John Richards

Good morning and happy Friday! You're listening to The Morning Show with John Richards! Welcome and thank you for listening! -- Film School were live on KEXP in 2018. Watch that singular performance: www.youtube.com

Love and Rockets AND Jane's Addiction have just announced a US summer tour together!: blabbermouth.net -- Interviewer: When writing lyrics are you already crafting the music, or does the music come first and drive the lyrics, or a combination of both? Daniel Ash: "It’s indeed a blend of both. Either a guitar riff or a headline can ignite an idea. You see, it’s a process that connects with your subconscious, as the headline or riff that catches your interest is likely already on your mind, even if subtly." -- Enjoy this interview with Daniel Ash on crafting the lyrics for Love and Rockets: viewlesswings.com

Then She Did… is a Jane’s Addiction song written in 1987, shortly after the death of Xiola Blue. According to drummer Stephen Perkins, the song was originally titled Then She Died. It is a song about Perry Farrell’s mother’s suicide and the accidental overdose of his friend and former lover Xiola Blue. In the final verse of the song, Perry is asking Xiola to visit his mother in heaven. Here are the lyrics: janesaddiction.org

Phantogram returns with “All A Mystery” and will join Kings of Leon on tour this year including dates in the following places Sunday, August 25 - Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre Wednesday, August 28 - Portland, OR -Moda Center Thursday, August 29 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena

Happy birthday to "Ill Communication," released on this date in 1994! -- Beastie Boys have just announced a deluxe 3LP reissue of this album that came out 30 years ago. It will be out on July 26th.: www.stereogum.com

In the press material for “Wise Up,” Common and Pete Rock both talk about being inspired by the feeling of the early ’90s. The hook on this song is Pete Rock scratching up MC Shan and Marley Marl's 1986 classic “The Bridge.” -- Check out the video: www.youtube.com

On this date in 1988, Boogie Down Productions released their second album, "By All Means Necessary." -- The album's name and album cover are both inspired by Malcolm X. By All Means Necessary is a reference to Malcolm's speech at the founding rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1964, and the album cover was inspired by a famous picture of Malcolm X. -- Here's an essay on this classic album: rockthebells.com

Now a duo, this Spanish band will play The Crocodile in Seattle on Friday, October 18th. Earlier, they'll be at Mississippi Studios in Portland on October 17th and The Chapel in San Francisco on October 15th. -- Psst...their collaborator Beck will be at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA on Wednesday, July 3rd.

I'm a teacher and it's our first round of parent teacher conferences today, can we get an early Friday song?? THANKS! Marina in Pinehurst === Ahhh....the Friday song. If you haven't ever seized the opportunity to donate to KEXP, well, here's your chance!: www.kexp.org

Thank you, teachers everywhere! -- Can't forget... We only get what we give..." -- Watch the official video for "the baby Friday song," which is also the New Radicals' signature song: www.youtube.com

James will be at The Moore Theatre in Seattle on Saturday, September 21st, at McMenamin's in Portland on Sunday, September 22nd, and at The Warfield in SF on Monday, September 23rd. -- This is the opening track from their 18th studio album, "Yummy."

Sam Nicholson: “I wanted to write a simple song, just four quick chords and a slow realisation. I think I somehow stole the lyrical idea from Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” – that a song might be trapped inside just one thought. And in that one thought there might be everything. That’s how good that Kylie song is anyway.” -- Love this song? It's yours, for free. John selected it as a KEXP song of the Day: www.kexp.org

On this day in 1982, R.E.M. signed with I.R.S., and the world was made a much better place as a result. If you can find it in your heart, do the right thing and play some early R.E.M. I believe in you. --Ben in West Seattle -- R.E.M. left IRS just before the release of "Green." Here's a history of the IRS years: www.udiscovermusic.com

'A LA SALA' was released last month and is the Houston trio's first full-length recorded without any additional collaborators, harkening back to some of their earlier sounds. Khruangbin shared a Scott Dungate-directed video for the lead single “A Love International": www.youtube.com

Upon inception in 2020, GIFT’s band members have roots all over the world (Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Boston and Brazil, to be exact), had never performed together, and came from vastly different professional backgrounds – specifically photography, talent buying, DJing, audio engineering, art directing, and even DIY venue ownership. The New York quintet's debut album for Captured Tracks, "Illuminator," will be out on August 23rd. You can pre-order it right here: giftbandnyc.bandcamp.com

Here's an interview with Louise Post who described "Seether" as "the little song that could.": glidemagazine.com

Seattle band Beautiful Freaks will play a lobby session at the Hotel Crocodile on Saturday, June 15th,: www.thehotelcrocodile.com -- You can pre-order their new album, "We Talk to Birds" (including "Loser Sellouts"), due out on July 19th.: fr3aks.bandcamp.com

The Bug Club consist of bassist/vocalist Tilly Harris and guitarist/vocalist Sam Willmett. -- "This is faster, punkier, and more immediately catchy than anything else in the Bug Club's discography, with manic guitar solos that'll make you spit out your lager in admiration. ": www.thestranger.com -- Can you say that again? Here's a live performance in Wales: www.youtube.com

“I don’t think there’s a whole lot to understand with the lyrics,” Gordon Gano said. “In fact, it was maybe 10 or 15 years later, when somebody was asking me about that song and said something like, ‘Well, you know… You know what that song’s about.’ I’m like, ‘No. What are you talking about?’ ‘Well everybody knows. You wrote it.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ And they told me the song was about masturbation. I had never thought of that.” He added through laughter, “But I can see where people could get that idea … I don’t think anybody likes that song because they think the lyrics are deep.” -- Here's a look at the long- misinterpreted song: americansongwriter.com

"Fools Gold" was built around a loop from James Brown's "Funky Drummer." It was guitarist John Squire who actually discovered the track. He recalled in Q magazine: "We were signing copies of our single, 'She Bangs The Drums,' in a Manchester record shop called Eastern Bloc. The owner said we could pick a couple of albums as a thank you and I picked out a breakbeats album because I liked the cover and I wanted to see what it was all about. That's where I heard the 'Funky Drummer' loop that we built 'Fools Gold' around."

Good morning!! Loving the show so far. Finally helped me get out of bed on what has been a very sleepy morning for me. Any chance you could play Dancing Queen by ABBA? It's my 17th birthday tomorrow and I can't think of a better song to celebrate with :) -Nadia from West Seattle (aka DJ Charry from last year's 90.TEEN cohort) ❤️❤️ -- “Dancing Queen” was written by ABBA guitarist Bjorn Ulvaeus and keyboardist Benny Andersson in the summer of 1975. “We knew immediately it was going to be massive,” said ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog. In fact, the first time Ulvaeus and Andersson played “Dancing Queen” for the rest of the group, Anni-Frid Lyngstad burst into tears. “And that was before me and Agnetha had even sung on it!” she said. “I knew it was absolutely the best song ABBA had ever done.”: americansongwriter.com

Watch Robyn dance her heart out in this live performance on Saturday Night Live: www.youtube.com

This song was almost "the one that got away." Producer Chris Thomas told the band they needed one more guaranteed hit after they finished recording the Listen Like Thieves album. They thought it over that night, came in and literally finished the song in a day, in time for the album to cut and ship. -- That's band member Kirk Pengilly on saxophone on this classic track, written by Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss.

Watch a live performance by IDLES in the KEXP studio in 2021: www.youtube.com -- "And the sweat..." Watch the official video for "Dancer": www.youtube.com

The sample in this song sounds like it comes from an Ed Wood movie, but Ministry lead singer Al Jourgensen said that's not the case. "That's actually not an Ed Wood movie," said Jourgensen. "It predates way before that. I forget the name of the movie, but it was a 1950s release about juvenile delinquents, like the judge was taking them to task about being delinquents. Female delinquents, oddly enough. So that made it even worse in the '50s: Oh, females are rising up. It was really grotesque, and I had to sample it." -- Hmm.....it might have been the 1956 movie "The Violent Years" (actually an Ed Wood-written movie) : www.imdb.com

Here's an almost-15 minute video analysis of "Cult of Personality": www.youtube.com

Today, May 31st, is the birthday of John Bonham. He was born in 1948 and died in 1980 at age 32. -- The Atlanta Institute of Music calls him "the greatest drummer of all time": aimm.edu

The BBC banned this song on this day in 1977. "Few songs are as easily identifiable as the Sex Pistols’ punk anthem ‘God Save The Queen’ if you can’t name the track title, album and humble beginnings of the song from Steve Jones’ first ripping chords then the chances are by the time Johnny Rotten arrives with his razor-sharp vocal you’re left in no doubt. " Here's a tribute to this "snotty anthem": faroutmagazine.co.uk

Speaking of banned songs... Released in October 1983 and featuring a music video set in an S&M club, the band performed the song on the cult music show Top of the Pops in January 1984. The BBC soon afterwards banned it from its radio and television broadcasts, deeming its lyrics obscene, specifically the repeated: “Relax, don’t do it/When you want to suck, do it/Relax, don’t do it/ When you want to come.” -- The ban only increased the song’s notoriety. Its ban soon became an embarrassment for the BBC, especially since UK commercial radio and television stations still played it. Later in 1984, the ban was lifted and Relax featured on both the Christmas Day edition of Top of the Pops and Radio 1’s rundown of the best-selling singles of the year.

Speaking of banned songs... This sexually charged disco anthem was Donna Summer’s first hit. It became popular worldwide, but broadcasters including BBC banned it due to its blatant sexual content. These included sounds of orgasms and crude lyrics. Summer said that she did in fact understand the bans and regrets that this was her first popular single, which subsequently shaped her image as an artist. -- It was rumored that Summer sang her very convincing orgasmic-sounding vocals on the studio floor while simulating a sex act. The rumor was partly true - after trying to record her vocal the traditional way, her producer Giorgio Moroder had her sing on the studio floor while lying on her back with the lights out, since she didn't want the guys working on the album looking at her when she sang it. She explained that she was indeed touching herself during the vocal: she had her hand on her knee. Her boyfriend Peter served as her fantasy inspiration.

Speaking of banned songs... In 1987, The New York Times reported: George Michael's new single, ''I Want Your Sex,'' has become the first record to run into censorship problems because of fears that it might be too sexually explicit for the age of AIDS. The song, which is featured on the soundtrack of the movie ''Beverly Hills Cop II,'' has been banned from daytime play in Britain by the BBC's Radio One. In the United States, many radio stations have refused to play the record, at least temporarily. Read that 1987 article: www.nytimes.com

Speaking of banned songs... American social issues advocate Tipper Gore reportedly co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in 1985 because she witnessed her daughter Karenna, who was 11 years old at the time, listening to "Darling Nikki". As examples of what they meant, PMRC published a list of 15 popular "filthy" songs, with "Darling Nikki" first. The PMRC would later become known for leading to the use of the well-known Parental Advisory sticker on album covers.

Speaking of banned songs... Due to its controversial lyrics, some American radio stations banned this song, "claiming it was an aid to the enemy in Vietnam". There was an upside to this controversy, however, as it piqued interest in the song, sending it to #1 in the US.

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. That video for "Dear God" received the 1987 Billboard Best Video award and was also nominated for three categories at the MTV Video Music Awards.: www.youtube.com

Sistah Soulja: “Public Enemy believes that the powers that be in the states of New Hampshire and Arizona have found psychological discomfort in paying tribute to a black man who tried to teach white people the meaning of civilization.” -- The video for this song could not be ignored. It was quickly condemned by conservatives and banned from TV. The message was already out there though, and Public Enemy received tremendous support from the artist community. The song helped in national efforts to make MLK day a holiday everywhere. It put pressure on other artists to boycott the state, and had to play some role in the NFL’s decision to pull the 1993 Super Bowl from Phoenix.: rockthebells.com -- Here's that powerful video: www.youtube.com

This song called out President Reagan by name, asking the people of the United States to come together and take a stand. They sang about institutional racism at the time of Reagan’s presidency, and Radio 1 saw legal issues with the song, so the BBC had it banned. The song was never a huge hit to begin with, and no radio play kept it that way.

"Let's meet at the White House (Come on) Run in and turn the lights out Man, they treat it like a trap house (Yeah) These motherf**kers never take the trash out (Damn) They just cash out and mash out...": genius.com --

Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) will be at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, September 21st, at Moda Center in Portland on Tuesday, September 24th, and in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday, September 25th. -- You must not miss the award-winning official video for "This Is America": www.youtube.com

Upon its release in 1975, radio stations refused to give Loretta Lynn’s song “The Pill” airplay because of its content regarding birth control, which was widely looked down upon at the time. -- In a 1975 Playgirl interview, Lynn said a rural doctor thanked her for raising awareness of birth control slate.com

Devo performed this one here in Seattle at The Paramount Theatre last November: www.youtube.com

Elvis Costello and the Attractions were prohibited from playing “Radio, Radio” on Saturday Night Live in 1977 because they believe the song expressed anti-media sentiments. A few seconds into performing a different song, they rebelliously switched to “Radio, Radio” without telling anyone. Costello was reportedly banned from the show for 12 years. -- Read about it and watch the performance here: www.openculture.com

Go back to 2002 to watch Death Cab perform "Company Calls" live in Spain: www.youtube.com