By Laura Smiley - Summit FM Sales Director

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

By Brad Savage - Summit FM Program Director

Now fast becoming a signature program or feature of The Summit FM, "Cruisin' The Decades - 100 Years of Music" is a real, interesting musical journey each week. The concept is music from the 1920's to the 2020's, any one song per decade, all in one hour. We "cruise" from era to era and sound to sound, and if we do it right, we're mixing it up nicely across many different classic (and current) sounds and songs. Listen for Cruisin' The Decades on Fridays at 5pm on The Summit.

The program is unique enough that it is now offered in a self-syndicated version to other public radio stations across the USA and beyond. If you can believe it, the show is now aired on 38 radio stations in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Honduras, and Germany. Our newest stations are "Radio Free Santa Fe" KBAC Santa Fe, NM and Blue Wave Radio on the island of Roatan, Honduras! Find out more about the show and listen to the "Global Edition" here:  www.cruisinthedecades.com

You can also hear the "Global" version of the show on Saturday nights at midnight (aka Sunday at 12am). 

One of my favorite tasks each week is to do a "deep dive" through any and all popular music archives from the past 100+ years and prepare the show. I have really gotten into the "pre-Rock N Roll" era and the roots of what led to today's modern sounds.  This show has given me more "music appreciation" and sense of history than ever before. Here are some great songs that I have discovered in recent months, as a result of "Cruisin' The Decades".

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Can it really be 30 years since Sheryl Crow welcomed everyone into the Tuesday Night Music Club? Arithmetic being what it is, yes, indeed -- it has been 30 years!

From childhood, Crow knew she wanted to be a singer and set about making her dream happen. From time spent singing jingles for everything from department stores to McDonalds and beyond hers was a voice on the rise. That voice eventually led her to working with the likes of Michael Jackson, Don Henley and Stevie Wonder, to name but a few. Making her way through the maze of the music business, she finally landed herself a record deal with A&M, who released her debut offering, Tuesday Night Music Club in August of 1993.

After a botched recording session with the legendary Hugh Padgham (Police, XTC, Peter Gabriel) Crow ended up with Bill Bottrell (Michael Jackson, Madonna, ELO) in the producer's chair which proved to be a winning combination.

Two singles were released from the album right off, 'Run Baby Run' and 'Leaving Las Vegas,' both of which failed to turn heads. Thankfully, for all concerned, A&M didn't give on on Miss Crow and issued a third single. 'All I Wanna Do' became the golden ticket, hitting number two on the Billboard charts and maintaining countless airings on MTV. Though it missed the top spot on the charts, it managed to sit at No. 2 for six straight weeks, ultimately grabbing two Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

In the midst of all the chaotic, loud rock and roll so prevalent in the early '90s, Crow's country and blues-tinged pop music proved a welcome addition to the musical landscape, in part, by not being so easily pigeonholed. She was, in the simplest Osmondic terms, “a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll,” 

The album made number three in the U.S. and Top Ten around the world, including a number one in Australia. Three more singles followed, 'Strong Enough,' 'Can't Cry Anymore' and ' What I Can Do For You,' and though none matched the success of 'All I Wanna Do,' they all helped establish Crow as a major new force in pop music.

More hits would follow for the next ten to fifteen years, but without her stellar debut; there would be no story to tell. Tuesday Night Music Club was the right album at the right time by the right artist to connect with the public. It still maintains its place as a cornerstone of her catalog and long running favorite to her many fans.

Wellness can be achieved by virtue of completing a journey and maintain a lifestyle. But it can also be magnified by our ability to appreciate and be thankful for the things that we already have! Summit Wellness continues to hum the melody of connection between feeling good and feeling grateful!

Gratitude is a monthly feature contributed by Matt Anthony, Digital Media Producer and on-air host for the Summit FM. Matt reflects on instances where we might uncover more ways to appreciate what’s in front of us, and how those instances might contribute to our overall health and well-being. 

"Shine That Light Down"
By Matt Anthony - Summit FM Contributor

The long strands of gray clouds were nearly motionless on top of southwestern Pennsylvania’s hilly skyline. We had crossed over the border from Ohio to the Commonwealth, preparing ourselves to pay that absurd amount of money that allows you to drive that paltry 20 miles or so on the beginning stretch of the Turnpike.

Forever in search of quality used camera gear, I calculated how much more I could spent had I not been required to fork over $13.75 to the PA Turnpike Commission. But the used Pelican case that I located from a seller near Cranberry was going to be expensive enough.

My wife, Donna, and I decided to ‘make a day of it’ in our journey over to Pittsburgh. But she was particularly quiet and not very talkative. I switched platforms from The Summit FM over to Pandora, and then over to Apple Music, hoping that some genre of music would move the needle for her. But she remained reserved. Even the glowing pink swath of color, normally a staple in the left side of her hair, seemed muted and silent on this frigid day.

As some know, my bride was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. It’s unquestionably the most challenging journey that we’ve encountered during the 35 years that we’ve been together. On a day-to-day basis, though, the one change that I noticed almost immediately was this horrible disease’s ability to ‘turn her inward’, to make her much more introspective and at times a bit sullen.

Pelican case secured, I tried to interest her in stopping for a hot chocolate somewhere, or even touring our old haunts in the North Hills.  But nothing really seemed to interest her.  Having lived in Pittsburgh for 5 years, we have fond memories. (aside from those two Sundays out of the year when wearing brown and orange in the Steel City might have the potential for landing you in the Emergency Room!) But the chilly, gray overcast day seemed to contribute to the melancholy texture of the day. So, we jumped on the Turnpike and headed back to Akron.

At The Summit FM, we often talk about the ‘power of music’.  Brad Savage glows about it as he’s boasting of a weekend conquest at a record store. Chad Miller waxes philosophical about it as he recounts a late-night trip to a show in Columbus. And, of course, all of us include it in our pleas during a membership-drive, that shared passion that binds us and makes us whole.

But this power can also be much more spiritual, much more organic. And in Donna’s case, maybe even ‘chemical’. The brain is a complex, multi-dimensional organ. I don’t claim to understand it.  What I do know is that the organ inside the head of this ultra-talented, kind, considerate, clever, and funny person is one that I’ve admired and loved for over three decades. And it baffles me how easy it is for this terrible illness to be a thief.

Donna silently stared out the window, gazing at the last remaining homes on the hills that we could see there in western Pennsylvania. As we were set to cross back over into Ohio, I looked down at my phone (which, yes, I’m not supposed to do while driving) and quickly bumped the music category from ‘Contemporary Jazz’ to ‘90’s Alt Rock’. The first song that popped up was ‘Shine’ from Collective Soul.

And then everything changed. 

It was like a light switch suddenly turned on and the juice flowed, unfettered. It was the most awe-inspiring metamorphosis that I had ever witnessed. Donna was a changed person.

She rocked back and forth. She danced from side to side in the passenger seat. She took her left hand (she’s a ‘southpaw’), formed it into a fist, and was mightily punching the air on every drum-beat. And on the second group of ‘Whoa… Heaven Let Your Love Shine Down’ lines, she would end each one with an extremely audible ‘WOO’! That splotch of pink in her hair was given new life as it frolicked and swayed to every movement.

I was almost unable to control myself. Again, exhibiting pitifully bad driving behavior, I grabbed my phone and hit the ‘re-start’ arrow on the song, just so that I could capture this performance on video, one eye on the Turnpike and one eye on my screen.

It was as if the 90’s Alt-Rock divinities took the Alzheimer’s demon by the throat, flung it as hard as it could down the steps, and sneered at it, joyfully, as it writhed in agony, reminding it that absolutely nothing conquers the undeniable, irrefutable, unquestionable power of music.

I am so grateful for that day.  

Sometimes, for fun, I’ll secretly choose that song and pop it on the car-radio without saying anything.  We both laugh about it, and she’ll ‘re-create’ that epic day for a couple of seconds in the car, mimicking our drive back from Pittsburgh.  And sometimes, when a similar instance occurs, where she, again, seems withdrawn and isolated, I secretly scroll through my phone, find that video, and watch a few seconds of it.  

I know that deep within the recesses of that gorgeous, beautiful mind that no disease can truly defeat it as long as the love shines down.

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

There must be something in the air aside from Canadian smoke as we sit here in 2023, (and don’t blame Geddy and Alex, they only stop for the best). It's barely July and there have been two cover versions released this year, of the 1972 Osmonds’ classic 'Crazy Horses'.

A few weeks ago, Cleveland proto-punk pioneers Pere Ubu, released their own unlikely Avant-garage singed version and last week, we were treated to a take by the one and only Dictators, CBGB punk legends who recently reformed. Who knew the wrath of the Osmonds was coming down so heavy in 2023?! So, what brought the Dictators around to covering this song in 2023? "We wanted a true hard rock version," Dictators' guitarist Ross The Boss told the Summit. "The Osmonds’ version wasn’t heavy enough for us. We fixed that!"

For those not paying attention, in 1972, the Osmonds released the album 'Crazy Horses'. All songs were self-penned, performed and produced by the brothers. The album and single both hit No. 14 on the Billboard charts and made Top 10 elsewhere around the globe. From the opening stomp and signature shriek (often thought to be a Theremin but in actuality was a setting on Donny's keyboard!) straight into the almighty heavy riff of the song, it was clear the boys meant business.

"Before that, my brothers and I had been what's now called a boy band: all our songs were chosen for us by the record company," recalled Merrill Osmond in a 2018 interview with Billboard Magazine. "But now, having been successful, we wanted to freak out and make our own music. We were rehearsing in a basement one day when Wayne started playing this heavy rock riff. I came up with a melody and Alan got the chords. Within an hour, we had the song."

Freak out indeed! The entire album is loaded with what can only be described as 'heavy rock' songs. From the Zeppelin-ish riff of 'Hold Her Tight' to the boogie stomp of ' Hey Mr. Taxi,' it's a long way from 'One Bad Apple' in a very short period of time. Another interesting footnote, the album was co-produced by Michael Lloyd, one time member of underground psychedelic band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and baroque garage/pop group, October Country.

The song looms large among underground music enthusiasts as it is so out of character for the Osmonds. It's one of those records you can play for someone, tell them who it is, then watch their face drop in disbelief. These new cover versions; however, are only the most recent. There have been several over the years. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band put their stamp on it back in 1976. We've also had versions by the Goth popsters the Mission, metal mongers Tank, industrial merchants KMFDM, and LA rock legends Redd Kross (under the moniker Revolution 409)

The funny thing here is, no matter how good some of these cover versions are, not one of them captures the power and glory of the original! “We had a wall of Marshalls in the studio. It was so loud that you couldn't even walk in the studio,” Donny recalled in 2021 in Songwriter magazine. The original had the exact right groove, tempo and production to push it over the top, hence, the reason we're talking about this ode to ecology over 50 years later. 

"'Crazy Horses' was way ahead of its time," Jay Osmond told The Guardian in 2017. "It's a song about ecology and the environment: those 'crazy horses, smoking up the sky' are gas-guzzling cars, destroying the planet with their fumes. We shot the record sleeve in a junkyard, surrounded by big old cars."

The Osmonds next move on the road to establishing their own presence away from boy band terrain, was a concept album called 'The Plan,' but that dear friends, is another story for another time.

By Dave Swanson, Summit FM Contributor

Yeah, we know, it's an Akron thing!

Truth be told, it's waaaay more than that! DEVO were, and still are, one of the most unique, adventurous, clever and exciting bands ever! Crawling out of their art students' hiding place at Kent State University back in the early 1970s, DEVO had a vision, both musical and ideological, that stemmed from the observation that we as a people were not evolving, but rather de-volving. Pretty heady and forward-thinking stuff for a world mired in political and student assignations, war, hippie culture and highly questionable politics.

DEVO was, first and foremost, a 'pop' group. But their brand of pop music was served with the most twisted attributes possible. Their look and sound were a sort of Neanderthal futurism, yet, with a catchy tune at the core. After several legendary live performances along with homemade films and audio recordings, DEVO were becoming an actual band and not just a concept.

Their film, The Truth About De-Evolution, had attracted some attention within underground circles as had their first single, "Mongoloid" b/w "Jocko Homo." Word was spreading about this weird band from the bowels of Akron, Ohio and soon, they found themselves signed to Stiff Records in the UK. From there it was only a matter of time as from the lips of David Bowie to Brian Eno's ear, DEVO were making their legendary debut album for Warner Brothers. Released in the summer of 1978, DEVO were not easy to ignore. Their appearance on Saturday Night Live to promote the album is the stuff of legend -- and rightfully so.

From start to finish, the album is packed with great songs and genius moments that somehow still sound 'modern' and fresh 45 years down that road which, in many cases, has only proved that de-evolution theory more correct than ever! The thrill of blasting "Uncontrollable Urge," "Mongoloid," or "Come Back Jonee" at full volume has yet to wear off, so please do just that as we celebrate a milestone in pop music by these hometown heroes. The album turns 45 years old this week!

Truly essential and then some!

Tune into The Summit FM all day Thursday, July 6 to hear tracks from Are We Not Men as our Summit Album Essential of the week.

By Laura Smiley - Summit FM Sales Director

Physical activity is key to improving our health. Based on the latest science, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans is a flagship resource that provides recommendations on how everyone can improve their health through regular physical activity. Learn ways to understand the benefits of physical activity and exercise and how to make it a part of your regular routine.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provides evidence-based guidance to help you maintain or improve your health through physical activity.

Click here to download the Physical Activity Guidelines from Health.gov