WCBS-FM scored a coup by resurrecting classic radio in the New York Market . Bravo! Dan Mason, programmers, and jocks.

Now -- while we are at it, lets move on to the next generation of radio. where the hand of man has never set foot.

The term “Boomer Radio” is being swept up, so may I suggest a name that says it all? It’s “The Gold Rush” “Rush” as in Euphoria.

The original Gold Rush created a euphoric rush across the western prairies despite hostile Indians, brackish water and hellish heat till the 49’ers reached California and began panning frantically…for Gold!!!

Actually, if there were a golden song hit in the old west, literally with a bullet, in those days, I heartily suggest playing it even today, not in heavy rotation but, occasionally “framing” it, as you programmers term it.

Why not open the Pandora’s Music Box and play everything in it. There’s gold in that there box. Shame just to leave it there.

Over the years, during which they were mercilessly dissed by marketers, Boomers’ tastes broadened. They had to. No one was playing Oldies. Now, Boomers will listen to most anything. Consider “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” Try to figure that one out for any reason other than that it was a fun CD.

Re: the songs I am about to lay on you: most are familiar and were popular for a short period, then cast aside. All are poised to be welcomed back like old friends, thousands of them…all worthy.

Each of these songs is meant to evoke fond memories and inspire your playing of more of that artist. If I listed them all, you would have a book here.

They all have one thing in common: they are non-tuneoutable. If you are a programmer, sprinkle them among the more obvious 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s songs and there will be no tune-outs.

BTW, this may be the last time you will see me mention 70’s and 80’s or any other chronological frame of reference.. There is no chronology in the radio I suggest to you, only timeless music that grabs.

Enough of this generalizing. Let’s get down to it.

The following list reveals the scope of the music, lost by the erosion of time to millions of listeners who stand ready to embrace it again, re-igniting warm feelings. Mixed by ear, no one can match it.

Flamingo – Earl Bostic

I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Gladys Knight and the Pips

Happy Organ – Dave “Baby” Cortez

How Sweet It is – James Taylor

Let the Music Play – Barry White

Over the Rainbow – Harry Nilsson

Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino

At Last – Etta James

My Sweet Lord – George Harrison

Shining Star - Earth Wind and Fire

Dance to the Music – Sly and the Family Stone

We’re All Alone Now – Rita Coolidge

All Night Long – Lionel Ritchie

Sunny Side of the Street – Manhattan Transfer

Also Sprach Zarathustra 2001 – Deodato

Over My Head – Fleetwood Mac

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon

I Can’t Get Started – Barry Manilow

Tiny Dancer – Elton John

Our Day Will Come – Frankie Valli

Selected Songs – Josh Groban

Shanty Town – Ted Heath

Beatle Songs – Count Basie

Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Turtles

Silly Love Song – Paul McCartney

Baby, I Need Your Lovin’ – Four Tops

Wool Bully – Sam the Sham

Rescue Me – Fontella Bass

I’ve Got Your Under My Skin – Frank Sinatra

Stardust – Nat Cole

Straighten Up and Fly Right – Linda Ronstadt or Nat Cole

Bad Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce

Yo Feets’ Too Big – Fats Waller

S’Wonderful and others – Julie London

Dancing in the Streets – Martha and the Vandellas

Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens – Louie Jordan

Dream – Roy Orbison or The Pied Pipers

House of Blue Lights – Ella Mae Morse or Asleep at the Wheel

Louie Louie – The Kingsmen

Lean on Me – Bill Withers

Dancing Queen – Abba

For Once in my Life – Stevie Wonder

I’ll Take You There –The Stapletons

I Love a Rainy Night – Eddy Rabbit

That’s What Friends are For – Elton, Stevie, Dionne, and Gladys

Oye Como Va –Santana

Groovin’ – Young Rascals

What’s Love Got to Do With It ? – Tina Turner

More Today Than Yesterday – Spiral Staircase

Kind of a Drag – The Buckinghams

Jumping Jack Flash – Rolling Stones

Joy to the World – Three Dog Night

Crimson and Clover – Tommy James

La Bamba – Ritchie Valens

Tequila – The Champs

I Feel Good – James Brown

Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran

In the Summertime – Mongo Jerry

Summer Breeze – Seals and Croft

Hot Fun in the Summertime – Sly

As Times Goes By – Jimmy Durante

Summertime – Janis Joplin

Swingin’ Shepherd Blues – Moe Koffman Quartette

Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart in “San Francisco

Pat Boone – Love Letters in the Sand

Patti Page – “Old Cape Cod”

Georgia Gibbs – “Dance With Me Henry”

Jo Stafford – “Jambalaya”

Nat King Cole - “Ramblin’ Rose

Johnny Mathis – It’s Not for Me to Say

Eddie Fisher - I Need You Now

McGuire Sisters – Sugartime

Frankie Laine – Jezebel

Tom Jones - She’s a Lady

Guy Mitchell – Heartaches by the Number

I’ve Been Everywhere – Hank Snow

Les Paul & Mary Ford – Vaya Con Dios

Red Foley - Cincinnati Dancing Pig

Selected instrumentals – Quincy Jones

Over the Rainbow , and others - Eva Cassidy

Selected songs by Eric Clapton

Selected Songs by Iz., The Hawaiian singer

Conjure up your favorite songs, and put them in your rotation, just so they are catchy, melodic, swinging, or toe tapping, or highly listenable in the classic mould. Even if performed by a new young artist, if the sound fits, play it….but frame it.

Throw in an occasional swing instrumental, done either by young Turks or Grand Masters. An entire young generation resurrected swing a few years ago. It can be played occasionally (framed.) Artie Shaw’s Grammercy Five is great bumper music.

How important is swing? Anyone 25+ or 65+ will tell you, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

Even now, before the wave of new Boomers comes crashing in, you are looking at 48% of the households, 78 million people, about to explode exponentially in numbers, and spending power.

In this offering, I am resurrecting the obsolete “Oldie’s “ format on a grander scale, while dropping the “Oldies” handle. . The old “Oldies” stations failed, because they were too narrowly focused chronologically, and because not one of the new boomers wants to be even distantly related to the word, “Oldies.” A 42 year old guy is in denial about looming prostate problems.

The following segment is programmed with an ear toward mixing tempos and sound. I didn’t put two males or two females back to back. Two slow songs were not segued.

Rule: Keep the tempo up. Energy, the secret of life. Caution: listeners do not consciously listen for these elements, but get bored and tune out if the music becomes predictable.

Boredom, the nations #1 killer

Predictability, a deadly sin along with sloth and greed.


The Happy Hare Show Sampler

In the order to be played

Oh! Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

Straighten up and Fly Right - Linda Ronstadt, or Nat Cole

Let the Music Play - Barry White

We’re All Alone Now - Rita Coolidge

Take Five - Dave Brubek

Staying Alive - Bee Gees

At Last - Etta James

All Night Long - Lionel Ritchie

Sunny Side of the Street - Manhattan Transfer

Midnight Train to Georgia` - Gladys Knight/Pips

Stardust - Nat Cole

Baby, I Need Your Lovin’ - Four Tops

Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley

California Dreamin’ - Mamas and the Papas

The Name of the Game - Abba

Rocking Good Time - Dinah and Brook

Night Train - Buddy Morrow

Yellow Submarine - Beatles

Wooly Bully  Sam the Sham

Hit the Road, Jack - Ray Charles
Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds

That’s What Friends Are For - Dionne, Elton, Stevie, Gladys

How Sweet It Is - James Taylor

An Old fashioned Love Song - Three Dog Night

Someday, We’ll Be Together - Supremes

Splish Splash - Bobby Darin

Shining Star - Earth Wind and Fire

Beatle Song Album Selection - Count Basie

Here We Go Again - Norah Jones

I’ve Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra

Desafinado - Stan Getz/Charlie Bird

Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce

Hotel California - The Eagles

Bad Girls - Donna Summer

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka

Alright OK You Win - Tony Bennett and Diana Krall

Midnight Sun - Ella Fitzgerald

Silly Love Song - Paul McCartney/Wings

Rescue Me - Fontella Bass

Flamingo - Earl Bostic

Louie Louie - The Kingsmen

Their kids are gone, and now is the time for Boomers to be kids again. The one who dies with the most toys wins. And you media planners are the ones who can keep them up on the latest toys…on radio. Boomers were imprinted by Radio. Imprints are insidious, stay with us all our lives.

And, Bonus! Bonus! Older people are beginning to buy Games.

Soon, in this series, I will cover marrying music with “Talk,” or even playing appropriate music in a news show….what I call.”newsic.”.

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, our satellites, our HD’s, our internets, but in ourselves…Julius Caesar: Act 2, Scene 2, sort of.