In just a few days, we’ll be seeing those “In memory” flashbacks on all the news and entertainment channels, reminding us how many famous music celebrities have passed on to that great concert hall in the sky.
In 2019, Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek, Ginger Baker, Dick Dale, Peter Tork, and Daryl Dragon were among some the big names in music that are no longer with us.
And just last week, another name was added to this fateful roster – Marie Fredriksson. At 61, she passed away after a fight with cancer earlier in the millennium.
If her name is not immediately familiar, you may remember Roxette, her Swedish-based band that scored a number of mega-hits in the late 80’s/early 90’s
Among the biggest was “The Look,” which also became a video hit. But in the coverage of Fredriksson’s death, it turns out a very lucky break and an openminded radio station were behind the serendipitous events leading to Roxette’s break out.
As The New York Times recounted earlier this week in a story by Gavin Edward and Iliana Magra, along with her partner in the band, Per Gessle, Roxette met with truly bad reviews, both in their native Sweden and here in the U.S.
Roxette’s big break occurred when a U.S. exchange student in Sweden walked Roxette’s “Look Sharp!” album into his hometown radio station.
While it’s not crystal clear what happened next, a programmer or music director gave “The Look” a shot, it exploded in the Twin Cities, and then EMI changed courses and released the single in the U.S.
That led to a string of hits, including “It Must Have Been Love,” part of the “Pretty Woman” soundtrack starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere that was a monster popcorn movie in 1990.
Now, I’m betting that as you read this story about Roxette’s unlikely rise to the top of the pop charts, you started wondering about the details.
Like, who was the student who championed Roxette?
And which station was that in the Twin Cities that broke “The Look?”
The Times answered the first question – the student was Dean Cushman.
But which station did he visit? The only line is a “local radio station back home in Minneapolis.”
Seriously?
I had to find another story about Fredriksson’s death in Billboard by Gary Trust to learn that radio station was KDWB.
Now, if you’ve worked in radio for any length of time, you know the feeling when your station does something special – raises money for a local charity, stops traffic for a free gas promotion, or the morning show creates a viral sensation – and a newspaper or TV station covers it, but commits the biggest affront possible:
Refers to you as “a local radio station” rather than identifying the station.
THAT hurts!
And yet, it happens all the time, and it’s something that’s been going on for years. As fine as The New York Times’ reporting may be, it has become known for not telling its readers that name of a radio station in the news.
Now, in KDWB’s case, this crazy event occurred 30 years ago. But the station is still very much around, continuing to have a major impact in the Twin Cities.
Tom Taylor, radio’s scribe whose trade publications were must-reading for hundreds of radio pros every morning, sent me the story. And we talked about this annoying problem of radio stations not being identified by other media.
Tom thinks it’s a competitive thing: “We’ve seen soooo many radio stations anonymized by local papers. (It happened to me once, at my first PD gig.) For decades, local papers saw crosstown radio stations as an economic threat. These days, it’s perhaps more just a matter of habit. (Or, the writer of the terrific obituary that sent me to YouTube just didn’t deem it important to the story.)”
Maybe a little of both. But in any case, a radio station that does something note or newsworthy ought to have earned enough respect to at least get mentioned. It’s noteworthy this month that Radio Ink is tracking broadcast radio’s cash contributions to worthy causes. Radio will easily blow through the $20 million mark this year, and Ed Ryan says flirting with $50 million by year’s end isn’t out of the question.
These radio stations and the people behind them should be recognized – and not just in radio trade publications. In an environment where new media options abound, radio’s “job to do” is to provide personality, a strong local presence, and service to the communities where its thousands of stations are licensed. When a station goes above and beyond, to be overlooked, ignored, or simply glossed over just doesn’t square in an environment where everyone is vigorously marketing their brands.
Tom’s other question revolved around Roxette’s discovery by a local radio station, and whether this could/would happen again.
My “take” is that local radio continues to play a role – often, an integral one – in breaking a band. I’m sure many of you reading this post will provide me some examples – hopefully, modern-day ones, when you or your station stepped out on a band that no one else was playing.
While the likelihood of a radio programmer green-lighting an obscure song or band has diminished over the years, it still happens. While broadcast radio has infinitely more competition now than when Dean Cushman strolled into KDWB that day in 1989, the medium’s ability to make and break hits remains.
Even with all the streaming and playlist services, broadcast radio remains the best tool for bands and labels to get their music and their brands introduced and exposed.
And if you don’t believe me, ask the bands, their management teams, and the labels themselves.
But don’t ask The New York Times.
Post script: Brian Phillips – now the head of programming for Cumulus – was the PD at KDWB at that time. He sent me this Billboard story that does a much better and more thorough job of telling the story behind how Roxette was discovered, as well as the power of local radio. You can read it here.
Below is “The Look” – live (sort of, not really) by Roxette.
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Great read on recognizing local radio stations. I’m proud to be a part of Austin Radio Network, local radio station cluster featuring Sports Talk The Horn – home of University of Texas Longhorns athletics, 105.3 The Bat Classic Hits, and Texas/Classic Country KOKE-FM. Everyday KOKE-FM recognizes the art and craft of Texas Country and Red Dirt singer/songwriters. Through old-school in studio interviews, and first time spins, our Program Director, Eric Raines, is seeking out new artists daily, giving someone their big shot.
Here’s a flip side to that coin. Just yesterday the NY Post published a story that credited by name (twice!) and linked back to Big Frog 104/WFRG in Utica, NY after the morning show broke some news that went viral.
Perhaps this example of content is atypical of music radio, but it would appear that should radio create content in a way that news media can digest and source in the manor they are most familiar, you will get the credit you deserve.
https://nypost.com/2019/12/12/kid-chokes-on-zipper-found-in-walmart-pie-mom-claims/
Today if that same single was dropped off in the lobby the chances of it getting any attention would be zero. Do you think the local programmer (PD,MD,OM) would have the authority to put it in light rotation? Would the consultant give the green light? There was a time that a few singles would be added to the rotation. If the song had potential, it would get more airplay, if it didn’t it was dropped or was pulled from the rotation after a week or so.
Think of how many records made it because of a few stations adds back when radio broke records.
Streaming and video views has now taken that place, but does that song you added this week reflect your station?
Yet, radio (programmers) are quick to add the video with 2 million view because they feel it is a hit. In Portland yes, but not necessarily in Tampa.
Radio needs to take back making the hits instead of adding a song based on a random sample of streams and views.