Eight Track Flashback

Thinking back over all the shows I’ve done since I took over the Saturday slot and Eight Track Flashback in November of 1996 it seems the most important thing keeping me going is the support from listeners who tell me how much they appreciate the show and then put their money where their mouth is by making a contribution to the station,

So it’s that time again and while I would rather be playing more music and talking less about supporting Eight Track Flashback and WNCU, I recognize that raising money for the station and the program is essential for keeping the show on the air.

My work (if you can call it that given the enjoyment and satisfaction it gives me…) is done as a volunteer for WNCU, and additionally I am paying for the music I find to play on the air (and believe it or not there is still a lot of music I keep finding..). But the station has expenses to keep the show on the air for electricity, equipment maintenance and our ever diligent support staff, so funding is essential.

So I hope you will participate from your end, give us a call at 919-560-9628 between now and next Saturday October 24th, and designate your contribution to Eight Track Flashback. You can also donate at the station’s secure web site at www.wncu.org.

So thank you for past and future support, stay safe and keep listening!

Thanks, Jim Davis

I guess our rain perhaps fallout from Delta down in the gulf? Anyway, fall is my  favorite season, rain this weekend notwithstanding.

Bought the second volume of Boss Black Rockers, and some good material there, youll’ hear some today.

Also bought a Specialty label LP (yeah…not CD) off eBay, primarily for the cover, will see about posting a picture, lets just say Radio DJ themed art work. Looked at the credits, Barry Hansen, aka Dr Demento, so not surprised.

Discovered a great Stick McGhee tune, Venus Blues from 1950 (Atlantic). Need to track down the best way to get it to play on the air, but for now if you’re a curious, you can find it on YouTube.

Jim

Back again, another Saturday with a lot of neat music. As I mentioned last week a lot of late ’40’s material, so the last hour of the show includes a lot of new material, Joe Turner and Dave Bartholomew as well known names but a number of other greats tunes by unfamiliar folk. To try and keep some balance I’m also looking out for “new” music from the middle fifties to the early sixties to. A possible source is a series of CDs from a DJ called “The Mojo Man”. I have obtained the first of this series “Boss Black Rockers” and will play two tunes form this, one of which is a 1962 release featuring Little Richard’s road band The Upsetters, and with a vocal by the man himself. Speaking of Dave Bartholomew, the tune is a Dave and Fats composition. Look for it in hour #2. There are at least 4 more in the series and will get to them in time…

Hello, and welcome in. As always you can follow my playlist for the show by going to the current page. Anyway I thought I would bring you up to date on what I have been up to… “New” music. Obviously by this I mean music that I have not played before on 8 Track Flash Back. There are a number of sources for new music. Lately I have been adding a lot of late  40’s, post war R&B as a result of finding a site called “Spontaneous Lunacy”. I believe the author is in the UK, or at least Europe, and they are reviewing music and artists from that period, working through records (78 rpm for original issue) starting in 1947 with what they consider the birth of Rock and Roll, Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. Not sure I agree it was that late, but not a bad demarcation point. Also their definition of Rock and Roll is quite broad and idiosyncratic, they included “It’s Too Soon to Know” by the Orioles (and others..) which  I would consider a very important recording and event in musical history, but the song and performance itself are not what I would consider Rock and Roll. They are now up to middle/late 1950. So they have some heavy hitters under the belt and I do not find much to disagree with them on the reviews as to quality and importance. But what is important is that I am finding records by artists I both know well and unknown that are worth obtaining and playing on the air. So I have been doing that. So this is a site I recommend you take a look at. Much of what they say is supported by other sources, the musical reviews are on point of the most part, and what I cannot vouch for sounds reasonable and all of it makes an entertaining read. More later…show about to begin!

Back at the station for another edition of 8 Track Flashback. Using the spare time to get some new music in the system, finally loading the Chess New Orleans 2 CD set, some great material there by artists I had not been aware of. Also a recent acquisition from Not Now music called “Harlem Stroll”, R&B from around 1955 into the early 60s’.

One thing worth mentioning…when going to “pages” to look for the current playlist you need to scroll through the various playlist to get to the current one.

Thanks for listening, and if you can make a contribution to WNCU and 8 Track Flashback, times are getting tougher with opportunities for our usual fundraising activities limited.

Now that the orders for stay at home are modified I am back at the studio for the show. So I can take phone calls, feel free to call but best to do so immediately after I stop talking on the air. The number is 919-560-9628.

I hope you enjoyed my little Richard retrospective last week, as a result of that I did some digging and have purchased a 3 CD Little Richard Specialty Records session set (not the HUGE Ace records set, too expensive…) and will be getting some of that material reviewed and ready for next week. Take care and stay safe…

So we’ll try Eight track Flashback home edition again. Made some tech changes and no rain over night so hopefully will work better. We shall see…

Will update after we get underway. In any case should have a playlist up.

Thanks for checking by…Jim Davis

Update–seems to work ok. About two hours in and internet working fine.

BTW–for anyone who might want to call, we have our special phone number set up, 919-606-2525 if you would like to call

BUT–please call AFTER I stop talking on microphone, since the phone will ring. I may just take it off hook while talking.

Jim

Welcome-

Hope you are well and staying distant. So this will be the third week of doing 8tfb from the house. I was able to program music remotely, so now all the volunteer work is remote.

Was able to get last week’s playlist on the site while doing the show, but have not gotten to past shows, just too busy. Hope to have this week up as I broadcast, and maybe get some old ones up later.

Managed to get phone access working, so if you want to call me you can. I would suggest listening (of course…) and call right after I go off microphone. That way the phone won’t ring while I am on the air and I will have some time to talk to you.

The number is 919-606-2525, a special number for 8tfb, not answered any other time and will probably give a canned message rather than a ring.

But for now is good…Thanks for listening. Jim Davis

Post script–Well the internet connection from the station is crashing intermittently, so I came in to the studio, did a few breaks and some voice tracks. With the new order of things we are most likely look at going forward even after this immediate situation (hopefully) resolves, my expectation is we will need to significantly upgrade our internet service, hopefully we can find the resources to do that and a provider that can work with the campus IT folk to get it done. I think the rain has affected our current connection, so maybe live next week.  –JWD

So we have managed to keep the show on the air in spite of the Corona virus pandemic. We are now social distancing by not coming to the station to do volunteer work for the radio show, while still coming in only as needed for the technical operation. One week we simply voice tracked the show as we have done in the past when unable to come in due to other commitments or being out of town with no substitute like Travis or Michael Reese being available to fill in.

This past weekend I did the show remotely from my home office, using the internet to control the music and send my voice to the station. I think that went pretty well. The challenge now is programming the music into the computer for next weekend remotely, I have a way to do that which should work, and will try that out in the next day or so.

I now have access to this web site from my home office, and will try and get around to posting playlists for the past two shows as time permits.

Technology allows us to stay safe in ways unimaginable twenty or even ten years ago. The problem for many folk is inadequate internet service, and I hope the carriers and the government will help remedy that situation after the immediate crisis is over. In the meantime radio provides a medium of connectivity and entertainment which works without the need for complicated infrastructure reaching so many of those who would listen, and I hope you will continue listening and support WNCU and 8 Track Flashback.

Say safe now…Jim Davis

We still have some of the CDs which we can mail to you. Listen for your chance to win!

Our fundraising for 8 Track Flashback and WNCU starts next Saturday October 19th and run through Sunday October 27th. So you have two opportunities to support the show.

So plan on listening and calling in at 919-560-9628 or go to our web site at www.wncu.org to support the show and Public Radio in Durham and on line everywhere!

Thanks, Jim Davis