listen!

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #368: I’m Your Captain

June 24, 11am

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Some shows I’m just inspired to dig a little deeper. This is one of those shows. Are you as tired of the commercial radio dreck as I am? And who can blame you, really? They play the same 40-50 songs over and over throughout the day. It’s insulting. I don’t want to insult you. I want to inspire you.

Leon Redbone passed away a couple of weeks back; the day before Roky Erickson as a matter of fact.

Genres-a-plenty across these two hours, with my ongoing desire to share my recent live show acquisitions with you during the second hour. Some live Bob Dylan from the recent Rolling Thunder Revue 17 disc set, Muddy Waters from 1963, and Grand Funk from 1972 to rock your bones.

Get out and dance this week!

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF

http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Groove Me: Blues Brothers
Women’s Liberation: TV Mama Jean
Funk and Soul: New York Underground Funk Band
My Walkin’ Stick: Leon Redbone

Moving Pictures For the Ear: Don Cherry
Reflections (On New York City Everything is Everything): The Visitors
Cut Loose: The Teacher Haters

Mettavolution: Rodrigo y Gabriela
Priest of the Hill People: Hot Fog
Fallout: Zig Zags

Femme Fatale: Ty Segall
Lorsque je Frappe A Ta Porte: Ginette Taillon
Love Comes in Spurts: Thee Headcoats
Little Red Hen: Taj Mahal

Isis: Bob Dylan (Technical University, Lowell, MA – November 1975)
Mercy Seat: Johnny Cash

Knock On Joe: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (RPM Club, Toronto, Canada, February 14, 1989)
19 Years Old: Muddy Waters (Copa Cabana Club, Chicago, IL, July 26, 1963)
Ta Ha: New Masada Quartet (The Village Vanguard, New York City, NY, June 9, 2019)

Clementine: Grateful Dead (Avalon Ballroom, SF, CA, January 26, 1969)
I’m Your Captain: Grand Funk Railroad (Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY, December 23, 1972)

What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #340: Return of the Return of the Magnificent Seven”s

July 26, 2pm

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Sometimes I giggle when I look at my 7″ collection. It’s true. And when I have to purchase another 7″ box to hold them in, I get all silly, thinking about how I’m going to organize them. True story.

You may recall a year ago when I moved out of SF to Berkeley I misplaced my entire 7″ collection along with a few important books of mine. I found the mis-labeled box a few months later, but not until I had already re-purchased a few of the missing 45s. I was so frustrated thinking that someone would have had the balls to snatch and grab a very heavy box full of my babies. Thankfully I found it buried in my storage shed behind my home, safe and sound, and ready to be played full blast once again.

On my most recent show it’s all about the 7″s (with a few 10″s thrown in, because who doesn’t appreciate a quality 10″?). And it’s not all rock either. Take a look at the playlist below. Rap, soul, garage, punk, Bowie, rock, psych. I’ve got it all covered.

I close out the show with a tribute to the Grateful Dead’s longest tenured keyboardist, Brent Mydland, who’s last show was on this day in 1990 (June 26). I was never a fan of his voice, but he had the Hammond B3 sound down. He just couldn’t battle his demons anymore. I have a memory of walking in the lot during a show during the summer of 1989, reading a copy of Dupree’s Diamond News (a Dead zine/sheet written for and distributed to Heads in the parking lot before shows). DDN made a statement that the “rumors” of Brent being back on heroin were false; he was clean and sober. He would be dead of a vicious overdose. Too bad Jerry wasn’t scared straight from the experience.

I’m out of the office this coming Monday night, and I’m really hoping that our premier fill-in DJ Dial-A-Shot will be taking over. The man ROCKS! I’ll have a classic Hell’s Kitchen Radio show lined up if he doesn’t make it in, and I look forward to manning the helm again the following Monday at 8PM.

Radio Valencia is turning 8 years old on August 11. Be sure to wish us a happy birthday! We like dark chocolate and garage rock.

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Don’t Forget to Breathe: The Melvins
Notes and Chords Mean Nothing to Me: Redd Kross

Goin’ Back to Cali: LL Cool J
Emma: Hot Chocolate

Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon: Urge Overkill
People Get Ready: The Chambers Brothers
Fantastic Voyage: David Bowie

***San Mateo Set***
Lieutenant Uhuru: Three Stoned Men
Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Mummies
Andalusia: The Phantom Surfers

Hey Hey What Can I Do: Led Zeppelin (You have never heard it played like this before)
Deezy: Honky (Jeff Pinkus of Butthole Surfers ROCK band. Think ZZ Top on meth!)
Brainded Warrior: Zig Zags

Kick Out The Jams: Afrika Bambaatta
Rock Box: Run DMC
Macho Man: Artless
Louie Louie: Black Flag

You Stupid Asshole: Mudhoney
Another Way: Mono Men
Let’s Get Funky: Jack O’Fire
Lights Out: Wooden Shjips
Observatory: Carlton Melton

Drone: Here Are The Facts You Requested
Bloody Hammer: Roky Erickson

Dear Mr. Fantasy: Grateful Dead (March 31, 1988 Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #338: Facial Recognition Radio

July 5, 3pm

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Another winner of a broadcast for this week. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this. Lots of tasty library choices on this night. For you not used to the library lingo, “library” means older releases. Some older tunes, some afro-funk, stoner-rock, alt-country, live Iggy and live Dead! What else could you ask for? A few long jams? Sure, I’ve got that in the show as well. Some jazz and blues? Why not?! Some prog-rock and English punk? Ok, if you say so.

Happy Forfa to all of you. Please celebrate responsibly as you blow up a little bit of our nation, and perhaps a small part of your body.

See you Monday night at 8.

Also, Flint still has no clean drinking water, and Puerto Rico is mostly out of power.

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Status People: Groundhogs
I Knew My Name: Psychic Ills

Reaper Invert: WAND
Giving Up The Ghost: Zig Zags
Temporarily Like Bob Dylan: Bongos, Bass and Bob

Dirty Robber: The Mummies
Mona Lisa: Sam Cooke
God Bless the Child: Kenny Burrell

They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore: Kinky Friedman
Summer Wages: David Bromberg

Linda Goes To Mars: John Prine
Hikky Burr: Quincy Jones

Tei Egwu: Afro Funk
Mr. Time: Koes Barat

Watcher the Skies: Genesis
Our Darling: Altamont

Untitled: Dead Meadow
Ex-Lion Tamer: Wire

The Passenger: Iggy Pop (August 18, 1996 Bizarre Festival, Cologne, Germany)
Loser: Grateful Dead (May, 08, 1981 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY)

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #328: Fare Thee Well Now

February 26, 11am

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John Perry Barlow was a maverick in the ways of songwriting and internet freedom. Called “the uncrowned poet laureate of cyberspace,” and “equal parts beat poet and P.T. Barnum”, co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Barlow understood the importance of a free and accessible internet, open to all. As songwriting partner of the Grateful Dead‘s Bob Weir, he collaborated on some of the band’s most beloved tunes. He was a gentleman, a showman, a rowdy conspirator, and jack-of-all trades. The world is a better place because of him.

We’ll carry on the fight from here, John. RIP.

The tunes below are some of the absolute best versions performed. Links are provided for each show.

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Feel Like A Stranger: October 12, 1984 Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME

Mexicali Blues: October 26, 1971 The Palestra, Rochester, NY
Looks Like Rain: April 08, 1972 Wembley Arena, London, England

Just A Little Light: March 26, 1990 Albany, NY
I Need A Miracle: September 16, 1978, Giza, Egypt
Heaven Help The Fool: October 30, 1980 Radio City Music Hall, NYC, NY

Lazy Lightning/Supplication: November 02, 1977 Field House, Seneca College, Toronto, Canada
Black Throated Wind: August 27, 1972 Veneta, OR

Cassidy: October 12, 1983 Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY
Estimated Prophet: February 3, 1978 Madison, WI
The Music Never Stopped: May 9, 1977 Buffalo, NY

Throwing Stones: September 20, 1990 Madison Square Garden, NYC, NY

Hell in a Bucket: March 26, 1990 Albany, NY

John Perry Barlow wrote the Principle of Adult Behavior as standard code of conduct when
he was 30 years old.

1. Be patient. No matter what.
2. Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of another you wouldn’t say to him.
3. Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than yours are to you.
4. Expand your sense of the possible.
5. Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
6. Expect no more of anyone than you can deliver yourself.
7. Tolerate ambiguity.
8. Laugh at yourself frequently.
9. Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right.
10. Never forget that, no matter how certain, you might be wrong.
11. Give up blood sports.
12. Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Don’t risk it frivolously.
13. Never lie to anyone for any reason. (Lies of omission are sometimes exempt.)
14. Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.
15. Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.
16. Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.
17. Praise at least as often as you disparage.
18. Admit your errors freely and soon.
19. Become less suspicious of joy.
20. Understand humility.
21. Remember that love forgives everything.
22. Foster dignity.
23. Live memorably.
24. Love yourself.
25. Endure.

HOW MANY OF THESE RULES DO YOU STRIVE TO LIVE BY?

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #322: Crazy As It Seems

November 30, 10am

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Having spent almost 30 years in community radio, I’ve seen plenty of fresh young faces cross into the medium, where I have been asked to train them in the technical aspects of running the board, as well as how to announce during a mic break. There is an art to this. There is a flow. More often than not I am in the flow. I certainly know when I’m not. I tell the new DJ when it comes to the mic break, just do the business (back announce what you played, read a PSA, front announce and get off mic). Once you have more time in the studio under your belt, then you can wax poetic about the artist you just played and the label they are on, and connect it to some current issue, or talk about the band that’s coming to town and the place they’re playing and some history connected to the label you’re about to play. All of this takes time and experience.

I trained a new DJ on my recent show: Johnny Fuzz; no relation. His set is labeled below. Great guy, great choices. He’ll be getting a show soon, so please show him some love and tune in.

My next show is pretty timely. I call it “Statutory Rock”! You can only guess what I’ll be playing.

Finally, send some healing thoughts to Hell’s Kitchen Radio alum, and legendary rock poster artist, Ron “Rotten Ronnie” Donovan. He’s in the hospital with lived failure after living the life of a rock start, too hard, for too long. We love you Rotten Ronnie. Don’t make me host a tribute to you any time soon.

Check out the playlist below and click the stream or download button above to enjoy this great show. There’s some kind of tribute??? to Charles Manson at the beginning.

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Never Learn to Love: Beach Boys
Cease to Exist: Charles Manson
Mayla: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

20th Century Boy: Ty Segall
Destination Unknown: Missing Persons

Kings Lead Hat: Brian Eno
The Eureka Garbage Lady: GTO’s

***Johnny Fuzz Set***
Caroline: Chrome
Allas Sak: Dungen

Vitamin D: Can
We Are Time: The Pop Group
I Don’t Like Linoleum: The Dancing Cigarettes
Creature That I Am: Cool Ghouls

Lucid I Would Dream: Miranda Lee Richardson
***John Hell***
Raw Optics: Oh Sees

Timid Scripts: HRVRD
Warm Piston: Monomen
She’s Got Balls: AC/DC
The Bomber: Joe Walsh and Barnstorm (09-24-73 Arlington, TX)

The Beacon: Golden Void
Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite (Take 4): The Beatles
Bad As Me: Tom Waits

Jesus Didn’t Die For Me: Rube Waddell
Sugaree: Grateful Dead (May 6, 1978 Patrick Gym, U of Vermont)

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #313: So’s Your Face

August 24, 6pm

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Lauson spent the night in Hell’s Kitchen this past Monday night and was more than her usual kooky self. Little Lauson Hell is about to enter 8th grade and I’m not really certain how I feel about all this growing up stuff. She knows that when it comes to the playlist to make make her choices a wee bit more left of maintstream. That being said, she’s her father’s daughter: she just knows what she likes. Almost all of her selections (designated by “L”) are fairly outside the norm of what a 12 year old probably listens to. Does your kid flip for Nina Simone?

Some new music from Ty Segall from an oddly digital-only release (where’s the vinyl, Ty?), and Dale Crover has graced us with what he claims is his first full-length solo effort, Fickle Finger of Fate, but I consider the classic Kiss-style Melvins solo EP of his to be his real first solo release. Whatever. Speaking of the Melvins, their documentary, Colossus of Destiny is now out on DVD and Blu-Ray and we’re all better for it. I saw the film at a s showing at the Swedish-American Hall in SF last Fall and the boys performed an acoustic set and did a Q&A following the film. It’s chock full of great interviews and music. Check it out!

I’ve got way too much music to share with you this coming Monday night. Two hours really isn’t enough time, but it’ll have to do. See you on the “radio”.

If you care to check out the previous shows featuring Little Lauson Hell check out the links below:

First show in 2012
Second show in 2014
Third show also in 2014
Fourth show in spring of 2015
Fifth show in the summer of 2015
Sixth show in summer 2016 along with Saucy!
Seventh show was also during summer 2016
Eight show was December 2016
Ninth show was July 2017

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Common People: William Shatner
Love of the Common People: Leonard Nimoy
Bo Diddley: Bob Seger

Lose Yourself: Eminem – L
Nice Nice Very Nice: Ambrosia
Don’t Stop Me Now: Queen – L
Baby’s On Fire: Ayers-Eno-Cale-Nico
Man Thinks Woman: Mecca Normal
She’s An Angel: They Might Be Giants
None, No More: Dale Crover
The Room Where It Happens: Hamilton – L
I Put A Spell On You: Leon Russell
You Don’t Own Me: Grace ft. G-Easy – L
Dust: Ty Segall
The Runaway: Danny O’Keefe
Feeling Good: Nina Simone – L
Mayla: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Kisah Sedih Di Hari Minggu: Koes Barat
That’s What I Like: Bruno Mars – L
Foolish Heart: Grateful Dead (June 19, 1988 Alpine Valley Music Center)
Eight Miles High: Husker Dü
Intergalactic: Beastie Boys – L

Hell’s Kitchen Radio #310: Summer of Love Special

July 27, 11am

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I grew up wishing I had graduated from a San Francisco high school in 1964 so that by the Summer of Love in 1967 I would 21 years old and able to fully immerse myself in everything that era had to offer. It’s the music of that time that influenced me the most during my adolescent years, when I was moving past what played on the home hi-fi and more into discovering my own likes. It was that swirling psychedelic music and it was that message of change and opportunity that grabbed me most.

My family moved to the Bay Area in late 1982 when I was 12 years  and I knew right away what a special place San Francisco was. In our first excursion into the city my parents wanted to tour Fisherman’s Wharf, I wanted to go to the Haight. Of course by 1982 the Haight was long past its hippy prime and deep in its lost years of heroin and speed and closed storefronts. That didn’t stop me from searching this great city and colorful neighborhoods for any crumb that remained from the vibe that the Summer of Love hoped to propagate following 1967. Today the area is inundated by boutiques and way too many Tibetan importers and head shops; not to mention countless tourists, who, like me, are looking for a shred of evidence that there was once an energy of love that attempted to take our nation to a higher level, overcoming war and grief and capitalism. And let’s not forget the number of homeless teens and 20-somethings who have been termed out of foster care, who call the doorways of Haight Street their home.

It was the swirling music, colorful fashion, and risk-taking youth that took precedence at that time. It was the music industry that bastardized it and made way for the punk movement of the 70s/80s. But before

that all came to pass we have to appreciate what the bands of the time were doing. San Fransisco was one hell of a great scene. Great clubs, like the Avalon BallroomCarouselFillmoreFamily Dog at the Great Highway had the bestbands playing their stages night after night. And promoters like Chet Helms and Bill Graham were pairing local rock bands with legendary blues and jazz artists, opening the ears of the audience to sights and sounds they may never have taken the time to check out on their own.

We are all better for 1967 and San Francisco.

Two books I’d like to recommend that will shed much better light on that era include Joel Selvin’s

“Summer of Love”, and David Talbot’s “Season of the Witch”. The latter starts in 67 and works its way up through the first 49er Super Bowl win in early 1982. Both are definitely worth your time, especially if you hold a place in your heart for San Francisco.

As for the music I chose for this show, it’s all from 1967, and most are west coast American bands. in retrospect I could have chosen more obscure acts from that year, or other, more current bands, covering these songs, below. Instead I played music that really moved me as I was growing up. And isn’t that the job of the DJ, to move you the way they have been?

My friend Linda Kelly, managing editor of the local rag Haight Street Voice was hanging out in the studio with me too. She was interviewing me for the August issue. It’s a free paper, so pick it up when you see it, or go online to check it out. I hope she doesn’t make me sound too bitter. It’s been a challenging year when it comes to my love for SF. But isn’t that like all relationships? We’ll see it through to the end.

Wednesday I had the chance to take in the Summer of Love exhibition at the deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park. It was more than I could have hoped for. If you live in the Bay Area make sure you get to this show before it closes, August 20th.

Next Monday night is lots of new music and the return of Little Lauson Hell!!!

Enjoy.

jh

Hell’s Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://www.radiovalencia.fm

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Time Has Come Today: The Chambers Brothers
Bass Strings: Country Joe and the Fish

Omaha: Moby Grape
Season of the Witch: Donovan
Down on Me: Big Brother and the Holding Company

Plastic Fantastic Lover: Jefferson Airplane
The Golden Road: Grateful Dead
San Francisco Nights: The Animals
You Keep Me Hanging On: Vanilla Fudge

Astronome Domine: Pink Floyd
Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite: The Beatles
Stroll On: Yardbirds
I Feel Free: Cream

Waterloo Sunset: Kinks
Pleasant Valley Sunrise: The Monkees
Dear Landlord: Bob Dylan

I Was Made To Love Her: Stevie Wonder
Cold Sweat: James Brown
Before You Accuse Me: 13th Floor Elevators
Heroes and Villians: The Beach Boys

It’s A Happening Thing: Peanut Butter Conspiracy
Friday on my Mind: The Easybeats
I’m Waiting For The Man: Velvet Underground

Foxy Lady: Jimi Hendrix
Paint It Black: Rolling Stones
I’ll Never Fall In Love Again: Tom Jones

San Francisco (Flowers in your Hair): Scott McKenzie

What a way to start of the Summer of Love but with the quintessential Monterey Pop!!!

A Season in Hell Monday 8-10PM, James Brown and Europe 72, Pt 4.

April 30, 5pm

What a great night for radio!!! 8-10PM (PDST) tonight, I’ll be featuring some of the finest James Brown in celebration of his upcoming birthday, in the first hour. In hour numero dos, it’s week for of eight (read: 4/8) of my tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s 1972 European tour which culminated in a  fine triple-LP set, “Europe 72”. I have all of the shows and I thought “Hey, let’s make this happen”. Therefore the second hour tonight and the following four Monday nights is all live Dead from the Europe 72 tour.

Also, this Thursday, May 3rd, from 6-10pm I’ll be co-hosting the annual 24 hour “Doin’ it to Death” James Brown birthday special on KFJC, 89.7FM in the Bay Area, http://kfjc.org

A Season in Hell, Monday 8-10pm Record Store Day and Europe 72, pt 3

April 23, 3pm

WOW, what an amazing Record Store Day that was. Did you all get out and purchase some tasty vinyl? I know I did. I spent the day broadcasting at Vinyl Solution Records in San Mateo on Saturday with M. Dung and Jack Champion. Juan Rapido and the Cheap Hooch gals showed up later in the afternoon to throw down as well. There was so much fine vinyl to choose from, that I had a very hard time deciding, so I just bought it all. Ha! I wish. I’ll be playing so of the exclusive releases tonight in the first hour of my show, 8-9pm (PDST).

In hour 2, at 9PM I’ll be featuring week three of eight (3/8) of my celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s Europe 72 tour. Tonight it’ll be cuts from the 04/17/21 Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark and 04/21/72 Beat Club in Bremen, Germany. The 4/21 show was a short, jaunt for the band in a small theater. Oh, to have been there.

Tune in and enjoy some exclusive sweet sounds, 8-10pm (PDST) tonight.

A Season in Hell Monday 8-10PM Europe 72, Take 2

April 16, 6pm

Tonight on A Season in Hell with John Hell, I bring you week 2 of 8 of my celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s amazing 1972 European tour. Last week I played a stellar Dark Star from 04/08/72. Tonight I’ve got some brilliance from 04/14 and 04/16/72. I’m not going to give it away, but Pigpen is on FIRE!!! All of this in the 9pm hour.

In the 8pm hour it’s all new music. So many great releases in the past few weeks, it’s hard to choose what to share.

Tune in 8-10pm (PDST) every Monday to A Season in Hell with John Hell.