Mexican Radio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Mexican Radio” | ||
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| Single by Wall of Voodoo from the album Call of the West |
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| Released | 1982 | |
| Recorded | 1982 | |
| Genre | New Wave | |
| Length | 4:11 | |
| Label | IRS Records | |
| Writer(s) | Wall of Voodoo | |
| Producer | Richard Mazda | |
Mexican Radio is a song written and performed by the band Wall of Voodoo, and produced by Richard Mazda. The track was initially made commercially available on their 1982 album Call of the West.
The song gained notoriety (and is best remembered) for its line sung and written by lead vocalist Stan Ridgway , "I wish I was in Tijuana / eating barbecued iguana." A video on MTV in 1982-83 helped as well.
Wall of Voodoo vocalist Stan Ridgway and guitarist Marc Moreland traced the inspiration for the song to listening to high-wattage unregulated AM border-blaster Mexican radio stations (among them XERF, XEG, and XERB) which, starting circa the 1930s, were received practically around the globe ("I turn the switch and check the number / I leave it on when in bed I slumber"). Some of the stations boasted a million watts, which was 20 times higher than allowed in the US.
Sitting just south of the Rio Grande ("I feel a hot wind on my shoulder / I dial it in from south of the border"), these stations avoided American broadcast and trade regulations, and became the medium of favor for countless quacks spouting political rants ("I dial it in and tune the station / They talk about the U.S. inflation"), selling homemade pharmaceuticals pre-FDA ("... I buy the product and never use it"), self-published manifestos, and may have even been the starting point for the televangelist as we know it ("I understand just a little / no comprende - it's a riddle"). Wolfman Jack started his career in that market ("I hear the talking of the DJ / Can't understand, just what does he say?"), spinning a schizophrenic mix of genres.
Wall of Voodoo vocalist Stan Ridgway co-wrote with Moreland to finish the song, and added all the verse's lyrics to Moreland's enigmatic chorus and guitar lick, as well as the catchy "mariachi" harmonica melody in the song's middle breakdown.
The 7" single version differs slightly from the album cut, most notably in the way Ridgway's vocals are mixed, and in the addition of a louder bass drum part in the song's chorus. The single mix is sometimes called the oleo mix, because Ridgway chants "radio, radio, oleo, radio" at the song's end, rather than "radio, radio, radio, radio" as he does on the album version.
Other artists have paid homage to the border blaster - ZZ Top wrote "I Heard It On the X" in 1975, and Los Super Seven (with numerous guests) stretched their tribute out to album length with, "Heard It on the X" in 2005.
Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio excerpt
[edit] Cover versions
Arizona-based punk rock band Authority Zero featured a cover version on their 2004 album Andiamo with slightly modified lyrics; for instance, "They talk about the U.S. inflation" was replaced with "They talk about the Iraq invasion".
Kinky, a Mexican electronic/rock band from Monterrey Mexico has covered this song as well. They kept the upbeat rhythm of the song with their own electronic twist.
Bruce Lash gave the song the bossa nova treatment on his 2004 album, "Prozak for Lovers II" which also includes easy-listening versions of Nirvana's "Lithium" and Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation" among others.
Mike Keneally, a Frank Zappa alumnus, has played the song in live concerts with his band, Beer for Dolphins.
The intro synthesizer was sampled by the hip-hop group Cannibal Ox in the song "Iron Galaxy".
Atlanta-based band doubleDrive covered the song as a hidden track in their 1000 Yard Stare album.
European metal band Celtic Frost have also covered the song. They put it as the first song on their third album Into the Pandemonium.
Additionally, there is a rapper named South Park Mexican who has performed a somewhat different version of the song, keeping the chorus more or less intact, but writing a completely new set of verses.
The math rock band Polvo contributed a cover of the song to Tannis Root Presents: Freedom of Choice, a 1992 sampler to benefit Planned Parenthood.
A first-person rendition ("I'm a Mexican / On the radio") appears on the album Graciasland by El Vez, the "Mexican Elvis".
French band Nouvelle Vague, who specialise in bossa nova covers of New Wave tracks, performed this song live in London on November 25th 2006.
Now defunct Pittsburgh, PA band Buzz Poets used to play a hybrid of "Mexican Radio" mixed with "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson.
Dutch band Gruppo Sportivo covered the song on their 1987 album "Back to 19 Mistakes".
[edit] In the media
- Stuck in the '80s - Interview with Stan Ridgway [1]
- Sung by Kramer (Michael Richards) in the Seinfeld episode "The Reverse Peephole" as he installed a peephole in his door. A brief snippet of the Wall of Voodoo recording was later played over the Castle Rock Entertainment logo at the end of the same episode.
- Played in the 1990 movie The Natural History of Parking Lots.
- Played in the 1996 movie Box Of Moon Light.
- Played in the 2000 movie Duets.
- Played in episode nine of My Name Is Earl, "Cost Dad an Election".
- Featured on the '80s soundtrack of Activision Anthology for the Playstation 2.
- Vh1's "I Love the '80s 3D" used the track in a segment on Ripley's Believe it or Not.
- Featured on the soundtrack of the snowboard movie True Life released in September 2001 by Mack Dawg Productions.
- "Mexican Radio" was the last song played in English on Bay Area radio station 92.3 KSJO before it switched to an all Spanish format.
