We begin the shortest month with Episode #198 and once again bid farewell to another musical icon. This time guitarist Tom Verlaine steps aboard the Tram to the After Party, as always sooner than we would like. We said goodbye to Billy Conway last year but now get to celebrate the release of a great tribute offered by his friends and musical comrades, Jeffrey Foucault, Laurie Sargent, Kris Delmhorst and the lone remaining Morphine member, Dana Colley among others. Warren Zevon finally arrives on the R&R Hall Nominee list and there are new releases from City and Colour, Field School and a brilliant new album from Joe Henry. Stick around until the end because James Deeley's new one arrived just in time to make it to the show. There are 9 days left in this fundraising cycle, which is when this link expires, https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8QI2qLIzpG.
The Playlist can be found HERE
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The conclusion of our 2 part tribute to perhaps the greatest harmony singer in rock history. David Crosby was a true believer in the power of music to change the world. We hope you enjoy our labor of love to spread the word. Please help us keep From The Basement with continued support. We certainly understand if you don't have a square to spare, but please enjoy the show and pass the word to everyone you feel might enjoy it. Here's the link.
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The day I have been dreading for the last few months has arrived. It’s time to say goodbye to the best dog ever, Dazey. I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, be they animals or children, but in my 66 years as a dog lover I just couldn’t help it. This little bundle of love was rescued out of the hands of an evil scumbag ready to throw her into a dog fight as bait due to her being the runt of the litter. Disgusting on every level. She then wound up in the hands of a crack addict who was going to leave her in a crate on the streets of Baltimore. Needless to say, she was not in the best shape when we got her. She has gotten deep into my heart like no other, and I have loved all my dogs and all yours as well. I just think they are the purest form of unconditional love on the planet, and their name spelled backwards is no accident. While we do have Syd and Sawyer, also rescues and I know Dazey is suffering and the time has come, there is something else that deeply troubles me. In my lifetime Dogs have never been considered a luxury, but with the prices of Veterinary care skyrocketing they are rapidly becoming just that. I know prices on everything have gone through the roof but $600 to give a dog a compassionate injection and a dignified end of life is just another in a long line of Vet bills that have blown my mind in the last few years. And that is no extras, like paw prints or special urn or any one of a few hundred items they are ready to upsell you. It’s disgusting. What I am concerned about is that Senior Citizens and really most people are not going to be able to afford rescuing these animals, simply due to the cost. That’s a damn shame and as usual it all comes down to greed. So bid a fond farewell to my favorite girl as she heads to that Rainbow Bridge, she will forever remain in my heart. 
This was a tough one. I loved David Crosby and my few interactions with him only confirmed my speculation of his deep love of music and adventurous spirit. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant beforehand, as that old adage “Never Meet Your Heroes” was swirling around my head but within one minute it was apparent that would not be the case here. He was warm, funny and thrilled that I only desired to basically play records with him. He broke into a huge grin when I explained the concept. People of our generation spent a lot of time playing records, turning each other on to what we discovered, tracing the names on the record jackets back to dig deeper and learn all we could about how this sound came about. Music was the engine that drove our culture. No internet, games consisted of board games or the pinball machine at the local hangout and there was one phone in the house and no matter how long the cord was, it wasn’t going in your room. Television consisted of the three Networks and in my case, a pair of independent stations in New York and PBS. That’s it. To change the channel, you had to physically go to the set and turn the knob. But music was everywhere. 77 WABC was on the air and everyone was tuned in. On Saturdays we would beg our parents to take us to Two Guys (From Harrison) to spend our paper route earnings on the latest 45’s. By 1966 the music was changing, growing with us and before long, we shifted to this new station called WOR-FM, which gave way to WNEW-FM and our world moved from black and white to color. Looking back makes me appreciate that I essentially was smack dab in the middle of what will be hailed as a Renaissance Period for music. And David Crosby was one of the creators through each twist and turn. Outspoken, sincere and most of the time, high as fuck, Croz was a magnet for trouble. There’s no need to rehash his descent into junkiedom, it’s a tale well told. But through it all it remains a mystery how he was able to keep his voice, that remarkable instrument was still perfectly intact after everything he put it through, including prison. He also never let go of the music, his desire to keep moving forward, listening with wide open ears and passion that never waivered. Now that David Crosby has left, I prefer to be thankful that he managed to pull himself out of a deadly spiral and wind up with nearly four decades of Bonus Time, living until the age of 81. Absolutely no one around when the shit hit the fan in Texas, would have believed it. This is the first of what will likely be a two part tribute and I hope you enjoy the show. Please help if you can by clicking here Basement Fundraiser
PLAYLIST IS HERE
If we project out using data generated the first three weeks of 2023 it appears we may be doing an RIP tribute weekly. I will continue to follow the wisdom of Carl Reiner, “If you’re not in the Obit, eat breakfast.” Remembrances for Lisa Marie Presley, Van Conner of Screaming Trees, a belated acknowledgment to Kim Simmons of Savoy Brown were already planned and the song I couldn’t find in time for the 2 part Jeff Beck Tribute materialized just in time. In the middle of doing the show the David Crosby news hit and hit hard causing a delay in the release of #197 from last night to tonight, unless something else happens. Expect a batch of sounds from a full New Release Bin. Ben Freidkin, Nolan Taylor, The National, Margo Price, The Weeklings, Kid Gulliver, Iggy Pop, Everything But The Girl, Circa Waves, Julian Cope and Ryan Adams remake of “Nebraska,” join a reissue from Jon Brion, an amazing recording of Steely Dan from 1974, a Steve Miller remaster and all the usual/unusual odds and ends. Oh shit! Jerry Blatter “The Geator With Heater,” “The Boss With The Sauce” has just left the planet. Please help if you can and thanks to all that have. https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8QI2qLIzpG
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He certainly left a mark, no question about it. Like many, I have heard all the stories about what a dick he could be, but as far as I am concerned he was one of my favorite guests and a really nice man. We had an absolute blast recording an episode of Playing Records With Mike, and he knew his shit. Right before this photo was snapped, he bellowed "Would you buy a car from these guys?" And everyone has a good laugh. My daughter was filling in as Artist Hospitality that day and spent all day hanging with his son, Django and is crying right now for his terrible loss.. Croz did not suffer fools, phonies or poseurs at all, and he had no problem copping to his ability to be a complete and utter dick. But when he recognized a musical soul, he would give you the shirt off his back. We bonded over our mutual awe at the talent of Michael Hedges, which was just one of a litany of topics we covered that day. No notes, no script just a couple of music fanatics celebrating the pure joy music brings. I really loved him and send love, light and positive vibes to his family and friends at this difficult time. Instead of sadness, celebrate that for someone a millimeter away from the grave all those years ago, pulled himself together for a few decades of bonus time. My mind's eye sees him currently wearing his famous cape and harmonizing as no one else could at the afterparty.
The second part of our tribute to Jeff Beck begins with a few different versions of “Superstition” picking right up from Part one with a rare live recording of the Bobby Tench/Max Middleton era band which predates the BBA version, as well as a live version where Jeff joined Stevie Wonder on stage as a special guest. Quickly moving into the mutual admiration Jeff and Jimi Hendrix shared, displaying intersections of influence that some may not be aware of. From that point on it’s off to the races, quite literally as we examine Jeff’s lifelong infatuation with cars. Hot Rods, Coupes and all things American. When his attempt to purchase the actual American Graffiti car was unsuccessful, he built from scratch his own replica. Considering he also built his very first guitar it really didn’t surprise anyone who knew him. We also cover some of the numerous musical collaborations he enjoyed with everyone from Buddy Guy, The Big Town Playboys, Seal, Beth Hart, Jan Hammer, Sly Stone, David Bowie, George Martin, Brian Wilson, Robert Plant, Dion, Jules Holland, Imelda May and so much more.
Moving entirely too quickly toward 70 years old, I remain thankful to have lived through perhaps the greatest music renaissance is history. Witness to absolute giants inventing and reinventing the endless possibilities music presents, yearning to push the culture forward simply because they needed to, certainly not to develop a “brand.” Satchmo, Ellington, Hendrix, Mingus, Bird, Lennon, McCartney, Richards, Jagger, Dylan, Brian Wilson, Lou Reed, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Thelonious Monk, Prince, Bowie… think about the fact that only 6 of those names remain on the planet. Jeff Beck belongs on that list. Watching him perform his craft was akin to Dimaggio, Mays, Clemente or Griffy Jr. gliding back on a 100 MPH rocket seemingly out of reach and watching in amazement as they wind up waiting for it to nestle squarely in their glove. How did he do that? A question asked repeatedly when Jeff strapped on his guitar. Enjoy the show and please let us know by hitting like, sharing and spreading the word if you can. The first fundraiser of the year is active and we appreciate the support. We can only keep the link active for 30 days and if you can’t contribute, we completely understand. Just don’t let that stop you from enjoying the show.
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Had to share some of the stuff I found out there in the last few days on Jeff. I had never seen most of these.
There are certain artists we encounter during our time on the planet that have a unique and unmistakable glow. While their work and skills are exemplary it goes beyond their talent and into what I would call special magic. Jeff Beck was magic. He showed this unique ability to make sounds with a guitar that he alone could do, it was part of him. An extension of his instrument, and while he did use some gadgetry, he didn’t need it or rely on it. His hands were either working on a car or a guitar, and this was not a tinkerer. He dug in to find where the magic was, and while what I know about cars could fit on the end of a pin, musically speaking, Jeff always delivered magic. He has been the greatest guitar player on the planet since Jimi left in 1970 and is simply irreplaceable. There will never be another in my lifetime. The first Fundraiser of the year has been launched. https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8QI2qLIzpG Please help if you can, if not we understand and thank you for listening.
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My December Mix sent with love for better days ahead, inspired by those no longer here and musical memories they left behind. Not a Holiday mix but there are a few things included. See you with new episodes of FTB in the new year. To stream simply click the player, but in the spirit of giving if you would like to download the 24 Bit .flac file... click here
PLAYLIST IS JUST A CLICK AWAY.
Taking a short intermission to recharge as this is always a tough week for me personally. Even 32 years after the fact it just doesn't get easier. Pop left the planet on December 19, 1990 and every year the month seems to bring bad news. This year I don't have to battle through it so I'm taking a break. Merry Everything to Everyone, I will put some links to Holiday Tunes below. Thanks for all the incredible support over these past couple of years, I owe you more than I could ever repay.
 Something I am working on. Inspired by uncovering a stash of 80 minute recordable CDs. Creating a series of mixed single artist discs with essential as of 2022 material from them. that Can't exceed 80 minutes. Not a "best of" per se but what I would want to hear from them as of right now. I have a few finished and I want you to have at least the first one if you like.
Another trio heads to the “Afterparty In The Sky” (Vin Scelsa really should have trademarked that name) and we offer some comfort through musical tributes and a few rare items within this episode of FTB. Too much death in the last few years or perhaps it’s just more noticeable now that I am closer to 70 than 60. As always, there are also sounds to discover, making life worth living. New stuff from Lewis Taylor, Nicholas Payton, Kula Shaker, Cliff Hillis and Elvis Costello, with Reissues and Vault items from David Bowie, The Cure, Eric Ghost (inventor of Blotter Acid), Melvin Sparks, Iggy Pop, John Patton, Rare Bird and the Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Live at The Fillmore Collection. Trying to keep on an even keel in what remains a very uneven and uneasy Country. Thanks for listening. That's Boy Troy on the cover, he thought we had a Football Team and showed up ready to play. We got him some decaf and broke the news gently that he was out of his mind.
The PLAYLIST for this show can be found by clicking HERE
This ride of life continues to twist through rough terrain while hope here remains that the infrastructure holds firm until proper repair arrives. The voice and musicality of Roberta Flack has always been second to none. As a family touched by the abject horror of what ALS inflicted on my Mother-In-Law, Ms. Flack’s diagnosis is especially troublesome. We send love to her family and hope for a peaceful transition. A massively talented Musician with the voice of an angel, Roberta Flack has been hit with cruelest disease of them all. We dedicate this Episode to her spirit. A wonderful Jazz reading of The Doors from a German master, Jim Morrison’s poetry, the tenth anniversary reissue of one of the best albums you never heard from Robert Glasper, new sounds from David Gilmour, Jeb Loy Nichols and notable reissues from The Headhunters and T-Bone Walker. And we can’t leave out Donny Hathaway. All that is but a small taste of the sounds that wait within. Thanks to all for the donations once again, the link will be active until Sunday at midnight. https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8OiYEv1Wf1
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It is impossible to explain the excitement, wonder and even abject fear that ricocheted through every nook and cranny of my brain and spine in those first days entering the brave new world of XM Satellite Radio in 2001. “Everything All The Time” was an early tagline of sorts, but that merely scratched the surface. XM had actually rounded up, hired, relocated and convinced creative radio/music lifers from across the USA and Canada, most with a chip on their shoulder that they had finally found the promised land. It was Programming that would steer the ship this time, not Sales, Marketing and Research! This was Radio Heaven. But first, they would need to steam clean our brains to wash the bullshit, bad habits and nonsense collected over the decline of FM completely out of our systems. Reprogram the programmers and free up everyone’s “George Martin Gene,” as Lee put it. Lee Abrams and Dave Logan had a very big job in front of them. I knew Dave a little but never worked with him and Lee I met for the first time at my interview. I had heard all the stories as he sat behind his desk in a modest sized office with every millimeter of wall space covered by Gold and Platinum Awards of artists that basically created Rock Radio. He wanted to know if I could create a station that centered on the great singer/songwriters, with “The Laurel Canyon” vibe, specifically Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne as the center lane. I asked if we wanted it reduced to their material from only that time period or their entire discographies. He quickly said, “All of it!” I then asked if we wanted to include music that intersected, i.e. Joni and Charles Mingus, and/or compliment it and what about new music and he bellowed, “Everything! New, old, unreleased, rare, live… EVERYTHING you think fits.” This I had not expected. Taking a deep breath, I knew it was now or never to ask the one thing I was hesitant to bring up, but needed to know before making this level of commitment. My five year old daughter needed a certain level of care, having been diagnosed with Evans Syndrome before she reached the age of 2, and today at 28 still needs weekly infusions. I looked Lee directly in the eye,and said, “This is simply too good to be true, so I have to ask you, aren’t you the guy that destroyed Free Form/Progressive FM with The Superstars Format, drastically shrinking music libraries, eliminating DJ choice and streamlining progressive radio? I really want to believe but why should I believe you?” Lee laughed really loud. I exhaled. “Yeah, I guess I did,” Lee said. “But, it’s not my fault they are still doing the same shit I came up with almost 30 years ago! It’s a wasteland now, a soulless barren wasteland of liner cards and Star Wars production. We are going to re-invent radio. Bring back the excitement of appointment listening. We started with AM, then FM and now XM (pause) Radio To The Power of X. It’s up to us.” Relieved that my big Jersey mouth hadn’t blown it, I simply said, “I’m in.” Quickly adding the question, “But are you sure you want to call it “Clean Air?” “How about The Loft?” I asked a few weeks into the job, sitting in our first big meeting regarding the launch of the channel I was spending upwards of 14 hours every day designing. Lee and Dave were there, Tony Masiello, the genius who designed the studios and computer systems, various marketing folks, Lawyers, Chance Patterson the Director of Publicity and the CEO, Hugh Panero. Prior to this meeting I had only met Lee and Dave, and I think Chance. The entire staff were literally working round the clock with the knowledge that our competition had a year head start. We were determined to beat them to the finish line. My question was directed at Hugh Panero since Lee immediately threw me under the bus by telling them all that I hated the name Clean Air. Hugh looked at me and asked calmly, “You don’t like the name, what’s wrong with it?’ Getting to the point I responded, “First of all, it immediately makes me think of the NPR show “Fresh Air” and we are going to be nothing like that program. I think “The Loft” gives a perfect and short description of what we will sound like. No walls, open with no restrictions and operating at a higher level of content, yet still funky when we want or need to be.” Hugh’s grin kept widening and he asked if I knew that the building we were in and remodeling to a state of the art broadcast facility was a “printing loft” and was that part of my calculus. I absolutely did not but soon found out that it was literally a printing loft. I did know about it being the longtime home and headquarters of National Geographic Magazine. “Well, that’s even better. My inspiration came from a club in New York and David Mancuso, a musically adventurous master DJ who was all about creating a state of the art sound system and the art of the segue.” They went around the table, everyone offering opinions and in under 30 minutes we had a decision. The Loft was born. In a few months Hugh Panero and Chance Patterson would be our biggest fans. I was really liking this place. It has taken me a while to do this episode as those first 4 years were without question the hardest I had worked in my life to that point, but in many ways a dream come true. It was almost as if I actually had found Radio Heaven, even though it was 7 days a week, at least 12 or more hours a day. Sure there were disagreements, not everyone liked everyone and ego clashes happened. But there was never a staff of people I worked with before or since, that lived up to our bestowed mantra of A.F.D.I. --- Actually Fucking Doing It! Others talked about it but we were A.F.D.I. and beat “The Dog” to air by quite a bit and even by the time of “the merger” were still a million subs ahead. At the close of 2003, on Boxing Day I was shocked by the arrival of this: 
That’s me using a hand expression handed down through generations from the Italian side of the family on the cover of The New York Times Weekend Section… IN COLOR! The story was by Stephen Holden, who wrote about John Martyn in a Rolling Stone review causing me to investigate back in the early 70s and I became a fan of his music instantly. John Martyn epitomized the type of artist we would be playing. Apparently, he flipped out when he heard The Loft and asked for an interview.
If you Google it by the title of the article, it still comes up. https://nytimes.com/2003/12/26/movies/critic-s-notebook-high-tech-quirkiness-restores-radio-s-magic This episode of FTB is designed to give you a musical representation of The Loft in this period through my eyes and ears. These are not airchecks but new recordings made in my Basement Studio. From 2001 through 2003 I was a staff of one. With voice tracking I was “on the air” 23 of the 24 hours in a day and hand built and mixed every music log from scratch. Those first few years the logs for air had to be complete, timed out to the millisecond and ready to go between 48 and 72 hours in advance. That was completely my responsibility, as was everything else except Production and that is where I lucked out. I had the best production guy I have ever encountered, but we called them “Audio Animators,” which perfectly describes them. Jim “Pants” Gregg was my right (and sometimes left) arm and I shared him with a guy who became a friend for life, Charlie Logan. I would kill to work with either of them again, anytime. Charlie was let go after the merger, Pants lasted a little while longer, realized where things were headed and went home to Chicago and hasn’t been out of work for even a day since. We have since lost a great many of that original staff, but I will name just one for fear of leaving someone out. Bobby “The Burner” Bennett was a legendary broadcaster, the best of the best. It was my great joy to be his teacher of all things digital and computer related. He was one of the unfortunate to get a pink slip due to the merger and passed away a few years later. When Bobby was let go, I knew that “a merger of equals” as they were spinning it was complete bullshit. There was no one on the planet better than Bobby. This was a flat-out takeover. Solidified when they cut loose the great Jesse Scott, who made the initial contact with me in a brief phone call by saying, “Marrone, I think we need you down here, call me back!” Thankfully, Jesse is still thriving as Program Director of WMOT in Nashville. A kick-ass radio station that could have only come from her heart and mind. I made the cut and worked until the last day of 2017. I wasn’t feeling well over the past year and the powers that be had made no secret of the fact they would love to get me out, especially after I turned 60. They couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t move to New York where “the action” was but that has never been my thing. I was tired of fighting but more stressed as the soul and purpose was excised from the company. Dismantled with unnecessary cruelty and more than little glee at times. They had no need for my particular expertise any longer, I was simply a number on the ledger. A reason why I never went after jobs that were Corporate, I just can’t do it as it gives me a rash. Not to mention I certainly didn’t have the wardrobe, nor the desire to acquire one. I felt I had taken the high road, wrote and posted my Goodbye, keeping everything positive. https://mikemarrone.com/mikes-basement/hello-i-must-be-going It was a strange case of closing a circle, as I had given Franny and Meg off and did all the programming for the next week myself. Timing out each day and segment and finishing at around 11:45 pm on New Year’s Eve. At exactly midnight they cut off my service, so I never did get to listen to any of it. I haven’t listened since. A few months later I was diagnosed with Stage IV Large-B Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Not one of them reached out. At least I knew why I was feeling so horrible. While it was a good run and I would do it all again, I should have left much sooner than 17 years. It is ironic that one of the things they couldn't stand was my desire to work mainly from my home studio, which saved 2 hours of a needless commute. Hope you enjoy the show. The donation link for From The Basement is open until November 20 at https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8OiYEv1Wf1. Thank you all for the support. Loft SLIDESHOW
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Mike MarroneDad, Husband, Radio Programmer/DJ, Music Enthusiast, Drummer, Baseball Fan and Retired American. 
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