Friends, colleagues, soul fans, music geeks, vinyl fetishists, "Downtown

Soulville" listeners:

It's that time of year again, that annual fortnight when I come to

you, Alpine hat in hand, to beg you for money for the great radio

station that I am privileged to have been able to call my home base

since 1994: WFMU.

WFMU is 100 percent listener-supported (i.e., we accept no government or

corporate funding and aren't beholden to The Man in any of his nefarious

guises). It's a gem of a station with lots of mind-blowingly fantastic

programming (try Kevin Nutt's "Sinner's Crossroads," Thursday nights at 7,

or Rex's "Fool's Paradise," Saturday afternoons at 1, if your mind needs

a good blowing). Once a year, we ask our listeners to give something back.

It's a simple symbiotic relationship: We play you amazing music all year

long; you fork over a little green to keep that happening. The money we

raise covers our operating costs. Our goal this year is $1.2 million.

And we make it worth your while by giving away all kinds of cool prizes

and premiums. This year I'm offering a CD I've assembled called MO' SOUNDS

FROM MO' SHADOWS OF MOTOWN: 26 SOUL OBSCURITIES ON TINY DETROIT

LABELS. It's volume 4 of my never-ending effort to document a bit of the

greatness of under-the-radar soul 45s from my hometown, and it's yours

for a tax-deductible pledge of $75 during my show. At the risk of sounding

immodest, I'd say it's essential listening for all residents of the greater

Soulville area.

Do you listen to podcasts of my show? Those are available thanks to the

generosity of our listeners. Has a song you've heard me play on the radio

made you dance around the kitchen with your toddler or your cat? Your pledge

pays for our transmitter upkeep and makes that possible. Are you a record

collector in a foreign land who's heard me play something obscure via our

live stream or our archives and subsequently decided that you simply must

add that 45 to your collection? Please consider making a donation--and

I'll do my best to ensure that you add a zillion more items to your wants

list in the coming year!

Please bear in mind that as of this June, I will have been providing you with

soul for FIFTEEN YEARS! Care to offer the station, say, a hundred bucks a

year as thanks? Don't worry: We're happy if you can spare just $15, too.

(Special message to New Yorkers: We especially need you this year, as it's

our last chance to pay for a transmitter booster that will enhance our signal in

Manhattan [!] and Brooklyn.)

Thank you for all past and future pledges.

Your devoted soul slinger,

Mr. Fine Wine

SEE MUCH MORE INFO AT WWW.WFMU.ORG

PLEDGE ONLINE ANYTIME AT WWW.WFMU.ORG

or call 800-989-9368

My Marathon shows:

Friday, March 6

Friday, March 13

7 to 8 p.m. U.S. Eastern time

(I'll also be cohosting Rex's show Saturday, March 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. and

Michael Shelley's show Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

This station is really worth checking out if you haven't already done so. Great back catalogue of shows/dj's at the touch of a mouse button.

I always find underplayed and new sounds from here, and the podcasts are to die for.

Ps. I don't and never have worked for this station, just an avid listener.

All the best Mr Fine Wine, long may WFMU reign.

Haydn

Thanks, Haydn! Tell Beethoven the news.