Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Lily Tomlin’s Got the 20th Century Blues

This 45 came into our household as a result of my mom, who worked in the 1970s at a mild-mannered classical music radio station by day (WGUC) that switched over to a hard rock format at the stroke of midnight (WFIB) when it ceased programming for the broadcast day.  This experiment in programming for different segments of the radio community was a surprising success, as noted in the October 14, 1972 issue of Record World (beginning on page 22):

As the Campus Report reported exclusively last year, WGUC FM, the 50,000 watt FM Classical station Cincinnati had given programming time to WFIB, the University’s carrier – current, rock music programmer.  The rock programming at that time was an experiment, to see what kind of reaction the programming would have on WGUC’s audience.  And the experiment has worked out well – so well that instead of just having the weekends to program, WGUC-FM will be programmed with rock on a nightly basis.

The two stations, though, are located on different parts of the campus, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to carry records from one location to the other. It is requested, therefore, that you place the FM station on your rock mailing lists, in addition to your classical mailing lists.

Lily Tomlin's 20th Century Blues

This late-night rock station being on the same frequency as its “parent” classical station no doubt resulted in some colorful phone calls when loyal listeners switched on their radios after midnight, only to hear The Edgar Winter Group‘s “Frankenstein”  — the original everlasting album version, at that.

WFIB Hosts Record Distributors Luncheon

Billboard

June 8, 1968

Lily Tomlin‘s 1973 Polydor release is one of those white-label “for DJ use only” promos but with a twist:  rather than the same track on both sides (one in stereo, the other in mono), this record features different selections on the A & B sides.  The A-side is a musical number, while the B-side is a comedy piece where Tomlin does all the voices (including a brief cameo from precocious preschooler, Edith Ann) through the miracle of modern recording technology.

Tomlin’s singing debut

Billboard

June 2, 1973

Tomlin covers Noel Coward on the A-side – which was engineered to sound as if it were a 78 playing on an old Victrola – while the comedy piece on the B-side seems not to have dated one bit 40 (or more) years later:

20th Century Blues – Lily Tomlin

[Pssst:  Click on triangle to play Lily Tomlin‘s solo ensemble piece, “20th Century Blues”]

Cash Box – who identified Tomlin’s single as one of its ‘Picks of the Week‘ for June 2, 1973 – were optimistic about the A-side’s prospects:

Lily Tomlin returns to recordings in a different vein this time around.  Now she’s singing up a storm using Noel Coward’s tune as a vehicle for her first chart single.  This one could catch on in a big way -so watch it carefully

Tomlin would release three albums for Polydor — 1971’s This Is A Recording, 1972’s And That’s The Truth, and 1975’s Modern Scream — and these two 45 sides are nowhere to be found on those LPs.

B-side written by Jane Wagner

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Yoko’s New Single

On WFIB‘s Playlist

Billboard (1973)

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LINK to 45 Sides +/- Obscure Tracks

LINK to Spoken Word on Zero to 180

LINK to Humor +/- Satire on Zero to 180

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One Response

  1. Thank you so much for this … I’ve been looking for this single for YEARS (starting when it was in print … I just never could come across it). Any chance of coaxing you into posting (or sending me) the A-side? I remember the song as background music in one of her specials and I’d love to hear the whole thing. Thanks! -John

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