THE AUDIO VAULT
Below is a highly eclectic collection of MP3 audio clips I either had something to do with or knew someone who did. Where applicable, I've added a brief description and/or credits to the many talented folks who contributed to these amazing (and sometimes amazingly off-the-wall!) works of audio art. I thank them all for allowing me to share their inspirations!
WUVA radio -- Charlottesville, Virginia
WUVA radio -- Charlottesville, Virginia
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» Official Start of FM Operations (Sign-On)
Summer, 1979. After an 8-year saga, WUVA finally receives a commerical FM license from the FCC. Yours truly was honored to be the first voice on the new FM channel. (I was working in Ohio at the time, but produced this piece in advance and shipped it back to Charlottesville for the Big Day). Excessive use of signal processing (compression) was considered a laudable attribute "back in the day..." ;) |
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» 55th Anniversary Retrospective Montage
For the station's 55th anniversary in 2002, WUVA legends Lee Whitney and Steve Taylor cut together this and the following series of station "highlights"... |
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» Airchecks from the 1960s
A compilation of WUVA student airchecks from the 1960s, also edited by Lee Whitney and Steve Taylor for WUVA's 55th anniversary celebration. |
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» Airchecks from the 1970s
Another Whitney/Taylor edit, this one of 70s-era airchecks, also for the 55th, composed primarily from stuff I sent Lee and Steve for the occasion. |
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» Newscasts, Sportscasts and Editorials
Yet another stellar Whitney/Taylor edit. Some amazing history, and some really quaint and corny stuff, too! |
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» Local commercials (all student-produced)
Whitney/Taylor edit (also for the "55th") of student-produced "spots" from the 60s and 70s. |
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» Concert commercials (also all student-produced)
One more Whitney edit for the "55th" -- the biggest names in music all came thru Charlottesville at some point in their careers. |
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» Coverage of the U.S. Bicentennial Festivities in Charlottesville (1976)
Ed Swindler, Jean "Mom" McNair, Odessa Harris and yours truly, reporting on a VIP-filled week during the July, 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebration. |
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» Coverage of the opening of the Washington, DC Subway System
Three-part special report by WUVA's John Krout on the opening of the first Metro segment in D.C. |
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» WUVA station promos (the 'Foeller B.S. promos', versions 1 and 2)
Ward Foeller cut this now-legendary promo together. God only knows how many hours he spent in the editing room. It's a tour-de-force of what could be done back in the reel-to-reel era! |
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» WUVA promo for Star Trek Interview Special
Oh, how I wish we still had the actual program! WUVA's John Krout interviewed Issac Asimov (sci-fi author and futurist), William Shatner (who played Capt. James T. Kirk) and Majel Barrett (series creator Gene Roddenberry's wife, who also played a supporting role as Dr. McCoy's nurse). This was the promo for the show -- a bit long on the excerpt from the show, but still … legendary stuff! |
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» Tongue-in-cheek WUVA News report about Lefevre Dorm Toilet Overflow
Everybody has to start their career somewhere, right? Here's how it happened for WUVA's Joel Rubin [later a reporter for WAVY/Hampton Roads, host of the long-running WVEC/Norfolk program "On the Record," founder of the Rubin Communications Group, and now a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame]. Now you know The Rest of the Story about how Joel got his illustrious start in Virginia media! [Rated PG-13 for language] |
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» VIDEO EXTRA: "WUVA at 65"
For WUVA's 65th Birthday celebration in 2013, I cut this collection of historic WUVA images to a montage of songs featuring "radio" in the title and/or lyrics. |
» VIDEO EXTRA: "WUVA at 60"
Harrison's reprise of his National History Day project chronicling the history of WUVA, remixed for WUVA's 60th Birthday Bash in 2008. |
And now … Presenting Uncle Funky's Platter Platoon …
Ah, yes, who could forget Uncle Funky's Platter Platoon? The zenith of the Disco Era occurred around 1976, while yours truly was at UVa, and being the inveterate capitalists that we were, there was a buck to be made by spinning the disco hits for area fraternities, sororities, dorm councils and so on. And, of course, with a mighty radio media outlet at our disposal to provide "free" promotion, who would resist the opportunity to produce LOTS of Platter Platoon promos...? (You'll have to forgive the excessive re-use of the same sliced-n-diced music beds; hey, there were classes to attend, papers to write, and EXAMS to take, too, y'know!)
The first promo, below, actually predates the naming of the DJ service as the Platter Platoon. The name and logo were the genius of Chris Loye, a roommate of mine at the infamous Wanton Hall on 14th Street. Before Sir Christopher came up with the far better brand, we simply called it the "WUVA PartyMaker..." ;)
Ah, yes, who could forget Uncle Funky's Platter Platoon? The zenith of the Disco Era occurred around 1976, while yours truly was at UVa, and being the inveterate capitalists that we were, there was a buck to be made by spinning the disco hits for area fraternities, sororities, dorm councils and so on. And, of course, with a mighty radio media outlet at our disposal to provide "free" promotion, who would resist the opportunity to produce LOTS of Platter Platoon promos...? (You'll have to forgive the excessive re-use of the same sliced-n-diced music beds; hey, there were classes to attend, papers to write, and EXAMS to take, too, y'know!)
The first promo, below, actually predates the naming of the DJ service as the Platter Platoon. The name and logo were the genius of Chris Loye, a roommate of mine at the infamous Wanton Hall on 14th Street. Before Sir Christopher came up with the far better brand, we simply called it the "WUVA PartyMaker..." ;)
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» WUVA Promo | Platter Platoon at AEPi »»»
The fraternity knew a good thing when they saw it. We drew quite a crowd, so we became 'regulars' at AEPi. They actually began throwing open parties; we suspected they were using the proceeds to restock the House treasury!) » ... and the BEST for LAST: Actual 'aircheck', Platter Platoon gig »»» This was the event at the AEPi fraternity at the corner of Rugby Road and Grady Avenue. Yours truly on the mic, making a fool out of himself …! |
Other WUVA Tidbits ...
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» 'All Nighter' Poster Promo
During exam weeks, we ran a modified air shift where, if you didn't happen to have an exam, you pulled bizarre six and even 12-hour on-air marathons. Chris Loye produced an excellent poster for the occasion in 1976, and this "hey, wow, man, cool..." promo encouraged the masses to come an' get 'em... |
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» WUVA Public Service Announcement
Another example of the "hey, wow, man..." school of announcing. Cheech and Chong would be proud...! |
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» WUVA News story about the Architecture School 'Regatta'
Hey, if you have a P.R. mouthpiece at your disposal, you use it, right? I managed to get myself interviewed on WUVA news, and essentially got a free commercial for the Architecture School's cardboard boat regatta (I was an "A-School" kid...) |
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» And those infamous Concert Promos …
Anybody with a razor blade, splicing tape and an editing block lived for the opportunity to do concert promos. Here are but two examples, for concerts by the Steve Miller Band and The Spinners, two very hot acts of the day … |
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WOUB | Athens, Ohio
My first paying radio job out of grad school: Station manager for the all-news NPR station at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio -- an impressive operation, despite the rural location. However, having a gorgeous fiancee 1200 miles south tends to readjust your priorities, so I lasted a year in the cold Ohio winter and then headed back to Florida to get hitched to the gal o' my dreams! ;) |
» "The Harrisburg Tapes" :: When the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear fiasco was breaking news, the satirists on our staff stormed the production studio and went to town... |
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WPFL | Winter Park, Florida
WPFL was my high school's 10-watt FM powerhouse. Here, I talked the kindly Ed Owens, program director at WCHV, Charlottesville, into doing a series of break-liners (to run between songs), so that our li'l 10-watter would have "The Voice" of a 50-kilowatt FM blowtorch! ;) |
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From sources varied, unknown, and known …
» Wacky EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) Tests Those of you old enough to remember what an EBS test was (and how ominous a legitimate one actually sounded like!) will appreciate these wonderful send-ups. Not sure if these were considered "legal" substitutes for the real thing, but they became legendary in the radio biz throughout the 60s and 70s... |
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» The Saga of "9-Double-O-Radio"
This fictional radio audience research 'documentary' achieved legendary status among programmers and marketeers in the radio business during the 1970s. Listen and you'll understand why! |
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» Aircheck, WCFL (AM) Chicago | "The Demise of WCFL"
Anyone in Top 40 radio in the early 70s had to be heartbroken when this happened. This is an aircheck of the station's final hours as one of the nation's preeminent top 40 stations, hosted by legendary "SuperJock" Larry Lujack, immediately before a management-mandated switch to an 'elevator music' format. |
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» Deb on the Air | WOUB (AM) Athens, Ohio (1979)
My wonderful wife was a good sport, and, at my urging, even tried her hand at radio announcing. Fortunately, her talents were better suited to television marketing, in which she ultimately made her career. |
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» VIDEO EXTRA :: The Early Days of Television
A short compilation of vintage (and in today's context, hilarious) clips from the early days of TV...aaah, to be a kid again, watching those old black-and-white (and early [awful] color) sets...! |
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Have you never been mellow?
You might call these "sonic paintings" -- audio tracks I've recorded (and in some cases, then 'looped') to capture the audio aura of interesting places and moments in time. Each one, literally, speaks for itself. Enjoy! |
