AIRED:
KROQ-FM, Los Angeles. 1993.

SOURCE(S):
Vinyl & CD

DESCRIPTION:
February 24th, 1993

6:23pm

A mix I did was officially added to the KROQ playlist!

For a few years, I had managed to get various KROQ DJs (Richard Blade, Sluggo, Swedish Egil) to play my remixes, edits and mashups. They played my mixes during their "DJ choice" segments of their show, back when radio DJs could play a song not on the playlist created by the music director. The fact that these guys picked my mixes to play during their limited "DJ choice" time was always cool, but I really longed to be on the actual playlist.

By 1993, I had already been having my mixes played on KROQ. For around a year (1991-1992), I was also doing radio edits and mixes at MARS-FM in Santa Monica. After MARS died in August 1992, I went back to hanging out more at KROQ.

During one KROQ visit, Richard Blade gave me the promo 12" and promo CD single for "Little Bird" by Annie Lennox. He suggested that I cut up a few of the remixes, and highlight the "Utah Saints" samples. Sure. OK. I went home and set out to do a cool "radio friendly" mix.

BACKSTORY (for those of you not up on your samples): Utah Saints had a song called "What Can You Do For Me", which sampled "There Must Be An Angel" by Eurythmics (whose lead singer was Annie Lennox). When Annie Lennox released "Little Bird", Utah Saints was one of the bands asked to do a remix. Full circle. Cool, right? OK...back to the story.

After a few days, I had my BRAT Radio Edit. I went down to KROQ. Richard walked me into the office of Gene Sandbloom (the KROQ Music Director). Gene played the mix, and upon completion of the mix, said "there's no way we'd play this on KROQ. I don't know what Richard was thinking." Utterly dejected, I started to get up and leave. Just then, Kevin Weatherly (the KROQ Program Director) walked into Gene's office.

Kevin: "You're the guy with the 'Little Bird' remix, right? Gene, play it for me."

Gene: "Kevin, I already rejected the mix."

Kevin: "I want to hear it. Play it!

I sat there, watching the music director replay my mix, visibly annoyed that he had to sit through a "dance mix" yet again. When the mix finished, Kevin said "That was great! Gene, add it to the playlist now! I want it starting on the station tonight, in rotation." Kevin walked out of the room, and I had a painfully awkward few moments with Gene, before I got the hell out of Gene's office.

For a few weeks, every few hours, my little radio edit was in rotation on the playlist of one of the biggest radio stations in the United States.

Sometimes I really miss my time in radio.

Fun bonus: Here's a radio aircheck of Richard Blade, Tami Heidi and Swedish Egil all playing the edit!

File uploaded: February 22nd, 2022