On that day in 1968 when I volunteered at WBAI to fight my boredom that summer,
they put me to work stuffing envelopes. Little did I know soon I would be doing a radio
show of my own and meeting musical artists as cool as Carly Simon.
I had been listening to late night radio as a teen it was my passion. I was up till all
hours, my imagination fueled by these late night call-in shows pioneered by WBAI. Bob
Fass, Charles Pitts, Steve Post these were the hosts of the aftermidnight programming
that invented the term free-form radio in the 60's .A Listener Supported radio station,
donated by industrial tycoon Louis in 1959, BAI had become a stonghold of left wing
movement. These shows had left leaning politics..Abbie Hoffman told Bob Fass's
listeners nighly what to expect in the Chicago 8 trial, while Bob Dylan showed up to
entertain in earlier days. Many shows rallied against the Vienam War. Charles Pitts
championed 'Gay rights'.But no organization other than the foundation Pacifica, that
was created to hold the station controlled the airwaves . Because WBAI had no
censoring sponsors, they frankly aired all commentators (none of that pre-air screening
that has evolved). Though the obscenity laws required a DIGITAL DELAY, the method
of beeping curse words at BAI was threaded tape through one recorder to record and
another in the next rack over would play bak--If someone cursed, you just lifted the
head cover quicky enough and the recorded curse never played into the second deck's
play head. The Station was at 39th and Park when I first showed up, but by the time I
left in 1972, WBAI had purchased a 3 story church at 359 East 62nd street (NOW the
site of BETA house II). The staff renovated and outfitted with equipment (these were
beatiful new studios) and moved in early in 1971.
WBAI constucted a giant studio in the new church that could host 250 spectators
and called it Free Music Store. One of my favorite concerts featured Suzanne Ciani
('Energized for Life' -for Eveready) playing the Buchala Music Synthesizer
that she built in the Buchala Electronic Music Labs in California The Free Music Store
also featured Mother Mallard's
5 Moog synthesizer orchestra that predated Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk.
WBAI was a community center in some ways and the Free Music Store featured David
Bromberg, David Amram, Buzzy Linhart, Happy and Artie Traum and other New York
Scene musicians. Political organizers and folks like Abbie Hoffman and Julius Lester
hosted left wing oriented 'movement' and 'yippie' discussion forums.
At this time I was given a radio show called 'Dean Street USA'(named after my Boreum
Hill digs). My frien Jed who did the show with me and I were allowed complete creative
freedom on the show which ran the gamut. We created a symphony composed of
Telephone sounds (busy signal, ring tone, etc.). I taped passengers on The Staten
Island ferry at 5am on SUNDAY morning. I mixed psychedelic rock records with nature
and electronic sounds.. making 'music concrete" for the air. I interviewed Captain
Beefheart. I called pay phones to see who would answer in Manhattan
street locations. After making almost a dozen shows, I went on to become the night
engineer for the world's first Woman's Liberation Talk show 'Electra Rewired'
I worked for Nanette Rainone, Liza Cowan and Carol Ratner, the hosts. Nanette would
be the first woman to walk into McSorley's Ale house on Dec 4 1970!
helped air this early appearance of Carly Simon who showed up before the Electra
records release of her first album to play several numbers with Jacob Brachman in the
Studio C that held an audience.
I was thrilled with anything electronic at this time in my existence...So the first
opportunity to interview Nelson Rockefeller offered me as a WBAI correspondent
was eagerly seized, but rejected by the aged politician. I did capture his speech
proclaiming April 1 1970 Earth Day in Union Square. WBAI aired my report , marred by
protesters who chanted 'rockefeller is a pig' audibly while he spoke.
I covered several such events before volunteering to the Music department, where I and
Richard Meisel, my high school buddy created a symphony of blips recorded over the
telephone that played in a series of John Cage influenced shows entitled Audio
Organdum. We also got to perform 'Cereal Music' the sounds of a breakfast
feast broadcast live with Philip Corner, a composer of minimalist works.
During the once-a-year fundraiser called 'the Marathon' the whole staff and us
volunteers ceased regular programming and pitched for listener support over a 3 week
period. I ran the barter dept. one year, accepting goods and putting them up for auction
on the air...getting myself first access to a belt driven turntable and a integrated amp
..you paid to WBAI and picked up the gear at the station. During the marathon WBAI
had me pick up an acetate disc for the radio station from John Lennon's Apple records
made for WBAI by John and Yoko. Directed to late night host Bob Fass, the disc was a
copy of 'Imagine' two weeks before release. A suitable pressed replacement was
obtained by the station in a few weeks, So I took the acetate intended for Bob home,
only to auction it off many years later in 1985 before there was an EBAY at Sotheby's.
One busy night at Electra Rewired, Andy Warhol Superstars Jackie Curtis, Holly
Woodlawn and their pals stopped by. I became their host as Radio Unnameable had
ceeded to Electra Rewired on Bob Fass wouldn't be back till Tuesday eve.Mondays.
Meanwhile, Electra Rewired had featured Electra's Carol Hall and Karin Berg (A&R) and
had done some shows to advance 'women in the music business' already.
The WBAI Free Music Store was a fantastic concert series held in the WBAI Church's
Studio C, among other locations in NY City, and featured a wide range of performers
and genres.
I remember David Bromberg, David Amram, comedian Brother Theodore and dancer
Daniel Nagrin.
Danny Cornyetz 12-05-08