Murakami Radio First Episode: Running Songs, Jazz and Listener Questions

Murakami Radio First Episode: Running Songs, Jazz and Listener Questions

Every long-running show has a first night, and the Murakami Radio first episode is a charming one. In 2018, Haruki Murakami took to the airwaves as a DJ for the first time, bringing records and CDs from home and chatting for 55 minutes about the music he runs to. This post summarizes the broadcast, lists the songs, and shares the best moments.

Context: a novelist behind the microphone

Murakami opens by saying many listeners are hearing his voice for the very first time. His plan is simple: play favourite songs, talk a little, and answer questions. Being a former jazz bar owner, he is perfectly at home with records, and the theme of the night is "Music Murakami listens to while running". If you want to know how he ended up writing, our post on his move from jazz bar owner to author tells that story.

What makes good running music?

Murakami explains how running became part of his life: after closing the jazz club he gained weight, quit smoking and started jogging. Running needs almost no equipment and can be done alone at any time. He carries songs on iPods (he mentions having several), and he gives a surprisingly simple recipe for running music. Avoid difficult music, keep the rhythm steady, and choose songs you can hum along to that feel encouraging. Check out our post on the fuel to Murakami's writing for more on his routine.

Stories behind the songs

  • "Madison Time". The theme tune, performed live by Donald Fagen in New York in 2003. Murakami recalls that as a serious teenage jazz fan he wondered why jazz musicians recorded such commercial music, though now he enjoys how it loosens the body.
  • Brian Wilson's Disney medley. He loves the Beach Boys and shares that Brian grew up near Anaheim, close to Disneyland. He admires Brian's sensitivity and is amazed he survived.
  • King Pleasure, "D.B. Blues". A showcase of vocalese (lyrics added to a jazz solo). The song is based on a Lester Young tune, and "D.B." stands for disciplinary barracks, since Young served time in an army prison.
  • The Animals, "Sky Pilot". A 1968 anti-war hit with bagpipes. It was too long for one side of a single, so it was split into two parts, and radio DJs had to flip the disc themselves.
  • George Harrison, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". Murakami links the title to Terence Rattigan's play The Deep Sea (the draft says "Terrence Rattigan"), which he read at 18.
  • Ben Sidran and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". He met Sidran at a Copenhagen jazz club; later Sidran mailed him CDs, including a Bob Dylan tribute he loved.

Listener questions

Co-host Miyu Sakamoto reads questions from listeners. Highlights:

  • Funeral music? He jokes about the Bee Gees, then says he would rather have quiet. He likes listening hard while alive and sleeping quietly after.
  • Life without music? Never fully, but while living in Europe in the 1980s, when he wrote Norwegian Wood and Dance Dance Dance, he relied on a Walkman and the morning run.
  • Music or cats? He declines to choose, saying either/or answers can lead to regret.
  • Band name? He once suggested "Whirlpool" to a friend starting a band in the early 80s, and the friend was not amused.
  • Pen name? He never planned to be a novelist, but feels shy when his name is called at a hospital.

One of his best remarks: he learned writing from music, specifically rhythm, harmony and free improvisation, rather than from other novelists. He also says writers need strong legs, since stamina carries the sentences, and recalls interviewing John Irving while running in Central Park.

Jazz, memory and a very Murakami teenage moment

Between songs he drifts into memories. At 15, around 1964, he attended a concert by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, a rare chance since jazz musicians seldom toured Japan then. He calls it the moment his life got "messed up", meaning he was hooked on jazz for good. In high school in Kobe he ran a mountain race, and he laughs about classmates cheering from the roadside, one telling him not to overdo it.

He also shares that he has driven a two-seat open car for over twenty years and likes to sing along with the top down. Add the news that he once interviewed John Irving on a run through Central Park in 1984, and you get a very clear picture of why running, music and writing are tangled together for him. For a wider look at his daily routine, see the goodies Murakami can't toss out.

Murakami Radio first episode tracklist

  1. "Madison Time": Donald Fagen
  2. Disney medley (including "Heigh-Ho", "Whistle While You Work" and a pirate theme): Brian Wilson
  3. "Surfin' U.S.A.": The Beach Boys
  4. "D.B. Blues": King Pleasure
  5. "Sky Pilot": Eric Burdon and The Animals
  6. "My Way": Aretha Franklin (in response to a listener question)
  7. "What a Wonderful World": Joey Ramone
  8. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea": George Harrison
  9. "Knockin' on Heaven's Door": Ben Sidran
  10. "Light My Fire": Helmut Zacharias

He ends with a favourite quote from Sly Stone: he makes music for everyone, so nobody feels singled out.

FAQ

When did Murakami Radio begin?

Murakami Radio began in 2018, and this was his first-ever broadcast as a radio host.

What is the theme of the first show?

"Music Murakami listens to while running", mostly steady, hummable songs.

Where can I read more about the other episodes?

Try our posts on the Beatles night and the Stay Home Special.

Final thoughts

What we love is how relaxed he sounds: no big speeches, just a music lover sharing. What would be on your running playlist, Harukists?

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