Stump the band

UPDATE: Seattle-area radio stations still get a C-minus grade overall 4 their music selections. NEthing they play during the day is still just a warm-up 4 their nighttime programming. But the locals DID suprise me with a few good & unXpected songs on Sun nite as I tried 2 finish working thru the hottest & busiest week of the year.
I started paying attn when my buddies at my fave oldies station KMCQ-FM 104.5 tossed-in Ike & Tina Turner's 1966 classic "River Deep, Mountain High" -- a heavy-melodrama Phil Spector masterwork that's right up there w/ "Be My Baby" & "Baby I Love You" & "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" -- & which peaked at #99 in America. I'd NEVER heard it played on radio B4.
So I cranked it up as loud as it would go -- the tiny little store-stereo speakers were rumbling & distorting w/ the sound of Spector's Wall Of Sound Orchestra trying 2 escape -- & I yelled 2 a customer: "Is this the end of the world?"
"Sure SOUNDS like it," he said -- which gave me a chance 2 go in2 my rap about what the song was & what a suprise it was 2 hear it on radio....
The folks at KMCQ followed-up a few mins later with another great shoulda-bn-hit, Todd Rundgren's "Couldn't I Just Tell You?" -- a power-pop gem from 1972, from Todd's album SOMETHING/ANYTHING?, which has lots more great tunes on it. Never heard "Couldn't I Just Tell You?" on the radio B4, either.
Some1 at KMCQ knows what they're doing -- even if they DO play 2 much Tom Jones & Frank Sinatra & Bobby Sherman & Perry Como & Shaun Cassidy. Still....
A few mins later a coupla high-school-or-slightly-later-aged guys walked in, 1 w/ spiked purple hair pointing 2 feet straight-up outta his head, + a Nazi-swastika T-shirt -- & the other wearing a Ramones T-shirt. & I said: "Hey, it's like being back in 1977 again! How ya doin...?!"
But I had 2 interrupt this tirade 2 turn up The Stylistics' 1972 classic "You Are Everything." Still a sucker 4 that "Sweet Soul."
The locals continued w/ occasional pleasant (tho not shocking) suprises thruout the evening. 4 every "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" & "Philadelphia Freedom" & "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" (sorry 2 pick on Elton) -- or 1/2adozen lame Eagles songs, the local stations followed up w/ Badfinger's "No Matter What" & "Baby Blue," "Closing Time" & "Rockabye," & The Spinners' "I'll Be Around." It coulda bn worse.
Other high points:
Loreena McKennett: "The Mummers' Dance."
Dave Edmunds: "I Hear You Knockin'."
Modern English: "I Melt With You."

Little Steven's Underground Garage followed later with a slew of overlooked greats & suprises -- as part of a show in tribute to the victims of 9/11 & 2 the people of New York City. The high points I caught included:
John Lennon: "New York City."
Bob Dylan: "Talking New York."
The Masterplan: "Fourteenth Street."
Freddy Cannon: "Palisades Park" -- which I thot was the best song in the world when I was 6 years old; it's still pretty great.
Jimi Hendrix: "Crosstown Traffic."
Launderettes: "Red River."
Velvet Underground: "I'm Waiting for the Man." Kinda a shock 2 hear this on the radio -- tho of course they coulda played "Heroin" & REALLY shocked me.... You sure can't mistake Lou Reed's voice 4 NE1 else's....
Blondie: "Sunday Girl."
Dictators: "Avenue A." Kinda cute considering their reputation....
Smithereens: "Sorry." Nice rumbly guitar & good choruses.
Dion: "If I Fall Behind." Coulda bn straight outta the '50s but apparently was recorded just a few years back....
Nancy Sinatra: "How Come the City Never Sleeps?" The B-side 2 "These Boots Were Made for Walkin'" -- intresting, if not Xactly a classic....
Jim Carroll -- "Different Touch."
+ a coupla Ramones trax I was unfamiliar with, including 1 that's apparently not-officially-released yet...? 2 bad these weren't on when the punk-rock guys walked in2 the store....
+ a couple by Bruce: "The Rising" (good, solid, high-quality stuff from The Boss) -- & "Meeting Across the River," which has a gorgeous mood, great piano by Roy Bittan & superb mournful trumpet from Randy Brecker. ...Of course, I have the BORN TO RUN album in the house, but had never played this track. Proving again that I'm impatient & 2-easily bored & that I can overlook stuff 4 YEARS....
...Would love 2 hear Spanking Charlene's brilliant, hard-hitting & hilarious "Dismissed With A Kiss" again, but Steven hasn't played it the last coupla wks.... Just found out during a Google search last nite that the song was released back in 2007 -- proving again that I'm at LEAST 4 years Bhind the times. No suprise there. But I'm still learnin....
More soon....