Play List - Burn, Baby, Burn

I guest-hosted for Lister's show Burn, Baby, Burn on March 8, 2018 from 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM. He invited me to play any type of music I wanted, it didn't all have to be reggae and ska. However, I didn't ignore his audience. I played a lot of reggae and ska, just not his usual stuff, interspersed with rock and folk and other stuff. Here is my playlist, artist mentioned first, then the song title.

You'll only be able to listen to the show online until March 13, 2018. This is the link to it.

I usually do four-song sets. I always say what I play and too long a set makes it difficult for some listeners to keep track of which song in the middle of a set was the one they particularly liked. I figure four songs is still a lot of music without interruption. I contacted Gina Donahue because she is more up on current music and has a wide knowledge.

I opened with a song that sort of symbolizes the diverse WBAI audience then a song that was a reggae cover of a rock song, sort of letting people know where the show might be going.

I started that set with a newish version of an old Pete Seeger song, with some people singing with him that shows how much respect Pete Seeger had with his fellow musicians, no matter their usual style. Black Uhuru is simply a favorite band. The Clash even more so. Gogol Bordello is a band that Gina acquainted me with, that Mercy really enjoys.

Two versions of one of my favorite songs. Harry Bellefonte's was not long after Fred Hellerman originally did it and is more faithful to the original. Great as that version is, I prefer the heavy emotion all around of the Uriah Heep version. I got to thank Fred himself for the song, and blogged about it on this web site.

Now there's diverse music! Celtic, 1960s rock, 1970s ska, zydego. I'm surprised there isn't more zydego music on WBAI. A lot of people there have never heard of it. It's indigenous to Louisiana. Most years (in mid-June) there is a zydego band at the dance stage of the Clearwater Hudson River Revival.

Gina Donahue and Mercy Van Vlack joined the show by phone at this point, but first, I had to play this song because 1). I like it and 2). it actually mentions the time, just before 4 AM (or I would have played something else from the same cd).

That song reminded both Gina and Mercy of another song, so that went on next.

More diverse music programming.

The first song is a nod to my environmental radio show on Tuesday evenings. 29 seconds of it is part of my opening medley. The next song Mercy requested. The next one was a Gina suggestion and the last is from my favorite album.

While we were chatting, I played an instrumental, which Gina had background info to, because it's her brother. She comes from a VERY musical family.

Rasputina is something Gina turned me on to. The Phil Ochs and Call songs are two of my favorite patriotic songs. Pete and Steve are making strong political and social statements. Steve is a regular volunteer at the Peoples' Voice cafe every Saturday evening.

And again, thank you, Lister, for the opportunity to share some music with listeners of WBAI-FM.