Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Wednesday 26 Apr 06, Johnny Reece Show : The Playlist


Hello all. As promised, below is the playlist for last nights Johnny Reece Show, aired worldwide via RTI, and on AM and FM throughout Central Europe, 22.00 - 00.00 hours, UK time.

A brand new Johnny Reece Programme is aired every Wednesday at this time, via www.rti.fm.

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Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
Lord Tanamo - I'm In The Mood For Love
Moody Blues - So Deep Within You
Marc Bolan - The Road I'm On (Gloria)
T.A.T.U. - 30 Minutes
The Tornados - Ridin' The Wind
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - The False Husband
Mike Scott - She Is So Beautiful
Hank Williams - Cold Cold Heart
Bryan Ferry - One Kiss
Wings - Baby's Request
Morrissey - To Me You Are A Work Of Art
Simon & Garfunkel - Kathy's Song
Woody Allen - Venetian Scenes / I'm Thru With Love
Kevin Ayers - Lady Rachel
White Stripes - Look Me Over Closely
Lesbians On Ecstasy - The Pleasure Principal
The Shangri-las - I Can Never Go Home Anymore
Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble - Ghost Dance
Michael Stipe - L'Hotel
Queen - My Melancholy Blues
Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is
Jimmy Cross - I Want My Baby Back
Max Romeo - Wet Dream
Jane Birkin - My Secret
Nancy Sinatra - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Chet Baker - Everything Happens To Me
Cockney Rebel - Sebastian
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Steve Lloyd PR The Album Zone
Email : music@albumzone.net

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Schedules, Playlists, and Goldfish




Hello All...
Today, Schedules and Playlists are the name of the game. Firstly, Playlists. Hmmm.
Listeners have been asking if it is possible to publish lists of songs/artists played on The Album Zone Programmes. No problem !
Well, almost. Some have asked these to be published in advance. Ha ha !
No, that won't happen, as our Shows are not playlisted at all, and often change as they are in progress.
That's the way we like it.


However, we will begin to publish the playlists after the Shows themselves have been aired first on RTI. This will begin this Thursday, 27th April.

As the new Johnny Reece Programme airs, as ever, on RTI on Wednesday nights, we will publish the playlist here the next day, Thursday. Every week. That do ? Good.





Ah, now. Schedules. Well, we have been promising you these for ages, eons, centuries, or even a few weeks.
So, here goes, pay attention please, no slouching at the back, and we'll be asking questions later.



RTI (via www.rti.fm - check their Website for full details of Internet, Satellite, FM and AM frequencies) every Wednesday evening, at 22.00 hours, UK time :

The Johnny Reece Show.

We also air every Saturday night on RTI, at the same time. The Saturday RTI Schedule is as follows :

Sat 29 April : Johnny Reece (Smooch Show No.3)
Sat 6 May : Gil Legine
Sat 13 May : Richard Bismarck
Sat 20 May : Zoe Street

Radio Seagull, and Radio Waddenzee :
We air every Wednesday evening via these Stations, for 6 hours duration, and within these times 3 of our 2 Hour Programmes are aired. These are Broadcast 18.00 - 00.00 hours, UK time, on the Internet, worldwide, via www.radioseagull.nl.
Also, Radio Waddenzee can be picked up in northern Netherlands, on 1602 AM.
These Programmes are also repeated through the night, Thursdays, same frequencies, 01.00 - 07.00 AM.
Do check the Radio Seagull Website for full details of Programme times.

The latest Album Zone schedule via these stations, is as follows :

Wed 26 April : Richard Bismarck, Gil Legine, Johnny Reece
Wed 3 May : Andy Miles, Richard Bismarck, Johnny Reece
Wed 10 May : James Barclay, Andy Miles, Johnny Reece
Wed 17 May : Rich Phoenix, Nick Saloman, Johnny Reece
Wed 24 May : Zoe Street, Andy Miles, Johnny Reece
--------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome back Zoe Street to The Album Zone, next week. Zoe has been on holiday for a while and is raring to go (in a generally punky, new-wavy, ska type of way) and you can catch her shows, as detailed above.

So, there you have it. All the details you may need, or not. But you asked for them, so you've got them.

Meanwhile, spare a thought for the Album Zone mascot, Blubber the Wonder Goldfish.
Blubber has been watching over us here for 4 years, despite the fact we were told by the Pet Shop that he'd last about 3 weeks. He's not been well of late, but we're taking good care of him and aiding his recovery.
Keep him in your thoughts. These things are important to us. We might be crazy, but we're generally nice people.

Johnny Reece and Steve Lloyd, The Album Zone (Email : music@albumzone.net)

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Easter Sunday... and some 'Live' tests...

Hi everyone, apologies for the prolonged absence. Easter time, school holidays, all sorts of chaos going on.
But here we are, and a Happy Easter to you all.
We're running the first of many 'audio tests' today, by broadcasting 'Live' to the world from our very own AZ Studios in London.
Do tune in if you get the chance, we will be airing a Vintage Show, originally broadcast from MNO Studios in London on 24th March 1999, featuring Johnny Reece, Gil Legine and Johnny Zero.
The programme is 4 hours duration, and we will repeat this through the night too.
Want to help ? Then please email us, to let us know how it all sounds, sound quality etc.

Get in touch, if you will, at music@albumzone.net. Thanks.

If all goes well, this will be the first of many broadcasts from our own Studios, and we plan to have a mixture of both 'Live' and Vintage programmes for you.

Access our Programming Tests, at : www.live365.com/stations/albumzone2001.

Thanks, have a great Easter.

Steve Lloyd PR The Album Zone

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Of Musical Anniversaries...




... and that's what today is all about. Friday, April 6th 1973, to be exact.
My first gig, by the Band who have remained my faves ever since that day, exactly 33 years ago. Roxy Music. The place ? Green's Playhouse, in Glasgow. A former cinema first built in September, 1927. This wasn't just any old Venue, I'll have you know. The various quotes from Fans and Artists alike who have been been there, whether in the audience or stomping the boards, or indeed up on the absurdly high stage, who have so many fond memories of it always being 'the best gig in the world' as oft-quoted in the book 'Apollo Memories' will testify. But, for now, it was still Green's.
The name change to the Glasgow Apollo was to occur some 3 months later.
I have just read the aforementioned book on the venue, a great tale, with a very sad, prolonged ending. The Apollo was indeed very special, and I am so envious of the people who grabbed souvenirs from anywhere and everywhere from the building, whether at the last few gigs played there or from the rubble of 20 years ago when the demolition men eventually moved in. One guy even has 2 seats from the venue in his house ! Oh, I wish I had. After it became the Apollo in the summer of 73, I attended numerous gigs there, right through to the early 1980s (despite moving to London in 79, I would still go back for occasional concerts in my home town). It was such a great venue, it was often considered as a 'night out' whether you liked, or even knew, the Band or Artists who were playing. You would just wander up and take in whoever was on.
Sure, I saw my faves there over the years - Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Sparks, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, all stalwarts of that mid to late 70s timeline. But there were many other concerts I attended with friends as a 'walk-in' just to see what they were all about - the likes of Kevin Ayers, Bachman Turner Overdrive (surprisingly, supported by an excellent Thin Lizzy), Chuck Berry (where I, and about 50 others, ended up dancing on stage with the man himself at the final encore !) and many more, either too numerous to mention, or my brain isn't working so I can't remember them. Oh, there was Barclay James Harvest, which was pretty ermm, hippy, Man. I was scheduled to see Brian Eno which I was really looking forward to, until he fell ill, cancelled the tour, and never re-scheduled. This was waaaayyyyyy before all his ambient stuff, you know.
But, I always remember April 6th. A special day for me.
And, one day, I'll get a 'real' Apollo souvenir from someone, somewhere. A seat, a brick, an ashtray, whatever. Some things you just have to have, know what I mean ?

Johnny Reece

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

A Titanic Trail...















April 4th 2006, and my last full day in the U S of A, for this particular sojourn. A trip from sunny Plainfield (which it really has been) into New York City for a last minute dash around, at places I wanted to see, before heading back to AZ towers in London, overnight Wednesday.
At the top, you'll see the Empire Diner. Recognise it ? Oh, it's been in many movies of course, but the reason I wanted a quick visit and a pic, is because I'm a Tom Waits fan.
If you are too, you'll recognise it instantly.
But today was also a Titanic trail. Let me explain. I've always been fascinated by tales of the ill fated Ship, particularly since, in my younger years, I was informed that a distant relative was lost in the disaster. Various peeks into the family tree has not supplied me an exact name of the relative in question - yet - but I am determined to find out. Robert Ballard finding and documenting the Ship through various TV Documentaries in the last 20 years or so has peaked my interest even further, with me having visited various Titanic memorial sights, attending exhibitions, and the like. But, I wanted to see what, if anything, New York had to offer on this subject. After all, the Ship never got here.
Closer scrutiny and investigation revealed that the Ship was due to dock at Cunard Piers 60 and 61, on the Hudson River. These no longer exist. The rescue ship Carpathia, docked in at the quay along from 14th St with hundreds of survivors aboard, but this is no longer there either. But, I went down to South Street Seaport today, at the bottom of Manhattan, and there is a large Titanic memorial at the entrance to the Museum (pic 3, above).
And, after some dogged work by fellow Zoneheads, I discovered that the former offices of the White Star Line, back in 1912, were on the first floor of No. 11, Broadway.
Now offices for Banks, Lawyers and the like, but these premises are pictured above.
The property originally had white granite stairs, shown often on old film footage and newspaper pictures when concerned relatives gathered there, when news of the disaster struck.
So, yet more for my little personal archive.
My US adventure, for the moment, is about to come to an end, and I've had a wonderful time.
Eternal thanks to Rich and Carla (and the Fab Five) for their amazing hospitality, and a huge thanks to friends old and new who have made this visit so memorable. I have been lucky travelling around, sunny weather for the most part, and great little towns deep in New Jersey and numerous trips into New York later, and I still want more. Oh, and what is it suddenly doing here this morning ? I'll tell you. It's snowing. Strange but true.
I'll be back.

Johnny Reece

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Burbs and Birthdays






The Travelogue continues...

It's been all about suburbs, the past few days. Great picturesque towns, dotted around New Jersey. Places I had been to before, and wanted to see once again. Princeton, NJ is a fave, and I would probably buy a huge property there if only someone would see sense and make sure I win the NJ Lottery. A fave Music shop is there too, the fabulous Princeton Record Exchange. If time and money allowed, I could spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in this one location. There is absolutely no doubt about that.
On other days, Lambertville was one of my choices, a rather sleepy yet beautiful little hamlet, and then, across the river, is the town of New Hope, in Pennsylvania. This is where Carla (my NJ hostess !) and I visited one sunny weekday afternoon, to take in the sights, visit a real French Bakery for lunch, and gorge on strawberries covered in chocolate. Marvellous. Hey, I'm on holiday, sometimes you have to do these things. If I had more time, I'm sure I would venture yet further afoot, but time is of the essence, and I will dot around as much as I can before returning to AZ Towers in London late in the week.
Yesterday, April 1st, called for a celebration - the Birthday of our own Rich Phoenix.
The preparation for the event swung into action at home early in the morning, with new catering managers Carla Phoenix and Johnny Reece installed and instigating proceedings.
By the early afternoon and into the evening, friends from far and wide had gathered to eat, drink, and be merry. Happy Birthday, Rich.
At this point we could tell you what age he is, but we won't. All we will say is that he's old enough to do what the hell he wants and still get into trouble.
Today, a quiet Sunday. Tomorrow, back into New York City.

Johnny Reece

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Let me take you down...




The continuing rambles (literally) of a Scotsman in New York...

Midweek, and another day in the city. The original plan was to do, I guess, what everyone else does. The tourist trail. With guidebook tucked in my jacket inside pocket, I left Plainfield NJ early in the morning. Browsing through it on the train, I began to feel that I may want to explore my own trail. Oh sure, the Museums and sights of New York City are a marvellous thing, but I just felt I would prefer to see where the day would take me instead, see where New Yorkers, live, eat, work, socialise, instead of the usual sightseeing.

After a trip to my usual fave Diner with the rather sensational Polish waitress, I set off for the East River, a part I had rarely explored. I really was going to use up some shoe leather today.

In and out of little communities, backstreets, and eventually I cut across town to the West Side of Central Park, as I wanted to visit Strawberry Fields once again. It doesn't matter what day, weather, time of year it is. There is always someone there, there are always people sitting around the memorial, always someone playing a guitar, Lennon and Beatles songs of course. And all this just a stones throw from, and under the imposing shadow of, the Dakota building just across the road. What struck me though was the age range of the people doing just that. Many could not have even been born when John Lennon died. But there they all were, sitting, thinking, contemplating.

I cut through to the Hudson River, as I wanted to walk down the West Side of the river, something I hadn't done before. This was fascinating. Still derelict buildings from the age of when huge cruise ships steamed into the city, lay empty, dry docks rusting, but it was a great sight, a snippet of the past. Further on, it became the 'Hudson Riverside Park' which is possibly an exaggeration, as it was newly paved with just a few trees dotted around, but pleasant it was, with many benches there for people to sit quietly as the sun went down over the Hudson, whilst looking across at Hoboken, on the other side. I did just that.

There were no tourists here, just locals on their way home from work, office workers taking a break, and an obscene number of joggers. Running everywhere at such a speed.

Cutting back through, night was falling, so I headed for the lights of Broadway, had a coffee amongst the excited chatter of a busy cafe, and strolled through Midtown. All in all, this was the best way, I think, to see New York. Tourist sights ? Well, maybe next week, before I return to AZ towers.

Johnny Reece