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Casey Fan, USA, Casey Kasem The Voice of My Teen Years
Remember Casey Kasem? He’s considered all but obsolete now as Ryan Seacrest has taken his weekly radio job, but I used to be a huge fan of Casey Kasem. In the early 1990s, I was just coming of age and going through high school. Casey had a weekly show that counted down the top songs of the previous week. Every Saturday, I made it point to listen to his countdown. I especially like the “Request and Dedication” portion of his show.
I think I liked the weekly radio show because most of the songs in the countdown had special meaning to me as a growing teenager. You know how music plays such a big role in a teenager’s life, and I was no exception. Artists like MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were redefining the Hip Hop genre while C&C Music Factory was one of the most popular dance bands of those few critical years.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day was the greatest week during the year for me. Casey Kasem always did a countdown of the year’s best songs during the last few days of the year. From 1990-1994, I made a big deal out of this and listened to as much as I could. Being the packrat that I am, I also taped the countdowns because I always thought I would want to listen to them later. Of course, this was before the internet made it possible to get any song that you want within a matter of minutes. But I still have those tapes packed away somewhere. They’re a little piece of my history. The songs helped to make me who I was and indirectly who I am today. I wonder how many other people have had their lives affected by Casey Kasem in such a big way.
Label Memories From The 1990's
I too was growing up in the mid 90s. Casey Kasem is a name I associate with music and that chunk of my life. "America's Top 40 Countdown" where he counted down the biggest hits in the land (even after all these years, I hear his voice in those words) crossed my local airwaves from 8am to 12 pm (or so) every Sunday. I don't know about you, but that was very early for a teenage girl. Yet there was hardly a Sunday I missed.
ReplyDeleteAnd the fact that someone else taped the countdown....well that is amazing. Not that I didn't think others did so, but I never would have thought others would admit it. I didn't tape every song...only my favorites. So that meant I had to pretty much sit right next to my cd/tape player to ensure that I didn't miss a second of my favorite songs. And yes I still have those tapes. I would love to listen to them with everyone I hang out with now. We are in our mid 20s and at least once a gathering someone brings up one of the songs I know was on Kasem's countdown. However I no longer have a tape player (easily remedied if I ever wanted to though).
Thank you for posting and commemorating Mr. Kasem. Today's youth has no clue what they are missing. Part of living was hoping the next song on the radio was one of your favorites that you could blare and jam too...even if you were all by yourself. The need for instant gratification has taken the joy/excitement out of simple things. Also, try as he might, with his team of stylists and American Idol, Ryan Seacrest will never be what Casey Kasem was to past generations.....a voice that connected you to the world through music, made you feel just a bit like you were not all alone out there.
I also remember the countdown as a teen in the mid-1970s. What I don't get is how today's teens know what they want to download if the DJs no longer announce the title and artist. Where are they hearing the music for the first time?
ReplyDeleteAlthough not announcing the title and artist is nothing new. I recall when rock went "underground" to FM, and it was considered cool not to announce song titles, i.e., if you were hip enough to the scene, you already knew...
I remember the show from late 80s early 90s. Specifically memories of playing Nintendo on Sunday morning with Casey Kasem in the background.
ReplyDeleteThere are radio stations that play the old Casey shows now and can be listened to online.
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of
_stations_that_air_Casey_Kasem%27s
_American_Top_40:_The_70%27s"
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of
_stations_that_air_Casey_Kasem%27s
_American_Top_40:_The_80%27s
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Hearing his distinctive voice brought me right back to my childhood.
Casey Kasem and Rick Dees were the two countdowns on my local radio station I would listen to. Dees was Sat mornings from 6-10 and Casey was 10am-2pm. Both had different styles, but both were radio heros to me. I would always try to imagine what the studio looked like and what color was the microphone Casey spoke into.
ReplyDeleteI started in radio at age 16 and that is how I "cut my teeth" in the radio biz. Learning how to run syndicated programming and become familiar with the control room's audio board. I still have the old Rick Dees and Casey shows from the early 90s on CD.
17 years later and still in the broadcasting business, I listen to Casey and Rick's old shows on XM. I truly appreciate and admire those storytelling talents (plus I love the old music). Kind of funny to hear Casey talk about Duran Duran's "Union of the Snake" as a current hit! That was back in the fall of 1983!!
Reading your blogs and talking about teens not knowing things or relating to things, I agree. But its not their fault. They live in a time where the radio DJ is no longer. Nowdays most jocks are "liner card" readers. Meaning, they are told what to say on cue cards. The talent and creativity that made radio so fascinating, is no longer. I blame the radio industry for this. I also blame "consultants" for the demise of the popular radio DJ. Many DJs have been replaced by computers. Its less expensive to have a computer run the music and a recorded voice come in and give the time and temp, than to pay the DJ's salary and benefits. Its sad, but that is the way radio has turned out to be. The reason you dont hear who what when and where anymore is because the jock is not in the studio. Its a computer!! Radio used to be the theater of the mind. Not anymore.
In closing, radio personalities such as Casey, Dees, and Howard Stern are legends and pioneers in the broadcasting business. Young people in the radio business should cherrish the time those legends are still here.
And now on with the countdown! ;-)
The radio host still announces the song titles and its artist nowadays...
ReplyDeleteit was in early nineties while in college in india that i first heard casey kasem's request and dedication and i got absolutely hooked to it, i didnt miss a show, i even recorded some of it but iv lost now. id love to have of all his show, so if there's any way i can download or buy cds of his shows " request and dedication", someone please let me know. my email is (volt.surr@yahoo.com)
ReplyDeletesomebody help!it was in early nineties while in college in india that i first heard casey kasem's request and dedication and i got absolutely hooked to it, i didnt miss a show, i even recorded some of it but iv lost now. id love to have of all his show, so if there's any way i can download or buy cds of his shows " request and dedication", someone please let me know. my email is (volt.surr@yahoo.com)
ReplyDelete