"I'm Chillin'" by Kurtis Blow

Tonight, the Dial scans the radio band to lock onto a frequency rarely heard on my blog… hip-hop, specifically “old school rap”.

I grew up just outside of Washington DC, a city known for the development of “Go-go” music, a percussion-heavy blend of funk, R&B, and early hip-hop styles, along with the early promotion and championing of prototypical rap artists.

Classic tracks like Newcleus’ “Jam On It”, “Freaks Come Out at Night” by Whodini, and Midnight Star’s “Freak-A-Zoid”, crossed over from “urban” radio formats onto our  local Top 40 stations, and were occasionally heard sandwiched in between hits by Prince, Huey Lewis & the News, and Madonna.  

As a result, my friends and I encountered many songs that kids living in other parts of the U.S. (say… Des Moines, Iowa…) likely never heard.

One of my personal favorites of this genre was Kurtis Blow’s “I’m Chllin’”, from his 1986 “Kingdom Blow” LP. Recorded with the Go-go ensemble Trouble Funk, and incorporating an interpolation of the theme to my favorite cartoon series ever, “I’m Chillin’” is largely a light-hearted boasting record, though it features lyrics critical of other MCs for putting down women in their rhymes…

“To diss a female is a lowdown shame, but you suckers make the records ‘cause you wanna get fame. All you radio cats, don’t play that crap. Can’t you see they’re messin’ up, all in the name of the rap?”

"A Girl Like You" by The Smithereens

Hey listeners! It’s time for the Radio Dial to sift through the airwaves and pull back another long ignored and unfairly forgotten chart hit from many moons ago. Tonight’s featured track? The Smithereens, with “A Girl Like You”!

Taken from their 1989 LP “11”, the title and album cover of which was a tribute the original Rat Pack version of “Ocean’s Eleven”, this lead single achieved #3 on the modern rock charts, and peaked at #38 on the hot 100.  Featuring Pat Dinizio and Jim Babjak on vocals and guitar, bass by Mike Mesaros, and drummer Dennis Diken, and a sound that draws equally from the harder rock of The Who and the Beatles, and the power pop of the Knack, “A Girl” sounded quite alien on the top 40 stations of the time, when sandwiched between  New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli, and Paula Abdul.

The “11” album was among the first cassettes I purchased with my 30% off employee discount at the Square Circle record store (my first COOL job!), and it was also the first song from my high school years that I recall hearing on a classic rock station… around 2002. I knew then that if a song from 1989 was considered classic rock, then I had gotten old. But that’s fine with me!

And given that I grew up in Maryland, I’ve always enjoyed that little shout out to Washington, (DC?) in verse 3.

“I'll say anything you want to hear, I'll see everything through.
I'll do anything I have to do… Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you”

"Highway Runner" by Donna Summer

Hello listeners! You picked a great night to tune in, as the Dial is serving up a tasty platter from the incomparable Donna Summer, 1981’s “Highway Runner”. Telling the tale of a mysterious drifter, and recorded for the LP “I’m a Rainbow”, (which was shelved by Geffen Records until 1996!), "Highway" managed to receive some much deserved exposure on the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Unfortunately, this great fusion of new wave, synth-rock, and sitar accompaniment wasn't released to the radio, so it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Summer will forever be known as the “Queen of Disco”, (deservedly so, as such sparkling songs as “Love To Love You Baby”, “Last Dance”, and “Bad Girls” prove), but her success with growing beyond the disco genre should not be overlooked. Consider the guitar rock jam of 1979’s “Hot Stuff”, ‘82’s Michael Jackson-meets-The Gap Band vibe of “Love Is In Control (Finger on the Trigger)”, and the bouncy teen pop inspired “This Time I Know It’s for Real”, from ’89, her final US top 10 hit.

Much love and respect to you, Donna. Thank you for brightening all of our lives with your gift of song.

“Highway, lead him to where he’s never been… Show that drifter what he’s never seen… Introduce him to this, acquaint him with that… Gotta keep searching like a stray, stray cat…”