In a world of change, one thing hasn’t: radio station formats.
It doesn’t matter where you go, if you twiddle the dial you’ll find the same old options: country, classic rock, top 40, oldies and talk are constant in every market. Some cities have seen a rise in stations serving African American or Hispanic audiences but, otherwise, commercial radio alternatives don’t change. I must echo Peggy Lee: is that all there is?
Before I suggest an alternative, I understand that commercial radio is a business that, like other businesses, has had to contend with the rise of the internet, a place where the kind of format I’m going to propose already exists.
So, you might say, just go online. But what about all the people who have grown up listening to radio? Isn’t anyone else tired of hearing the same thing over and over?
My proposal is for a radio format that expands the exotica-space-age pop category. I have to credit Darrell Brogdon of Kansas Public Radio for opening my eyes and ears to the possibilities.
Darrell has been producer and host of the Retro Cocktail Hour since 1996. Last year he logged his one-thousandth show. His hour-long program employs all the elements of exotica. A low-key host, Brogdon provides informative accompaniment to the off-beat music he plays. He keeps comments brief, always reminding us that his show is a place where the music is shaken, not stirred.
Darrell has had plenty of time to develop his cocktail hour. The website offers recent programs to enjoy along with a playlist that details song title, artist, and the album from which it came. Talk about a treasure trove!
I know what you’re thinking about the space-age pop thing. After a brief swing music revival in the late 90s, Capitol Records saw a marketing opportunity to recycle old material. The company released a big series of cleverly conceived compilations (say that three times fast) and enjoyed some sales success into the early 2000s.
Yes, Capitol has provided a lounge-music bible of sorts but that’s just one of Brogdon’s sources. You have the standard bearers: Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, and Esquivel, exotica’s Mt. Rushmore, if you will, but Darrell also plays plenty of new music.
That’s right, folks, groups like Tikiyaki Orchestra, Waitiki 7, Kenny Sasaki & the Tiki Boys, and the Martini Kings are still making space-age pop. You may not be familiar with those names but there are plenty of artists on Brogdon’s playlist you do know: Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Connie Stevens, Henry Mancini, and Ramsey Lewis, to name just a few.
Here’s the proposal: roll out a Retro Radio Station and call it “The Island,” “Tiki Hut,” or “Dry Martini,” whatever. Then play, in no particular order: exotica, pop standards, novelty songs, jazz, TV and movie themes, surf tunes, Polynesian pop, calypso, reggae, ambient music, and, yes, a little rock.
As for the rock, I’m talking about a playlist that might include Jimmy Buffett, Chuck Berry, Sheryl Crow (“Soak Up the Sun,” “Every Day is a Winding Road”), Tina Turner (“Proud Mary,” “Nutbush City Limits”), Beach Boys, and Pablo Cruise. This is a station that would also play (in succession): “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Xavier Cugat, “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” by Louis Jordan, and “Choo Choo Mama” by Ten Years After.
This whole space-age pop thing involves 50s and 60s nostalgia bound up with cocktails, celebrations, and carnivals. Other “c” words come to mind: cinema, coconuts, congas, champagne, clip joints, and casinos.
The bottom line is fun. The format requires that you not take yourself too seriously. You’re on vacation. There’s a great buffet table of music out there—grab a plate.
Put all that music into the blender, add a dollop of devil-may-care, bring in some good people to talk about what we’re hearing, and, hopefully, some advertisers. Voila: you’ve got Retro Radio.
(Art from Exotic Moods of Les Baxter, a compilation released in 1996)
Good article. Interesting music. Formulas still control the business, but as long as we can connect to the ether, there is a place for lonely eclectic artists
paul