I.R.S. Ð NOW WE ARE SIX
Less tax-ing, more fun. ThatÕs Hz So GoodÕs 6th
annual I.R.S., as in ÒIt Really ShouldaÓ been a Top 10 hit.
HereÕs how to file your ÒI.R.S. formÓ
and help build this year's Top 104, to be counted down the weekend
preceding that other IRS deadline (Friday April 12 to Sunday April 14)
over RewoundRadio.com
and wrnjradio.com/streaming.
á Put together your list of songs that make you say
"THAT really shoulda been a top 10 hit!" Any song that didnÕt reach the Top 10
in the U.S. is fair game, whether or not it was ever on any chart, ever
released as a single, or ever released in the U.S.
á It doesn't matter if you don't know (or care) whether songs
were Top 10 or not. We'll take care of all corrections.
á Send as few songs as youÕd like, or as many, up to 100. We
know some of you can come up with more, but please limit your list to 100
songs.
á Unless you specify otherwise, lists are assumed to be in
rank order, with your favorite/most deserving listed first.
á Make sure to list the title AND artist for every song. And
please, in that order, title followed by artist.
á Since this is a ranking of songs, do not list two sides of
a single as one entry. Likewise, do not list two or more versions
of the same song as one entry.
á Send your completed list, along with your full name and
complete mailing address, to IRS104@verizon.net. The absolute deadline for all ÒI.R.S. formsÓ is 11:59:59pm
Eastern time, April 1st Ð April FoolÕs Day - 2013.
Random I.R.S. filers will receive ÒrefundsÓ in the form of either
merchandise from RadioLogoLand or 4-disc sets of the I.R.S. Top 104! And for
the first time this year, everyone filing an I.R.S. form receives a free
one-year membership to HardToFindMusicAndMovies.com, including a 20%
discount off non-sale items. Remember to include your full name and complete
mailing address in your email to be eligible for any of these prizes.
Over the weekend leading up to this yearÕs other
IRS deadline (Friday April 12 to Sunday April 14), weÕll count down the 6th
annual I.R.S. Top 104 on a radio or computer near you (and in Hz So Good)
and draw winners Ð details soon. If weÕre not already connected, friend me on
Facebook (richappel7) or follow me on Twitter (@RestOfTheWeek) for regular
updates.
So, let the 6th annual I.R.S. begin. Preparers
are standing by.
H&Z ROCK
a
division of
ÒFighting to
stay freeÓ #171...February
2013
ÒShut up and ENTERTAIN!Ó
And now, ladies and gentlemenÉ
Émy dictionary defines
ÒentertainÓ as Òto hold the attention of; amuse.Ó
Is one supposed to be
synonymous with the other? And, does the former suggest that anything or anyone
holding anyoneÕs attention is entertaining?
Perhaps like you, I grew
up thinking that radio, like television and motion pictures, was an
entertainment medium. For the first two, I defined ÔentertainmentÕ as something
I thoroughly enjoyed when watching or listening (I suppose it amused me, but
ever since Goodfellas, IÕve
associated that word too closely with Joe Pesci). Holding my attention was a
given: a good song, clever and interesting DJ or funny TV show could all do
that.
IÕve spent so much time
focused on radioÕs diminishing ability to entertain that until now it didnÕt
hit me that maybe thatÕs not whatÕs really happening. WhatÕs really happening
is that what is entertaining has evolved (or, one could argue, de-volved) over
time.
In summer 1977, a museum
exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania saluted the spoken word. Part of that
salute was a re-creation of a 1940s living room with a large-and-in-charge
radio tuned to The Jack Benny Show. A
then-20-year-old me could not get enough, coming back every day to listen a
little more. IÕd already known and loved Benny from TV and clips of the radio
show, but this cemented it: Benny was an entertainer, one of the greatest,
really.
But today, BennyÕs
entertainment value is lost, same as that of any comedian from that era. The
idea of a person or persons on a stage telling jokes (or joking with each
other) as a basis for a TV program would not pass for entertainment today.
There are still recorded situation comedies, but even they are not the
prominent source of entertainment for todayÕs viewers. Reality has snatched
that crown, drama too.
And back on the radio,
entertainment also is not what it was. Music still entertains, but the way it
is served up has changed to suit todayÕs listener, and, like on TV, it is the
live entertainer, that person who talked between the songs and made them hold
together, who has taken the fall. Not surprisingly, this came through years of
reducing the role of the DJ from one music format to the next. WeÕve gone from
ÒShut up and play the musicÓ to just plain ÒShut up.Ó ThatÕs why thereÕs
DJ-less radio (if you can call it radio) via Pandora, homemade Internet
stations and, sadly, over-the-air radio itself.
And where the DJ still
exists and is allowed to talk, he or she isnÕt allowed to say all that much or
voice an opinion, tell a story, really say anything to make him or herself
sound like an interesting and engaging personality. And the majority of
listeners seem to be ok with this, perhaps because this is how to hold their
attention in this modern age. Webster said thatÕs entertainment, so it must be
true.
All this suggests that the
idea of what is entertaining will continue to change, regardless of where we
see, hear or feel it. Perhaps thereÕll be buttons for music, funny stuff,
competition, political ranting and so on. Our kids will just push whatever
button to experience what theyÕre in the mood for. And whatever they donÕt want
theyÕll just erase, like some annoying guy or girl talking, trying to explain
things or trying to be clever between songs or bits.
God forbid they should
find that entertaining.
And the hitsÉ
IS RADIO SPONGE-WORTHY? It
wasnÕt that long ago Twinkies went away, but not before Twinkie lovers (and
those who simply feared theyÕd never again have one) went crazy buying up every
last Twinkie in stores. Now, to really no oneÕs surprise, Twinkies and most
other Hostess cakes will return to stores under new ownership, and all will be
well with the universe.
Which makes you wonder what would (or, shudder, will) happen
if radio as we know it closes up shop. Will those who remember and loved radio
as it was come rushing back for one last hurrah? Does radio still occupy the
same place in the worldÕs heart as do Twinkies (in a manner of speaking,
anyway)? Will listeners suddenly stop and appreciate not just the sponge-y yet
tasty music on the outside but also the creamy goodness of personality DJs on
the inside (if they get that far)?
HereÕs hoping we never have to find out.
NAG, NAG, NAG And donÕt forgetÉ
* ÒThe CHRoniclerÓ in ThursdayÕs Billboard Top 40 Update (subscribe free
at http://www.billboard.biz/newsletters)
* ÒThe Rest Of The WeekÉÓ Saturday 6am-1pm and
Sunday 10am-3pm ET at http://wrnjradio.com/streaming/
* Follow me at http://twitter.com/#!/@Restoftheweek
* Friend me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/richappel7).
Click.
. . . . .
Past editions of Hz So Good can be seen
at http://www.60s70s.org/HzSoGood