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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 current 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. Drop us an e-mail 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.

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These programs are among those in the Theme Scheme Archives but may not currently be in the rotation.

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

Leave Me Alone features some of the most unusual and unknown classical compositions: those that feature one unaccompanied melody instrument. Theme Scheme Radio here presents some of the few standard works in the genre, including some violin caprices by Paganini and Bach's solo flute suite, as well as some unusual pieces for instruments rarely heard solo, such as cello, clarinet, bassoon, and even contrabassoon. Includes works by
Antoine Tisne
Erwin Schulhoff
Johann Sebastian Bach
Miklos Rosza
Niccolo Paganini
Zoltan Kodaly

Theme Scheme Archives

 

Stephen Sondheim is the dean of Broadway songwriters today. He's been adopted by the cabaret scene and some of his songs have become commonplace in concerts and on records. "Send In The Clowns," "Losing My Mind," "I'm Still Here," and "No One Is Alone," are among the sharp, sophisticated Sondheim songs beloved by solo singers in the spotlight. But Sondheim has always been primarily a theatrical songwriter, and his richest and deepest work is for ensembles. The Many Voices Of Stepehen Sondheim is Theme Scheme Radio's program of these songs, a collection of Sondheim's stage work for 2, 3, 4, 5, and more singers, taken from the cast albums of all his major shows. In music both polyphonic and homophonic, Sondheim juxtaposes the worlds of emotions of his varied characters, creating the most theatrical music ever written. Includes songs from the shows
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
A Little Night Music
Anyone Can Whistle
Assassins
Company
Follies
Into The Woods
Marry Me A Little
Merrily We Roll Along
Pacific Overtures
Passion
Sweeney Todd

Theme Scheme Archives

 

In Comparin' At The Crossroads, Mike Ricca plays several compositions by Robert Johnson and continues comparin’ them with remakes by some of the many musical performers who admire the musical legacy of the man known as The King Of The Delta Blues Singers. Includes works by
Cream
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends
Derek And The Dominos
Free
John Mayall
Peter Green
Robert Johnson
The Allman Brothers Band

Theme Scheme Archives

 

The Songs Of Leiber and Stoller, Program 1 is the first in a series of shows reveling in the work of these Hall of Fame songwriters. Starting in 1951, they began selling songs to black blues artists and in 1956, when Elvis Presley recorded their song Hound Dog, which had already been an R&B hit, they broke through to white audiences and changed the face of popular music. Eventually, they created the Coasters, rock and roll's funniest group, and were major players in the girl group sound of the early 60s as well. Program One of the series offers songs from their 1951-1952 beginning. Includes works by
Amos Milburn
Bobby Nunn With The Robbins
Bull Moose Jackson
Charles Brown
Floyd Dixon
Jimmy Witherspoon
Johnny Otis
Little Esther
Little Willie Littlefield
Preston Love
Roy Hawkins

Theme Scheme Archives

 

Lately our Associate Cowboy Matt Sachse (pronounced "Sax") has been 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. Features songs by
Alabama
BR5-49
Darryl Worley
David Ball
Doug Supernaw
Gary Allen
George Jones
George Strait
Hank Williams Jr.
Jamie O'Neal
John Michael Montgomery
Johnny
LeAnn Womack
Mark Chesnutt
Mark Collie
Merle Haggard
Patty Loveless
Rankins
Sawyer Brown
Steve Earle
Tammy Wynette
Tennessee Ernie Ford
The Rolling Stones
The Soggy Bottom Boys
Tracy Byrd

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

We don't avoid the classics at Theme Scheme Radio. In an effort to class up the joint, we present A Brief History Of Classical Music, and we do mean brief. No movement in this little chronology of miniatures is more than 2 minutes long. And yet, the program features pieces from all the major eras of music: medieval, baroque, classical, romantic, and modern. Includes pieces by
Bach
Beethoven
Chopin
Copland
Daquin
Eccard
Elgar
Graves
Gregora
Handel
Mozart
Nazareth
Palmgren
Rossi
Satie
Scarlatti
Strauss
Torelli
Villa-Lobos
Vivaldi
Weber

Theme Scheme Archives

 

In The Creative Process, Mike Ricca plays a demo or alternative version of a song. He then plays the released commercial recording version of the same tune. Comparison of both compostions can "highlight" slight or vast changes from the initial idea. Includes songs by
Stephen Stills
Buffalo Springfield
The Allman Brothers Band
Derek And The Dominos
Free
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Poco
 
Theme Scheme Archives
 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

The Beatles wrote most of the songs they recorded, but on their 11 official UK albums they also covered two dozens songs written by others, most of which were rock songs of the few years between when the Beatles started playing and when they hit it big. In Songs The Beatles Covered we hear the original versions of all 24. Get out your Beatle records and compare the covers to the versions by
Arthur Alexander
Barrett Strong
Buck Owens
Buddy Holly
Carl Perkins
Chuck Berry
Dr. Feelgood & The Interns
Larry Williams
Lenny Welch
Little Richard
Peggy Lee
The Cookies
The Donays
The Isley Brothers
The Marvelettes
The Miracles
The Shirelles

Theme Scheme Archives

Pundits may debate the value of lyrics in rock music, but Theme Scheme Radio would like to make the case that the true poetry of rock comprise the rhythmic syllables that juiced along rocks earliest hits and are still used by today's neoclassicists. Can you rearrange the following list to recreate the 30 titles in The Poetry Of Rock?
 
A A Ba Bam Bama Be Be Be Bing Bip Bo Bo Bong Bop Bop Da Daddle Dang Dang Di Diddle Diddley Diddy Diddy Dilly Ding Ding Do Do Do Do Dong Dong Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Dooby Dooby Dooby Doodle Doom Ee Hum Ka Ka La La Lama Lama Lama Loo Lula Moke Mow Mow Ob Ob Oke Oo Ooby Ooh Oom Pah Papa Pee Pie Poo Pop Push Rama Ring Sae She She Shimmie Shoo Shoo Shtang Shting Ska Ta Ta Wacka Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah Wang Wayo Wayo Ya Ya
Features songs by
Andy Fairweather Low
Big Joe Turner
Big Maybelle
Etta James
Fats Domino
Gene Vincent
George Harrison
Lee Dorsey
Little Richard
Louis Jordan
Love Sculpture
Mannfred Mann
Peter Wolf
Ritchie Valens
Robert Plant
Roger Miller
Roy Orbison
The Beatles
The Cars
The Drifters
The G-Clefs
The Moonlighters
The Rivingtons
The Silhouettes

Theme Scheme Archives

In Program 2 of The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller, we play songs from the year 1953, one of the most important in their career. In 1953, they produced their first record, the instant classic Hound Dog, and began getting their songs released on major labels. They also began branching out stylistically, though they still concentrated on their blues base. Features recordings by
Big John Greer
Big Mama Thornton
Frances Faye
Jimmy Witherspoon
Linda Hopkins
Little Esther
Little Esther And Bobby Nunn
Little Esther And Little Willie
Mabel Scott
 
Theme Scheme Archives

Theme Scheme Radio has been accused of being eclectic and obscure (not to mention things we've been accused of that we, um, won't mention). We beg to differ (we just love to differ), and to prove that we have catholic tastes, present the program Catholic Tastes, a more-or-less reverent look at Catholic and Catholic-inspired music of many kinds. We've got music of the Catholic Church, Catholic hymns, songs by Catholic singers, songs about Catholics, Catholic comedians, and a few Catholic surprises. The show features tracks by

Billy Joel
Bruce Springsteen
Catholic Girls
Celine Dion
Dexter Freebish
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes really Reflect Up? Cast
Elton John
Forbidden Broadway Cast
Frank Black And The Catholics
George Carlin
Harry Secombe
Irish Philharmonic
Jim Carroll Band
Johann Sebastian Bach
Kane Davis
Kermit Schaefer
Kid Creole And The Coconuts
Madonna
Magdalena Cast
Mike Warnke
Nunsense Cast
Pete Nelson
Pope John Paul II
Randy Newman
Rickie Lee Jones
Ron Carey
Sound Of Music Cast
The Beatles
The Microscopic Septet
The Flying Nun Soundtrack
The Singing Nun
Tom Lehrer
 
 
Theme Scheme Archives

 

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
J. Fred And The Playboy Band
Jan And Dean
Janis Joplin
Peter Paul And Mary
The Beatles
The Crickets
The Doors
The Essex
The Marcels
The Monkees
The Partridge Family
The Platters
The Rolling Stones

Theme Scheme Archives

What do you want out of life? Money? Fame? Power? A hippopotamus for Christmas? Now you can compare your desires with those of famous musicians by listening to What I Want, a program of songs that start with the loaded phrase ‘I Want’. From the basic philosophy of 'I Want To Be Free' to the simple practicality of 'I Want My Shirt,' from the all-encompassing 'I Want Every Bit Of It' to the isolationism of 'I Want To Go Home,' from the cultural 'I Want To Sing In Opera' to the sportsminded 'I Want To Row On The Crew,' here are more than 30 entries on the great musical Want List of life. And we even throw in I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas. Features songs by

Bessie Smith
Bob Dylan
Bruce Kimmel
Cheap Trick
Christine Lavin
Cole Porter
Color Me Bad
Elvis Presley
Eric Clapton
Fats Domino
Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers
Gayla Peevey
George Harrison
Hank Williams
Helen Kane
Helloween
Jackson 5
Jefferson Starship
Kiss
Louis Jordan
Marvin Gaye
Pete Townsend
Scott Joplin
The Fugs
The Holly Twins
The Marx Brothers
The Mint Juleps
The Strangeloves
Vincent Youmans
Wilkie Bard
 
Theme Scheme Archives 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 
You know the titles--Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, She's A Woman, I'll Follow The Sun, All Together Now, Lady Madonna. Some of the greatest songs ever, right? Classic 60s, right? The Beatles, right? Nope, It's Not The Beatles, But An Incredible Irritation! The fact is that you can't copyright a title, and there are plenty of songs out there that have used the same titles as Beatles songs, not to mention that the Beatles themselves copped a couple of titles from songs that predated them, such as the Johnny Mercer standard P.S. I Love You. So Theme Scheme Radio has been able to collect 19 songs that AREN'T the Beatles, or even covers of their songs, although you wouldn't know it from the titles. Features performances by
 

Badfinger

Bert Jansch

Billie Holiday

Del Shannon And Jeff Lynne

Englebert Humperdinck

Hardcore Superstar

Intermission

John Hiatt

K.T. Oslin

Little Charlie And The Nightcats

Love Psychedelico

Mr. President

Oingo Boingo

Sammy Davis J.

Sarah Connor

The Belmonts

The Buzzcocks

The Cult

Wanda Jackson

 
Theme Scheme Archives
 
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
 
 
Theme Scheme Archives 
 
 
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
 
Theme Scheme Archives

“To be, or not to be,” mused the melancholy Dane, but owing to some unfortunate transmission errors, the message reached the Theme Scheme Offices 400 years later as “Tuba or not tuba?” By the time the mistake was pointed out (and boy were we chagrined), we had already affirmed our fondness for the resonant latecomer to the brass family of musical instruments by assembling Deep Tuba, a program pluming the depths not only of the tuba’s range but of its repertoire as well. It features not only the typical marching band piffles that remain the boon and/or bane of almost all tuba players, but all sorts of music on which you never knew the tuba could oomph its way to the forefront: symphonies, tangos, rock, polkas, ragtime, country, and, as usual, a few surprises. Features performances by
Blood Sweat And Tears
Brass Band Aegon Verzekeringen
Canadian Brass
Disney Tuba Quartet
Drums And Tuba
Freddie And The Dreamers
Gene Pokorny
Gerhard Meinl's Tuba Sextet
Happy Louie
Heavy Tuba
Jack Parnell
Martin Mull
Roger Bobo
Sam Pilafian
The Big Red Pep Band
The Bonzo Dog Band
The Melton Tuba Quartet
The University Of Colorado Golden Buffalo Marching Band
The Vandals
Tuba 4s
Tubas From Hell
Williams Fairey Engineering Band
Yorkshire Jazz Band
Zorro Gris
 
Theme Scheme Archives 

Ah, Brazil! Land of beautiful beaches, Carnaval, thong bathing suits on people who actually look good in thong bathing suits, leftist presidents, grinding poverty, horrendous pollution, and some of the most infectious, pulse-pounding music you'll ever hear. In Brazil and Beyond, we take a look at the grinding poverty and horrendous pollution. No! Wait a minute! On second thought, we'll have an earful of music from three Brazilian genres (samba, bossa nova, and tropicalia), and listen to some of the top artists from the country, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao Gilberto, and Gal Costa. Thrown into the mix are a few American covers of Brazilian classics, by jazz and pop luminaries such as Ella Fitzgerald, Art Garfunkel, and Kenny Rankin. The two ringers here are Sergio Mendes' take on a Lennon & McCartney song, and a new tune with a bossa nova groove by Nashville pop-hipsters Swan Dive. So slip on your best thong, mix up a pitcher of caipirinhas, and enjoy. Features recordings by
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Art Garfunkel
Astrud Gilberto
Baden Powel
Bebeto
Caetano Veloso
Dizzy Gillespie
Elis & Tom
Elis Regina
Ella Fitzgerald
Gal Costa
Gilberto Gil
Joao Gilberto
Jorge Ben
Kenny Rankin
Leila Pinheiro
Luiz Bonfa
Maria Bethania
Nara Leao
Roberto Menescal
Sergio Mendes & Brazil ‘66
Stan Getz
Swan Dive

Theme Scheme Archives 

Need a few laughs? Have we got a program for you! Just For Laughs, Theme Scheme Radio is presenting our favorite recordings that feature laughing. Some are musical imitations of laughter, some have laughing interjected into songs, and some are just outbreaks of hysterics that happened to occur when a microphone was on. And that doesn't even include the novelty records. So tune in if you want a good laugh. And if you're too lazy to laugh, don't worry. The following performers will do it for you:

Barbara Cook
Bob Dylan
Cedric Adams
Charles Penrose
Charlotte Church (Not her; there’s another one)
Eddie Cantor
Elvis Presley
Huey "Piano" Smith
Jim Backus And Friends
MAD Magazine
Norman Wisdom & Joyce Grenfell
Spike Jones
The Beatles
The Big Bopper
The Gardenias
The Spaniels
The Velours

Theme Scheme Archives

 

Occasionally, Theme Scheme Radio turns its attention to the deep philosophical questions: If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a noise? Is the categorical imperative demonstrable without reference to omnipotence? Does Rock And Roll sound better live or on record?
It's that last one that this second edition of In Studio/On Stage addresses, and we concentrate on the formative years, the 1950s. Live releases were uncommon in that era, but some recordings have survived and eventually been issued. How do the live performances compare to the studio releases? Did the records offer a chance to improve, if not define, the new sounds, or did they get in the way of the true spirit of the music? Find out by listening to live and studio versions of songs by 16 artists of the 50s, including
Bill Haley And His Comets
Buddy Holly And The Crickets
Carl Perkins
Chuck Berry
Clyde McPhatter
Elvis Presley
Fats Domino
Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers
Gene Vincent And His Blue Caps
Jerry Lee Lewis
Johnny Burnette's Rock And Roll Trio
Little Richard
Ritchie Valens
Sam Cooke
The Drifters
The Penguins
 
Theme Scheme Archives

In Program 3 of The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller, we cover 1954, the year Leiber and Stoller created Spark Records. It was also the year pop began to dominate their style, and the year they created two of the most influential R&B records ever: Smokey Joe's Cafe and Riot In Cell Block #9. Features recordings by
Big Mama Thornton
Gil Bernal
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jacki Fontaine
Joe Liggens
Linda Hopkins
The Cheers
The Robins
The Honey Bears
Willie And Ruth (aka Willy And Ruth)

Theme Scheme Archives

 

Theme Scheme Radio has its Irish Up--courtesy of Matt Sachse, who has programmed a varied set of Irish music that covers traditional celtic folk, modern rock, and a number of styles in between. Features music by some of America's all-time favorite crooners and others:
Alasdair Fraser
Altan
Bing Crosby
Dennis Day
Enya
Irish Men
John Gary
John McCromack
John McDermott
Relativity
The Chieftains
The Cranberries
The Dubliners
The Irish Tenors
The Pogues
Thin Lizzy
U2
Van Morrison

Theme Scheme Archives 

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

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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
David Ogden Stiers
Dick Gautier
Edward Platt
Hal Linden
Jack Klugman
Jason Alexander
Jean Stapleton
Jerry Orbach
John Goodman
Kaye Ballard
Larry Hagman
Nancy Walker
Phil Silvers
Rose Marie
Shirley Booth
Tom Bosley
Tony Randall

Theme Scheme Archives

 

The second installment of Theme Scheme’s Stories series, programmed by Jim Donahue, has more of a folk feel, thanks to Jim’s look at the famous Irish tune "She Moves Through The Fair." Included among the narratives are five versions of this beautiful ballad and the story comes across a little differently in each. Check out the subtleties of this sometimes-ghost story as well as the following unforgettable lines:
 
“A crash on the highway threw the car to a field. There were four persons killed and he was at the wheel.”
 
“And the dove flew down beside him, and a fork appeared right in his hand. And with everybody watching, the preacher ate that bird right there and then.”
 
“Anybody here see the knight pass this way? I saw him playing chess with Death yesterday.”
 
“But on the very last chord of 'A Day in the Life,' the Beatles are beamed into outer space by a waiting spaceship that takes them to a better place, a place where no one knows them, a place where reunions are not expected of anyone--not even the Buzzcocks.”
 
“He said, 'I read the Bible every day, trying to keep the demons at bay. Thank God when the sun goes down, I don't blow away.'”
 
“I've seen you at the corners and cafes, it seems. Red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme.”
 
“Jane says she's gonna walk because she found I took the radio and hocked it. But Eddie, man, she don't understand that two grand is practically in my pocket.”
 
“Last night she came to me, my dead love came in. So softly she came that her feet made no din.”
 
“She told me back in '44 she slept with Eleanor. Sometimes she gets confused, but for all we know it's true.”
 
“So, confession? is that the reason that you came? Get it off my chest before I check out of the game? Since you mention it, there's 13 things I'll name--13 crosses high above the cold Missouri water.”
 
“Somewhere between Neverneverland and Wonderland, in a land called Neverwonderland, there lived a beautiful wealthy young divorcee with a checkered past and a bad memory, who should probably remain nameless.”
 
“That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today. Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday. Oh, by the way, he said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billie Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”
 
“The people were quite pleased that the outlaw had been seized, and on the whole it was a very good year for the undertaker.”
 
“This song is over!”

Theme Scheme Archives

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
Tim McGraw

Theme Scheme Archives

 

“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…”
 
Theme Scheme Archives 
 
 

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

Theme Scheme Archives 

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
John Martyn
King Crimson
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Derek And The Dominos
Stevie Ray Vaughn
 

Theme Scheme Archives

No radio station is complete without a countdown show, and Theme Scheme Radio sees no reason not to pander to such a successful tradition. Therefore, we proudly present Countdown. Of course, we don’t particularly worry about playing hit music here at Theme Scheme so we won’t count down chart positions. Instead, we’ll just count down numbers in song titles, starting with “22 Days” and “21 Days In Jail” and going as far as we can. Can you guess which ones we use? The artists include

Best Little Whorehouse In Texas Original Cast
Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band
The Byrds
Cabaret Original Cast
Chuck Berry
Elvis Costello
Hank Williams Jr
Joe Jackson
Led Zeppelin
Louis Jordan
Magic Sam
Nilsson
The Pajama Game Original Cast
Pat MacDonald
Pete Wingfield
Roy Orbison
Smashing Pumpkins
Suzi Quatro
The Flying Burrito Brothers
Three Dog Night
Tiny Tim With Brave Combo

Theme Scheme Archives

If it wasn’t for the harmonica, would Civil War pictures and prison flicks be what they are? Certainly not, but don’t get the idea that plaintive, illiterate moaning is all the little marine band is good for. Indeed, the harmonica may be the most versatile instrument on earth. Aside from novelty tunes, it’s a fixture in folk and blues, and it turns up in rock, pop, country, jazz, classical, soundtracks, and even Broadway. In a program dedicated to the multigenre Harmonica, Theme Scheme presents tracks from all these categories, including pieces by
Bach
Big River Original Cast
Bill 'Jazz' Gillum
Bizet
Blues Traveler
Bob Dylan
Bruce Springsteen
Charlie McCoy
Clifton Chenier
Duo Onbekend
Ennio Morricone
Fila Brazillia
George 'Harmonica' Smith
Guion
Harry Belafonte
John Mayall
John Sebastian
Kyser, Kay
Larry Adler
Little Walter
Lonnie Donegan
Marc Johnson & Toots Thieleman
Mark Hummel & Harmonica Patty
Ricky Nelson & Dean Martin
Ron Hacker And The Hacksaws
Steve Forbert
Stevie Wonder
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Yardbirds
The Harmonicats
The Chipmunks
The Beatles
Woody Guthrie

Theme Scheme Archives

 

In Name That Flipside, Mike Ricca plays the album version of a song that was the "flip" side of a "hit" single. He then plays the album version of the hit single. Can you name the artist, the flip, and hit? Features songs by
Free
Cream
Jefferson Airplane
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Procol Harum
Rod Stewart

Theme Scheme Archives

 

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