The Quiet One

Columbus music and culture

Q-FM-96 Hometown Album Project

Considering that three of the acts would go on to sign major-label deals and that the first pressing of 5,000 copies quickly sold out, I feel comfortable saying that the Q-FM-96 Hometown Album Project is the most successful compilation of Columbus music—both commercially and artistically—ever released. While we’re fortunate today to have great non-commercial stations that still support local music, like WCBE , this project happened before deregulation hollowed out commercia

Drew Layman

Jan 128 min read

McGuffey Lane – Let The Hard Times Roll

McGuffey Lane ’s third album was a crucial period of the band’s Atco Records era. The band had mixed feelings about the direction taken...

Drew Layman

Jun 7, 20254 min read

McGuffey Lane – Aqua Dream

By the spring of 1981, McGuffey Lane was flying high. Their self-titled debut continued to sell briskly after being reissued on Atco....

Drew Layman

Feb 3, 20236 min read

Spittin' Image

Spawned from the same thriving music scene at Zachariah’s Red Eye Saloon, Spittin’ Image’s rise to a major label deal would follow many parallels with that of McGuffey Lane. A well distributed and good selling self-released debut. Good regional airplay and the backing of local radio and TV. Each had a track on QFM’s first Hometown Album Project . In the late ’70s and early ‘80s, they were The Beatles and Rolling Stones of the Columbus rock scene. Spittin' Image Spittin' Image

Drew Layman

Feb 17, 20225 min read

The Triumph, Tragedy and Longevity of McGuffey Lane

I was picking up carry out on a recent random weekday evening. The juke box at Villa Nova was blaring McGuffey Lane’s “ Long Time Lovin’ You ” while a handful of folks at the bar sang along loudly. It’s a rare and great accomplishment to write a song that hits enough of a nerve to make it onto the charts, but writing a song that people still sing along to 40 years later? That is something very special indeed. McGuffey Lane McGuffey Lane ATCO - SD 38-133 1980 McGuffey Lane’

Drew Layman

Apr 1, 20214 min read

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