Not only do I feel fortunate to have had parents who encouraged my bourgeoning musical tastes as a kid, but I feel damn fortunate to have grown up at a time when those tastes were forged by — wait for it — radio. Really, when was the last time you heard a song on the radio and ran right to a store — not your computer — to purchase it? It’s been some time, huh? Record stores and radio/radio and record stores — that was the formula. (Insert rant against corporate suits poisoning the well here.)
A poster named Wayne over at the New Wave Outpost Message Board uploaded this radio snippet from 1979 of the WPIX Penthouse Party hosted by Dan Neer. ..and the memories trickled through. As Wayne wrote, “Listen for an early Crazy Eddie commercial, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Ian Dury, Joe Jackson, and at the tail end Meg Griffin playing The Stranglers. Plus throughout the clip some good old rock n’ roll….”
So here it is, the sound of free form radio out of New York City, circa 1979. Two words: Crazy Eddie.
