Why I Will Miss CKOC 1150

The End of an Era

The oldest continuously-operating radio station in Canada is closing down. Well, not actually closing, but it is transitioning into an All Sports radio station, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s over.

CKOC started life in downtown Hamilton, Ontario at the corner of King William and John Streets as a side business of the Wentworth Radio and Supply Company owned by Herb Slack. Herb figured he could sell more radios if he also owned a radio station, so in the spring of 1922 CKOC became only the third radio station in all of Canada.

Over the years, CKOC had a number of addresses, including the 11th floor of the Royal Connaught Hotel, the Lister Block building on James North and King William Streets, and a studio on Garfield Avenue near King and Sherman Avenue North. CKOC was a Top 40 station from 1960 to 1992, and became a 50,000 watt station back in 1979.

After 1992 they became Oldies 1150, which for my generation meant that they were once again playing the same music we first heard on the station. As Simone de Beauvoir once pointed out, nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. But one thing the ‘new’ oldies format did remind me of was the diversity of the music on the pop charts in those days.

Rock’n’roll, rhythm & blues, soul, country, bluegrass, disco, ballads, love songs, novelty songs, bubble gum pop, psychedelic rock, jazz, reggae, calypso, and standards all lived happily, and eclectically, side-by-side on the CKCO charts in those days. The hyper-categorization and segregation of music had yet to happen. And we listeners benefited from it. Sure, every now and then a song would come on that would make you run for the dial (Debbie Boone, I’m looking at you) but for the most part, listening to such a wide variety of genres was entertaining and even a form of bonding.

When I first learned of CKOC’s impending demise, all I could think was that it was the end of an era. I think there’s a place for the kind of programming that covers so much ground. It will probably make a comeback someday. My favourite early memories of CKOC were lying in bed late at night with one earphone plugged into a tiny transistor radio, listening to the absolute brilliance of the music of the day… ‘Little Willy’ by the Sweet, ‘I’m Just A Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)’ by The Moody Blues, ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ by Lou Reed. Songs that made me feel excited about growing up, made my blush, made me horny, even songs that made me cry.

I will miss CKOC. Where the hits just keep on coming.

Is social media helping us become better people?

It’s a popular and ongoing debate subject – Is social media making us more (or less) social? A solid case can be made for both sides of the debate. You only have to witness a table full of Millennials sitting together, eyes glued to their smart phones, seemingly oblivious to the presence of other humans, to know that technology has radically altered their in-the-flesh social engagement.

To be clear, the majority opinion is that social media is actually making us LESS social. A recent poll conducted at debate.org asked “Has social media made us less social?” 85% of respondents said Yes.

Today I am taking the opposing view and exploring some of the ways that new communication options are having a positive effect on our social lives, and how this enhanced and intensive connectivity is playing out face-to-face in the real world.

We are building stronger bonds

When we become “friends” on Facebook, “followers” on Twitter, or join each other’s “circles” on Google+, it lets us feel more connected, so when we actually see each other in the real world, we feel a much closer tie – a kinship with the other person. I am always surprised (and flattered) to learn that the other person has kept up with my life through the posts I have shared. Lots of people don’t feel compelled to “Like” or comment on everything they see, so it’s nice to find out they care.

Virtual friendship has real value

Even people we have never met in person can become important to us. In the old days many people had pen pals (remember letters?) and often those relationships grew to hold great meaning to both parties. On Facebook, one day you stop and realize that you and this other person you've never "met" have been “friends” for 7 years now! You have history together.

Casting a wider net

Social platforms make it easier to keep up on the lives of way more people, and even to remember more people. Those of us that sometimes struggle with remembering people’s names (including yours truly) now have tools to help put names to faces. And as we expand our social networks, we are more aware than ever just how closely we are all connected. In a city like mine (Hamilton, Ontario pop. 520,000) you discover you are rarely more than one connection away from anyone. Playing the “Kevin Bacon” game in this city encourages you to treat everyone the way you would a “friend-of-a-friend”. Be kind. Don't burn bridges.

What really matters

I may be ridiculed for this one, but I believe people are gradually moving away from material pursuit and toward more spiritual, sustainable, and responsible lifestyles. If you are old enough to remember the 1980s you may remember the accompanying bumper sticker slogan-ism “He who dies with the most toys wins!” Go watch Michael Douglas and a young Charlie Sheen in the film Wall Street for a taste of the times. Acquiring “stuff” was a reason for living for a lot of folks then.

I suggest that today we place a higher value on our friendships and family, the wisdom shared by contemporary Thought Leaders, and the intelligence, awareness and engagement demonstrated by our peers. This is happening, or perhaps happening at a more rapid pace, due to the internet in general and social media in particular. More people are getting clear with themselves that kindness is cool, listening without judgment is effective and appreciated, and caring about social and environmental causes is something we are doing together. We are seeking and creating more meaning from our lives and the people we share them with. If this doesn't sound like your social network, maybe it's time to consider seeking out some new "friends".

Think about this: Do you hug people more today than you did 10 years ago? I do.

"Everyone's a Critic." You say that like it's a bad thing!

The City of Brantford, Ontario has just unveiled a new logo and positioning statement. The launch is not going very well to say the least. An online poll on the local daily The Brantford Expositor website asks "Do you like Brantford's new logo?" 14% say 'Yes'. A whopping 86% say 'No'.

Here is the new design:

As described by representatives from JAN Kelley, the agency responsible for the rebranding project:
The logo features a flowing “B” representing the Grand River as well as an exclamation mark – the universal sign of greatness. 

The accompanying positioning statement is "GRAND TO GREAT". 

The logo is being criticized on many different levels, including its uncanny resemblance to a widely available (and free) stock logo, and the well known Baskin Robbins logo. And public criticism of the costs involved in rebranding a city or municipality is always inevitable. But mostly they just don't like the design.

I want to talk briefly about something else. I have worked as a professional graphic designer for most of my life. I have also taught graphic design basics to newbies and advanced courses at the university level over the past twenty-five years.

Never before have I seen so much interest in, and passion for, all things graphic design as exists today. The general public continues to become more aware, interested, and engaged. I can't tell you how exciting this is for me, and I'm sure, for my fellow design practitioners. 

Gone are the days when the very mention of a typeface would product blank stares from our friends. Today, our friends have a thousand fonts on their computers, and speak enthusiastically about their favourite serif and sans serif faces. "Regular" people talk about concept, gestalt, and message.

The biggest benefit of a more "design aware" public is that they will ultimately demand more from those of us producing the work we all have to live with. They can recognize intelligent, creative and respectful communication when they see it, and they also notice when it is absent.

The public is pretty smart. Businesses are figuring this out every day. Local politicians are starting to do the same.

One final note on the new Brantford slogan: I think you've got it backwards. Going from "GRAND TO GREAT" is the same as going from "GREAT TO GOOD". Some suggested reading… 

Happy 10th Birthday Facebook. Or should I say Familybook?

Yesterday (February 4 2014 that is) Mark Zukerberg and the gang at Facebook celebrated 10 years since the launch of the world's most popular social media platform. They did this by writing an algorithm-based script that created a personalized video for each and every FB user. Accompanied with some sentimental piano music that works beautifully the first few listens and becomes increasingly annoying the more videos you view, these videos take you back to your very first Facebook posts and photos and bring you right up to present day, all in one minute and two seconds.

I am currently 53 years old. I discovered that most of my friends joined Facebook the same year I did (2007), and most of us joined within three months of each other. So in our case we are getting a sample of the last six or seven years of our lives.

The initial response from my Facebook friends has been very positive. My favourite comment so far came from Laura, someone I've known for many years and since she was a little girl. She now has many children, an awesome (second) husband, and a large and loving extended family. Laura said "I think they should call it Familybook."

Without a doubt, many of us watched our own lives, and the lives of our friends and family members, as presented through these videos, and came away with similar thoughts: "Wow, am I ever a lucky guy (or gal)", and "My life looks pretty special when I take a moment to reflect on it."

I'm sure that some user videos contained random thoughts and images, and if you lost loved ones during your time on Facebook, watching this mini "story of your life" may have proven to be difficult. But for the most part, what comes out is what we have in common – our humanity. Filled with births and deaths, weddings and divorces, graduations and homecomings, celebrations and vacations, the Look Back serves as a moment for each of us to reflect and count our blessings.

The Independent in the U.K. observed "The fact that the Look Back feature has been co-ordinated to work for every one of Facebook's billion users is still quite impressive in a 'wow the future is here and its scary' type way." 

Facebook’s scale is hard to wrap your head around. There are 1.23 billion users – that's half of the world’s population with internet access. 750 million of us use Facebook daily. Every day 350 million new photos are uploaded to the site and, according to Lou Kerner, founder of the Social Internet Fund, “more than 20 per cent of all time spent on the internet is spent on Facebook”.

Many experts are predicting, and some even declaring, the "death" of Facebook. A recent report by Princeton University researchers suggests Facebook will lose 80 per cent of its users by 2017. "Facebook is not just on the slide – it is basically dead and buried," writes Daniel Miller, a professor of material culture at University College London. There is an exodus of young people who don't want to hang around where their parents, and even, OMG, like grandparents, are hanging out.

I for one don't believe that Facebook will continue to be popular because it's cool. It's not cool and it never was. Many of us will continue to use Facebook because Mark Zukerberg and his gang will continue to work on it. It will never be finished. And it will continue to bring us together and remind us just how amazing we are.

Top Ten Reasons why I still love records

Top 10 reasons why I still love records. 

I really really love my record collection. And your record collection. And everybody else's collection. So here are my top 10 reasons why I love records so much: 

1. Records just sound better.

Everybody knows it so I won't go on about it. 

2. Records smell great.

Old records have a beautiful musty smell that says "I've been around. I've seen a lot in my time." New records smell fantastic. New records smell of fresh printers ink and freshly pressed vinyl. The combination is magical.

3. Records respect the album art.

Okay, I've been a sleeve designer since the days when the only thing artists put out was a record, so I'm a bit biased. But a 12" by 12" sleeve looks like a freaking billboard compared to a CD cover or those tiny images I see on my smart phone.

4. Records make your room sound better.

I read about this years ago in The Absolute Sound and some other audiophile journals. And you know what? Those crazy bastards are right. A wall of records stacked neatly with their spines facing out creates an ideal surface to bound back sound. A wall of CDs sounds brittle and quite frankly terrible. They even look crass.

5. Records are practically free these days.

I know, new records actually cost a lot. But every now and then, somebody who knows that I love records will donate their entire collection to me. It's like Christmas and my birthday on the same day when that happens.

6. Records are way more fun to look at when they are playing.

There is something real and organic about watching the needle follow the groove cut into the vinyl as the record spins around. On drugs or no drugs, it's far more entertaining than anything else that plays music today.

7. It takes a village to play a record.

My turntable was made by VPI (American), the tonearm is from Sumiko (Japanese), and the cartridge is from Ortofon (Danish). Put on a Canadian, British or German pressing and it has taken no less than four countries to make the sound come out of the turntable. Never mind the other countries responsible for the amplification, speakers and cabling involved.

8. Records are just sexy.

Cool girls and guys get turned on by a record collection. I've experienced it all my life. You are sexier with a big record collection. No really.

9. Records invite you to listen to the whole album.

In this lazy, zero attention span, quick change world, putting on a record invites you to slow down, take some time, clean the record, put it on carefully, and then sit back and listen to, oh my God, maybe twenty-five minutes of music at a time. It's like taking a vacation.

10. Records SOUND BETTER.

I know, it was number one already. But I can't help myself from saying it again: The pops and cracks; the occasional skip; the wow and flutter sound of a slightly warped disc? It's all music to my ears. There is a warmth and honesty to the sound of a record that I know I will never get tired of.

Your comments are always welcome. Especially if you like records.

Mark

Music for Christmas

One of the best things about the Holidays is getting some down time to listen to music with family and friends. Here is my Christmas listening list for this year. It's a mixed bag of genres, from alternative to jazz to commercial pop. Not ranked in any particular order. These are all great ways to celebrate the season with fresh sounds. Rest assured, I will be listening to the old favourites too!

Verve Presents: The Very Best Of Christmas Jazz
This was released in 2001 and the songs are all recorded much earlier, but this is an excellent way to keep Christmas and your good taste. It contains the classic The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting etc.) by Mr. Mel Tormé and he actually wrote it too, along with Bob Wells.

The Boy Least Likely To: Christmas Special
Pete Hobbs and Jof Owen are the English pop duo TBLLT. It's twee but wonderful.
Here is their original Christmas song about Wham! Called George and Andrew. Weirdly great…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5CJpVUYOY8

Low: Christmas
From 1999 this album was a free gift to their fans. Low is from Duluth, Minnesota so they know a bit about Winter. This is a great record.
Listen to the song Just Like Christmas for a taste:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IippcraBPKA

Scott Weiland: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Warning: Not for everyone. This 2011 recording features traditional arrangements and a traditional Christmas repertoire with the distinctive voice of the Stone Temple Pilots singer. I think I like it… I think.

This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday, Volume 2
A mostly fun compilation that's worth a listen for a number of tracks. Check out G. Love's Christmas Cookies, Paula Fuga's Winter Swell Blues, and ALO doing Let It Ride.

Carole King: A Christmas Carole
If you've ever wanted to hear My Favorite Things sound just like It's Too Late then this album is for you. The amazing Ms. King has a way of making many of these Christmas classics sound like she wrote them. Here she is performing Carol of the Bells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JdSGrSoVA4

The Good Lovelies: Under the Mistletoe
Easily my favourite to play for a mixed audience, this 2009 release from the lovely Good Lovelies is full of beautiful harmonies and clever arrangements. The Juno award winning trio hails from Toronto, Ontario. Santa Claus is Canadian you know ;)
It's not on the album so I include it here, The Good Lovelies performing Gordon Lightfoot's Song For A Winter's Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7T6sqfHjfE&feature=related

Sufjan and friend

Sufjan Stevens: Songs For Christmas, Vol. VI: Gloria!
He's from Detroit, Michigan (again, a land of snow and ice) and you pronounce it SOOF-yahn if you're in the know. This album brings together songs previously released as EPs. Mainly originals but he does include The Coventry Carol, Silent Night, and Auld Lang Syne. Quiet, pretty, and with banjos.

Indie/Rock Playlist: Christmas (2011): Various Artists
A hit and miss compilation that will simultaneously please and irritate. Kate Rusby's Kris Kringle is a charming discovery, while Zee Avi's reworking of Frosty The Snowman will drive purists crazy. There is also some overlap with the This Warm December collection discussed above. And the She & Him song on this one is more than enough for me.

And finally, one to avoid unless you just can't help yourself…

Him & She standing wrong way 'round

She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas
Zooey Deschanel is cute and I loved her in Elf. But her voice gets on my nerves (and a lot of other people's too) pretty quickly. She & Him is Zooey and M. Ward. So enjoy the picture and leave it at that!

I wish you a Very Merry Christmas, a politically correct Happy Holidays, and a Wonderful New Year.
Peace and Goodwill,

Mark

Pop On Pop: More songs about music

What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
Rob Gordon, High Fidelity

Okay, just to set the record straight (and clean, preferably with a new stylus) I READ LYRICS. I think the words are important. Sure, lots of great songs have stupid, nonsensical words. From Papa Ooh Mow Mow to Gabba Gabba Hey rock music has its fair share of lyrics that are all about the sound, and not about the deeper meaning. And there is no shortage of poorly written lyrics in pop, but that usually puts me off an otherwise good song anyway.

The words, especially if you are young, in love, feeling disenfranchised or lonely… think "teenager" and you know what I mean… the words are HUGE. They say what you probably can't articulate. And because they are also there for your own personal torture, the words seem to be reaching right into your heart, soul and mind. You think "Wow, that says exactly how I feel right now!"

Lyrics in pop music are there to be interpreted by the listener. That's the beauty of it. The less specific they are the better too. I've often heard people talk about a song they love and what they think it means, only to think to myself, I didn't get that from the lyrics AT ALL. No problem. It's all good. Just don't start investigating what the writer was actually trying to say if you want to preserve your personal spin.

Here is a short list of pop songs written specifically about pop songs, with my comments:

Rubber Ring by The Smiths: Morrissey and gang wrote this one about pop songs that saved your life. Best lyric: "Yes you're older now and you're a clever swine, but they were the only ones that ever stood by you."

I Write the Songs: Yep, the Barry Manilow number. You'd think he actually would have written it too, but you'd be wrong. Composed by long time member of the Beach Boys Bruce Johnston, I Write the Songs is a cheesy but wonderful expression of love for pop songs. I've been alive forever…

Sir Duke: Stevie Wonder has often confused me as a lyricist, but not on this extraordinary tribute to the pop songs from a generation previous.

Heart Songs by Weezer: This ode to the soundtrack of Rivers Cuomo's youth lists all of the frontman's artists and records that have influenced him. He told MTV News that it ranged from "From Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald' when I was 5 to Nirvana's Nevermind."

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=11879

There are so many more of these. Send me some of your favourites and I will include them next time :)