By Alan Haber – Pure Pop Radio
This week’s Pure Pop Radio specialty shows, broadcast exclusively on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio, offer up a powerful Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation twofer and an all-new Alan Haber’s Pop Tunes Deejay Show with a new release featuring guest vocalist Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits.
This week’s special Pure Pop Radio: In Conversation twofer delivers a total of two-plus hours worth of joyous chat and music from two longtime melodic pop denizens. First, tomorrow (Wednesday) night at a special time–8 pm ET–Danny Benair, from ’70s power pop band the Quick, joins me for a fun talk about Mondo Deco, the 1976 classic long-player melding pop, rock and classical influences.
The Quick, which featured Danny Wilde, later of the Rembrandts, as lead vocalist, were shepherded by the legendary Kim Fowley and producer and engineer Earle Mankey, who was a member of Halfnelson, which later became Sparks. The Quick’s one and only album, featuring clever arrangements and harmonies galore, pops and rocks with abandon. Danny and I talk about the origins of the Quick, recording Mondo Deco, and other topics, including how he came to get Rolling Stone Charlie Watts’ drum sticks (hint: Charlie gave them to Danny). Plus, you’ll hear three songs from Mondo Deco, including their mondo-creative cover of the Beatles’ “It Won’t Be Long.”
Following tomorrow night at 9 pm ET, the second half of our In Conversation twofer stars Göran Hjertstedt, formerly of Pure Pop Radio favorite band Longplayer and now the creative force behind the Grand Leve.
The Grand Leve’s self-titled album is a wonderful mix of pop-rock songs performed by Göran, Ulf Holmberg (ex-Longplayer), and Ian Haugland, the drummer for Swedish rockers Europe. Grand melodies abound in this new collection, a must for fans of melodic pop music. Göran and I talk about the Grand Leve, and survey his musical journey from his time in the hit pop band Visitors to his work with Ian in Brains Beat Beauty and his time with Ulf in Longplayer and, subsequently, the Longplayer Orchestra.
During this hour-plus program, you’ll hear songs from Visitors, Brains Beat Beauty, Longplayer, and, of course, the Grand Leve. Göran will relate the stories behind these numbers, all of which will become your favorites.
This Thursday night at 8 pm ET on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio, I’m back with another all-new edition of the Pop Tunes Deejay Show, this time around featuring the Red Button’s latest release, “Ooh Girl,” featuring Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone on lead vocal. You won’t want to miss this one.
Also on the docket on this edition of the Pop Tunes Deejay Show: Astral Drive, Lisa Michaels, David Myhr, Ken Sharp, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Matt Tyson, the Oohs, Richard Harris, and a set of California-themed tunes from the Beach Boys. It’s another hour-long spin you won’t want to miss.
Join me for a Wednesday night In Conversation twofer with the Quick’s Danny Benair at 8 pm ET and the Grand Leve’s Göran Hjerstedt at 9 pm ET, and come back on Thursday night at 8 pm ET for an all-new Pop Tunes Deejay Show. Both shows are proudly and exclusively broadcast on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio. Mark your calendars!
Pure Pop Radio’s signature shows, Pure Pop Radio: 
In Conversation (Wednesday, 9 pm ET) and Alan Haber’s Pop Tunes Deejay Show (Thursday, 8 pm ET), air exclusively on Pop that Goes Crunch Radio.
Pure Pop Radio plays the greatest melodic pop music from across the decades, 24 hours a day. Listen by clicking on the Live365 Listen Now button at left. Hear us once and you’ll be a listener for life. Join us, won’t you? You’ll be glad you did!
Or fine, you know. Whichever word suits you, Pure Pop Radio’s website is a gangbusters kind of operation. We’ve just logged our 69,989th view of our 553 posts made over a period of two years and eight months, which is pretty jake, as we are wont to opine. And in case you were wondering, 33,793 lovers of melodic pop have visited our humble home.
This past weekend was quite the bear for us; an all-night, Friday-into-Saturday morning session mending quite the dustup our broadcast software was having with the server it sat on occupied our time, which necessitated our having to put another server into service and our having to install new (actually older) software to keep things on the jake side of the equation. In any case, things are fine now–in fact, they’re better than they’ve ever been, if truth be told. The pop is making its way out to the masses and the airwaves are that much happier.
Stay tuned, indeed. We’re on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and, here comes the truth again, 365 days a year. That’s a whole lot of marvelous melodies, harmonious harmonies, and hooks to enjoy. And remember, we’re adding new songs all the time; we’re currently rotating more than 9,000 of those babies for your listening, romancing and dancing pleasure. Everything is jammin’ and jake around here.