The great Rick Sklar, who programmed the old WABC New York to become the highest rated Top 40 radio station in history, (it’s said it was only #4 – in Pittsburgh!) told the story of how Elton John – who was notorious for trying get every nickel out of every record - once sent the P.D. a huge cake.
 
Written in icing were the words, “Elton’s ‘Grow Some Funk Of Your Own’ Is The Next Huge Hit!” When the 45 bombed a few weeks after its release, Sklar received another cake. This time, the icing said “Ignore Previous Cake!”
 
I love that story and it shows what lengths artists and record companies will sometimes go to, to get radio attention for their latest release. (Bob Seger famously wrote a song called “Rosalie” about CKLW music whiz Rosalie Trombley, hoping to get her to play his music when the Big 8 was #1. It didn’t work.)
 
All of which brings us to Sir Bob Geldof, who has now revealed the bizarre way he tried to get disc jockeys to pay attention to The Boomtown Rats, before they exploded onto the scene with “I Don’t Like Mondays.”
 
Needless to say, he should have rethought the idea.
 
Sir Bob Geldof once sent 1,000 dead rats to radio DJs

(And exactly how DO you place such an order with the N.Y. Sanitation Dept? I would have loved to be in the office when that call came in!)