From "Over the Rainbow" to "Straight Outta Compton," 25 New Selections Named to National Recording Registry

In the fifteenth year of the National Recording Registry, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has just announced 25 sound recordings as the official entries for 2016, stating: "This year's exciting list gives us a full range of sound experiences. These sounds of the past enrich our understanding of the nation's cultural history and our history in general."

Under the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, selected recordings must be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and at least ten years old.

Spanning the years 1888-1997, the selections for 2016 are as follows:

1. The 1888 London cylinder recordings of Col. George Gouraud (1888)
2. Lift Every Voice and Sing (singles)—Manhattan Harmony Four (1923); Melba Moore and Friends (1990)
3. Puttin’ on the Ritz (single)—Harry Richman (1929)
4. Over the Rainbow (single)—Judy Garland (1939)
5. I’ll Fly Away (single)—The Chuck Wagon Gang (1948)
6. Hound Dog (single)—Big Mama Thornton (1953)
7. Saxophone Colossus—Sonny Rollins (1956)
8. The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds—announced by Vin Scully (September 8, 1957)
9. Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs—Marty Robbins  (1959)
10. The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery—Wes Montgomery (1960)
11. People (single)—Barbra Streisand (1964)
12. In the Midnight Hour (single)—Wilson Pickett (1965)
13. Amazing Grace (single)—Judy Collins (1970)
14. American Pie (single)—Don McLean (1971)
15. All Things Considered—first broadcast (May 3, 1971)
16. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars—David Bowie (1972)
17. The Wiz—original cast album (1975)
18. Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)—Eagles (1976)
19. Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha—Gunter Schuller, arr. (1976) 
20. Wanted: Live in Concert—Richard Pryor (1978)      
21. We Are Family (single)—Sister Sledge (1979)
22. Remain in Light—Talking Heads (1980)
23. Straight Outta Compton—N.W.A (1988)
24. Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night Vigil)—Robert Shaw Festival Singers (1990)
25. Signatures—Renée Fleming (1997)

The full National Recording Registry currently numbers 475 recordings, and can be viewed here. The Registry solicits nominations annually for inclusion on the registry; further information on the criteria and procedures for making nominations for 2017 is available at the Registry website

Chuck B. Goode, Chuck B. Gone: Rock in Peace

Rock & Roll legend Chuck Berry [1926-2017] died March 18th at age 90. Johnny B. Goode, one of his many pioneering songs (and featured above in a live performance), was recorded at Chess Studios on January 6, 1958 and released as a single a few months later on March 31st.

Support Freeform Radio @ WFMU

Love free-form radio? Then consider supporting independent station WFMU during its annual fundraising Marathon that runs March 5 through March 19, 2017. WFMU first hit the airwaves on April 24, 1958 at the now-defunct Upsala College and has never looked back. Currently based in Jersey City, New Jersey, WFMU broadcasts at 91.1 Mhz and via a second signal at 90.1 Mhz in Mount Hope, New York. WFMU has also long been an Internet pioneer, streaming its programming 24/7 in multiple formats, including iPhone and Android. An extensive archive of past shows is also available for easy access.

 

What is free-form radio you might ask? WFMU describes itself as follows:

WFMU's programming ranges from flat-out uncategorizable strangeness to rock and roll, experimental music, 78 RPM Records, jazz, psychedelia, hip-hop, electronica, hand-cranked wax cylinders, punk rock, gospel, exotica, R&B, radio improvisation, cooking instructions, classic radio airchecks, found sound, dopey call-in shows, interviews with obscure radio personalities and notable science-world luminaries, spoken word collages, Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtracks in languages other than English as well as country and western music.

And because the station is listener-supported, WFMU DJs have for years maintained complete autonomy and control over their own programming, which is extraordinarily eclectic. Check out the current WFMU audio smorgasbord, and see for yourself!

Note: The 2017 Marathon premium at the right was designed by Akira Yonekawa.

International Women's Day: #BeBoldForChange

March 8th marks the 106th anniversary of International Women's Day. The United Nations' theme for International Women's Day 2017 is "Women in the Changing World of World: Planet 50-50 by 2030." The video above features remarks by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

First celebrated on March 19, 1911 by more than one million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland after a proposal by Clara Zetkin [1857-1933] in 1910 at the second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, International Women's Day is now observed in many nations throughout the world.

The United Nations first began celebrating March 8 as International Women's Day during International Women's Year in 1975, and in 1977 approved a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace for member states.

March for Science on Earth Day

The March for Science will be held on Earth Day, April 22, 2017, in Washington, D.C. and at several hundred satellite locations throughout the United States and around the world. Thousands of scientists and scientific-minded individuals will be marching in solidarity to support the work of the scientific community and the critical role it plays in formulating sound, evidence-based public policy, particularly in the realms of public health and environmental protection.

The March for Science "champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science," and its stated goals for the upcoming event are to:

humanize science; partner with the public; advocate for open, inclusive, and accessible science; support scientists; and, affirm science as a democratic value. 

Further information about the movement's goals and principles, as well details about local marches, can be found on the March for Science web site. Be there or be square!