OK, so it’s Friday afternoon in the great Pacific Northwest and I’m at work. If it weren’t for the fact I’m supposed to hear back from a couple of clients about new contracts, I’d split this joint in a heartbeat.

I. don’t wanna work. I wanna bang on the drum all day….

So, I’m cleaning up some of my drafts…here’s a radio mix from over a year ago. Who knows if it’s any good.

This week’s radio mix:

Santana – Hold On
Isaac Hayes – Don’t Let Go
REO Speedwagon – Keep The Fire Burning
Hall And Oates – Wait For Me (reminds me of my first radio gig)
Lyn Collins – Think About It
Raydio – Can’t Change That (this one too)
Tony Basil – Mickey
Crazy Elephant – Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’
Alan Parsons Project – Dammed If I Do
The Beatles – Nowhere Man (for my boy, Austin)

K-Tel-A-Delic V

Yesterday, I mentioned REO Speedwagon in a post I wrote about those rock one-hitters I discovered while working my first AOR radio gig.

This morning, Jeff over at The Midnight Tracker gave me an inside tip on a little “midwest madness” he’ll be serving up on his site in the days to come. (Sorry, can’t spill the beans…).

This afternoon, my kids were recounting their trip to see the Ice Capades, wherein one of the skaters did a routine to Roll With The Changes.

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I’m destined to post about those much-loved, sometimes-reviled kings of midwest rock and roll.

I bought Nine Lives at Peaches Records and Tapes in Buffalo in 1979 because I loved the song Only The Strong Survive. Otherwise, I’d never heard all that much of REO Speedwagon when I landed at the aforementioned radio station in 1981. Maybe 157 Riverside Avenue had crossed my path a time or two, but that was about it.

It then and there that I discovered Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly, to this day two of my favorites from the album that, to this day, has one of my favorite titles: You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish.

A few years later, I got to do a phone interview with Alan Gratzer (a local fave who grew up in Upstate New York) and when Hi Infidelity was ubiquitous, I got to see their show in Rochester from backstage, with a gorgeous French Canadian girl who spoke just enough English to be dangerous. (Oh, yeah, it was a great show. Amazing sound they had in those days).

So, yeah, I like REO Speedwagon and my kids do too. After a couple listens to Roll With The Changes, my 8-year was at the piano, working out the chords (and my 10-year old was trying to tune a fish).

Roll With The Changes - Hands down my favorite REO song, probably because of Neal Doughty’s hands. Still one of the great B3 solos of all rock and roll.
Time For Me To Fly – Great harmonies.
Keep On Lovin’ You – OK, I know it was overplayed and people revolted. But, twenty years on, you have it admit: it’s a great pop song.
Can’t Fight This Feeling – Sappy late model REO…but, I like it anyway.

Quick and dirty, a half-hour of short (really short) and sweet little ditties.

Santana – Hold On
Isaac Hayes – Don’t Let Go
REO Speedwagon – Keep The Fire Burning
Hall And Oates – Wait For Me
Lyn Collins – Think About It
Raydio – You Can’t Change That
Toni Basil – Mickey
Crazy Elephant – Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’
Alan Parsons Project – Damned If I Do
The Beatles – Nowhere Man

K-Tel-A-Delic V