A preview by Alan Haber 
Al Sussman, Beatlefan executive editor and co-host of the weekly Beatles roundtable Things We Said Today, heard here on Pure Pop Radio, returns to Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation next Tuesday, November 22 at 8 pm ET to talk about classic chart hits and near hits.
During our wide-ranging discussion, Al and I focus on the years 1964-1969, Fab years all. The longtime fan of great music and observer of chart trends chose two songs from each year to talk about–one a number one hit and the other a song that should have been a hit.
The stage is set for each of the songs with a rundown of certain interesting events that occurred during the years in which they charted. Al looks at each song from a historical perspective, touching on its popularity and the reasons why it made the chart grade, or almost hit the mark.
Join Al and I next Tuesday night, November 22 at 8 pm ET for an informative and entertaining look at the stories behind the successes of chart hits and almost-chart hits on Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation.
(Al Sussman is the author of Changin’ Times: 101 Days that Shaped a Generation, a fascinating, fact-filled and lively work that provides revealing context for a pivotal time in American history. Order from Amazon.)
Lefty and Zeek Weekling’s recent appearance on In Conversation rolls again at 8 pm ET. Find out all about the group’s historic sessions in the House that the Beatles Built: Abbey Road, London, England’s Fab mecca, where Lefty, Zeek, Rocky and Smokestack recorded their smashing new album, Studio 2, which will be released on November 18 by the House that Builds the Hits, Jem Records.
Pure Pop Radio favorite Dana Countryman’s next album, due out in January, is preceded by a wonderful single that releases tomorrow, Friday, November 11. Dana joins Alan Haber on In Conversation tonight at 9:15 pm ET to talk about the song and the album in an exclusive chat you won’t want to miss! That’s right: Dana unveils the scoop about his exciting new album exclusively on In Conversation tonight. You won’t want to miss it! You’ll hear the new song, exclusive to our humble station through November 15 (it’s destined to be one of your favorite tracks of the year) and Dana’s voice-and-piano demo! Wow!
Scott McPherson’s The Weird and the Wonderful airs Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm ET on Pure Pop Radio. Each week, expect a wide-ranging selection of hooks and harmony that will put a smile on your face. Weird? Check. Wonderful? Check. Your regular, weekly lunchtime companion? Indeed. Lunchtime never tasted so good!
Join us next Tuesday and Wednesday nights on Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation for a festive and wide-ranging celebration of one of the most passionate pop culture performers ever to grace the world stage. Come along with Alan Haber and his guests as they tip-toe through Tiny Tim’s America and discover a world defined by some of the great songs of the early 20th century.
Herbert Khaury, better known as Tiny Tim, may best be remembered by people of a certain age for two milestones: He married Miss Vicki on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on December 17, 1969–in front of an audience of somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 million viewers–and hit big with his top 20 recording of “Tip-toe Thru’ the Tulips with Me” in 1968.
Fact is, Tiny Tim was more than a curiosity–more than just a guy with long hair and an aversion to germs who appeared on Howard Stern’s radio show to talk about his love of cleaning products and other such eccentricities. Tiny was a human jukebox, able to play, on his always-at-hand ukelele, a seemingly unlimited number of songs from the early 20th century and beyond. Tiny was a passionate performer, devoted to keeping the songs he knew in his heart alive.
On Tuesday night, September 13 at a special time–9 pm ET, Alan is joined by musician Richard Barone and Mr. Tim biographer Justin Martell for an in-depth look at Tiny Tim’s America, a recent vinyl release of a recording Tiny made in a New York City hotel room back in 1974. Richard teamed up with Tiny’s pianist and arranger cousin, Eddie Rabin, to flesh out the original recording with new instrumentation. The result is a marvelous, totally enjoyable tour of a selection of turn-of-the-century songs as only Mr. Tim could deliver. You’ll hear a few selections from this highly enjoyable, and collectible, release.
Justin Martell is the author of the exhaustive biography, Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable Life of Tiny Tim. Richard Barone has a long history working with and bringing to market the recordings of Mr. Tim; he has steered the voyage of his group, The Bongos, and produced a rich solo discography; Richard’s latest album, the glorious Sorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village in the 1960s, will be released in October.
On Wednesday night, September 14 at 8 pm ET, producer Steve Stanley, who steers the good ship Now Sounds Records, and musician Kristian Hoffman, join Alan to talk about Now Sounds’ top-flight Tiny Tim: The Complete Singles Collection (1966-1970). A grouping of beautifully remastered, by Alan Brownstein, recordings, including Mr. Tim’s amped-up, rocking version of “Great Balls of Fire,” most famously essayed in explosive style by Jerry Lee Lewis, this is an essential component of any exhaustive collection of pop music.
Steve talks about The Complete Singles Collection from a producer’s and record company standpoint; Kristian, who is a Tiny Tim expert, talks about his passionate liner notes and Mr. Tim’s technicolor history. You’ll hear a selection of songs from this terrific release.
Nick Piunti, pop music’s hot artist of the moment, is on Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation tonight at 8 pm ET. No surprise really–he’s top of the pops here at Pure Pop Radio; tracks from his new album, Trust Your Instincts, are playing in hot rotation. And no surprise number two: Nick is blazing a hooky trail on the satellite airwaves at Sirius/XM’s channel 30, with tracks playing during Mike Marrone’s noontime show, In Spite of All the Danger.
Tonight, though, Nick talks with Alan Haber about his fantastic new album releasing in just two days (September 9). Alan plays three songs, including the big-time pop smash, “One Hit Wonder.” You’ll hear the stories behind Nick’s new songs, and you’ll travel along the path that led a 12-year-old Michigan boy with guitar in hand to his current release on the great Jem Records label.
Don’t miss this chance to go in-depth with musician Nick Piunti on tonight’s all-new edition of Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation. And stay tuned right after In Conversation for an all-new all-vinyl spin on Brian Bringelson’s Needle Meets Vinyl. Tonight’s artists include George Harison, the Monkees, the Band, Electric Light Orchestra, Big Star, and a whole lot more.
Bob Lind
Jamie Hoover
He starts off charting a course around circles and squares and, along the way, tackles the intricacies of negotiating the other shapes that define his life on next week’s all-new edition of Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation.
Seth Swirsky sits behind the microphone next Tuesday night, August 30, at 8 pm ET and speaks with Alan Haber about his career-best long player, Circles and Squares, an ingenious song cycle about life’s twists and turns. The album’s melodically-charged songs reveal the truth about all of our lives, right from the first track, “Shine,” his statement of purpose, the one that sets the stage for what comes next.
During this show, Seth talks about how what he has accomplished in his career has brought him to this new album; he takes a look at three songs in particular and peels back the layers of emotion that define them. As a bonus, Alan plays a classic song from Seth’s first album, Instant Pleasure, and gets the artist’s take on it.