Uncle Joe Benson is one cool dude!
If you catch the Sunday Night Specials on KGON, then you've heard of Uncle Joe Benson because of his wonderful interviews on "Off the Record." I remember when that show started, and a woman named Mary Turner was the host. From what I can remember, she married and left radio and eventually Uncle Joe started doing the show in the 90's. My first contact with Uncle Joe was when KGON was in the old Clackamas building on Johnson Road. He had written several "Uncle Joe's Record Guide" books that were amazing and oh so helpful to us disc jockeys before the invention of the internet. We were giving away copies on the air and I called him to thank him for writing them in the first place. In fact, I still like reading the books from folks like Uncle Joe because I know the man has actually talked to the groups like The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc. On the internet, one never knows.
Plus if you're a car fanatic, you'll love his car stuff on the site. Rock and cars seem to go together.
Run away and join the circus!
I actually have a friend who did that. It's one of the better lines when she meets someone. I must admit that it made me sit up and ask "WHAT?" Well, here's a different kind of circus. If you've been under a rock for the last decade or so, you may not have heard of Cirque du Soleil, but the rest of us have been amazed at their blend of artists. Even at one Paul McCartney show here in Portland, members of Cirque du Soleil were part of the beginning of the show. Yearly they set up a tent near our waterfront location and the shows always sell out. So, if you can bend yourself into the shape of a living pretzel, or fly through the air with the greatest of ease, or are musically talented, you could be exactly what they are looking for. Even if you can't do any of those things, it's a great thing to watch. Here's a link to discover the employment opportunities of Cirque du Soleil.
Mitch Mitchell found dead at Portland's Benson Hotel
Mitch Mitchell, the drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience was found dead in his room at the Benson Hotel Wednesday November 12 at 3am. The medical examiner says that he died of natural causes. Mitch was in Portland for the last show of the Experience Hendrix Tour 2008 on Friday, November 9th. Mitchell was available in the lobby after the show signing autographs. Here's a link to more information on the story.
Hey Wally, I didn't know you were an artist!
Actor Tony Dow, famous for his roll as Beaver's older brother Wally in the "Leave it to Beaver" series is also a very accomplished artist. So much so, that his works will be displayed in The Louve in Paris. Click here for the whole story.
Are you a studio freak? Yeah, me too.
While looking at information on Abbey Road Studios, I found this incredible site about recording studios around the world. I'm such a studio geek. I love the equipment, even if I don't know how to use it all, I love it. I love how it looks, how it glows, and mostly what it can do. I used to have a huge fear of screwing things up and being yelled at by technical wizards such as our own amazing Bob Brooks, but after many years of not abusing the equipment, and actually being the one who cleans the board in our own studio, the fear has subsided...a bit.
Abbey Road Studios-The Holy Grail
Not bragging...well, okay, just a little...but I've had the incredible luck to be able to actually be inside the hallowed halls of Abbey Road Studios four times.
The first time was in 1983 when the studios were planning some renovations and thought it would be a good idea to hold a sort of open house before they did the construction. So, they sold tickets, and I read about it and decided that I HAD to go. My cousin was living in West Sussex at the time, so I had a place to stay and it was a pretty short train ride into London from there. They had the actual old tape recorders that were used in The Beatles recording sessions on display, as well as a set of Ringo's drums, John Lennon's piano, Paul's bass, and George's guitar. They let us actually touch the items and pose for pictures. It was intoxicating. Then they sat us at little round tables with cups of tea served and a basket of biscuits (how very civilized), and showed us a film, of the "lads" recording in Studio Two. I swear I wept...silently.
The next three times were in 1999. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of The Beatles album "Abbey Road," KGON was asked to join a bevy of broadcasters in London and do a live show from the studios. I jumped at the chance to go back. Three days inside Abbey Road! Are you kidding? Heaven on earth for this girl. If you go to the Podcast section of our site, you will find a lot of those interviews. Alas, I must admit that some of the conversations were lost over the years (I know...I should have a better filing system, or any system at all), but there are enough of them on the site for you to get a taste of what I was going through. It was one rock star after another, all day long, for three whole days. We broadcasted from Studio One, and had all access passes to the whole place. The lunch room, the other studios, the bathrooms, everything. Plus we had a personal tour that took us everywhere in the building while our guide told little stories about Pink Floyd recording "Dark Side of the Moon" in Studio 3, and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone told stories about what busses they rode to the studios when they were recording "Odessey and Oracle." The woman working in the cafeteria told us how Paul McCartney liked his tea, and how kind he always was when he was working at Abbey Road. It was one of the most intense and enjoyable times of my life! Intense because I was constantly worried I was sounding like a complete idiot while interviewing these amazing people. I'm sometimes too much of a fan to be a good interviewer, but all I can do is be me.
One little side note about the second trip there, is that in the off hours we got to take cool tours of London, and explore on our own. We ate at Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers restaurant, which had the best ribs and burgers in London, and looked at all his personal Rolling Stones memorabelia lining the walls. I also got to hang out with Greg Kihn, who had the hit "The Breakup Song." He's a radio guy in the Bay Area now, and we found Lee Ho Fook's in the Soho area of London. You know...the reference in Warren Zevon's "Warewolves of London." His hair was perfect...but mine wasn't.
Check out the show "Live From Abbey Road" to see some amazing artists performing in those historic studios. Oh, and on their website, they have a live web cam that is pointed at the crosswalk where The Beatles shot the cover of the album. You can watch the rain, double decker busses drive by, and fans walk across the street while people take pictures of them.
Would they really replace Robert Plant in Led Zep?
Rumor has it that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham have been rehearsing with Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith. Now the word is that it's more than just rumor, but some say it's to get Robert Plant to commit to getting back together with his old band for a tour. Click here to read more on the story.
Animated series "King of the Hill" to end
It has been announced that the animated series 'King of the Hill' is coming to an end.
Variety says that the current 13th season of the show will be the last as US network Fox has decided not to order any more episodes of the series, the second longest running primetime animated show in TV history, behind 'The Simpsons'.
Bummer. I love this show. It's also very cool that Tom Petty does the voice of Luanne's husband, Lucky. Click here to read more about it.
Daughter of Bruce Springsteen is a horse woman!
Jessica Springsteen may be the daughter of legendary musician Bruce Springsteen, but she would much rather talk about her horses than her dad's music. Her Mother, Patti Scalfia also rides and introduced her daughter to the world of horses. Click here to link to the story on Jessica.
Turkey and Thanksgiving Fun Facts
With Halloween over, I begin the quest for new material to blog about. Thanksgiving is so great because it's all about the food, and no presents. Okay, presents are nice, but this is just the perfect holiday. Being thankful for what you have is just a good place to be in life. So with that in mind, here's a site of Thanksgiving stuff that you might enjoy. Cheers!
What song was #1 on the Billboard chart
This is a great little information site! It tells you what song was in the #1 position on the Billboard chart when you were born, or when your kids were born, or when you got married, or divorced, or any of those big life things. Click here to link to the site!
What kind of dog are YOU?
I've had this link on our site before, and this will totally piss off Amy, the KGON'sider because she's not an animal nut like I am. Have you ever wondered what kind of dog you are? No? Well then, just take a moment to ponder the subject. Just look at your co-workers. I know I've wondered what kind of animals I'm working with on a regular basis, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. Like the tall, thin runner type...obviously a Greyhound. If they're shorter, a Whippet. Big sad eyes...I'm thinking Basset Hound. The office busybody...they could be a Border Collie. The nervous type...gotta be Chihuahua. Most concerned about their hair...Afghan. Engineers...Jack Russell Terriers. See where I'm going with this?
Have some fun and take this little test to find your inner dog. Click here to get to the test.
Oh, and I'm a Tibetan Spaniel. If everyone lit just one little spaniel, what a bright world it would be. Woof.
KGON listener Lee Lewis had a great idea. Since he was spending his summer working around the world he would show off his KGON colors in pictures.
Lady April, The Rush Fan! Meet my friend April, who follows Rush when they are touring. Also check out some pictures of the most recent Rush show at the Amphitheater at Clark County.
George Carlin at KGON's birthday party, many moons ago
Remember the time that George Carlin , The Starship, and Rising Tide played at the Portland Marriott Ballroom for KGON's birthday party? I think it was February 1992. I lost my brand new watch that night and didn't even mind. I think the clasp came undone because of my hearty applause! It was a grand time, and we gave George Carlin a KGON leather and wool jacket, that he later wore during one of his HBO specials. We also got to watch him completely take care of a drunk heckler. I would have hated to be her. We all had a great time that night, except for the heckler. KGON's Dick Sheetz played with Rising Tide, and my friend "Stash" played harp with them as well. I think they used to call that line-up of "The Tide" the Rising Dick Revue. It was one hell of a birthday blow out. I was reminiscing about that night on the air after George Carlin passed away, and my friend Patty Hasen was listening and sent this picture. Thanks Patty!
Now George is gone, and so is Dick Sheetz. It just doesn't seem right. We miss them both.
Have men forgotten how to hunt? I just had lunch with two stunning women who let me know about a disturbing new trend. They said that guys just don't make the first move anymore. Click to read the whole sad story...
People will call the station asking about different music venues...where they are located, what I like about them, what to watch for, what you can bring along....that kind of thing. So, I thought I would put together a handy list, and links to the sites for the different venues in and around the Portland area. Click on the name of the venue for a link to their page.
Blimp Blog Did you ever ride in a blimp? Well I did. Click on the picture to read more about it.
