Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like I Do" is even better.

... beer length

/DJ in University

...and people liked the song.

But yeah, those two things made it a hit.

OlafTheBent: ... beer length

And alice's resturant allowed djs to smoke a cigarette, a joint and shotgun a beer. All was right in the world.

Yes, because in 1971, radio stations were fanatically opposed to smoking indoors.

Joelogon: Yes, because in 1971, radio stations were fanatically opposed to smoking indoors.

True. All they did outside was bustle in people's hedgerows.

benlonghair: And alice's resturant allowed djs to smoke a cigarette, a joint and shotgun a beer.

and build a house, get married, have children, get a divorce, retire, and travel the world

As a real dj who worked with vinyl in the 80's I have to agree that we all smoked cigarettes in the studio. In fact we would stand the cigs on their butts so we wouldn't burn the equipment. I would be more likely to believe this story if he replaced the cig factor with the poop factor because we were always looking for a long song to have a good long bathroom break.

Or a major dump. DJs have to poo too, y'know!

The DJ's played Alice's Restaurant at noon on Thanksgiving so they'd have time to eat a leisurely lunch. It's still a Thanksgiving tradition on some rock stations.

EatHam: and build a house, get married, have children, get a divorce, retire, and travel the world

"He talked for forty-five minutes and nobody understood a word he said..."

oldfarthenry: Or a major dump. DJs have to poo too, y'know!

When I needed to take a dump I put on the cart of "American Pie".

For a hallway quickie (like that ever happened) it would be "Light my Fire."

To this day I still put on American Pie or Stairway to Heaven when I either have to go make dinner or get rid of it.

"Stairway to Heaven" on during late night just meant that the DJ was getting a hummer from some groupie.

Weaps: oldfarthenry: Or a major dump. DJs have to poo too, y'know!

When I needed to take a dump I put on the cart of "American Pie".

For a hallway quickie (like that ever happened) it would be "Light my Fire."

Courtesy flush timed with "the time to hesitate is through."

Yeah, this explains 'American Pie'.

*shudder* I friggin hate that tune.

gopher321: Yeah, this explains 'American Pie'.

*shudder* I friggin hate that tune.

Yeah, but that town had some serious problems; a dry levee, drunk good ol' boys, and suicidal teens.

Side One of "Thick as a brick" was another classic "need a dump" song too.

Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap agree.

/still one of the top 5 guitar solos of all time
//the drumming isn't too shabby either
///don't be alarmed if there's a bustle in your hedgerow

"Stairway to Heaven" is an air play staple, but did it do very well as a single?

yakmans_dad: "Stairway to Heaven" is an air play staple, but did it do very well as a single?

I could be wrong, but I don't think it was even released as a single.

Jencaasi: yakmans_dad: "Stairway to Heaven" is an air play staple, but did it do very well as a single?

I could be wrong, but I don't think it was even released as a single.

Not in the U.S. (new window)

I'm not sure how responsible "Stairway to Heaven" is for an assload of rock bands since almost always having that *one* 7-10 minute pretentious track on their album.

Sometimes they're good, but most of the time it just seem like the band's excuse for some of their most trying lyrics coupled with that one noodly solo the lead guitarist had been annoying everyone with in the studio during downtime.

Whenever we needed to take a dump, we always played Phish. To this day, If I am in town and hear Phish playing, I call the studio... never an answer. The tradition continues.

This explains the Richard Harris version of MacArthur Park, too.


/Second time I heard them play StH all the way through, I wanted to find a stairway to the roof so I could jump off.

I could live the rest of my life without hearing Stairway to Heaven

FREEEEEBIRRRRD!!!!!!

But seriously, as stated already, I call bullshiat as I'm pretty sure in 1972 (or was it 1973?) the DJ's smoked right in the studio. Also, it isn't long enough for a meaningful dump. Therefore I conclude that it is because it is a damn good song that it got the airplay.

Yawn. That was news about 20 years ago.

I suspect that DJs liked to play In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida when they needed a break, too.

If by "cigarette" they mean "joint" then I suppose I could believe it.

I can't forsee ever going out of my way to listen to Stairway ever again, but it's a darn fine piece of music.

Also I always had heard the "go outside to smoke a joint" theory, since most radio stations at the time would have allowed cigarette smoking indoors.

So this means that classical DJ's are eating, drinking, smoking and farting all through their shifts?

Gangway Fathead: Also I always had heard the "go outside to smoke a joint" theory, since most radio stations at the time would have allowed cigarette smoking indoors.

Although not in the studio since that tends to make the engineer real cranky.

Hell, you could have a mid-shift meal during "Close to the Edge".

I'm cool with StH, as long as no one ever again tries his or her hands at Immigrant Song on a karaoke machine.

/Or Child in Time

Stern was talking about this. He said back when he was spinning discs he would play Free Bird and Stairway back to back at least once a shift.

Meatloaf gave the DJ a chance to run out and drop a deuce

gopher321: Yeah, this explains 'American Pie'.

*shudder* I friggin hate that tune.

The year American Pie came out my family took a trip from California to Florida by car. My brother just got a cassette player and one cassette - American Pie. I wanted to kill my brother, my entire family, Don McLean, and even James Dean by the end of the trip.

After years of therapy, I could tolerate the song again.

truth_is_stranger_than_fishin: As a real dj who worked with vinyl in the 80's I have to agree that we all smoked cigarettes in the studio. In fact we would stand the cigs on their butts so we wouldn't burn the equipment.

I'll bet you taped nickles or quarters to the tops of the tone-arm cartridges, too.

And I'll bet you call headphones "cans". And you call knobs "pots".

/old school

twofedoras: Whenever we needed to take a dump, we always played Phish. To this day, If I am in town and hear Phish playing, I call the studio... never an answer. The tradition continues.

Conversely, it could be that playing Phish sends people to the bathroom.

El_Frijole_Blanco: Meatloaf gave the DJ a chance to run out and drop a deuce

I thought Manfred Mann's "Blinded By The Light" was where they were revving up the deuces.

The live version of Freebird was always handy, just in case. Of course, there's nothing like the feeling of coming back down the hallway, that pleasant feeling of intestinal void, and hear "Remember me *CLICK* remember me *CLICK* remember me".

oldfarthenry: Or a major dump. DJs have to poo too, y'know!

Thanks for the mental image of Casey Kasem pumping a squat.

Courtney Cox-Zucker: oldfarthenry: Or a major dump. DJs have to poo too, y'know!

Thanks for the mental image of Casey Kasem pumping a squat.

"...and coming in at number two this week..."

Grew up in the seventies, and would have given several major organs to have been a DJ back then. Absolutely worshipped those guys. I wish I could go back in time to, say, 1974, and work a few months, just to experience what it was like.

as a current dj i approve of this article

While I agree I don't ever need to hear it again, I played it for my eight year old, and the first time he heard it he said it was boring. the second time, he said it was one of the coolest songs EVER.

so, hearing that song for the first time, I was jealous of him.

OgreMagi: gopher321: Yeah, this explains 'American Pie'.

*shudder* I friggin hate that tune.

The year American Pie came out my family took a trip from California to Florida by car. My brother just got a cassette player and one cassette - American Pie. I wanted to kill my brother, my entire family, Don McLean, and even James Dean by the end of the trip.

After years of therapy, I could tolerate the song again.

And the scary part is that your lips still move to it when you hear it.

Courtney Cox-Zucker: Thanks for the mental image of Casey Kasem pumping a squat.

Zoinks!

Back in the days when (I assume) smoking in the workplace (and most of all in rock radio) was acceptable? Uh-huh.
/I honestly don't care to hear Stairway again.

No dump/grub/smoke break love for November Rain yet?

/Estranged is even longer at 9:20