RadioshowMike Marrone
ps025 Complete_Masteredlossless

Back at the turn of the century I was deep into the process of building a channel tentatively called Clean Air for XM Satellite Radio in Washington, DC. My only staff was the most amazing production Dude I have ever had the pleasure to work with by the name of Pants. That’s right… Pants. Although we were told at the hiring bonfire celebration we would each have plenty of help, once we got down to it, that was not to be due to (what else) money. This special collection of weirdos, misfits, actual respected broadcasting stars and perhaps the last of the true radio rebels were gathered in the palatial and muddy property of Lee Abrams. The day’s mission was to bring any radio paraphernalia from a lifetime in the radio trenches, specifically from bad gigs. Our job would be to drink, jam (backline was all set up), chant and circle a giant bonfire while burning the faded prize closet memories of how disgusting the programming and environment of radio had become. To a person, everyone there started their radio journey in love with radio, music and broadcasting. By the year 2000 Corporate America had surgically excised the creative, passionate professionals that lived to keep the spirit of adventure and excitement for music discovery and human connection alive on the airwaves. From coast to coast, as well as Canada, Jamaica, The U.K. and beyond, Lee Abrams and Dave Logan had searched and somehow convinced all of us to move to the Washington, DC area and work in one of the absolute worst areas of the District. The days would be long, it was not very safe to leave the building so food would need to be brought in, there would be no posted time-off for at least 2 years, the building was up and running 24/7. I averaged at least 80 hours a week during those years, and with 1 or maybe 2 exceptions so did every member of XM Programming. It was the best job I ever had. Every day was an adventure, the creative energy in the building and studios was palpable, alive and buzzing with activity, purpose and excitement. I stayed for 17 years. I don’t regret it and remain proud of the work I did, but I should have left a year after the takeover disguised as a merger.

I’ve been thinking about this lately due to the daily grind of greed, stupidity, blatant lies and grift that has our country in what can best be described as a death grip. Every single time this regime hits a new low I hope for the clown show to finally implode. But you know what? Fuck hope. There is another reason that I found my mind drifting back to my XM days and it has to do with this very episode of Planting Seeds, namely the new album from Bonnie “Prince” Billy, “We Are Together Again.” Back at the beginning of The Loft, I was not as familiar with the work of Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, as well as Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers and Palace Songs. Spooner Oldham, yes but not Will. Even before the station went live everywhere, when we were still in Beta Test mode, I was getting regular messages from one particular person concerning Will/Bonnie. In essence I was a complete dick for not including him in my programming. OK, I’ll bite. Maybe I am. No one can know everything. As the frequency of messages increased, again from just one person. I was getting a bit pissed to be honest, but as usual I searched out some of his stuff, found it interesting and eventually played it a bit. That’s how I came across Bill Callahan (aka Smog), who I immediately liked a whole bunch more, and when one of my heroes Gil Scott-Heron recorded the Smog song “I’m New Here” and used it as the title track of his final album, that sealed it. Over the past few years I have been enjoying Will’s music a lot more, finding it really did grow on me. In fact one of the songs on the album he and Bill Callahan put out in 2021 is a veritable favorite I play quite often, “OD’d In Denver.” I didn’t even realize it was a cover of a Hank Williams Jr. song until this week. See, no one can know everything. So I cracked open the new album and I’m enjoying it but reaching track #5 I feel as if I was just hit in the head with a brick. Within 30 seconds there are tears streaming down my face and catching my breath is a problem. The song is called “(Everybody’s Got a) Friend Named Joe.” BOOM! I certainly had a friend named Joe. My best pal, Joey Bolt aka Joe Cerach. He dropped dead at 60 from a massive heart attack, not even a month after we moved into Absecon. I think about him every day and have started dialing his number countless times over the past few years. They broke the mold with Joey and the song opens this episode after the intro. From The Basement #111 from 2021 was a Joey Bolt Memorial episode and is still up at Mike’s Basement if you get an itch to check it out LINK.

Now that I was already sad, of course I realized we are approaching what would have been the 70th Birthday of the only other Best Friend I’ve ever had, John Coakley aka “Max.” Max passed in September of 2022 and I found myself pulling up FTB #188, which was his musical memorial for the first time since I made it and hope somehow he got a chance to hear it as he would have loved it. That one can still be found HERE. Gersheft is Gersheft Dr. Max. Needless to say there are many “feels” contained in ps025, with new things from the aforementioned Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Bill Callahan, as well as Brian Jackson w/ Masters At Work, Mark Lockheart, Huw V Williams & Jay Davis (Shapeshifter), Crooked Fingers, Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo & Danger Mouse, Nine Inch Nails and Captain Wilberforce. Raided the library for connective sonic tissue from Ken Nordine, Sigur Rós, John Lennon, Jimmy LaFave, David Sylvian + Ryuichi Sakamoto, Eddie & the Hot Rods, The Fall, Spooky Tooth, Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes, Eels, Tom Waits, A Tribe Called Quest, James Brown, The Devlins, Placebo (w/Michael Stipe), Lou Rawls fronting Les McCann Ltd and a batch more.

Thanks for your ears and heart and all the support. Keep a good thought for Max and Joey and give yourselves a hug from me.