Category: Radio

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God History Music People Radio Television

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

Over 40 years ago Massachusetts-born singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum wrote and performed “Spirit In The Sky” – a multi-platinum single that became an International pop and rock smash. Although he is Jewish the song is all about Jesus and Heaven.

Prepare yourself. You know it’s a must.
Gotta have a friend in Jesus.
So you know that when you die.
He’s gonna recommend you to the Spirit in the sky.

Goin’ on up to the Spirit in the sky.
That’s where you’re gonna go when you die.
When you die and they lay you to rest.
You’re gonna go to the place that’s the best.

It’s in the lyrics, and it’s in the rockin’ 1986 remake by the U.K. psychedelic rock band Doctor & The Medics. This version of the classic track had all of the British Isles and most of the European continent jammin’ during the Summer of 1986. Even a young 19-year-old chap by the name of Chris M. Day (Airman Hitwaves) went crazy whenever he heard this track get cranked up on the medium wave radio on BBC Radio 1 or on the television on “Top Of The Pops”.

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History Music Radio

The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

Last week on the ‘Disco Party’ I featured the K.C. & The Sunshine Band classic “That’s The Way (I Like It)”. It spent a single week at # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of 1975. It was replaced at # 1 by “Fly, Robin, Fly” from Silver Convention out of Germany. In fact they were the first German act to ever hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Ironically after its 3-week run at # 1 was over with it was replaced at # 1 by the same song that it replaced – K.C.’s “That’s The Way”. That’s the way the top of the chart rocked back and forth between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 1975 back when I was 8½-years-old.

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God Life Music Radio

My Fantastic Journey: It’s In The Lyrics

It’s the soundtrack of my new Life of the past 41 months. It’s the music set to God’s words. The music comes in all different forms and styles – from dance to pop to rock to hip hop. God utilizes all of these various forms of music to reach those who need to hear His words. During the Summer of 2006 He reached me, and ‘My Fantastic Journey’ began – at the age of 39.

In Red Cloud’s Summer of 2007 Christian Hip Hop radio track “Boulevard Nights” he boldly exclaims out loud “I need You God !”. He’s turned his back on his previous life of gang violence, and he’s accepted God’s wide open arms. He knew that if he had continued to reject God then he would have ended up in jail for the rest of his life, or his life would soon be over. God offered him a totally different opportunity – radical change that he can believe in – and thankfully for him he accepted it. Nowadays Red Cloud is expanding God’s Kingdom by rapping the Good News straight from his Lord and Saviour. It’s in the lyrics:

As long as your heart is still beating it’s not too late to turn around from your life of evil and darkness. You already know how that is going to end. God has a fantastic journey that’s been created especially for you. Give Him a chance. You don’t know what you’re missing. This is a Life that’s worth it all !

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Blogging Driving History Home Life Music People Radio Travel

Saturday Night Retro

37 years ago at the end of 1972 I was a 5-year-old Kindergarten student at Magnolia Elementary School in Lanham Maryland.

Magnolia Elementary School, Lanham Maryland

The school was located about a mile away from my grandparents’ house. On most school half-days my Granddad would drop me off at school just after 12 noon and then pick me back up again 3 hours later. That was back in the days when you could attend any school that you wanted to no matter where you lived. I actually lived about 20 to 30 minutes away in Bowie Maryland. Later in the afternoon after getting off of work in NW Washington D.C. my Dad would pick me up from his parents’ house in this car:

Late in the afternoon as we drove southeastward from Lanham to Bowie along U.S. Route 50 (John Hanson Highway) we’d listen to WWDC AM-1260 as the TOP 40 hits were cranked out one after another. This was one of the top hits at the time at the end of 1972. It’s legendary British singer-songwriter Albert Hammond. He’s currently celebrating his 50TH anniversary in music, but back then he was enjoying a successful career as an International performance artist. Here’s “It Never Rains In Southern California” – his biggest hit as a singer ever – and one of the greatest pop radio tunes of my early childhood !

That’s ‘Saturday Night Retro’ for this week, and we’ll go back in time again – from the late-1990s – next Saturday night.

This concludes an awesome week of blogging. I’m taking Sundays and Mondays off from now on, so be sure to check back here on Tuesday night as we kick-off an all-new week of all of your favourite blog series. See ya then !