Dataplay Discs

Around the time MP3s were starting to take off, the recording industry was looking for a new physical format for music.  They tried three:  something called Super Audio CDs and also DVD-Audio, both of which improved on existing CD technology which, let’s face it, is still rooted in the 1970s. 

And although you might have heard of those two formats, I’m gonna guess you never heard of the third:  Dataplay. 

Dataplay discs were about the size of a loonie and could be played on both sides, just like an old vinyl record.  Each could store up to 11 hours of compressed audio plus video, photos, text and more.  Natually, you needed a special player to use one of these things, too. 

Anyone remember the big Dataplay media blitz launched by the labels in June 2001?  Anyone?

The Mullet

The mullet, perhaps the most rock’n’roll of all hairstyles, is also the most abused.  You what I mean: short on the top, tight on the sides and long in the back. 

Others call it “business in the front, party in the back.”  But where did the mullet come from?  There are people who study this kind of thing, you know. 

Anthropologists at Harvard believe that the mullet originated with Native North Americans centuries ago.  Some tribes believe that a good portion of person’s spirit lived in the hair. 

The original mullet was very practical: short on the front to stay out of your eyes, long in the back to symbolize power.  Rock didn’t adopt the mullet until the 1970s, thanks to bands like Journey and Van Halen. 

Bono once had a mullet.  So did David Bowie.  Even Chrissie Hynde sported one, breaking down that gender barrier, too.  And look around: the mullet will never die.

Getting Across the Border

One of the biggest hassles a touring musician can face are those encountered at customs.  It can be tough crossing the border, especially if you have some kind of criminal record.  A band member could be denied entry–which could send an entire Canadian tour down the toilet.  So how do you cure this? 

With paperwork.  Foreign musicians who want to play Canadian gigs apply to Citizenship and Immigration for something called a Temporary Resident Permit.  This piece of paper allows the musician to enter Canada for the duration of the tour. 

The catch is that you have to do this in advance: up to eight weeks in advance.  The catch to the catch is that a border guard can write up a discretionary permit that gives a musician access to the country for 24 hours.  But that’s a last resort because you can only go this route once. 

Next time you hear of a show being cancelled for “scheduling difficulties,” ask yourself “is it because they didn’t get their paperwork in on time?”

Secret History of Rock Show 019: iPhone Time is 9:42 (YouTube Version)

I hope you’re ready for another two hours of music geekery. The goal is to make the music in your collection even more interesting than it already is!

This time, we’ll look at a couple of musicians who have made the jump from making albums to writing scores for movies; we’ll have a look back at 1997; I’ll show you some stuff about the CDs you have on the shelf that you probably don’t know about; and finally something rather serious: stories of musicians who have had to (or still are) dealing with health issues. All that on this edition of The Secret History of Rock.

Due to legal issues, we are not (yet) able to stream/podcast the shows. But we've got it covered: go here and click on the Secret History of Rock playlist (not the individual videos) that you would like to watch. We have every single episode available (complete with the appropriate music videos!). Click here for our Secret History Archive 

Music and Your Colonoscopy

It’s long been known that music can have a powerful therapeutic effect.  Music can not only help the body heal itself, but it can also help decrease pain. 

These are facts–but how does it work?  Scientists now believe that sound stimuli can increase the levels of endorphins in the bloodstream.  Endorphins are naturally-occurring morphine-like chemicals that dull the body’s sensitivity to pain. 

Now here’s the weird part.  We hear a lot about the importance of colonoscopies in order to detect cancers early.  But many people balk at this because the procedure is rather uncomfortable.  However, a new study has indicated that the whole ordeal is much more tolerable if the patient’s favourite music is played in the examination room. 

The endorphins created by the music overcome the discomfort of the procedure to the point where blood pressure and heart rate stay normal.  Do what you will with this information.  If could save your life one day.