I often think that the difference between British and American pop music in the 1970s can be defined by a difference between radio frequencies. Back then — except a few hours in the evenings and weekends — our national pop station Radio One only broadcast in Medium Wave (known as AM in the States) which meant that our listening experience was mostly tinny and lo-fi, the ideal aural environment for the primitive Glam Rock, New Wave, and tacky novelty songs that filled our charts during the decade. It’s also a pretty good metaphor for dismal 1970s Britain, even our radio reception was shoddy.
The United States, on the other hand, was the land of plenty with radio stations broadcasting in the crisp hi-fidelity tones of stereo FM; perfect for the sophisticated, well-produced Soft Rock of bands like The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac which to me is the signature sound of American pop in the 70s. In my imagination it’s playing on the stereo FM radio of a big convertible, sounding as clear and warm as a California swimming pool.
It’s a generalization but that’s the impression I’ve always had. Medium Wave was all about the single, while FM favoured the album. One was Cum On Feel The Noize, the other Hotel California.
Beyond being a radio frequency, “FM” also signified a whole culture and style in the States, there was even a movie called FM set in a Los Angeles radio station made in 1978. I never saw it (I don’t think many people did) but I did have the soundtrack album which was a guilty pleasure for me at the time. Liking an album full of Bob Seger, Boston, and James Taylor felt like a subversive act in Punk and Post-Punk England, about the least hospitable place for slick AOR made by rich, suntanned Americans with beards.
The only new song on the soundtrack was the terrific title tune by Steely Dan which, not surprisingly for them, takes a cynical view of the very thing the movie was celebrating. Their records might also have polished, FM-worthy production but, unlike the other bands on the album, Becker and Fagen’s literate East Coast cool has meant they’ve always been hip.
Download: FM (No Static At All) – Steely Dan (mp3)
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Did you ever listen to Radio Luxembourg in the 1970s? Every 20 minutes you’d get a perfect signal for 30 seconds or so and for the rest of the time you’d fiddle with the dial, making intricate adjustments, waiting for Stuart Henry, Kid Jensen or Tony Prince (‘your royal ruler’) to play the new Sweet single. And you try telling the kids of today that!
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Always had a soft spot for American AOR, probably as much to do with having Capital Radio on late 70s early 80s. Springsteen too because of that. And then Radio 1 used to do the American top 40 on a Saturday afternoon. My best mate and me would have been up West in the morning to buy our comics from Forbidden Planet, when it was just one small shop and then go home to read them,eating sandwiches and listening to american chart music.
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Radio Luxemburg was not easy to receive in the G.D.R., too. There were even jamming stations! At least they introduced me to Gary Numan, Police and Fischer-Z.
GvH
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That’s a very good point. On a similar riff, I’ve always thought colour TVs (in the UK) were the trigger for 70s interiors going from generally chintzy prints and furniture – unchanged since the fifties or pre-war in some cases – to the wild splashes of colour and geometric repeat patterns found on newer fixtures and fittings. A standard living room would have looked dull and deathly compared to a box of constantly shifting colour parked up in the corner.
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And for similar sounds – check in with this comp. My fave of 2014….
http://tooslowtodisco.com/
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That looks interesting, deep cuts from the soft rock vaults?
We had Capital Radio on FM in London but I only ever listened to Nicky Horne and Kenny Everett on it, the former played album-oriented music and the latter thought a record couldn’t have too many layers of production on it
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Late night on Capital used to feature a lot of ‘slick’ from AOR to the Quiet Storm stuff. Because I used to listen to the radio a lot after everyone else went to sleep – so quietly – Peel’s stuff always ended up too abrasive. Capital it was then.
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Radio Luxembourg 208 on a school night in a Devon bedroom bashed by winter Westerlies – ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ the Power Play, and ads for Cuticura Midly Medicated Soap x
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