The Presidents: A Friday Tradition with Pierre Robert

Happy Presidents Weekend, Dear Citizens!!! Pierre Robert here.

It's funny how traditions start and how they continue, if you think about it. The example that ties into this weekend is is the 1996 film My Fellow Americans. It stars two legendary Hollywood actors, Jack Lemmon and James Garner. They play former presidents of the United States from different political parties who never liked each other, but get stuck on an adventure together to expose the corruption of the current president, played by Dan Ackroyd. Okay, it may not be Gone with the Wind, but it’s still a great film that I highly recommend. It's got so many funny little moments. These two former presidents end up getting chased by the bad guys and end up in some hysterical situations. One of those is the moment when they have no money and there's certain a coffee reference… it may sound familiar to the WMMR family.

To set the scene: Jack Lemmon is the more conservative of the two former presidents; he's very cheap and hates spending money. James Garner is more of the Bill Clinton-type playboy character who has definitely messed around over the years. They end up with only enough money for one cup of coffee, which is where the scene unfolds.

It was because of the coffee reference that I started using it in the Coffee Break Music Marathon on my show, and then somehow it evolved into being a special moment during the Friday coffee break just after 11am. I play the "Presidents" clip, and then go into the Dave Edmunds song "Here Comes the Weekend". John DeBella used to play that every Friday, back in the Morning Zoo days on WMMR. Between the two pieces, it's a nice kick-off to the mix of music I do each Friday which I call the sweat set (also borrowed from John DeBella, with his blessing). The sweat set is an upbeat series of songs to give people energy and get them moving in anticipation of the freedom of the upcoming weekend.

All of this has morphed into a weekly tradition that's been going on for a number of years now. If you’re ever looking for a fun movie to watch, check it out - it has a little bit of political unity at the end, which we could certainly use more of these days. Happy Presidents' Day weekend to one and all!

Cheers,
Pierre Robert

Many of the albums that turn 30 in 2024 are considered classics. Honestly, it's rather overwhelming to look back at all of the gold that came out in 1994.

To begin with, 1994 saw the release of Green Day's mainstream breakthrough Dookie. The album has sold over 10 million copies in the United States along. Then again, when your album features hits like "Longview," "Basket Case" "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around," the success isn't terribly shocking.

Alice in Chains had a major hit with their EP Jar of Flies. Released in January, Jar of Flies was the first EP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The EP features classic tracks "No Excuses," "Don't Follow" and "I Stay Away."

Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nail found themselves releasing future classics on the same date. March 8, 1994 saw the release of Superunknown and The Downward Spiral, respectively. As far as who ranked where on the Billboard 200 album chart, Superunknown debuted at No. 1, with The Downward Spiral coming in at No. 2.

The world met Weezer in 1994 with their self-titled debut album (aka: The Blue Album). That LP featured a number of gems including "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly" and "Undone -- The Sweater Song." Also making their debut in 1994 was Oasis with their classic LP Definitely Maybe. The album is chock-full of hits including "Live Forever," "Shakermaker," "Supersonic" and "Rock 'n' Roll Star."

Believe it or not, we're just scratching the surface with the above titles! Other acts to release major albums in 1994 include Nirvana, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Hole, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, Beck, Pink Floyd, The Cranberries, Korn, Stone Temple Pilots, Pantera and more! Keep scrolling to see the other albums that turn 30 in 2024!

Soundgarden's hit fourth studio album, Superunknown, was released on March 8, 1994. The album features a number of the band's signature tunes including, "Spoonman," "Fell on Black Days" and "Black Hole Sun."

Jeff Buckley's sole album, Grace, was released on August 23, 1994. The legend of Grace has grown in the years since Buckley's accidental drowning death in 1997. The album has been an influence on many singer-songwriters from Rufus Wainwright to Aimee Mann to Chris Cornell.

Nine Inch Nails released their second studio album, The Downward Spiral, on March 8, 1994. Notable tracks include "March of the Pigs," "Mr. Self Destruct" and "Closer."

Hole's second studio album, Live Through This, was released on April 12, 1994. The album features "Violet," "Miss World" and "Doll Parts."

Oasis's classic debut album, Definitely Maybe, was released on August 29, 1994. The album features a number of notable tracks including "Live Forever," "Shakermaker," "Supersonic" and "Rock 'n' Roll Star."

Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York was released on November 1, 1994. It was recorded on November 18, 1993, and it aired on MTV on December 16, 1993. It was the first released following Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994.

Beck's third studio album, Mellow Gold, was released on March 1, 1994. The album was Beck's commercial breakthrough thanks to "Loser," which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Pearl Jam's third studio album, Vitalogy, was released on November 22, 1994. The album features "Better Man," "Corduroy" and "Not for You."

Green Day's Dookie was released on February 1, 1994. The album was a massive breakthrough for the band and featured the hits "Longview," "Basket Case" "Welcome to Paradise" and "When I Come Around."

Ill Communication was the fourth studio album from the Beastie Boys. It features the classic tracks "Sabotage," "Sure Shot" and "Root Down."

Tori Amos released her second studio album, Under the Pink, on January 31, 1994. The album went double platinum in the United States and features "Cornflake Girl," "God," "Pretty Good Year" and "Past the Mission."

Jar of Flies was an EP released by Alice in Chains on January 25, 1994. It was the first EP to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The EP features classic tracks "No Excuses," "Don't Follow" and "I Stay Away."

The Cranberries released their second studio album, No Need to Argue, on October 3, 1994. It features "Ridiculous Thoughts," "Ode to My Family," "I Can't Be with You" and "Zombie."

Purple, Stone Temple Pilots' second studio album, was released on June 7, 1994. The album featured notable hits "Vasoline," "Interstate Love Song" and "Big Empty."

Pantera released Far Beyond Driven on March 22, 1994. It was the metal band's seventh studio album, and it featured "I'm Broken," "Planet Caravan," "5 Minutes Alone" and "Becoming."

The Divison Bell, Pink Floyd's fourteenth studio album, was released on March 28, 1994. It would be the band's penultimate album before 2014's The Endless River.

Korn's self-titled debut album was released on October 11, 1994. It features "Blind," "Need To," "Shoots and Ladders" and "Clown."

Smash, The Offspring's third studio album, was released on April 8, 1994. It's sold over 11 million copies worldwide and features "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem."

Weezer (aka: The Blue Album) was released on May 10, 1994. The debut album from Rivers Cuomo and Co. features "Say It Ain't So," "Buddy Holly" and "Undone -- The Sweater Song."

Motley Crue's self-titled sixth studio album was released on March 15, 1994. The album is a notable departure from the Crue's previous hair/glam work and features singer John Corabi.

Last of the Independents was the sixth studio album from the Pretenders. The album features "Night in My Veins," "977" and "I'll Stand By You."

The Rolling Stones released Voodoo Lounge on July 11, 1994. It was their first album since 1989's Steel Wheels. The album features "You Got Me Rocking" and "Love is Strong."

Tom Petty's Wildflowers was released on November 1, 1994. The acclaimed second studio album from Petty featured "It's Good to Be King," "You Wreck Me" and "You Don't Know How It Feels."