Neal Augenstein, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Most people remember the relationship they had with their radios as youngsters. Hearing a favorite song crackle through the static on a transistor radio, boombox or clock radio was pure joy.
The excitement and love of hearing the hit often led to buying it at the record store.
Rob Fahey not only remembered it, he wrote his own hit song about it.
“I still remember the first time putting a record on our console stereo in our living room. It was just magic,” recalls Fahey in an interview.
Fahey, who grew up in Rosedale, Md., east of Baltimore, wrote “Raised On The Radio” for The Rayvns, and it became a hit with its inclusion in the soundtrack for “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”
“The first record album I ever owned on my own when I turned 12 was ‘Meet The Beatles,'” says Fahey.
In 1982 The Rayvns were regional stars, playing clubs including the popular, but now-closed, nightclub Hammerjacks.
Fahey says “Raised On The Radio” immediately felt like a hit.
“When I wrote that it came out of me as if I knew it all my life.”
Based on a demo recording, it was chosen for inclusion in the “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” soundtrack, although Fahey says record executives initially wanted The Go-Go’s to perform the paean to radio.
Two years later, The Rayvns rerecorded and released the song on its self-titled album, and produced a video.
Fahey says the changes in the music industry are bittersweet, since many songs become YouTube hits, and many purchases are digital downloads.
“People have become less and less interested in buying the tangible product, which saddens me,” Fahey says.
Ironically, music on the Internet has helped The Rayvns remain popular — they reunite periodically for live performances.
“We’re looking to re-record some of our older material that was never released for a new CD,” says Fahey.
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