Thanks for stopping by! The Retro Attic is your 24/7 listener-supported internet radio guide to the 50's through the 70's. We play lost and classic top 40 hits, but we also place a heavy emphasis on the minor charters and non-charters...or as we call them, bottom 45's. Special Mixcloud shows will be announced as time permits. If you have a general suggestion, then please use our chat widget in the lower right corner or the below contact form. If you have a song request, then please use the below Song Request Form; your request will be automatically queued for play in 90 minutes if it is already in the station's inventory or else I will receive an e-mail copy of your request. Please read the "New Request Policy" post in the below blog for more information on requests as I have new rules for those who are willing to be sponsors and for those who are non-contributors.

If you appreciate what we do, then please make use of our PayPal buttons on the site. You can donate a one-time amount or choose from 10 monthly subscription amounts; the donations will help enhance our programming and keep us on Live365. Yes, The Retro Attic is legitimate and pays artist royalties!

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Monday, December 28, 2015

WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN 2016, BUT PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US!

The Retro Attic and Awfully Awesome Eighties will NOT be going dark on December 31st. Our licensing fees for 2016 went up some, but they're still doable. There are a lot of bigger internet radio stations out there that will be pulling the plug(more listener hours, more revenue, and more expenses mean very high licensing fees), so it's hard to say what kind of effect it will eventually have on our total listener hours for each month. Some listeners will migrate to Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM, etc.; the rest of the audience will continue to look for stations that dig deep for their playlists.

The Retro Attic's Featured Artist Of The Month for January will be The Guess Who; this will also include selected cuts from BTO, Ironhorse and Burton Cummings.

Donations to the stations will continue to be strongly encouraged as some aspects of the monthly licensing fees are still being negotiated(for example, ASCAP may or may not allow multiple stations on a licensing account) and our playlists will really start expanding now. Being a VIP member gives you more programming capabilities! Visit us at either http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or http://awfullyawesomeeighties.com and look for our Paypal donation buttons; both webpages also have links to our Facebook groups.

Thanks for your support and we look forward to bringing you more great listening in 2016! Have a Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

THE RETRO ATTIC MAY BE GOING DARK SOON

Well guys, today was considered "D Day" in the world of internet radio. Some of you may have heard about a pending decision from the Copyright Royalty Board; they oversee Soundexchange, which is one of the major performing agencies. Their decision was handed down around 5:15 this afternoon, and it wasn't good.

Through this year, there had been a Small Webcaster Agreement in place where anyone running a music-related internet radio station could pay a reasonable monthly flat rate that was primarily based on your station's total listener hours; in turn, you had a blanket license that took care of the 4 main performing agencies. The SWA will now be gone, and in its place will be a "per performance, per listener" rate. The rate is only a fraction of a penny, but it adds up quickly. Even with the miniscule number of listeners my stations have, my Soundexchange fees alone would run approximately 3 grand a year, or around 250 dollars a month. This really doesn't make me want to find out what ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN have in store!

Therefore, unless the miracle occurs of 10-20 people coming forward and offering to sponsor my stations for 15-25 dollars a month, then The Retro Attic and Awfully Awesome Eighties will be going dark very soon. I'm sorry that this has to happen, but the performing agencies only want the big boys around. Innovation will be all but gone when you look for oldies stations from now on. Why? Because the big boys(with MAYBE an isolated, rare exception) will only play the same, tired classics. Some of you are cool with that, but I KNOW there are MANY of you out there who complain that many top 40 hits from the past aren't getting played anymore.

The only alternative I have if I don't get any sponsors is doing occasional Mixcloud shows. Mixcloud does pay out royalties, and there has been no mention of any changes coming their way. The only drawback with that approach is the word "occasional" - no more 24/7, etc.

Any comments are welcomed through my station sites at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and http://awfullyawesomeeighties.com. In conclusion, all I can say is that Rush knew what they were talking about in 1976 when they composed their "2112" epic. If you don't know what the song is about, then I highly recommend googling it.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

NEW "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" EPISODE - ALAN PARSONS PROJECT SHOWCASE

The new American Bottom 45 episode, "Alan Parsons Project, Together And Apart," is now available for listening! Check the show's description for a list of the artists featured. https://www.mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews/the-american-bottom-45-alan-parsons-project-together-and-apart/

Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 if you dig shows devoted to minor charters and non-charters from the 60's, 70's and 80's!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

THIS WEEKEND ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45"

Certain well-known musicians didn't have overnight success in the U.S.; they started out by languishing in unknown U.S. bands or else they had some success in UK bands while domestic record labels weren't interested enough yet to give them that big push. This weekend on "The American Bottom 45," it's a "Before We Became Famous" show!

The lineup includes The Hassles, The Tourists, Spooky Tooth, The Wind In The Willows, Jamestown Massacre, The Nazz, Meadow, Milkwood, Black Sheep, Sky(not the prog rock band), Pages, Gen X, Clover, Baby Grand, Blue Angel, and Shiloh. If you know your music well enough, then you will know who some of these famous musicians were!

Tune into the show on Saturday night 10/10 from 8 to 9 PM eastern at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or search for The Retro Attic on Tunein.com, Nobex Radio, or ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category. Join the show's Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and help shape up The Retro Attic's bottom 45 playlist when it turns over to 60's/70's on November 1st. Requests can also be made for the bottom 45 playlist on the new related station "Awfully Awesome Eighties." Archived episodes and subsequent shows will be found at http://mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

RETRO ATTIC FORMAT CHANGE COMING ON 11/1

One of my loyal listeners late last night made a valid point regarding all of my upcoming changes. Simply put, it appeared that I was ignoring one key demographic(fans of 60's-70's music), and I want to rectify that. Here is what's in store:

1. Beginning on November 1st, The Retro Attic will become an all 60's and 70's format. Those of you who were big fans of the golden era of AM pop and FM underground radio will probably welcome this change. The format will remain lost and classic top 40 hits with 3 bottom 45's included every hour. There will be no more Featured Artists Of The Month due to the need to concentrate on running 4 stations and a podcast; with the narrowed demographic, there really wouldn't be enough artists to choose from to make it worthwhile. Website: http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio.

2. After this weekend's show, The American Bottom 45 will be exclusively an occasional Mixcloud podcast. I believe there is still an audience out there who likes the other side of the charts and rarities no matter what the decade is. So all you have to do is join the show's Facebook group, be notified of the latest show's upload, and you can then listen to the show at your convenience. Mixcloud page: http://mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews. Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

3. My newest stream, Awfully Awesome Eighties, will be starting this weekend. All 80's, all the time! Lost and classic top 40 hits with 3 bottom 45's included every hour and a main goal of catering to those who knew their 80's MTV programming inside and out! Website: http://awfullyawesomeeighties.com. Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/awfullyawesome80s.

4. I am still on the fence about a "Malted Memories" station with a primarily 50's format(and dashes of late 40's). Right now I have 3 people interested in it. I'll probably take the plunge since I do have a sponsor, but I will announce my final decision soon.

Hopefully this all makes sense and will eventually improve my overall listener numbers. Some of us are very open-minded when it comes to oldies music, but the reality is that we identify with a certain era of music...that time when we were growing up and always had a radio by our sides(for me, it was most of the 70's and into the early 80's)! I've seen too many instances on The Retro Attic where a tune from '83 plays followed by one from '59, then one from '71, etc. This typically has resulted in listener counts suddenly dropping off. The narrower demographics should make listeners stick around more, simply because the tunes were from "their era."

That's all for now! Rest assured that I won't be announcing new stations that play nothing but roaring 20's vaudeville music or a 90's grungemania extravaganza...I'm comfortable with the above ventures! I look forward to your comments!

Monday, October 5, 2015

"AWFULLY AWESOME EIGHTIES" IS JUST DAYS AWAY!

We are just days away from the test launch of "Awfully Awesome Eighties!" If you were/are seriously obsessed with the music of the 80's, then you will want to bookmark this station! I have set up a basic, "a work still in progress" webpage for the station; at this point, you will see a description of the station's mission and a few examples of the tunes you will be hearing via "Awfully Awesome Eighties TV." Simply put, nothing from the 80's will be able to hide...all of the hits, misses, indies, new wavers, spandex gods, etc. will be resurrected!

Join our AAE Facebook group by going to http://facebook.com/groups/awfullyawesome80s. You can also take a glimpse at the station's webpage by going to http://awfullyawesomeeighties.com.

In other news...I have a potential sponsor for a "Malted Memories" station that will play nothing but hits and rarities from the late 40's through 1959. I played a decent number of those tunes a couple of years ago, but they really weren't what the majority of The Retro Attic's audience was expecting. So my question is...are there any of you out there that would listen to a late 40's-1959 format that explored the roots of rock n' roll along with cool vintage jazz and blues?

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

NEW "GUESS THE MYSTERY OLDIE" CLIP

It's time for a new Retro Attic mystery oldie clip! Visit our website at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and look for the feature just below our Google calendar. Click on the "stack of 45's" picture, and you will then be taken to a 3 second Soundcloud clip with details.

Be the first person to correctly guess the artist and song title, and you will get to program our next Retro Attic Request Hour! Please submit your guess through our webpage's live chat feature(a white box that says "Chat Or Make A Request" will pop up in the bottom right corner of the page); this way you know that you're talking with me, DJ Gilbert Matthews. Good luck to you!

Monday, September 28, 2015

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP FOR MY UPCOMING INTERNET STATION "AWFULLY AWESOME EIGHTIES"

Here is a new Facebook group for my upcoming internet station "Awfully Awesome Eighties." All of the hits, all of the minor and non-charters, all of the deep cuts...eventually hoping to play everything from the 80's that had a music video! You used to see them, now you will get to hear them once again(especially true since MTV will never return to the way they used to be)! You have heard what I play for 80's on my other stations, so if you want an even more complete picture of the decade of excess, then ask to join us at http://facebook.com/groups/awfullyawesome80s!

Sunday, September 27, 2015

LATEST "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" SHOW IS NOW ON MIXCLOUD/OCTOBER ARTIST OF THE MONTH

The Retro Attic's weekly 1 hour show/podcast "The American Bottom 45" just had its latest show uploaded to Mixcloud. It features tracks from Howard Tate, Claudja Barry, Pepsi And Shirlie, Jimmy James And The Vagabonds, Gallagher And Lyle, Josie Cotton, The Hullaballoos, Mother's Finest, The Reddings, Fantastic Four, Linda Clifford, Billy Satellite, Tracey Dey, Angel, Savoy Brown, Johnny Guitar Watson, and Saraya. Check it out by going to https://www.mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews/the-american-bottom-45-always-on-the-outside-looking-in-edition/

Next weekend's show will be a "Before We Became Famous" edition, showcasing artists who had bottom 45's in obscure bands before they broke away and had either major solo success or major success with another band.

The Retro Attic's Featured Artist Of The Month for October will be The Who. This will include solo work! Once an hour, you will hear a hit single, a minor charter, or a deep cut that rarely gets heard on radio anymore!

There will also be a new Mystery Oldie contest tomorrow. The winner will get to program an upcoming Retro Attic Request Hour and the only way to guess will be through the station's live chat feature on its webpage. Look for the announcement sometime early tomorrow afternoon!

Join The Retro Attic's two Facebook groups if you haven't done so already: for lost and classic top 40 oldies lovers, there is http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio and for "bottom 45" lovers, there is http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45. Monday is All Request Day in the latter group!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

TONIGHT ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45"

Don't forget about "The American Bottom 45" tonight from 8 to 9 eastern on The Retro Attic! We are showcasing artists who were "always on the outside, looking in" - they had at least 2 U.S. Hot 100 entries, but never had a top 40 hit. You will hear artists from Jamaica, English blues-rock, forgotten AOR bands, Detroit soul, etc. Join the show's group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45, where I will be tonight to respond to your comments!

The show can be tuned into at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. You can also find The Retro Attic on Tunein.com, Nobex Radio, ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category, and most major internet radio directories.

Monday, September 21, 2015

NEW TOP 40 ADDS TODAY ON THE RETRO ATTIC!

It's time for some new top 40 adds!

1. A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song - '82
2. The Art Of Noise With Max Headroom - Paranoimia - '86
3. Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride - '83
4. Glenn Frey - Sexy Girl - '84
5. Paul Carrack - One Good Reason - '88
6. Tane Cain - Holdin' On - '82
7. The Moody Blues - Steppin' In A Slide Zone - '78
8. Gary Wright - Really Wanna Know You - '81
9. Steve Perry - Strung Out - '84
10. Nia Peeples - Trouble - '88
11. Cutting Crew - One For The Mockingbird - '87
12. Donna Summer - There Goes My Baby - '84
13. Supertramp - Cannonball - '85
14. Real Life - Catch Me I'm Falling - '84

If you're tired of hearing the same old top 40 oldies from the mid 50's through the end of the 80's, then you are welcome to join our fun little group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio. Yes, I do play some "tried and true" platters, but I think they're few and far between. The Retro Attic is freeform oldies radio, primarily striving to open up your memory bank!

NEW 80'S ADDS FROM THIS PAST WEEKEND'S "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" SHOW

The following "bottom 45's" are being added to the general rotation today; they were heard during this past weekend's "Awfully Awesome Eighties" show on The American Bottom 45:

1. Keith Richards - Take It So Hard - '88
2. Box Of Frogs - Back Where I Started - '84
3. Midnight Oil - The Dead Heart - '88
4. Arcangel - Tragedy - '83
5. Julian Lennon - Now You're In Heaven - '89
6. Lone Justice - Ways To Be Wicked - '85
7. The Fixx - Driven Out - '89
8. Jimmy Davis & Junction - Kick The Wall - '87
9. Face To Face - As Forever As You - '88
10. Total Coelo - I Eat Cannibals - '83
11. Doctor And The Medics - Spirit In The Sky - '86
12. Herbie Hancock - Rockit - '83
13. Tora Tora - Walkin' Shoes - '89
14. Haywire - Standin' In Line - '86
15. Kings Of The Sun - Black Leather - '88
16. Uriah Heep - Stay On Top - '83
17. Red Rockers - China - '83
18. Europe - Cherokee - '87
19. Scritti Politti - Wood Beez(Pray Like Aretha Franklin) - '86
20. Streets - Everything Is Changing - '83
21. Cruzados - Motorcycle Girl - '85
22. Stage Dolls - Love Cries - '89
23. Andy Taylor - Don't Let Me Die Young - '87
24. Texas - I Don't Want A Lover - '89
25. Headpins - Just One More Time - '83
26. U2 - New Year's Day - '83
27. Randy Newman - It's Money That Matters - '88
28. John Waite - Don't Lose Any Sleep - '87
29. Talking Heads - And She Was - '85
30. Jeff Beck - Ambitious - '85
31. XTC - The Mayor Of Simpleton - '89

Coming this Saturday night will be an AB45 show devoted to artists from the 60's, 70's and 80's who had at least 2 Hot 100 entries, but never had a U.S. top 40 hit. The show will air from 8 to 9 PM eastern.

If you thought that there was plenty of good stuff to listen to from the other side of the charts, then you are invited to join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45. Mondays and Wednesdays are "All Request Days," so feel free to request your favorite bottom 45 there or at The Retro Attic's website at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

NEW "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" ADDS

Here is a batch of new American Bottom 45 adds:

1. U.K. - Nothing To Lose - '79
2. James Vincent - Space Traveler - '76
3. Kacey Cisyk(Or "Original Cast") - You Light Up My Life - '77
4. Pussycat - Mississippi - '75
5. Crawler - Stone Cold Sober - '77
6. April Wine - Oowatanite - '75
7. Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance - '68
8. NRBQ - Get That Gasoline Blues - '74
9. TNT Band - The Meditation - '69
10. Owen B. - Mississippi Mama - '70
11. Lake - Time Bomb - '77
12. Springwell - It's For You - '71

Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and discover sounds that many people missed out on when they were originally out!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

TONIGHT IS "ADULT CONTEMPORARY NIGHT" ON THE RETRO ATTIC!

Tonight is adult contemporary night on The Retro Attic! From 7 to 10 PM eastern, "The American Bottom 45" will feature 51 #1 AC charting tracks from soft rock/easy listening stars of yesteryear! 42 of these will be bonafide hits(and even some of those don't get heard that often anymore) and the other 9 will be bottom 45's. Tune into the show by clicking on the "Live Streaming" button at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or search for The Retro Attic on Tunein.com, Nobex Radio(we have 4 free downloadable apps there), or ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category.

If you can't tune into the show tonight, then it will be repeated tomorrow night at 8 PM eastern and it will also be archived the following day at http://mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews.

Next weekend's show will be an "Awfully Awesome Eighties" edition. If you dig minor charting and non-charting oldies, then ask to join AB45's Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45; we are rapidly approaching 200 members!

Monday, September 7, 2015

NEW "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" ADDS/THIS SATURDAY NIGHT'S SHOW

It's time for some new adds to The Retro Attic's "American Bottom 45" rotation(3 U.S. minor or non-charters every hour):

1. The Robbs - Last Of The Wine - '70 - very similar to The Grass Roots - why these guys didn't have at least 1 Hot 100 entry is very mind-boggling.
2. Debbie Harry - French Kissin - '86
3. Bros - When Will I Be Famous? - '88
4. Tyrannosaurus Rex - Ride A White Swan - '71
5. Sylvia(Kirby) - Snapshot - '83
6. Christie - San Bernadino - '71
7. Donald Fagen - New Frontier - '83
8. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good - '84
9. Lil Louis - French Kiss - '89 - the vocal version with Shawn Christopher
10. Conductor - Voice On The Radio - '82 - forgotten AOR
11. Evelyn Thomas - High Energy - '84 - the original UK version

If you've missed the good old days of adult contemporary(or MOR, easy listening, soft rock, westcoast, yacht rock...you get the idea), then this Saturday night's AB45 show will be for you! It will be a 3 hour mix of 60's-80's AC #1's that either didn't cross over to the pop top 40 or had no problem getting in whatsoever. Anne Murray, Orsa Lia, Helen Reddy, Edward Bear, J.D. Souther...they and many others will make the cut!

Join AB45's Facebook group now and start discovering what you missed out on during the record industry's glory days! http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 SHOWS ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" AND FOLLOW ME ON MIXCLOUD!

Here is the upcoming schedule of shows for "The American Bottom 45" on The Retro Attic for September:

Saturday 9/5: Bottom 45s From The 70's. New adds will include Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Brady Bunch, Sugarloaf, Cherie & Marie Currie, Sutherland Brothers And Quiver, Stillwater, Jamul, etc. Get your requests in now!

Saturday 9/12: Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening #1s That Never Made The Top 40(Along With Some That Did). There were only a select few that totally qualified for AB45, so I will break the rules this time and add in a few bonafide crossover hits to make this show more complete. Let's face it, the soft rock that most of us knew and loved is almost non-existent on oldies radio these days; it will be back on the 12th!

Saturday 9/19: Awfully Awesome Eighties. This will be another preview of my upcoming 3rd station that focuses mainly on those MTV bands that didn't quite make it. The station will include a lot of MTV hits, but this 9/19 show puts the spotlight on minor charters and non-charters(Kings Of The Sun, Total Coelo, Box Of Frogs, The Screaming Tribesmen, Headpins, etc.).

Saturday 9/26: 60's-80's Artists Who Had At Least Two Chart Entries, But Never Hit The Top 40. One example would be a highly revered 80's AOR band that gave Eddie Money a top 10 hit.

Come join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and get ready for some fine listening this month!

These shows will be made available on Mixcloud. And speaking of Mixcloud, there will also be some AB45 exclusives on there...the top 15 bottom 45s for this week in ____. Even bottom 45s deserve some love, and now they can feel like they were popular after all! This will be a cool way to kick back for 45 to 60 minutes! Details will be coming soon; please feel free to follow me at http://mixcloud.com/gilbert-matthews so that you can get notified about my upcoming uploads.

Today is All Request Day in the AB45 group for airplay on The Retro Attic, so if you have a favorite minor charter or non-charter that you would like to hear, then pass it along!

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

IT IS "REQUEST DAY" IN OUR TWO FACEBOOK GROUPS!

It is Request Day in The Retro Attic's two Facebook groups! Come join us and get reunited with a tune you haven't heard in a long time:

The Retro Attic(Top 40 oldies group - mid 50's through the 80's): MTV Day - Request Your Favorite 80's Top 40 Hit That You Also Saw On MTV! - http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio.

The American Bottom 45(Our show dedicated to minor charters and non-charters): All Request Day - http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45. Latest request was "Chapel Bells" from The Fascinators, a stellar and uncharted doo wop ballad from '58.

The Retro Attic may soon be on a local community station in the form of a 3 hour weekly show on Monday nights! Details will be coming soon!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

NEW "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" ADDS

Here are a few new "bottom 45" adds for later on today on The Retro Attic:

1. New York Dolls - Stranded In The Jungle - '74
2. Karla Bonoff - Baby Don't Go - '80
3. Amazulu - Montego Bay - '87
4. Cochise - Love's Made A Fool Of You - '71
5. Barbara Fairchild - Kid Stuff - '73
6. Jefferson - The Colour Of My Love - '69
7. Euclid Beach Band - I Need You - '79
8. Tammi Terrell - Come On And See Me - '66
9. Jennifer Warnes/Chris Thompson - All The Right Moves - '83
10. Hotel - You've Got Another Thing Coming - '79
11. The Kinks - How Do I Get Close - '89

Don't forget about the "We Had Clunkers Too!" edition of "The American Bottom 45" on Saturday the 29th at 7 PM eastern(repeated on Sunday the 30th at 8 PM eastern)! You will hear 3 hours of seldom-heard, non-top 40 singles from legends such as The Carpenters, The Supremes, The Beatles, The Doors, Aerosmith, The Monkees, The Byrds, Rod Stewart, etc.

If you need a break from top 40 oldies, then you are invited to make an excursion on AB45! You can do so by going to http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

TOP 40 ADDS COMING TODAY

Top 40 adds coming today on The Retro Attic:

1. Chicago - Alive Again - '78
2. The Delfonics - You Got Yours And I'll Get Mine - '69
3. Gino Vannelli - I Just Wanna Stop - '78
4. Glenn Medeiros - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You - '87
5. Little Richard - Lucille - '57
6. Roger Voudouris - Get Used To It - '79
7. Charlie - It's Inevitable - '83
8. The Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh - '65 - single fadeout
9. The Parade - Sunshine Girl - '67 - mono single
10. The Righteous Brothers - (You're My) Soul And Inspiration - '66

We have all of your favorite top 40 oldies available for requesting, whether you last heard them a week ago or 30, 40, 50 or even 60 years ago! Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio or get in touch with DJ Gilbert Matthews at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com.

We will have a new Mystery Oldie contest next week! It will be very challenging(2-3 second sample), but I promise it will be from a top 40 hit! Look for a posting on Tuesday the 25th!

Monday, August 17, 2015

NEW "BOTTOM 45" ADDS

Here are some new platters that will be showing up as "bottom 45s" starting today on The Retro Attic. 3 minor charters/non-charters are mixed in with the top 40 hits every hour. Most of these were heard on the "Awfully Awesome Eighties" edition of "The American Bottom 45" this past weekend:

1. Indigo Girls - Closer To Fine - '89
2. Asia - Go - '85
3. Beau Brummels - Don't Talk To Strangers - '65
4. Zebra - Tell Me What You Want - '83
5. UFO - Back Into My Life - '82
6. Missing Persons - I Can't Think About Dancin' - '86
7. Utopia - Feet Don't Fail Me Now - '83
8. Millie Jackson - If You're Not Back In Love By Monday - '77
9. Billy Squier - Don't Say You Love Me - '89
10. Altered Images - Don't Talk To Me About Love - '83
11. Polecats - Make A Circuit With Me - '83
12. Rubber Rodeo - Anywhere With You - '84
13. Saga - Wind Him Up - '83
14. Rhythm Corps - Common Ground - '88
15. Haysi Fantayzee - Shiny Shiny - '83
16. The Pursuit Of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now - '88
17. FM UK - Frozen Heart - '86
18. Michael Furlong - Use It Or Lose It - '84
19. Kingdom Come - Get It On - '88
20. Wang Chung - Praying To A New God - '89
21. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Circle - '89
22. Pseudo Echo - Living In A Dream - '87
23. Benjamin Orr - Too Hot To Stop - '86
24. The Animals - The Night - '83
25. The Waitresses - Make The Weather - '83
26. Billy Rankin - Baby Come Back - '84
27. The Untouchables - Free Yourself - '84
28. Patty Smyth - Never Enough - '87
29. Triumph - Follow Your Heart - '85
30. Luis Cardenas - Runaway - '86
31. Michael Bolton - Fools Game - '83
32. Greg Kihn Band - Reunited - '84
33. Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat - '82
34. Alan Parsons Project - Let's Talk About Me - '85
35. Three O'Clock - Jet Fighter - '83
36. Wild Blue - Fire With Fire - '86
37. Vitamin Z - Burning Flame - '85
38. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It - '86
39. Farrenheit - Fool In Love - '87
40. Nena - It's All In The Game - '85
41. Giant - I'm A Believer - '89
42. Haircut One Hundred - Favourite Shirts(Boy Meets Girl) - '82
43. Belinda Carlisle - I Feel The Magic - '86
44. A Flock Of Seagulls - The More You Live, The More You Love - '84
45. Dave Edmunds - High School Nights - '85
46. Roger Hodgson - Had A Dream(Sleeping With The Enemy) - '84

Coming up on 8/29 will be a "We Had Clunkers Too!" edition of AB45. For 3 hours, you will hear some of the bigger names of the rock and roll era and some of their lesser-known, unsuccessful charters; examples could include The Beatles' "I'm Down," The Rolling Stones' "What A Shame," The Monkees' "A Man Without A Dream," The Bee Gees' "You Win Again," The Doors' "Tightrope Ride," etc.

If you thought that the so-called awful was indeed awesome, then please join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45. It doesn't matter whether it charted at #3 or #93; in our group, rock and roll lives and breathes in the hearts of the young(yes, that's a nod to #29 above!)!

Friday, August 14, 2015

NEW TOP 40 ADDS THIS WEEKEND

Time for more top 40 adds on The Retro Attic this weekend!

1. The Knickerbockers - Lies - '65
2. Eddie Floyd - I've Never Found A Girl(To Love Me Like You Do) - '68
3. The Box Tops - Soul Deep - '69
4. Johnny And The Hurricanes - Red River Rock - '59
5. Heatwave - The Groove Line - '78
6. Queen - Body Language - '82
7. Joe Walsh - A Life Of Illusion - '81
8. Dan Fogelberg - The Language Of Love - '84
9. Jim Photoglo - Fool In Love With You - '81
10. The Hollies - Stop Stop Stop - '66
11. Helen Reddy - Peaceful - '73

Don't forget about the "Awfully Awesome Eighties" edition of "The American Bottom 45" on Saturday night at 7 PM eastern! These 45 tunes will probably only be remembered by true 80's fanatics or those who watched MTV so much that their beanbag chairs had to be surgically removed! I thought about providing food and beverages to my listeners, but upon checking, I discovered that I had run out of Whaler sandwiches and "New Formula" Coca-Cola cans...sorry!

Join our fellow nostalgia lovers in our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio. Requests are always accepted as well as roller skates so that I can dance to Heatwave(I skate a lot better these days than I did in '78)!

Saturday, August 8, 2015

"THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" IS ON TONIGHT!

Don't forget about "The American Bottom 45" tonight from 7-10 PM eastern on The Retro Attic! Other than an hour of "#41's" and the top 5 bottom 45s from 8/8/78, the majority of the records you will hear tonight were way outside of the top 40!

If you can't make it tonight, then the show will be repeated tomorrow night from 8-11 PM eastern. If enough people like the show, then I will consider archiving it and future Saturday shows on Soundcloud.

Join us tonight at 7 in our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45, where I will be monitoring "wow factors" and potential requests. The show can be heard at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. The Retro Attic is also on Tunein.com, Nobex Radio, ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category, and most of the major internet radio directories.

Friday, August 7, 2015

NEW TOP 40 ADDS COMING TONIGHT

Here are some new top 40 adds for tonight:

1. Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart - Out & About - '67
2. Leslie Pearl - If The Love Fits Wear It - '82
3. The Mamas & The Papas - Glad To Be Unhappy - '67
4. Eddie Money - Endless Nights - '87
5. Linda Ronstadt - Poor Poor Pitiful Me - '78
6. The Crystals - There's No Other(Like My Baby) - '61
7. Cher - Living In A House Divided - '72
8. Carly Simon And James Taylor - Devoted To You - '78
9. Balance - Breaking Away - '81
10. Neon Philharmonic - Morning Girl - '69
11. Limahl - Never Ending Story - '85
12. Nancy Wilson - Face It Girl, It's Over - '68

There is plenty of room upstairs in The Retro Attic! Yes, it can be a bit hot there in August, but you can't help but smile when you get reacquainted with classic and seldom-heard oldies! Reservations are now being taken in our group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

"THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" - AUGUST 8TH SHOW

Are you ready to take a 3 hour tour of the other side of the oldies charts? If so, then "The American Bottom 45" is ready to go for this Saturday night, August 8th, from 7 to 10 PM eastern! You will hear nothing but records from the mid 50's through the end of the 80's that peaked between 41 and 100 as well as a couple that either bubbled under or didn't chart at all.

There will be some special features:

1. An hour of tracks that "knocked on the door" or "were close, but no cigar" - in other words, they peaked at #41 - 19 tracks in all!

2. The top 5 bottom 45s from this week in 1978. This will include a seldom-heard single edit.

3. "Gil's Gilty Pleasure" - DJ Gilbert Matthews' personal choice for favorite bottom 45 of the week. It will be a minor-charting psychedelic monster from '68 on the Uni label that was just as powerful in its full-length stereo version as it was in its edited mono single version.

There will also be 30 other assorted bottom 45s. If I get any listener requests, then some of them will simply be bumped to next week's show.

Join the show's Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45, where I will be on Saturday night to monitor comments and requests. Tune into the show at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or search for The Retro Attic on Tunein.com, Nobex Radio(where you can download 1 of our 4 free mobile apps), or ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category. Let's get lost on Saturday night!

Monday, August 3, 2015

NEW ADDS TODAY ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45"

New adds today on The American Bottom 45:

1. Ambrosia - How Can You Love Me - '82
2. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams - '69 - The single version, to play it safe...
3. Jefferson Airplane - Watch Her Ride - '67
4. Michael Kenny - Morning - '75
5. Gamma - Right The First Time - '82
6. Tony Darrow - San Juan Dreamin' - '73 - A failed single that is very reminiscent of Tony Orlando And Dawn - thanks Martin for this!
7. The Monarchs - Look Homeward Angel - '64
8. Toronto - Your Daddy Don't Know - '82
9. Lynn Anderson - Top Of The World - '73
10. Mistress - Mistrusted Love - '79
11. Survivor - Didn't Know It Was Love - '88
12. Cilla Black - It's For You - '64

Join our group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and plunge a thousand feet below to the bands of the lost!

Saturday, August 1, 2015

NEW ADDS ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" SO FAR THIS WEEKEND!

New adds so far this weekend on our head-scratching, eclectic, and wow factor intensive show known as "The American Bottom 45:"

1. The Rationals - Respect - '66
2. NRBQ - Me And The Boys - '80
3. Joe Walsh - Space Age Whiz Kids - '83
4. The Champs - Chariot Rock - '58
5. Nicolette Larson - Give A Little - '79
6. Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now - '84
7. Bill Haley And His Comets - Teenager's Mother - '56
8. The Easybeats - St. Louis - '69
9. Marillion - Kayleigh - '85
10. The Rustix - Can't You Hear The Music Play - '69
11. The Rubettes - Way Back In The Fifties - '74
12. Janey Street - Under The Clock - '84

I will be sidelined from my day job with a right shoulder issue for most of the upcoming week, so expect a barrage of new adds here and on the top 40 side of things! Tell us what you would like to hear!

If you like discovering music that wasn't constantly pounded into listeners' heads back in the good ol' days, then you are invited to join the AB45 group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

7/29 NEW ADDS ON "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45"

Coming tomorrow on "The American Bottom 45" will be the following tunes that you either love, hate, forgot about, or never heard before:

1. The Gestures - Run, Run, Run - '64
2. Charade - And You Do - '70
3. Fantasy - Stoned Cowboy - '70 - long version
4. Gene Loves Jezebel - Desire(Come And Get It) - '86
5. Keith Herman - She's Got A Whole Number - '79
6. Christopher Atkins - How Can I Live Without Her - '82
7. Elvis Presley - Hawaiian Wedding Song - '61
8. The Righteous Brothers - Justine - '65
9. The Outfield - My Paradise - '89
10. Rock Flowers - Number Wonderful - '72
11. The Cherry People - And Suddenly - '68
12. Night Ranger - I Did It For Love - '88
13. Thompson Twins - You Take Me Up - '84
14. The Trolls - Every Day And Every Night - '66

"The American Bottom 45" is a daily show on The Retro Attic that focuses on neglected records from the 50's through the 80's - minor charters that peaked between 41 and 100, bubbling under/looking ahead entries that peaked between 101 and 150, non-charters, and even occasional records that were only hits in Canada, the UK, and Australia.

If this sounds cool to you, then feel free to join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and request your favorite minor charter! The first of the two daily shows airs tomorrow at 1 PM eastern, immediately after a new edition of "The Retro Attic Request Hour."

Monday, July 27, 2015

A NEW "RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR" AIRS THIS WEDNESDAY 7/29

A new "Retro Attic Request Hour" will be airing this Wednesday at noon eastern. If you're an 80's lover, then you will want to tune in; there are also a couple of 70's gems to liven things up even more!

Our latest mystery oldie contest winner, Bill from Connecticut, got to program this hour as his reward. You will hear 16 tracks that are a mix of classics, one hit wonders, and obscurities. The lineup includes Bo Donaldson And The Heywoods, Harlequin, Dr. Hook, Michael Morales, Crystal Gayle, Planet P, The Flirts, Roman Holliday, Diesel, Spider, Van Stephenson, Cliff Richard, Sparks, Rodney Crowell, Tommy James, and The Hollies.

Tune in at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and while you're there, feel free to make a request; you can do so through our voice mail widget, our live chat feature, or by filling out our request form. The deeper the track, the better!

A note to Bill: Stevie Woods and Oxo are already part of our top 40 rotation; Chilliwack and Jimmy Ruffin will be added tomorrow. Tony Carey can be heard on "The American Bottom 45."

Friday, July 24, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR "THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" THIS WEEKEND OF 7/25-7/26

New minor-charting/non-charting stuff coming this weekend on our daily show "The American Bottom 45:"

1. Burton Cummings - I'm Scared - '77
2. The American Dream - Good News - '70 - terrific power pop from Philadelphia, produced by Todd Rundgren
3. The Cryan' Shames - I Wanna Meet You - '66
4. The Surfaris - Point Panic - '63
5. Tommy Shaw - Remo's Theme(What If) - '85
6. Dick Feller - The Credit Card Song - '74
7. The Valiants - This Is The Nite - '57
8. Robbin Thompson Band - Brite Eyes - '80
9. The Vacels - You're My Baby(And Don't You Forget It) - '65
10. Dean Martin - Not Enough Indians - '68

We have only begun to unearth the vaults! Coming soon will be special shows devoted to position #41 and "the bottomest 45s" from a selection of well-known artists. Come along on our journey by joining our group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

"GUESS THE MYSTERY OLDIE" CONTEST FOR JULY 22ND

It's time for another "Guess The Mystery Oldie" contest here on The Retro Attic! Visit our webpage at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and look for the "stack of 45s" picture just below our Google calendar. Click on the picture and you will then hear a 6 second clip of our Mystery Oldie. Be the first person to correctly guess the artist and song title, and you will then get to program our next "Retro Attic Request Hour" sometime next week!

You can submit your guess through our webpage's live chat feature or through our Facebook groups(search for The Retro Attic or The American Bottom 45). This posting is spread out among several related Facebook groups, so who knows, this could be a photo finish! Or perhaps not...this is one of those top 40 oldies that rarely gets played these days(if ever)! Good luck to you!

NEW TOP 40 ROTATION ADDS

New top 40 rotation adds today on The Retro Attic, which also features a couple of requests:

1. The Ad Libs - The Boy From New York City - '65
2. Bay City Rollers - You Made Me Believe In Magic - '77
3. C Company Featuring Terry Nelson - Battle Hymn Of Lt. Calley - '71
4. Danny And The Juniors - Twistin' U.S.A. - '60
5. Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell - '64
6. The First Edition - But You Know I Love You - '69
7. Melissa Manchester - Pretty Girls - '79
8. Lulu - Best Of Both Worlds - '67
9. Stonebolt - I Will Still Love You - '78
10. Wednesday - Last Kiss - '73

There will also be a new Guess The Mystery Oldie contest this afternoon; details will be coming soon!

Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio and let us know what forgotten top 40 hits from the 50's through the 80's you would like to hear once again!

Monday, July 6, 2015

NEW ADDS TODAY ON THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45

New adds are coming to today's editions of The American Bottom 45 at 1-4 PM and 7-10 PM eastern:

1. The Fortunes - That Same Old Feeling - '70
2. The Hangmen - Faces - '66
3. Sneaker - Don't Let Me In - '82
4. Al Stewart - On The Border - '77
5. Bugaloos - For A Friend - '70
6. Chicago - Thunder And Lightning - '80
7. Starz - Sing It, Shout It - '77
8. Rejoice! - November Snow - '69
9. Pat Zill - Pick Me Up On Your Way Down - '61
10. Johnny Tillotson - Please Don't Go Away - '64
11. Tony Carey - I Won't Be Home Tonight - '83
12. The Wombles - Wombling Summer Party - '74
13. Flying Circus - Old Enough(To Break My Heart) - '72
14. Fludd - Cousin Mary - '72

If you're a big fan of records that peaked between 41 and 100, records that bubbled under or looked ahead(peaks of 101-150), records that didn't chart(but either should have or justifiably didn't!), or records that were only hits in the UK, Canada or Australia(examples such as 13 and 14 above), then our show's Facebook group is for you! Request to join it at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Coming on Wednesday, July 29th from 1 to 4 PM eastern will be a special AB45 show called "The Top Of The Bottom 45s." This will consist entirely of oldies that had to settle for that #41 peak.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

JULY 2015 FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH/NEW MYSTERY OLDIE CONTEST

I had to deal with a serious illness in the family recently, so all Retro Attic related projects had to be put on hold for a couple of days. Things are getting better now, so it's time to get back to the oldies!

July Featured Artist Of The Month: If You Have Been Beggin' For An Oldies Station That Will Play Numerous Seldom-Heard Cuts While You Watch The Flowers Grow, Then The Retro Attic Wants To Be Your Silver Star! You Will Probably Enjoy Our July Featured Artist Of The Month As They Had Several Lost Charters As Well As Classic Tunes! "Wonder Who" It Is? Yes, It's The Jersey Boys Themselves, The 4 Seasons! Every Hour, Once An Hour(Except For During Our "American Bottom 45" Show), You Will Hear A Track From Either Their 50's Beginnings, 60's Glory Days, Mid 70's Comeback, And The Not So Well-Known Times! Many Of Frankie's Solo Hits Will Also Be Included! Spend The Night In Love(Or Your Workday) With The Retro Attic!

I know I promised several new bottom 45s in my "American Bottom 45" shows a couple of days ago, but they will definitely be heard in Wednesday's shows. If you're a fan of 50's-80's minor charters(peaks of 41-100), bubbling unders/looking aheads(peaks of 101-150), non-charters, and tunes that were only hits in Canada, Australia, and the UK, then feel free to request to join our show's Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

There is a new mystery oldie clip on our webpage at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. Click on the "stack of 45s" picture, be the first person to correctly guess the artist and song title, and you will get to program the next edition of The Retro Attic Request Hour! You can submit your guess through the webpage's live chat feature or here on Facebook. Best of luck to you!

Finally, keep up with our new top 40 rotation adds by joining our main Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/retroatticrareoldiesradio. Thanks for your support and have a great rest of the week!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

"THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" 6/22 DEBUT

"The American Bottom 45" is all set to go for its debut tomorrow on The Retro Attic! Every day from 1 to 4 PM eastern and 7 to 10 PM eastern, you will hear tracks from "the other side of the charts." Will this be a show that will change the world? Of course not, but if you're tired of hearing top 40 oldies(which we do the other 18 hours of the day), then you may appreciate a show like this! AB45 will feature nothing but minor charters(peaks of 41 to 100), tunes that only bubbled under or looked ahead(peaks of 101 to 150), non-charters, and tunes that were only hits in the UK, Canada, or Australia.

Obviously, if this show is going to be on every day, then any suggestions for bottom 45s from the mid 50's through the end of the 80's are always appreciated! This has been done already from some of the members of the show's Facebook group; if you would like to get in on the fun and also get updates on upcoming show themes(tunes that only peaked at #41, the lowest charting tunes from oldies legends, etc.), then request to join the group by going to http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Some tunes will feature some commentary from me, DJ Gilbert Matthews. There will be a show ID every 30 minutes. Right now, I am without a closing theme for the show, but I hope to rectify this in the near future. If it's around 4 PM or 10 PM and you start hearing a top 40 hit or a track from our Featured Artist Of The Month, then you will know that the show is over!

The American Bottom 45 can be heard on The Retro Attic's webpage at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. You can also search for The Retro Attic on Tunein.com, ITunes Radio in their "Golden Oldies" category, Nobex Radio(we have 4 free downloadable apps there), and most of the major internet radio directories. Thank you for being patient and I hope you will enjoy the show and will discover many great records that you(and apparently many others) missed out on originally! Once again, the debut is tomorrow(6/22) from 1 to 4 PM eastern and 7 to 10 PM eastern; each block will feature different tunes!

Monday, June 8, 2015

PLAYBACK FOR THE 6/8 RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR

If you missed today's Retro Attic Request Hour, then it's now available for listening at https://soundcloud.com/gilbert-matthews/retro-attic-request-hour-for-june-8th. I will keep it open through this Sunday the 14th. I was pulling double digit listeners a couple of times during this hour, so hopefully this show and the accompanying contest will catch on!

The Retro Attic webpage: http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com

The American Bottom 45 Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45. The show debuts on 6/22.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

THE RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR FOR 6/8

"The Retro Attic Request Hour" is ready to go for Monday 6/8 from noon to 1 PM eastern! Thanks to my latest contest winner from Nevada, you will hear classics and seldom-heard gems from The Barbarians, Whistling Jack Smith, Pure Prairie League, Gayle McCormick, Dave Clark Five, Crow, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Jump 'N The Saddle, The Hollies, David Cassidy, The Guess Who, Garfunkel, Ringo Starr, The Pipkins, John & Anne Ryder, The Monkees(2 from '67), Ray Stevens, and The Lovin' Spoonful. If you can't make it, then rest assured that you will be able to hear the show through my webpage for the next week beginning on Monday night!

The next "Guess The Mystery Oldie" contest will begin on Tuesday night. I will let you know when the clip is ready to be heard; if you're the first person to guess the artist and song title correctly, then you will get to program a future request hour! I do ask that the previous contest winner sit out the next one so that someone new can have a chance to win.

You could say that this request hour show is somewhat of a preview of my upcoming "American Bottom 45" show as it features several non top 40 entries. If you dig truly lost oldies and haven't done so yet, then please request to join my AB45 Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45.

Tune into "The Retro Attic Request Hour" through my webpage at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. We can also be found in Itunes Radio("Golden Oldies" category), Nobex Radio(4 free mobile app downloads), Radio Tuna, Istreamradio.net, and Tunein.com.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR 6/4 AND THE NEXT "RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR"

The next 3 year blocks will be ready for airing tonight on The Retro Attic:

1958: Jimmie Rodgers/Poni-Tails/The Monotones/Joni James/Chuck Berry(lost oldie)

1969: Buchanan Brothers/Donovan/Motherlode/Smith/Underground Sunshine(lost oldie)

1977: Shaun Cassidy/Carpenters/Steely Dan/Foghat/Piper(lost oldie)

The next "Retro Attic Request Hour" will be coming on Monday from noon to 1 PM eastern, and the tracks were selected by Randall from Nevada, our latest "Guess The Mystery Oldie" contest winner. He correctly guessed ONJ's "Something Better To Do" from 1975. You will hear plenty of cool 60's and 70's tracks with nothing from the disco era and one exception...an 80's novelty tune. If you can't catch the show on Monday, then it will be available on Soundcloud for a week; check our webpage on Monday for more details and a link.

The first show for the upcoming "American Bottom 45" is coming along nicely; I think it's safe to say that on Monday 6/22, there will be around 90 lost oldies to be heard! Join AB45's Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45 and go to http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com for Monday's request hour and great, seldom-heard oldies in general!

Monday, June 1, 2015

"THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" RADIO SHOW

Thank you for all of the feedback concerning a proposed American Bottom 45 radio station! Some people prefer nothing but the familiar oldies, some people prefer mostly the familiar with an occasional lost oldie/wow factor, and some people would be ecstatic with nothing but lost oldies. I would like to try to please everyone(even though Rick Nelson said you couldn't), so this is what I"m going to do:

"The American Bottom 45" will be a daily show beginning on Monday, June 22nd on The Retro Attic. It will air twice a day in 3 hour blocks: one from 1 to 4 PM eastern and the other from 7 to 10 PM eastern. Both blocks will feature different tunes. This way those of you who listen at work will get half a day of top 40 blocks with an occasional lost oldie and half a day of nothing but lost oldies. Those of you who can't listen at work will have the opportunity to hear the evening edition or you can hear both editions during the weekend! So I think I have all potential audiences covered with this scenario, and it will make The Retro Attic more of a total package when it comes to oldies radio!

Just to once again remind you what "The American Bottom 45" will be all about, it will consist of nothing but totally lost oldies...in average listener terms. Qualifying oldies will be ones that peaked between 41 and 100, ones that only appeared on Billboard's Bubbling Under or Cashbox's Looking Ahead charts(some mighty fine records there), or ones that didn't chart at all. Occasionally, interesting records from Canada, the UK, and Australia will also be included. Requests will always be accepted and can be worked into the blocks with no difficulties whatsoever.

I have started a Facebook group page for the show for those who are avid obscure oldies fans/listeners. Get the scoop on tunes I will be adding, make your requests there, and discuss some of your favorite obscurities through videoclips/soundcloud clips! I will also be using that page for taking suggestions for future specialized blocks. Request to join it by going to https://www.facebook.com/groups/theamericanbottom45/

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

"GUESS THE MYSTERY OLDIE" CONTEST FOR MAY 27TH

It's time for a new mystery oldie clip contest on The Retro Attic! Visit us at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and click on the "stack of 45s" picture on the right sidebar; you will then be taken to a 7 second Soundcloud clip(it includes a hint). If you are the first person to correctly guess the artist and song title, then you can program my next "Retro Attic Request Hour!" Contact me with your answer through the webpage's live chat feature or request form or through here on Facebook.

I am asking previous winners to wait a week before playing again; this is just to be fair to everyone else. Best of luck to you and thanks to those of you who tuned into the request hour earlier today at noon and 7 PM!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

THE RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR - PREMIERE EDITION

The premiere edition of "The Retro Attic Request Hour" airs tomorrow at noon eastern with a repeat airing at 7 PM eastern! This is a show I hope to air every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at these times, but it all depends on you and your desire to send in those rare and classic requests from 1957-1989.

Tomorrow's show features 17 tracks; 14 of them come from Frank in Canada, who won my first mystery oldie contest and got to program this show as a result! You will hear classics and somewhat lost gems from Climax Blues Band, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Lords Of London, The Wildweeds, New York City, Bread, Bob Lind, The Grass Roots, Walter Egan, Linda Ronstadt, Mama Cass, Three Dog Night, The Byrds, Joe Walsh, Vanity Fare, Jefferson Starship, and The Flirtations.

My next mystery oldie contest will be unveiled on my webpage after 8 PM tomorrow night. Be the first person to guess the artist and song title correctly and you will get to program a future request hour! Pretty cool, huh?

My next 3 5-song year blocks will be from 1958, 1969 and 1977 and will feature top 40 hits that are a bit more on the familiar side. The 1 lost oldie in each block? Well, that's another story...

Tune in tomorrow at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or find us on ITunes Radio("Golden Oldies" category), Tunein.com, Istreamradio.net, or Nobex Radio(download one of our 4 free mobile apps there). And don't forget to send in those requests!

Sunday, May 24, 2015

"GUESS THE MYSTERY OLDIE" - FIRST ONE IS STILL UNSOLVED!

Nobody has correctly guessed The Retro Attic's current mystery oldie yet. As a reminder, if you're the first person to get it right, then you will get to program my next "Retro Attic Request Hour!"

All you need to do is visit us at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and click on the "Stack Of 45s" picture just below the "Guess The Mystery Oldie" sidebar. You will then be taken to a 7 second Soundcloud clip. If you know it(artist and song title, please), then contact me through the webpage's live chat feature or contact form or through here on Facebook!

Maybe a couple of hints would help:

1. This single peaked at #46 in the mid 1960's. The band in question had a bigger hit that sounded a lot like a legendary group.

2. If I had to put a label on this mystery oldie, then I would say it's definitely a "Challenge!"

Hope this helps! Good luck to you and I'll look forward to the winner's request list!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

THE END OF THE RETRO ATTIC MAY BE NEAR

It's starting to look like that my programming of The Retro Attic for 4 years is about to come to an end. Hardly anyone these days is even listening(at least not anyone authentic for a significant amount of time - Google bots, internet radio directory testers, and foreign users recording to their hard drive using the Tapinradio program don't count) and 9 times out of 10, my Facebook/Twitter posts announcing upcoming blocks/shows/contests fall on deaf ears.

Song requests are also apparently a thing of the past. Either people got sick and tired of calling/e-mailing radio stations with their requests and not getting any acknowledgment or else if people want to hear a certain song badly enough, then they can get instant gratification through various means on the internet..why wait an hour for an internet station to hopefully play your request?

People complain that they hear the same old overplayed oldies, yet the stations out there that have high listener counts play mostly familiar stuff with the occasional wow factor. Perhaps I'm playing too many obscurities, but I refuse to succumb to peer pressure for the sake of a sudden spike in listener numbers.

A lot of work goes into what I present, and I was really hoping that I could offer something a little bit out of the ordinary. If some of you want to offer your criticism/advice, then I am willing to listen and will try to keep operations going. If not, then I will finish out the month and will thank those of you who dug my concept.

Once again, The Retro Attic is located at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. If you think I'm jumping to conclusions too fast, then please try to convince me to carry on!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

"GUESS THE MYSTERY OLDIE" REGULAR CONTEST!

If you have ever wanted to listen to an oldies station that will air an hour's worth of your requests, then The Retro Attic has an offer that is fun and unique! Starting today and continuing on a regular basis, our webpage has a new feature called "Guess The Mystery Oldie." You will find it just below our Google calendar. Click on the "stack of 45s" picture and give it a listen!

The first person to guess the artist and song title correctly will get to submit a request list for an upcoming noontime request hour show! You can submit your guesses to DJ Gilbert Matthews through the live chat feature on our webpage or here on Facebook.

I can warn you that these mystery oldies won't be easy. You will never hear me play a clip of overplayed chestnuts such as "Sugar Sugar" or "Honky Tonk Women!" I am confident that some people out there will know these as I have seen many instances in Facebook groups where people have a great deal of chart knowledge! And I'm also being somewhat generous with the clip(for example, 7 seconds today as opposed to 1 or 2 notes)!

Anyways, best of luck to you! If something like this doesn't draw in new listeners, then I don't know what will! Our webpage is located at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. I have also taped a promo for this "contest" that will air on the station from time to time.

Also, the 5 song blocks for 1985, 1987 and 1988 that I mentioned a couple of days ago will be airing sometime this afternoon. Sonny And Cher will be our Featured Artist Of The Month in June, and that will include Cher solo(lots of tunes that you don't hear at all anymore!)!

Monday, May 18, 2015

NEW 1980's BLOCKS/VIRTUAL DJ SERVICE

It's all about the 1980's in The Retro Attic's upcoming new blocks in the next couple of days:

1985: Animotion/Billy Ocean/Ratt/Boy Meets Girl/Al Corley(lost oldie).

1987: Restless Heart/Simply Red/Sammy Hagar/The Barbusters/Frozen Ghost(lost oldie).

1988: Johnny Hates Jazz/Denise Lopez/Dan Reed Network/Judson Spence/The Alarm(lost oldie).

As a better explanation, each year block contains 4 top 40 hits(mainly concentrating on ones that you're not likely to hear as much anymore) and 1 "lost oldie," which can be one that peaked between 41 and 100, one that only bubbled under/looked ahead, one that didn't chart at all, or one that was only a hit outside of the U.S.

Request your favorite 80's tune(or one from '57-'79) now at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. It is very easy to do through our webpage's live chat feature. Make it a challenging request!

Let The Retro Attic be your virtual DJ at your next oldies party or high school reunion! Please contact me for more details!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR 5/13

On Wednesday morning, The Retro Attic will have the following new blocks:

1962: The Angels/Stan Kenton/Gene Pitney/Shelley Fabares/The Volumes(lost oldie).

1972: Bee Gees/Detroit Emeralds/The Honey Cone/Lighthouse/The Fabulous Rhinestones(lost oldie).

1983: Agnetha Faltskog/Oxo/Champaign/Supertramp/Gary Moore(lost oldie).

Make sure to get in those requests now for tomorrow's Request Hour at noon eastern! Get the ball rolling by visiting us at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR 5/7

The following 3 new blocks will be added to The Retro Attic around lunchtime:

1961: Bob Moore And His Orchestra/Joe Barry/Mary Wells/Linda Scott/Fay Simmons(lost oldie).

1971: The Bells/Tommy Roe/Stephen Stills/The 8th Day/B.J. Thomas(lost oldie).

1981: Point Blank/Dottie West/Stevie Woods/Climax Blues Band/The Producers(lost oldie).

Visit http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and hear these during lunch. And feel free to send in your requests for next week's "Request Hour" shows on Wednesday and Friday!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

THE RETRO ATTIC REQUEST HOUR

"The Retro Attic Request Hour" will be beginning next Wednesday the 13th from noon to 1 PM eastern and will be airing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

This show is being started mainly to help vary up the programming while DJ Gilbert Matthews continues to build The Retro Attic's 5 song year blocks. During the lunch hour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, The Retro Attic will play nothing but listener requests! Request your favorite lost or classic oldie from 1957-1989 now for inclusion on future shows! Visit http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and use our live chat feature or request form. You can also call our request line at 617-520-4046 or leave a comment at our Facebook fan or group pages(just search for "The Retro Attic").

Give it a try! The sooner you get your request in, the more likely you will hear it in the premiere show!

Monday, April 27, 2015

MAY 2015 FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH

The request lines are now open! Whether you call 617-520-4046, use our website's live chat bubble in the top right corner, use our website's request form, or leave a Facebook comment, we will receive it one way or another! We strongly encourage you to request an oldie from 1957-1989 that you don't hear every day(or even once a month)!

Our May Featured Artist Of The Month will be The J. Geils Band. Once an hour, every hour beginning on this coming Friday afternoon, you will hear one of their party anthems, a chart hit or miss, a track from Bluestime, or a track from Peter Wolf's solo career.

Come back(baby! - sorry, couldn't resist) to the lost and classic sounds of radio when you visit The Retro Attic at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com!

Monday, April 20, 2015

NEW BLOCKS FOR 4/20/THEME FOR FIRST "AMERICAN BOTTOM 45" SHOW

The following blocks are being added tonight on The Retro Attic:

1964: Manfred Mann/Bobby Bland/The Dixie Cups/Stevie Wonder/Valerie & Nick(lost oldie)

1982: Kim Carnes/Buckner & Garcia/Dan Fogelberg/Eye To Eye/Chilliwack(lost oldie)

1986: Starship/Robert Tepper/Oran Juice Jones/Hooters/GTR(lost oldie)

And as usual, the lost oldie in each block will contain some useful(and some might say useless) info from me!

I have decided that the first American Bottom 45 show coming next month will be a special 2 hour show dedicated to nothing but minor charters and non-charters from 1983. So if you have a favorite non-top 40 oldie or an obscure MTV favorite from 1983 that you would like included in the show, then please drop me a suggestion either through Facebook or at my site of http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com. Don't be afraid to try, especially considering that '83 holds a special place in my musical heart!

We are on Itunes Radio(Golden Oldies), Blackberry World, Google Play, Windows Phone, Tunein.com and many of the major internet radio directories. Eventually, each day's programming will be entirely different and you will have to wait for nearly a week and a half before hearing a block get repeated. This vision takes time to build, but in the end, it will really be worth it!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

NEW BLOCKS FOR 1957/1960/1980 AND THE AMERICAN BOTTOM 45

The following new blocks will be added to The Retro Attic's rotation later on this afternoon. As a reminder, each block contains 4 top 40 hits and 1 lost oldie(peaked between 41 and 100, bubbled under/looked ahead, didn't chart at all, or was only an overseas hit):

1957: Joe Bennett And The Sparkletones/The Bobbettes/The Four Lads/Dale Hawkins/Dale Cook(lost oldie).

1960: Johnny Preston/Jimmy Charles/June Valli/Little Willie John/Paul Chaplain And His Emeralds(lost oldie).

1980: Andy Gibb/Michael Stanley Band/Natalie Cole/Ali Thomson/The Skids(lost oldie).

Coming in May will be the resurrection of "The American Bottom 45." This will be a 1 hour show that will play nothing but lost oldies(just like the description above) from a specific year. More details will be coming soon!

Visit us at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com and tune in through our "Live Streaming" button in the middle of the page, just a little below our header. You can also tune in through the page's Tunein dot com icon link or the 4 free downloadable mobile app icon links. Requests are always accepted through the webpage's request form or here on Facebook. You can also like us on Facebook(search for The Retro Attic) or follow us on Twitter(@melrocker65).

Monday, March 30, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR 3/30

The Retro Attic will have 3 new blocks later on this afternoon for 1963, 1966 and 1973. The lost oldie for each year will come from Ann-Margret, Jackie DeShannon, and Circus. The 4 top 40 hits in each block will...for the most part...not be your typical overplayed fare; examples include a Tokens spinoff group, America, and The Association. If any terrestrial oldies station has even recently played the America and Association tracks I selected, then I sure as heck haven't heard them!

Your nostalgia trip awaits you at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

REQUEST ROULETTE/REQUEST RACE FEATURES FOR 3/25

It's time for "Request Roulette," a feature I would like to do 3 times a week! Request a lost or classic platter from 1957-1989 and I will choose 1 out of a hat from the first 10 requests I get(1 request per person, please). The one chosen will be announced at 11 AM eastern tomorrow and will be played during the 11 AM - 12 PM hour. I encourage you to make your request a challenging one as I won't be playing a tune that is already in one of my 5 song year blocks.

Also sometime tomorrow, I will be doing a "Request Race." Once I make the post(look for Request Race: at the beginning of it), the first request I receive will be played during the next hour. The fun and great listening will be taking place at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com.

Monday, March 23, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR 3/23 AND WE WILL BE GOING COMMENTARY/VOICEOVER CRAZY!

Tonight, I'm adding in new blocks for 1967, 1969 and 1959, with featured lost oldies from The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, The Zombies, and Gary Stites.

You will hear some changes beginning with the above blocks. The 4 top 40 hits in each block will include a Billboard peak position jingle(I have always included that info in the metadata, aka "that artist/song title stuff that should be displaying in your media player") and the featured lost oldie will include some quick facts/commentary from me. Yes, I said "commentary!" You want some personality on this station...okay, you will get it! Heck, I may even add in my local weather and local concert listings sometime soon. There will also be a few surprises thrown in from time to time, such as soundbites, vintage radio ads, etc. Some certain individuals aren't going to like the increased talking(especially considering where it will be placed), but c'est la vie...whatever it takes, I want to see true loyal Listeners, not "listeners." I hope this makes sense; without coming right out and saying it, I was making reference to a rampant problem that a lot of internet radio broadcasters experience.

A couple of other sidenotes...Linda Ronstadt will be our Featured Artist Of The Month in April, and I am looking to showcase around 100 of her classic tunes. Other artists coming up later in the spring and summer include The 4 Seasons, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Sonny And Cher, and The J. Geils Band/Peter Wolf.

I have also added a new poll on my webpage where I am asking you to choose some new 1 hour show ideas I am currently considering to start in May. There are 7 choices, and you can make multiple selections. Visit http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com to tune in; the poll is located near the bottom of the page, down the right side. I will share the poll in a separate entry in a few minutes from now. Thanks in advance for your help and for your continued listening!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

3/19 NEW ADDS

If you were/are an 80's fan, then you will enjoy the blocks I added today: 1981, 1987 and 1988! Mixed in with the 12 lost and classic top 40 hits are minor charters from the midwest U.S. power pop band Hawks, Prince proteges Wendy And Lisa, and Mike + The Mechanics(a song that I saw them open live with the very weekend that "The Living Years" hit #1).

During the weekend, I will be concentrating on blocks from the late 60's, late 50's, and early 70's.

Tune in now at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com, where you can download one of our four free apps through our partnership with Nobex Radio or simply tune in through the players on the webpage. I am always taking requests and suggestions for future blocks.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

3/17 NEW ADDS

Added blocks for 1972 and 1979 tonight, which feature minor charters from The Magic Lantern and Robert John. Tomorrow will be all about the 80's as we add blocks from 1981, 1987 and 1988. The '81 block will include a lost top 40 hit that was my choice for the first dance song at my wedding; my wife and I were surprised at how many other people remembered it! Find out what it is by tuning in later on today at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com.

Monday, March 16, 2015

NEW ADDS FOR TODAY

Coming up later on today: new blocks for the years 1960, 1977 and 1985. These blocks will feature minor charters from Ron Holden, Parker McGee and Gino Vannelli. The rest of the blocks are made up of lost and classic top 40 hits. Rock and roll with us at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com or if you like your rock harder-edged, then please visit our sister station at http://retroaor.blogspot.com.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

New Blocks Today

We are adding new blocks tonight for the years 1961, 1975 and 1983! Mixed in with the lost and classic top 40 hits are minor charters from The Butanes, The Beach Boys and Dave Edmunds. There will be many more blocks coming during the next week, so get your oldies fix now at http://retroatticrareoldiesradio.com.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

REPETITION ISSUE

The Retro Attic Of Oldies is now back on Shoutcast, which made me decide to rebuild the station from scratch. For a little while, you will be hearing the same 5 song year blocks over and over while I'm in the rebuilding process. I apologize for this, but the previous programming format I had on Icecast had no organization to it whatsoever; I would rather have my listeners hear "mini musical history lessons" for 1973, 1985, etc. instead of bouncing all over the place with each song.

Eventually, everyone should be pleased! When all is said and done, I will have a different playlist for each day of the week. The only chance of something repeating during the same day will be one of the random tracks from my Featured Artist Of The Month. Once those 7 playlists are completed, any new year blocks I put together will be added to the next day's playlist.

I know it's frustrating, but stations have to change their presentation every so often or else they will get stale. Bear with me, keep checking in periodically, and you will find that my variety of oldies will get more and more diverse!