The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 35

ackstage pass 'Pirates' find treasure of musical material while on the road (if It i i V. fc-j 1 rai. and Jimmy Lowe, drums. The majority of the group's songs have been written by Mr. McCorvey and Mr.

Alves, who worked as staff songwriters in Nashville before forming the band The Cloggers, who changed their name to Pirates of the Mississippi when they signed with Capitol Records. Mr. McCorvey added that the band doesn't exclude works by other songwriters. "A good song is a good song." he said, adding that it doesn't matter who writes it. In Nashville, the saying in the music industry is, "It all begins with the song," he said, explaining that successful country music careers are based on artists' ability to secure good music and perform well, and not on their personality.

"Billy Ray Cyrus is the exception," he said of the country star with the crossover smash "Achy Breaky Heart. "I don't think 'the song' made him famous. I think his moves made him famous." Like many new country artists, Mr. McCorvey said the members of Pirates of the Mississippi grew up listening to Southern rock'n'roll artists such as Jimmy Buf-fett, Jerry Jeff Walker and Cree-dence Clearwater Revival. "I was weaned on a lot of Southern rock," said Mr.

McCorvey, who learned to pluck a banjo about the time he first heard Jethro Tull's song "Aqua Lung." Mr. McCorvey credits the increased interest in country music to listeners' yearnings to hear Please see PIRATES, 8C Band members, from left, Pat Severs, Rich Alves, Dean Townson, Bill McCorvey and Jimmy Lowe By AMELIA De LOACH Staff Writer Songwriters usually pull from personal experiences when arranging words to go with their songs. Likewise, when the Pirates of the Mississippi sat down last fall to write songs for their album "A Street Man Named Desire," they drew their inspiration from their time on the line the food line that is. "When you tour you see a lot of stuff you never believed existed, so it does make you more socially conscious," said Montgomery native Bill McCor-vey, who is lead vocalist and guitarist for the country group who will perform at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Nashville Showcase.

Band members took time last year to distribute boxed meals to the homeless for the Grand Central Food Program in New York, inspiring the lyrics to the album's title song of the same name. You '11 see me standing in front of a bus stop booth With a sign that reads, 'Will work for Later, I'll take my place around the trash barrel fire. Where's the pot of gold for a street man named Desire? "Every town has the homeless," Mr. McCorvey said. "It's not just in the big cities.

It's in every town that you see homeless people standing on the side of the road with signs that say 'Will work for "These are intelligent people who'are skilled laborers," he said. "They're just like you and me they just don't have a home." "It breaks your heart to see them." Aside from carrying a theme of social consciousness, the group's new album features something new for the band three ballads. Mr. McCorvey said that on the first two albums, "Pirates of the Mississippi" and "Walk the Plank," the group swayed from recording ballads, opting for country rock. The album also contains, "Mystery Ship," the first song written by all five group members, Mr.

McCorvey said. The other four Pirates are Rich Alves, lead guitar; Dean Townson, bass; Pat Severs, steel; Landry plays Big Band music each Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 p.m. WAPZ 1250 WSKN 1410 Golden Oldies WHHY 1410 Top 40 Paul Harvey News at 7:50 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Also. Paul Harvey Rest of the Story at 8:50 a m. Top 40 Countdown Sunday at 10 a.m. All Atlanta Braves games are broadcast on the station. WXVI 1600 Gospel i adio FM FREQUENCY AM FREQUENCY 740 Oldies WLWI at 7 p.m.

talk with Auburn football coach Pat Dye on "Tiger Talk." Julie Burns is disc jockey for "Cryin'. Lovin' or Leavin' from 10 p.m. until midnight each weekday. WXFX 95.1 Classic rock 'n' roll The Fox will help the J.D. Chorale Parents Club wrap up Halloween Saturday at the Halloween Hayride on the corner of Taylor and Vaughn Roads.

"The Classic Cafe" at noon each weekday. Each night "Eighties at Eight." An all-request hour begins at midnight each day. Listeners program the music each weekend. Scott Hamilton spotlights new releases during "Fox Consumers Guide to New Music" Sunday from 7-9 p.m. "Two Fer Tuesday" gives listeners songs back to back from same artist.

WLNE 96.1 Lite adult contemporary hits WMCZ 97.1 Country 'Sound Focus' on the 70s" will feature the country stars and their stories on Nov. 14. Each Sunday at noon Jim Casey will do the "Top 30 Countdown," which is compiled by Radio Records Request lines open from 10 a.m. until 5 a.m. (1-800-457-6647) WBAM 98 Oldies Alabama football every Saturday.

"Phil's Finals" with Phil Harris will follow each game. "Big Chill Bar Grill" all-request hour with Fred Cody from noon to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday. "Lost Oldie" with Reid Spann plays a forgotten song from the music vaults each weekday at 4:30 pm. Y-102 101.95 Top 40 Paul Harvey News at 7:50 a m.

and 12:45 p.m. Monday-Friday. Also, Paul Harvey Rest of the Story at 8:50 a m. Top 40 Countdown Sunday at 10 a.m. All Atlanta Braves games are broadcast on the station.

WSYA 103.3 Bright adult contemporary All-Request Friday Night from 6 p.m. until midnight. Mike Harvey's Super Gold Saturday Night from 6pm until midnight. WZHT 105.7 gospel Songwritersinger Michael Franks and balladeer Jon Lucien will be featured on "Jazzin Up" from 3-5 p.m. Saturday "The Jazzin Up Top Ten Countdown" will follow the profiles WLBF 89.1 Contemporary gospel A live.

55-minute call-in program begins at 8 p.m. Monday-Friday. Also, at 1 1 p.m. traditional sacred music will be played. Each Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m..

a three-hour block of features geared toward children is presented. WTSU 89.9 Easy listening, classical At 7 m. The Baltimore Symphony will perform "Haydn: 'The At 8 p.m. Sunday The Cleveland Orchestra will perform the music of Berlioz. Bernstein.

Gershwin and Tchaikovsky. At 8 p.m. Thursday the Saint Louis Symphony will perform the music of Fox. Prokofiev. Debussy and Copland.

At 6 p.m. each Sunday "The Record Shelf" features critiques of new compact discs. On "The Radio Reader, Monday-Friday at 12:30 p.m., Dick Estell will read from Harry Farrell's "Swift Justice." WVAS 90.7 Jazz Monday-Friday from 6-9 a a mixture of modern jazz and blues is played. New Age jazz from 9-10 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Friday and Saturday from midnight until 1 a m. "Deja Vu." Most times a jazz mix. which includes contemporary, modern and hard jazz, is played. WLWI 92.3 Country Auburn football every Saturday NASCAR Country Saturday Nights from 10 p.m. to midnight.

"The Nashville Record Review" each Sunday at 10 a Thursday At 7:30 p.m. Friday live broadcast of Lee vs. Prattville football game. At 2 p.m. Saturday the Georgia vs.

Florida game. At 1 p.m. Sunday Pyroil 500 auto race. At 8 p.m. Monday Minnesota Vikings vs.

Chicago Bears. Tuesday night election coverage from 6 p.m. until. At 7:05 m. Wednesday Forest Davis Recruiting.

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday Carver vs. Jeff Davis game. Sportsline with Jim Fyffe and Bill Cameron daily from 4-6 p.m. ESPN Radio weekend evenings.

WMGY 800 Gospel WSYA 950 Bright adult contemporary All-Request Friday Night from 7 p.m. until midnight. Mike Harvey's Super Gold Saturday Night from 6 p.m. until midnight. WACV 1170 News Talk Radio Early morning update with Lee Morgan at 5 a m.

Monday-Friday. Each weekday at 7:15 a.m. "Morning Viewpoint" with Don Markwell and Kathy Rivers. Joe Marcus is host of issue-oriented "Options" at 9.06 a Various national syndicated shows air throughout the day and night. At 5:06 p.m.

"Sportsphone" with Phil Harris and The Phantom begins. "Nite Talk" with Nathan Jones at 10 m. offers an open forum to callers on current issues. On weekends from 9-11 a.m. Doug Benton gives travel information on "Southern Traveler." George 7C The Montgomery Advertiser, October 30, 1992.