Pete Fornatale, the legendary DJ from local radio stations WFUV and WNEW-FM, died Thursday at the age of 66, the result of a brain hemorrage suffered eleven days earlier. And while he may not have been a broadcast "legend" on the scale of Clark, if you were a fan of progressive, free-form rock 'n' roll, you definitely know who he is.
Fornatale was instrumental is changing the way rock music was presented to the public. From the late 1950's well into the sixties, the type of radio format that was known to audiences was "Top 40", where hit songs by artists that sold very well were played in a tight rotations on popular radio stations. That type of format survived to what we know it today, but for a time in the late sixties and much of the seventies, that perception---and well as the way we bought the resulting music--- changed.
Fornatale started out at college radio station WFUV, broadcast from his alma mater of Fordham University, then moved on to WNEW-FM in 1969. That station was a departure from the Top 40 stations of the day such as WABC or WMCA, which had a set playlist and ranked the current hits into their surveys (kind of what I do here on SnS), based on sales of 45 rpm records. With this new way of presenting the music, it didn't matter what was popular; Fornatale, as well as other DJ's of the day such as Scott Muni, Vin Scelsa, Jonathan Schwartz and countless others, would play music from artists that were, at the time, obscure, and for those artists who were well known, many "deep cuts" from their albums, that is, music that wasn't the "hit single". It was "free form" or "progressive" FM radio, with the jock playing what they want to play and not dictated by anyone else, be it consultants, management, or anyone else.
For me, that format was sort of a radical change, as I was always into the Top 40 stations, but my peers, starting from around eighth grade, started to embrace this new format. For all the hit songs I post on my Facebook page, as well as those from my classmates, the truth is that the soundtrack from my high school, and pretty much college as well, didn't come from top 40, but from stations like WNEW-FM, thanks to Fornatale. Albums became more important than singles. When you talk about rock history from the years 1969 to 1976, you associate the progressive music of The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Mountain, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Led Zeppelin, Carole King ("Tapestry" was a big hit in this format), James Taylor as well as more obscure artists, rather than acts like Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Carpenters and Helen Reddy; the top 40 hitmakers of that era.
During my college years, I listened more to WNEW-FM than Top 40. Montclair State did have a radio station (which was also free-form), but had been off the air in my freshman year, thus the station that was broadcast throughout the Student Center building was indeed WNEW. Here, Fornatale introduced us to artists I had never heard before, in particular the bend Nektar ("Remember the Future") and several others. Fornatale spoke at Montclair in 1975. He always championed the obscure and put down what was popular. Back in 1970, he had one of the first American interviews with then up-and-coming singer/songwriter Elton John, five years later, when he was the hottest thing on the planet, and his music became more commercial, he was famous for this line, which he apparently used on others as well: "You can stuff all of Elton John's talent into a navel, and still have enough room for Ringo Starr's drum kit".
He gave flavor and credibility to a format, which, in the big picture wasn't a big hit in a rhythmic town like New York City. When WNEW was no more, he returned to WFUV (along with other classic progressive FM jocks), and hosted his show "Mixed Bag", which, once again, spotlighted anything and everything. Much of my music ideas for my SnS chart come from WFUV "The Alternate Side", as many of these artists I present have never had a hit, much less ever entered a chart, again, thanks to people like Fornatale. His influence will be missed.
BACK TO THE CHART: The screws continue to be tight for Those Darlins, as "Screws Get Loose" holds in the top spot, while Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" remains a solid #2. That latter spends a second week atop Billboard's Hot 100, and also returns to the top of the Alternative Chart, pushing fun.'s "We Are Young" back to the runner-up spot. That song holds at #3. However, finally big changes occur, especially in the Top 10. Electric Guest, Miike Snow, Dante vs Zombies, and Ty Segall & White Fence invade this upper echelon, while Silversun Pickups and Garbage enter the Top 20.
The top debut this week is the third track from Snow Patrol, "This Isn't Everything You Are", which has been a staple on "Triple-A"stations (the format which most remembles the progressive format which Fortnatale was a part of). Fallen Empires is the band from Northern Ireland's latest effort, released last year.
It's been rather tough to land on my chart these days. Many songs were only able to "bubble under" (as positions under 100 are referred to in Billboard), or the term that I use, "Tremors", and even this week, only two of them were able to crack the main chart: "Run For Your Life" by The Fray, and "Bridge Burning" by Foo Fighters. "Run..." is the second single from the pop rock band's third offering "Scars and Stories". The Denver-based band, like several others, are more in pop territory than rock, thanks to first album successes "Over My Head" and "How To Save a Life", the latter the title track from their debut; and "You Found Me", from their eponymous second album. All three songs were in the top 10 nationally. This time around, like most pop rockers, they're having trouble getting back to that area. "Heartbeat", the first single form their latest, only reached #42 pop, and #59 on my SnS chart. Let's see how the new one does. The band will tour with Kelly Clarkson, and will be at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on August 26. Sounds like a great show to enjoy there.
As for the Foos, "Bridge..." is the fourth single from their set released last year, the #1 Wasting Light. Oberhofer also enters with the Brooklyn band's latest, "Away From You", the follow-up to the #21 "Gotta Go". Riverrocks Pier 84 in New York City is where you'll find them, on July 26; they'll also be at this year's Lollapalooza in Chicago the following week.
Before I sign off, I just wanted to point out one song that fell off the chart this week: "Junk of the Heart (Happy)" by The Kooks, after a 40-week run. It's only the third song to stay on the chart that long. Only two big national hits, "Rolling In the Deep" (44 weeks), and "Pumped Up Kicks" (45 weeks) were around longer. All three songs landed in the top 4 of my year-end list of 2011. The song wasn't a big national hit, landing only at #20 on the Alternative chart. But the title, as well as the lyrics "You're the lover of the wild and a joker of the heart", touched a couple of my Facebook friends along the way. The SnS chart, is of course, first and foremost about my tastes, but, as some friends have posted, people and places that I encounter will push a song very high up the chart as well, and the Kooks song was definitely a beneficiary of that. A song has much added meaning if you can share it with somebody.
Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 for Week of April 23, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
THOSE DARLINS
"Screws Get Loose"
Album: Screws Get Loose
(2 Weeks at #1)
|
7
|
|
2
|
2
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
14
|
|
3
|
3
|
Fun. f. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
|
21
|
|
4
|
10
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
8
|
|
5
|
11
|
Miike Snow - Paddling Out
|
5
|
|
6
|
4
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
15
|
|
7
|
16
|
Dante vs Zombies - Natural Disaster
|
6
|
|
8
|
15
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
5
|
|
9
|
6
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
13
|
|
10
|
5
|
Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling
|
14
|
|
11
|
7
|
Pageants - Edible Rust
|
15
|
|
12
|
9
|
Rachel Allyn- Ain't No Fun
|
19
|
|
13
|
8
|
Wild Nothing - Nowhere
|
13
|
|
14
|
17
|
E'lissa Jones - Best I Ever Had
|
8
|
|
15
|
18
|
Fitz and the Tantrums - L.O.V.
|
7
|
|
16
|
12
|
Young the Giant - Apartment
|
10
|
|
17
|
13
|
Nada Surf - Waiting For Something
|
12
|
|
18
|
26
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
SILVERSUN PICKUPS
"Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)"
Album: Neck of the Woods
|
4
|
|
19
|
14
|
Caveman - Old Friend
|
13
|
|
20
|
25
|
Garbage - Blood For Poppies
|
5
|
|
21
|
23
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
5
|
|
22
|
20
|
Gary Clark Jr - Bright Lights
|
13
|
|
23
|
33
|
Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
|
5
|
|
24
|
42
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
3
|
|
25
|
24
|
Omnia - Grace
|
19
|
|
26
|
31
|
Beach House - Myth
|
6
|
|
27
|
19
|
Sarah Jean - At Last
|
13
|
|
28
|
21
|
Bush - Baby Come Home
|
13
|
|
29
|
22
|
E'lissa Jones - Sweet Surrender
|
10
|
|
30
|
50
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
5
|
|
31
|
46
|
The Decemberists - One Engine
|
3
|
|
32
|
40
|
Dirty Heads - Spread Too Thin
|
6
|
|
33
|
51
|
Town Hall - Good Boy
|
4
|
|
34
|
34
|
My Morning Jacket - First Light
|
16
|
|
35
|
36
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
15
|
|
36
|
28
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
19
|
|
37
|
60
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS
"Never Go Back"
Album: The Lion The Beast The Beat
|
2
|
|
38
|
45
|
Colbie Caillat - Favorite Song
|
5
|
|
39
|
27
|
The Cranberries - Tomorrow
|
17
|
|
40
|
29
|
Santigold - Disparate Youth
|
9
|
|
41
|
30
|
Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole
|
14
|
|
42
|
41
|
Jessie J - Domino
|
8
|
|
43
|
32
|
Snow Patrol - New York
|
17
|
|
44
|
53
|
Marriages - Ride In My Place
|
4
|
|
45
|
61
|
Jack White - Sixteen Saltines
|
3
|
|
46
|
38
|
Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless
|
12
|
|
47
|
52
|
Haley Reinhart - Free
|
5
|
|
48
|
47
|
Leila - Black and White
|
8
|
|
49
|
49
|
Florence + the Machine - Never Let Me Go
|
7
|
|
50
|
37
|
Atlas Sound - The Shakes
|
20
|
|
51
|
39
|
Sharon Van Etten - Serpents
|
19
|
|
52
|
35
|
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
|
16
|
|
53
|
59
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
6
|
|
54
|
48
|
Islands - Hallways
|
10
|
|
55
|
58
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
7
|
|
56
|
44
|
Ingrid Michaelson - Ghost
|
11
|
|
57
|
43
|
Tennis - Origins
|
16
|
|
58
|
69
|
The Hives - Go Right Ahead
|
4
|
|
59
|
63
|
Keane - Silenced by the Night
|
5
|
|
60
|
54
|
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack
|
15
|
|
61
|
62
|
The All American Rejects - Bee Keepers Daughter
|
6
|
|
62
|
68
|
Norah Jones - Happy Pills
|
7
|
|
63
|
56
|
Delta Spirit - California
|
9
|
|
64
|
55
|
Katy Perry - Part of Me
|
10
|
|
65
|
78
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
3
|
|
66
|
57
|
That Ghost - Morning Now
|
9
|
|
67
|
64
|
Wilco - Dawned On Me
|
18
|
|
68
|
77
|
Temper Trap - Need Your Love
|
3
|
|
69
|
67
|
Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk
|
28
|
|
70
|
71
|
Cage the Elephant - Always Something
|
9
|
|
71
|
65
|
The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
|
8
|
|
72
|
66
|
Adele - One and Only
|
22
|
|
73
|
81
|
Twin Atlantic - Free
|
3
|
|
74
|
84
|
Lana Del Ray - Born To Die
|
4
|
|
75
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
SNOW PATROL
"This Isn't Everything You Are"
Album: Fallen Empires
|
1
|
|
76
|
75
|
Howler - Back of Your Neck
|
8
|
|
77
|
83
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
4
|
|
78
|
72
|
Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine
|
9
|
|
79
|
85
|
Train - Drive By
|
15
|
|
80
|
89
|
The Big Pink - Hit the Ground Superman
|
3
|
|
81
|
70
|
Anna Calvi - Desire
|
11
|
|
82
|
86
|
Tanlines - All of Me
|
3
|
|
83
|
76
|
Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up
|
9
|
|
84
|
74
|
The Shins - Simple Song
|
15
|
|
85
|
87
|
Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof
|
3
|
|
86
|
100
|
Zach Heckendorf - All the Right Places
|
2
|
|
87
|
79
|
Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks
|
18
|
|
88
|
----
|
The Fray - Run For Your Life
|
1
|
|
89
|
80
|
James Durbin - Love Me Bad
|
11
|
|
90
|
82
|
Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
|
7
|
|
91
|
----
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
1
|
|
92
|
94
|
Kimbra - Settle Down
|
3
|
|
93
|
----
|
Foo Fighters - Bridge Burning
|
1
|
|
94
|
73
|
Adele - Love Song
|
22
|
|
95
|
88
|
Tribes - We Were Children
|
8
|
|
96
|
93
|
White Rabbits - Heavy Metal
|
5
|
|
97
|
91
|
Madonna - Girl Gone Wild
|
8
|
|
98
|
98
|
Julia Holter - In the Same Room
|
4
|
|
99
|
----
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
1
|
|
100
|
97
|
Alabama Shakes - Hold On
|
6
|
TREMORS:
|
101
|
104
|
Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw - Feel Like A Rock Star
|
|
102
|
Smash Palace - Living It Lonely
|
|
103
|
105
|
Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me
|
|
104
|
Morning Parade - Headlights
|
|
|
105
|
106
|
The Phenomenal Handclap Band - Radio Girls
|
|
106
|
101
|
Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break
|
|
107
|
Sleigh Bells - Comeback Kid
|
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