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	Theme Scheme Radio maintains a rotation of approximately 20 to 22 hours of programming. If you hear a show you like, it will probably be repeated about 20 to 22 hours later. But we add new programs, store programs, and repeat old favorites all the time, so keep checking back. And if one of your favorites disappears, it's not gone for good. E-mail us at themeschemeradio@mindspring.com and let us know what you want to hear encored. We'll slip it back into the queue at the first opportunity.
	Currently, these programs are in the Theme Scheme rotation. A cappella music, music for voices without any other instruments, predates history and is still going strong. The term “a capella” literally means “at chappell,” and it comes from centuries ago, when musical instruments were banned from many churches, meaning that a cappella music was the rule for much church music. But while Gregorian chants no longer dominate the charts, a cappella music is still going strong. Theme Scheme takes a look at the different types of music for voice only in Good Old—And New—A Cappella, which covers a score of genres and a thousand years. Includes music written or performed by Alberto Mizrahi and Chorale Mystique Antonio Caldara Bobby McFerrin Choir Of The Russian Orthodox Cathedral Of Paris Christine Lavin Elvis Presley Haselbock Joan La Barbara King Henry VIII Ladysmith Black Mambazo with the Mint Juleps Pastiche Rockapella Rodgers and Hammerstein Stephen Sondheim Suzanne Vega Sweet Honey In The Rock The Baltimore Consort The Beatles The Benzedrine Monks of Santo Domonica The Bobs The Exboyfriends The King's Singers The Martin Best Mediaeval Consort The Nylons The Peninsula Women's Chorus The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus The Swinging 'Gates The Swingle Singers The Whiffenpoofs The Yale Alley Cats     Theme Scheme Radio is not too proud to admit when we’ve gone over the line. Our blurb for the original program of the Pop Till You Drop series, in an attempt to describe the sophistication of the new-generation pop music we were playing, disparagingly referred to hormone-drenched teenaged morons. This has, we fear, inadvertently offended some hormone-drenched teenaged morons. Theme Scheme Radio regrets this deeply. We have nothing against the relentlessly numb-brained pursuit of sexual discovery per se; in fact, our personal journey of self-discovery only began once we were able to admit that we were once hormone-drenched teenage morons ourselves. To prove the point, not to mention our innate ability to turn any discussion to ourselves, we present Pop Till You Drop 3, a multigenerational program of pop music for sophisticated tastes mixed with the ludicrous-but-lovable pop music we listened to when our sophistication-to-hormone ratio ran considerably lower than it does now. Includes performances by Belle and Sebastian Ben Vaughan Bill Lloyd Chris Stamey Fountains of Wayne Frisbie Junior Senior Lisa Germano Nancy Sinatra Nellie McKay Nilsson Papas Fritas Puffy AmiYumi Serge Gainsbourg Steve Ward The 5th Dimension The Beach Boys The Beatles The Kennedys The Turtles The Wondermints The Zombies Venus Hum     The Russian composer Scriabin (1872-1915) created piano pieces based on an elaborate relationship of musical tones to visual colors, which he attempted to explain in an excessive number of dense essays describing both the music and the philosophy behind it. We here at Theme Scheme Radio find the whole thing incomprehensible, so we won’t waste your time with a program of it. On the other hand, it may have been what John Lennon had in mind when he wrote “Listen to the colour of your dreams,” which, come to think of it, isn’t really any more comprehensible, although it has the benefit of being rather pithier. The whole subject cries out for thorough examination, just as long as we don’t have to read the manifesto. However, if you should want to start the research, here’s a program you can use for background: A Rainbow’s Worth of Color Tunes by new Theme Scheme Programmer E.F. Powell, the yellow, green, blue, red, black, and purple of popular song. So get ready to have your ears staring at the phantasmagorical multimedia radio/TV dial of your mind. (Hmm. Perhaps all the incomprehensible talk has affected us more than we realized.) Includes performances by AC/DC Chris Deburgh Donavan Elton John Elvis Presley Enya Johnny Cash Kermit The Frog Mitch Miller & His Orchestra Neil Diamond Nena Nino Tempo and April Stevens Prince Sheb Wooley The Rolling Stones UB40   Quick Quiz: What country consumes the most beer per capita? If you answered “Who cares? Pour me a beer and put some country music on” then we’ve got an open invitation for you to become an honorary citizen of a land where the spigot flows free and the country music yodels on forever. And there’s no paperwork involved. All you have to do is pull up a chair, grab a glass, bottle, or can of your favorite brew, and turn on Beer Country, Theme Scheme Radio’s program of country songs about beer. With drunken precision, brew-sodden artists analyze the (throwing) ups and the (falling) downs of their love affairs with the Grand Ole Amber of alcoholic beverages. Twenty-one examples of this bubbly genre are presented, including works by   Austin Lounge Lizards Bill Jenkins Bob Wills Bobby Bare & Lacy J. Dalton Brooks and Dunne David Allan Coe Codie Prevost David Frizzell Doug Moreland George Jones and Garth Brooks Hank Williams Hank Williams Jr. and Kid Rock Indigo Girls Johnny Paycheck Johnny Russell Mac Davis Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley Tom T. Hall Tompall And The Glaser Brothers     Theme Scheme Radio takes a back seat to no one in hypocritical grandstanding on the latest headlines, and the current epidemic of obesity in Americans seems to be the issue of the week. We are therefore strenuously calling for the implementation of our own Theme Scheme Thin Skin diet plan: the replacement of all those extra calories with audionutritional substitutions. Yes, instead of heading out for a supersized gristleburger and a side of lard rings, sit back and listen to a program of Songs About Food! It’s a guaranteed low-sodium, fat-free, non-nutritional program of ear candy, served on a silver platter by new Theme Scheme programmer Adam Segal. The menu includes songs about Avocado Bananas Beans Bologna Brains and Eggs Brown Rice Cat Food Chicken Cordon Blue Chocolate Fudge Cold Pizza Curry Ice Cream Jam Peanut Butter Sour Cream Spuds Sugar Toast and Jelly       Our resident Popmeister Jim Donahue is still popping, but hasn't dropped yet, meaning it's time for another blast of Pop Till You Drop, a program of discriminating pop for adult tastes. Once again you can stand proud behind your predilection for melodies that are catchy, guitars that are driving, and angst that is postadolescent. Vol. II features performances by   Adam Daniels Beck Bell & Sebastian Beulah Cherry Twister Fountains Of Wayne Greenbury Woods Josh Rouse Kirsty MacColl Marykate O'Neil Nick Heyward Pernice Brothers Polyphonic Spree Soundtrack Of Our Lives Steve Ward The Apples In Stereo The Flaming Lips The Januaries The New Pornographers The Thrills The Wondermints         He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good. But enough about the extra powers granted to President Bush by the USA Patriot Act--it's Christmas! This holiday season, take some time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some of Theme Scheme's favorite Holiday Pop, from the sentimental to the just plain mental. Features performances by   Big Star Bruce Cockburn Cyndi Lauper Darlene Love James Brown Jane Siberry Nilsson Phoebe Snow Roy Orbison Roy Zimmerman Swan Dive The Beatles The dB's The Kinks Wes Lachot       Theme Scheme University and Grill offers How To Write A Song, a short course in songwriting covering such topics as Inspiration, Divine Inspiration, Historical Writing, Writing For The Radio, Music Publishing, Collaboration, Folk Songs, and The Power Of Songwriting. Guest lecturers include Cheryl Wheeler, Phil Ochs, Christine Lavin, Sheldon Harnick, and Paul Simon. (Job placement services available at extra charge.) Classroom examination of songs by Cheryl Wheeler Christine Lavin George Harrison Harry Nilsson John Gorka Lenny And The Squigtones Mark Levy Paul Simon Phil Ochs Shel Silverstein Sheldon Harnick Stephen Sondheim T-Bone Burnett The Middlemen Tom Lehrer   The emergence of rock and roll brought to an end a great era of American songwriting, but the standards written from around 1910 to 1960 remain with us. They've even had their effect on the rock music that took over the charts. Theme Scheme Radio has put together No Standards At All, a set of classic songs delivered by artists of the rock and roll era. Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the rest never sounded like this before. Features recordings by Bill Haley And His Comets Carl Mann Cathy Chamberlain Dion And The Belmonts Franki Valli & The Four Seasons Freddy Cannon George Harrison Gordon Grody Herman's Hermits Little Richard Mary Hopkin Mary Wells Paper Lace Phil Ochs Phranc Ricky Nelson T-Bone Burnett Taco The Beatles The Coasters The Drifters The Fools The Marcels The Platters The Ravens Theresa Brewer They Might Be Giants Trini Lopez   The heyday of the ukulele's popularity in the continental US was the 1920s and 1930s, but the instrument has always had practitioners and is even now enjoying a huge revival, sparked by the founding of the Ukulele Hall of Fame in Massachusetts. Uke Can't Be Serious presents a collection of ukulele numbers, starting with some of the great uke artists of that early period, but also covering the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Includes songs by Annette Hanshaw Art Fowler Beatrice Kay Cliff Edwards ("Ukelele Ike") Eddie Cantor Frank Crummit George Formby George Segal (With Harry Nilsson And Theresa Brewer) Queen R. Crumb And His Cheap Suit Serenaders Roy Smeck The Sandwich Isle Band Tiny Tim Tony Orlando And Dawn Uncle Larry It was great. It was powerful. It was visceral. And in a flash it was gone. At the time we didn’t realize that 1979 was the end of an era. There were all these new artists, great sounds, and independent record companies, led by the ultimate indie, those wild purveyors of Pure Pop For Now People, Stiff Records. We thought the parade of four-eyed geeks with skinny ties singing of sexual frustration would never end. And then it happened. The suits discovered that FM radio, the haven for small stations playing independent records, had advanced technologically and could now beam top 40 programming to mass audiences. WABC in New York became all talk in 1980, and before we knew it the alternative stations were gone. It wasn’t long before the independent record labels they supported fell, too. And most of the artists, except those few that broke through to AM audiences, like Elvis Costello, Sting, and The Cars, were soon gone as well.   This Ain't No Disco: Power Pop 1979 brings back that glorious year, and its unique mix of serious political statement (remember Life During Wartime?) with giddy silliness (remember Rock Lobster?). Features songs by Blondie Dave Edmunds David Kubinek Elvis Costello Gary Numan Graham Parker Ian Dury And The Blockheads Ian Gomm Joe Jackson Lene Lovich Madness Nick Lowe Plastic Bertrand Squeeze Talking Heads The B-52s The Brains The Clash The Fools The Police The Pretenders The Ramones The Records The Specials The Tourists The Vapors   There are no official statistics on the number of cover versions of different songs, but it's believed that the Beatles' Yesterday is the most covered song in recorded history. Yesterday Forever presents a bunch of these covers--twenty--and though that can hardly even suggest the scads of versions released, it does show some of the variety of genres that have been unable to avoid this pop standard, including R&B, jazz, semiclassical, and novelties. We don't want to spoil the fun by listing all the versions ahead of time, so we'll mention just these few: The Beatles Frank Sinatra Jan And Dean The Seekers Ray Charles Marvin Gaye Dave Grusin Jack Crossman 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic The Pacifists   Hawkeye Pierce and Charles Emerson Winchester III from M*A*S*H....singing? How about Felix and Oscar from the Odd Couple? Or Dan Connor from Roseanne? It may not have happened on those shows, but the actors playing these characters, and many more stars of our favorite TV shows, all have musical theater skeletons singing in their closets. Theme Scheme Radio presents TV Stars On Broadway, a roundup of songs from Broadway cast albums that featured performers who later starred in such shows as Get Smart, Seinfeld, Murder She Wrote, Dallas, All In The Family, and others. Includes singing (more or less) by Alan Alda Angela Lansbury Bea Arthur Bert Convy Beth Howland David Ogden Stiers Dick Gautier Edward Platt Hal Linden Jack Klugman Jason Alexander Jean Stapleton Jerry Orbach John Goodman Kaye Ballard Larry Hagman Linda Lavin Nancy Walker Phil Silvers Rose Marie Shirley Booth Tom Bosley Tony Randall Admit it: you LIKE pop music. Now, if you’re a hormone-drenched teenaged moron, you’ve got no problem. Turn on MTV, turn off your mind, and libido all over yourself. But what if you happen to be a–-dare I say it-–thinking adult? (Gasp!) Our resident Popmeister Jim Donahue says there’s more to pop music than faking vocals and faking orgasms, and to prove it he’s programmed Pop 'Til You Drop, a set of modern pop music for discriminating tastes. Includes songs by Bill Lloyd Brad Jones Bubble Chris Von Sneidern Cinerama David Garza Dusty Trails Fountains Of Wayne Four O'Clock Balloon Jill Sobule Kyle Vincent Magnetic Fields Owsley Richard X. Heyman Semisonic Swan Dive The Hang Ups The Mayflies USA The Merrymakers Travis Wondermints World Party XTC Yo La Tengo Our Associate Cowboy Matt Sachse (pronounced "Sax") is still asking "What the heck is this lukewarm pablum they're playing on country radio?" It seems that the wattage-that-be has decided there are songs that are too country for the airwaves! Well, Cowboy Matt is saddlin' up his high horse and settin' out on a one-man crusade to bring the American Sound back to its ever-lovin' roots. He's taken the time from his heavy schedule of drinkin', fightin', and screwin' (around) to program Too Country For The Radio, a bracing shot-with-chaser of the country, countrier, countriest music around. From the old-time sound of George Jones and Merle Haggard to the new old-time sound of The Soggy Bottom Boys and Jamie O'Neal, this is one rousing run of shit-kickin' rhythms and plaintive moaning wrapped around the best my-dog-is-dead-and-my-girl-don't-look-so-good-either lyrics. Program 2 is this series features songs by Brad Paisley Brooks & Dunn David Ball Dixie Chicks Dwight Yoakam Forester Sisters Garth Brooks George Strait Gillian Welch-Allison Krauss Hank Williams Highway 101 Irene Kelly Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins Marty Robbins Merle Haggard Pam Tillis Radney Foster With Pat Green Randy Travis Sammy Kershaw & Lorrie Morgan The Tractors Tim McGraw Trick Pony The British Invasion came to the US in 1964 and the best of these bands rapidly matured, developing their own distinctive sounds and their own distinctive songwriting. But all these bands got their start covering American rock and roll or blues hits. American Roots Of The British Invasion presents this early phase of several British acts of the 60s, usually from their earliest recordings. Features songs of Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Maurice Williams, Leiber and Stoller, and others being performed by Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas Gerry And The Pacemakers Herman's Hermits Peter And Gordon The Animals The Beatles The Dave Clark Five The Hollies The Kinks The Rolling Stones The Searchers The Spencer Davis Group The Who The Yardbirds   During the reign of the 45 rpm record, everyone had dozens, if not hundreds, of flip sides that rarely if ever came in contact with a diamond needle. Some were gems, some were junk, but everyone had 'em. In the 1950s, many B sides were songs from the same recording sessions that were felt to have less commercial appeal. Later, many were lesser tracks from the same album, and still others were non-album B sides tossed in to get people to buy the single even if they had the album. In B Sides Of No. 1 Hits, Theme Scheme Radio presents the B sides to 26 hits that topped the Billboard charts, including at least one from each of the years 1955 to 1974. Includes songs by Barry McGuire Bill Haley And The Comets Bobby Picket Drifters Elton John Elvis Presley Eric Clapton Gene Chandler George Harrison Hollywood Argyles J. Fred And The Playboy Band Jan And Dean Janis Joplin Looking Glass Peter Paul And Mary The Beatles The Coasters The Crickets The Doors The Essex The Marcels The Monkees The Partridge Family The Platters The Rolling Stones   In the debut of the new series In Studio/On Stage, Mike Ricca plays the studio and live-concert recordings of a song by the same artist. This format is intended as a comparison of what can happen with and without technological effects, an audience, and the possibilities of "jamming." Features recordings by Free Jackson Browne Jimi Hendrix King Crimson Mahavishnu Orchestra Derek And The Dominos Stevie Ray Vaughn   The musical Hair is the quintessential American 60s icon. Or rather, it would be if it had stuck to America and the 60s. But it became a world-wide cultural phenomenon, spawning productions and cast albums all over the world. In Hair Pieces, Theme Scheme Radio presents more than 20 of the songs from Hair, taken from a number of cast albums and also from the many pop cover versions of the standards from the show.   Original Broadway Cast London Cast French Cast Japanese Cast Israeli Cast Soundtrack Disinhairited Galt MacDermott Divine Hair The Cowsills Three Dog Night Lords Barbra Streisand 5th Dimension Strawberry Alarm Clock Nina Hagen “Gather ‘round, friends, and I’ll tell you a tale…”. So sings Bob Dylan, at the start of North Country Blues, a heartbreaking story of a family in a dying mining town. It’s one of a dozen Stories told in this program of songs by some of the most distinctive writers in music. There are narratives ranging from comedy to tragedy (we love to range here at Theme Scheme Radio) and featuring the following irresistible lines:   “…he didn't love her 'cept at night, and then he's drunk and never even told her that he cared…"   “…the cardboard filled windows and old men on the benches tell you now that the whole town is empty.”   “After 10 long years they let him out of the home…”   “And he galloped into Market Street, his badge upon his chest. His name was Ernie and he drove the fastest milkcart in the west.”   “I got a vasectomy, 'cuz I had a coupon. And it seemed like a good Mother's Day present for my wife.”   “I'm gonna drop you off at the cattle auction on my way to the Debutante Ball”   “In the room dark and dim, a touch of skin, he asks her of her name. She answers with no shame and not a sense of sin…”   “Once in Persia reigned a king who, upon a signet ring, carved a maxim strange and wise…”   “The note said ‘Darling, I hate to tell you this way, but I've run off with your roommate. Signed, Your Fiancé’.”   "They introduced her to the actor, she did not catch his name. She slipped beneath the covers, to face him unashamed..."   “Victor Jara of Chile lived like a shooting star. He fought for the people of Chile with his songs and his guitar…”   “When I was 15 and a man of the world, I was madly in love with a Catholic girl…”   Nobody Takes the Polka Seriously--certainly not us here at Theme Scheme Radio, anyway. So, while we could have presented a show detailing the history of this lively and emotional slavic dance music, we concentrated on the novelty polkas--joke polkas ranging from the smutty to the ridiculous. OK, that isn't actually much of a range. But it does give you the opportunity to see if you can laugh and dance at the same time. Features performances by Arthur Godfrey Chad Mitchell Trio Eddy J Fans Frank Yankovic Henry Mancini And James Galway King Uszniewicz And His Usznewicztones Larry Chesky Marci Boyd Mickey Katz PDQ Bach Red Peters Roy Clark Spike Jones The Toons Those Darn! Accordions Weird Al Yankovic   I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. When I programmed that “Un-Valentine’s Day show” with all those terribly mean songs, I was angry and hurt. But I didn’t mean it. I don’t really think you’re like The Man Who Murdered Love. You weren’t really breaking my heart—although you will now if you don’t take me back. You don’t have to Gimme My Money Back—and you can even keep my black T shirt. I’m really sorry I told you to Get Out of this House. I hope you found a place to stay. Let’s start over. I programmed a set of beautiful love songs, just to show you how I really feel about you. Great stuff, I promise. All your favorites—Alison Kraus, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Krall, Dinah Washington, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Etta Jones, Everything But The Girl, Jane Sibbery, Jennifer Warnes, k.d. Lang, Kenny Rankin, Madelein Peyroux, Nilsson, Norah Jones, Patty Griffin, Sergio Mendes, Sinead O’Connor, Sixpence None the Richer, Steve Ward, Swan Dive, Tracey Ullman. Real, true love songs. I’ll never listen to another hateful, negative song again. I promise.   Love,   Jim     Face it, you hate Valentine's Day. It's the second most depressing holiday of the year, right after the worthless New Year's Eve. Think everyone has forgotten that time in second grade when you sent out 27 Valentine's Day cards and only got one back, from that weird girl in the second row with the one eyebrow? Well, think again, buddy--everyone remembers that day. In salute to the miserable nature of this miserable holiday, we present Be My Un-Valentine, a collection of adult pop songs about love lost, love gone wrong, love getting it's stupid butt kicked, and, yes, love getting horribly killed. We hope it makes you feel better. Features recordings by Ben Folds Five Charlie Rich Fountains of Wayne Ivy Jill Sobule Jim Lauderdale Kirsty MacColl Magnetic Fields Marshall Crenshaw Matthew Sweet Meryn Cadell Nilsson Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey Richard Shindell Richard Thompson Shawn Colvin The dB's XTC