America's Best Music adds to playlist

[semoochie]

I can't make sense out of KKOV airing commercials for Foghat and Queensryche concerts.

Again, these are probably bonus spots for sister KPAM.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Again, these are probably bonus spots for sister KPAM.

I just wonder if that explains what happened about 20 years ago on the America's Best Music station in the Myrtle Beach area. The co-owned FM was rhythmic CHR. A station going after people who, if they were ever in the military, would surely be retired or high-ranking officers with many years of service, airing loud commercials recruiting people to join up.

"Smooth Operator" by Sade was one of the songs I heard today that I've never heard. I think Timeless Classics played it.

"My Life" by Billy Joel was also new. I like it, but it does seem kind of out of place. It's no worse than some of the other newer songs. Overall, it has sounded good today.

The weird thing is I lost the signal during Matt Monro's great version of "Somewhere" and tried a different tab, because refreshing never seems to work with Microsoft Edge. I found myself listening to the rest of the song while I was also hearing Olivia Newton-John singing the next song.

 

[semoochie]

I just wonder if that explains what happened about 20 years ago on the America's Best Music station in the Myrtle Beach area. The co-owned FM was rhythmic CHR. A station going after people who, if they were ever in the military, would surely be retired or high-ranking officers with many years of service, airing loud commercials recruiting people to join up.

"Smooth Operator" by Sade was one of the songs I heard today that I've never heard. I think Timeless Classics played it.

"My Life" by Billy Joel was also new. I like it, but it does seem kind of out of place. It's no worse than some of the other newer songs. Overall, it has sounded good today.

The weird thing is I lost the signal during Matt Monro's great version of "Somewhere" and tried a different tab, because refreshing never seems to work with Microsoft Edge. I found myself listening to the rest of the song while I was also hearing Olivia Newton-John singing the next song.

The last time I listened to KKOV, I heard Adele's "Hello" followed by "More Today than Yesterday", so I would think anything between those two would be acceptable. Billy Joel is right in there.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Some Billy Joel songs are. "My Life" is kind of uptempo for this format.

I can do without Kim Carnes. "More Love" isn't that bad but I can still hear how annoying her voice is. Her "Bette Davis Eyes" was on Timeless Favorites but that one is so hideously bad I go running for the exit. Not just her annoying voice, but the instrumentals.

"If You Asked Me To" was one of those songs that I thought was so bad during the chimpanzee period on my standards station in 1997. It wasn't that bad when I heard it this week, but not good. "Who Loves You" by The Four Seasons is the worst thing I've heard this week and that wasn't even one of the new ones. It would be better without the guitar solo.

Still, it would be so easy to decide the actual standards aren't needed because they mean listeners are too old. I'm grateful they're making such an effort with those.

I heard a commercial that made a reference to KPAM listeners, so I guess that proves at least some of these commercials are being sold because of KPAM.

 

[semoochie]

Some Billy Joel songs are. "My Life" is kind of uptempo for this format.

I can do without Kim Carnes. "More Love" isn't that bad but I can still hear how annoying her voice is. Her "Bette Davis Eyes" was on Timeless Favorites but that one is so hideously bad I go running for the exit. Not just her annoying voice, but the instrumentals.

"If You Asked Me To" was one of those songs that I thought was so bad during the chimpanzee period on my standards station in 1997. It wasn't that bad when I heard it this week, but not good. "Who Loves You" by The Four Seasons is the worst thing I've heard this week and that wasn't even one of the new ones. It would be better without the guitar solo.

Still, it would be so easy to decide the actual standards aren't needed because they mean listeners are too old. I'm grateful they're making such an effort with those.

I heard a commercial that made a reference to KPAM listeners, so I guess that proves at least some of these commercials are being sold because of KPAM.

You may not like "Bette Davis Eyes" but Bette Davis loved it!

 

[vchimpanzee]

They seem to cut off the news in the middle which makes room for more commercials or public service announcements. Based on the number of songs played, they're only leaving out one song. In some cases such as "A Little More Love" that's a good thing. That one's not new, based on what I've read here, but the only time I ever heard it was when my local affiliate's automation equipment went out and they didn't have network news.

Some strange things are happening with KKOV's automation. I heard the end of "Theme from 'The Apartment'", which always seemed to air during commercial breaks, but that was after they said "The following is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System". Plus one of their station IDs ran during the music.

I don't care, though, as long as I like the music.

 

[publisher]

More recent additions:

Dave Loggins – Please Come to Boston
Kenny G – Forever In Love; Songbird; Loving You
Vanessa Williams & Brian McKnight – Love Is
Joni Mitchell –*Help Me; Free Man In Paris
Orleans – Dance With Me
Paul McCartney – Take It Away; Only Love Remains
Wings –*Silly Love Songs; With a Little Luck; Listen to What the Man Said
Chuck Mangione – Give it All You Got
Taylor Dayne – Love Will Lead You Back
The Hollies – The Air That I Breathe; He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
Jim Brickman & Martina McBride – Valentine
Elton John – Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me;
10cc – I'm Not In Love
Faith Hill & Tim McGraw – It's your Love
Eagles – Desperado
Marty Balin – Hearts
Mariah Carey – I Don't Wanna Cry
Diana Ross – It's My Turn
Mike Post – The Rockford Files Theme; Theme from L.A. Law
Jack Wagner – All I Need
LeBlanc & Carr – Falling
Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin – Separate Lives
Don Williams – I Believe In You
Whitney Houston – All the Man I Need
Teddy Pendergrass & Whitney Houston – Hold Me

 

[vchimpanzee]

In recent years, I had only heard "It's My Turn" on the easy listening station in Myrtle Beach. It is such a good song.

So many of the songs above I would have assumed were already played. I'm especially surprised about "Songbird" because I would have thought surely that was there. Not that I like it. Of all the songs Kenny G has done, I only like "Desafinado". I saw "Silly Love Songs" on a playlist but for some reason didn't actually hear it.

Michael Bolton's "Soul Provider" doesn't sound too bad compared to his other stuff.

I always despised "Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. I don't know why, since I like both singers as individuals. But it's not really all that bad.

I have been dreading the day "All I Need" showed up. I have yet to hear it and I hope it stays that way.

I find it distressing that Whitney Houston's "All the Man I Need" is showing up here. I despise that song and that won't change. Her first hit "You Give Good Love" is played as well. I don't recall whether it has been listed. I don't care for it. "Hold Me' with Teddy Pendergrass came before that and I really liked that one.

Julie Andrews' "The Sound of Music" has been played twice while I was listening and I was really happy to hear it. It was on Stardust but I never heard it on America's Best Music.

"Autumn Leaves" and "Canadian Sunset" have never gone away, and yesterday I heard Bert Kaempfert's "Red Roses for a Blue Lady".

 

[publisher]

I'm surprised actually (although pleasantly) that some of the really good older stuff from Kaempfert, Johnny Mathis, Steve Lawrence and others have survived this moderation of the playlist. I even heard Vic Damone the other day! It really does seem like even though I estimate they've added over 100 songs to the regular playlist, it doesn't seem like anything has necessarily been deleted. I keep my affiliate on in my office as background music, so I'm pretty familiar with the music.

A few others I heard today that are new include older tunes from the Bee Gees (Fanny, Love So Right), Bruce Hornsby (Mandolin Rain), and Restless Heart (When She Cries). Based on those last two, they've undeniably mixed in more from the 80s and 90s.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The playlist shows "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins, which doesn't seem familiar, and "San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie, which seems like it should have been there all along.

Interesting that I'm hearing the Bee Gees right now as I read the post above.

 

[semoochie]

The playlist shows "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins, which doesn't seem familiar, and "San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie, which seems like it should have been there all along.

Interesting that I'm hearing the Bee Gees right now as I read the post above.

"Please Come to Boston" was an AC "staple" for years.

 

[vchimpanzee]

"Please Come to Boston" was an AC "staple" for years.

Still, I didn't know it. And if I had actually looked, it was on the list.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Two songs I haven't heard lately are "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole by himself without Natalie and "Fool on the Hill" by Brasil 66. I was worried the Beatles version of the second song was all that was being played, but a few minutes ago, although I had lost the stream because of my slow Internet, the playlist did say the Brasil 66 version was being played. I like that one much better.

 

[semoochie]

Two songs I haven't heard lately are "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole by himself without Natalie and "Fool on the Hill" by Brasil 66. I was worried the Beatles version of the second song was all that was being played, but a few minutes ago, although I had lost the stream because of my slow Internet, the playlist did say the Brasil 66 version was being played. I like that one much better.

I used to work with a guy who used the Sergio Mendez & Brazil '66 version as a theme song. I suggested the Beatles version and he didn't like it at all. He was the perfect definition of a curmudgeon: He didn't like anyone under 40 and he didn't like women. He was only about 40, himself. I was about 25 at the time and he was always comparing me with his wife.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Is "Almost Paradise" by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson on any of the lists?

 

[LibertyNT]

I just wonder if that explains what happened about 20 years ago on the America's Best Music station in the Myrtle Beach area. The co-owned FM was rhythmic CHR. A station going after people who, if they were ever in the military, would surely be retired or high-ranking officers with many years of service, airing loud commercials recruiting people to join up.

Probably a PSA of some sorts.

"My Maria" was the first song I heard today, which was unfortunate. It doesn't fit. But then the next two songs were good. In fact, one was really, really good because it was one of those Nat King Cole songs I can't believe any commercial station will still play in this day and age.

That would be BW Stevenson.

It sounded like the Brooks and Dunn version. It was pretty loud.

Without a doubt that would be BW Stevenson. Big hit for him in 1974 I believe.

 

[publisher]

Probably a PSA of some sorts.



That would be BW Stevenson.



Without a doubt that would be BW Stevenson. Big hit for him in 1974 I believe.

Yep. The BW Stevenson version was added as a timed 2:30 top-hour record a couple of months back.

 

[vchimpanzee]

When I first listened to KKOV, it didn't really sound different. Today is a good day, at least so far. It sounds like a "standards" station in the sense actual standards are being played. On several days in the past couple of weeks, though, I would agree that it sounded like Timeless Favorites. There was one day it was like someone turned on the switch at 4 P.M. my time and actual standards were showing up. I'm not saying the new songs that weren't there before were that different, but just that the format sounded more oldies/AC with mostly the songs that were there before.

"Making Love Out of Nothing at All" by Air Supply is the single worst song I've heard. It should be on the new Lite AC format, but it has no business here. It's one of those songs like The Carpenters' "Goodbye to Love". WAY too loud.

And then there's the time I heard "It's a Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler, who just doesn't have the voice for this type of music, followed immediately by "All I Need" by Jack Wagner, which is as bad as I remember. Send them to Lite AC, please!

That's not nearly as bad as the commercial for the Queensryche concert.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Now it's the Foghat concert.

Someone should be in trouble. And America's Best Music helped us. Whose idea was it to play "I'm Not in Love" by 10CC (which is too weird and new-age sounding for my taste) and "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates so close together? They have almost exactly the same opening.

 

[CTListener]

Now it's the Foghat concert.

Someone should be in trouble. And America's Best Music helped us. Whose idea was it to play "I'm Not in Love" by 10CC (which is too weird and new-age sounding for my taste) and "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates so close together? They have almost exactly the same opening.

They fit the format (well, 10cc are British, but I'm sure that being American isn't a prerequisite for inclusion on America's Best Music) and really aren't all that similar. The 10cc tune is English pop, the Hall & Oates is blue-eyed soul. Did they play them back-to-back or just within the same music block? With the way the vocals on "She's Gone" build, I don't see any tempo problems with playing the songs close to each other at all.