In early September, KGLK-HD2 (X106.1) Houston’s AM/FM translator combo launched, looking to fill the hole left on FM by the sign-off of KKHH (The Spot) Houston. At the outset, X106.1’s variety went beyond the usual parameters of the typical Adult Hits outlet, particularly in playing the ’60s and including some songs that weren’t American pop hits. Adult Hits stations often said “we play everything.” At the outset, X106.1 seemed more sincere in that promise.
Some of the first-day comments on X106.1 were caustic, although some appreciated the variety or individual “oh wow” titles. When I listened several weeks later, X106.1 had evolved more toward the format mainstream. It still ended the hour I heard with a bloc of four ’60s songs, but the remainder were songs that wouldn’t have been out of place on any other Adult Hits outlet. On October 7, I listened again and the ‘60s were gone.
As a companion to this week’s thoughts on “How to Play Everything,” we took First and Fresh Listens to some stations that go beyond the usual parameters of Adult/Classic Hits. We also took a listen to heritage full-service outlet KINY Juneau, Alaska, which recently retooled to a Classic Hits/AC hybrid, and came back to Music Through the Tunnel of Time, radio/TV veteran R.J. Heim’s current project, playing “all contemporary genres of music” going back to the beginning of the Top 40 era.
Here’s X106.1 shortly after its launch, monitored just before 9 p.m., September 2:
- Metallica, “Nothing Else Matters”
- Chicago, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Breakaway”
- Lovin’ Spoonful, “Daydream”
- Cure, “Boys Don’t Cry”
- Arrested Development, “People Everyday”
- Vertical Horizon, “Everything You Want”
- Elton John, “Your Song”
- Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun”
- Box Tops, “The Letter”
- Lemon Pipers, “Green Tambourine”
- Creed, “One Last Breath”
- Poison, “Talk Dirty to Me”
- Starsailor, “Four to the Floor”
- En Vogue, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”
- Kansas, “Dust in the Wind”
- ’Til Tuesday, “Voices Carry”
- Britney Spears, “ … Baby, One More Time”
- Loverboy, “Turn Me Loose”
- Trashmen, “Surfin’ Bird”
- Guns N’ Roses, “Sweet Child o’ Mine”
Here’s the station just before 3 p.m., September 23. With the exception of the ’60s titles (and several in a row at the end of the hour), the station had moved closer to the Adult Hits center:
- Creed, “With Arms Wide Open”
- Paula Abdul, “Straight Up”
- Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded by the Light”
- Alanis Morissette, “Ironic”
- Pat Benatar, “We Belong”
- Men at Work, “Who Can It Be Now”
- Britney Spears, “(You Drive Me) Crazy”
- Foo Fighters, “Learn to Fly”
- Animals, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
- Sheryl Crow, “All I Wanna Do”
- Naked Eyes, “Always Something There to Remind Me”
- Debarge, “Rhythm of the Night”
- Bon Jovi, “You Give Love a Bad Name”
- Dexy’s Midnight Runners, “Come On Eileen”
- Beatles, “Blackbird”
- Bob Dylan, “Blowin’ in the Wind”
- Easybeats, “Friday on My Mind”
- Paul Anka, “Love Me Warm and Tender”
Finally, here’s the station early in morning drive on October 7:
- Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin’”
- Tracy Chapman, “Fast Car”
- Aerosmith, “Walk This Way”
- Prince, “When Doves Cry”
- Rick James, “Super Freak”
- Miley Cyrus, “Party in the U.S.A.”
- Bryan Adams, “Heaven”
- Duran Duran, “Hungry Like the Wolf”
- Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”
- Foo Fighters, “Everlong”
- Huey Lewis & News, “The Power of Love”
- Natalie Imbruglia, “Torn”
- Rihanna, “Umbrella”
- Cece Peniston, “Finally”
- Enrique Iglesias, “Hero”
- J. Geils Band, “Centerfold”
Veteran programmer Chuck Geiger recently retooled heritage KINY into what he calls a “Hip AC/Classic Hits” hybrid, adding more variety to a previously hit-driven playlist. Because the unifying sound is AC, it’s a somewhat different set of songs than an average Adult Hits. Geiger’s 700-song library also includes about 15 currents and recurrents, even with many large-market ACs avoiding true currents altogether.
Before we listened, Geiger sent a sample hour with Cranberries, “Linger”; Looking Glass, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”; and Weezer, “Beverly Hills,” in succession. The other thing you’ll hear on KINY is a lot of ads for Alaska’s fiercely contested Senate race. So many, in fact, that KINY breaks up its stopsets with its own promos, explaining that it has no choice but to run political ads.
Here’s KINY at 1:35 p.m., September 24:
- Bon Jovi, “You Give Love a Bad Name”
- Taylor Swift, “Opalite”
- Fleetwood Mac, “You Make Lovin’ Fun”
- Imagine Dragons, “Whatever It Takes”
- Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out”
- Sheryl Crow, “Strong Enough”
- Pure Prairie League, “Amie”
- Nelly Furtado, “I’m Like a Bird”
- Hozier, “Too Sweet”
- Alanis Morissette, “Ironic”
- Robert Palmer, “Addicted to Love”
- Noah Kahan, “The Great Divide”
- Stealers Wheel, “Stuck in the Middle With You”
- Ellie Goulding, “Lights”
- Genesis, “In Too Deep”
We last spotlighted Music Through the Tunnel of Time five years ago. Like WTOP-HD3 (The Gamut) Washington, D.C., the station’s version of everything is less about targeting a mainstream commercial audience and more a curator’s showplace. That said, Heim is serious about the station; station promos include person-on-the-street interviews about music variety, which end with Heim telling listeners how to find the station.
Besides, Heim is, for me, a trusted curator. He goes deeper into the ’70s/’80s R&B disco that didn’t quite cross over than most. He does try to find compatible currents. Also, I’ve left the station’s streaming window open for a few days, and every now and then, I’ll find something like “Jump in the River” by Sinead O’Connor. Here’s Music Through the Tunnel of Time around 12:45 p.m., September 25:
- Rita Coolidge, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”
- Genesis, “Invisible Touch”
- Cannons, “Starlight”
- Crusaders f/Randy Crawford, “Street Life”
- Chesney Hawkes, “The One and Only”
- ZZ Top, “Legs” — with a lengthy variety promo separating it from …
- Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again”
- Icehouse, “Electric Blue”
- Sting, “If It’s Love”
- Luther Vandross, “Bad Boy/Having a Party”
- Marshmello & Kane Brown, “Miles on It”
- David Bowie, “China Girl”
- Faith, Hope & Charity, “To Each His Own”
- Sam Roberts Band, “Picture of Love”
Finally, Australia/New Zealand radio pro Richard Phelps, whose day job is with XPERi’s All In Media, has made an appearance in this column before because of his Back to the Future-inspired re-creations of “KKHV Hill Valley, Calif.,” as it would have sounded in 1955 and 1985. Those stations will appear in October/November on the app for his Retro Hit Radio.
In regular format, Retro Hit Radio is playing an ’80s/’90s-driven Classic Hits format that also includes throwback-flavored currents. Both the depth and the more Australia/NZ frame of reference will make this an “oh wow” and/or discovery listen for ROR readers:
- Del Amitri, “Always the Last to Know”
- System, “Don’t Disturb This Groove”
- Chantoozies, “Wanna Be Up” — late ’80s Bananarama-like female act
- Thunderbugs, “Friends Forever” — top 5 UK hit from 1999
- Chaka Khan, “Boogie’s in My Soul” — a current Rhythmic chart title in the U.S.
- Young MC, “Bust a Move”
- Swoop, “Apple Eyes” — 1995 Australian hit
- Mi-Sex, “Computer Games” — early ’80s new wave
- Van Halen, “Best of Both Worlds”
- Rhythm Syndicate, “I Wanna Make Love to You”
- De La Soul, “Say No Go” — their Daryl Hall & John Oates-powered song from 3 Feet High and Rising
- M People, “One Night in Heaven”
