From the Desk of CLASSICKONG 🦍🎙️
Good Sunday morning from all of us at WTSG-DB*, where the music never stops and the memories are always welcome.*
Every once in a while, while putting together This Day in Music History, we discover that the stories seem to find their own theme.
Today, that theme is music without walls.
There was a time when turning on the radio was an adventure.
Growing up with radio in the 1970s, I never knew exactly what I was going to hear next.
Rock might be followed by soul.
Country could sit beside pop.
Funk, jazz, disco and a beautiful ballad could all share the same station.
We didn’t spend much time worrying about what box the music belonged in. If people loved the record, they called the station and asked the DJ to PLAY IT AGAIN.
That spirit has stayed with me throughout my life, and it’s something I’ve tried to carry into WTSG-DB since I first started broadcasting in 2007.
Great music doesn’t need walls.
And if you want proof, take a look at the American pop chart from exactly 46 years ago today.
Christopher Cross was sailing at No. 1.
Diana Ross was right behind him.
Olivia Newton-John was making “Magic.”
The Rolling Stones were looking for an “Emotional Rescue.”
The S.O.S. Band was telling us to “Take Your Time (Do It Right).”
Irene Cara had “Fame.”
Air Supply was “All Out of Love.”
And jazz guitar legend George Benson was telling us to “Give Me the Night.”
That wasn’t somebody’s eclectic record collection.
That was mainstream American radio.
Man, what a dial.
And sitting at the very top was one of the most beautiful records of the era.
Christopher Cross Sails to No. 1 — 1980
On August 30, 1980, Christopher Cross reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Sailing.”
The song came from his remarkable self-titled debut album, Christopher Cross, released in 1979 on Warner Bros. Records.
That album also gave us “Ride Like the Wind,” “Never Be the Same” and “Say You’ll Be Mine.”
“Sailing” would spend one week at No. 1, but its life would extend far beyond the charts.
At the Grammy Awards, “Sailing” won Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while Christopher Cross won Album of the Year and Cross was named Best New Artist.
Christopher Cross became the first artist to sweep all four of those major Grammy categories in a single ceremony.
But awards don’t explain why a song survives for nearly half a century.
People do.
Some songs become more than recordings.
They become places where memories live.
For me, “Sailing” is one of those songs.
It reminds me of someone I knew and cared about when I was very young—someone who left this world far too soon. I won’t tell that entire story here because some memories deserve to remain personal. But “Sailing” became part of her story, and because of that, it became part of mine.
The song also makes me think about my dad.
As a kid, I lived in Florida. My mom and dad loved the ocean, and Dad actually enjoyed sailing. He’s gone now too, and I miss him more than words can adequately express.
So when those familiar opening notes begin, “Sailing” can take me to several different places at once.
That’s one of music’s greatest gifts.
People may leave our lives—sometimes without warning and long before we’re ready—but the memories they gave us don’t disappear with them.
A photograph.
A familiar place.
An old telephone conversation.
An afternoon by the ocean.
Or one beautiful song.
Suddenly, the years disappear.
“Sailing” can make us think about where we’ve been, whom we’ve loved, whom we’ve lost and how precious the time we’re given really is.
And when I look across an ocean that seems to stretch forever, I’m reminded that there are things much bigger than ourselves.
For those of us who believe, perhaps the people we miss aren’t really behind us at all.
Maybe they’ve simply sailed ahead.
Beyond the horizon.
Beyond the pain and hurt of this world.
And someday, we’ll catch up with them.
Until then, we remember.
And sometimes…
we listen.
CLASSICKONG’s Christopher Cross Must-Haves
Christopher Cross (1979)
Another Page (1983)
Every Turn of the World (1985)
Back of My Mind (1988)
If you’re starting with only one, make it that magnificent debut.
KC and the Sunshine Band — “Get Down Tonight” Hits No. 1 — 1975
Five years before Christopher Cross sailed into the top spot, another Florida sound was sitting at No. 1.
And this one wasn’t interested in quiet reflection.
This one wanted to GET DOWN!
On August 30, 1975, KC and the Sunshine Band reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Get Down Tonight.”
Written and produced by Harry Wayne “KC” Casey and Richard Finch and released on TK Records, it became the group’s first American No. 1.
That opening guitar practically announces that the party has begun before the groove even gets moving.
And once it does?
Good luck sitting still.
KC and the Sunshine Band became one of the defining funk and dance groups of the 1970s with records including:
“Get Down Tonight”
“That’s the Way (I Like It)”
“(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty”
“I’m Your Boogie Man”
“Keep It Comin’ Love”
“Boogie Shoes”
“Please Don’t Go”
Harry Wayne “KC” Casey has continued carrying that Sunshine Band sound to audiences decades later.
CLASSICKONG’s KC and the Sunshine Band Must-Haves
Do It Good (1974) — TK Records
KC and the Sunshine Band (1975) — TK Records
Part 3 (1976) — TK Records
Who Do Ya (Love) (1978) — TK Records
Do You Wanna Go Party (1979) — TK Records
If you’re only buying two, start with KC and the Sunshine Band and Part 3.
Those two records contain enough funk to get an entire neighborhood moving.
There are complicated records.
There are deeply philosophical records.
And then there are records whose primary purpose is to make you smile, turn up the volume and move something.
“Get Down Tonight” understood the assignment.
That’s the way…uh-huh, uh-huh…we LIKE IT!
Steppenwolf Returns with Slow Flux — 1974
On August 30, 1974, Steppenwolf released their seventh studio album, Slow Flux, on Mums/Epic Records.
The record was particularly significant because Steppenwolf had re-formed earlier that year after previously breaking up.
Slow Flux produced “Straight Shootin’ Woman,” which became Steppenwolf’s final Billboard Top 40 single.
Of course, their place in rock history had already been secured with monsters such as:
“Born to Be Wild”
“Magic Carpet Ride”
“The Pusher”
“Rock Me”
“Hey Lawdy Mama”
“Born to Be Wild” also helped popularize two words that would become permanently associated with loud guitars:
HEAVY METAL.
Whatever label you put on them, Steppenwolf helped build the bridge between the psychedelic 1960s and the heavier rock that followed.
CLASSICKONG’s Steppenwolf Must-Haves
Steppenwolf (1968)
The Second (1968)
At Your Birthday Party (1969)
Monster (1969)
Steppenwolf 7 (1970)
If you want to hear where hard rock was headed before anyone had completely decided what to call it, start there.
The Texas International Pop Festival Begins — 1969
Just two weeks after Woodstock, another enormous music festival began on August 30, 1969, at the Dallas International Motor Speedway in Lewisville, Texas.
The Texas International Pop Festival ran from August 30 through September 1 and featured an absolutely ridiculous collection of talent.
Across those three days were performers including:
Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Grand Funk Railroad, Chicago Transit Authority, Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, Ten Years After, Sly and the Family Stone, Spirit, Herbie Mann, Sam & Dave, Tony Joe White and many others.
Opening day itself included Grand Funk Railroad, Canned Heat, Chicago Transit Authority, James Cotton Blues Band, Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Herbie Mann, Rotary Connection and Sam & Dave.
And here’s one of my favorite details.
Grand Funk Railroad played all three days.
At the time, Grand Funk was still fighting to get noticed.
Imagine being a young band looking for exposure and finding yourself sharing a festival with B.B. King, Janis Joplin, Santana, Led Zeppelin and some of the hottest musicians on Earth.
Not a bad place to introduce yourself.
John Lennon Takes the Stage at Madison Square Garden — 1972
On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed two historic One to One Concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Backed by Elephant’s Memory and joined by special guests, the shows included Lennon classics such as “Instant Karma!,” “Mother,” “Come Together,” “Imagine,” “Cold Turkey” and “Give Peace a Chance.”
The performances were benefits connected with children at New York’s Willowbrook State School.
They also became historically important for another reason.
These were John Lennon’s only full-length concerts after leaving The Beatles and the final two full-length concerts performed together by John and Yoko.
Nobody in that arena could have known how precious those performances would eventually become.
Jimi Hendrix at the Isle of Wight — 1970
On August 30, 1970, Jimi Hendrix traveled to and performed at England’s massive Isle of Wight Festival.
And for anyone reading this before recording the podcast:
“Wight” is pronounced exactly like “white.”
Hendrix delivered a monster set that included “Freedom,” “Red House,” “Foxey Lady,” “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “Machine Gun,” “All Along the Watchtower” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).”
Tragically, Hendrix would die on September 18, 1970, only weeks after the festival.
And there’s another part of Jimi’s story that we never want forgotten here at WTSG-DB:
Before becoming a rock legend, Jimi Hendrix served in the United States Army.
Whatever guitar style came afterward, Hendrix’s fingerprints are somewhere on it.
Tesla Serves Up Psychotic Supper — 1991
Here’s one for our fellow record collectors and music-history detectives.
AllMusic dates the release of Tesla’s third studio album, Psychotic Supper, to August 30, 1991, on Geffen Records, although other published discographies give a later September 1991 release date.
Release dates from the pre-digital era can occasionally become surprisingly messy, and rather than pretend the historical record is unanimous, we’ll simply tell you:
The sources disagree.
Since August 30 is supported by a major music reference, we’re putting Psychotic Supper on today’s turntable—with an asterisk for our fellow music-history detectives.
And we’re glad we did, because this is one heck of a Tesla record.
Highlights include:
“What You Give”
“Call It What You Want”
“Edison’s Medicine”
“Song & Emotion”
“Song & Emotion” carries additional weight because it was written in tribute to Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who had died earlier that year.
Tesla arrived during an era commonly associated with glam and hair metal, but underneath everything was a band deeply rooted in blues, classic rock and honest-to-goodness guitar playing.
CLASSICKONG’s Tesla Must-Haves
Mechanical Resonance (1986) — Geffen Records
The Great Radio Controversy (1989) — Geffen Records
Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990) — Geffen Records
Psychotic Supper (1991) — Geffen Records
Bust a Nut (1994) — Geffen Records
For newcomers, I’d start with Mechanical Resonance and The Great Radio Controversy, then go directly into Psychotic Supper.
And don’t overlook Five Man Acoustical Jam.
Tesla showed just how good hard rock could sound when you stripped away some of the electricity and let the songs and musicians do the work.
Overkill Brings the Horrorscope — 1991
Tesla wasn’t the only band serving something heavy on August 30, 1991.
New Jersey thrash veterans Overkill released Horrorscope on Megaforce Records.
Following guitarist Bobby Gustafson’s departure, Overkill brought in guitarists Merritt Gant and Rob Cannavino, giving the band a new two-guitar attack.
The album includes:
“Coma”
“Blood Money”
“Bare Bones”
“Thanx for Nothin’”
“Horrorscope”
And just in case things weren’t heavy enough, Overkill tackled Edgar Winter’s instrumental monster “Frankenstein.”
CLASSICKONG’s Overkill Must-Haves
Feel the Fire (1985)
Taking Over (1987)
The Years of Decay (1989)
Horrorscope (1991)
Ironbound (2010)
That’s your KONG Crew metal corner for today.
TURN IT UP.
Herbie Hancock Opens Up the Possibilities — 2005
Now we’re talking.
On August 30, 2005, jazz legend Herbie Hancock released Possibilities through Hancock Music, Vector Recordings and Starbucks Hear Music.
And the title couldn’t have been more appropriate.
Herbie built the album around genuine musical collaboration, bringing together musicians from far outside the traditional boundaries of jazz.
Among his collaborators were:
John Mayer
Carlos Santana and Angélique Kidjo
Christina Aguilera
Paul Simon
Annie Lennox
Sting
Jonny Lang and Joss Stone
Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan
Raul Midón
Trey Anastasio
Stevie Wonder even contributed harmonica.
Think about that list for a moment.
Jazz.
Rock.
Pop.
Blues.
Soul.
World music.
Singer-songwriters.
Different generations.
Different audiences.
One record.
Herbie Hancock has spent much of his career refusing to accept musical boundaries.
From his years with Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet to the groundbreaking jazz-funk of Head Hunters and the electronic experimentation that brought “Rockit” to MTV, Herbie repeatedly looked forward rather than backward.
And since today’s story began beside the water, we can’t overlook one of the great jazz albums of all time:
Maiden Voyage.
Released in 1965 on Blue Note Records, Maiden Voyage featured Herbie with Freddie Hubbard, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Tony Williams.
Even its musical concept evokes the sea.
Sometimes these stories just seem to find each other.
“Sailing.”
National Beach Day.
Maiden Voyage.
CLASSICKONG’s Herbie Hancock Must-Haves
Empyrean Isles (1964) — Blue Note
Maiden Voyage (1965) — Blue Note
Speak Like a Child (1968) — Blue Note
Head Hunters (1973) — Columbia
Thrust (1974) — Columbia
Man-Child (1975) — Columbia
Secrets (1976) — Columbia
Sunlight (1978) — Columbia
Future Shock (1983) — Columbia
River: The Joni Letters (2007) — Verve
Trying to reduce Herbie Hancock’s career to ten records ought to be illegal.
But you’ve got to start somewhere!
And if you’ve only heard “Rockit” or “Chameleon,” put on Maiden Voyage sometime when the house is quiet.
Then just listen.
There’s an entire musical ocean waiting in there.
Happy Birthday, Kitty Wells — 1919
Country music pioneer Kitty Wells was born Ellen Muriel Deason on August 30, 1919, in Nashville, Tennessee.
She died July 16, 2012, at age 92.
Wells became one of the most historically important women in country music when her 1952 recording “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” became a landmark No. 1 country hit and helped shatter barriers for female performers.
Kitty Wells became so important to the genre that she has long been affectionately known as “The Queen of Country Music.”
Of course, over the decades, country fans have placed that crown on more than one extraordinary woman.
Kitty Wells.
Patsy Cline.
Loretta Lynn.
Tammy Wynette.
Dolly Parton.
Reba McEntire.
And depending on whom you ask, you might hear a few more names before the argument is over!
You know what?
We’re staying out of this fight.
We love ’em ALL!
What can’t be debated is Kitty Wells’ place among the pioneers.
At a time when women faced enormous barriers in the country music business, Kitty helped prove that a female country performer could sell records, command an audience and stand at the very top of the charts.
CLASSICKONG’s Kitty Wells Essentials
“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”
“Making Believe”
“Heartbreak U.S.A.”
“Mommy for a Day”
“Will Your Lawyer Talk to God”
Call her a Queen, a pioneer or simply one of country music’s greats.
Kitty Wells helped open the door—and generations of remarkable women came walking through it.
National Beach Day
Today is National Beach Day, and I’m not sure we could have chosen a better National Day to accompany today’s lead story.
There’s something about standing beside the ocean that puts life into perspective.
The horizon seems endless.
The waves don’t care what happened yesterday.
They just keep coming.
For some people, the beach means vacations, sand castles, fishing, surfing and family photographs.
For others, it’s a quiet place to think.
And sometimes the ocean reminds us of people we miss.
So today, whether you’re actually sitting beside the water or you’re hundreds of miles away, take a moment to appreciate this remarkable planet we’ve been given.
Watch a sunset.
Listen to the waves if you’re lucky enough to be near them.
Remember somebody you love.
And maybe put Christopher Cross on the radio.
Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
CLASSICKONG may be a gorilla, but even he doesn’t want to look like a boiled lobster.
Final Spin
August 30 reminds us just how wonderfully enormous the world of music really is.
Christopher Cross gave us a song that still carries memories across generations.
KC and the Sunshine Band made us get down.
Steppenwolf kept the classic-rock engine running.
Tesla brought the guitars.
Overkill brought the THRASH.
Kitty Wells helped change country music.
John Lennon gave New York two historic performances.
Jimi Hendrix reminded the world what an electric guitar could become.
And Herbie Hancock showed us that musical boundaries are mostly lines somebody else drew.
Maybe that’s today’s real lesson.
Don’t be afraid to cross the lines.
Listen to rock.
Listen to jazz.
Listen to country.
Listen to funk.
Listen to metal.
Listen to that beautiful old ballad that still reminds you of somebody you loved forty or fifty years ago.
Because that’s the radio dial many of us grew up with.
You never knew what was coming next.
You only knew that if it was good…
you turned it up.
And sometimes a song becomes part of your life.
Years later, when you hear it again, the people, places and moments attached to it return for just a little while.
Maybe the people we miss aren’t behind us after all.
Maybe they’ve simply sailed ahead.
Until we meet them again, we’ll keep the memories close…
and keep the music playing.
From all of us at WTSG-DB, have a safe and peaceful Sunday.
And to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces—past and present—thank you for your service and sacrifice. 🇺🇸
Great Music. Great Radio. Great Community.
WTSG-DB
Listen to Today’s Broadcast
Sit back, relax, and enjoy today’s story in audio form with CLASSICKONG.
And before you go, if you haven’t already signed our Guestbook, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us your name, where you’re listening from and maybe even what song brings back a special memory for you.
Because wherever you are, you’re part of the KONG Crew.
Thanks for listening.
Historical References
- AllMusic — Tesla, Psychotic Supper
- Herbie Hancock — Possibilities005 Possibilities Release Announcement
- Steppenwolf — Official Discography
- Texas State Historical Association — Texas International Pop Festival
- John Lennon — Official Website
- Jimi Hendrix — Official Website
- Billboard — Charts
- National Day Calendar — National Beach Day
