Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > November > 17
Saturday, November 17, 2007
11/17: Lite 96.7 starts Christmas, B98.5 plays one-hit wonders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At midnight today, soft rock Lite 96.7 went all Christmas with Sting’s “I Saw Three Ships,” followed by “Merry Christmas Darling” by the Carpenters and Amy Grant’s version of “Jingle Bell Rock.” It’s the first Atlanta radio station to go all Christmas. The only problem is the signal is very weak and can only be heard south of I-20 so for you northsiders, you’ll have to wait a few more days. You could listen live online, too..
B98.5 and 104.7/The Fish are expected to go all Christmas on Thanksgiving.
Speaking of B98.5, the station is doing one of its quirkiest theme weekends in a while, a one-hit wonder weekend packed with truly obscure songs going back to the early 1970s. In fact, since the major signal Lite 94.9 disappeared, B98.5 has been taking more chances possibly because ironically the lack of direct competition makes it easier for them to do so.
Here are a few songs they’ve played so far that I seldom hear on the radio anymore: Johnny Bristol’s 1974 top 10 hit “Hang On In There Baby,” The Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes” (1971), Carol Douglas’ “Doctor’s Orders” (1974), LeBlanc and Carr’s “Falling” (1978), Netherlands duo Mouth & MacNeal’s “How Do You Do?” (1972), John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band’s “On the Dark Side” (1983), Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” (1983), The Honeydrippers’ “Sea of Love” (1984), Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy” (1985), Timmy T’s #1 single “One More Try” (1991), Londonbeat’s “I’ve Been Thinking About You (1991)” and Los Del Rio’s “Macarena.” (1996)
And the station’s definition of “one hit wonder” is often odd.
— For instance, the station played the Thompson Twins’ “Hold Me Now.” The act has had at least three other top 15 hits including “King For a Day,” “Doctor Doctor” and “Lay Your Hands On Me.”
— Then there’s Debbie Gibson’s “Lost In Your Eyes.” She had several other top 20 hits including “Electric Youth,” “Shake Your Love,” “Only In My Dreams,” “Foolish Beat” and “Out of the Blue.”
— Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” from 2000 was played earlier today. She not only had a top 5 hit after that song “Turn Out The Lights” but has had several hits the past year including two No. 1 hits “Promiscuous” and “Say It Right,” plus a featured spot on a third “Give It To Me.”
— And somehow, Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll” was included. She had two other top 10 hits, “Crimson and Clover” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You.”
11/17: Joel McHale mocks Robin Roberts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of my favorite shows is Joel McHale’s “The Soup” on E!, which is a usually hilarious grabbag of snarky commentary on this week’s past pop culture events, mostly focused on TV clips.
Last night, McHale used the Georgia water crisis as the basis to make fun of an inattentive “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts (former WAGA sports reporter and V-103 morning co host).
Here’s the transcript (after a joke about Kiefer Sutherland which showed the painting he did for the cover of 99X’s Live X for a millisecond.):
McHale: “Good Morning America” did a report on cloud seeding, which is a process that would bring much needed rain to Georgia. If you just zoned out while I was explaining that, you could be a morning news anchor. It’s obvious that Robin Roberts wasn’t paying attention either.
[He plays a clip of ABC News reporter Steve Osunsami, in front of the Gold Dome]
Osunsami: Cloud seeding is not something you can just pick up and do. There’s equipment and entire operations and a commitment to the technology which doesn’t exist here in Georgia.
Roberts: Yes, it does Steve. Alright. Thank you.
McHale, in snark mode, rephrasing Roberts: Yes it does. I know it does. Because I gave them that technology. You Steve are a liar!
