This weekends At40

[Rob64]

Is there gonna be one?? If so, i guess it's his last charT?

[mst3k]

Rob64 said:

Is there gonna be one??

Yes. This weekend's AT40 will be the final one hosted by Casey Kasem.

[Matt4319]

ABC did a profile on him at the end of World News Tonight today. He was their "Person of the Week". I didn't get to see all of it though.

[richie]

Matt4319 said:

ABC did a profile on him at the end of World News Tonight today. He was their "Person of the Week". I didn't get to see all of it though.

Check out this link to see the transcript:
abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/PersonofWeek/pow_casey_kasem_040102-1.html

[BlahBlahBlah]

So when and where can I hear this weekend's countdown?

[TheJakes]

From today's NY Times:

A Mike Goes Silent on a 'Top 40' Voice

By NEIL STRAUSS
LOS ANGELES

One gets the feeling when talking to Casey Kasem that his entire life is organized on a Rolodex of notecards arranged in chronological order. And he can, on command, flip to any one and recite a story not as if he is talking about himself, but about one of the thousands of musicians he has introduced by way of anecdote on his weekly radio show "American Top 40" over the last 34 years.

His answers to questions are neat little vignettes that tend to start with the phrase "When I was" and wrap up with a sentence that begins "So I learned."

If he were to write the story for this moment in his life, it would probably begin, "When I was 71," tell the tale of his final "American Top 40" broadcast this week and end with the thought "And so I learned that I don't have to feel sad, but excited about a new opportunity." From the announcement in 1970 of his first No. 1 hit — "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," by Three Dog Night — to this week's No. 1 — most likely "Hey Ya!" by Outkast — whatever Mr. Kasem has said in his warm, mellifluous and wholly distinctive voice has been invariably serious and positive.

As radio formats splintered and musical genres waxed and waned, Mr. Kasem (pronounced CASE-um) remained unshakable, unifying all of popular music with the sound of his voice. It didn't matter whether a song was acid rock or disco, hip-hop or honky-tonk, new wave or new metal: if it was popular enough to make the charts, it was valid. He never gave an opinion or shared a word of gossip. That was not his role. It was simply to count down the hits, tell the stories of the artists who made them (usually with a cliffhanger at the commercial break) and, in his long-distance dedication segment, read a moving letter from a listener. (In the New York area, "American Top 40" is broadcast on radio station WHTZ, or Z100.)

Shortly after recording his final program, Mr. Kasem sat down for his only print interview about his departure from "American Top 40" in the studios of Premiere Radio Networks in Sherman Oaks, Calif., which syndicates his shows to 350 radio stations around the world. A creature of 34 years of habit, he said that he had done absolutely nothing special on the show to commemorate the occasion.

"When I signed off, I just said, `And don't forget, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars,' " he said, repeating the catchphrase that he has recited at the tail end of every show.

"I just didn't want to say goodbye. Every station I was at, I never said goodbye — when I was in Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Oakland, and L.A. I don't know why."

Like his voice, Mr. Kasem's appearance seems not to have changed in decades. His black hair lies soft, thin and unmovable above an eerily unwrinkled face. His fashion sense remains in the early Ward Cleaver era, with a thick blue pullover sweater unzipped to reveal an inoffensive red tie and a blue-collared shirt. The only thing that suggested Mr. Kasem's age during the interview was the way he moved down the halls of the radio station: his back was slightly stooped, his feet shuffled.

He was in the world he loves best: that of illuminated "on air" signs, black microphones on swiveling arms and well-worn mixing boards. Though Mr. Kasem is leaving "American Top 40," he has no plans to leave the broadcasting world. He will continue as the host of his 12-year-old show "American Top 20," with one version oriented to stations with the "adult contemporary" format and another for stations with the "hot adult contemporary" format. (What is the difference? "Hot" mixes in more current hits, and is geared toward a slightly younger audience.)

"I feel as though I'm going to be counting down the hits into the next decade," he said.

Meanwhile, Ryan Seacrest, the host of "American Idol" on Fox television, will become the new host for "American Top 40." The show's format will change, which means, among other things, that long-distance dedications will be replaced with interviews with musicians. Mr. Kasem said he was leaving the show to "really go after the No. 1 radio format, and that's adult contemporary," though one cannot help feeling that he is being put out to pasture.

"It's sad that he's leaving," said a friend of mine who preferred to be quoted anonymously for reasons that will shortly become apparent, "because it was so reassuring to know that when I'm coming home Sunday morning after getting wasted the night before and sleeping with a guy I shouldn't have, that I could turn on the radio and somewhere on the dial, I could find the voice of Casey Kasem."

WHAT has made "American Top 40" such a milestone is that through all the great cultural upheavals of the last three decades, it has hardly changed at all.

" `American Top 40' allowed me to be current without my having to force change to keep up with things," Mr. Kasem said. "The new songs kept us up to date, so every show sounded fresh." In comparison, he said, D.J.'s known for playing a certain type of music often disappeared along with that type of music.

Though he said he did smash Elvis Presley records in the folly of his youth as an ill-advised publicity gimmick, he was wiser by the time rap came along. "When I first heard rap, I wasn't quick to be critical," he said. "I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I had a feeling it was a reflection of what's been happening in the ghetto."

Mr. Kasem's son, Mike, is actually in a rap group and recently completed a demo. Mike is one of three children from Mr. Kasem's first marriage. He and his second wife, Jean, have one daughter, Liberty, 13. Jean Kasem was known best for her own distinctive voice as Loretta Tortelli on "Cheers," but has since parlayed motherhood into a career, as founder of the Little Miss Liberty Round Crib Company.

Though he refrains from mixing his personal life with his on-the-air persona, away from the studio Mr. Kasem, who is of Lebanese ancestry, is an advocate of animal rights, environmental preservation and improvements in Arab-Jewish relations, in addition to being a committed vegan. Don Pitts, Mr. Kasem's voice-over agent since 1969, recalled being surprised when Mr. Kasem turned down a commercial for Kellogg's five or so years ago. His reason: cereal is consumed with milk.

On the air and off, Mr. Kasem is by and large a creature of compulsive habit. It is in his personality, he said, to be "extra careful." Every week, he works meticulously on his show, even listening to the final broadcast for any hiccup in his delivery, any phrase spoken too loudly. What he describes as a rare tantrum once found its way out of the studio, where the sound of his iconic voice reeling off expletives about U2 and a long-distance dedication about a dog named Snuggles became an underground radio hit of its own.

Mr. Kasem didn't know the blooper had been made public until 10 years later. "I'm not proud of what I did, but it is funny," he said. Aside from that aberration, consistency has been his forte. Not once has he varied from his "keep your feet on the ground" tag line.

"If I were going to change it, I'd change it to something that would help people in a lot of ways," he said. `I'd say, `Be sure you use your seat belt.' Because my father would have lived another 15 years if at that time they had seat belts in the car that his housekeeper was driving when they got in an accident. Four days later he died. He was going to see me in my first play." The year was 1954. The play was "The Curious Savage."

Mr. Kasem didn't ultimately pursue acting, but he did spend a decade as a sweater-clad television host. He was, to the best of my knowledge, America's first V.J. In 1980, he went on the air counting down the hits with "America's Top Ten," showing videos before MTV and before network shows like "Friday Night Videos."

Videos were also part of Mr. Kasem's undoing. The rise of MTV ate away at the importance of his radio show as the fan's rite of passage in comprehending the music, the lives of the stars who made it and their chart positions. Now, with the Internet, any song, video, chart or factual tidbit is available instantly, so that no one needs Mr. Kasem to explain what is No. 1 anymore.

Though he is constantly asked his opinion on music, Mr. Kasem is not necessarily a music fan. Don't confuse the man with the message. His eyes don't light up at the mention of Beyoncé or Celine Dion, but they do at the mention of pioneering disc jockeys like Mad Daddy or Alan Freed. He is a fan of the disembodied voice of the radio announcer.

Today, he still keeps one foot in the acting world, doing regular cartoon and commercial voice-over work, with over 10,000 spots to his credit. His best-known role is that of Shaggy, the bumbling beatnik pal of Scooby-Doo, for which he recently recorded 30 new episodes.

It could even be argued that, over the decades, Shaggy has exerted as great a cultural impact as Mr. Kasem has. When asked which persona — Shaggy or Casey Kasem — has had a bigger influence on society today, Mr. Kasem went quiet for a moment.

"Let's see," he finally said. "Shaggy is one of my claims to fame. But I think Casey surpasses him a little bit. However, one will last longer than the other, and Shaggy will go on forever.

"They are going to be playing Shaggy and Scooby-Doo for eons and eons, and they're going to forget Casey Kasem — unless they happen to step on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I'll be one of those guys people say `Who's that?' about. And someone else will say, `He's just some guy who used to be on the radio.' "

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Awww! :(

Rob, hope you record AT40 this weekend! It's one for the collection! :)

[mst3k]

Pretty cool moment leading into the #3 song, "Suga Suga" by Baby Bash. Casey mentioned that on the very first AT40 broadcast in 1970, there was a "Sugar Sugar" in the countdown... Wilson Pickett's cover of the Archies' hit. He even played a drop-piece of it.

[j]

I'm just surprised vegans don't drink milk.

[tico]

jae said:

I'm just surprised vegans don't drink milk.

Some vegans may consume dairy products, some fish and then there are those, like Casey, who consume no animal products at all.

[Cerebro]

Currently listening to the show. He's using the 12/19 chart, so, 6 debuts (Murphy Lee, Kiley Dean, Evanescence, Jay-Z, Good Charlotte, and Kelly Clarkson). Some other tidbits:

* A story about Ben Moody's abrupt departure to tie into Evanescence's new song

* Madonna has made at least one chart appearance every calendar year since her debut in 1983 (This week would mark her 22nd year), a record for a solo female artist.

* Casey played a special mix of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" that incorporated all versions of the song. i.e. He started off playing Cat Stevens' original, then segued into versions by Keith Hampshire, Rod Stewart, and, finally, Sheryl Crow.

* Long Distance Dedication #1: Brandy "Have You Ever"

* Linkin Park is spending a second week at number 1 on the alternative chart.

* Eamon got his start singing with his father's doo-wop group.

* Dido used to smoke 30 cigarettes a day until she had a dream that she went to the doctor with a cough and was told she had 6 weeks to live. She quit smoking immediately and hasn't touched a cigarette since.

* A story about how Rob Thomas cut back his drinking and lost 40 lbs to win the heart of his, now, wife.

Now playing: #22 Jessica Simpson "With You"

[Crushcrushchris]

Does anyone know a list of where I can find this show? I want to know if it aired on Z100 or not.

[Cerebro]

Highlights from hour 3:

* A bit on the history of Flagstaff, AZ (tying into Flagstaff native, Michelle Branch).

* Clay Aiken suffers from Ailurophobia (the fear of cats).

* At 25 weeks, Santana's "Why Don't You And I" has been on the chart longer than any other this week. Also, Santana's career spans 35 years.

* Kelis' "Milkshake" and OutKast's "The Way You Move" tie for this weeks biggest mover (+13).

* Long Distance Dedication #2: "The Voice Within" (yes, a LDD that is currently charting. Doesn't seem to happen often).

* Liz Phair has a burgeoning acting career and has landed a handful of bit parts.

[jasonharper2004]

Amercian Top 40 is WHTZ FM or know as Z100 Every Monday Morning at 1am-5am EST

[Crushcrushchris]

jasonharper2004 said:

Amercian Top 40 is WHTZ FM or know as Z100 Every Monday Morning at 1am-5am EST

Thank you

*realizes he has to stay up until 1 am*

Ah damn it!

[Cerebro]

And the final hour:

* Stacie Orrico was thrilled to work with top songwriter Dianne Warren. The Warren penned "The Promise" will be Stacie's next single.

* "Baby Boy" is the 13th "Baby" hit of the rock era to hit #1. Casey listed the other 12.

* Long Distance Dedication #3: Amanda Perez "Angel"

* Number ones on the other charts:
Adult Contemporary: Matchbox Twenty "Unwell"
Urban: Alicia Keys "You Don't Know My Name"
Country: Kenny Chesney "There Goes My Life"
Rock: Stone Temple Pilots "All In The Suit You Wear"

* As previously mentioned, the Wilson Pickett cover of The Archies' "Sugar Sugar" appeared on the very first edition of AT40 (which he played a drop of). This ties into Baby Bash's current hit "Suga Suga", and make a nice bookend to Casey's AT40 years.

* #1 story: Andre 3000, stuck in a rut, decided to break the mold and went back to his musical roots and created his latest album using many rock, soul, funk, and jazz influences from the rock era including the likes of James Brown, Prince, and Jimi Hendrix.

* Rather than asking us to join him next week, Casey simply ended with "and remember to keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars..."

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

A lot of people will sure get a surprise when they find AT40 will have a completely different style with a partly familiar ex-guest now-permenant host.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Cerebro said:

* Casey played a special mix of "The First Cut Is The Deepest" that incorporated all versions of the song. i.e. He started off playing Cat Stevens' original, then segued into versions by Keith Hampshire, Rod Stewart, and, finally, Sheryl Crow.

Wow! That's neat!

* Clay Aiken suffers from Ailurophobia (the fear of cats).

Poor John. His favourite male singer will never come to his house now. :(

[BlahBlahBlah]

I caught parts of it on WCIL. I fell asleep during parts of it because I was too tired, lol. I caught the mix of "The First Cut Is The Deepest", that was cool.

[Hervard]

They did the medley on AT20. I thought they'd play about a minute of each song, but instead, they only played about ten seconds of each of the old ones and then went into Sheryl Crow's version. Still, it was neat to hear a medley, which they used to do more often on the old AT40.

[BillboardBoy]

* A story about how Rob Thomas cut back his drinking and lost 40 lbs to win the heart of his, now, wife.

LOL! I'd like to hear Casey do a story on how a woman lost 40 pounds to impress a man.

Also, Casey mentioned that "Hold On" by Good Charlotte was the the 6th Top 40 hit with that title in the Rock Era.

[FreakyFlyBry]

BillboardBoy said:

Also, Casey mentioned that "Hold On" by Good Charlotte was the the 6th Top 40 hit with that title in the Rock Era.

Who were the others, besides Santana and Wilson Phillips?

[Cerebro]

FreakyFlyBry said:

Who were the others, besides Santana and Wilson Phillips?

En Vogue and Jamie Walters were two others. Who's missing?

[Rob64]

Casey is weird. It's his last AT40 and there'll be a drastic change next week and he doesn't even mention it. That doesn't make any sense. It's cool though that there's a sense of mystery about the guy. He's strange... AT LEAST MENTION IT! LOL! After hosting it for all this time, say SOMETHING!! LOL!

[BlahBlahBlah]

Well I guess he doesn't want to make it a big deal.

[krazymack]

BlahBlahBlah said:

I caught parts of it on WCIL. I fell asleep during parts of it because I was too tired, lol. I caught the mix of "The First Cut Is The Deepest", that was cool.

Ooh, I'm going to stay up tonight to hear AT40, it's like I have to because it's Casey's last AT40. I'd like to hear the mix to "The First Cut Is The Deepest," because I love the original version to that song.

[Crushcrushchris]

jasonharper2004 said:

Amercian Top 40 is WHTZ FM or know as Z100 Every Monday Morning at 1am-5am EST

Umm, did you mean Tuesday morning? 'cause I'm listening and it's not on now :(

[Matt4319]

Cfw828 said:

Umm, did you mean Tuesday morning? 'cause I'm listening and it's not on now :(

He probably meant starting next week.

[Crushcrushchris]

Matt4319 said:

He probably meant starting next week.

Rats. I wanted to hear it for this week (You should know why by my avatar ;)), but oh well.

[mst3k]

Cerebro said:

En Vogue and Jamie Walters were two others. Who's missing?

Ian Gomm (from 1979). They must've been using R&R's archives, though, because two other "Hold On" songs hit Billboard's top 40: Triumph (#38 in 1979) and Kansas (#40 in 1980).