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. 

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?

*September 6, 1994, WGN Morning News debuts with Larry Potash. We interviewed Larry a few years ago and he talked about the longevity of that show. (Listen to the interview here)

*September 8, 1960, the film Psycho premieres. But have you ever heard "Psycho on Ice" (we have the audio)

*September 8, 1908, Lane Tech High School opened its doors for the very first time. Dave later attended there and was forced to swim nude in gym class. We have talked to two our guests about that nude swimming, Buckinghams lead singer Carl Giammarese, and Men in Blazers Roger Bennett. (Carl's interview is here, Roger's is here)

*September 9, 1993, I signed on to join the John Records Landecker show on WJMK radio. I worked with John on that show for the next ten years. (AUDIO: Lots)

*September 9 is author Antony Penrose's birthday. We interviewed the famous photographer about several things, including his childhood brush with Pablo Picasso. (Listen to the interview here)

*September 9, 2021, the movie The Beatles in India was released. We talked to the writer of that film (and the accompanying book) Paul Salzman. (Full interview here)

*September 10, 2011, the film Hick was released. We talked to the star of that movie, Dave Vescio. (Listen to the interview 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?

*April 3 is Billy Hayes birthday. Billy wrote the incredible Midnight Express, and was a guest on Minutia Men Celebrity Interview a few years ago. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 3, 1983, the Tubes released their biggest hit, She's a Beauty. Fee Waybill told us the story about the creation of that song with famed producer David Foster Wallace. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 5 is Jane Ashcr's birthday. Author Paul Salzman was in India with her and Paul McCartney in 1968 and told the story of meeting her there, and then again in London. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 6 is Marilu Henner's birthday. We have the audio of her most memorable appearance on the John Records Landecker show (AUDIO)

*April 7, 2017, the Mick Rock documentary was released on Netflix. Mick told us all about that film during our interview. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 7, 1993, the classic baseball film The Sandlot was released. We talked to one of the stars of that film, Shane Obedzinski. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 7, 1976, another classic baseball film, The Bad News Bears, was released. We spoke to one of the stars of that film, David Pollock (Listen to the entire interview here)

*April 8, 1969, Willie Smith hit a walk off homer on Opening Day to spark one of the most memorable seasons in Cubs history. (AUDIO of Cubs play by play)

*April 9, Mark Pellegrino birthday. We spoke to him about one of his pet causes, anti-bullying. (Entire interview is here)

*April 9 also would have been Mutual of Omaha's Jim Fowler's birthday. He did a nice promo for our advertising agency back in the day (AUDIO)

*April 9, 2021, the Steven King series Them featured actor Gene Silvers in a terrifying role. We spoke to Gene about that (Entire interview is 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?

*February 13, 1967, the Buckinghams hit #1 with Kind of a Drag". We spoke to the guitarist of the band Carl Giammarese about that song, and the incredible success the band achieved in 1967. (You can listenn to the entire interview here) 

*February 14, 1991, the movie "Silence of the Lambs" was released. We talked to one of the actors from that film, Dan Butler, about his memorable scene involving bugs. (The entire interview is here.)

*February 15 is Joseph Gannascoli's birthday. The man who played Vito on the Sopranos was a guest on our podcast. (You can listen to his entire interview here)

*February 16, 2014, Dave released the video to his promotional song "Cueball Wizard". (We have the video here)

*February 16 is John McEnroe's birthday. Randy Merkin told us a story about encountering the tennis great on our podcast earlier this year. (Listen to the podcast here.)

*Feburay 16, 1968, the Beatles arrive in India to study with the Maharishi. Paul Salzman was there when it happened, and told us all about it. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*February 17, 1984, the film Footloose came out. Mike Reno of Loverboy had a song on that soundtrack and told us the story behind the song. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*Feburary 17, 1989, the movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure came out. Tubes lead singer Fee Waybill was in that movie and explained how it all came to be. (Listen to the entire interview here)

*February 18, 1998, Harry Caray died. We have audio of Harry talking about how he'd like to be remembered. We also have a song that I wrote about Harry's passing for the John Landecker show (Audio is on Landecker & The Legends, Volume 5)

*February 19, 2016, Rich King visited the White House along with the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Rich told us that story when we interviewed him last year (Listen to the entire interview here.)