Richard Blade and Blue Monday

Hey all,

I had a chance to attend a birthday party yesterday where Richard Blade was dj-ing. I have heard so much about the bloke but never really met him in person until now. For those didn't know, he was one of the most popular DJ from KROQ Los Angeles back in the 80s.

So I decided to confirm something that Chris Lowe (of PSB) said in this interview (http://blog.promotion-us.com/pet-shop-boys-interview) last year:

You can’t really have any success without radio play in America. The DJ at KROQ told us that one day the owner of KROQ came in and threw down “Blue Monday” and said “We’re never playing this again.” So that was kind of officially the end of electronic music on American radio because grunge had just come along and that was sort of the death of electronic music.

I can't think of anyone who would play Blue Monday back in the 80s on KROQ except for Blade.

Apparently, he denied that anyone said to never play BM again on the radio. He did introduce it in 1983 and then again for the 1988 and on both occasions, they were receiving a huge welcome.

Wondering if anyone else has other facts to corroborate this.

Well in the 90s KROQ effectively did change its line up of music, aiming more towards grunge. I don't think it was any huge conspiracy though, as 91X went through the same motions. KROQ and 91X really introduced most of the Brit bands of the 80s into America, giving airplay to bands and songs at will because of how they were set up. They were small radio stations, 91X boosted their signal far above FCAA regulations because they are based in Mexico right on the border, effectively reaching people as far as Nevada (and they also would air non-singles, as they didn't abide by record company regulations). KROQ simply hit a large group of people due to location. Both radio stations rarely played the same song twice in a day, even if it were new.

Bands introduced by both 91X and KROQ would interest MTV DJs, which was based in Los Angelos, and that became a pivotal role in music.

However, in the 90s, both were bought up and went corporate. When that occured, it became about commercial airplay, and to get the most amount of people to listen the corporations took over and played what they saw as money making songs... which at that time was grunge. This also changed the music lineup, to repeating the same songs throughout the day to nausea.

Richard Blade still had his retro lunch show, and so even BM would have been played during that time, and his show was the last glimmer of what KROQ was. But with advent of grunge, both stations began to focus on American bands and less from abroad. Now both stations focus on solely American bands (which have been putting out crap a lot lately) and only really large abroad acts have been able to get through the corporate entanglement.

On the bright side, 91X was supposedly bought back by the DJs themselves and other music lovers and are trying to go back to the 80s style pirate radio, music play has become better, but not as groundbreaking and the instrumental front door it used to be. KROQ has effectively turned to shite as it plays only crap music.

EdelBrock wrote: Well in the 90s KROQ effectively did change its line up of music, aiming more towards grunge. I don't think it was any huge conspiracy though, as 91X went through the same motions. KROQ and 91X really introduced most of the Brit bands of the 80s into America, giving airplay to bands and songs at will because of how they were set up. They were small radio stations, 91X boosted their signal far above FCAA regulations because they are based in Mexico right on the border, effectively reaching people as far as Nevada (and they also would air non-singles, as they didn't abide by record company regulations). KROQ simply hit a large group of people due to location. Both radio stations rarely played the same song twice in a day, even if it were new.

Bands introduced by both 91X and KROQ would interest MTV DJs, which was based in Los Angelos, and that became a pivotal role in music.

However, in the 90s, both were bought up and went corporate. When that occured, it became about commercial airplay, and to get the most amount of people to listen the corporations took over and played what they saw as money making songs... which at that time was grunge. This also changed the music lineup, to repeating the same songs throughout the day to nausea.

Richard Blade still had his retro lunch show, and so even BM would have been played during that time, and his show was the last glimmer of what KROQ was. But with advent of grunge, both stations began to focus on American bands and less from abroad. Now both stations focus on solely American bands (which have been putting out crap a lot lately) and only really large abroad acts have been able to get through the corporate entanglement.

On the bright side, 91X was supposedly bought back by the DJs themselves and other music lovers and are trying to go back to the 80s style pirate radio, music play has become better, but not as groundbreaking and the instrumental front door it used to be. KROQ has effectively turned to shite as it plays only crap music.

I couldnt agree with you more. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam killed the air time for UK bands. I think the only UK bands that they were playing was Bush. The only time they play BM is when the play the ORGY cover version. They didnt even promote or talk about the movie "control" when it came out. Anyways KROQ SUX!! I remember when NO played in the Hollywood Bowl back in 93, KROQ had their vans everywhere in the parking lot handing out NO/KROQ stickers. A lot of people were heckling them for not playing NO enough.

Thanks for the insight! :)

Thanks for the insight! :)

Vince Se wrote: Hey all,

I had a chance to attend a birthday party yesterday where Richard Blade was dj-ing. I have heard so much about the bloke but never really met him in person until now. For those didn't know, he was one of the most popular DJ from KROQ Los Angeles back in the 80s.

So I decided to confirm something that Chris Lowe (of PSB) said in this interview (http://blog.promotion-us.com/pet-shop-boys-interview) last year:

You can’t really have any success without radio play in America. The DJ at KROQ told us that one day the owner of KROQ came in and threw down “Blue Monday” and said “We’re never playing this again.” So that was kind of officially the end of electronic music on American radio because grunge had just come along and that was sort of the death of electronic music.

I can't think of anyone who would play Blue Monday back in the 80s on KROQ except for Blade.

Apparently, he denied that anyone said to never play BM again on the radio. He did introduce it in 1983 and then again for the 1988 and on both occasions, they were receiving a huge welcome.

Wondering if anyone else has other facts to corroborate this.

Well, I find it rather strange that Richard Blade has denied he ever made those comments about 'Blue Monday', as he did himself appear in the 2006 PSB documentary, 'Pet Shop Boys: A Life In Pop', which is available on DVD from the likes of Amazon etc. In it he talks about how he first got to hear of PSB (through his father sending him records from the UK to him in the USA through the post etc) & also how PSB and many other electronic acts stopped getting radio airplay in America during the early 90's when Nirvana & the grunge scene took over the airwaves etc. He then also says that one day someone came-in to his office with a copy of NO's 'Blue Monday', saying we're never playing this record again etc.

So, Chris Lowe was infact telling the truth. So why then would Richard lie about it now? Bizarre hey?...

DJ Fairborne wrote:

Vince Se wrote: Hey all,

I had a chance to attend a birthday party yesterday where Richard Blade was dj-ing. I have heard so much about the bloke but never really met him in person until now. For those didn't know, he was one of the most popular DJ from KROQ Los Angeles back in the 80s.

So I decided to confirm something that Chris Lowe (of PSB) said in this interview (http://blog.promotion-us.com/pet-shop-boys-interview) last year:

You can’t really have any success without radio play in America. The DJ at KROQ told us that one day the owner of KROQ came in and threw down “Blue Monday” and said “We’re never playing this again.” So that was kind of officially the end of electronic music on American radio because grunge had just come along and that was sort of the death of electronic music.

I can't think of anyone who would play Blue Monday back in the 80s on KROQ except for Blade.

Apparently, he denied that anyone said to never play BM again on the radio. He did introduce it in 1983 and then again for the 1988 and on both occasions, they were receiving a huge welcome.

Wondering if anyone else has other facts to corroborate this.

Well, I find it rather strange that Richard Blade has denied he ever made those comments about 'Blue Monday', as he did himself appear in the 2006 PSB documentary, 'Pet Shop Boys: A Life In Pop', which is available on DVD from the likes of Amazon etc. In it he talks about how he first got to hear of PSB (through his father sending him records from the UK to him in the USA through the post etc) & also how PSB and many other electronic acts stopped getting radio airplay in America during the early 90's when Nirvana & the grunge scene took over the airwaves etc. He then also says that one day someone came-in to his office with a copy of NO's 'Blue Monday', saying we're never playing this record again etc.

So, Chris Lowe was infact telling the truth. So why then would Richard lie about it now? Bizarre hey?...

Coz Richard Blade is an old fart. He cant remember shite anymore. Richard should have joined Mars radio back then. He probably would have given some of the UK bands some air time. MARS was the last hope at that time, but KROQ used their evil ways to get rid of them.

I always thought that Chris Lowe's comments were a bit of an exaggeration about the US music scene---not so much of a literal 'there was a guy who banned BM' thing.

That's just the impression I got.

But who knows?

Hearsay, hearsay, hearsay.

Apparently, Richard Blade didn't know that Bad Lieutenant pulled out from Coachella, and his show that day told listeners to catch them play that Saturday... of course, he probably taped his show in advance, so the gig was still on at the moment.

Ah well... he's old.

DJ Fairborne wrote:

So, Chris Lowe was infact telling the truth. So why then would Richard lie about it now? Bizarre hey?...

Opps...should have subscribed to this thread.

But yes thanks for the reminder. Recently, I watched the PSB doc again and saw Blade's comments.

So indeed maybe he forgot about it. Let me just say that my encounter with Blade at that party was a bit out of the world strange. He is a friendly bloke. Always mingling. But yet certain things just don't click with him.