"Brass in Pocket" - The Next Song of the Week

Although it was a song that Chrissie Hynde hated, it was a hit and put The Pretenders on the map. Listen to the Song fo the Week on Wednesday, 10 am and 10pm, Central.

Check out the video. This was the 7th video ever shown on MTV.

K-Tel's "Rock 80" this month on AiV

This is by far my favorite K-Tel album.  It introduced me to the Romones. The Pretenders.  Blondie. Pat Benatar.

This is K-Tel's Rock 80.  I got this album on cassette for Christmas in 1980 and wore that tape out.  I must say, it was this album that shaped my musical tastes in the early 80s.  I was drawn more to the new wave music and early alternative music thanks, in part, to Rock 80.

This album will be streamed in its entirety on Adventures in Vinyl for the month of May.

Adventures in Vinyl can be heard at the following times:

Saturday, 12:30 pm (Central)  
Sunday, 4 pm (Central)
Tuesday, 1:30 pm (Central)
Wednesday, 2 am (Central)
Thursday, 10 am (Central)

Rock 80: K-Tel's Best Album, this month on Adventures in Vinyl

Prior to 1980, my musical tastes generally sucked.  Oh, I listened to the standard hits on the radio, but had no coherent musical wants or likes---outside, that is, of what was always played in my house:  John Denver, Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John and Barry Manilow.  Yes, I admit it, I could sing along to several Manilow tunes.  Remember, I didn't have any older brothers or sisters to show me the way (Think: Almost Famous). But then, in 1980, everything changed.  I discovered good music.

And I can thank K-Tel for that.

For Christmas in 1980, I received a cassette from my parents.  It was K-Tel's Rock 80.  And this album introduced me for the first time to what would become some of my favorite bands:  Cheap Trick, the Ramones, the Pretenders.  I started listening more to rock radio.  I would sit sometimes for hours, waiting patiently for a single song to add to my collection of mix tapes. 

This is a classic K-Tel album.  It only had fourteen songs, unlike the other K-Tel albums in my collection.  Most of the K-Tel albums had over 20 songs, the result of sometimes very bad edits and song crunching.  Not this one; this one has the full radio versions of the songs.

This album features the Pretenders, Cheap Trick, the Ramones, Joe Jackson, Blondie, Nick Lowe, the Knack and many more.  Here's the commercial:




Unfortunately, this cassette no longer works.  Thank God for Ebay.  A couple of years ago, I was able to purchase a nice copy on vinyl.  And that Rock 80 album is the featured selection on this month's edition of Adventures in Vinyl.  We will play the album in its entirety.  Plus, music and movie trivia from 1980 as well.

Adventures in Vinyl is the only radio show dedicated to the lost art of the K-Tel record compilation.  It can be heard on the Vinyl Voyage radio channel Saturdays at 11 am (CT) and Sundays at 4 pm (CT).  So join us for this nostalgic rip back to 1980.   Remember, if you can't hear it at those times, no worries:  just let us know when you would like to hear it and we'll play it for you at that time.  How's that for a personal playlist?

Livin' the Dream: Vinyl Voyage goes Live!

Today, the Vinyl Voyage went live for a period of time, playing tracks from 1979-1982.  Those were the years of junior high for me.  Probably the worst years of my life; who ever liked junior high, anyway?  Even so, this period of time provided the foundation to my musical tastes and as my allowance increased, so did my record-buying.

For about an hour and a half today, I spun tracks from that period of time in my life.  Currently, many of these songs can now be heard on the Vinyl Voyage:

Cars---Gary Numan
Loverboy---Turn Me Loose
Billy Squier---My Kinda Lover
Stevie Nicks---Edge of Seventeen
Rush---Limelight
Journey---Escape
Pat Benatar---Fire and Ice
Quarterflash---Harden My Heart
Shooting Star---Flesh and Blood
Styx---Babe
Pete Townshend---Let My Love Open the Door
John Cougar---Ain't Even Done With the Night
John Lennon---Watching the Wheels
Pretenders---Brass in Pocket
Sniff 'n' the Tears---Driver's Seat
Journey---Still They Ride

I had a little help at the controls from my two boys, Brennan and Quinn, who were home from school today for President's Day.

Many of these tracks are streaming now on the Vinyl Voyage on a regular basis.  Check us out.  We now have over 9 hours of music and are constantly adding more.  Click here to listen.  We have music going 24/7.

And, as usual, all of it on vinyl.