What makes this track interesting is the production value. It firmly locks the sound into the early 1990s. Clearly the backing track was created on budget synthesizers. You can hear the influence of 1980s new wave, but now it’s a midi sequence. It has a general-midi video game music vibe.
What is your favorite song by Nichols? Do you have a favorite song that mentions Star Trek? Let us know in the comments!
-Wacky Alex
NOTE: The image above is a screen shot for Star Trek The Original Series.
Vaguely channeling his Star Trek character, Mr Spok, Leonard Nimoy gave us a sarcastic critique on western capitalism and hostile marriages. Was he angry about something? The background music is deceptively whimsical with harp, saxophone, and flute.
I can barely interpret human body language as it is. For Vulcans, I am at a loss. So tell me, Does he look irate? Is he holding back a laugh? Is he hella surprised? Let me know in the comments.
-Wacky Alex
NOTE: The image above is a screen shot for Star Trek The Original Series.
We are inviting our listeners to record station identification spots for us. You may have heard some of them already.
The concept is simple. You can just use your video recorder on your phone, or you can get more fancy. It’s up to you. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and we will edit and prep the announcement and use it on the air! Here is an example.
Record your self following this script.
Do some kind of Hello.
“This is _____ from ______”
“AND”
“You are listening to FunHouse Radio”
Then make something up. adlib.
The message should be no longer than 60 seconds.
Save the file in whatever format you like, but we prefer WAV files at 44.1 Khz.
Contact us through the contact form to let us know you have a file to send. We will reply with our email address so you can send an attachment.
Thanks everyone!
The unofficial “part two” of The Major Tom Saga, this song was written and first made popular by Peter Shilling in 1983. You may have heard the 2009 version by Shiny Toy Guns. Shatner released this version in 2011 as part of his Seaking Major Tom album, which also features of cover of the original “Space Oddity”, by David Bowie.
Since then Bill Shatner has actually taken a rocket to space and then returned to the planet surface safely. Of all the artists to cover this song, Shatner is the only one to actually live it out both on screen and in real life. Bill IS Major Tom.
The photo above is a still frame from Star Trek The Original Series.
-Wacky Alex
I was in high school when I first heard “Grove is in the Heart” on the radio in Detroit. I remember hanging out with my best friend when the song came on. We both got really excited. For some reason one of us thought the song was actually produced by a local radio station as a promotion or something. I soon discovered otherwise. Indeed the track was by this groovy band called Deee-Lite with some help from Bootsy Collins. Deee-lightful!
First I bought the cassette single. As soon as the full album, World Clique, was released, I bought the CD and I still have it. It plays perfectly even though it’s 25 years old and has been played a thousands times.
My friends and I couldn’t wait for the next album, Infinity Within. I bought it the day it come out. It’s still in the original “Eco-Pack” low-plastic packaging. I loved that album too. At that point, I had to write them a fan letter. I never wrote fan mail before. I never thought I would be inspired to do that but there I was being a total fanboy.
Lady Miss Kier was so kind to answer my mail. First she sent a postcard. Then she had her publicist enroll me in the fan-club for the band for FREE. I received back issues of their fan-zine, press photos, fliers and stickers. I continued to get cool stuff from the fan club for the next two years.
This is a press photo I received in 1993. Kier signed it for me in 2007.
At some point in 1993 I landed a DJ job at my college radio station, WDMB Impact 89FM. I loved this job. It really helped me with my self esteem and communication skills. I needed both badly. I am still very thankful that they even gave me a chance.
While I as doing the DJ thing, I got a press card in the mail explaining about the forthcoming release, Dewdrops in The Garden. I called the given phone number and left a message. Two Weeks later my college station received the new CD. The band also sent us the 12inch remix EP of “Party Happening People” on white vinyl. Somebody on Etsy is selling this for over $70.
The station manager let me keep the remix record but he also scolded me for talking to the record company without going through the music director. WHOOPS!
Sadly, the band broke up shortly after. Several post breakup products were released such as a greatest hits album and remixes. DJ Towa went on to release a number of “solo” albums as well.
Fast forward to 2007. I found out that Lady Miss Kier was going to be performing at Duluth Pride. I just had to go see her. I rounded up some friends and we made the trek north. When I got there, I found Miss Kier’s trailer was on the grounds, roped off by security.
I walked up to the ropes and yelled out, “LOVE YOU LADY MISS KIER!”. Shortly after that, I was invited to meet her! All you need is love!
She was very kind to me in person. She signed a lot of the stuff I brought with, saved from the fan club. She even kissed a photo of the band with lipstick.
The Dee-lovely Lady then invited my group to dance on stage when “Groove is in The Heart” came on. I was too starstruck to do it but I took the cool photo at the top of this article.
Thank you Lady Miss Kier, and people who worked on the Deee-Lite records. They made the world a better place.
-Wacky Alex
Wally Pleasant was a student at Michigan State University when he first started making up songs with his guitar. This is one of the originals and it’s perfect for the start of summer. It’s on the summer playlist here as well.
I got a chance to play his music on WDBM when I was a student DJ there. Then I saw him play live, solo, in front of the cafes in East Lansing. One day I ran into him at Office Max. He’s a funny dude.
Here’s an image of a Tan guy in Israel from Huck Magazine.
Do you sunbathe? Do you use sunscreen or enhancers? Let us know in the comments.
-Wacky Alex
Happy Birthday to Mike Myers, one of our favorite funny guys. Myers turns 59 today, assuming they use the same calendar up in Canada. (just kidding)
The second Austin Powers movie is considered by most to be the best of the three that have been released so far. The Spy Who Shagged Me arrived in 1999.
Look at how young Seth Green was in the video clip. Who knew he would go on to be such a bastard. (Just kidding, Robot Chicken rocks by the way.) Sadly, “Mini-Me” Verne Troyer has since died, RIP.
The movie and the soundtrack album both feature this parody on Will Smith’s take of “Just The Two Of Us”. The album was re-released on vinyl for record store day 2020. We have the original CD version here at the station but the cover art looks better on the LP shown.
The song was first made famous by The Great Bill Withers.
Do you like Mike? Let us know what you think of him in the comments.
-Wacky Alex
Have you ever walked into someone’s bedroom and became immediately aware that they had been farting all night and they are badly in need of ventilation? That’s happened to me this morning.
Or maybe you got stuck in an elevator full of strangers and someone let a ripe stink bomb rip like chemical warfare. Perhaps you got stuck waiting in a long line and you really could not run away or risk embarrassing the random funky person. Or maybe you were like me and quietly rolled out a stench grenade while handing money to a poor cashier.
If you’ve had any experience with third party flatulence, you will find this track relatable. I remember hearing this on morning-drive radio while heading to high school back in 1990. It’s actually a quazi-parody of MC Hammer’s “Let’s Get It Started”. Compare for yourself!
“Somebody Farted” was released both on a 12″ EP and on a full length album. I happen to own the EP. Here’s a photo. The lead single was actually “Hair or Weave”. In my opinion “Somebody Farted” is a lot funner.
-Wacky Alex
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