KFOG, But Not 10@10

[darryl]

Ah, Christmas time... I love it.

Tue Dec 12 09:36:00 2006        DARLENE LOVE    WHITE CHRISTMAS

Remarkably, KFOG *has* played Darlene outside of the morning hour, and even, inexplicably, once on July 8, 2005 at 6:27pm.  Weird.  Big Rick must've been in an odd mood.

I would hope they would play anything off the album at any hour during the holiday system.  I don't seem to tire of it.

I Amazon-wished for the Phil Spector "Back to Mono" box set and got it for Christmas.  It includes "A Christmas Gift for You".  (Nice tip from the reviews of the latter led me to the $16.99 Box Set which was a mere $6 more than just the X-Mas disc alone, and includes a really nice book.)

As we drove up to Tahoe Thursday after Christmas, the biggest surprise off of the first disc was The Crystals ode to domestic abuse:  He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss).  Holy crap, we couldn't believe our ears!

He hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me and I knew he loved me
Cause if he didn't care for me
I could have never made him mad
He hit me and I was glad

We flew to the liner notes:  holy crap -- G. Goffin and C. King!?

Wikipedia's got some interesting notes on the topic:

Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied with complete sincerity that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.

The song was written and intended as a sort of protest song from the point of view of an abused woman. Phil Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous. Dave Thompson writes, "It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector ’s arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston’s lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least as satire. But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song’s writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting."

Huh.

[Gazoo]

As we drove up to Tahoe Thursday after Christmas, the biggest surprise off of the first disc was The Crystals ode to domestic abuse:  He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss).  Holy crap, we couldn't believe our ears!

He hit me and it felt like a kiss
He hit me and I knew he loved me
Cause if he didn't care for me
I could have never made him mad
He hit me and I was glad

We flew to the liner notes:  holy crap -- G. Goffin and C. King!?

Wikipedia's got some interesting notes on the topic:

Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend. When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied with complete sincerity that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.

The song was written and intended as a sort of protest song from the point of view of an abused woman. Phil Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous. Dave Thompson writes, "It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector ’s arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston’s lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least as satire. But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song’s writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting."

Huh.

I've heard of this song, but have never heard it, and didn't know the lyrics or the backstory.  Thank you muchly muchly for posting them.  From personal experience, I don't think domestic violence was a recognized phenomenon until the early '80s (and it's still a poorly understood one).

[RGMike]

As we drove up to Tahoe Thursday after Christmas, the biggest surprise off of the first disc was The Crystals ode to domestic abuse:  He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss).  Holy crap, we couldn't believe our ears!

I've heard of this song, but have never heard it, and didn't know the lyrics or the backstory.  Thank you muchly muchly for posting them.  From personal experience, I don't think domestic violence was a recognized phenomenon until the early '80s (and it's still a poorly understood one).

Little Steven has played it a few times on his show -- it's your typical Spector/Crystals production, no hint of irony.  Sounds weird to our ears, and even at the time, if it was a single, it never charted.

[urth]

As we drove up to Tahoe Thursday after Christmas, the biggest surprise off of the first disc was The Crystals ode to domestic abuse:  He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss).  Holy crap, we couldn't believe our ears!

I've heard of this song, but have never heard it, and didn't know the lyrics or the backstory.  Thank you muchly muchly for posting them.  From personal experience, I don't think domestic violence was a recognized phenomenon until the early '80s (and it's still a poorly understood one).

Little Steven has played it a few times on his show -- it's your typical Spector/Crystals production, no hint of irony.  Sounds weird to our ears, and even at the time, if it was a single, it never charted.

The Motels covered it in the early 80s, and I think Hole/Courtney Golddigger did it later--late 90s maybe.

[RGMike]

according to the "New Releases Thursday" promo, KFOG's playing something from that Peter Frampton all-instrumental-with-special-guests CD... isn't that, like, 6 months old at this point?

[RGMike]

On the "New Releases" promo, Big Rick sez:

"Kenny Wayne Shepard -- he finally got to make that hard-core blues album he's always wanted to make..."

Oh joy.

[RGMike]

A very good Ben Fong-Torres piece in today's Chron about the KFOG morning show and how it all works:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/28/PKG7VLMKUI1.DTL

[princessofcairo]

A very good Ben Fong-Torres piece in today's Chron about the KFOG morning show and how it all works:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/28/PKG7VLMKUI1.DTL

thanks for sharing! that was a fun read.

[RGMike]

I'm getting really sick of this creepy Death Cuts for Cabbies song, "...Into the Dark".  I know Emo sells, but sheesh.

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight

*shudder*

[RGMike]

Best Request-O-Rama in ages: the winner asked for Billy Joel's "Miami 2017", which I had not heard on the radio since leaving NY 16 years ago.

[RGMike]

Dave is having an absolute ORGASM over the fact that he's about to interview... Judge Judy.

ETA Dave was in awe, but not a bad interview. Followed by (what else?) 10cc, "Good Morning Judge".

[darryl]

http://www.kfog.com/pdvs.asp

While you enjoy the KFOG variety, see if you can figure out the "hidden theme" of our KFOG President’s Day Variety Show (6am to 12am).

Hrm.  Here's the playlist so far (not including 10@10):

Mon Feb 19 06:03:00 2007        Crosby, Stills, Nash    DEJA VU Deja Vu
Mon Feb 19 06:06:00 2007        ASHTON ALLEN    DEWDROPS        Dewdrops
Mon Feb 19 06:15:00 2007        Jack Johnson    JACK JOHNSON (KFOG ARCHIVES)    NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHAS
Mon Feb 19 06:33:01 2007        REM     FIND THE RIVER  AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
Mon Feb 19 06:39:00 2007        BEN HARPER      MORNING YEARNING        Both Sides of the Gun [Digipak]
Mon Feb 19 06:48:00 2007        ALISON BROWN    ANGEL   Stolen Moments
Mon Feb 19 06:51:00 2007        DAVID WILCOX    HARD PART       Vista
Mon Feb 19 07:06:00 2007        JACKSON BROWNE  FOUNTAIN OF SORROW      LATE FOR THE SKY
Mon Feb 19 07:09:00 2007        LUCY KAPLANSKY  I'VE JUST SEEN A FACE   Tide [Bonus Tracks] [Remastered]
Mon Feb 19 07:18:01 2007        Original Soundtrack     NOWHERE MAN     I Am Sam
Mon Feb 19 07:21:00 2007        ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK     VANILLA SKY     VANILLA SKY
Mon Feb 19 07:27:01 2007        The Chieftains  I KNOW MY LOVE  Tears of Stone
Mon Feb 19 07:36:01 2007        JOHN MELLENCAMP PINK HOUSES     MTV UNPLUGGED
Mon Feb 19 07:42:00 2007        Shawn Colvin    FILL ME UP      These Four Walls
Mon Feb 19 07:51:00 2007        THIRD EYE BLIND NEVER LET YOU GO        BLUE
Mon Feb 19 07:54:00 2007        Chris Isaak     BABY DID A BAD BAD THING        Forever Blue
Mon Feb 19 08:00:01 2007        Bruce Springsteen       BORN TO RUN     Chimes Of Freedom [EP]
Mon Feb 19 08:06:01 2007        THE EAGLES      PEACEFUL EASY FEELING   COMMON THREAD: SONGS OF THE EAGLES / VARIOUS
Mon Feb 19 08:12:00 2007        Bob Dylan       SPIRIT ON THE WATER     Modern Times
Mon Feb 19 08:24:00 2007        JACKSON BROWNE  JACKSON BROWNE ON LIVES INTERVIEW SEGMENT
Mon Feb 19 08:45:00 2007        RUFUS WAINWRIGHT        GREEK SONG      POSES (ADDED TRACK)
Mon Feb 19 08:51:00 2007        RAY LAMONTAGNE  CRAZY
Mon Feb 19 08:57:00 2007        COUNTING CROWS  FRIEND OF THE DEVIL     FILMS ABOUT GHOSTS: THE BEST OF (ENH)
Mon Feb 19 09:06:00 2007        Randy Newman    MR. PRESIDENT HAVE PITY O       Good Old Boys: Deluxe Edition
Mon Feb 19 09:12:00 2007        INDIGO GIRLS    I BELIEVE IN LOVE
Mon Feb 19 09:42:00 2007        THE POLICE      MAN IN A SUITCASE       ZENYATTA MONDATTA
Mon Feb 19 09:45:00 2007        Leo Kottke      SWEET EMOTION   Sixty Six Steps
Mon Feb 19 09:54:00 2007        Original Soundtrack     SQUARE ONE      Elizabethtown
Mon Feb 19 09:57:00 2007        J.J. CALE       AFTER MIDNIGHT  SPECIAL EDITION

[darryl]

Missing from the above playlist, they played some really nice in-studio mini-sets from Shawn Mullins and Jack Johnson, where we actually got to hear some of the in-between-song banter/song background.

It was funny hearing Shawn talk about how he and Pete Droge were struggling with some lyrics while Matthew Sweet was sleeping on the couch or something.  Matthew woke up, said, "What's the problem?  Interstellar rainbow On its cosmic wheel. Rollin' where the wind blows... Never standin’ still.  There you go."  Shawn sez, "Dang, we should let you take naps more often."

Also nice to hear Jack Johnson talk about how the line from Inaudible Melodies was originally, "Slow down Bruce, you're moving too fast. Frames can't catch you when you're moving like that."  He relates that he was taking a film studies course (presumably at UC Santa Barbara) that talked about Bruce Lee's moves being too quick for the camera to capture it realistically at 24fps.  He was also taking a course on music and film, and was supposed to be working on a paper called "Inaudible Melodies."  He ended up getting an extension for the paper and finishing the song.

[RGMike]

per this week's KFOG e-mail, this year's Kaboom will be Sat May 12th .

[RGMike]

Oh what an Oscar can do:  KFOG is playing Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up", as is KBCO. Neither station bothered with it last summer.