And, of course I'm going to tell you why....
1) Maybe I feel like I'm going to be forever young (well this week) so I don't think songs that were released when I was an infant or as a toddler, and I remember on the Cutlass's radio are "Old Skool." Prime examples would be "Forget Me Nots"(Patrice Rushen) or "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (Deniece Williams). Not when I still hear both remixed in clubs. They still are playing "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" in the clubs too, but they aren't regulated to the sunday oldies show. I take offense to "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" being regulated to the oldies show, as there are about 13 different versions between The Royalettes 1965 version and Niecey's 1982 hit. If you aren't comparing and contrasting the two, or 13 versions, keep Niecey's version as the late night after hours slow jam, it goes quite nicely next to some Jill Scott.
2) Do a little research. Certain jams were bigger regional hits than they were national (The above Royalettes version of "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" was a massive top 10 hit in places like their hometown Baltimore, New York and Philly, but only pulled in a #28 nationally on the R&B charts, but it stuck in enough people's minds, and singers minds to inspire just as many cover versions as, let's say "walk On By" or something). Find out what songs are remembered locally as "that jam." I think that is one of the few things that make a local Sunday Oldies show around my parts a good show.
3) White People used to be on the R&B charts, and top them! with songs you'd least expect! Prime example, Lesley Gore, "It's My Party" #1 pop for 4 weeks in 1963, but also #1 R&B for 2 weeks. So, some of us people that happen to like a few songs by, admittedly, very white artists, won't feel guilty, and stay in the closet about our love of some white artists and musicians. It took me until I was 24 to actually buy some Lesley Gore on CD. And even then I did it through Amazon.
4) Do we really have to hear "I Heard it Through The Grapevine" or "My Girl" on the radio again this sunday. We.All.Know.These.Songs. People in Romania know these songs. I thank god I went thru my early-mid teens with KDIA still on the AM. They would play these fabulous songs that, when I researched them, turned out to be decent, or even Massive hits. Jackie Ross's "Selfish One" comes immediately to mind. A song so powerful, graceful and influential(and sadly a one hit wonder for this other Miss Ross), yet, when's the last time you heard it on the radio, if you ever have? BTW, the Supremes first hit wasn't "Where Did Our Love Go." It was "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Thru His Eyes" which, according to cashbox polls at the time, went all the way to #2 R&B nationwide, along with a #23 pop listing.
5) make it 6, or 8 hours, and the DJ has to be passionate about the throwback. Don't regulate it to a 3 hour slot. And you know, a lot of these people are dead, but a whole lot more of them are alive. Call them, ask them if they wanna talk about their records, and invite them in. Right now, British homosexuals with bad teeth have more appreciation for the people behind the song than you
You might try this, or you'll lose me, and a whole host of people to XM Soul Street Baby! iPods and Limewire....
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