Last Friday night in Marshfield there was a reunion of sorts for three relics of Boston rock radio. Charles Laquidara– a familiar voice on Boston radio for 35 years, in town for a 40th celebration at his old station WBCN, joined former on air talent Debbie Ullman and Sam Kopper (program director who hired both back in ‘69) on Kopper’s Friday night show on WATD-FM: Sam’s Jams – his weekly slot.
The show got off to a rocky start: Laquidara and Ullman were both running late and the Chuck Berry CD case that Kopper opened to queue the first song was empty. Three minutes to air and his cell phone went off.
It was Laquidara, his voice infused with Maui sunsets and flip-flops (he left Boston for Hawaii eight years ago). “Who’s this?” he asks casually, wanting to know if Sam needed him to do traffic, an old ploy to buy a DJ more time. He chuckled, “of course he can’t answer the phone, tell him we’re somewhere outside of Milton … on our way.”
In 1968 WBCN was transitioning from a Classical to Progressive Rock format. Kopper brought in Laquidara to replace DJ Peter Wolf who was leaving to join the J. Geils band. Kopper started out as a disc jockey but transitioned into the role of Program Director when it was discovered that he had the most engineering background.
“Although, they didn’t call me a ‘director’, I was a ‘coordinator’; no one wanted to call anyone director back then, we were radicals, living a sort of commune lifestyle…” he said. Kopper was 22 and fresh off the board at WAER – Syracuse University’s folk station.
Ullman arrives first followed minutes later by Laquidara and a friend who has driven him. As soon as they’re miked, Laquidara starts in on the traffic (south on Rte 3 on a sunny Friday afternoon), the size of his friend’s car (an SUV that, according to Laquidara, almost crushed the Prius with the “Mean People Suck” bumper sticker that was in front of them), and how he has been told the south shore is sometimes referred to as “Irish Vegas”, to which his friend off air corrects: “No, it’s Irish Riviera and Marsh Vegas.”
Like the talent gathered Friday night, WATD’s studios are not fancy; the entrance, outfitted with antique wind-up Victrola’s, a 50’s era jukebox, oriental rugs, stuffed animals (really) and more Edward R. Murrow awards than you’d expect, reminds you of a crunchy Aunt’s house on the Cape. Sure the carpet is a little worn, and the shelves are dusty, but you always have a good time when you visit.
WATD’s tower has 3000 watts compared to the major Boston stations that boast 50,000 watts. The signal, Kopper says, can be picked up from Hyannis up to South Boston – over to Canton –to Middleborough – across the bay in Salem, and although it is hard to get it in downtown Boston, you can stream it online at www.959watd.com.
You get the feeling that this is how they did their shows back in 1969, a lot of free form; topics ranging from the recent Democratic debate (their consensus on the moderators: pathetic), the question of whether or not you can differentiate between vinyl or CD (consensus: yes –vinyl sounds better), then talk shifts to Laquidara’s need for food “Let’s only take calls for food, if you have food we’ll talk to you,” he says. A man in Marshfield calls in claiming to have an 11-pound lobster in the pot.
Later Peter Wolf calls and in Kopper’s frenetic dash to put him on hold while setting up Stevie Wonder on the turntable, he loses the call. The ‘News Dissector’ from their old show, Danny Schechter calls in and Kopper takes down his number, telling him:
“If you don’t hear from us in six minutes, call back, we’ve been talking a lot and I want to play two songs in a row.”
Kopper apologizes because, he says, his show normally adheres to a steady rotation of rock with minimal interruption. So Friday night’s show is out of the ordinary — unscripted, a bit chaotic, and impromptu. It’s exactly what Kopper was going for.
Kopper gets excited when talking about 2008’s version of the ‘establishment’: “Corporate rock radio, the management – they’re stuck in the past – they think they’re losing listenership to I-pod’s and satellite radio – they believe the loss is due to technology but it’s about content.”
“Classic radio theatre – theatre of the mind – is about a real human connection – the dj relating his/her passion for the music and turning listeners on to new music, making a personal connection – taking people on tours of great music – reminding them of great stuff that they may have forgotten,” said Kopper.
After one caller is put on hold so that Kopper can have him make his request live, he loses the call on air and puts another caller through.
Laquidara tries to convince the new caller to request the song that the previous caller wanted to hear because that’s what Kopper has queued up.
“I’d like to hear ‘Fat Man in the Bathtub’,” she says. Friendly, but she isn’t taking the bait.
Laquidara, buying Kopper time as he searches his laptop for Little Feat, asks her: “What are you wearing?” “I’m in Scituate,” she says.
Kopper has found the song and Jeanne from Scituate is another satisfied customer.
Kopper says listenership across the board on corporate radio is down. “Commercial radio is free yet has seen a 40% decline in audience –meanwhile NPR – which is primarily news – their audience has climbed by 65%. It’s not about words vs. music, it’s about compelling, interesting programming.”
But will there be an audience for this type of radio? Kopper thinks so. “Baby Boomers and many gen-x’rs have fond memory for radio and music of that time – fact is a large percentage of boomers also like new music – they’re taste in music did not freeze in 1988, our ears are still wide open,” says Kopper. Bringing together some old time Boston radio personalities like Laquidara and Ullman and throwing in some younger talent, he sees an audience out there for this new fusion style radio.
Schechter commented on the unique air sound of BCN in the 70’s and 80’s – touting it as a freer medium. When asked by Kopper where he thought radio was going, he said: “I see a revival coming. People want to be the media.”
Amy van Aarem can be reached @ amyvanaarem@hotmail.com
Tags: 60's, Boston, DJ, Entertainment, Laquidara, Music, Radio, Rock
