{"id":16230,"date":"2013-12-03T01:24:54","date_gmt":"2013-12-03T09:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/danoday.com\/blog\/?p=16230"},"modified":"2013-12-03T01:24:54","modified_gmt":"2013-12-03T09:24:54","slug":"song-radio-spot-show-prep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danoday.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/song-radio-spot-show-prep\/","title":{"rendered":"What That Song You Probably Know Can Teach You About Radio Copywriting AND Being A Radio Personality"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jerry Felder was a songwriter. When he was six years old, he contracted polio, which required him to walk with crutches until he was 40\u2026when an accident resulted in a wheelchair being his sole mode of mobility for the rest of his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a teenager, he became a blues singer. Standing onstage with the support of crutches. Not wanting his parents to discover how he was spending his time, he adopted the stage name of “Doc Pomus.” <\/span><\/p>\n

After years as a singer he took up songwriting, because he knew eventually he wanted to get married, and it seemed obvious that continuing as a blues singer wouldn’t support a family.<\/span><\/p>\n

He went on to co-write (primarily as lyricist) a ton of hit records, many with his longtime collaborator, Mort Shuman.<\/span><\/p>\n

You know a lot of his songs. Too many to list here. (Elvis recorded more than 20 Pomus-Shuman songs.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Two memorable examples: Dion & the Belmonts’ “Teenager In Love” and the fragilely beautiful “This Magic Moment.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\"radio<\/a><\/p>\n

But I Am Not Here To Talk About How Doc Pomus Overcame Adversity.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, his story is inspirational, and according to everyone who knew him, he was a kind, wonderful person.<\/span><\/p>\n

But I am hijacking Doc Pomus’ artistry to offer a lesson both to commercial copywriters and to radio personalities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Far too many copywriters begin their writing by looking for a clever conceit, a funny situation, or an amusing character.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost all radio hosts’ “show prep” consists of keeping up to date with whatever “everyone” is talking about on any given day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Possibly Doc Pomus’ most famous and most enduring song is “Save The Last Dance For Me.”<\/span><\/p>\n

What did you think that song was about? A high school prom, perhaps?<\/span><\/p>\n

Probably Pomus & Shuman were sitting in their Brill Building office, trying to “come up with a song that teenagers would like”?<\/span><\/p>\n

No.<\/span><\/p>\n

That song was about a painful aspect of the happiest day of his life . <\/span><\/p>\n

He was writing about how he felt about, thanks to polio, not being able to dance with his bride at their wedding reception. <\/span><\/p>\n

Wow, huh?<\/span><\/p>\n

He Started With The Truth.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And you should, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you begin writing your advertising copy, ask: “What is the real message that I need to communicate to the targeted consumer?”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When you’ve truly figured out that “true thing” you want to say in your spot, usually the copy “writes itself.”<\/span><\/p>\n

While preparing for your show, ask: “What do I really care about? How do I really feel about this song\/news story\/ controversy\/information?”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

No, I don’t suggest you turn your pop entertainment show into your own personal soapbox.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your job is to play the hits, play the hits. If it’s to entertain listeners, entertain them.<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you want to create something that actually affects people and perhaps even outlives you\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Start with the truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Doc.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jerry Felder was a songwriter. When he was six years old, he contracted polio, which required him to walk with crutches until he was 40\u2026when an accident resulted in a wheelchair being his sole mode of mobility for the rest of his life. As a teenager, he became a blues singer. Standing onstage with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16230","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\nWhat That Song You Probably Know Can Teach You About Radio Copywriting AND Being A Radio Personality - DAN O\u2019DAY TALKS ABOUT RADIO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/danoday.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/song-radio-spot-show-prep\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What That Song You Probably Know Can Teach You About Radio Copywriting AND Being A Radio Personality - DAN O\u2019DAY TALKS ABOUT RADIO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jerry Felder was a songwriter. 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