The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Give Me A "Break!" How To Get To The Bathroom When You're On Air

**Posted by RadioActive** May 23, 2025 10:34 am

John Tory briefly mentioned on Friday a spot break that was long enough for him to race down the hall at CFRB and get to the john (not capitalized!) while still allowing him to come back in time to keep the show going. That was followed by a list of songs music radio plays for a DJ doing the show solo who needs to use the facilities while a tune is playing.

Tory noted "Stairway To Heaven" and "Hey Jude" as two classic examples made for a bathroom break. His producer suggested "American Pie."

There are others, depending on what type of format you're using. Richard Harris' "MacArthur Park" is another example. It goes on forever - 7:21! I'm sure there are other "sure fire" pee break songs.

I think it might be easier on a classical music station like 96.3 - some of those compositions seem to go on for eternity. You could be playing one of Beethoven's movements, while having one of your own!

In all the years I spent behind a board, I don't think I ever got "short taken" as they say. But it was always a worry. (Although with automation, it's a lot easier now than it used to be, because the computer could take your place - a song, jingle and another song and you're back.)

Did you have a (you should pardon the expression) "go"-to song you would play if it happened to you?

**Posted by km93** May 23, 2025 10:41 am

The ones mentioned here are under 10 minutes, how about "Do You Feel Like We Do" or "The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys"?

**Posted by RadioAaron** May 23, 2025 10:42 am

Worked at a station once where the bathrooms were quite the distance from the studios, and the studio block protected with swipe card access. The bathrooms had speakers and you could select which station you wanted playing.

Even with automation, more than once an announcer forgot to "leave it in auto" and heard their own dead-air while on the throne. Not a very dignified sprint back to the other end of the bulding.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** May 23, 2025 11:19 am

Both studio locations I worked at required a passcard to get back from the bathroom. I know a few people got caught out.

I used to use a variety of long classic rock tunes to either relieve myself or leave the studio early at the end of the shift. I lived pretty close to work so I would often be home before that song ended. Working in news/talk, during the top hour news was the only chance to go so my system adapted to that.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (May 23, 2025 11:28 am)

**Posted by RadioActive** May 23, 2025 11:30 am

I recall an instance from CKTB that didn't involve a bathroom break but rather a snack one. The host, Tom McConnell, was doing his show remotely and relying on his producer to make sure everything ran smoothly.

The producer, normally a very competent guy, was feeling peckish, so during a longish spot break, he ducked out to his car to get some Pepperettes, which he'd left in the glove compartment. You can imagine his horror to discover he'd accidentally left his pass key inside and the doors had locked behind him. There was no one else there at the time and he couldn't get back in.

Meanwhile, McConnell, who has no idea what happened, begins talking after the break ends, only to realize he's not on air. He frantically calls the studio but no one answers. After about eight minutes of dead air, the show resumed.

How did he get back in? Luckily for him, the station's engineer lived about a block away. He called the guy and the tech raced over, opened the door and the show carried on.

The only reason I know this is because McConnell had his operator go on mic the next day and explain to listeners why there'd been such a giant gap in the show and what happened. Both wound up having a good time with the incident, but I'm sure it wasn't fun while it lasted!

And the moral of the story is always bring your Pepperettes into the building with you. You never know when they'll save you from disaster.

**Posted by Buzzy Krumhunger** May 23, 2025 12:30 pm

Gotta go on the overnight shift?
Three tunes on carts, station ID and turntable.
God bless the inventors of the end of cart silent tone and the sequencer. Play your cards (or carts) right and you could enjoy fifteen minutes in the bog.

**Posted by BossRadio** May 23, 2025 12:57 pm

As a baby-rock jock doing overnights in Regina, I was thrilled to discover carts with seg' tones, and a cheap AM radio acting as a monitor in the washroom. What a concept! The evening jock and I both lived in the same apartment tower, a quick run up the road, 9 blocks from the station. He used to get a kick out of how he could be out the door, in his car,and walking in his front door before Lightfoot's 'Edmund Fitzgerald was ending, and the TOH ID ran.

**Posted by newsguy1** May 23, 2025 2:51 pm

I really don't want to think about Beethoven's movements.

**Posted by Forward Power** May 23, 2025 3:16 pm

Though I didn't work with carts or fully manual operations, some of those "bathroom songs" we had at our rock station 20+ years ago included the full album versions of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", "Fool's Overture" by Supertramp, and GnR's "November Rain".

In college, when working summer shifts on the campus-based FM station with a rock/alternative format, long songs were great for hitting the hourly national newscasts from BN on weekday afternoons. Won't forget one time, using The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" for perfect timing to BN.

**Posted by km93** May 23, 2025 3:25 pm

Forward Power wrote:
Though I didn't work with carts or fully manual operations, some of those "bathroom songs" we had at our rock station 20+ years ago included the full album versions of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", "Fool's Overture" by Supertramp, and GnR's "November Rain".

In college, when working summer shifts on the campus-based FM station with a rock/alternative format, long songs were great for hitting the hourly national newscasts from BN on weekday afternoons. Won't forget one time, using The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" for perfect timing to BN.

Right- the full length of November Rain is almost 9 minutes, guess I'm so used to hearing the single version.

**Posted by mace** May 23, 2025 6:06 pm

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida works too.

**Posted by Muffaraw Joe** May 23, 2025 7:06 pm

What about McCarthur Park by Richard Harris and the long version of Papa was a Rolling Stone, the intro alone will let you have a quick tinkle and hit the post!

Here is the Richard Harris song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwYQgk05DY

Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (May 23, 2025 7:07 pm)

**Posted by Binson Echorec** May 23, 2025 9:15 pm

km93 wrote:
Right- the full length of November Rain is almost 9 minutes, guess I'm so used to hearing the single version.

????

No single edit was ever officially released.

**Posted by Jody Thornton** May 23, 2025 9:42 pm

Binson Echorec wrote:
km93 wrote:
Right- the full length of November Rain is almost 9 minutes, guess I'm so used to hearing the single version.
????

No single edit was ever officially released.

Was there not an edit provided on the Warner CD Compilations that were sent to stations?

**Posted by Binson Echorec** May 23, 2025 10:37 pm

Jody Thornton wrote:
Binson Echorec wrote:
km93 wrote:
Right- the full length of November Rain is almost 9 minutes, guess I'm so used to hearing the single version.
????

No single edit was ever officially released.
Was there not an edit provided on the Warner CD Compilations that were sent to stations?

Ooh, possibly and I'd attribute that to a label decision, not a band one.

The CD single contains the full length version. I once owned a bootleg that has a four minute acoustic guitar demo as well as a full length piano only demo.

I recall an Axl interview where he ranted about radio stations cutting the extended piano from "Layla". November Rain has a similar outro, almost like he was taunting radio to cut it.

**Posted by mic'em** May 24, 2025 6:52 am

Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler worked for me in an AC format.

**Posted by The Weed** May 24, 2025 12:47 pm

Anything For Love - or really any Jim Steinman anthem.

**Posted by Forward Power** May 24, 2025 4:01 pm

The Weed wrote:
Anything For Love - or really any Jim Steinman anthem.

That reminds me... besides that track, which clocks in at nearly twelve minutes on Spotify, numerous other Meat Loaf songs would qualify, e.g. "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (eight and a half minutes) or all 9:50 of "Bat Out Of Hell", among other Steinman opuses.

Last edited by Forward Power (May 24, 2025 4:09 pm)

**Posted by turkeytop** May 24, 2025 7:15 pm

Alice's Restaurant. -Arlo Guthrie (18 min 34 sec.)

**Posted by Doug Thompson** May 24, 2025 7:44 pm

Going back to the mid '60s as a board operator at CHUM when we were still playing 45's, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" worked for almost anything you needed to do. Also Marty Robbins oldie, "El Paso" worked as well.