Radio Retrofit update:
It's alive! And evolving...
The Radio Retrofit mix of WKRP in Cincinnati continues to be popular, here at the awphooey website, and the KBHR mix is finally in its final version, HERE.
A New Mix with a Brand New DJ was scheduled for December, but I think I'll do an xmas eve mix instead (for Some Assembly Required), also in The Wiggle Room, on WFMU's Sheena's Jungle Room Stream.
Stay tuned for a new fictional DJ on Radio Retrofit, in the new year (January).
So... the final version of the KBHR mix? What? Well, the original version 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 the Johnny Fever mix. The KBHR playlist, however, was much more open, from the very 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.
I also brainstormed and included some audible clues, to bring home the concept of this being an aircheck. And 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 all pushing different. envelopes, in each example.
And that's what I've always done, too. So it's natural to want to run with that, I suppose. That's the overarching theme, if you're looking for one.
I was. The show has been evolving right before my eyes. Quite an experience
Stay tuned for further developments... :)
Keep reading, if you're interested in even more thoughts
on the changing nature of Radio Retrofit...
If you’re looking for a fun way to hear most of the soundtrack music used on the show (Northern Exposure), and within the context of a broadcast from KBHR, then I think you’ve found it! The original mix is exactly that. Find it archived HERE.
And if you want a slightly more dynamic mix, check out the final version HERE.
Some of the breaks used in the final KBHR mix do have their origins in v1.0, but not all, so a lot of this material is unique to these first attempts. That’s another 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 the first version.
To conclude...
The shifting focus of this series will be interesting to watch, as it continues to evolve. 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 their own drum...
The KBHR mix is much more thoughtful, as a result of this. The WKRP mix is a lot 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 it's very different from how Fever would have 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.
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, and stay tuned...
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