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Professor Pierre’s A To Z Highlights: Wednesday 9/4

Almost a full week into the Back to School A to Z and we’re barely a third of the way through the alphabet. And that’s exactly what Professor Pierre Robert…

back to school A to Z written on lockers - let's spell it out

Almost a full week into the Back to School A to Z and we're barely a third of the way through the alphabet. And that's exactly what Professor Pierre Robert wants! During the crossover with Preston and Steve he reveled in the gang starting the show with the Heaven songs and completing the program in the Hells. And of course professing his love of this experience going for a length of time. Or as he puts it "You gotta let the flower bloom...gotta wake up and smell the vodka!". Another piece of strange yet perhaps sage advice to add to the many Pierre-isms. The entire midday program was dedicated to celebrating the letter H and some pretty interesting subcategories.

Plenty Of The Fab Four

The Coffee Break music marathon started with The Beatles "Hello, Goodbye" and that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of Beatlemania the letter H had in store. A total of 6 songs from the Liverpool natives were played from Professor Pierre. Shortly after Pierre's Planner, a very nice natural double-shot of "Help!" into "Helter Skelter" to lead us rock and roll students to high noon. In the Here subsection of songs included "Here Comes The Sun" and a beautiful number from Revolver "Here, There and Everywhere". No better way to conclude the time spent with the Beatles then the beautiful ballad written for John's son Julian Lennon "Hey Jude"

A To Z Heroes

The letter H allowed us to sonically salute a few Heroes. From the outcast anthem "Hero" from Weezer to tugging on the strings (literally and figuratively) with Metallica & the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra with "Hero Of The Day" from S&M. The crowning jewel however comes from the 12th studio record from the late great David Bowie reminding all of us "We can be heroes...just for one day". The original "Heroes" then followed by two covers. The first more in style with the original done by The Wallflowers. The second a touch more bombastic but nevertheless poignant as well here the heavy metal stylings of Motorhead.

Pierre then fondly reminisces about time spent at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. Motorhead front man extraordinaire Lemmy Kilmister was a regular at the legendary establishment and after his passing they honored him with a life-sized statute and renaming a portion of the area to the "Lemmy's Lounge"

The Lemmy Kilmister Statue at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Los Angeles with Pierre Robert giving a peace sign to the statues right

Hey, Hey, Hey!

Shortly after bidding farewell to the Heroes, we said Hey to the Hey songs in the A to Z musical extravaganza. Artists ranging from Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, and the Gin Blossoms lead the charge on those introductions. Then we said "Hey Joe" with Jimi Hendrix and "Hey Jude" with the Beatles. And as fate would have it a trip to Studio R for a very special Vinyl Cut off of Steely Dan's Gaucho album "Hey Nineteen"

Steely Dan's Gaucho record being played on vinyl on a record player in Studio R at WMMR

A To Z First Coffee Spill

Hard to believe with Pierre's obsession with everything and all things coffee that it took until this day for a drop of coffee to be spilled onto the master A to Z list. Some may think this was just an accident however everything in Professor Pierre's rock and roll classroom has a purpose. At the end of page 19 of the list he was clearly noting to Brent Porche where he needed to pick up the H songs which was continuing the high songs with the incredible Stevie Wonder and "Higher Ground"

A coffee spill in the bottom left corner of the Back to School A to Z master list

We also would love to hear and see how you're enjoying the Back to School A to Z so please be sure to let us know how you're celebrating on the fancy thinkin' box & phones on social media. Be sure to tag WMMR on X, Instagram, and Facebook and use the hashtag #WMMRAtoZ

From roughly 10:30am to somewhere around 3 (we call it Pierre Standard Time) weekdays Philadelphia rocks with (and loves) Pierre Robert on WMMR. Pierre Robert began his illustrious career at the pioneering progressive rock station KSAN, in his hometown San Francisco, but it’s through his uninterrupted 42-year tenure at Philadelphia‘s legendary WMMR that he’s made his mark. One of the city’s most recognizable celebrities will write about being at the center of its live music scene and greeting his legions of fans as if personal friends in the smallest clubs and largest stadiums.