Hot August Night

No, this post is not going 2 B about Neil Diamond....
Summer has finally arrived here -- sunny days with highs in the mid-80s. Sunday may edge in2 the low 90's, pretty hot 4 here. If it reaches 90, it'll B the hottest day of the year so far.
2 celebrate summer arriving over the past coupla weeks, Seattle-area radio stations have been pushing their Big Music Weekends. Usually these don't seem much diffrent from a normal radio day, but over the past few days radio's Bcome a little better, or my mood has gotten mellower.
Btween KZOK-FM 102.5's "Block Party Weekend," KAFE-FM's "The '70s with Cindy Barton," KMCQ's "10,000 Oldies Show" & "Star 101.5"'s "More Music Weekend," the local stations didn't do 2 bad a job of providing a decent Summer Soundtrack on Sat nite, tho it took them awhile 2 get warmed-up 2 it. 1nce I realized they were doing a little better than normal, I started keeping track.
The Sat Nite Playlist follows, the best stuff they played Btween about 6 pm & midnight -- carefully avoiding the Bad Stuff whenever possible.
There were a few suprises. MayB the biggest suprise was that I didn't hear "Stairway to Heaven," "Smoke on the Water," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Free Bird" or "Layla" all nite....

Bachman-Turner Overdrive: "Blue Collar." This jazzy R&B number from BTO's 1st album (1973) was playing while a guy my age was in the store -- I was busy playing the electric broom along with the tune. He said: "That's not pretty...." & I said: Yeah, but who knew BTO was such a soulful R&B band? & he said: "This is BTO? You're kidding...."
Roy Orbison: "In Dreams." 1 of the 1st 45's I ever heard....
Dusty Springfield: "I'll Try Anything." Reached #40 in 1967. Never heard this B4, very nice. & the radio wasn't thru with Dusty....
Brook Benton: "Rainy Night in Georgia." Customer asked me who this was & what station I was listening 2, he thot it was "really nice." It did sound good, never thot I liked it that much....
Grand Funk: "Bad Time."
Bee Gees: "Tragedy." Sounds pretty great now that it's 30+ years old, lotsa great melodrama....
Fleetwood Mac: "The Chain" & "Go Your Own Way."
Paul Simon: "American Tune" (live). Woulda preferred the studio original -- Paul rushes the song & downplays the drama in this version. Still some great lyrics....
Elton John: "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" (twice).
Bruce: "Dancing in the Dark." Was never a big fan of this, but it sounded pretty good....
Matchbox 20: "Push" & "Unwell." These both sounded pretty great. I thot "Unwell' shoulda got a Grammy as best song of its year....
Paul McCartney & Wings: "Junior's Farm." Hadn't heard this in awhile, it brot back Paul's great mid-'70s period when almost everything he did sounded great. Unfortunately, I also hadta dodge "Band on the Run" (again?!) & "Silly Love Songs"....
Dexy's Midnight Runners: "Come On, Eileen." Still a classic, & I hadn't heard it in awhile.
Madness: "Our House." Wonderful. Why wasn't "Embarassment" a hit in America?
Three Dog Night: "Liar." Oooh, very nice, with that subdued angry sound. Hadn't heard this in awhile, either....
Orleans: "Still the One," 2wice. Great harmonies & solid guitars....
Stones: "Gimme Shelter."
Spinners: "I'll Be Around." Classic. It never gets old. It seems simple, but there's so much going on....
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes: "The Love I Lost." Was never a big fan, but it sounds great now.
Supertramp: "Give a Little Bit," x2.
Peter Gabriel: "Solsbury Hill." Nothing personal, but I like Glass Moon's version a lot more -- playing up the drama really helps this song.
Pointer Sisters: "Fire." Love the organ at the end.... & of course Bruce wrote it....
Bob Welch: "Ebony Eyes," x2.
Mott the Hoople: "All the Young Dudes." Marvelous....
Bob Dylan: "Tangled Up in Blue." Sounds great! Not sure I'd heard it since about 1975, & I was screechin' along with Bob on the choruses....
Warren Zevon: "Werewolves of London."
Sweet: "Little Willy." Always fun, & a great singalong....
Earth, Wind and Fire: "September." Still a great summer song, joyous choruses....
Jerry Reed: "When You're Hot, You're Hot." This seemed appropriate....
Wilson Pickett: "Land of a Thousand Dances." Classic....
Crowded House: "Don't Dream it's Over."
Kelly Clarkson: "I'm Already Gone." Still as much of a knockout as I thot it was when I 1st heard it back in June....
Chicago: "Feeling Stronger Every Day" & "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?" Always loved "Feeling Stronger;" "Time" was never 1 of my faves, but it sounded pretty good....
Shocking Blue: "Venus."
Jethro Tull: "Living in the Past."
Who: "I Can See for Miles," "You Better You Bet" & "Join Together."
Police: "Message in a Bottle."(& "Roxanne" x2.)
Michael Jackson: "I Wanna Be Where You Are." Never noticed it when I was 13 years old, but this takes FOREVER 2 get 2 the 1st chorus....
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."
Boston: "More Than a Feeling" & "Hitch a Ride." The 2nd was a suprise, & the 1st 1 never seems 2 me 2 B overplayed....
Dusty Springfield: "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." Absolutely classic melodrama....
CSNY: "Carry On" & "Woodstock." The 2nd 1 always sounds good; "Carry On" has that great line "Rejoice! Rejoice! We have no choice...." + some nice keyboards....
Stephen Stills: "Love the One You're With." Best organ solo ever?
Eagles: "Peaceful Easy Feeling." Best thing they ever did? (Also dodged "The Long Run," "Hotel California," "One of These Nights," "Lyin' Eyes," "Life in the Fast Lane".... Why don't they ever play "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks"?)
INXS: "What You Need." Great guitars....
Five for Fighting: "Superman."
David Bowie: "Suffragette City," "Changes" & "Space Oddity." As appropriate 2 end the nite as would B the Beatles' "Day in the Life." As I get older, "Space Oddity" -- which I never liked much at the time -- moves me more & more. & "Changes" of course has that great line "Pretty soon now/You're gonna get older...." "Suffragette City" is of course just a pure rush. Add "Modern Love" & "Under Pressure" & that's all the Bowie I've ever needed....

So, not such a bad playlist 4 6 hrs, eh? & this stuff has sure made my job EZer. With the nice weather on the weekends, work has gotten a LOT busier -- but it's amazing how some decent music on the radio & a bouncy cashier can turn aside most wrath. At least, so far....
COMING SOON: Hot August Night 2!