Radio Retrofit update...

The original versions of this mix followed the template established by the Johnny Fever episode, except where Johnny was giving great cues on what to play,
Chris was usually just talking…

That’s what I love about the character of "Chris In The Morning," but how to translate that into a music show? Fever made musical selections. Stevens rarely played any identifiable music, at all.

I'd remembered it differently, as the show’s soundtrack is so celebrated, but the recordings I was sampling from (which function as the airchecks necessary to reconstruct a functional radio program) feature remarkably little in the way of back announcements, or song introductions.

So, I ran with that, instead. The talking. The DJ's experience of running a board, and playing the music, as he processes his feelings, organizes his thoughts, basically deciding, in the moment, what to say next. And whatever he does say will inspire whatever gets played next… etc.

Pretty basic, really. I've learned, the more straightforward the approach, the better. The actualization is the difficult part, as the breaks have to work out, in sequence, and there’s a lot of editing which goes largely unnoticed, but I find the challenge to be a great, entertaining distraction. And the results are for my listening pleasure, as much as anyone.

So, since he doesn’t play anything specifically, by name, I had a big problem, right at the outset. With Fever, I had plenty of soundbites, plus a ready made playlist, more or less, which I took great pleasure in exploring, and adding to, for his mix. The KBHR playlist was much more open, from the beginning.

I had actually tried to “retrofit” KBHR once before, and failed, as the music just wasn’t there, in the booth. There weren't enough indicators of what was being played. There were few ads, or station IDs, either, so relatively little to identify the recording as being a radio broadcast, at all...

So, my second attempt began by addressing that issue, and collecting all the music from the tv program, to see if I could make that all flow together, AND function as a part of the DJ’s narrative. And I brainstormed some audible clues, as well, to bring home the concept of this being an aircheck...

And it did work! It's a fascinating lineup, one I billed as a 90’s Freeform Mix, at the time, but for my money, while I do love the show's soundtrack, I just wasn't sure how well the music all hung together, originally... Thus, the remix.

My feeling is currently, while the musical selections must reflect the fictional DJ's personality and intent, first and foremost, it's also up to me to think about nods to consistency, from episode to episode.

So, while "Chris in the Morning" will play literally ANYTHING on KBHR, thru 1995, and "Johnny Fever" will ONLY explore fairly specific areas within rock, rhythm & blues, circa 1982, they BOTH have a soft spot for country rock, a little hard rock, some blues, etc.

In fact, looking forward, to a few new DJs I'm considering tackling next, there is a trend among them all, to be forward thinking to the point of small acts of rebellion. The DJs are pushing envelopes, in each example.

And that's what I've been doing, too. So it's natural to want to run with that, I guess. That's the overarching theme, if youre lookiung for one. I was. The show has been evolving right before my eyes. Quite an experience.

If you’re looking for a fun way to hear most of the songs from the show's amazing soundtrack though, and within the context of a broadcast from KBHR, on “Northern Exposure,” then I think you’ve found it!

And if you want a slightly more dynamic mix, check out the final versions HERE.

Some of the breaks used in the final mix do have their origins here, but not all, so a lot of this material is unique to these first attempts. That’s another part of the reason I’m saving these versions here. The work is good, if I do say so, myself... and some of it didn't end up in the final, official mix.

If you're a big fan of Northern Exposure (as I am, clearly), then you'll appreciate
all the many references, and it should be a lot of fun. I hope so. I was keeping the show’s audience very much in mind when making this first version. Enjoy.

...The shifting focus of this series will be interesting to continue to observe, as it evolves. I like the WKRP template, just taking what’s on the tape, and editing all the relevant portions together to “follow the DJ's lead," as it were, but that means that new installments will sound subtly different, from host to host, as each announcer is following the beat of his own drum.

The KBHR mix is much more thoughtful, as a result of this. The WKRP mix is way more fun... The next DJ I’m working with is more along the lines of Fever’s willfully wild appreciation for good music, but there’s a melancholy edge running throughout, as well, and its very different from how Fever played it. And very good, in its own unique way.

My point is, I’ll do my best to drum up some consistency between DJs, but this show is destined to sound a little different, with each new installment… Stay tuned! I’m excited to be working on it. I absolutely love an editing challenge... And am so glad it’s getting heard. Thanks for listening.