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Beaker Street - KAAY, Little Rock in the late 60s - early 70s
Posted on 12/23/14 at 2:20 pm
Posted on 12/23/14 at 2:20 pm
If you are we under 45 years old you missed listening to the radio program Beaker Street on KAAY out of Little Rock. It was a late night, headphones on, listening experience......album rock before album rock was the thing. DJ Clyde Clifford's slow pace, as opposed to fast talking DJs, and that eerie space music in the background between songs were half the experience, with introduction to full album versions of songs you never heard on traditional radio being the other half.
Here's the Wikipedia description of this epic radio program.
"Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central US. Beaker Street began on Little Rock, Arkansas 50,000 watt AM radio station KAAY late in 1966 and ran through 1972. Beaker Street pre-dated the FM radio boom of the mid-1970s and foretold the rise of Album-oriented Rock and Classic rock formats.
Dale Seidenschwarz, aka Clyde Clifford, was the prototype of the laid-back late-night radio DJ, known for the very long pauses in his speech.
Among the more memorable details of this radio program were the interludes of eerie sound effects and a background of space music between songs. These background sounds were necessary to mask the noise of the transmitter since the program originated at KAAY's transmitter location in Wrightsville, AR rather than in the station's broadcast studios in downtown Little Rock.
Here is a typical playlist from a Beaker Street program:
Big Brother and the Holding Company "Piece of My Heart" from Cheap Thrills
Black Oak Arkansas "Lord Have Mercy on my Soul" from Black Oak Arkansas
Bloodrock "D.O.A." from Bloodrock 2
Captain Beyond "Dancing Madly Backwards" from Captain Beyond
Cream "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" from Disraeli Gears
Creedence Clearwater Revival "Susie Q(unedited)" from Ccr
Deep Purple "Child in Time" from In Rock
The Doors "Light my Fire" from The Doors
Frijid Pink "House of the Rising Sun" from Frijid Pink
Grand Funk Railroad "Closer to Home(unedited)" from Closer to Home
Iron Butterfly "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
It's a Beautiful Day "White Bird" from It's a Beautiful Day
Jefferson Airplane "Plastic Fantastic Lover" from Bless Its Pointed Little Head
Jethro Tull "Nothing Is Easy" from Stand Up
Jimi Hendrix "Third Stone From The Sun" from Are You Experienced
King Crimson "21st Century Schizoid Man" from In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition
Led Zeppelin "Moby Dick" from Led Zeppelin II
Mason Proffit "Two Hangmen" from Come & Gone
Neil Young "Cinnamon Girl(unedited)" from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Rare Earth "Get Ready(unedited)" from 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best of Rare Earth
Santana "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts / Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen" from Abraxas
Spirit "Prelude - Nothin' To Hide" from 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus
The Who "The Acid Queen" from Tommy
Traffic "40,000 Headmen" from Welcome to the Canteen
War "Spill the Wine(unedited)" from Eric Burdon Declares War
Here's the Wikipedia description of this epic radio program.
"Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central US. Beaker Street began on Little Rock, Arkansas 50,000 watt AM radio station KAAY late in 1966 and ran through 1972. Beaker Street pre-dated the FM radio boom of the mid-1970s and foretold the rise of Album-oriented Rock and Classic rock formats.
Dale Seidenschwarz, aka Clyde Clifford, was the prototype of the laid-back late-night radio DJ, known for the very long pauses in his speech.
Among the more memorable details of this radio program were the interludes of eerie sound effects and a background of space music between songs. These background sounds were necessary to mask the noise of the transmitter since the program originated at KAAY's transmitter location in Wrightsville, AR rather than in the station's broadcast studios in downtown Little Rock.
Here is a typical playlist from a Beaker Street program:
Big Brother and the Holding Company "Piece of My Heart" from Cheap Thrills
Black Oak Arkansas "Lord Have Mercy on my Soul" from Black Oak Arkansas
Bloodrock "D.O.A." from Bloodrock 2
Captain Beyond "Dancing Madly Backwards" from Captain Beyond
Cream "Tales Of Brave Ulysses" from Disraeli Gears
Creedence Clearwater Revival "Susie Q(unedited)" from Ccr
Deep Purple "Child in Time" from In Rock
The Doors "Light my Fire" from The Doors
Frijid Pink "House of the Rising Sun" from Frijid Pink
Grand Funk Railroad "Closer to Home(unedited)" from Closer to Home
Iron Butterfly "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" from In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
It's a Beautiful Day "White Bird" from It's a Beautiful Day
Jefferson Airplane "Plastic Fantastic Lover" from Bless Its Pointed Little Head
Jethro Tull "Nothing Is Easy" from Stand Up
Jimi Hendrix "Third Stone From The Sun" from Are You Experienced
King Crimson "21st Century Schizoid Man" from In The Court Of The Crimson King: 30th Anniversary Edition
Led Zeppelin "Moby Dick" from Led Zeppelin II
Mason Proffit "Two Hangmen" from Come & Gone
Neil Young "Cinnamon Girl(unedited)" from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Rare Earth "Get Ready(unedited)" from 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best of Rare Earth
Santana "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts / Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen" from Abraxas
Spirit "Prelude - Nothin' To Hide" from 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus
The Who "The Acid Queen" from Tommy
Traffic "40,000 Headmen" from Welcome to the Canteen
War "Spill the Wine(unedited)" from Eric Burdon Declares War
This post was edited on 12/23/14 at 5:27 pm
8
Posted on 12/23/14 at 2:23 pm to NorthTiger
CSB
Wish things like this were more common today.
Maybe somewhere their is this kind of radio program?
Radio DJs suck now a days.
Wish things like this were more common today.
Maybe somewhere their is this kind of radio program?
Radio DJs suck now a days.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 2:38 pm to NorthTiger
Was a listener in early 70s, I first heard the Allman Brothers and Yes on Beaker Street. He played the full side of Whipping Post from the Filmore East LP, never heard anything like it before, went out the next day and bought a turntable and the LP. Was also the first time I ever heard Roundabout by Yes, opened up a different world of music for me.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 2:58 pm to EA6B
Wow. That's awesome that you guys remember that. It was the soundtrack of part of my childhood.
As for someone doing one like this in this day and age, a buddy of mine "Filthy" Phil Eubanks does a Beaker Street inspired show (available for download) called Plastic Magic Radio. His blog (with episodes, playlists, and other ramblings) is located here:
LINK /
As for someone doing one like this in this day and age, a buddy of mine "Filthy" Phil Eubanks does a Beaker Street inspired show (available for download) called Plastic Magic Radio. His blog (with episodes, playlists, and other ramblings) is located here:
LINK /
This post was edited on 12/23/14 at 2:59 pm
Posted on 12/23/14 at 3:01 pm to hogfly
This is interview (conducted by a local arts 'zine) is posted up on his blog. I'm quoting the pertinent parts:
quote:
How did you make the leap from eccentric record collector to eccentric record collector with a radio show?
I have always wanted to do a radio show. I grew up listening to Clyde Clifford’s “Beaker Street” radio show on Magic 105 out of Little Rock in the ‘80s. And decided if I ever got the opportunity I would like to be like that.
Any specific story behind the name “Plastic Magic”?
When the show first went on the air in November 2008, I called it “Cruisin’ With Filthy Phil.” The next morning after the first show I woke up from a dream that my radio show was called “Plastic Magic,” meaning records are made of plastic and well I guess the magic is self-explanatory.
Each episode of “Plastic Magic” is pretty unique in regard to the music played – how do you generally decide on a playlist for each show?
As for a playlist, I pick out songs for the show during the week and I have no idea what order to play them in until I get to the studio. Then I just sort of feel my way through the show as it is happening. Sometimes it is planned around a holiday or something but most of the time I’m just trying to find things I haven’t played yet. A lot of times it is showing something I just found.
The original idea was to never play the same thing twice. That hasn’t remained, but to my credit it is hard to remember now if I have or haven’t played certain things, sometimes someone will request to hear something I’ve already played and some things simply deserve to be heard again.
What made you decide to focus on this ‘60s/’70s/garage/psych/etc. area of rock and roll?
Of all the phases in music from punk to ‘50s doo wop to alt country to outlaw country to jazz to blues to whatever, I decided on the Vietnam-era 1965-73 acid rock because for one it is one of the most artistically interesting and seems almost endless of material. This was actually my first love in music because of my brothers and as far as putting on a radio show this was the deepest well in my collection. So in a way this also brought me back sort of full circle. And also was the hope that I might do for some kid what Clyde Clifford did for me with “Beaker Street.”
This post was edited on 12/23/14 at 3:02 pm
Posted on 12/23/14 at 3:41 pm to hogfly
The songs I remember hearing for the first time:
Jethro Tull - "Aqualung"
Steppenwolf - "Monster"
James Gang - "Stop" all ten minutes of it.
Hogfly - as I said in my original post.....Clyde Cliffords slow pace and that background space music made the show. You can easily find replays of those shows. Still, there was nothing like laying in bed, dark room, headphones on listening to that stuff. This small town boy felt like he was in another universe.
Jethro Tull - "Aqualung"
Steppenwolf - "Monster"
James Gang - "Stop" all ten minutes of it.
Hogfly - as I said in my original post.....Clyde Cliffords slow pace and that background space music made the show. You can easily find replays of those shows. Still, there was nothing like laying in bed, dark room, headphones on listening to that stuff. This small town boy felt like he was in another universe.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 4:49 pm to NorthTiger
quote:I think you mean under 45.
If you are over 45 years old
Small quibble, but still have fond memories of KAAY riding the skywave into central Miss'ippi. Also remember Bobby Reno talking about the influence of 1090 on New Orleans radio at the time.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 4:51 pm to NorthTiger
I loved that show, listened to it a lot in the early-mid 70s when I was in high school. They used to have album giveaways and I won a Foghat album one time. Some of the best AOR in this area.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 6:23 pm to MountainTiger
Late 60s, I was about 10. Had a mini portable radio. Would take it to bed and listen to Beaker Street. Was an amazing radio station. Only one I've ever found better is WWOZ.
Posted on 12/23/14 at 7:54 pm to NorthTiger
quote:
Clyde Cliffords slow pace and that background space music made the show.
this ....
and of course being turned on to Black Sabbath for the first time
the fading in and out was awesome
Posted on 12/23/14 at 8:09 pm to Pepe Lepew
KAAY Clear Channel Radio! Thanks for posting the footprint map. 50,000 Watts. Clear Channel meant that no other station could be on that frequency after dark.
I loved the music and so did my youthful peer group.
I called the station one night feeling right. I talked to Clyde and I remember asking him about Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He said he liked them.
It was a real easy conversation.
Here's the man.....
LINK
I loved the music and so did my youthful peer group.
I called the station one night feeling right. I talked to Clyde and I remember asking him about Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He said he liked them.
It was a real easy conversation.
Here's the man.....
LINK
Posted on 12/23/14 at 10:41 pm to NorthTiger
That's cool.
I remember WRNO in New Orleans used to have a program on Sunday nights that would play albums in their entirety. I used to listen with my older brother and go my introduction to Robin Trower, Jeff Bech, Uriah Heep and Emerson Lake and Palmer.
I remember WRNO in New Orleans used to have a program on Sunday nights that would play albums in their entirety. I used to listen with my older brother and go my introduction to Robin Trower, Jeff Bech, Uriah Heep and Emerson Lake and Palmer.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 6:40 am to NorthTiger
Could pick it up late at night in Mobile, Al. Great station.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 8:19 am to nc14
The eerie noises were whale calls if I remember correctly.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 8:50 am to NorthTiger
quote:
KAAY, Little Rock in the late 60s - early 70s
I grew up in a small town. One of my fondest memories is "riding around" town an into the country listening to KAAY on the radio. If you "enhanced" your perception while listening, it was transcendent.
Clyde Clifford and, yes, the effects helped make the show, even though the music was the real attraction. Just the other day I heard Court of the Crimson King" and it brought back some great memories. I must have listened to that track hundreds of times on KAAY.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 9:36 am to VOR
First song I heard on Beaker St, The Narrow Way, pt 4, Pink Floyd. Was blown away that any radio station would play that. This was when radio stations were exciting. We didn't have the access to all music the way we do now. It's a lost time & will never return buy man was it great at that time. Also, The Beaker Theater came on after Beaker St. That was awesome as well.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 12:12 pm to Johnnie10lb
The interview link I posted above includes the genesis of the program's name...Beaker Street.
Posted on 12/24/14 at 12:26 pm to ItzMe1972
Posted on 12/24/14 at 5:51 pm to VOR
I listened to this station in north La. in the late 60's while in high school. Loved it late at night right before going to sleep.
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