Posted at 4:26 AM on December 18, 2008
by Dale Connelly
(56 Comments)
The happiest news of the day is a cameo appearance by everybody's favorite retired radio host, Jim Ed Poole. Jim Ed is still in the process of cleaning out his desk, and is technically "on the payroll" for the next few days, so it wasn't too much trouble to convince him to step into the familiar old studio to play a few of his favorite tunes.
Plus, during the final broadcast Jim Ed made big show of saying "you have my number" so I wanted to assure listeners, including a few emphatic blog reading Jim Ed fans, that we do, in fact, have his number.
One of the best things about starting Radio Heartland hot on the heels of the Morning Show is the continuity - because the transition happened so quickly and no one could think of where else we might be stationed, Mike and I are working in the very same studio Jim Ed and I used for the past few years. That means we don't have to re-train our brains to find a new room early in the morning - we can let the robot inside guide us to the appropriate spot. And there are memories of the good years with Jim Ed all around us as we work. Jim Ed's chair (which we moved), Jim Ed's "Prairie Home Companion - The Movie" poster (which we took off the wall for safekeeping), and Jim Ed's sound effects trunk, which still holds the shoes, the tub of rocks, the ahh-ooogah horn, the drum head, the tearing cloth and the floppy rubber arm. The trunk is in the corner, over against the wall, underneath a pile of stuff that we re-arranged, but I'm pretty sure it's down there because I dug into it late last week to find the roll of duct tape so I could borrow a few strips to help secure the new HD radio in my car.
So reminders of Jim Ed are everywhere. It's almost like he never left, and for a while today, it will seem like he really hasn't.
I hope he doesn't mind the few little changes we DID make.
Thank you thank you thank you
I'm very grateful for your continuing show.
A younger me might have said, "Super Stoked."
Thanks again
Trevor
Good Morning Dale, Mike AND Jim Ed!
I was thrilled to hear that Jim Ed was coming in for a visit to the studio today. We will be listening anxiously for his time on the show.
But we are loving what RH is bringing us each day and appreciate what it is becoming for us on a daily basis. Have a great day!
Joanne Jensen
Some unexpected bonuses for me from Radio Heartland. I didn't have to reset the radio alarm on Friday night -- Radio Heartland on Saturday mornings! Also, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I can turn the new HD radio on without getting out of bed. Voila, Radio Heartland!
Thanks Dale... and hi Jim Ed!
Aww - you're going to have so much fun in there today! Is Mike brewing the best beans? Sometime could you play Old Friends from Simon and Garfunkel's concert in Central Park in your and Jim Ed's honor?
Good Morning! and Welcome Back, Jim Ed!
Dale, if it fits into the flow of conversation, will you please ask Jim Ed:
1. if he’s sleeping any later than he used to
2. if he’s seen any movies (in a movie theater) since retiring
3. if he—and you—would consider staging an annual reunion show, something on the order of the final Morning Show, perhaps in June instead of December?
Thank you for the most public of public radio shows.
New morning ritual:
*Stumble out of bed
*pour a cuppa
*turn on the COMPUTER
*Smile.
Many, many thanks!
HI!
It's my birthday! What a nice present to have Jim Ed back for a visit! Could you play me a birthday song today? How about Bobby McFerrin doing the Wizard of Oz. Amazing. I love it!
Thanks so much for continuing with The Morning Show music. I can't listen on my way to work yet, but I'm in the process of fixing that, too.
Anyone have good recommendations for HD Radios? I think I need a birthday present. Thanks!
Ooo! New favorite "Jingle Bells" Bela Fleck and Tuva throat singers. For those of you who are keeping track, the first appearance of "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" in my classroom was not until Dec. 5 this year. Last year set an early record - Nov. 15.
oh thank you, thank you for the cool (and some throat-singing) version of "jingle bells" - i'm so glad i hung around just a few more minutes before going out to the (Dale-less) barn to milk the goats. they'll be sad they missed it.
the blog is fun to read but it impressed me that you entered today's message before 4:30 a.m.! uffda. thanks to you (and Mike and others, i'm sure) for all the work it takes to keep us fixed.
I am enjoying RH! I would love to hear a little more choral music. I missed that when you went to the Current.
Keep on Keepin' on!
Any word from yesterday's meeting? Will there be a third live hour to look forward to?
I love what you're doing with Radio Heartland, Dale! SO EXCITED to hear Jim Ed this morning!! What a special treat!
p.s. There's a big fat gaping hole in my morning commute without you. Not sure I'm ready to commit to an HD radio...
One year ago we were on our way to the hospital on an early snowy morning with my wife in labor. We got a little lost but were quietly awed by two songs we'd never heard - Bill Crofut's "Star Carol" and The Roches "Star of Wonder". I'm glad we got lost!
Came on here to request the Bill Crofut song for tomorrow morning - looks like I missed it by ten minutes! Could you instead play "Star of Wonder" tomorrow? We're having our family Christmas then.
Also a general station request: more Josh Ritter! more Wilco! more Over the Rhine!
Thanks for the great station Dale. Say hi to Jim Ed from all us listeners this morning.
Oh my God -- Bela Fleck, throat singing and other assorted weirdness doing "Jingle Bells" -- I absolutely LOVE it! What fun. That just made my morning. Thanks for all the continued whimsy and general goofiness -- and Jim Ed isn't even on yet! We're waiting patiently for his appearance.
Joanne
I want to echo what Barb said- THANK YOU for all the work you do to keep us "fixed". Can't imagine what I would have done if you hadn't created Radio Heartland.
Hope last Thursday was not only a testament to how much love there is for the Morning Show, but how much love there is for the eclectic mix of music you've brought to us over the years. Thank you for all of the AMAZING music (and local artists) I/we've been introduced to through the Morning Show.
Thanks for the bird songs. Hannah got out of bed early to hear, can you believe it?
Joanne had just the right word for me this morning "WHIMSY". I've been using eclectic to describe the Heartland music for the last week (yes, I'm that sad, that it's been a topic of conversation for me!). Whimsy is a great word to add. Glad to know there are people like me out there who appreciate the nature of the music and the show!
Sherrilee
I remember two or so years ago sitting in my car on a cold snowy morning to listen to a Christmas carol by Beausolais (sorry if I butchered the spelling) was it..."It came upon a Midnight Clear"?
Might you dig it up and play it?
Jim Ed good to hear your voice and I have this visual of your sound effect box.
Thanks Dale.
Christmas & Chanukah Music to play...
McGarrigles - "Port Starboard Sox"
McGarrigles - "Rebel Jesus"
Sandler - "Chanukah Song"
Thanx so much for the Bobby McFerrin Wizard of Oz cut! It's one of my favorites!! The only problem is that cow-orkers look at me funny when I'm singing and laughing out loud while I listen with my headphones on.
Please find a chair for Jim Ed . . . .
Finally invested in the Sony HD tuner (primarily to get RH and TDCS without having to hang around my computer), and this morning I am enjoying the show through my stereo. It's wonderful.
What a nice surprise to hear Jim Ed's visit. I have listened to The Morning Show since the GK the DJ days, and it has had an effect (some might even say a positive one) on my musical tastes.
A heated woodworking shop -- and time to work in it? I am SOOOO jealous! Enjoy your retirement, Jim Ed.
LOVE what you're doing; how you transitioned. I gave more money and bought two HD radios (SOny)
The Blenders christmas music is really great. Play?
The new show is great, and made even better by Jim Ed (Tom)'s appearance this morning. I've grown to hate most Christmas music, so I'm so glad for the new take on Jingle Bells; best rendition ever! I do miss the banter, and the skits (especially Sherpa Intimida and Genway); I hope you find a way of weaving more of your wonderful humor back into the show.
Thanks for the Christmas music mixed in -- Star of the East (Brightest and Best) is one of my favorites, and it sounded wonderful in shape-note singing. Might I be persistent and push a bit again for international as well as Americana? Some of the Celtic Christmas music is wonderful, and I imagine Ladysmith Black Mombozo have recorded some, too. Of course, hearing their non-Christmas music would be just fine as well.
Really enjoyed the goings on in the studio with Jim Ed this morning. Had these great visions running through my head. Keep up the good work -- and thanks to Mike and the rest of the folks behind the scenes as well as Dale and Jim Ed.
So happy to hear Jim Ed this morning. And to see all the comments about the Whimsy of Radio Heartland. I know I am going to introduce my family to it while I am on vacation. Now I can stream it all day through my mom's computer (won't she love that!).
Here's a Christmas request for Friday...can you play "Must Be Santa" by that Klezmer group (I can't remember the name of the band). If it is klezmer music, does it count as Christmas and Hannukah?
Thank you so much for my birthday request! I never tire of hearing Bobby McFerrin do the Wizard of Oz!
Reading this blog, it has become clear to me that I was not the only person in total, utter disbelief who cried real tears when you announced the end of The Morning Show. I thought I was a freak for feeling so attached to a radio program. I may be a freak, but you guys obviously had a great impact on many of us. Thanks so much and keep up the great work!
What a treat to have Jim Ed back on the air! Am enjoying Radio Heartland, though would like to be able to listen to the show in the car.
Any chance of bringing Jim Ed and the Morning Show back - which would make Radio Heartland perfect??? Sorry, just had to ask.
Great job with RH, all! I've figured out how to connect my wife's school laptop to our stereo with the airport express, so I have good music in the evening too! Great playlist.
While I had initial hope for the Current when it launched, it didn't last. This, however, is exactly what I had hoped the Current would sound more like. Well done!
It was wonderful to have Jim Ed back in the studio, and it would be great to do it on a regular basis but there are obstacles. One is money. We would have to give him some, and there are rules, as you may know, about how much a retired person can earn while enjoying his benefits.
The other reason is sawdust. Jim Ed's clothes are covered with it, and a cloud of tiny particles surrounds him wherever he goes these days. Our engineers would like someone to go over Jim Ed thoroughly with a vacuum before he sets foot in the studio again, lest our delicate equipment get gummed up. But he is ticklish and uncomfortable around things that suck.
Bradley, thanks for the great story about your trip to the hospital one year ago, and you and your wife enjoying the music during her labor. Listen for "Star of Wonder" tomorrow morning.
And Laura, things are looking good for adding a third live hour in the morning, covering 8 to 9 am.
Switches are being flipped and wires re-routed behind the scenes. I hope to begin a new, longer show this coming Monday.
Greetings Dale and Jim Ed,
First, many thanks for the fin...fina..(I can't say it) show last week at the Fitz. It was a gracious gift to your listeners!!
On my way back home I recalled a box of old cassettes of recordings made when I was away from the radio, especially during December. Some of the special tracks:"How Would You Like to Spend Christmas" (Leon Redbone), "Christmas at the Triple X Ranch" (Riders in the Sky), "God Rest Ye Merry" (Simon the Dog), "Jesus Bambino" (Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade) to name a few.
A request, now, today, with Jim Ed at your side...can you release CDs (or other forms) of selections from shows of days gone by, especially those in pre-Christmastide. And, would a DVD or CD be available from last weeks gift at the Fitz?
Our family is hoping that your appearance at Minnesota's great get-together - always the 'Best of Show' - could continue. Without it, my breakfast-on-a-stick will never taste the same. God speed you both! John in Detroit Lakes
Thanks to MRP for adding Radio Heartland to their iPhone app. I have been checking every day in hopes of the update. This morning, I checked, found the update, downloaded it and was happily surprised to hear Jim Ed's voice coming over the... air.... wires... waves... whatever. Now I can move around the house with the phone as opposed to lugging around the laptop everywhere. (who ever thought we'd consider a laptop awkward enough to "lug"?)
Now, to test to see what happens when I plug the phone into my car radio adapter....
While I hate the loss of the Morning Show, I love having the RH playlist available all day.
-Patty Gordon
Hi Dale and Jim Ed (yay!),
I just gave my 91 year old mother the best xmas present...the Dale Connelly Show!
My mom is in a nursing home and has been a MS fan forever. She cried along with the rest of us last week listening to what she thought was the last of her favorite music program.
Last night I brought over an HD radio and set it down next to her regular radio. We practiced with the remote. I wrote down when your show is on and explained about the 24/7 music. She was apprehensive about all the equipment but all she has to do is "power" on.
I called her this morning and she was thrilled to be listening again. "Just like the old days," she said.
Now, it feels like Christmas!!!
Thanks for everything Dale.
Jean
Absolutely love the show.
I'm a holdout for putting this show back on analog radio, at least for a transitional year or two, during which maybe the show could be broadcast in both analog and digital--is that possible? Please look into that for us. By 2011 or so, HD radios for cars will have become more reliable, common, and cheaper. This is where I especially miss The Morning Show.
How about a Dale Connelly Show on 91.1 for the morning drive time? No one really wants extended news in the morning, do they? I'm sure that the calming effect of The Morning Show has kept the auto accident rate down. Bill Kling, please act quickly to put the Dale Connelly Show on analog radio, and stem the surge in tragic accidents!
Sorry I missed the Jim Ed visit. I'll have to figure out how to hear the re-run.
Hi Dale!
Oh the good news just keeps coming. Jim Ed was a special guest today and that was such fun. Your latest entry indicated that you will be doing a third hour live starting Monday, possibly? As much as I love the live version, it's fun to hear the first hour re-broadcast -- and get to hear Bela Fleck do "Jingle Bells" again. What a hoot!
As for the possibility of Jim Ed coming back part-time, we will all keep hoping. The additional contributions can go toward a gentle vacuum to get the sawdust off Jim Ed!
Then I heard Frank Sinatra sing "Luck Be a Lady" -- I'm swinging now ...
Joanne
Hi Dale,
Leaped out of bed this morning in hopes I hadn't missed our old friend. Oh happy day, I didn't!
Bless you for getting up so very early every day for us. And I'm glad your cold is better. What stress this all must be! Take care of yourself.
Kathy,
You can listen to archived audio of this morning's show here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/dale_connelly/index.php?month=12&day=18&year=2008
The show is archived by hour, so you can click the word 'Listen' next to either the 6-7 AM hour or the 7-8 AM hour.
Oh, and for LaRee, who wanted to know about a good HD radio.
I bought a Polk brand from Radio Shack. It was under $140, and is excellent. Makes my other (almost as expensive!) radio sound like a little transister portable (if anyone remembers those!).
I've been so sad to not be waking up to your voices! What a delight to be able to hear Jim all day long at work, with live streaming of RH thru my computer. Makes me feel connected up here in ND, at -20!
Hey, Dale,
That was a really terrific tribute to Ray today. Hearing those songs reminded me that his spirit is freed from this physical world's suffering and limitations. Thanks for the butterfly healing for my sad heart.
Hello Dale. I start work at 6am, and for years those first three hours of the day have been the best. Thanks for all you do, and so long Jim Ed...
You asked for suggestions for unusual Christmas music. How about this?
"Walking In My Winter Underwear"
-- by Stan & Doug (Stan Boreson & Doug Setterberg)
Dunno if you could ever find it, but if you do it's pretty cute.
Thanks, and keep the faith.
Dale
Love the community feel of RH thru the blogs. As mentioned, you have put the public in MPR.
Our Sony HD radio, purchased at the Fitz is a wonderful early Christmas present. The stereo is rich, making the show more enjoyable. And
"Jingle Bells" by Bela Fleck and Tuva was outstanding! Nowhere else can we hear such music!
Please add to all the requests to the playlist the voices of Sara Gazarek- you introduced her new album in June '07; and Jane Monheit. I'm a fan of all the chanteusses of old too- Julie London, Peggy Lee, Georgia Brown, Billie Holiday...
Thank you guys for keeping us in the tunes we love. RH, I think, is drawing many of us away from The Current.
I saw Patty Gordon's comment that the MPR iPhone app had been updated to include Radio Heartland, so I downloaded it right away. It works very well—I tuned in just in time to hear the replay of Bobby McFerrin's "Wizard of Oz."
Thanks for the wonderful programming, the chance to hear Jim Ed again, and the interesting listeners commenting on this blog.
I work in a hospital with lead in the walls due to the X-Ray dept and reception has always been shakey with lots of static. Being able to stream this in on the internet has been a real saver.
Warning ~ a short rant follows:
Now wait a minute, you guys! I am starting to get a complex.I think that is the second post about lead walls and bad reception. I work IN the xray department of a hospital - I didn't know we were held so responsible for bad reception in other areas of the hospital, although you are probably correct. Try to imagine what kind of reception we get within the Xray department! Zero to none, and that's on a good day. So I join the throng in expressing great joy that Radio Heartland is streaming online. Thank you!
End of rant.
So glad Jim Ed was able to visit this morning! I could hear the smile in his voice, and could practically see the new hair growth he is enjoying through the radio - I mean - the computer. Perhaps he could post images of his woodworking projects on this blog?
Hi Dale. I have an idea for RH programing somewhere in the bowels of this post -
I had RH on this morning while getting my classroom prepared. When I caught wind on Jim Ed's voice - I was thrilled! What a nice surprise and so soon! Thank you for NOT cutting us off cold turkey! This experience got me thinking about the power in a voice...
Another listener wrote about texture and having a little more human-contact during programing. After reading that post, then hearing Jim Ed's voice and thinking back to how wonderful it felt to hear you, Dale on Friday morning last week - I would have to say that as listeners, we are just as invested in the radio hosts as we are in music/news programing. The sound of a radio host's voice and their on-air personality takes hold of the listeners psyche. For example, Scott Simon is my man on weekend mornings and I recall how I lamented losing Kathryn Lamphor, but now I adore Kari Miller and on it goes...Your voices/personalities are like comfort food! Sounds like MPR gets this - the Dale Connely show is getting a third hour live! A few news/weather updates would also add some texture and ground us just a little bit between the tunes.
Or something totally out of the box - what about breaks for words from listeners paried with their requests or song that connects to what they shared?
You could pick a theme, which could vary from day to day. The music could also follow the theme a little bit. It seems that themes are already emerging on the Trial Balloon (Deep Freeze, NYC)- so why not run with it? RadioHeartland is taking off along with a cocurrent surge of passion and committment from Morning Show-turned-Heartland listeners. Something organic is happening here. Not every song would have to follow the theme - because that might get nauseating / be impossible to program, but every 1/2 hour or so a recorded entry from a listener paired with a song would be neat. I've loved hearing about how listeners connect with the music - people getting lost while listening, having babies, raising families, etc. As I think of this, I am reminded of "Story Corps" and "This I Believe" which are successful examples of short radio programs that utilize the voices of listeners - and they are so touching and beautiful. And then there's Car Talk...
TO summarize, the end of the Morning Show and the beginning of Radio Heartland have brought the community of listeners that are committed to you to a new level of awareness. It seems like a true community of listeners - not just an idea that MPR talks about during station identification & pledge drives. Finally, whatever happens- I will support it. Listening right now, I can't tell you how grateful I am for what we have!
Ciao, Betsy
Here it is, 4:20 p.m. and I've only just managed to tune in. Sounds like it was a terrific show this morning! And I'm really enjoying the music at the moment.
Cheers that Jim Ed was able to come in for a bit; it's surely worth a little bit of sawdust once in a while!
For those of you up on the iPhone application: does anyone know if it actually takes an iPhone to use it? Where do I go to find out more? My cell phone is a pretty capable little guy, but doesn't have an 'i' in front of his name.
Thanks for playing my music! I'm glad you're still on the radio with Radio Heartland. Also, it's nice that the show is repeated later in the day, therefore late risers can get their RH fix.
I would like you to play Fluffy's Master Plan for World Domination for my cat Pierre, mm please. Between 8-and 8:15, if possible. Thanks! ~ Chip
I love the idea of a "listeners corner" where listeners introduce the songs. Possibly MPR could set up an answering machine where listeners could call in and make a request. If the request is selected it is transfered to HAL and spliced into the playlist. It would probably take a couple of days for the playlist to be created, but that would be okay.
You could start out small and do just one show a week. Maybe on the weekends.
So this wouldn't be for special events, but "hey I haven't heard any tuvan lullabies in a while!
Nancy on the North Shore!
I'm sorry to say the iphone application is just for the iphone and another Apple product - the ipod touch. I have the ipod and the application works wonderfully, though just within range of a WiFi network. I was listening to Radio Heartland while cooking dinner earlier this evening.
Betsy and Dan, thanks for the thoughts about enhanced listener involvement on "air". I'd really like to try something like that. The trick right now is logistics, both in getting the voices recorded and finding a way to insert them into the schedule in a way that makes sense. Mike and I are just learning how to operate HAL and it will be very difficult to set up something new next week with Christmas plopped right in the middle, but by the first of the year I hope to have some experiments underway.
Hi from two of the "emphatic blog reading Jim Ed fans"!
Of course we were delighted to hear Jim Ed's voice this morning and thoroughly enjoyed the witty dialogue regarding the feng shui-type changes made in your formerly shared studio space. Listening to the two of you together again was such a treat. (Wendy misted up!)
Dale, thanks for the explanation of challenges regarding bringing Tom back on. Since this is listener-supported radio, if we emphatic bloggers want regular visits from Jim Ed, shouldn't Mr. Kling oblige? We think so. "Otherwise we might gets mighty rowdy there, ain't that right boys?! After all, Mr. Kling, we's the ones payin' the bills now with our hard-earned bounty. Wait a minute there matey, ain't time to have Mr. Kling walk the plank just yet...argh!!!"
P.S. Tonight when I got home from work there was a gift under the tree for me (Wendy) to open! It was AirPort Express and an Audio Splitter, both of which I hugged to my breast in glee! Now we can listen to RH from every radio in our house!
Next we will have to deal with the car. We love TDCS and RH keep up the quality programming!
Rivetting - can't stop listening to RH once I tune in. It's just like the MS before The Current. Please try to have Jim Ed on The New Dale Connelly Morning Show on RH as a REGULAR, not just an occasional guest. I thoroughly enjoyed his antics this morning. And those spots on The Current about the "quirky" Morning Show -- what's really quirky, I think, is all of us baby boomers embracing this new technology to tune into RH, leaving behind The Current followers with the old-fashioned FM radios.....
I think is should be remembered that MPR doesn't care or want to think about Radio Heartland or the Old Morning Show. Mr. Connelly is a wonderful sport and team player and of course he likes to work as do we all. But Kling and Co. tried to cancel the morning show years ago when it was on the classical side and now they are shoveling crap about HD radio being the Next Big Thing. It's been the Next Big Thing for about 5 years now. If it's so great why not put the Current programing on Short Wave (ha!) too! And after spending $172.00 on a new HD Radio they have the gonads to ask for more money to support Radio Heartland. Well, Dale Cennelly certainly has a heart but MPR doesn't...
hey, dale and betsy up north!
love the idea of getting to make a request and have that go on the air with the song!
also those shows like This I believe are a good place to look for inspiration....
i've wondered before, too, during the LTMS, if it wouldn't be fun to have some regular listener input--for example, call a random listener to ask their opinion or what kind of exercise they actually did the day before or get a chance to announce a real local score...
as long as we have all this technology, we should be able to let listeners read the weather, even, once in a while, or record little stories or something that can be used once in a while, as long as they are of decent quality and without a lot of ums and pauses and so on...?
i'll bet you can get creative with this, dale, and have some fun---a short quiz on occasion? do a little rant on some goofy bit of news?
k
I'm going through withdrawal. I can only listen for a few minutes in the morning on my computer, and I really want to listen on my way to work, like I did for over 19 years. I've asked Santa for an HD radio for my car even though I have an XM radio already - I'd gladly switch in order to have Radio Heartland. I keep looking for an easy way to request a song, but haven't found it yet, so I guess that's why I really posting to this blog. I don't think I've ever hear you play anything by the Rankin Family from Nova Scotia and I hope you will soon. If you do, I hope you'll start with the Orangedale Whistle or Gillis Mountain. Keep the great tunes rolling. BTW, I still like the name HAL - it just conjures up this computer with a mind of its own that has to be appeased. Dale - keep up the good work!
Hey, Jim Ed is always going to be missed. Why not name the computer "Jim Ed". Then "Jim Ed" will be back on the air!!
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