Too Long for Airplay

Too Long for Airplay offers 4 songs that were never given a chance at airplay — let alone having a shortened version produced. Long songs pushed radio boundaries, driving edits, album-oriented rock, and specialty programming—ultimately expanding artistic freedom while reshaping how Radio broadcasting industry and Record labels marketed music.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:18

This is Acoustic Avenue. I'm Ted Crouch, your host in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, with co-producer Joe Little in Calgary, Alberta. On Acoustic Avenue, we recognize with respect and gratitude that these lands where we live, work, and make our music remain home to a number of indigenous nations and people. We acknowledge this land out of respect for the indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of the settler peoples until this day. Since the very beginnings of recorded music up until the late 1960s, record companies restricted recorded songs to approximately two and a half to three minutes in length. Sometimes a little longer, but often less than two minutes. The only exceptions were classical music and the occasional jazz number. The reason given for this was that the average listener's attention span was too short, that they would lose interest and change the channel. FM radio stations, when they started out, would sometimes play extended tracks and even entire size of albums. That approach fell out of favor by the late 1980s, and in today's market, the only radio stations that play the longer songs are university, college, and community radio stations. When songs started getting longer, the record companies would produce an engineered, shorter version for airplay. Two of the more blatant examples of this are The Beatles, Hey Judy, a seven-minute song shortened to four minutes, and Iron Butterflies in a God of Eda in the Garden of Eden. A 17-minute song, which they cut down to under three minutes. Today we will offer up four songs that were never given a chance at airplay, let alone having a shortened version produced. We can make the wind howl we can make it howl.

SPEAKER_04 6:28

The captain cried to the devil, drink a toast. We'll clap the hole with cups of gold, we'll feed the sea with ghosts. I see a hunger for a fortune. Could be better served beneath my flag. If you the stomach for a broadside, come aboard, my pretty boys. I will take you, make you everything you've ever dreamed. Make fast the guns! Tonight we sail on the high tide, bloods the bay. Come three the lines and square the yards, get the black flags come away. But turkey Arab and the Spaniard will soon have pities on their eyes. I will take you, make you everything you've ever dreamed. Six days off the Cuban coast when I sail ahead, they spy Gallion of the treasure fleet, missing look at pride. Closer to the wind, my boss, I'm not a captain road. That's alive tonight, but we're hauling for Spare us, the gallon bait, a mercy space is play. Driven to the corner day, Alasha Baba. She's asked, my boys, the captain grim, and no one left to tell you. It is just as I foretold. You see there before you everything you've ever dreamed. Anchor in an indigo moonlit bay. Gold eye round fires, the sea feeds lay. Morning, white shells and a pipe of clay. Windy their footprints, they were far, far away.

unknown 9:57

Our sails were full as we play our cease.

SPEAKER_04 10:10

With the weak wild women, town, where we chose the passion gold, back to the lad. Make it the finest. Make it a cup for a sea thug's first. Two long years, bones of beaches, fever and leeches. Did they so fill the night with paradise? Bring me peach and be cup, to our first. But first, I wanna soft touch in the right place. I wanna feel like the king tonight. Defeat the French Batchy jobs, give them room to turn. Now open wide sweet heaven's gates. Tonight we're gonna see in heaven birds. See how she burns. Oh she burns I'm on my job. I'ma go cheese and I'ma lie to the start. Come the day for me. We're the floor of the morning time. Once more the ocean cry This company will return Monday. Only feel tears is the price we pay for this price is to be taken, and glory to be found. We pass your shoulders, we all take you voice for them until hells our names.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Songs that are considered too long for airplay typically exceed the criteria for a radio-friendly track. However, due to public demand to hear full versions starting in the nineteen seventies.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

Those who don't believe me by your soul that's set the free. Those who believe and love this time will be your key.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

This is acoustic avenue. Well, songs that are too long for airplay may not conform to traditional radio time constraints.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

I always jealous for this. I can inspire to capture the spirit. Impressing it in the chest with hard keys and casting the keys to the hard corners of the air, so that only four particularly brave and talented individuals might retrieve them. It is here that I can already begin.

SPEAKER_04 30:06

He's trying to eyes. Together we calling us a dream. The end save us all. And if you'll do it the king, all the kids die.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Their quest leads them first until the river's edge.

SPEAKER_04 33:08

Lead me to the water. Quick before I change my mind. Down to the bottom. Down to the bottom.

unknown 33:39

Down to the bottom. I go.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

Only way one as a cover, and I even have a remote and lay the bottom of the flu.

SPEAKER_04 35:54

Stop will never keep me from the glass guitar. I will never feel it. Don't stop the rest.

SPEAKER_01 44:05

Now in possession of all four keys, the brave adventurers marched triumphantly into the Valley of Silence to open the chest, smash the glass guitar, and free the spirit of harmony.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

To take us home, we leave you with a brief insight on Alice Cooper, who has had a presence in the radio world primarily through his own radio show called Night with Alice Cooper. His show featured classic rock music, interviews with various musicians, and anecdotes from Alice himself. It was syndicated on numerous radio stations in Canada and internationally. Here is Alice Cooper with Alma Mater in the Grand Finale, a two-song meld perfectly suited to our theme on today's program. Too long for airplay.

SPEAKER_04 48:04

Tomorrow, like the rain, I'll be back home again. Someday, like that bus, I will be leaving too. But you know, it breaks my heart to leave you. Camelback, my high school. And now alone crying in my bed. I guess I'll be leaving too. But you know, it breaks my heart to leave you. Court. Yes, I will. Yes, I will, you know I will. Yes, I will. Yes, I will, you know I will.

unknown 49:36

Everybody, everybody. I hope that I would see you again. Everybody, everybody.

SPEAKER_04 49:47

I finally grew up everybody let me out of school Hey, remember the time?

SPEAKER_02 50:14

Remember the time we take that snake and we we put it down a little Bessie's dress.

SPEAKER_04 50:21

Now I don't take miss. Axel wrong with much impress Now I don't take miss. Axel wrong with much impression. Axel wrong with much impressed Everybody I hope that I would see you again Everybody How do you like that?

unknown 51:00

Let me out of school Goodbye. I wanna get out of here I wanna be out of school about that, huh?

SPEAKER_04 51:11

Goodbye.

SPEAKER_02 51:13

Hey, goodbye, guys.

SPEAKER_04 51:15

Maybe I'll see maybe I see a little time, huh?

SPEAKER_00 57:08

Until next time, this is Head Crowd signing off. And on behalf of Joel, from our hearts to yours, stay safe and love the ones you're with.