Studio Walls--January 10, 2024

 

A weekly update/preview of my latest podcasts, and a look back at some of my previous audio work from this week in history over the past 40+ years.

Coming this week: Adam and I will discuss the array of Premier league games over the holidays, the Festive Fixtures in a new episode of Free Kicks. Dave and I will be back in the Minutia Men saddle with stories about 9-1-1 calls, bad parenting, and more.

From the archives...

*January 7—National Bobblehead day. We were lucky enough to interview the creator of the Bobblehead Hall of Fame in Milwaukee.  

*January 7—is also National Pass Gas Day. I wrote this ultimate tribute to the phenomenon in 1996. Recorded by Landecker & the Legends. We only played it on the air once before the management of WJMK banned it. 

*January 8—Elvis birthday. We never talked to Elvis, but we did get some Elvis stories from an actor who appeared in a movie with him; Danny Bonaduce. 

*January 8--Soupy Sales shared a birthday with Elvis. I told the story about my brush with Soupy in this early episode of Minutia Men. 

*January 8—Finally, a birthday boy who is alive. Loverboy's lead singer Mike Reno. We talked to him about four years ago. 

*January 9—Debut of show “Pivoting” starring Fizaa Dosani. I remember our interview as being generationally awkward. You can listen to it here. 

*January 9, 2011—Shameless debuts on Showtime. One of the actresses who appeared on the show, Maria Breese, also appeared on our show. You might be able to hear us struggle with talking to someone we had just seen naked.  

January 10, 1863--London Underground opened. We interviewed Emma Clarke (the Mind the Gap voice). I loved that interview because I could also use her passionate defense of Manchester United in an episode of Free Kicks.

January 10—Birthday of Donald Fagen. Record engineer Bill Schnee worked on the Steely Dan records and told us what that experience was like. 

January 10, 2016—David Bowie died. Mick Rock was a good friend of Bowie's, and the legendary rock photographer told us a few great Bowie stories.  

January 10, 1999—The Sopranos debuted. We've only had one actor from that show on the podcast, but it sure was memorable talking to Vito/Joseph Gannascoli 

January 11, 1895—Laurens Hammond born. The creator of the Hammond Organ. Ides of March keyboardist Scott May was on our show, and told us all about the great man's legacy. 

January 11, 1980--The only hit by The Kings--The Beat Goes On/Switchin to Glide peaked in Chicago on the WLS charts at #9. We still love that song so much, we talked to Mr. Zero from The Kings. If memory serves we learned that nothing matters but the weekend from a Tuesday point of view.  

January 12, 1928: Andy Frain pitches Wrigley for the job of providing security at the ballpark. His company did that for over 50 years. When we interviewed author Don Evans he told us a story about the Andy Frains using kids like him as child labor after the games.

January 12, 1969—Led Zeppelin’s first album was released. We haven't interviewed any of those guys, but we did interview Jim Peterik who toured with them. He told us a Led Zeppelin debauchery tale for the ages. 

January 12--Maharishi's birthday. We interviewed someone who studied with him in India...while the Beatles were there too. Paul Saltzman. 

Minutia Men Celebrity Interview Classic: The Mind the Gap Voice, Emma Clarke

 We have now done over 200 interviews on our various Minutia Men podcasts, and this year we're going to revisit some of the best. A few years ago we got a chance to talk to the voice over artist who is the voice of the London Underground. As you step from the train to the platform you hear her lovely voice saying "Mind the Gap". We tracked her down and asked about that, and found out that she did a lot of other recognizable voice overs. Plus, she's a Manchester United fan. Fun conversation. She had a great sense of humor.

Listen to it here.

Studio Walls

Every week I send my Minutia Men Co-Host Dave Stern a list from our audio archives for this week's Studio Walls feature. These are the possibilities for this week. Which one will he choose?

*This week in 1863, the London Underground opened. Emma Clark (voice of London Underground) story about getting the Mind The Gap gig (Listen to entire interview here)

*Donald Fagen's birthday is January 10. Recording engineer Bill Schnee tells story of working on Stealy Dan's Aja album. (Listen to entire interview here)

*David Bowie died on January 10, 2016. Photographer Mick Rock tells his David Bowie story (Listen to entire interview here)

*The Sopranos debuted on January 10, 1999. Actor Joseph (Vito) Gannascoli tells story about working on the show (Listen to entire interview here)

*The Kings song "The Beat Goes On/Switching to Glide" hit it's top chart position on the WLS Radio charts in Chicago January 11, 1980 (#9). Mr. Zero from the Kings talks about the song. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*Andy Frain is hired to provide security at Wrigley Field, January 12, 1928. Chicago Literary Hall of Fame president Don Evans tells childhood story about helping out Andy Frain ushers. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*Led Zeppelin releases their first album January 12, 1969. Jim Peterik tells the story of when his band the Ides of March toured with Zeppelin and were invited to a Led Zep party. (Listen to the entire inverview here)

*The Maharishi was born on January 12th. Filmmaker Paul Salzman was there when the Beatles visited him in India. (Listen to the entire interview here)