John Richards

You are not alone. Welcome to The Morning Show with John Richards. Today is an all-request show. Email us at dj@kexp.org or text us at 206-903-5397 with your song requests. Thanks for listening and for being here. -- Andy "Fletch" Fletcher, the unassuming, bespectacled, red-headed keyboardist who for more than 40 years added his synth sounds to Depeche Mode hits like "Just Can't Get Enough" and "Personal Jesus," has died at age 60.: www.npr.org

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise..." From Psalm 40 in the Bible -- This was the inspiration for U2's "40." Bono said in concert in 1987: "We wrote this song in about ten minutes, we recorded it in about ten minutes, we mixed it in about ten minutes and we played it, then, for another ten minutes and that's nothing to do with why it's called "40"

The leate and beloved Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) stepped in for Layne Staley's (Alice in Chains, Mad Season) vocals of this live performance. Watch the video of this phenomenal performance here: www.youtube.com

The song features only Mike Mills on piano, Michael Stipe on vocals and orchestral instruments arranged by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck wasn’t needed on the track, but he recalled the song’s creation: “Being competitive bastards that we are, Mike and I started auditioning chord changes and tunes for Michael,” he said. “Mike had a piano instrumental that he played to Michael. He listened once, nodded his head to hear it again, and on the second pass he sang the lyrics. It was ‘Nightswimming,’ exactly like the record we would record a year later. I was standing in the corner dumbfounded.”: americansongwriter.com

Because it's about all I can do.... Can you play Stay Alive by Jose Gonzalez? - Michael in Seattle -- "Perhaps the understated gravity to be found in Gonzáles’ music can be traced to his Swedish upbringing, matched to his Argentine roots. He is the child of fleeing immigrants, his parents having escaped Argentina’s Dirty War when Gonzáles was an infant.": thedeletebin.com --- www.youtube.com

Hi John, I want to thank you for your support through Music each and every morning this week and beyond. Wondering if I could request My Hero by the Foo Fighters for all the heroes that we’ve lost recently. ---Marshall in Kirkland -- Dave Grohl is credited with writing this song alongside his Foo Fighter bandmates Nate Mendel and Pat Smear. However, Grohl himself was the primary writer. Grohl has clarified on more than one occasion that this song is not about [Kurt]Cobain (though acknowledged that “there’s definitely an element of Kurt” therein). In fact he went on to say that in the aftermath of the death of Cobain, who proved to be one of those musicians who achieved legendary status upon dying prematurely, that “the whole idea of hero worship or idolatry warped into something… strange”.

Good morning, Morning Show Crew! I hope you and yours are well. What a heavy week, month, year it has been. Thankfully KEXP has been there to cushion the blow. If you can fit it into the mix, I'd like to request "Morning Glory" by Oasis. A little something to get me going this morning. As always, please and thank you. Always, always appreciated, and always a pleasure. - Matt in Queen Anne --- (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? is considered a seminal album of the Britpop era. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album #157 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020. It is certified 15x platinum and is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Quenn's bassist John Deacon wrote this song about his wife, Veronica Tetzlaff, a former trainee teacher from Sheffield. The song expressed his devotion in heartfelt lyrics: “You’re my sunshine and I want you to know/That my feelings are true/I really love you/Oh, you’re my best friend.” -- The band’s bassist wrote the song at home. “Freddie didn’t like the electric piano, so I took it home and I started to learn on the electric piano and basically that’s the song that came out when I was learning to play piano,” said Deacon. “It was written on that instrument and it sounds best on that.”

Hello in There, John Prine The song is a great reminder that — old, young, marginalized, or just struggling through — we are not alone. Ben Crain -- John Prine's songwriting gifts are best explored with such songs as “Hello in There,” off his 1971 self-titled debut, a stark examination of age, enduring love, and time’s merciless hand.: americansongwriter.com -- John Prine performed "Hello in There" Live from the Sessions on 54th St: youtu.be

Hey John and Morgan! Thanks again, as always, for the music. Would mind playing "Wildflowers" by Tom Petty? To the 21 that lost their lives on Tuesday, "You belong among the wildflowers... you belong somewhere you feel free." Much love, Jeremy from Boston -- "On this particular day, he had a new idea that he wanted to get down on tape. He didn’t have any lyrics written down to guide him, just a simple three-chord progression and some vague visions of the Santa Barbara countryside in all its lush, colorful springtime splendor. So, he hit the big red record button on the tape machine, took a deep breath and began to strum. As the jaunty acoustic guitar in his hands filled the room with a capoed, sonorous chime, he opened his mouth and started to sing.... “You belong among the wildflowers / You belong on a boat out at sea.” Who knows where those tenderly delivered words came from. Petty certainly didn’t. “I swear to God it’s an absolute ad-lib from the word ‘go,’” he told author Paul Zollo for his book Conversations With Tom Petty. In the next three minutes, Petty waxed poetic about love and freedom, heart and home while the reels on his recorder spun around in a steady rotation. When the song came to its seemingly natural conclusion he reached over his guitar and clicked the stop button. “Then [I] sat back and went, ‘Wow, what did I just do?’ And I listened to it. I didn’t change a word. Everything was just right there, off the top of my head.”: bit.ly

George Harrison wrote this in Eric Clapton's garden using one of Clapton's acoustic guitars. In the documentary The Material World, Eric Clapton talked about writing this song with Harrison: "It was one of those beautiful spring mornings. I think it was April, we were just walking around the garden with our guitars. I don't do that, you know? This is what George brought to the situation. He was just a magical guy... we sat down at the bottom of the garden, looking out, and the sun was shining; it was a beautiful morning, and he began to sing the opening lines and I just watched this thing come to life."

Paul Simon wrote this song as an ode to his daughter Lulu, who was seven years old. Simon's 10-year-old son Adrian sang harmony on the song's choruses.

First, I just wanted to thank you for your show and your words yesterday. As for most parents (and humans in general!) this has been a tough week for our family. Our son turns 1 this weekend and we can hardly believe it. Thinking of what he will experience in his life is heartbreaking. This has been the most challenging and beautiful year of our life together. I’m not kidding when I say the KEXP community and the Morning Show got us through this year! We listened to the morning show in the hospital the morning after our son was born and have listened with our son every morning. I was wondering if you could play Brandon Summers' you are not alone. That song has brought us so much joy and tears every time you play it. Thank you as always ! Much love , Briana and Scott

“You Get What You Give” became the signature song of the New Radicals, released as the lead single from their only album "Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too." The song received critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone calling it one of the greatest One Hit Wonder songs and later calling it one of the best songs of the 90s. -- In a September, 2006 edition of Time magazine, U2 guitarist The Edge said that this is the song he is most jealous of. -- See the official music video: www.youtube.com

Nick Littlemore of Empire of the Sun said, "We [communicate through] the nature of song... I think there was a large part of what we were writing about was distance and longing, and I guess some way of kind of sending out a message to the wider world, like that there is a force field that protects all of us and no matter where you are, if you feel for someone and they're in your heart, then you're always with them in some sense." bit.ly -- Directed by Alex Theurer and Charles Scott, the video for this track features science fiction costumes and was filmed in Bryce Canyon National Park and the redwoods of California. Check it out here:www.youtube.com

Ahhh....the Friday song! Read about KEXP's week-long remote broadcast from Buenos Aires, "Live From Argentina," September 19-23.: www.kexp.org

R.I.P., Andy Fletcher, who has died at age 60.: www.rollingstone.com

Hey John! First time to request! I am listening to you from London and wanted to thank you for what you do and the show you bring us - which is better described as a cathartic session to all of us listeners! I started listening to kexp 5 years ago and your show has gotten us through some really awful times, cheered our hearts, and made us feel connected across the world through the power of music. I am often moved to tears (sometimes of joy!) for the overwhelming empathy, community and heart of all the DJs and listeners there : ) I just can't get enough of the music, love and support your show brings to us all, keep it up! Please can you play "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode for the listeners and my amazing fiancée Callum. After 4 years together we get married this coming Monday. Depeche Mode have been a huge part of my musical story and so has Callum. It would be great to hear it today, Love Cate in Walthamstow, London

Yesterday you played Cat Stevens...and that led me to watch 'Harold & Maude" last night. Wonderful (and timely) tune by Yusuf on the soundtrack: "Where will the Children Play?" - Dave, a teacher in Maine -- See the wonderful new video for this timeless song: www.youtube.com

Songwriter Andy Partridge was inspired by a series of books with the same title, which Partridge viewed as exploitative of children. Here are the lyrics: genius.com -- The opening verse is sung by a friend's eight-year-old daughter, Jasmine Veillette, but was later lip-synched in the video by a young boy.: www.youtube.com

This song sampled Radiohead's "Planet Telex" from 1995's "The Bends. -- Watch the video for "Letter From God to Man" here: www.youtube.com

Hmmm....sound familiar? "Planet Telex" was sampled by Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip in the previous song. (They also sampled The Winstons' 1969 "Amen, Brother.") -- Watch Radiohead performing this one live at Coachella in 2004 here: www.youtube.com

To plug the single, Depeche Mode’s label Mute placed personal ads in some local newspapers with the words “YOUR OWN PERSONAL JESUS” in white text on a black square… and a London phone number. When the intrepid called the number, they could hear the new track. -- R,I,P., Depeche Mode's Andy Fletcher, who has died at age 60. The news was announced via Depeche Mode’s official Twitter account, which posted the news Thursday afternoon. “Fletch had a true heart of gold, and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint,” the post reads. : variety.com

When Johnny Cash was asked why he did a cover of this song, he has this to say: “I heard that as a gospel song. And if you think of it as a gospel song, it works really well. We didn’t have any major disagreement over that song, I just heard that a couple of people had recorded it, the writer wanted me to try it, and I did, and I loved it. And I went for it.”

This is a cover of the 1988 song from When In Rome. -- Sturgill Simpson performed it live in the UK in 2020: www.youtube.com

Peter Gabriel performed David Bowie's "Heroes" live in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 2014, during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.: www.youtube.com

Someone wrote, "I love how the Pixies look like they were just 4 parents who met at the school gates." as they commented on this live version of "Where Is My Mind?": www.youtube.com

John and team - thank you for providing the space for the KEXP community to openly process the grief and despair we are feeling. I'm sure it is not easy for you, but know that you are heroes in your own ways. With deepest gratitude and appreciation for the Bowie comfort music and all you do. ❤️ --Shelley in Ballard -- Robert Fripp, formerly of King Crimson, played guitar on this track. His band, King Crimson, performed the song at the Admiralspalast in Berlin on September 11, 2016 in celebration of Bowie.

We played Sturgill Simpson's wonderful cover of this song earlier. -- When In Rome started out as a British new wave trio consisting of vocalists Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann, and keyboardist Michael Floreale. Farrington and Mann had been members of a locally popular band called Beau Leisure when they decided to strike out on their own. This song was from their debut LP in 1988 and was an instant hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Top 100. However, it turned out to be their only major hit.

You can see Andy Fletcher performing with his bandmates in this 2006 live version of "Stripped": www.youtube.com -- Here's a toast to the the "beloved uncle" of Depeche Mode: www.rollingstone.com

Go here to purchase Melbourne band Quivers complete cover of R.E.M.'s "Out of Time": quiversss.bandcamp.com

If it pleases the DJ can you play something from when the Ladies were either on your lawn or in the KEXP studio? I always find comfort with their beautiful voices. - Jen in Ballard -- What a wonderful Arcade Fire cover! Here's the original: www.youtube.com

This was the band's first single, released several months before the album, "Funeral." A listener wrote, "A modern classic. You get lost in it. It's just one of those songs you never ever forget. It stays in your heart and you get excited each time it comes on like the first time you've ever heard it, but still brings you to tears by the ending. Masterpiece." -- Watch Arcade Fire perform it live at Austin City Limits in 2007: www.youtube.com

"When you feel embarrassed Then I'll be your pride When you need directions Then I'll be the guide For all time For all time..."

Steve Kilbey wrote Under the Milky Way with his then girlfriend, Swedish musician Karin Jansson. The couple, who went on to have talented twin daughters, were visiting Kilbey’s mother on the New South Wales central coast. After dinner, Kilbey snuck outside to dodge his washing-up duties and smoke a “special musicians’ jazz cigarette”. “Perhaps I looked up at the wonderful glittering heavens and was inspired – I don’t know,” he recounted years later. Kilbey drifted back indoors and began tinkering on the piano. Jansson sidled up and, before long, a melody had formed. “We agreed on the lyrics within three minutes,” he said.: bit.ly

“Things Can Only Get Better” was released as the first single from Howard Jones' 1985 album Dream into Action. A typically upbeat Jones composition, it was one of two songs from the album to feature all-female singing group Afrodiziak on backing vocals. -- In an interview from 2011, Howard Jones said “I thought, People are listening to me, so what can I give them that is really going to help? And everyone goes through shit. Everyone goes through bad times. Every single person on the planet goes through bad times. And it’s great sometimes to have somebody say to you, "Come on, even if it gets so you lose everything and everything goes horribly wrong, you can still pick yourself up and go forward, and you can make it right, you can make things get better. … I think pop music, one of the things it should be is like a cheerleading song that helps you get through a bad time and pick you up a bit when you’re feeling a bit exhausted and glub. And that’s what I really wanted to do.”

The song was written by the group's primary songwriter, Martin Gore, with lead vocals by Dave Gahan. At first, this was a ballad played on an organ. Alan Wilder got the idea to speed up the song. The other members didn't like the idea, but after some time became convinced. Songwriter Martin Gore recalled: "The original demo of Enjoy the Silence was very slow and minimal, just me and a harmonium, and Alan (Wilder) had this idea of putting a beat to it. We added the choir chords and (producer) Flood and Alan said, 'Why don't you play some guitar over the top?' That's when I came up with the riff. I think that's the only time in our history when we all looked at each other and said, 'I think this might be a hit.'" -- Here's The Guardian's obituary for Andy Fletcher, dead at the age of 60: www.theguardian.com

A belated happy birthday to Stevie Nicks, born on May 26, 1948. Take a look at her life in photos: people.com

See Nada Surf performing live at The Triple Door as part of KEXP's VIP Club Concert series in January 2020. That session included "Always Love": youtu.be