In the late 80s, I had a job at a radio station in a rural Michigan town. Yes, the station did air hog and livestock reports. Those came from a network so I never had to read them. I DID have to read more localized grain and produce reports on the air often. The main crop in the few counties the station served was beets. Especially sugar beets. In the autumn, there was always talk of squash, carrots and kale but beets, man. BEETS! A root vegetable that’s the agri-heartbeat deep in the Mitten’s state thumb.
With a format described as “variety”, the station also aired things like Swap Shop. Think Facebook marketplace but instead of posting it online, people would call in to talk about what they are selling. Consider some of the things people post on Marketplace and how some seem delusional, ridiculous or simply sad. Now imagine those people calling into a radio station five days a week, trying to sell a shed full of old bottles or some Midwest backroad beaten rust bucket that hadn’t been started in decades as a classic “perfect for a project” car.
The station did play some music but it was usually something like Christopher Cross or Randy Travis.
Once before reading the local grain and produce report, I joked with the station manager that I was thinking about using the Go-Gos “We Got The Beat” as a bumper for it.
He admonished me. “The song has NOTHING to do with beets”, then stressed the station's purpose was to inform and entertain, “not to play new wave music.” The song was around seven years old at the time. Whatever his grudge was towards “new wave music”, it must have been serious. I did not bother to find out why.
Beets are coming to the end of their season in Michigan. In North Carolina, they still have about a few weeks left before the last big harvest of the year.
You can find the Go-Gos song anywhere on your own.
Songs in this episode.
THROBBING GRISTLE Persuasion
KNOWLEDGE THE PIRATE and ROC MARCIANO Takes a 10
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PERSONALITY CULT Not Ready
JOHNNY SKIN Misery
the LAVENDER FLU Snail On The Map
VERITY DEN sympathizer
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HAWKWIND Urban Guerilla
the OBLIQUES Tell Me Lies!
the NEW EVES Highway Man
CRISPY AMBULANCE The Presence
