Sailing with cruise ship rock memories

Yacht Rock lately. HBO’s Yacht Rock: Dockumentany Released last year for many chat and comments. This feels like the formation of the last genre as a form of popular American music that is accepted and valued.

Then again, how does someone define “Yacht Rock”? Restrictive version by those who made the terms and series of comedy web in the 2000s? Receive all the “soft rock” in the 1970s and 80s? Does the Liris Boat reference automatically qualify as Yacht Rock? Or the definition of more than a vibration: as caused by an observer on HBO DOC (that is UW-EAU Claire Alum Steven Hyden Help producing), “That swayed, but did not sway Also hard.”

Maybe you are too young to live when one of the first Yacht Rock core artists is popular; You might ask about having a sound as a new hit music.

My first real radio memory was 1 year old in 1979, because most of the rock songs “classic” “will arrive. In turn to the 1980s, one of my parents stations on their radio is Weaq, then at 790 Morning. Behind the mic there is a DJ like George House and Mike Cook;

“I have to make sure I program music that does not include two vocals Michael McDonald together whether he is in the record label or not.” -FORER EAU CLAIRE DJ JAY BOULEY

For the DJs, they only played the hit at that time. “It’s just music that is truly an escape that is usually a rhythmic song that is full of enthusiasm, delicious horns, and vocal that is smooth and pleasant,” said House. “It also competes with Disco in the late 70s which is not always universally loved by pop music fans.” Roberts realized the quality of the music, which he said was “written and produced well without being ‘cheap’.” He added, “Songs have enough tempo, interesting lyrics, and strong melodies to be interesting and become popular.”

Jay Bouley joined the Z100 in the late 1980s; At the beginning of the decade, he worked at the station in Minnesota and North Dakota. “This music can easily fit at the Top 40 station, as well as adult contemporary music stations, and is a good alternative for older style country music at that time,” he said. Also, as explained by the HBO documentary film, Michael McDonald is enough everywhere. “I have to make sure I program music that does not enter two vocals Michael McDonald simultaneously whether he is in the record label or not,” Bouley recalled.

While actions such as Christopher Cross, Steely and, Toto, and Ambrosia have a national hit, Demographic Chippewa Valley 45 years ago might make the music strongly agree. Mike Cook arrived from Ohio in 1976; At that time, he saw a local radio as “very vanilla.” Bouley recorded the dominant scandinavian and German heritage in the cities where he worked, similar to makeup with Eau Claire. “The white cruise ship is compatible with the format that we mean for the middle class and a broad age demographic,” he said.

Cook added that despite Eau Claire Disco Clubs, “There are still a large group of people who want to hear something – anything – if not, and soft rock songs are more suitable for their tastes.” Said House, “Of course Hard Rock fans think it is too soft for their tastes, but the real miracle in a successful hit song is that he gives a universal attraction to male and female audiences. Rock vibrations of cruise ships have it in a shovel. “

If you go to the Eau Claire area around 1980, you don’t need to find many cruise ships carried out by local bands. Rick Anderson played in the group’s first impression; He observed audiences who wanted higher energy. “The slower type of rock cruise will be slightly placed there.” he said. “If we learn something slower because it’s very popular, we usually won’t do it for too long.”

The complexity of the regulation and record of cruise ships also makes re -creating it here more a challenge. “It’s difficult as a local band to have players to do the music, especially all vocals,” Anderson said.

What is Sank Yacht Rock?

Because the term “Yacht Rock” has not even been created in the 1980s, there has never been a statement of decreased genre. If the Billboard magazine is on the shelves on Cassidy’s in the fall 1983, you cannot read the front pages like “Yacht Rock reduced on the radio when the band ‘MTV’ exploded.” But the effect occurs.

“With the introduction of MTV in the early 80s, we knew ‘video killing radio stars,’ but also killed the cruise rock star too, I apologize to say,” said House. Bouley observed that as a result, “We see personality artists with higher profiles and more visual attractions.” Meanwhile, adding Roberts, “Yacht Rock began to lose steam in 1982 from excessive quality and ‘copycat’ quality.”

“I will wear my captain’s hat on a rock cruise ship in an instant!” – Longtime Eau Claire Radio DJ George House

Of course, DJs still play anything that is popular nationally. According to Cook, “I don’t even see anything but new music replaces old music … but that always happens to me during my career.”

Advanced quickly to this century, and after the inaugural screening 2005 Cruise boat rock Web series, music has gradually regained a cool stamp. This seems logical for Roberts. “Good music will always be a good music,” he said. “It makes sense that it has returned and is being recycled into new music.” When people ask Bouley about the Sirius XM channel which is devoted to the genre, “I tell them ‘it is the type of music you want to hear on the ponton on Sunday afternoon.’ “House is happy that this action finally gets a favorable and unfavorable recognition.”

But local musicians at that time did not need to look back at what we now call “rock yacht” reduced to one label. Dave Roll is the first keyboardist in the local aircraft band, starting in 1981. “Yacht Rock, as I understand the term, has problems with too focused, and it really meets a big picture,” he said. “I don’t think you should look back 40 years in an artist or band and choose one or two parts and believe that such a small sample represents the whole body of their work.”

In fact, some of the musicians that I talk to have never heard of the term “rock yacht”-people who, however, are very experienced in music and artists related to the phrase.

Today, I now choose songs and rock yacht artists to list Local Radio Play: Classic Hit Format from the Greatest Hit 98.1. Toto and Cross and McDonaldon have dominated the Chippewa Valley Radio, then disappeared; Now they are a core action at the station. For some listeners, Yacht Rock is the soundtrack of their youth; For others, they study these songs from older families. Cook observed: “Remember the fact that children almost always love the music of their parents to a certain extent.”

Anderson has a thirty son who is very interested in music, but is not accustomed to the term “Rock Yacht.” What is the best way to describe whatever is considered part of the genre? “Music that does not require you to listen to it, but if you do it, it must be interesting and might be satisfying,” he said. Nearly half a century later, Music – and Yacht Rock – Fans of the Chippewa Valley continued to be satisfied.

Thank you to Peter Phippen and George House for giving connections with several people interviewed for this story.

Valley Dj ‘Yackt Rock Faves

The DJ interviewed played a dozen the song “Yacht Rock”; What is their favorite? This is their top show:

George House:

1. “Deacon Blues” by Steely and

2. “The biggest part of me” by ambrosia

3. “Rosanna” by Toto

4. “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell

5. “Ride Like The Wind” by Christopher Cross

Mike Cook:

1. “Is there anything really know what time is it now?” by Chicago

2. “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire

3. “This is a miracle” by Barry Manilow

4. “Your mother Don’t Dance” by Loggins & Messina

5. “Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry

Rick Roberts:

1. “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty

2. “Remember” by Little River Band

3. “I’m very happy to see you tonight” by England and & John Ford Coley

4. “Heart to Heart” by Kenny Loggins

5. “The biggest part of me” by ambrosia

Jay Boulyy:

1. “Sailing” by Christopher Cross

2. “Africa” ​​by Toto

3. “Whenever I call you ‘friend'” by Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks

4. “What a Fool Buy” by Doobie Brothers

5. “Hey nineteen” by Steely and