Mike Duke, K5XU wrote:
Will anyone else here admit to listening to Beaker Street, hosted by Clyde
Clifford on KAAY?
Hi Mike,
Ironically, it was only about a day ago that I shot an email off to
Duane, W8DBF who is also a blind ham, on the topic of "Beaker Street" on
KAAY. He'd had an inquiry about an unusual talking blues tune about
the boxer Jack Johnson that someone thought was done by Ray Stevens. I
can only guess, but whoever would confuse Jaime Brockett with Ray
Stevens must have been partaking of the same "rope" that the first mate
did. For those who think this is nuts and off-topic, you're at least
half right - but "The Ballad of the USS Titanic" was one of many obscure
yet great tunes that worked their way into my impressionable young
consciousness by way of the 50,000 watt voice of KAAY, Little Rock in
the late '60s, and the late-night album-oriented rock program called
"Beaker Street". It was the first "underground music" program on an AM
blowtorch and, to pull things slightly back toward topic, the host,
Clyde Clifford was the name a real person - but not the one playing the
music. Clyde W. Clifford was the comptroller general of LIN
Broadcasting, owners of KAAY, and it was an inside joke that DJs would
pick their air names from the "suits". The real name of the guy who
did the show was Dale Seidenschwarz and his HAM callsign is WA5AVA.
"Clyde" held a First Class Radiotelephone license, required to run a
50,000 watt AM station in those days, and got his start as a transmitter
engineer!
Those "head bangers" don't have anything on the Beaker Street gang!
Indeed not! And if you're not aware, "Beaker Street" can still be heard
on Sunday nights on KKPT 94.1 in Little Rock, or via streaming audio on
the web. http://www.beakerstreet.com/ Now instead of covering half a
continent, the program can be heard anywhere in the world, but it's just
not the same without the selective fading and QRN. (You can also find
playlists and downloadable programs in MP3 format on the site) As
Clyde himself says, "what a long strange trip it's been"!
73, Bob W9RAN
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