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...and the cow was returned to its rightful owner.
And that's the latest from S-P-M-M news...
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
S T R A N G E M A G I C
B E I N G E R I C A
on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!
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"Never Been To Spain" - Three Dog Night
(Jan./Feb. 1972, highest chart pos.
#5 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
#5 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
Kicking-off the show,
"Never Been To Spain,"
one of the many hits by
the versatile and very
soulful LA-based rock
band Three Dog Night.
The single reached the
top 5 in the early
weeks of 1972.
Hello again, everyone! I'm Erica Strange. As you might recall
from last year's preview, I'm the time traveling main
character on the Canadian television dramedy
Being Erica.
Welcome to the official debut of
Strange Magic Being Erica
Strange Magic Being Erica
exclusively here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.
I'm excited to be moonlighting as the newest
member of The Shady Bunch DJ staff.
On Strange Magic Being Erica
I'll be bringing you the greatest
soft rock, new wave and pop
I'll be bringing you the greatest
soft rock, new wave and pop
love songs of the 70s and 80s.
Sometimes I'll even take you
all the way back to the 60s.
In fact that's exactly what
I'll do later in today's show.
Sometimes I'll even take you
all the way back to the 60s.
In fact that's exactly what
I'll do later in today's show.
On Being Erica I change clothes a lot,
and I'll be doing the same here on
S-P-M-M, even though I'm doing
a radio show. Go figure!
and I'll be doing the same here on
S-P-M-M, even though I'm doing
a radio show. Go figure!
Okay, let's get back to the music and
the magic. In the summer of 1980,
Olivia Newton-John's musical
fantasy film Xanadu bombed
at the box office... but the
the magic. In the summer of 1980,
Olivia Newton-John's musical
fantasy film Xanadu bombed
at the box office... but the
soundtrack album went
double platinum in the
U.S. and was a hit
all over the world.
double platinum in the
U.S. and was a hit
all over the world.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
Here now is one of the songs from Xanadu. Released as a single
just before the movie hit theaters, it shot up the chart and spent
four weeks at number one. Olivia Newton-John sings-- "Magic."
just before the movie hit theaters, it shot up the chart and spent
four weeks at number one. Olivia Newton-John sings-- "Magic."
"Magic" - Olivia Newton-John
(July/Aug. 1980, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box),
from OST of the Aug. 1980 film Xanadu)
That was Olivia Newton-John with her
smash hit from the flop film Xanadu,
a picture that also featured dance star
Gene Kelly in his final movie role.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
Olivia and this popular English rock band,
Electric Light Orchestra, collaborated on
the hit theme from Xanadu. The previous
year, ELO racked-up their biggest U.S.
hit with a single that peaked in the top 5
and you're listening to it now. It's called
"Don't Bring Me Down."
"Don't Bring Me Down" - Electric Light Orchestra
Aug./Sept. 1979, highest chart pos. #4 Hot 100 & Cash Box)
From the late summer of '79, a year before Xanadu, that was ELO -
Electric Light Orchestra - with their highest-charting hit in the U.S.
and second highest charting UK hit-- "Don't Bring Me Down."
By the way, the lyrics of that song are often misheard as
"Don't Bring Me Down, Bruce." ELO co-founder Jeff
Lynne insists he is actually shouting "grooss"...
a word he simply made up!
BOOTH ANNOUNCER:
It's another Erica Strange
(ECHO CHAMBER)
DOUBLE PLAY-AY-AY-AY!
DOUBLE PLAY-AY-AY-AY!
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
You got that right,
Don Pardo!
I'm double dippin' into the Electric Light Orchestra catalog
to bring you this groovy drum cover by German multi-
instrumentalist Sina Doering. Listen as Sina beats
the skins into submission on ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky!"
"Mr. Blue Sky" - ELO drum cover by Sina
(June 2019, orig. single Aug. 1978, highest
chart pos. #27 Cash Box/#35 Hot 100)
That was The Princess of Percussion, drum sensation Sina Doering,
with a great drum cover of my second featured ELO song
"Mr. Blue Sky," a top 30 hit in the summer of 1978.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
If you're just tuning in, I'm Erica Strange
and this is Strange Magic Being Erica,
and we're in the middle of a 7-in-a-row
block party on S-P-M-M. I'm your vehicle,
babe, I'll take you anywhere you wanna go.
Why don't we let The Cars take us back
to '78 with-- "My Best Friend's Girl"?
"My Best Friend's Girl" - The Cars
(Nov./Dec. 1978, highest chart pos.
#35 Hot 100/#44 Cash Box)
#35 Hot 100/#44 Cash Box)
Getting your motor running, those were The Cars with Ric Ocasek
on lead vocals doing "My Best Friend's Girl," the second single
from the Beantown band's self-titled debut album, and a song
from the soundtrack of the 1979 coming-of-age crime movie
Over the Edge. In the U.S. "Best Friend's Girl" peaked at the
low end of the top 40, but it was a much bigger hit in the
UK where it finished in the top 3 on the chart.
UK where it finished in the top 3 on the chart.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
Erica Strange keeping you company on
S-P-M-M. Know what, I really like these
guys - The Doobie Brothers - a group
that's been an important part of the
soundtrack of America for more
than 50 years. Formed in 1970
as a mainstream rock band
behind lead singer Tom Johnston,
the Doobies changed direction in
1975 when Johnston left and was
replaced by blue-eyed soul man
Michael McDonald. Here's the
updated sound of the McDonald
era, The Doobie Brothers with--
replaced by blue-eyed soul man
Michael McDonald. Here's the
updated sound of the McDonald
era, The Doobie Brothers with--
"It Keeps You Runnin'."
"It Keeps You Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers
(Jan./Feb. 1977, highest chart pos. #37 Hot 100/#50 Cash Box)
From the early weeks of 1977, those were The Doobie Brothers with their
top 40 hit "It Keeps You Runnin'"... a single from their 1976 album
Takin' It to the Streets... the first to feature Michael McDonald
as lead singer. The song was used in the 1978 classic rock
movie FM and is also found in the soundtrack of the
Academy Award-winning 1994 film Forrest Gump.
Strange days have found us and, as promised, here I am all the way back in 1969
to introduce the classic folk-rock sound of Crosby, Stills & Nash - a supergroup
that put an indelible stamp on American music and culture. Also known as CSN,
the group was made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and
Stephen Stills plus Graham Nash from the UK. Canadian singer and
songwriter Neil Young also joined the act from time to time.
that put an indelible stamp on American music and culture. Also known as CSN,
the group was made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and
Stephen Stills plus Graham Nash from the UK. Canadian singer and
songwriter Neil Young also joined the act from time to time.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
Here's one of the group's best known compositions. Written by Stephen Stills,
the song refers to his former girlfriend, singer/songwriter Judy Collins.
Crosby, Stills & Nash sing-- "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes."
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
(Nov./Dec. 1969, highest chart pos. #15 Cash Box/#21 Hot 100)
You just heard the tight intricate
harmonies of CSN - Crosby, Stills
& Nash, one of the leading groups
of the late 1960s counterculture -
and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," a song
that made the top 20 in the U.S. and
brushed the top 10 in Canada during
the Thanksgiving and Christmas
holiday season in 1969.
Gosh, Shady just drew his finger
across his throat, the signal for me
to "cut," and that means I need to
wrap up my first official show on
S-P-M-M. Before I forget, I want
to invite you to watch my series
Being Erica, streaming on Hulu
and on Amazon Prime Video.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
To play us off, here's a different version of my theme song "Strange Magic,"
this one from the 2015 animated jukebox musical fantasy movie of the
same name. Stay tuned. Coming up on the B side of news, my friend
Jerry Blavat, The Geator with the Heater, drops by to spin stacks
of wax on Geator Gold... and I'll be back soon with more great
songs from your youth on Strange Magic Being Erica. Now
watch and listen as stars Evan Rachel Wood and Alan
Cumming as characters Marianne and Bog King,
sing the title song "Strange Magic." This is
Erica Strange saying so long and take care!
"Strange Magic" - Evan Rachel Wood & Alan Cumming
(from OST of Jan. 2015 animated film Strange Magic)
