Soundcheck

At the Old Ball Game

Thursday, May 15, 2008

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the soundtrack to baseball’s seventh-inning stretch, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Today, we learn about a hit song that lost two verses en route to stardom in the big leagues. Plus: gritty blues duo The Black Keys talk about collaborating with studio wiz (and Gnarls Barkley member) Danger Mouse on the Keys' latest album, "Attack and Release."

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Listen to the whole show

Still Swinging for the Fences

This year marks the 100th anniversary of that staple of baseball’s seventh-inning stretch, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Tim Wiles, director of research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, shares the history of a hit song that somehow lost two verses on its way to the stardom in the big leagues. Wiles is co-author of the book "Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'"

Our blog: John Schaefer on "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Website
"Baseball's Greatest Hit" on Amazon.com

The Black Keys

After four albums of down-and-dirty blues tracks recorded in basements, The Black Keys teamed up with superstar producer and Gnarls Barkley mastermind Danger Mouse. The result is “Attack & Release,” a dynamic CD of blues rock that avoids the genre’s biggest pitfalls: studio polish.

The Black Keys will perform at Terminal 5 tonight at 8 p.m. (The show is sold out.) They also play McCarren Park Pool on Aug. 5

The Black Keys web site