DJ Sue’s Theme and Upcoming Sojourns

SUE’S SUNDAY SOJOURN: Each week Sue will showcase a particular artist or band during her entire two hour set.  Each week, prior to the set, there will be a blog post where she will write about her memories, favorite stories or share other interesting tidbits about the artist.  The idea here is not to tell the story of the band or play two hours of their greatest hits.  The idea behind Sue’s Sunday Sojourn will be to spend time with Sue, down in her music vault.  As she puts together the set, she will reminisce and share special memories.  “I remember when this came out,” or, “I recall hearing this for the first time and I thought…”  She might share little known facts, favorite memories, fun stories or maybe even some personal experiences. 

The sets will have plenty of the big hits but be ready for a few obscure tunes that may be her personal favorites.  She will probably include a few rarities or possibly unreleased material, along with other assorted curios.  So join her every Sunday night from 7-9 PM SLT as she lets you into her world.

DJ Sue’s Theme and Upcoming Sojourns

This Sunday, April 23^rd, I will be out of town visiting family so there will be no Sojourn this week.  Sue’s Sunday Sojourn will return on April 30^th, 7:00-9:00 PM slt, with Bob Seger.

Even though there is no Sojourn, I wanted to give you a “take away” so let me tell you about DJ Sue’s Theme and why I picked it.  The song is My Sweetheart by the Dutch band, Focus.  It is the next to last song on their 1975 album, Mother Focus.  (See below)

I religiously listened to WPLJ (95.5 FM) through the ‘70’s, which was an Album Oriented Rock (AOR) station in New York City.  This is where I got my daily dose of Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Jethro Tull and many more.  I loved listening to the DJ’s and remember them all fondly, Tony Pigg, Jim Kerr, Pat St. John, Jimmy Fink and of course, Carol Miller.

I’d be lying if I said that Carol Miller had no influence on my decision to go into radio.  In 2013 she published her autobiography, Up AllNight: My Life and Times in Rock Radio.  In it she describes when she was young and listening to the radio and the radio personalities of the day.  She would sit alone, listening to them and felt somehow that they were her friends.  It was not unlike the feeling I would get listening to her at night when I was a teen.  If you ever read this, Carol, you were my friend too.

Back then, My Sweetheart became WPLJ’s official theme.  It was unique and that obscure rock tune became a well-known piece to New York radio listeners, though few could identify it.  I would put it on a mix or party tape and people would instantly recognize it and ask me what it was.  Below is a TV spot for WPLJ from the 70’s using the tune.

Early on in Second Life, I was coached by a few DJ’s in world and I noted that several used “theme songs.”  Some kicked off with them and some ended with them.  The type of music I wanted to play was just what I used to hear on WPLJ so I decided to choose My Sweetheart as my theme.  I honestly expected the occasional, “Oh my God!  The WPLJ theme,” but it has never happened.

That is the story of DJ Sue’s Theme and where I stole the idea from.  At the very bottom of the page is a YouTube link to hear My Sweetheart by Focus.

Sue’s Sunday Sojourn and the Future…

Here is the schedule for the upcoming Sojourns:

April 30 - Bob Seger

May 7 – Blue Oyster Cult

May 14 – Crosby, Stills & Nash

May 21 – Phil Ochs

I have decided to end the series there for several reasons.  First of all, It takes between six and eight hours to put each together from preparing the song list to writing the post, collecting and editing graphics and even creating special mp3’s.  It has not yet become a chore but if I continue, I fear that it might.  I want to go out on top.

Also, the final one, Phil Ochs, was actually written back in February.  I realized that after I wrote it that it would need to be the last one.  I could not continue after it so I put it away and saved it.  In fact, it changed my MO and how I wrote the ones after.  They have been written to lead up to this finale.

This doesn’t mean that every once in a long while that I may not do a lone Sojourn.  I may even include more than just bands.  When I did the Beatles one recently, I thought a future bit in backmasking in general, not restricted to just the Beatles, might make a fun future Sojourn.

I’m not going anywhere, so don’t worry.  I will continue the blog and doing special sets well into the future.

DJ Sue's first Second Life graphic from the Spring of 2010