OZZY OSBOURNE TRIBUTE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

 As most of you already know, legendary heavy metal artist Ozzy Osbourne passed away yesterday, a little over two weeks after doing a final solo set and a final set with his original Black Sabbath bandmates in the UK. Awfully Awesome 80's will pay tribute this Saturday night, July 26th, at 8 PM eastern with a 15-song set that will strictly focus on his solo material from the early 80's into the early 90's. In case you were wondering, these tracks will be the original classics and won't feature any re-recorded instruments.

RIP Ozzy, and thank you for rocking our world for all of those years!

AWFULLY AWESOME EIGHTIES NEEDS YOUR HELP MORE THAN EVER!

As most of you already know, I had a major health scare recently with my heart, and my recovery will take quite a while. I lost my main freelance gig shortly after coming home from the hospital without any explanation, even though I always delivered high-quality work and could work as little or as much as I wanted. Running my stations costs over $200.00 every month, and I will be unable to cover the costs until an equally attractive freelance gig comes along.

I am asking for your help with keeping this station going. For a nominal $30.00 PayPal donation, I will let you have a half-hour showcase of your requests three times a week for the next month. The requests should be hit or lost singles from the 80's and early to mid 90's with as varied an artist roster as possible (I am not allowed to do a showcase on one specific artist). I will allow one album track in your showcase as long as it isn't full of profanity or controversy. Using the PayPal button, filling out a contact form, leaving a chat message, and asking any general questions can be done through this webpage. Thank you in advance!

A FEW NEW ADDS FOR TONIGHT

 The following are now part of the AA80's family:

  1. The Alarm - Sixty Eight Guns - US single edit

  2. The Alarm - The Deceiver - US single edit

  3. The Alarm - Strength - US single mix

  4. Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed - single edit

  5. Art Garfunkel - A Heart In New York

  6. Siedah Garrett - K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

  7. Genesis - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight - US single mix with full fade(not the early fade that you find on the compilation albums)

  8. Pearl Harbor & The Explosions - You Got It(Release It)

  9. Night - Love On The Airwaves

10. Ted Nugent - Wango Tango

11. Prince - Batdance - album version with guitar solo, Vicki Vale, etc. (Let the haters hate, I don't care!)

12. Rush - Subdivisions

13. Salty Dog - Come Along - one of the better "hair band" jams, and so what if it has sleazy lyrics?

14. Split Enz - One Step Ahead

I have hundreds more yet to add, so relax in your beanbag chair and chew on some Bubblicious! #TheAlarm #FunBoyThree #ArtGarfunkel #SiedahGarrett #Genesis #PearlHarbor&TheExplosions #NightFeaturingChrisThompsonAndStevieLange #TedNugent #PrinceHisPurpleMajesty #RushBand #SaltyDogBand #SplitEnz

NEW ROTATION ADD - VANITY 6 - "HE'S SO DULL" - 1982

Vanity 6 were Prince proteges who caused a brief stir during 1982-83 with their suggestive dance numbers and scantily-clad outfits. Their sole self-titled album was released on CD during the late '80s and has been unavailable since around the early '90s, mainly because Vanity(aka the late Denise Matthews - no, there's no relation) became a born-again Christian and didn't want to be reminded of her "nasty girl" past.

"He's So Dull" was the lead-off single from the album and was written by former Revolution guitarist Dez Dickerson(he was the guy who traded vocals with Prince during the first half of "1999"). It was a non-charter, but most 80's fans will remember it from its short inclusion in the 1983 comedy classic "National Lampoon's Vacation." MTV did briefly play the below video, but I only remember seeing it during Adam Ant's Guest VJ Hour in January 1983; it was severely edited at the end, totally eliminating the segment where the man gets pushed down the stairs.

Awfully Awesome Eighties' playlist can't be delirious enough without more Prince-related material, so look forward to "Drive Me Wild," Vanity solo, Apollonia 6, The Time, and Jill Jones arriving soon. #Vanity6 #HesSoDull #PrinceProteges #DezDickerson

NEW WIDGETS FOR CURRENTLY PLAYING AND PLAYLIST HISTORY

 I'm just letting my listeners know that the "Now Playing" and "Recently Played" widgets on the station's webpage have been updated to newer versions, mainly because I had no choice. The old versions are being phased out to the point where artist images were completely eliminated, and I don't even have the ability to custom-upload my own image choices on them.

The new versions have a fairly reliable stock library of artist images, and I can upload my own when necessary; obviously, the more obscure the artist is, the less likely the stock library will have something. I can't stop you from mentioning that an artist's image is missing or could be better, but trust me, I am well aware of the issues and will strive to perfect them the best I can. 

Most artist images will have biographies attached to them on the "Now Playing" widget, and all tracks on that widget have a Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down feature. The "Now Playing" widget has a player attached to the top of it if you don't want to click on the blue "Listen Now" button above it(which leads to a more robust player, but that's just my opinion). Gone are the Wikipedia, "Tweet Song" and Amazon purchase links; the widget developers probably don't think they're relevant anymore, and they're probably right. Everyone knows how to use Wikipedia and Mr. Musk made it financially impossible for anyone to autopost on X/Twitter anymore.

The "Recently Played" widget shows a history of the last 100 tracks played. It refreshes at a rate of every 90 seconds, and I can't do much more than that without the distinct possibility of the widget missing a track. Be aware that the refresh isn't instantaneous due to the sheer volume of tracks in the history. 100 tracks is the maximum capability, so please don't ask me if it can show the last three days, the last week, etc.

I apologize if I don't sound overly positive about these changes. Maybe I'm in the minority, but it seems to me that these days the phrase "New And Improved," whether it refers to technology or the foods we eat, isn't worth a hill of beans anymore. I MISS THE OLD, and that especially means the pre-2016 days of internet radio. I'll let Satchmo conclude this post: "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..."

UPDATE: After hearing such phrases as "craptastic" and "amateurish," I have reverted back to the old widgets. Hopefully, the company I deal with will at the very least let me upload my own artist images to them if they do in fact no longer have access to the old third party image provider.

 

HOW TO BECOME A SPONSOR ON THIS STATION!

 My two licensed internet radio stations, The Retro Attic and Awfully Awesome 80's, are looking for sponsors. For an extremely low monthly rate(a choice of having your ad run either 5 times a week or 10 times a week on the station), I will produce a 30 second ad that can be dry or that can include background music. I can also offer a sidebar ad for your business(with a clickable link) on one of my websites for a slightly higher monthly rate.

I am looking for specific types of sponsors that, like me, are devoted to keeping oldies and 80's music alive and well:

 1. Used record/compact disc stores across the USA that cater to tourists and/or sell their titles online.

 2. Flea market vendors across the USA that deal exclusively with vinyl and compact discs.

 3. Oldies and 80's related tribute bands that tour either nationally or only in specific areas of the USA.

 4. Long-lost artists from the 50's through the 80's that have new music or books they want to promote, but don't have the time or know-how to do it.

I would be open to discussion on other types of sponsors(such as a pest control business or a restaurant), but only if you have a reputable business with good intentions.

My stations have been around for anywhere from 8-11 years and can reach a worldwide audience; some people will tell you that I'm obviously devoted to yesteryear since I love concentrating on those hits and artists that most other oldies stations no longer touch! I know that some of my listeners love to travel, buy records and see tribute shows, so as CSN once said: "What have you got to lose?"

If you're interested in learning more, then please PM me through Facebook or use the contact form and/or chat function on my websites(http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and http://awfullyawesomeeighties.com). As Canned Heat once said: "Let's work together" and build an oldies-devoted network!

Please also note that if you would like to support my stations through other methods, then I do accept donations(one-time or a monthly subscription) through the Paypal buttons on my website. You can also show your support by checking out my auctions and set sales on E-Bay(please see the sidebar listing on this site or search on E-Bay for the seller ID of "retroatticmusic"); maybe I will have a collectible that will interest you!

LAST BATCH OF NEW ADDS FOR 2021

Here are the latest rotation adds. Please look forward to more big bunches of the classic and forgotten in 2022 and I hope everyone has Happy Holidays! 

Air Supply - Young Love

Alabama - Close Enough To Perfect

Alabama - The Closer You Get

Jon Anderson - Hold On To Love

April Wine - I Like To Rock

Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads

Big Bam Boo - Shooting From My Heart

Stephen Bishop - If Love Takes You Away

Debby Boone - Perfect Fool

Peabo Bryson - If Ever You're In My Arms Again

Captain & Tennille - Love On A Shoestring

Peter Cetera - Big Mistake - Single Remix

Bill Champlin - Sara

Tracy Chapman - Baby Can I Hold You

The Dirt Band - An American Dream

The Dirt Band - Fire In The Sky

Dr. Hook - Sexy Eyes

Dave Edmunds - Almost Saturday Night

Fiona - Hearts Of Fire

Firefall - Only Time Will Tell

A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran(So Far Away) - Video Mix Edit

Dan Fogelberg - Longer

Dan Fogelberg - Run For The Roses

David Gates - Take Me Now

Go-Go's - We Got The Beat

Go-Go's - Vacation

Go-Go's - Get Up And Go

Colin James Hay - Hold Me

Benny Hester - Nobody Knows Me Like You

Bertie Higgins - Just Another Day In Paradise

Tom Johnston - Savannah Nights

Klymaxx - I Miss You

The Knack - Baby Talks Dirty

The Knack - Pay The Devil(Ooo Baby Ooo)

Julian Lennon - Jesse

Huey Lewis And The News - Now Here's You

Huey Lewis And The News - Do You Believe In Love

Huey Lewis And The News - Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do

Jeff Lynne - Every Little Thing

Barry Manilow - Read 'Em And Weep

Marchello - First Love

John Cougar Mellencamp - Paper In Fire

Kenny Nolan - Us And Love(We Go Together)

Donny Osmond - Soldier Of Love

Gilbert O'Sullivan - What's In A Kiss

Michael Penn - No Myth

Michael Penn - This & That

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Refugee

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall Part II - Single Version

Poison - Nothin' But A Good Time

The Quick - The Rhythm Of The Jungle

Lou Reed - I Love You Suzanne

Lou Reed - No Money Down

Lou Reed - Dirty Blvd

The Replacements - I'll Be You

Kenny Rogers - Love Will Turn You Around

Kenny Rogers - This Woman

Mitch Ryder - When You Were Mine

Seals & Crofts - First Love

The Specials - Ghost Town

Frank Stallone And Cynthia Rhodes - I'm Never Gonna Give You Up

Starland Vocal Band - Loving You With My Eyes

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

Donna Summer - Dinner With Gershwin - Single Edit

Thompson Twins - Lies

Thompson Twins - Love On Your Side

Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now

Thompson Twins - You Take Me Up

Jack Wagner - Too Young

Florence Warner - Only Love

The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon

Matthew Wilder - Work So Hard

Terry Williams - Blame It On The Night

Carl Wilson - Heaven

Yello - I Love You