This week marks 30 years since Hitz FM’s equivalent of “the difficult second album“. Yes, it’s the week when Hitz broadcast 4 began. It was the first time the station had been onair since the history-making Summer 93/94 transmission. And so much had changed.
Continue reading “Stream it now – 30 years since Hitz broadcast 4 began!”Category: Hitz FM music
EVEN MORE: Secrets from the Hitz Reunion Mix – part 2
OK, we’re halfway through the 4.5 hour mix – time to find some more Easter eggs (surprise audio) inside. More secrets from the Hitz Reunion Mix
Continue reading “EVEN MORE: Secrets from the Hitz Reunion Mix – part 2”EXPOSED: Secrets in the Hitz Reunion Mix – part 1
OK, it’s been three weeks. Time to reveal our first batch of secrets in the Hitz Reunion Mix. Every rare remix. Every little Easter egg.
Let’s do this.
Continue reading “EXPOSED: Secrets in the Hitz Reunion Mix – part 1”Streaming now! The 4.5 hour Hitz FM Reunion Mix
At last it’s finished. A four-and-a-half hour audio tribute to Hitz FM. First played at our staff reunion in August. And now completely re-edited for your audio enjoyment. Scroll on to see what’s in the mix, and most importantly – HIT THE PLAY BUTTON to listen.
Continue reading “Streaming now! The 4.5 hour Hitz FM Reunion Mix”Right in the Night: The Hitz FM staff reunion
After 3 years of organising and a small pandemic, last Saturday saw the first ever Hitz FM staff reunion. And from what I hear, it won’t be the last. Hit that ‘read more’ button for photos, stories and all the action.
Continue reading “Right in the Night: The Hitz FM staff reunion”Your long-weekend bangin barbie playlist from Summer 97/98!
The January long weekend is the perfect time for listening to a bunch of great tunes while you gather with friends. And if you’re over the ‘usual’ one – here’s a little time machine back to 1997/1998.
Continue reading “Your long-weekend bangin barbie playlist from Summer 97/98!”Happy 50th birthday Hip Hop – from Hitz FM Melbourne
Happy birthday, Hip Hop! August 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the genre and culture – at a party in The Bronx in 1973. Our story picks up two decades later, as many consider the 90s to be a golden age of Hip Hop.
Hitz FM was proud to be part of that era, from the earliest chart breakthroughs to massive artists like Jay-Z and Eminem who appeared at the turn of the millennium. But let’s see how Hip Hop evolved along with Hitz FM Melbourne throughout your favourite decade.
Meatloaf – Hitz played Anything for Love (but we won’t play that)
With the sad passing of Meatloaf over the weekend, the song Anything for Love (but I won’t do that) popped into my head. It was one of the more unexpected songs we thrashed during our famous Summer 93/94 broadcast.
And I thought it would be good to catch up with a few of the OG Hitz FM crew to discuss this unique song, artist and time in music history.
Today: OJ’s defence finished and Hitz broadcast 6 began
September 22. Not today – I mean September 22 in 1995. When the defence team for the OJ Simpson case was just wrapping up. When the real life battles of the film “Black Hawk Down” were happening in Somalia. And Hitz FM returned for Hitz Broadcast 6.
All morning, a recording of “test tone” (a long ‘beep’) played onair, with the occasional announcement by Adele Cookson – asking for listener requests and sponsorship enquiries.
And most excitingly, I’ve found a recording.
Continue reading “Today: OJ’s defence finished and Hitz broadcast 6 began”On this day: Hitz FM’s 9th Broadcast blasts into life
September 1996. Some of us were watching the first ever series of Friends on TV. At the movies it was all about Independance Day and The Nutty Professor. And on the radio, it was the first day of Hitz FM’s 9th Broadcast.
We were smashing Inspiration (Strike), Wannabe (Spicegirls), Macarena (Los Del Rio), Ready or Not (The Fugees), Professional Widow (Tori Amos) and a tonne of other great tracks.
Continue reading “On this day: Hitz FM’s 9th Broadcast blasts into life”LISTEN: 2 hours of chaos – Hitz’s 2nd broadcast ends
July 18, 1993. 28 years ago – TONIGHT! After two fun-filled weeks, Hitz’s 2nd broadcast ends. The station had yet again managed to stay onair 24 hours a day using voluntters and borrowed equipment. And I’ve got 120 minutes of audio to share with you.
Looking back… compared to Hitz FM’s first broadcast – we’d made some great improvements.
On this day: Hitz FM’s 2nd broadcast fired off
When Hitz FM’s 2nd broadcast kicked off on July 3rd, 1993 – things were a bit different from the first time around. The music was a bit broader; less rock (sorry Guns n Roses), more pop (hello Sub Sub) and hip hop (hello Informer). The announcers sounded a bit more polished too. But the biggest change was the location.
Hitz FM’s 1st broadcast was held at a government school, John Gardner Secondary College. It was chosen for the location (near public transport) and the cost – free. But this time around, the station was a little further north – in the rather fancy Xavier College in Kew. Picture lots of big old buildings in a slightly Harry Potter style.
Continue reading “On this day: Hitz FM’s 2nd broadcast fired off”Stream this from Winter ’96: Hitz FM broadcast 8
June/July 1996 – the time of Hitz FM broadcast 8.
On TV.. fans of hot men and women in uniform had a choice of new shows… Jag or Water Rats. Comedy fans were loving Good News Week on the ABC and 3rd Rock from the Sun on Seven.
In the cinemas we were spotting flying cows in Twister, watching Tom take on Mission Impossible, laughing at The Cable Guy and going Trainspotting.
Meanwhile, on 89.9 – the Hitz returned.
Continue reading “Stream this from Winter ’96: Hitz FM broadcast 8”WATCH: The 2021 Hitz FM reZOOMion
March 11th is an important date on the Hitz FM calendar. It’s the anniversary of the final night of the history-making 3rd broadcast. And this year, I wanted to make it special.
So over a number of weeks, I organised a Zoom catchup with many of the original Hitz gang. But I had no idea how much work the entire project would take.
At the end of this post you can watch the full 30 minute documentary.
But how did it happen?
And what did I stuff up?
LISTEN: Today in history, Hitz FM got hacked
The youth station’s 5th broadcast went quite smoothly until the day Hitz FM got hacked.
And if you scroll to the bottom of this post- you can HEAR the recording!
We’d tweaked the music to add a bit more hiphop and alternative to the mix. We were smashing out the big pop/dance tracks of early ’95 like The Bomb (The Bucketheads), Living in Danger (Ace of Base) and the Hardfloor remix of Yeke Yeke [Mary Kante]. We had fantastic Jeep Renegade vehicles for giving out prizes. And the Hitz team were living on a very healthy (?) diet of Jolt Cola and Kettle Chips.
But one day in the final week of the broadcast, a little “beep” changed everything.
Continue reading “LISTEN: Today in history, Hitz FM got hacked”Remembering Hitz One CD (1998)
On this day in 1998, the Hitz CD series had a ‘reboot’ of sorts. No more ‘Original Hitz’. No more single CD releases. The Hitz One CD modernised the series, going to a two disc format, and adding an exclusive megamix with each release.
Today we look back on this historic CD, and I’ve invited a few of the team who put it together to share some memories.
Continue reading “Remembering Hitz One CD (1998)”Live From Inflation – The End Of Hitz FM’s 6th Broadcast
25 years ago tonight, a certain youth radio station was broadcasting live from Inflation Nightclub. It was the final night of Hitz FM’s 6th Broadcast. Time to celebrate. The station had come back onair, it had a new CD in the shops, and it had one of those brand new “webpage” things on the “internet”.
Yes – it was clearly 1995.
James Ash is Right in the Night!
He’s back.
James Ash (Rogue Traders, Union State, former Hitz FM announcer and committee member) has come back to where it all began. He’s re-signed with legendary Melbourne-based dance label Vicious Vinyl. And his first release – is a cover of a true Hitz-era classic.
But what I found most interesting about all this – is that it’s NOT the first time he’s tried to cover this song…
Continue reading “James Ash is Right in the Night!”Smash Hitz: Dreams – Gabrielle
Dreams (and it’s performer, Gabrielle) seemed to come out of nowhere.
When the song was released in Australia in late 1993, the charts were dominated by romantic R&B (Freak Me – Silk), reggae-flavoured pop (Can’t help falling in love with you – UB40 / Sweat – Inner Circle) and adult rock (What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes / I’d do anything for love – Meatloaf). Dreams – with it’s romantic soul-tinged pop sounds… seem to arrive from another planet.
It also seemed to remind me of another song, and 27 years later I know the answer.
Continue reading “Smash Hitz: Dreams – Gabrielle”Smash Hitz: U Sure Do
Time to salute another mid-90s dancefloor classic – U Sure Do.
We all know the song – but did you know it was composed of samples from a number of other tracks? (Don’t worry, neither did I. All but one of them are pretty obscure.) Even more interestingly… did you know about Strike’s strong Australian connection?
Read on, and all will be revealed.
Continue reading “Smash Hitz: U Sure Do”Smash Hitz: Deuce
Back in 1996, On the Bible by Deuce was everywhere. Actually the ‘Wand remix’ of the track was everywhere. But we’ll hear more about that later. On the Bible was being thrashed during Hitz FM’s 9th broadcast. They played it at the Sydney Mardi Gras. You’d hear it booming out of your local Sanity music store.
But who are Deuce?
Continue reading “Smash Hitz: Deuce”Why the 90s lowest-charting song gives me goosebumps
On this day, back in 1992 – a song debuted at the very bottom of Australia’s ARIA charts. Number 100. A song by Boyz II Men.
And the next week, it was gone.
By any normal measure, this song was one of the least successful tracks of the 1990s in Australia. It couldn’t have charted any lower. And yet, for Hitz listeners – its importance vastly outweighs its chart success.
On this day – August 9, 1992
“Oh my god. Becky, look at her…” (Yep, we’re back on 9th August 1992)
I’m sure you know the rest.
Today was the day, back in 1992 that Sir Mix-a-Lot debuted on the ARIA charts at number 29, with a song that was big on Hitz FM and everywhere else.
Smash Hitz: Sing Hallelujah
Many pop stars change their name. They often make it a bit shorter and catchier. So it’s no surprise that Nigerian-born dentist-turned-DJ Alban Uzoma Nwapa shortened his name to something a global audience might find easier: Dr Alban. (Yes – the “Sing Hallelujah” guy.)
Continue reading “Smash Hitz: Sing Hallelujah”