Tune into Hell's Kitchen Radio, with John Hell, every Monday night 8-10PM (Pacific), on Radio Valencia (https://radiovalencia.fm) in San Francisco. You can find my playlists and links to the podcasts right here.
Stream The Legends, HERE! Download Entertainment Masters, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
Well 2016 continues to be a shit show when it comes to amazing entertainers who have influenced so many lives. This week we say goodbye to the great Gene Wilder, star of so many great movies from my childhood; and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who was at the controls of thousands of legendary jazz recording sessions, that it's fair to say the his ear was as important as the musicians and the producer in creating some of the most memorable tunes from the 1950s up until just a few short months ago. Both we be missed, but luckily for all of us we have more than enough material to enjoy them for decades to come!
Stream the insanity, HERE! Download crazy shenanigan's HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
Taking a week off from hosting my show gives me serious withdrawl-like symptoms. Considering radio is my drug of choice, you'll just have to imagine what it's like.
Anywho, it wasn't easy being away from you all for that long, and for that I apologize. Thanks to Jim G for carrying the load while I was away. He did a great Bowie tribute in my absence. If you haven't heard it, here's the link.
As for tonight, just take a gander at the playlist below! Much in the way of genres, and eras. I also gave tickets away to two upcoming shows, The Soft White Sixties, and The Hooks. If you tune in regularly you too can win yourself tickets to local shows by great bands. Please go out and support live, local music. The bands will thank you, and it just might get you laid.
FB12: Thee Oh Sees
A Word of Advice: The Faith Healers
Be Yourself: Hawkwind
City Lights: The Soft White Sixties
Have a Beer with Fear: Fear
In a Jar: Dinosaur Jr.
Morning Has Broken: Cat Stevens
10,000 Feet and Rising: The Hooks
Cut your Hair: Pavement
Watcher the Skies: Genesis
The Changling: The Doors
You've never heard of The Gits?!?!?! What the bloody Hell? then you've never heard the tragic story of their fallen leader, Mia Zapata. Take a look below.
Listen to all of my shows here, or just scroll down.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: radio is an art form. It's the art of the segue. It's knowing what song to play next to another. I've been at this game for over 25 years, and I still surprise myself from time to time. Tonight was just special moment after another, when I get to remind myself why I love radio so damn much.
Sometimes I'm guilty of playing a preferred artist a bit too much from week to week (see Melvins, Ty Segall), but hey, what can I say, if they made crappy music then I wouldn't play them so often. As for tonight, I went a little deeper into my vault for some artists who haven't come out to play in many a blue moon. We've got your holiday tunes, a few requests, some Americana, garage, proto-punk, and jazz-funk.
There's something for the whole family to enjoy.
jh
Next Monday night, December 22, from 6-midnight, it's
ROCK FIGHT 14!!!
Ron Donovan and I take over the "airwaves" for six rockin' hours full of blitzkrieg and bop! Ron and I have the nations largest combined collection of live bootleg material, and twice a year we love to share it with you.
We have GUESTS as well, including Steffan Chirazi, the official Metallica fanzine writer/editor for "So What"; John Karr, local sound engineer; bands, and malcontents-a-plenty!
We may even have some special surprise guests and giveaways for you too!
Merry Christmas From The Family: Robert Earl Keen
Late at Night: The Iguanas
Merry Christmas Baby: Otis Redding
We Three Kings: Reverend Horton Heat
Blue Moon Waltz: Jimmy Dale Gilmore
Every Grain of Sand: Emmylou Harris
On The Inside: Eric McFadden
Let's Get Funky: Jack O'Fire
I'm In Your Mind: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Steps: Meatbodies
Music For A Film 1: Ty Segall
I Don't Give a Fuck Where the Eagles Fly: Moistboyz
CCTV: OBN IIIs
Lonesome Train: Robert Gordon with Link Wray
Shake It Off Parody: Six13
The Next Big Thing: The Dictators
Shut Up And Dance: Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
Shitload of Kissin': New Duncan Imperials
Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue: The Ramones
Who Says?: Richard Hell and the Voidoids
Hey Little Girl: Dead Boys
Prove It: Television
Sinatra Mantra: The Victims Family
Listening to my show is really great if you have ADD. I don't have ADD, then again it's possible that some people might suggest that maybe, possibly, perhaps a chance, you never know, maybe John Hell has a little bit of ADD. Never been diagnosed! Though as a child I was told that I was hyperactive, I would very quickly find my way to sugar if it was within smelling distance. With that being said, listening my show is also a soothing and calming experience for many. For instance, take tonights show, please (HA!). I was pretty much in the mood for all Jazz, and okay fine, maybe a little funk, and possibly a little soul. But really in the end doesn't all of that kind of fit into the same nice big fat funk box?
And then something amazing happened, the "legendary" DJ Casey Kasem left this mortal coil. He kicked the bucket. He moved off into the outer worlds. So, of course that left me no choice but to present him and the only way that I find relevant, Which is of course to play Negativland.
You see, as a long time noncommercial, underground DJ, I have always found the late Mr. Kasem to be, how should I put this politely, a bit of a turd. Yes, it's true I really do believe that he is one of the major forces of evil, or, should I say was one of the major forces of evil in all of the commercial music industry. So I am not really finding that I miss him. As a matter of fact if anything I'm thrilled. I mean no offense. And who knows what that means? I don't mean any offense to his family or his friends or even his fans, but I will tell you that I really believe deep in my heart he caused more damage for talented and original musicians then possibly any of the owners of commercial media in the United States since the 1970s.
So I interrupted some jazz funk soul programming on my show this evening to pay"tribute" to Mr. Kasem, and hoping that may be the final nail in the coffin for himself and people who feel obliged to believe that they can seriously determine what America wants to listen to. Yeah, keep on reaching for the stars there Casey. As a matter fact get as far out here as you possibly can. Maybe now some real talented and original artists will have a chance to make there own impression on the listening audience without you dictating who should be on top? Say hi to Dick Clark for me.
Stream this funky bit of soul into your consciousness, here.
Download this downbeat into your earholes, here.
Dig all my funky grooves by going here, or just scroll down.
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
entertainers who have influenced so many lives. This week we say goodbye to the great Gene Wilder, star of so many great movies from my childhood; and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who was at the controls of thousands of legendary jazz recording sessions, that it's fair to say the his ear was as important as the musicians and the producer in creating some of the most memorable tunes from the 1950s up until just a few short months ago. Both we be missed, but luckily for all of us we have more than enough material to enjoy them for decades to come!
