area, WICK-AM, that specializes in pre-1964 oldies, but they are few and far between. I listened to smooth jazz much of the time whenever I was in any of those cities, as it’s one format that’s not broadcast at all on AM or FM where I live, and the songs were a refreshing change!
I’m so very tired of Respect, Down on the Corner, Mustang Sally, Build Me Up Buttercup, It’s My Party, Unchained Melody, and the other songs that oldies stations have driven into the ground. I’d much rather hear songs like Keith’s Ain’t Gonna Lie, the Beach Boys’ The Little Girl I Once Knew, Lesley Gore’s California Nights, the Association’s Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies, Marvin Gaye’s You, the Animals’ Help Me Girl, the Rolling Stones’ Dandelion, etc. But sadly, songs like these and many more continue to be almost completely ignored by oldies program directors, and will end up forgotten, I’m afraid.
As I mentioned to Ed, I honestly don’t understand their rationale in choosing which songs to broadcast on an oldies format. There seems to be little rhyme or reason with regard to artist, chart position, etc. in a lot of cases. In fact, it almost seems as if they are deliberately choosing overplayed, overexposed songs sometimes.
I don’t watch Cartoon Network very often, but that’s disappointing to hear that they have moved away from the great classic cartoons that we loved as kids. Those are timeless, and it’s a shame that they’re getting shoved aside in favor of newer, what I call “plastic” programming that’s not nearly as well done. Millions of kids have enjoyed classic Looney Tunes cartoons over the years – no need to tamper with success!
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Post by Triple J on Oct 21, 2005 20:16:05 GMT -5
Radio certainly does play old hits into the ground. The number one overplayed song of all time has got to be "Sweet Home Alabama." BLAAAAAH!  I used to set my alarm to our local oldies station. You'd think that with 20-odd years' worth of music to choose from, you'd hear a good blend of stuff, right? WRONG! The same stuff over and over and over. And to top it off, the two moronic old-fart DJ's got on my nerves! Every Monday they would play a really bad version of "Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go..." GRRRR! I don't like the local classic-rock stations either. Skynyrd, Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Ozzy, Floyd, Steve Miller, Stones... I do like much of the latter three's material, but even "Satisfaction" gets REALLY irritating after a while. I did find a pretty decent station in Ashtabula, Star 97.1. They play a good mixture of 80's, 90's and recent hits. Easy-listening kinda stuff. Some of those newer songs I actually like! Who'da thunk it? I do like SOME of the newer shows on Cartoon Network. "Teen Titans" is all right, but they air the same episodes ad nauseum. "Justice League Unlimited" is excellent, but they only show it once a week... when they FEEL like showing it. There's "The Venture Brothers," that they only show sporadically at like 3 in the morning. And there's "Megas XLR," which is hilarious, but right now they don't even show it anymore.  Other stations have some good newer toons too, it's just so hard to find them sometimes. Boomerang shows some great old stuff once in a while. They just recently started showing the Pink Panther. But other stuff like Popeye, Casper, Droopy, and Mr. Magoo have disappeared. I watched one episode of that new WB show "Loonatics," and it was so pathetically stupid and annoying. Give me the old Looney Tunes shorts any day. WB's taking too long in making those DVD box sets. I hope I even live long enough to own all my favorites remastered on disc. I don't even know if they'll ever release those DePatie/Freleng ones from the early 60's. WB's even bastardized Batman! Their new cartoon series " The Batman," with new updated versions of classic characters. You should see what they did to the Joker... and Batgirl... it's just... so... stupid... I hear they're working on a new "Superman" series... AGAIN!... to go with next summer's "Superman Returns" movie, and it'll probably be as bad as " The Batman."  I could go on all night... I'd better stop now. |
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Post by Laura--I wuv u all :) on Oct 22, 2005 11:17:27 GMT -5
I’d much rather hear songs like Keith’s Ain’t Gonna Lie, the Beach Boys’ The Little Girl I Once Knew, Lesley Gore’s California Nights, the Association’s Pandora’s Golden Heebie Jeebies, Marvin Gaye’s You, the Animals’ Help Me Girl, the Rolling Stones’ Dandelion, etc. The only songs on that list I know are "California Nights" and "Dandelion". Dawn, I'd say that the fact that I only know 2 of those songs proves your point. For the most part, I've given up on radio.  We have the Boomerang channel on our satellite dish. Jonathan loves it! He loves "Scooby-Doo", "Tom & Jerry", "2 Stupid Dogs", "Looney Tunes", and now that they have "The Pink Panther", he loves that too (I heard him humming the theme song the other day). "Pokemon" is his favorite right now, though. I don't know what channel the show is on, but he has a LOT of the videos. He likes some of the stuff on Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel, but mostly our TV ends up on Boomerang or on videos or DVD's. BTW, Triple J, Boomerang still has "Popeye". Jonathan loves that too. They often show Popeye cartoon shorts in between other shows (the same is true with Wally Gator, Lippy & Hardy, etc.--they'll show one episode in between 2 shows). |
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Post by Ken on Oct 25, 2005 0:21:25 GMT -5
Pete, I agree with the statements you've made. Radio is really in a terrible state for the most part. I don't listen to the radio ANYWHERE near as much as I used to. It seems as far as my local classic rock station even though they appear to have made some changes to their playlist ,I can still guess what their going to play even before they play it. I get much more enjoyment from listening to my cassettes in my Van anyway and to my CD's, LP's etc when I'm in the house. As far as top 40 is concerned I can't believe how it continues it's downward spiral - just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, it does! Perfect example - Jessica Simpson's cover of These Boots Were Made For Walkin' and the fact that .50 Cent and Eminem are still allowed to release their mindless crap to the public. I think I'm going to go and hug my Badfinger albums ;D Movies now don't seem to be much better. Can you say remake? how many have their been in just the last year or so? I've lost count - The Stepford Wives, The Love Bug , Bewitched, The Dukes Of Hazzard - which I know you hated with a passion - I totally agree buddy  etc. It seems that they've officailly ran out of ideas and remakes seem to be the way to make a quick buck. I remember one family dinner we had a couple of years ago and the conversation got around to classic horror flicks of the 70's and 80's. I along with my brothers and my sister in law were telling two of my nieces just how much better they were back then as compared to at that time.We were telling them which ones to rent as examples. Well a few months later after renting a few of our picks my oldest niece who is 21 now said to me "Uncle Ken - you guys were right! they were SO MUCH better!" "Looney Tunes for a new Generation?" oh say it isn't so! Ugh I hate when they decide to update old classic toons. I personally still love the old Bugs Bunny cartoons and still get a huge kick out of them every time I watch them as well as other old faves such The Flinstones or Scooby Doo etc - you get what I mean. |
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Post by SAT-I need more room!! on Oct 25, 2005 0:39:00 GMT -5
Movies now don't seem to be much better. Can you say remake? how many have their been in just the last year or so? I've lost count - The Stepford Wives, The Love Bug , Bewitched, The Dukes Of Hazzard - which I know you hated with a passion - I totally agree buddy etc. It seems that they've officailly ran out of ideas and remakes seem to be the way to make a quick buck. Let us not forget the Honeymooners! How ridiculous was that?? First off, that was a landmark comedy that should NOT have been touched in any form. But I thought it was really strange to make the cast black. Just like it would have been strange to have The Cosby Kids as a bunch of white kids. |
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Oct 26, 2005 10:53:54 GMT -5
Movies now don't seem to be much better. Can you say remake? how many have their been in just the last year or so? I've lost count - The Stepford Wives, The Love Bug , Bewitched, The Dukes Of Hazzard - which I know you hated with a passion - I totally agree buddy etc. It seems that they've officailly ran out of ideas and remakes seem to be the way to make a quick buck. Let us not forget the Honeymooners! How ridiculous was that?? First off, that was a landmark comedy that should NOT have been touched in any form. But I thought it was really strange to make the cast black. Just like it would have been strange to have The Cosby Kids as a bunch of white kids. I can kinda see both sides of the coin here, Adam. One side says don't mess with a "classic" and for the most part I agree with that. But if that's the case, why do you and I both really like ELO's version of Roll Over Beethoven? There is something to be said for a remake of something (even a classic) when it's done with a different spin. I don't know if making a black Honeymooners is really a different spin or not. I have not seen the new Honeymooners, but I would assume there was a good amount of African-American humor (can't say black humor as that has a totally different meaning. ) and making a sit-com about a loudmouth busdriver who happened to be black would be OK. The problem is that the original Honeymooners wasn't about a WHITE loudmouth busdriver. It was about Jackie Gleason. No-one but NO-ONE ever can be Ralph Kramden other than Jackie Gleason. So ... a new interpretation of the HONEYMOONERS is OK (just like a new interpretation of Roll Over Beethoven is OK) --- but --- a new interpretation of JACKIE GLEASON is not OK. |
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Post by SAT-I need more room!! on Oct 26, 2005 11:15:41 GMT -5
Let us not forget the Honeymooners! How ridiculous was that?? First off, that was a landmark comedy that should NOT have been touched in any form. But I thought it was really strange to make the cast black. Just like it would have been strange to have The Cosby Kids as a bunch of white kids. I can kinda see both sides of the coin here, Adam. One side says don't mess with a "classic" and for the most part I agree with that. But if that's the case, why do you and I both really like ELO's version of Roll Over Beethoven? There is something to be said for a remake of something (even a classic) when it's done with a different spin. I don't know if making a black Honeymooners is really a different spin or not. I have not seen the new Honeymooners, but I would assume there was a good amount of African-American humor (can't say black humor as that has a totally different meaning. ) and making a sit-com about a loudmouth busdriver who happened to be black would be OK. The problem is that the original Honeymooners wasn't about a WHITE loudmouth busdriver. It was about Jackie Gleason. No-one but NO-ONE ever can be Ralph Kramden other than Jackie Gleason. So ... a new interpretation of the HONEYMOONERS is OK (just like a new interpretation of Roll Over Beethoven is OK) --- but --- a new interpretation of JACKIE GLEASON is not OK. I don't see Roll Over Beethoven at the same level as the Honeymooners/Jackie Gleason. To me, messing with the show is more akin to messing with Rock Around the Clock because it was a true pioneer of television. Lucy, Sid Ceasar and only a few others fit in that category. Roll Over Beethoven I don't think of at that level. Anyway, part of my point, and you said it better than me, is that that is JACKIE'S role, and no one, black or white, can recreate it. And you're right, a sitcom about a black busdriver IS fine-but why do it on characters already done? For the most part, I really don't like movie remakes of TV shows. I have no interest in Bewitched. I liked the Brady Bunch movies but they were more spoofs, mockerys of the show. |
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Post by Ken on Oct 26, 2005 18:20:44 GMT -5
Movies now don't seem to be much better. Can you say remake? how many have their been in just the last year or so? I've lost count - The Stepford Wives, The Love Bug , Bewitched, The Dukes Of Hazzard - which I know you hated with a passion - I totally agree buddy etc. It seems that they've officailly ran out of ideas and remakes seem to be the way to make a quick buck. Let us not forget the Honeymooners! How ridiculous was that?? First off, that was a landmark comedy that should NOT have been touched in any form. But I thought it was really strange to make the cast black. Just like it would have been strange to have The Cosby Kids as a bunch of white kids. Wow I did forget about that one - I wasn't impressed with it when I saw the movie trailers. |
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Post by Pete70s on Oct 26, 2005 18:34:28 GMT -5
I can kinda see both sides of the coin here, Adam. One side says don't mess with a "classic" and for the most part I agree with that. But if that's the case, why do you and I both really like ELO's version of Roll Over Beethoven? There is something to be said for a remake of something (even a classic) when it's done with a different spin. I don't know if making a black Honeymooners is really a different spin or not. I have not seen the new Honeymooners, but I would assume there was a good amount of African-American humor (can't say black humor as that has a totally different meaning. ) and making a sit-com about a loudmouth busdriver who happened to be black would be OK. The problem is that the original Honeymooners wasn't about a WHITE loudmouth busdriver. It was about Jackie Gleason. No-one but NO-ONE ever can be Ralph Kramden other than Jackie Gleason. So ... a new interpretation of the HONEYMOONERS is OK (just like a new interpretation of Roll Over Beethoven is OK) --- but --- a new interpretation of JACKIE GLEASON is not OK. I don't see Roll Over Beethoven at the same level as the Honeymooners/Jackie Gleason. To me, messing with the show is more akin to messing with Rock Around the Clock because it was a true pioneer of television. Lucy, Sid Ceasar and only a few others fit in that category. Roll Over Beethoven I don't think of at that level. Anyway, part of my point, and you said it better than me, is that that is JACKIE'S role, and no one, black or white, can recreate it. And you're right, a sitcom about a black busdriver IS fine-but why do it on characters already done? For the most part, I really don't like movie remakes of TV shows. I have no interest in Bewitched. I liked the Brady Bunch movies but they were more spoofs, mockerys of the show. The "Roll Over Beethoven" remake is OK, because it was done out of love and respect for the original, where most of todays remakes are only done for $$$$$. |
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Yesterday's Gone
Full Member
It's time to remember and celebrate Sharon Tate for who she was ... not what happened to her.
Posts: 153
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Post by Yesterday's Gone on Jan 24, 2006 18:46:25 GMT -5
The "Roll Over Beethoven" remake is OK, because it was done out of love and respect for the original, where most of todays remakes are only done for $$$$$. Look at Mariah Carey's cover of Bringin' On The Heartbreak and Kid Rock's cover of Feel Like Makin' Love ... two of the worst overs ever made! Susan (missnia) and I, just recently switched over to XM Radio ... before that I usually stuck to CDs. XM Radio is pretty cool because you can pick and choose what you want to hear ... if your in the mood for the 80's or 70's switch over the the decades stations. If you want classic rock pick their album oriented rock station ... |
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Other stations have some good newer toons too, it's just so hard to find them sometimes.
etc. It seems that they've officailly ran out of ideas and remakes seem to be the way to make a quick buck. 
