September 2006

As I was busy reassembling my music library today, I was delighted to find a CD single I’ve been looking for since Earl and I moved into this house almost three years ago. It’s my favorite record of all time.

BT, “Remember”.

I remember when I first discovered BT’s music. His album ESCM arrived on my desk at the radio station back in 1996. Unfamiliar with this BT, the CD didn’t make it to the weekly music meetings for a number of weeks. There were no record reps calling me begging me for airplay. It wasn’t even mentioned in the trades.

When I first started out as a Program Director I used to screen new music by throwing it in the CD player in the car and going for a drive. I figured most listeners listened to the radio in the car, so I would do the same to see if the song was good or not. If I liked it, the CD case stayed in the passenger seat. If I didn’t think it worked, it got thrown in the back seat. If I really hated the record, it got thrown on the floor of the back seat and then into the dumpster when I got back to the station. It was a system that worked well for a number of years, until the station became overwhelmed with music. Then the music director and I would just plop CDs in one of the payola boomboxes we had, listen to the first 30 seconds and if it grabbed us, go another 30 seconds, otherwise it was tossed in the garbage bin. I seem to remember records scoring higher if they were wrapped in colored paper instead of the traditional white flyer. By the way, Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby (One More Time)” went into the trash bin after the first 30 seconds, right down the same road as the Spice Girls “Wannabe”. No one ever said the 30 second rule accounted for bad public taste.

Anyways, I distinctly remember listening to BT’s full length CD, “ESCM” and being absolutely gripped by the amazing use of technology on all his tracks. I ended up going for an extra long ride that day back in 1997 because I wanted to listen to the whole CD before going back to the station. The CD flowed, I was swayed and my ears felt caressed. While it was never a big Top 40 hit, “Remember” gained a permanent spot on the station playlist and in the mix shows.

I’m glad to have found the CD. It’s once again found a place of prominence in the music library.

Here’s the track on Amazon if you want to take a listen. The vocals on “Remember” are by Jan Johnston.

This weekend has flown by and unfortunately I have accomplished very little of what I had on my “to do” list. The floors haven’t been vacuumed, the furniture hasn’t been dusted and the cat litter hasn’t been changed.

I’ve been too busy playing in the music studio.

I’ve been asked to DJ at bear night in Buffalo in October. The last time I DJ’d was at bear night in Buffalo last September, so it’s been a little while. I’ve been messing around with the equipment here at home in the meantime, and while it’s quite enjoyable, I don’t get the “rush” I usually get when I see a crowded dance floor with lots of hot, sweaty people doing their best gyrations to the music I’m playing. Maybe I should play some videos or something here at the house but I don’t think that’ll be the same either.

Earl and I did go out to the local bar for a few drinks Friday night to survey the current gay club scene in Utica. Sigh. Times have changed and occasionally I feel like an obsolete model when we go out locally, as the folks here all like that hip-hoppy, shuffle like you’re depressed music that doesn’t have any energy behind it whatsoever. I don’t know why that’s the case since when we go out in other cities, the music is still quite acceptable. So Friday night I told the bartender, that would be first Earl, that I would gladly spin one or two nights over the next couple of months to see if there’s any interest. I’ll probably have to keep pestering them about it, just like I did way back in 1992 when I first started spinning there.

Meanwhile, I’m currently recording my favorite 12-inch singles into my PowerBook, after running them through a program called “ClickRepair” which does a really good job of getting rid of the clicks and pops time has put on my precious vinyl. I’ve done three records so far: “You Keep Me Hanging On” by Reba McEntire, “That’s What Love Can Do” by Boy Krazy and “Happy” by Legacy of Sound featuring Meja. I shudder to think that these three tracks are at least a decade old. I’ve got about 40 or 50 more to go to be ready for bear night. While the vinyl is recording, I’m messing on the other computer getting the feel for the software I use to spin.

Thank the Universe I haven’t lost my touch.

Perhaps I’ll have to put together a mix MP3 to share.

I’ve recently acquired some new toys in my music studio here at the house that allows me to do some really nifty stuff. Do people say “nifty” anymore? “How cute is he? Oh he’s ‘nifty'”. Hmm, I don’t think nifty is a common phrase anymore.

Well my new toys are nifty. And groovy. And keen.

Anyways, I have a couple of remix ideas floating around in my head that I’m hoping to get down on virtual tape over the next couple of weeks. One of these ideas includes remixing an upbeat Carpenters track to adapt it for a dance floor. I realize the mound of legalities involved with that, so it would never, ever be commercially released in any shape or form but I’d still like to play around with the track in the studio, even if only for learning purposes and my own amazement.

I think Karen Carpenter has _the most beautiful_ pop female voice ever. Ever. Hands down, bar none. She has a natural musicality about her that has not been duplicated to this day, regardless of how many try with electronic gizmos. She was truly a talented musician and when she passed on at such a young age this world truly lost something special.

Because of the great respect I have for The Carpenters’ music, I’m wondering if today’s audience would be receptive to a remixing of one of their uptempo tracks or if it would just smack too close to tacky. I’m not talking about vocal or instrumental replacement in the track, but rather percussion and instrumental augmentation to make it a little more danceable. I shudder when I hear these remixes on satellite radio; some dance diva wannabe taking an 80s ballad, croaking it out with lots of electronic processing and then proclaiming a dance hit. That’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking to preserve the music of the Carpenters by bringing a slightly updated sound to it for modern audiences to enjoy.

Am I crazy?