0 Radio Airchecks Spotlight Skill and Technique

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/04/2025

How did I get better behind the microphone? How do radio hosts get better? Criticism from peers is important. Positive or negative feedback from supervisors might work. Sometimes, if you are honest with yourself, self criticism and soul searching is the best way to evaluate your performance. What is an Aircheck Would you stare at yourself for an hour in front of a mirror? What perceived imperfections would you find? An audio recording of an on-air musical DJ show, called an aircheck, is exactly the same process. You use your ears. What does the sonic glance reveal? In the analog days of radio, an entire program could be recorded with ancient, silicone lubricated, acetate backed recording tape using reel-to-reel tape recorders. This was a headache for long three to six-hour programs, unless the newer cassette technology was used. Moving forward, thanks to the digital age, and some engineering magic, entire music on-air shifts could be 'scoped' into an aircheck. A scoped program happens when the DJ-announcer turns on the microphone. Their voice is automatically recorded to a device along with any other audio that is happening live on-air. The recording stops when the microphone is turned off. Now, all of the live segments are automatically recorded back-to-back. It's getting better all the time My ears stared at myself in this audio mirror after every radio program I did. That's why I have hundreds of aircheck recordings spanning every radio station that I worked for. When I used cassettes, I would re-record on top of the old shows, if I didn't want to save them. Checked out The process is simple. You listen back to your show and analyze every element. You question your diction, speech, timing, creativity, relevance, audience engagement, artist mix, community references, and much more. You write notes. You course correct. You tweak the hot air. You hopefully improve. If you juxtapose a seventeen year-old college radio amateur against the same guy fifteen years later as an accomplished professional, you can hear dramatic differences. I'm him. Where are the Airchecks That's my story. That's how I used airchecks to my advantage. You may not have noticed the aircheck section on the Powerhouse Radio website. See the bottom of the page footer. Listen to them. For the first time, I've also added an 18 minute multiple aircheck scan to our  PowerhouseRadioVideo channel on YouTube. Each station, featuring yours truly, is time indexed so you can listen to the station you want by selecting the time stamp in the comments section for the video. The airchecks at Powerhouseradio.com are different from what you will hear on our YouTube Channel. Check them all out! Previous Post | Next Post

0 From Reel-to-Reel Tape Machine to Digital Audio Glory

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/24/2024

Now, you only see these things in movies! When I put the Powerhouse Radio website back online in 2021, I needed a reel-to-reel machine to digitize old audio tape reels and cassettes so you could hear some magical history. This beautifully refurbished, vintage Teac 3300 - 10.5 inch reel wonder arrived in New Jersey from California in late 2024. Before this machine, I had an Akai X-200D - 7 inch (only) reel-to-reel that I acquired off eBay in 2021. As a teenager, I used a Lafayette RK 710 solid state reel-to-reel tape recorder to sample the best of AM & FM broadcasting. I mention this machine in my Powerhouse Radio Book (see my author website for book details). Does it Work? When I took the Teac 3300 out of the box, I wanted to test it immediately to check if the seller's promise of a refurbished machine was an honest evaluation. In the picture are two MacBooks: a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air. I plugged the Teac 3300 into a small amplifier, then into a small mixing console that is  primarily used out in the field. Two mini speakers were plugged into the amplifier. Everything worked perfectly. No audio distortion from this reel-to-reel dinosaur. Mechanically it is solid. Aesthetically the look is pristine. The box was Grandma tested for dirt. It has a super clean gleam!   As a warning, if you need to hunt for a used reel-to-reel recorder, make sure you do your research and vet carefully what you are attempting to purchase. Usually, look for these: Lots of well shot pictures of the item A very long detailed description Full disclosure about any defects! Many positive reviews about the seller If all pass the smell test, I'm sure you'll get a boost in the trust factor for the possible transaction. How is Digitizing Done? Audio or musical features will jump from the tape / audio machines, possibly with the help of a mixing console, into the computer domain of MP3, MP4, or WAV files. WIFI can be used for some transfers. Most of the time cables get the job done, along with digital editing software for audio or video. We offer the produced versions when you hear or see them online! Thankfully, I did not have to return this 40 pound Teac 3300 machine back to California, but anyway, I saved the box it came in. Lucky me!  Previous Post | Next Post

0 Tavares Supercharged

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/12/2017

Tavares, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts were hard working harmony kings featuring a halo of heavyweight hits glowing from their song crown resume. Arthur, Ralph Vierra, Perry Lee, Antone, and Feliciano are the Tavares brothers. In the late 1960s they performed as Chubby (who is Antone) & The Turnpikes. "Check It Out" was their first R&B hit in 1973. For the album Hard Core Poetry in 1974, Tavares hooked up with producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter who had revived the career of The Four Tops. The Tavares - Lambert  & Potter team found success off of Hard Core Poetry with these hits:  "Too Late" #10 R&B in 1974 "Remember What I Told You To Forget" #4 R&B in 1975 "She's Gone" (see below) Claiming territory at the top of the R&B charts, they had three #1 hits: "She's Gone" 1974 (written by Hall & Oates who didn't have a hit with the song until 1976) "It Only Takes A Minute" 1975 "Whodunit" 1977 In The City (1975 album below) contains "It Only Takes A Minute," "The Love I Never Had," and "Free Ride."    "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" (below) was a #3 R&B hit in 1976. It's from the album Sky-High produced by hit maker Freddie Perren (Peaches and Herb, The Sylvers, The Miracles, Jackson 5, Gloria Gaynor and others). The hits kept coming for Tavares by the end of the 1970s. The Bee Gees wrote "More Than A Woman" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack (December 1977) for Tavares. Here are two more Tavares albums. From 1982's New Directions you'll find two songs that made it to the R&B top 25, "Got To Find My Way Back To You" #24 in 1983, and the lovely "A Penny For Your Thoughts" #16 in 1982. Listen to 34 seconds of "A Penny For Your Thoughts" written by Kenny Nolan and co-produced with Jay Senter.  Your browser does not support the audio element.   The title track from Words And Music (below) reached #29 R&B in late 1983.    In 1979, Tavares teamed up with producer Bobby Colomby (drummer for Blood, Sweat & Tears) for the stylish, jazzy, and somewhat hypnotic rhythm track on the #10 R&B hit "Bad Times." Colomby also worked with keyboard guy Bob James who may be playing on this song. Tavares delivers a lyric with a message on "Bad Times." The vocals shine on the track. The score is a fusion of soulful pop orchestration.   Hats off to Tavares who were able to change with the times, update their style, and stay relevant across the musical landscape. As hitmakers their track record is undeniable. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Mercy Mercy Me: Carlos Santana and The Isley Brothers

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/23/2017

Back to 1969, the year both of these albums Santana and The Brothers Isley were dropped into the market! I've stacked them on top of each other before taking this shot. On The Brothers Isley you see left to right Rudolph, O'Kelly, and lead vocalist Ronald. Fast forward forty-eight years later, and now we experience Santana and the surviving brother of the original trio Ronald Isley (with Ernie Isley) teaming up to sing Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." Their version is different and contemporary with a close that tips the hat to Marvin. Listen to Carlos Santana & The Isley Brothers sing Mercy Mercy Me from their album Power of Peace as featured by NPR. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Leon Ware: Motown Producer - Artist R.I.P.

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 03/01/2017

Marvin Gaye's passionate "I Want You" and propositional "After The Dance" were major hits produced by the talented tune weaver Leon Ware. He co-wrote/produced Michael Jackson's 1972 #2 R&B hit "I Wanna Be Where You Are." Ware passed away on February 23 at age 77. When you orchestrate Motown hits, you get a chance to record your own records. Ware got the chance and had quite a few albums released. None of them were stand-outs. The one you see below is favorably rated among his solo catalog. Sonically Ware's voice lacked the sensuous primal passion of Marvin Gaye who Ware helped guide to the top. However, as a singer, Leon gave it his best. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 88 seconds of "Learning How To Love You" from Leon Ware's rare 1976 Gordy label album "Musical Massage." It's the only Leon Ware album I have in our archive. This was a promotional copy given to me by Motown. Below is a photo of Ware from the back of the album, along with the front cover. "Musical Massage" featured Ware's version of "Body Heat," a song he co-wrote with Quincy Jones. "Turn Out The Light," the final song on the record was co-written by Ware, Minnie Riperton, and Richard Rudolph. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Curtis Mayfield Story

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/24/2017

From the Powerhouse Radio Archive Listen to the PowerhouseRadio.com production of The Curtis Mayfield Story featuring Curtis that I wrote, narrated, produced, and edited. 10 minutes, 13 seconds Your browser does not support the audio element. You can also read much more about Curtis Mayfield in the archive courtesy of The Buddah Group. It is an excellent synopsis of his early career. 2022 Bonus: In the video below I reveal the original "Superfly" Press Kit from our library. Check it out! Previous Post | Next Post

0 Chris Jasper Does Everything

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/31/2011

Chris Jasper refined the famous Isley Brothers sound in the 1970s and 1980s. The classically trained musician incorporated his mastery of keyboards and synthesizer to clearly brand the signature Isley guys groove. I enjoyed the last Jasper solo release in 2007. You can read my comments in the article Chris Jasper's Journey from the Isley Brothers to Invincible. Before Christmas of 2010, I received both his new CD, Everything I Do, plus Addictive, a dance/pop/techno album by his 17 year old son Michael. Even though I listened to these releases right away, both have been sitting on the shelf for weeks because of personal distractions. Sick family members and friends, a fire that destroyed our office building, and two computer server moves by the powerhouseradio.com web hosting company really complicated the last 7 weeks. Life goes on. One thing on the immediate to do list was to spotlight the new Chris Jasper CD. This album is stronger than 2007's Invincible. You'll find more funk in the grooves. Spiritual themes that dominated the songs of Invincible are muted on Everything I Do. An acknowledgment of a higher spiritual power is still present in many of these new tracks. The tone of these songs: less preachy and more secular. "Everything I Do" "Doing My Thing" "In Your Face" "Nobody But My Baby" "Earthquake" "Stand Up" "He's The Judge" "One Time Love" "Don't Take Your Love Away" "Superbad" Isley Brothers fans will be interested in this new Chris Jasper effort. "He's the Judge" and "One Time Love" are 2 of my favorites. Listen to 60 seconds of "He's the Judge" by Chris Jasper. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Dells Are Harmony

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/25/2010

Chicago's Dells, kings of harmony, formed in 1953, and recorded for Chess and Vee-Jay Records. By the 1970's, The Dells moved to Mercury Records, ABC, and Chi-Sound. The Dells had hits in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. Listen to just over 60 seconds of The Dells singing "A Heart Is A House For Love," featured in the soundtrack from The Five Hearbeats movie, (song produced by George Duke, 1991). Previous Post | Next Post

0 Time Tested Alexander O'Neal Takes a New Journey

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/28/2010

Alexander O'Neal teamed up with Cherrelle in 1986 to score with the hit duet "Saturday Love." O'Neal, a Minneapolis, Minnesota native now hangs his hat in the UK. Has Great Britain changed Alexander's musical approach? The answer lies in 5 Questions the New Journey, O'Neal's first new album since 2002. As an original member of the Time, he parted ways with the band before the group achieved their biggest success. Listen to 30 seconds of "My House," and see if Alexander O'Neal is keeping time to a new groove. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Michael Jackson Tribute by the Commodores

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/09/2010

"Nightshift," the haunting tribute hit by the Commodores memorializing Marvin Gaye, among others, was released in 1984. The song won a Grammy Award in 1985. 25 years later in 2010, the Commodores have re-recorded "Nightshift" with their original production team (Dennis Lambert & Peter Wolf) as a tribute to Michael Jackson. They've done a nice job updating this classic soul gem. Listen to 45 seconds of "Nightshift," a tribute to Michael Jackson. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post