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Subtitles by explosiveskull
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A part of the daily routine
of many Long Islanders has come to an end.
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00:00:19,967 --> 00:00:23,367
Those who regularly tuned in
to 92.7 on their radio dials
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00:00:23,367 --> 00:00:25,232
to listen to the station WLIR
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00:00:25,234 --> 00:00:28,232
will no longer
find that station broadcasting.
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00:00:28,234 --> 00:00:29,998
Loraine Foley explains why.
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As the clockneared 6:00 last night,
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the WLIR DJs were saying their
last farewells to their listeners.
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It was the Garden City radio
station's last day on the air
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after losing a five-year battle
to keep their 92.7 frequency.
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Definitely accept
no imitations.
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Remember, there is only one WLIR,
the original new music station.
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It's a groovy thing.
We are off the air,
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as we know it.
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♪ And now, the end is near
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♪ And so I face
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♪ The final curtain
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♪ Unintelligible
19
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♪ I'm not a queer
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♪ I'll state my case,of which I'm certain
21
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♪ I've lived a life that's full
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♪ I've traveled eachand every highway
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♪ And more,much more than this
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♪ I did it my way ♪
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There wasn't that many, wasn't that
many people playing, playing our records
26
00:02:03,667 --> 00:02:07,998
on the radio, then just college stations.
Things like WLIR and stuff.
27
00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:17,667
They introduced bands that nobody in
the country was playing, not on radio,
28
00:02:17,667 --> 00:02:20,065
not on television, nowhere.
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I don't think MTV would've been
possible in the way that it was
30
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if LIR hadn't preexisted it,
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because what they did,
especially in the New York area,
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was they identified
an audience for MTV.
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00:02:30,834 --> 00:02:33,867
And I know that for a fact.
And, you know,
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it's just one of those things
where, you know,
35
00:02:35,834 --> 00:02:37,365
what came first,
the chicken or the egg.
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In this case, it's clear, you know.
LIR came first and they played music
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that nobody would play.
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They were finding the records. They were
finding the bands and taking chances
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00:02:47,667 --> 00:02:49,832
and putting those bands
on the air.
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00:02:49,834 --> 00:02:54,832
If I had found
LIR when I was 13,
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I would've felt
42
00:02:56,534 --> 00:03:00,466
that I had found Disneyland,
43
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but it was a radio station.
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This is studio C.
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This is studio B.
46
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Sharon's a virgin.
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It's her first time
on the airline.
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00:03:19,134 --> 00:03:20,698
This is
highly classified information.
49
00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:22,667
This is
where it all happens.
50
00:03:27,034 --> 00:03:31,065
I know, we can have fun.
We can have fun without him.
51
00:03:31,067 --> 00:03:34,065
♪ Yesterday I got so old
52
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♪ I felt like I could die
53
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♪ Yesterday I got so old
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♪ It made me want to cry ♪
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If you were to ask me which
bands LIR broke in this country,
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that is a very long list.
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Echo and the Bunnymen.
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00:03:51,101 --> 00:03:52,965
- The Clash.
- The Pretenders.
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And The Replacements.
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Talking Heads,
Blondie.
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00:03:55,134 --> 00:03:57,665
The Smiths.
We were the first to play Madonna.
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00:03:57,667 --> 00:03:59,466
Spandau Ballet
and Go West.
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00:03:59,468 --> 00:04:01,865
U2, I mean,
the station had impeccable taste.
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00:04:01,867 --> 00:04:03,832
We broke Adam Ant.
There's no question about it.
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00:04:03,834 --> 00:04:05,667
Psychedelic Furs.
Alphaville.
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00:04:05,667 --> 00:04:07,667
The Alarm.
Wang Chung and ABC.
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00:04:07,667 --> 00:04:09,134
Nobody else
was playing these bands.
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00:04:09,134 --> 00:04:10,301
Human League.
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00:04:10,301 --> 00:04:12,667
We played Prince
before anybody else.
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00:04:12,667 --> 00:04:15,865
Wall of Voodoo with, you know,
♪ I'm on the Mexican Radio ♪
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00:04:15,867 --> 00:04:18,165
- XTC and Gang of Four.
- REM.
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00:04:18,167 --> 00:04:19,798
Depeche Mode.
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00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:21,832
Joan Jett and the
Ramones, they were like our house bands.
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00:04:21,834 --> 00:04:25,199
First Erasure
then Assembly, Yaz.
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00:04:25,201 --> 00:04:27,468
- Squeeze.
- Big Audio Dynamite.
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00:04:27,468 --> 00:04:28,967
Paul Young, Howard Jones.
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00:04:28,967 --> 00:04:31,132
First stationto play Roxanne by The Police.
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Pet Shop Boys,
West End Girls.
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- I Want Candy.
- 99 Luftballons.
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00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,765
- Tin Tin, Kiss Me.
- Rock Lobster.
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00:04:36,767 --> 00:04:37,667
Rock the Kasbah.
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Electric Avenue.
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00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,698
♪ We're gonna rock down to
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Video Killed the Radio Star.
Don't Change.
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00:04:43,667 --> 00:04:45,165
There is a
Light that Never Goes Out.
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00:04:45,167 --> 00:04:46,132
- Blue Monday.
- Sunday Bloody Sunday.
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Burning Down the House.
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00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,800
- Talk Talk by Talk Talk.
- Girls on Film.
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00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:50,365
Pride In the Name of Love.
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00:04:56,667 --> 00:04:57,667
Hi, this is Dave Garvin.
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00:04:57,667 --> 00:04:58,667
Depeche Mode.
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00:04:58,667 --> 00:05:00,099
Chris and Neil
of the Pet Shop Boys.
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00:05:00,101 --> 00:05:01,832
- Billy Idol.
- Flock of Seagulls.
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00:05:01,834 --> 00:05:04,534
- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
- Elvis Costello.
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00:05:04,534 --> 00:05:06,399
- Hey, this is Fred of B-52's.
- Fred!
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00:05:06,401 --> 00:05:10,667
This is Robert from The
Cure and you're listening to 92.7 LIR.
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One day
you were listening to LIR
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and then the next day you went
to turn it on and it was gone.
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00:06:12,101 --> 00:06:16,232
Once you get over the bridges
and the tunnels and you come to Long Island,
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00:06:16,234 --> 00:06:19,832
up until just recently, this was all
farmland. This is where vegetables
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00:06:19,834 --> 00:06:24,767
and fruits were grown for WWI and WWII.
After WWII, people started to migrate
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00:06:24,767 --> 00:06:27,998
from the city
out to the suburbs.
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LIR was a very prestigious FM,
the first stereo FM on Long Island.
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00:06:33,101 --> 00:06:35,832
The "LIR" actually stood for
Long Island Radio,
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00:06:35,834 --> 00:06:39,733
and the station, it was in
Hempstead, in a very low-income area.
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00:06:44,234 --> 00:06:49,265
Now this is Thomas Alva
Edison's original copy machine here.
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This is the ladies' room.
Let's see if we can get lucky.
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What made LIR great
was we didn't have anything.
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We had nothing.
We had old turntables...
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00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,698
Now I'm picking up the tone
arm, putting it on the LP...
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00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:07,201
We had a console
that had knobs.
112
00:07:11,967 --> 00:07:14,731
We had old cart machines
and tape recorders,
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all that stuff,
and it forced you to be more creative
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because all of this equipment
was working against you.
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00:07:24,468 --> 00:07:29,000
We were truly underground. You had to,
like, really tune the radio station
116
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just to get the darn thing.
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We had this tiny clock radio in our
kitchen. And I'm fiddling around
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with the sta... With the, with the
radio, you know, and you hear all static
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00:07:37,900 --> 00:07:40,299
and
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00:07:40,301 --> 00:07:44,365
And suddenly, real static-y,
I could hear Bananarama singing,
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♪ Really saying something ♪
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I was like...
And I'm fiddling around,
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fiddling around until
I got to hear a clear signal,
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00:07:52,967 --> 00:07:55,167
and I looked. It was 92.7.
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00:07:55,167 --> 00:07:57,332
♪ Bop bop shooby doo wop
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00:07:57,334 --> 00:08:00,199
It's always a joke to us like,
especially East Villagers.
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00:08:00,201 --> 00:08:04,065
We had to do all these crazy things to
just get the station in, to tune it in.
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00:08:16,201 --> 00:08:18,199
You're running it
up your like, TV antennae,
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00:08:18,201 --> 00:08:20,067
got it covered
in aluminum foil.
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00:08:20,067 --> 00:08:22,067
Sometimes you had to tilt
your radio
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to a certain angle to get it.
132
00:08:23,401 --> 00:08:25,798
It depended on the day,
the night,
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00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:27,267
the clouds,
the moon, location.
134
00:08:29,733 --> 00:08:31,798
♪ I found a picture of you ♪
135
00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,466
It was kind of like a sport.
How and where can you hear LIR?
136
00:08:35,468 --> 00:08:39,265
My friends at Montclair State
University, they would vie
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00:08:39,267 --> 00:08:43,865
for the eastern dorms because in those
eastern dorms, that's where you had
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00:08:43,867 --> 00:08:48,299
the LIR reception. So you were actually
more popular of a college student
139
00:08:48,301 --> 00:08:50,898
if you got
one of those eastern dorms.
140
00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:53,532
We spent many hours listening to
LIR, thanks to that antenna.
141
00:08:53,534 --> 00:08:56,365
I grew up in New Jersey,
so I couldn't always get the signal.
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00:08:56,367 --> 00:08:59,900
There'd be times in the city I would
actually get the signal. There'd be times
143
00:08:59,900 --> 00:09:02,800
on the Jersey Shore where I
would actually get the signal,
144
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,932
but the signal kind of would
always be coming in and out.
145
00:09:04,934 --> 00:09:07,199
Mick told me he could
only get it in the shower and he had a,
146
00:09:07,201 --> 00:09:09,800
a radio you could listen to in the shower.
And I'm thinking
147
00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,101
there's Mick jumping around the shower
trying to pick up the radio station.
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00:09:17,667 --> 00:09:22,466
It was a small signal.
It was a Class A, 3,000 watt signal.
149
00:09:22,468 --> 00:09:25,332
But in the biggest media
market in the world,
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00:09:25,334 --> 00:09:30,665
stations like
WAPP The Apple, WPLJ
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00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:35,466
and WNEW.FM, they would've had the
equivalent of 50,000 watt signal
152
00:09:35,468 --> 00:09:38,301
and LIR wouldn't have
had that advantage.
153
00:09:39,867 --> 00:09:42,199
And we faded back in again.
154
00:09:42,201 --> 00:09:45,532
Hi. This is Part 2
of the tour of WLIR.
155
00:09:45,534 --> 00:09:48,468
I'm Ben Manilla...
And you're not.
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00:09:48,468 --> 00:09:50,134
That's not a new joke, is it?
157
00:09:50,134 --> 00:09:51,199
No.
158
00:09:51,201 --> 00:09:52,532
Come this way.
159
00:09:52,534 --> 00:09:54,199
Have you met
Larry "The Duck" Dunn?
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00:09:54,201 --> 00:09:57,099
He's our latest
disc jockey here on WLIR.
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00:09:57,101 --> 00:09:59,165
Hello.
Is Dianne Ikerd of East Meadow there?
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00:09:59,167 --> 00:10:00,165
- Yes.
- Hi.
163
00:10:00,167 --> 00:10:02,032
This is Larry the Duck
from LIR 92.7.
164
00:10:02,034 --> 00:10:03,301
Oh, my god! Larry!
165
00:10:06,101 --> 00:10:09,134
And this Tuesday night,
it's the Donna Donna Spotlight Dance Dance
166
00:10:09,134 --> 00:10:13,365
at the loop from the station that
dares, LIR 92.7, good morning.
167
00:10:13,367 --> 00:10:18,265
At 92.7 WLIR.FM, it's the station
that dares to be different. I'm Malibu Sue.
168
00:10:18,267 --> 00:10:20,332
Long Tall Andy here.
Delphine Blue.
169
00:10:20,334 --> 00:10:21,832
...and I'm Bob Marrone.
170
00:10:21,834 --> 00:10:23,165
- I'm Ben Manilla.
- ...and I'm Bob Waugh.
171
00:10:23,167 --> 00:10:24,199
- You're with Nancy...
- I'm DJ Bird...
172
00:10:24,201 --> 00:10:26,165
I'm Barry Ravioli with you...
173
00:10:26,167 --> 00:10:27,132
My name is Max...
174
00:10:27,134 --> 00:10:28,598
Steve Jones with you...
175
00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,998
I'm Denis McNamara.
Billy Idol is telling us some truths
176
00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:32,865
here at WLIR 92.7.
177
00:10:32,867 --> 00:10:34,165
How's it going, Bill?
178
00:10:34,167 --> 00:10:35,566
It's goin' all right.
179
00:10:35,568 --> 00:10:37,000
As you got
involved in music, who were the,
180
00:10:37,367 --> 00:10:41,365
the people you respected the most? Who
were the, heroes, the people whose music...
181
00:10:41,367 --> 00:10:46,332
Denis McNamara at LIR
had a real vision. You know,
182
00:10:46,334 --> 00:10:50,032
that was the thing that changed radio.
It was a vision.
183
00:10:50,034 --> 00:10:52,967
One thing about
Denis McNamara, what his voice meant,
184
00:10:52,967 --> 00:10:56,299
it was the Walter Cronkite of rock,
you know. Like, you had to hear this guy,
185
00:10:56,301 --> 00:10:57,865
if he said you're okay,
you're okay.
186
00:10:57,867 --> 00:11:00,365
Denis, you're a music
guy, you know, and you can tell.
187
00:11:00,367 --> 00:11:01,967
And I think it's
really something
188
00:11:01,967 --> 00:11:03,201
special to say that you know,
189
00:11:03,201 --> 00:11:07,367
so many of these songs,
people heard
190
00:11:07,367 --> 00:11:09,665
because it came
through your station.
191
00:11:09,667 --> 00:11:14,998
Without guys like Denis McNamara,
that whole New Wave thing
192
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,367
with The Police, and The Go-Go's and R.E.M.
and XTC, that, that wouldn't have happened.
193
00:11:19,367 --> 00:11:23,566
I first came to
WLIR in late '74,
194
00:11:23,568 --> 00:11:24,932
I was 22 years old.
195
00:11:24,934 --> 00:11:30,932
I started out as a part-timer,
as you did back then on the Overnight,
196
00:11:30,934 --> 00:11:33,566
and that would run generally
from 1am to 6am.
197
00:11:33,568 --> 00:11:36,199
I can remember
getting in the car and going,
198
00:11:36,201 --> 00:11:39,232
"Oh, my God, I'm gonna be on the radio,"
even though I'd been on the radio
199
00:11:39,234 --> 00:11:42,201
in NYU and all that,
I was gonna be on a real radio.
200
00:11:43,167 --> 00:11:44,665
I was hired by Elton Spitzer.
201
00:11:44,667 --> 00:11:46,367
He had become the owner
of the station
202
00:11:46,367 --> 00:11:49,932
a year or two previous,
'72, '73.
203
00:11:49,934 --> 00:11:53,665
I got there in '74 and really,
204
00:11:53,667 --> 00:11:56,900
I owe Elton everything,
for having the faith in me.
205
00:11:58,101 --> 00:12:00,067
How long
has LIR been on the air?
206
00:12:00,667 --> 00:12:03,667
19, 1959, it came on.
207
00:12:03,667 --> 00:12:09,332
It was the first stereo FM station
from Long Island in history,
208
00:12:09,334 --> 00:12:13,667
and it was really,
you know, an MOR station,
209
00:12:13,667 --> 00:12:14,898
I think they called them
at the time,
210
00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:18,267
"middle of the road." So it
played a combination of show tunes
211
00:12:18,267 --> 00:12:21,299
and light, classical music.
212
00:12:21,301 --> 00:12:23,566
In the early '70s,
they changed format
213
00:12:23,568 --> 00:12:27,667
and became a progressive rock
station, the first one in Long Island.
214
00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:31,165
And they played you know
the Beatles, the Stones,
215
00:12:31,167 --> 00:12:33,165
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,
216
00:12:33,167 --> 00:12:34,934
Joni Mitchell...
217
00:12:34,934 --> 00:12:38,434
It was a pretty,
I won't say traditional rock station,
218
00:12:38,434 --> 00:12:41,965
but it was a rock station.
We called ourselves
219
00:12:41,967 --> 00:12:43,667
"Long Island's original
rock station."
220
00:12:43,667 --> 00:12:46,434
That was our signature tagline
at the time.
221
00:12:48,234 --> 00:12:50,299
♪ If I had my way...
222
00:12:50,301 --> 00:12:54,132
We used to make fun of it, call it
Atlanta Northeast because the station
223
00:12:54,134 --> 00:12:58,499
really championed a lot of Southern
rock, whether it was Charlie Daniels
224
00:12:58,501 --> 00:13:00,667
or The Allman Brothers,
or Marshall Tucker Band...
225
00:13:04,468 --> 00:13:07,399
You'd find stations
in America that would play
226
00:13:07,401 --> 00:13:09,099
nothing but
Stairway to Heaven all day.
227
00:13:09,101 --> 00:13:15,365
You couldn't skip a channel without
hearing Stairway to Heaven again.
228
00:13:15,367 --> 00:13:18,365
And you know, it's not that I have
anything against the song, but it was,
229
00:13:18,367 --> 00:13:21,532
it was literally
on every channel all the time.
230
00:13:21,534 --> 00:13:26,199
And Bruce Springsteen
sort of had taken over
231
00:13:26,201 --> 00:13:29,000
almost the entire
country's airwaves.
232
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,399
And there wasn't really
anything much new being played.
233
00:13:32,401 --> 00:13:35,334
I started hearing about this
music coming out of England
234
00:13:35,334 --> 00:13:36,532
and I had to
get my hands on it.
235
00:13:36,534 --> 00:13:37,731
I had to hear
what it sounded like
236
00:13:37,733 --> 00:13:41,698
and also figuring
which ones we could play,
237
00:13:41,700 --> 00:13:45,532
but it wasn't easy to get
a hold of the records,
238
00:13:45,534 --> 00:13:48,299
and also,
it wasn't easy to fit it in
239
00:13:48,301 --> 00:13:51,731
with what else we were playing at
that time and make it stand out.
240
00:13:51,733 --> 00:13:54,798
I told Denis McNamara
we gotta change the format.
241
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:59,466
I can't stand listening to,
to Bruce Springsteen,
242
00:13:59,468 --> 00:14:02,365
Charlie Daniels, The Beatles,
The Monkeys...
243
00:14:02,367 --> 00:14:05,865
These 100,000 watt radio
stations were taking away
244
00:14:05,867 --> 00:14:10,132
all the advertising dollars
from, from little LIR.
245
00:14:10,134 --> 00:14:14,434
We had to do something, no question.
I mean, we were screwed.
246
00:14:17,201 --> 00:14:22,232
♪ Hey! Ah... Eighties,I'm living in the Eighties ♪
247
00:14:22,234 --> 00:14:24,532
There are a lot of radio
stations in New York, right?
248
00:14:24,534 --> 00:14:26,099
You're talking
like, Clone Zone...
249
00:14:26,101 --> 00:14:27,798
Clone Zone, all those
radio stations up top the dial...
250
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,399
- Uh-huh.
- ...who are all playing the same five records.
251
00:14:30,401 --> 00:14:32,067
- I don't know, I haven't listened lately.
- I know.
252
00:14:32,067 --> 00:14:35,132
A record like this one here, like REO
Speedwagon, Roll with the Changes.
253
00:14:35,134 --> 00:14:36,765
Roll with... Yeah.
254
00:14:36,767 --> 00:14:40,067
You wanna see what I think of REO
Speedwagon, Roll with the Changes?
255
00:14:40,867 --> 00:14:42,032
Yes!
256
00:14:42,034 --> 00:14:45,733
This is WLIR,
the new music station.
257
00:14:46,733 --> 00:14:48,399
All aboard!
258
00:14:48,401 --> 00:14:51,733
Broadcasting from the heart of
Long Island, starting now!
259
00:14:51,733 --> 00:14:56,134
This is the new 92.7 LIR.
260
00:15:07,301 --> 00:15:10,332
♪ On the floors of Tokyo
261
00:15:10,334 --> 00:15:12,667
♪ Or down in London town
to go go
262
00:15:12,667 --> 00:15:14,667
♪ With the record selection
263
00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:18,365
♪ And the mirror's reflection,I'm a-dancing with myself
264
00:15:18,367 --> 00:15:20,667
♪ When there's no one elsein sight
265
00:15:20,667 --> 00:15:23,667
♪ In the crowded lonely night
266
00:15:23,667 --> 00:15:26,667
♪ Well, I wait so longFor my love vibration
267
00:15:26,667 --> 00:15:28,765
♪ And I'm dancing with myself
268
00:15:28,767 --> 00:15:32,499
When they changed format
in the middle of 1982,
269
00:15:32,501 --> 00:15:34,265
it was a huge change.
270
00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:36,832
It was an earthquake
seismic activity.
271
00:15:36,834 --> 00:15:40,800
♪ Oh, dancing with myself,oh, oh.
272
00:15:42,534 --> 00:15:45,499
♪ If I lookedall over the world ♪
273
00:15:45,501 --> 00:15:49,667
The sort of mainstream American
music was very much caught up in
274
00:15:49,667 --> 00:15:53,265
what was now the end of a decade,
the '70s, and kind of it had turned
275
00:15:53,267 --> 00:15:57,165
into almost Muzak to us.
276
00:15:57,167 --> 00:15:59,667
It was, it was all
very lightweight rock,
277
00:15:59,667 --> 00:16:03,731
you know, R-O-K as well,
it wasn't rock and roll. It wasn't sexy.
278
00:16:03,733 --> 00:16:07,765
It wasn't, it wasn't breaking new bounds.
It wasn't saying anything dangerous.
279
00:16:07,767 --> 00:16:12,201
It wasn't... It had no new fashion
sense, it was all caught up,
280
00:16:12,201 --> 00:16:16,665
and very much... This is the early
days of the '70s and you were watching
281
00:16:16,667 --> 00:16:20,932
that burn out really, and it was boring
us to death. And there was someone
282
00:16:20,934 --> 00:16:24,998
like WLIR willing to sort of
put uson their radio playlist,
283
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,665
and open our music
284
00:16:26,667 --> 00:16:31,665
up to a load of young kids who would
then come to New York and say to the DJs,
285
00:16:31,667 --> 00:16:34,665
I wanna hear Dancing With
Myself by Billy Idol,
286
00:16:34,667 --> 00:16:37,667
or I wanna hear
Homo Superior
287
00:16:37,667 --> 00:16:39,865
from Pete Shelley from the Buzzcocks.
I wanna hear this new music.
288
00:16:39,867 --> 00:16:43,365
I wanna hear Joy Division.
I wanna hear Human League.
289
00:16:43,367 --> 00:16:46,499
It was all very much being fueled
in the sort of English dance clubs
290
00:16:46,501 --> 00:16:49,932
and there it's being reflected in
American dance clubs on radio playlists.
291
00:16:49,934 --> 00:16:52,698
At the few radio
stations in America,
292
00:16:52,700 --> 00:16:55,832
that were playing
post-punk music like WLIR.
293
00:16:55,834 --> 00:16:59,432
I think it fueled the beginning
of the '80s and set the pace.
294
00:16:59,434 --> 00:17:03,332
The two biggest bands in the world
were The Beatles and The Stones,
295
00:17:03,334 --> 00:17:07,065
and they were sort of,
the hallmark of any radio station,
296
00:17:07,067 --> 00:17:11,434
and we took that idea and changed
it to The Clash and The Police.
297
00:17:15,334 --> 00:17:17,998
It was sort of a stab
in the heart for our kind of music,
298
00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,665
because we had a great relationship with
LIR and it just went out the window.
299
00:17:22,667 --> 00:17:24,432
They played our kind of music,
and then they didn't.
300
00:17:24,434 --> 00:17:26,665
It was like a betrayal.
301
00:17:26,667 --> 00:17:28,998
"Did you hear what LIR did?
They went over to all that shit music."
302
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,434
You know? That's the way our
fans felt about it, you know.
303
00:17:32,434 --> 00:17:35,967
But you had the younger generation,
the younger kids they thought that was it.
304
00:17:35,967 --> 00:17:40,798
They didn't wanna listen to their, their
parent's music or their older brother's music.
305
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,401
They wanted something
for themselves.
306
00:17:59,334 --> 00:18:04,566
♪ Two dozen other dirty loversMust be a sucker for it ♪
307
00:18:04,568 --> 00:18:08,834
The difference between radio in England
and America was quite a difference.
308
00:18:08,834 --> 00:18:11,731
We grew up as kids through
the '60s and the '70s
309
00:18:11,733 --> 00:18:14,566
with one radio station,
the BBC.
310
00:18:14,568 --> 00:18:18,731
We had Radio 1 for young people,
Radio 2 for older people,
311
00:18:18,733 --> 00:18:21,566
Radio 3 for even older people and
Radio 4 for even older people.
312
00:18:21,568 --> 00:18:24,501
So there was one radio station
you pretty much cared about.
313
00:18:24,501 --> 00:18:28,566
There was the sense that the BBC,
which was really an institution in Britain
314
00:18:28,568 --> 00:18:31,665
was pretty much governed by a
half-dozen sort of middle-aged
315
00:18:31,667 --> 00:18:33,865
you know,
programmers and producers.
316
00:18:33,867 --> 00:18:36,365
In a way, it was a sort of
government-backed monopoly.
317
00:18:36,367 --> 00:18:39,499
And Radio 1 on the BBC
and Top of the Pops,
318
00:18:39,501 --> 00:18:42,665
which was the weekly TV show,
basically ruled the charts.
319
00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:46,466
I mean, you couldn't have a hit
without getting on Top of the Pops.
320
00:18:46,468 --> 00:18:50,731
Getting radio airplay, of course,
in a UK context was really very difficult
321
00:18:50,733 --> 00:18:54,865
because if you were in the Top
30, you could get on,
322
00:18:54,867 --> 00:18:58,466
but you know, back then
most people will be
323
00:18:58,468 --> 00:19:02,698
three or four records before you
could maybe get a Top 30 success.
324
00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:07,032
We didn't have money to buy airplay,
which is what the majors did.
325
00:19:07,034 --> 00:19:10,900
We, we had to rely on
enthusiasm and good ideas and,
326
00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:14,665
and, hoping that someone would actually like
our record and want to actually play it.
327
00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:18,898
I can remember walking
around London literally
328
00:19:18,900 --> 00:19:20,865
with these plastic bags
329
00:19:20,867 --> 00:19:24,566
eating into my hands, full of
records, because I wouldn't say no.
330
00:19:24,568 --> 00:19:27,731
Sunday nights at 10:00, I would host
Off The Boat which was an import show.
331
00:19:27,733 --> 00:19:30,466
And the little secret in that was
there was a record store in London
332
00:19:30,468 --> 00:19:33,532
that we did same day
shipping from Heathrow to JFK.
333
00:19:33,534 --> 00:19:35,932
We'd meet the plane
on Thursday afternoon...
334
00:19:35,934 --> 00:19:39,731
Well, we would go to the airport
to actually meet the plane bringing
335
00:19:39,733 --> 00:19:42,733
in the imports, and we'd also
use Dutch East Importers.
336
00:19:42,733 --> 00:19:46,698
Quite often, I was given
test pressings of upcoming releases
337
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:50,731
from a lot of the major labels, which we
forwarded as soon as we could over to LIR.
338
00:19:50,733 --> 00:19:52,698
And a few times
we got in trouble because of it.
339
00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:54,932
The Top 40 stations
weren't gonna touch that stuff
340
00:19:54,934 --> 00:19:58,466
until it was released domestically,
and that could take months.
341
00:19:58,468 --> 00:20:03,731
Nowadays, that, that concept
of imports it's, it's not as,
342
00:20:03,733 --> 00:20:07,932
it's not as important anymore, because on the
internet you find anything. But back then,
343
00:20:07,934 --> 00:20:11,432
you know, you were literally waiting by
the shores for the records to come in.
344
00:20:11,434 --> 00:20:12,932
And we were able to play
that first.
345
00:20:12,934 --> 00:20:18,067
The respect LIR had in England was so
amazing. Many of the record executives,
346
00:20:18,067 --> 00:20:22,532
especially if I went to visit there, would
play me the new records, they'd pull out
347
00:20:22,534 --> 00:20:26,065
test acetates of, of songs
and they'd give them to me.
348
00:20:26,067 --> 00:20:29,067
And we would get it
and we would play it.
349
00:20:39,633 --> 00:20:42,065
The first
highlight was ever playing live.
350
00:20:42,067 --> 00:20:46,898
The second one was making
a single for Mute Records.
351
00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:50,466
The third one was hearing
your record on the radio.
352
00:20:50,468 --> 00:20:53,865
You know, it was
un-fucking-believable.
353
00:20:53,867 --> 00:20:57,566
It was like,
you heard it and you go,
354
00:20:57,568 --> 00:21:00,965
you know, you want your mum to be
there because you haven't taped it.
355
00:21:00,967 --> 00:21:03,665
You haven't recorded it.
So you have to just tell her,
356
00:21:03,667 --> 00:21:06,667
Yeah. We really did get played, you know.
There's an American station,
357
00:21:06,667 --> 00:21:08,032
I mean, we live here
3,000 miles away.
358
00:21:08,034 --> 00:21:11,499
There's an American radio station
playing our friggin' record.
359
00:21:11,501 --> 00:21:15,667
We knew we'd had to have been getting
some airplay before we got here.
360
00:21:15,667 --> 00:21:18,099
So we were coming right into these markets.
We weren't too aware
361
00:21:18,101 --> 00:21:20,665
of what was going on.
We were just greenbacks.
362
00:21:20,667 --> 00:21:24,165
We were super naive.
You know, we were just South London kids
363
00:21:24,167 --> 00:21:27,132
making a, a go of things.
And what happened was
364
00:21:27,134 --> 00:21:30,099
we got an underground
dance hit here.
365
00:21:30,101 --> 00:21:33,099
So we were brought over to
really do that in the clubs.
366
00:21:33,101 --> 00:21:37,998
And at that point we realized also that, that
there were these radio stations that bore
367
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,199
no resemblance to the kind of formal,
national programming that we had in,
368
00:21:42,201 --> 00:21:43,501
in the UK.
369
00:21:59,667 --> 00:22:05,765
1981, we landed in New York for the
first time, and I can honestly say
370
00:22:05,767 --> 00:22:08,165
I've never been so excited.
371
00:22:08,167 --> 00:22:12,667
When we saw the skyline,
it was all of our dreams coming true.
372
00:22:12,667 --> 00:22:16,065
We, grown up loving
the whole New York scene.
373
00:22:16,067 --> 00:22:18,932
That whole thing
was so exciting to us.
374
00:22:18,934 --> 00:22:24,832
And when the limo turned off and it said
Manhattan this way, Long Island that way,
375
00:22:24,834 --> 00:22:28,232
our hearts sunk just for a little
minute as the skyline disappeared in,
376
00:22:28,234 --> 00:22:29,832
into the distance.
377
00:22:29,834 --> 00:22:33,165
But then we got to the
Holiday Inn in Long Island
378
00:22:33,167 --> 00:22:37,566
and there was all kinds of stuff there we'd
never seen. There was a vending machine
379
00:22:37,568 --> 00:22:40,065
that had the weirdest things
you could buy in there,
380
00:22:40,067 --> 00:22:42,998
so we spent
all our few dollars
381
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,566
just pressing the machine and
getting ridiculous things out of it.
382
00:22:45,568 --> 00:22:48,665
We were in New York just going, wow,
let's get some pizza. Let's do this...
383
00:22:48,667 --> 00:22:50,499
Everything that you could do
that was American.
384
00:22:50,501 --> 00:22:53,765
First thing we did, I think me and my
brother was walked down 42nd Street
385
00:22:53,767 --> 00:22:56,265
just to see how crazy it was.
386
00:22:56,267 --> 00:23:00,265
And then we put on HBO, because there
was TV all night here and there wasn't,
387
00:23:00,267 --> 00:23:03,299
I think, in England at the time,
TV stopped at like, 11 at night.
388
00:23:03,301 --> 00:23:07,865
We were 21, and our only
experience of America in any shape or form
389
00:23:07,867 --> 00:23:11,765
was from Marvel Comics. So the first
thing we did when we got to New York
390
00:23:11,767 --> 00:23:16,265
was go into like, a little grocery
store and buy a Hostess Twinkies bar,
391
00:23:16,267 --> 00:23:18,998
because that's what they advertised
on the back of Marvel Comics.
392
00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,165
We'd never seen them
and we took one bite
393
00:23:21,167 --> 00:23:22,898
and we realized
why we didn't really want
394
00:23:22,900 --> 00:23:24,067
to eat those anymore.
395
00:23:28,301 --> 00:23:32,332
LIR was really my first contact
with the American record scene.
396
00:23:32,334 --> 00:23:35,067
♪ I've been waitingfor so long ♪
397
00:23:36,767 --> 00:23:39,332
And there was a moment
I clearly remember it.
398
00:23:39,334 --> 00:23:42,199
Stuff had just started to
take off for me in the UK,
399
00:23:42,201 --> 00:23:45,099
I'd New Song,
went to number three.
400
00:23:45,101 --> 00:23:49,667
We got this request to do, you know,
a call from this station on Long Island.
401
00:23:51,334 --> 00:23:55,932
Then I spoke to Denis, you know,
and he was so enthusiastic about New Song
402
00:23:55,934 --> 00:23:58,265
and stuff that was just about
to come out.
403
00:23:58,267 --> 00:24:01,265
And the amazing thing
about LIR was that
404
00:24:01,267 --> 00:24:03,898
everyone was in there and making
this radio. And it, it was incredible
405
00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:07,332
and you felt so at home
when you walked in.
406
00:24:07,334 --> 00:24:09,698
I just thought,
this is the way radio should be.
407
00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:12,299
You know, Denis McNamara
and Malibu Sue
408
00:24:12,301 --> 00:24:15,367
and Larry the Duck, you know,
they became like friends.
409
00:24:15,367 --> 00:24:18,232
It was the launch pad for me
for the whole of America.
410
00:24:18,234 --> 00:24:20,698
Howard Jones was
an incredibly unique artist.
411
00:24:20,700 --> 00:24:24,698
I mean, how many single artists
that would be on stage,
412
00:24:24,700 --> 00:24:28,065
with just him and then he had
a mime with him, Jed.
413
00:24:28,067 --> 00:24:30,165
I mean, that was just,
when you, if you decide
414
00:24:30,167 --> 00:24:33,399
to call somebody up and people,
"Well, can you tell me about the act?"
415
00:24:33,401 --> 00:24:36,132
Well, it's about,
they have three semis worth of equipment.
416
00:24:36,134 --> 00:24:39,165
It's just Howard on stage with
some keyboards and he has a mime.
417
00:24:39,167 --> 00:24:41,700
You could almost hear people,
like hanging up on you.
418
00:24:48,234 --> 00:24:54,867
♪ Maha-hiyaGive it to me one time now
419
00:24:56,134 --> 00:24:58,667
It was changing
and it was changing fast.
420
00:24:58,667 --> 00:25:01,132
Record labels always
wanted us to play
421
00:25:01,134 --> 00:25:04,299
what they told us to play,
when they told us to play it.
422
00:25:04,301 --> 00:25:07,232
They had
a very specific marketing plan.
423
00:25:07,234 --> 00:25:10,132
You couldn't break something too
soon because a tour was happening,
424
00:25:10,134 --> 00:25:12,067
on this day and you had
to follow that.
425
00:25:12,067 --> 00:25:14,399
Well, most radio stations had
to follow that, but we didn't.
426
00:25:14,401 --> 00:25:18,798
♪ Relax, don't do it
When you wanna go to it
427
00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:23,099
♪ Relax, don't do it
When you wanna come
428
00:25:23,101 --> 00:25:27,299
♪ Relax, don't do it When
you want to suck it, chew it
429
00:25:27,301 --> 00:25:33,265
♪ Relax, don't do it
When you wanna come
430
00:25:33,267 --> 00:25:35,798
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
was the perfect example.
431
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,865
The scene was exploding in the UK
and Island Records was gonna bring
432
00:25:39,867 --> 00:25:43,466
that domestically to the United States,
and they had a very specific plan.
433
00:25:43,468 --> 00:25:46,199
"In four months, they're gonna
do this and six months later,
434
00:25:46,201 --> 00:25:50,965
"the band is gonna come play and that's how
we want the radio stations to fall in line."
435
00:25:50,967 --> 00:25:53,965
Well, we didn't do that. We got the
import when it was breaking in England.
436
00:25:53,967 --> 00:25:57,199
It had to be about a year,
or half a year to a year before the,
437
00:25:57,201 --> 00:26:00,898
the label's plan in the,
in the United States. Pissed them off.
438
00:26:00,900 --> 00:26:03,434
But we were buying the records.
They couldn't stop us from playing it.
439
00:26:06,867 --> 00:26:09,265
♪ But shoot itin the right direction... ♪
440
00:26:09,267 --> 00:26:13,832
There are politics behind the
scenes in this game that exist
441
00:26:13,834 --> 00:26:16,432
between the record industry
and radio.
442
00:26:16,434 --> 00:26:18,932
The running joke,
because Epic stood for
443
00:26:18,934 --> 00:26:23,265
"European Product
Ignored Completely".
444
00:26:23,267 --> 00:26:27,865
LIR went against the flow
of what everyone else was doing,
445
00:26:27,867 --> 00:26:32,800
to take a huge chance like
that on this alien music
446
00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,532
that was coming in, pre-MTV.
447
00:26:35,534 --> 00:26:39,865
Denis was very careful about
the songs that got in there.
448
00:26:39,867 --> 00:26:44,365
They had to be really, really
strong, and he had good taste
449
00:26:44,367 --> 00:26:48,932
and he had a good ear and he surrounded
himself with people that had good taste.
450
00:26:48,934 --> 00:26:51,800
What attracted me to the way Denis
operated is he wanted to know
451
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:56,466
what I thought, so we'd jump in a
car and we'd drive around in the car,
452
00:26:56,468 --> 00:27:00,967
popping in cassettes and we'd hear
25 songs to find that one gem.
453
00:27:00,967 --> 00:27:03,165
Some of the new
things that were coming out,
454
00:27:03,167 --> 00:27:05,499
that were way ahead of their
times, that were just starting
455
00:27:05,501 --> 00:27:09,199
to be released in England
or Ireland or somewhere.
456
00:27:09,201 --> 00:27:12,399
And I got this album, Boy, with this great
picture of this kid on it and I went,
457
00:27:12,401 --> 00:27:14,898
okay, and he goes,
this is a garage band,
458
00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:17,501
a band that's been together
since high school from Dublin.
459
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,232
♪ I will follow!
460
00:27:31,234 --> 00:27:35,132
Loved it. I Will Follow to this
day is one of my very, very favorite songs.
461
00:27:35,134 --> 00:27:38,898
You could just sit and listen to this,
this band that just was different.
462
00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:42,165
They were fresh, the energy,
the whole production, everything.
463
00:27:42,167 --> 00:27:46,532
Did 10 years with U2,
which was a great thrill,
464
00:27:46,534 --> 00:27:49,067
and I remember very distinctly
hearing, I Will Follow on LIR.
465
00:27:50,234 --> 00:27:52,099
First U2 song I ever heard,
466
00:27:52,101 --> 00:27:54,534
and I went,
"Wow! Who's that?"
467
00:27:54,534 --> 00:27:57,367
Music stations in, in Manhattan,
468
00:27:57,367 --> 00:28:01,234
the FM stations, were WPLJ
469
00:28:01,568 --> 00:28:04,065
and WNEW,
470
00:28:04,067 --> 00:28:07,466
and I remember that
neither of those would play U2.
471
00:28:07,468 --> 00:28:10,099
They were really
quite conservative,
472
00:28:10,101 --> 00:28:12,667
and so it was really vital
473
00:28:12,667 --> 00:28:15,667
for us that WLIR was around.
474
00:28:15,667 --> 00:28:18,434
They were about the most
traditionally set-up band
475
00:28:18,434 --> 00:28:20,667
that you could possibly
imagine, you know.
476
00:28:20,667 --> 00:28:23,299
Bass, guitar, drums
and an arrogant singer.
477
00:28:23,301 --> 00:28:25,665
In the best possible way,
a showman.
478
00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:30,232
To see U2 playing on a foot-and-a-half
high stage was unbelievable, you know,
479
00:28:30,234 --> 00:28:33,466
and they were loud, they were good
and they were just... Wow, they were,
480
00:28:33,468 --> 00:28:34,934
they were just...
You just knew they were great.
481
00:28:34,934 --> 00:28:38,065
And this was a band that everyone
should've loved, but it took albums,
482
00:28:38,067 --> 00:28:41,267
I mean, it took until The Joshua Tree
before people really came around.
483
00:28:41,267 --> 00:28:42,965
Not the LIR listeners.
484
00:28:42,967 --> 00:28:46,998
All I remember was Bob Waugh
really championing U2,
485
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,667
and personally, I remember saying,
nah, I don't really hear it.
486
00:28:50,667 --> 00:28:54,934
I mean, they sound kinda weird, you know.
It's not, it's not this or that.
487
00:28:54,934 --> 00:28:59,466
It's, it wasn't really...
We all know what happened at the end.
488
00:28:59,468 --> 00:29:04,232
We believed in U2 right
away. By the time they came into, you know,
489
00:29:04,234 --> 00:29:07,566
Pride
and After the War album,
490
00:29:07,568 --> 00:29:12,399
they had become so much bigger
than we had anticipated.
491
00:29:12,401 --> 00:29:17,032
And they weren't just playing
clubs like the Beacon Theater,
492
00:29:17,034 --> 00:29:18,698
they were headlining.
493
00:29:18,700 --> 00:29:23,132
One of our bands was headlining the Nassau
Coliseum, and they sold it out in a second.
494
00:29:23,134 --> 00:29:27,232
Bono, you know,
went on stage and actually thanked WLIR.
495
00:29:27,234 --> 00:29:31,365
It was awesome, because all these kids
were cheering and I, I have to admit,
496
00:29:31,367 --> 00:29:35,667
I had tears coming down my cheeks
because there's this guy who, you know,
497
00:29:35,667 --> 00:29:39,532
since he, he hangs out with presidents, popes,
he goes to Africa to cure AIDS, I mean,
498
00:29:39,534 --> 00:29:41,665
he could do anything he wants,
and what is he doing?
499
00:29:41,667 --> 00:29:45,199
He's giving credit to us
for helping them.
500
00:29:45,201 --> 00:29:49,665
In 1981,
we played at a small club here,
501
00:29:49,667 --> 00:29:51,201
it's called the Malibu.
502
00:29:54,468 --> 00:29:57,065
There was
a few hundred people there.
503
00:29:57,067 --> 00:30:00,234
I hope those few hundred
people are here tonight.
504
00:30:02,234 --> 00:30:05,631
There wasn't that many people playing
our records on the radio then,
505
00:30:05,633 --> 00:30:09,132
just college stations,
and things like WLIR and stuff...
506
00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,731
The next day, I had the
soundboard recording and put it
507
00:30:16,733 --> 00:30:20,631
on the air every hour,
of Bono saying, "...like WLIR..."
508
00:30:20,633 --> 00:30:23,631
and you hear
the entire coliseum explode.
509
00:30:23,633 --> 00:30:27,032
And having a small, tiny piece
510
00:30:27,034 --> 00:30:29,232
of the beginning of U2's story
511
00:30:29,234 --> 00:30:33,132
and to see where they got now,
it's just so awesome. It's so humbling.
512
00:30:33,134 --> 00:30:38,365
We learned quite early on how
important radio was in America.
513
00:30:38,367 --> 00:30:41,365
We didn't really have
a hit record in Europe
514
00:30:41,367 --> 00:30:45,731
until 1985,
515
00:30:45,733 --> 00:30:47,566
with The Unforgettable Fire,
516
00:30:47,568 --> 00:30:51,032
so any radio presence
we had in New York
517
00:30:51,034 --> 00:30:53,199
was coming from WLIR.
518
00:30:53,201 --> 00:30:58,499
U2 was absolutely launched
out of LIR in New York.
519
00:30:58,501 --> 00:30:59,667
Everyone knows this.
520
00:31:08,134 --> 00:31:11,765
♪ Once I had a loveand it was a gas
521
00:31:11,767 --> 00:31:15,365
♪ Soon turned outHad a heart of glass
522
00:31:15,367 --> 00:31:17,532
One of the things
about the New York marketplace
523
00:31:17,534 --> 00:31:20,265
that was important was that
it really was at that point
524
00:31:20,267 --> 00:31:25,199
the center of the sort of the sort
of punk rock, new wave movement.
525
00:31:25,201 --> 00:31:29,566
It was very important for us,
you know, mentally and inspiration-wise,
526
00:31:29,568 --> 00:31:34,299
to know that there were people, you know,
legitimate people, with a view to the,
527
00:31:34,301 --> 00:31:36,733
to the public, and,
and appreciation of music.
528
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,232
And to be brave enough
529
00:31:43,234 --> 00:31:46,765
to support unknown idiots,
and,
530
00:31:46,767 --> 00:31:49,267
you know, just to go with it.
531
00:31:52,367 --> 00:31:57,566
There was a time when the playlists
didn't really have a lot of girls
532
00:31:57,568 --> 00:32:00,299
or girl musicians, even.
I mean...
533
00:32:00,301 --> 00:32:03,499
While the Beatles knocked it out, you know.
I mean, we had the Supremes
534
00:32:03,501 --> 00:32:05,265
and all those bands prior,
prior to the...
535
00:32:05,267 --> 00:32:06,667
Well, there was R&B,
that was... Yeah.
536
00:32:06,667 --> 00:32:09,667
...prior to that, and then
it, then it turned,
537
00:32:09,667 --> 00:32:12,299
turned into the boys' club
for a while.
538
00:32:12,301 --> 00:32:14,832
For, you know, 15, 20 years,
whatever it was.
539
00:32:14,834 --> 00:32:17,667
There was almost a
bias against female vocals, you know,
540
00:32:17,667 --> 00:32:22,667
Janis Joplin had been there maybe,
or Grace Slick, and then we were
541
00:32:22,667 --> 00:32:26,765
perhaps different because we were championing
you and Joanie, but it was people like you
542
00:32:26,767 --> 00:32:30,532
that kind of brought that sound
and that ability to come
543
00:32:30,534 --> 00:32:32,665
to female vocals
in radio
544
00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:36,667
and rock radio and in radio stations
that might not have played other artists.
545
00:32:36,667 --> 00:32:41,365
♪ Adorable illusion and I cannot
hide I'm the one you're using ♪
546
00:32:41,367 --> 00:32:44,532
You didn't have
any problem looking for role models
547
00:32:44,534 --> 00:32:48,199
if you're a woman like me looking
to other women as role models
548
00:32:48,201 --> 00:32:52,299
because there were only a couple,
and for me it was Deborah Harry
549
00:32:52,301 --> 00:32:56,299
and Chrissie Hynde. They were tough.
They were cool. They were still sexy.
550
00:32:56,301 --> 00:32:58,800
There was a deception
during the day
551
00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,134
that women can't rock.
552
00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:07,898
Wrong! That is
exactly a deception.
553
00:33:07,900 --> 00:33:13,332
Madonna brought,
not only a whole new genre
554
00:33:13,334 --> 00:33:17,432
of pop dance music,
555
00:33:17,434 --> 00:33:20,532
but you talk about Joan Jett...
556
00:33:20,534 --> 00:33:25,232
That woman is a guitar goddess,
and local.
557
00:33:25,234 --> 00:33:28,665
♪ Do you wanna touch? Yeah!Do you wanna touch? Yeah!
558
00:33:28,667 --> 00:33:32,367
♪ Do you wanna touch me there?Where?
559
00:33:32,367 --> 00:33:35,898
Whether it was us introducing
you to people that you met, musicians
560
00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:41,365
that add to that kind of music that
sort of changed the direction of LIR,
561
00:33:41,367 --> 00:33:45,432
I think it's, first it's, it's awesome
that you would listen and that you would
562
00:33:45,434 --> 00:33:49,265
do that and be the person
to bring the music
563
00:33:49,267 --> 00:33:50,932
to people first.
564
00:33:50,934 --> 00:33:55,265
But I'm not surprised,
because you always had a great ear.
565
00:33:55,267 --> 00:33:59,265
And another New York
person is live on the air right now.
566
00:33:59,267 --> 00:34:01,867
Please say good morning, folks,
to Joan Jett.
567
00:34:01,867 --> 00:34:02,998
- Hi, Donna.
- How are you, Joan?
568
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,765
I'm okay.
How're you doing?
569
00:34:04,767 --> 00:34:07,667
Good, thanks.
Would you like to introduce this record?
570
00:34:07,667 --> 00:34:10,466
Yeah, this is what started it
all. It's called, I Love Rock 'n' Roll.
571
00:34:10,468 --> 00:34:11,934
On WLIR.
572
00:34:14,067 --> 00:34:16,365
So when we finished
the I Love Rock 'N' Roll album,
573
00:34:16,367 --> 00:34:20,299
we went right to the radio station
and we took the actual master,
574
00:34:20,301 --> 00:34:25,399
which is unheard of, you know,
and started playing our new album.
575
00:34:25,401 --> 00:34:29,667
Then about halfway through,
and they said,
576
00:34:29,667 --> 00:34:30,998
"Neil Bogart's
on the phone."
577
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,965
one of the tycoons of our business
and he said, "You take that off,
578
00:34:34,967 --> 00:34:39,665
"that tape recorder right now,
or your career is over."
579
00:34:39,667 --> 00:34:42,767
Nice. And we were
sitting there in the radio station
580
00:34:42,767 --> 00:34:44,934
with the actual master.
It wasn't even like we had a copy.
581
00:34:44,934 --> 00:34:46,834
It was the master
we were playing.
582
00:34:48,334 --> 00:34:50,667
So that was the debut of
I Love Rock 'N' Roll.
583
00:34:50,667 --> 00:34:53,665
♪ Singin' I love rock n' roll
584
00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:56,665
♪ So put another dimeIn the jukebox, baby
585
00:34:56,667 --> 00:35:00,934
♪ I love rock n' roll So come an'
take your time an' dance with me
586
00:35:04,067 --> 00:35:06,566
It was, I guess
ecstasy, I suppose.
587
00:35:06,568 --> 00:35:09,865
It's what you dream about
588
00:35:09,867 --> 00:35:13,499
when you're a kid, dreaming about
hearing your record on the radio.
589
00:35:13,501 --> 00:35:18,665
It's exactly that feeling. It's like, wow,
I've made, I've accomplished something.
590
00:35:18,667 --> 00:35:20,700
It was really
a magical feeling.
591
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,800
We're going right on
to the next number.
592
00:35:30,700 --> 00:35:34,865
CBGB's
kinda changed my life.
593
00:35:34,867 --> 00:35:38,698
And seeing the Ramones
594
00:35:38,700 --> 00:35:43,399
and signing them, and that
lead, thanks to Johnny,
595
00:35:43,401 --> 00:35:47,566
Johnny Ramone,
I saw the Talking Heads,
596
00:35:47,568 --> 00:35:49,466
who, who opened for them.
597
00:35:49,468 --> 00:35:53,798
♪ I can't seem to
face up to the facts...
598
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,566
We were very fortunate to be in New
York at a time when a lot of people had
599
00:35:57,568 --> 00:36:01,667
I think sort of the same idea.
Bands like The Ramones
600
00:36:01,667 --> 00:36:04,865
and Television and
Patti Smith and Blondie,
601
00:36:04,867 --> 00:36:08,432
but there weren't very many radio
stations that would play the music.
602
00:36:08,434 --> 00:36:10,865
One exception to that
was WLIR.
603
00:36:10,867 --> 00:36:14,698
♪ Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa farBetter...
604
00:36:14,700 --> 00:36:19,067
Everything that wasn't mainstream
fell into the alternative category,
605
00:36:19,067 --> 00:36:23,965
and it could be Jamaican reggae,
it could be punk, it could be funk.
606
00:36:23,967 --> 00:36:27,665
I will always believe Talking
Heads broke up too early.
607
00:36:27,667 --> 00:36:31,965
Talking Heads was just one of the
greatest American bands, no question.
608
00:36:31,967 --> 00:36:35,566
I mean, they were tonnage.
Live, they were amazing.
609
00:36:35,568 --> 00:36:39,434
The records, every record was
creative and crazy and different.
610
00:36:43,867 --> 00:36:47,667
We didn't really
fit the punk mold so much,
611
00:36:47,667 --> 00:36:49,566
so Seymour was able to say,
612
00:36:49,568 --> 00:36:53,132
"Oh, but Talking Heads, they're not punk.
They're New Wave."
613
00:36:53,134 --> 00:36:57,432
I call it New Wave because
what does punk have to do with,
614
00:36:57,434 --> 00:37:00,698
with the Talking Heads,
or with Television,
615
00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:03,865
or Soft Cell,
or any of these bands?
616
00:37:03,867 --> 00:37:08,698
You know, it was a New Wave and I
looked at it as a new wave for New York.
617
00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:12,965
Who coined the phrase, "New Wave,"
that's a very complex subject, actually.
618
00:37:12,967 --> 00:37:18,798
New wave means different things to
different people. I think that...
619
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:24,199
I think it originally starts with French
new wave cinema, and the idea that
620
00:37:24,201 --> 00:37:28,532
we're getting something new,
but it's this wave that's coming on us.
621
00:37:28,534 --> 00:37:31,199
In some ways,
it's synonymous with '80s music.
622
00:37:31,201 --> 00:37:33,468
It really is a very
complicated term
623
00:37:33,468 --> 00:37:36,167
and nobody has really settled
on what it means.
624
00:37:36,167 --> 00:37:38,798
♪ Rock-rock, Rockaway Beach
625
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:43,132
♪ Rock-rock, Rockaway BeachRock-rock, Rockaway Beach
626
00:37:43,134 --> 00:37:45,698
♪ We can hitch a rideto Rockaway Beach ♪
627
00:37:45,700 --> 00:37:49,998
A band like The Ramones is
almost really New Wave, in some ways.
628
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,932
They get labeled "punk" quite a bit,
but they're a very pop-oriented band.
629
00:37:54,934 --> 00:37:59,665
They're playing songs that, that wouldn't
be so different from a Beach Boys album,
630
00:37:59,667 --> 00:38:03,265
and if you slowed down
The Ramones,
631
00:38:03,267 --> 00:38:05,832
you get something that sounds
very much like The Cars.
632
00:38:05,834 --> 00:38:07,932
I mean,
was Blondie New Wave?
633
00:38:07,934 --> 00:38:10,932
I guess so, especially
on a fashion standpoint.
634
00:38:10,934 --> 00:38:13,667
But when they went on stage,
they rocked like hell.
635
00:38:13,667 --> 00:38:16,032
I think there are several ways
to separate New Wave.
636
00:38:16,034 --> 00:38:19,765
One of those ways is to think about the
difference between what's going on in America
637
00:38:19,767 --> 00:38:21,932
and what's going on in Britain.
638
00:38:21,934 --> 00:38:26,731
In Britain, they are dealing
with post-punk,
639
00:38:26,733 --> 00:38:29,865
because punk was such
a major influence in the UK.
640
00:38:29,867 --> 00:38:34,832
For the American new wave, it really
gets filtered through the art movement,
641
00:38:34,834 --> 00:38:39,232
and so these sort of "Art bands"
are really where new wave takes off,
642
00:38:39,234 --> 00:38:41,898
and I don't think you can
underestimate New York,
643
00:38:41,900 --> 00:38:45,998
but particularly the influence
of Andy Warhol on all of this.
644
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,667
I mean, he is the central figure who has
come up with this sort of post-modern idea
645
00:38:50,667 --> 00:38:53,034
of what art should be
and what art can be.
646
00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:01,765
♪ Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo
Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoo
647
00:39:01,767 --> 00:39:04,965
♪ You're living in your ownPrivate Idaho
648
00:39:04,967 --> 00:39:07,798
♪ You're living in your ownPrivate Idaho
649
00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,731
♪ Underground like
a wild potato
650
00:39:10,733 --> 00:39:15,965
We were sort of part of the punk
scene, the tail-end of the punk scene
651
00:39:15,967 --> 00:39:19,765
before new wave was really happening.
We just wrote our own kind of music,
652
00:39:19,767 --> 00:39:23,667
I mean, we classify ourselves as new
wave or punk or anything like that.
653
00:39:23,667 --> 00:39:25,898
We were our own
654
00:39:25,900 --> 00:39:29,267
Southern-fried, original music.
655
00:39:29,267 --> 00:39:31,767
♪ You're living inyour own Private Idaho
656
00:39:31,767 --> 00:39:32,731
♪ You're living inyour own Private Idaho
657
00:39:32,733 --> 00:39:34,232
We were a dance band
658
00:39:34,234 --> 00:39:37,165
and at the time no new wave
band wanted to be called
659
00:39:37,167 --> 00:39:39,265
a dance band, I guess,
660
00:39:39,267 --> 00:39:43,267
but we just got people dancing
and we attracted
661
00:39:43,267 --> 00:39:47,667
all kinds of people from
the school nerds, the gays.
662
00:39:47,667 --> 00:39:50,165
Well, everybody actually,
there'll be even frat boys.
663
00:39:50,167 --> 00:39:53,667
We just did our own thing
and you can't really say,
664
00:39:53,667 --> 00:39:57,165
oh, that's an '80s song,
or The B-52's are this or that,
665
00:39:57,167 --> 00:40:01,667
and we just did what we
considered great songs.
666
00:40:01,667 --> 00:40:03,898
We never referred to the music
as New Wave.
667
00:40:03,900 --> 00:40:05,932
We never called ourselves
a new wave station.
668
00:40:05,934 --> 00:40:08,299
It was always, "The new
music station," and why?
669
00:40:08,301 --> 00:40:09,731
We didn't wanna pigeonhole
ourselves.
670
00:40:09,733 --> 00:40:14,099
My view on it was I didn't want it
used or connected with the station
671
00:40:14,101 --> 00:40:18,965
because I thought it was like the word
"groovy." I thought that it wasn't something
672
00:40:18,967 --> 00:40:23,165
that would, would work on a
long-term basis, and I was determined
673
00:40:23,167 --> 00:40:28,101
that LIR would be for a long as
long as we could survive the thing,
674
00:40:28,101 --> 00:40:29,967
and so I preferred
"New music."
675
00:40:44,934 --> 00:40:46,998
I always used to laugh when
the interns would talk about their key
676
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,965
to the building
because it was a hanger.
677
00:40:48,967 --> 00:40:51,099
There was like a big gap,
glass doors and a big gap,
678
00:40:51,101 --> 00:40:54,101
they just would, stuck the hanger through
and I pulled the handle down to get in.
679
00:40:54,101 --> 00:40:57,065
And our security in the
building was a picture
680
00:40:57,067 --> 00:40:59,165
of a German shepherd
in the window,
681
00:40:59,167 --> 00:41:02,232
but it was like, literally, like, this.
Like, dog, like...
682
00:41:02,234 --> 00:41:05,367
You know, "Beware of Attack
Dog" I think it said on it.
683
00:41:07,334 --> 00:41:09,798
Wow, the elevators are
exactly the same.
684
00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:12,399
Not really, the buttons are
different now. It has, it has, it has those,
685
00:41:12,401 --> 00:41:16,299
those neon
square bogus buttons.
686
00:41:16,301 --> 00:41:21,132
We're going up to seven.
But really, seven was six, right?
687
00:41:21,134 --> 00:41:22,365
No, seven was seven.
Seven was seven?
688
00:41:22,367 --> 00:41:23,399
Seven was seven.
689
00:41:23,401 --> 00:41:27,798
We were at the, the penthouse
of our building,
690
00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:29,798
which was a nice way to say,
691
00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:31,798
"Tin shack on the roof."
692
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:35,032
The station was pretty much
a corrugated metal addition to the roof.
693
00:41:35,034 --> 00:41:39,167
It was a garbage can.
It was terrible!
694
00:41:39,167 --> 00:41:41,032
This was the way to LIR.
695
00:41:41,034 --> 00:41:42,667
This was it.
This was the front door.
696
00:41:42,667 --> 00:41:44,132
Yup.
697
00:41:44,134 --> 00:41:45,466
I think it was, I think it was
marked by a bumper sticker, maybe.
698
00:41:45,468 --> 00:41:49,865
Yes, it was,
which always got stolen.
699
00:41:49,867 --> 00:41:51,365
And then you can see the glory.
700
00:41:51,367 --> 00:41:53,898
Oh, this is... Come here, we got...
we gotta get this.
701
00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:56,466
This is, this is
unusually crappy
702
00:41:56,468 --> 00:42:00,032
Every famous
artist in the world who came to LIR
703
00:42:00,034 --> 00:42:04,132
came up these stairs.
I remember sitting here with a hangover,
704
00:42:04,134 --> 00:42:06,965
talking to Malcolm McLaren
on these stairs.
705
00:42:06,967 --> 00:42:10,067
I never actually worked at WLIR
and I never made a nickel there.
706
00:42:10,067 --> 00:42:13,399
I just interned there for way too long.
I think that almost everybody
707
00:42:13,401 --> 00:42:16,232
you spoke to would tell you
that the station was a shithole,
708
00:42:16,234 --> 00:42:18,365
But there was
something charming about it.
709
00:42:18,367 --> 00:42:22,099
And to me, it seemed amazing
because I was so into music
710
00:42:22,101 --> 00:42:24,898
and you walked into this place and it was
sort of cool. You know. You, you walk in,
711
00:42:24,900 --> 00:42:29,065
you'd look in one door and there'd be
like, two guys just listening to records,
712
00:42:29,067 --> 00:42:31,432
and you go in another door,
there'd be a guy like, editing tapes
713
00:42:31,434 --> 00:42:34,199
and smoking a cigarette and
so the place was, I, you know,
714
00:42:34,201 --> 00:42:35,865
I just thought
it was really cool.
715
00:42:35,867 --> 00:42:40,900
The place was held together with duct tape.
I mean, that's, the carpet was fraying.
716
00:42:40,900 --> 00:42:44,432
We'd replace the duct tape.
We wouldn't replace the carpet.
717
00:42:44,434 --> 00:42:48,798
Where we sat, it was between
a wall and a file cabinet.
718
00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,432
And on the file cabinet, I think it was
held together with LIR bumper stickers.
719
00:42:52,434 --> 00:42:54,733
Here,
this is Larry Dunn's junk.
720
00:42:54,733 --> 00:42:55,900
Larry Dunn's junk!
721
00:42:55,900 --> 00:42:58,199
It was very casual there.
722
00:42:58,201 --> 00:43:00,401
It was like, you're gonna
visit someone's home, really.
723
00:43:00,401 --> 00:43:03,299
Beer and wine and other
things popping around...
724
00:43:03,301 --> 00:43:06,099
You'd sit down,
have a chat, have a drink...
725
00:43:06,101 --> 00:43:10,965
When we had a famous
artist on here, what would happen is,
726
00:43:10,967 --> 00:43:15,132
the fans would figure out how to get
past the immense security in the lobby.
727
00:43:17,034 --> 00:43:20,998
And then, they would literally
pile up here
728
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:22,865
in front of the door and wait
729
00:43:22,867 --> 00:43:25,299
for the artist to leave so they
could you know, take their picture
730
00:43:25,301 --> 00:43:27,468
or shake their hand
or whatever.
731
00:43:27,468 --> 00:43:30,432
And also, we didn't always
announce who was coming on the air,
732
00:43:30,434 --> 00:43:33,932
so sometimes there'd be a burst
of people would hear, you know.
733
00:43:33,934 --> 00:43:36,301
Duran Duran on the air or whatever
and then there'd be a burst of people
734
00:43:36,301 --> 00:43:38,932
who'd come up here
and stand outside.
735
00:43:38,934 --> 00:43:42,265
The best things about doing a
morning show was that you could be
736
00:43:42,267 --> 00:43:46,932
the first person to the bank on
Friday, because the, the checks,
737
00:43:46,934 --> 00:43:48,432
you know, by the time...
738
00:43:48,434 --> 00:43:50,499
You didn't wanna be the
last person to the bank.
739
00:43:50,501 --> 00:43:52,965
If you were the first person,
your check would be good,
740
00:43:52,967 --> 00:43:54,932
but by the 10th or 12th...
741
00:43:54,934 --> 00:43:58,165
Oh, lunch time there was a
caravan out of the parking lot!
742
00:43:58,167 --> 00:44:00,932
LIR stood for
"Low income radio,"
743
00:44:00,934 --> 00:44:02,698
so we did it
for the beer, actually.
744
00:44:02,700 --> 00:44:06,065
We had very imaginative
promotions, for sure, you know,
745
00:44:06,067 --> 00:44:09,065
we didn't have a lot of budget to work with,
or zero budget to work with, actually,
746
00:44:09,067 --> 00:44:11,165
so we had to be very creative and
we did some really cool contests.
747
00:44:11,167 --> 00:44:12,399
Yeah, and also...
748
00:44:12,401 --> 00:44:13,898
And cool prizes,
Julie Price.
749
00:44:13,900 --> 00:44:15,201
Right.
750
00:44:15,201 --> 00:44:17,232
"You've won a trip
to Jamaica... Queens."
751
00:44:17,234 --> 00:44:19,232
What are you gonna
do with the money?
752
00:44:19,234 --> 00:44:22,201
One of the airliners I worked
with, Lee Cunningham,
753
00:44:22,201 --> 00:44:25,932
she and I were sent out to pick out
movie tickets. It was in the winter,
754
00:44:25,934 --> 00:44:30,898
it was icy and snowy,
and they sent me in the LIR van
755
00:44:30,900 --> 00:44:32,432
that had no brakes.
756
00:44:32,434 --> 00:44:37,932
There was a red light, tried to stop,
and we slammed right into this car.
757
00:44:37,934 --> 00:44:42,232
The guy was ecstatic that
he was hit by the LIR van.
758
00:44:42,234 --> 00:44:45,932
The roof was, in some ways
just the sacred resting ground
759
00:44:45,934 --> 00:44:50,965
to take the artist, because the inner
plant of LIR, there were no meeting places.
760
00:44:50,967 --> 00:44:54,034
But the roof was like, it was cool and
then for a band coming from England
761
00:44:54,034 --> 00:44:57,432
for the first time or whatever,
it was a nice viewpoint and all that.
762
00:44:57,434 --> 00:44:59,399
This never worked
in the old days,
763
00:44:59,401 --> 00:45:01,432
this fire exit
emergency thing.
764
00:45:01,434 --> 00:45:04,667
This door was never locked, Mike, right?
I mean, this door was always open.
765
00:45:04,667 --> 00:45:07,399
If I push this and the alarm
goes off, well, we...
766
00:45:07,401 --> 00:45:12,232
We'll calmly walk to the elevators, go
down, and act like we were somewhere else.
767
00:45:12,234 --> 00:45:14,101
And that's
why he's a genius.
768
00:45:17,434 --> 00:45:20,399
Some things don't change.
769
00:45:20,401 --> 00:45:21,399
Maybe I'll go to congress
770
00:45:21,401 --> 00:45:23,667
and have them outlaw
Ramones records.
771
00:45:23,667 --> 00:45:25,466
Meow-meow, Ron.
I don't think
772
00:45:25,468 --> 00:45:27,332
that's a good idea. That'll just make
these kids who dare to be different
773
00:45:27,334 --> 00:45:33,332
even more vile. I think you should try
some reverse psychology and endorse
774
00:45:33,334 --> 00:45:36,434
The Ramones. Urge every man,
woman and child in America
775
00:45:36,434 --> 00:45:40,332
to call WLIR airlines at 4850927
776
00:45:40,334 --> 00:45:43,667
and vote for the Ramones
for Screamer of the Week.
777
00:45:47,667 --> 00:45:50,267
♪ Brothers and sisters
Pump up the volume ♪
778
00:45:50,267 --> 00:45:54,165
Screamer of the Week, they would
play, I believe it was five songs
779
00:45:54,167 --> 00:45:55,698
And it was new songs that week.
780
00:45:55,700 --> 00:45:58,667
Everybody called in to vote
what was their favorite song.
781
00:45:58,667 --> 00:46:01,731
I always liked the original
screamer was.
782
00:46:01,733 --> 00:46:03,468
I couldn't
even repeat it.
783
00:46:05,067 --> 00:46:07,032
It's awesome.
784
00:46:07,034 --> 00:46:10,698
I don't know of any other station that
sort of picked out a song to make,
785
00:46:10,700 --> 00:46:14,399
as their special song of the week.
And so I know a lot of stations do it now,
786
00:46:14,401 --> 00:46:15,367
but people weren't doing
it then.
787
00:46:18,334 --> 00:46:22,065
I told my staff, I said, you gotta have
LIR tuned on 24/7 when you work here.
788
00:46:22,067 --> 00:46:24,501
They had three or four
in the running every week,
789
00:46:24,501 --> 00:46:27,232
you had a certain period
of time to vote.
790
00:46:27,234 --> 00:46:31,698
Each of the jocks had to select a song
out of a set of new songs each week,
791
00:46:31,700 --> 00:46:33,032
and we fought over those
sometimes, yeah.
792
00:46:33,034 --> 00:46:34,365
Yeah. Did we have to rush to do that?
Like, first one in...
793
00:46:34,367 --> 00:46:37,299
You know, there, there came a time
when I think Denis had to tell us
794
00:46:37,301 --> 00:46:39,698
that we weren't allowed to sneak in or call
in or pick after midnight or something,
795
00:46:39,700 --> 00:46:42,165
because people, were you know, getting the jump
on other jocks and there was a lot of battling
796
00:46:42,167 --> 00:46:43,667
going on about it.
797
00:46:43,667 --> 00:46:46,532
And all week long we'd promote
it on the air. So every time you,
798
00:46:46,534 --> 00:46:50,499
you played the record, you say, "And by the
way, that's my pick for Screamer of the Week.
799
00:46:50,501 --> 00:46:54,466
"Make sure you call and vote. You can vote
early." But on Thursday was Screamer day.
800
00:46:54,468 --> 00:46:58,299
This could be history. Depeche
Mode could win the most Screamers in history
801
00:46:58,301 --> 00:47:02,132
this evening, passing the Thompson Twins who
they are tied with at this point in time.
802
00:47:02,134 --> 00:47:05,299
However, in their way,
is a gentleman named Lou Reed.
803
00:47:05,301 --> 00:47:07,698
♪ You broke my heartAnd you made me cry
804
00:47:07,700 --> 00:47:11,798
♪ You said that I couldn't
dance But now I'm back...
805
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:15,568
As the voting progressed,
it reached a crescendo at 10 p.m.
806
00:47:17,568 --> 00:47:21,532
We'd tally the votes and anoint
a new champion every week.
807
00:47:21,534 --> 00:47:25,199
And then that song just went into the
highest rotation you possibly could.
808
00:47:25,201 --> 00:47:28,568
♪ ...Suzanne, you doanything once ♪
809
00:47:28,568 --> 00:47:31,132
Record companies like
Sire Records. I mean, they would choose
810
00:47:31,134 --> 00:47:34,365
their next singles based on what
the Screamers of the Week were.
811
00:47:34,367 --> 00:47:39,299
LIR was selling records. Their
Screamers, you couldn't compare the kind
812
00:47:39,301 --> 00:47:42,765
of exposure that a band would get
having a Screamer of the Week on LIR
813
00:47:42,767 --> 00:47:45,665
to anything else that was going
on in the area, promotion-wise.
814
00:47:45,667 --> 00:47:48,232
You always wanted to get the
Screamer of the Week you know,
815
00:47:48,234 --> 00:47:51,667
and your local Capitol Records
rep would always be saying,
816
00:47:51,667 --> 00:47:55,199
"Well, we're hopeful that we might,
but we don't know this time..."
817
00:47:55,201 --> 00:47:57,798
Screamer of the Week in,
on LIR was a big deal.
818
00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:00,466
We had 11 Screamers of the Week.
819
00:48:00,468 --> 00:48:05,365
We had 13 Screamer,
13 Screamer of the Weeks?
820
00:48:05,367 --> 00:48:09,365
One thing that kind of ties
myself, my band, The Rattlers,
821
00:48:09,367 --> 00:48:13,499
and my brother and WLIR together,
The Rattlers had a song called,
822
00:48:13,501 --> 00:48:17,432
I Won't Be Your Victim, which was
nominated for Screamer of the Week.
823
00:48:17,434 --> 00:48:21,365
My brother used to call up quite
frequently, like, every five or ten minutes
824
00:48:21,367 --> 00:48:24,832
and vote for The Rattlers.
Three weeks in a row we were nominated,
825
00:48:24,834 --> 00:48:27,532
but by the third week,
my brother had been calling so often,
826
00:48:27,534 --> 00:48:30,800
that the receptionist
finally answered,
827
00:48:30,800 --> 00:48:32,534
"Joey, is that you?"
828
00:48:39,667 --> 00:48:43,698
♪ Ooh yeah, yeah
829
00:48:43,700 --> 00:48:47,499
♪ Said you're gonna punkYour punk your punk ♪
830
00:48:47,501 --> 00:48:52,667
I did Punky Reggae Party,
which in '81, '82, '83
831
00:48:52,667 --> 00:48:55,365
Sunday nights was
a reggae-orientated,
832
00:48:55,367 --> 00:48:58,800
Dare To Be Different show.
833
00:48:58,800 --> 00:49:01,367
♪ It's a punky reggae party
834
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:04,367
♪ New wave
835
00:49:05,568 --> 00:49:09,698
And what I did was,
I played reggae songs
836
00:49:09,700 --> 00:49:13,367
that could enter
into the main format.
837
00:49:15,367 --> 00:49:17,900
♪ Wo, wo, wo, yeah
838
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:24,232
♪ Oh yeah
839
00:49:24,234 --> 00:49:27,534
And it just became an alternative,
even though it was reggae
840
00:49:27,534 --> 00:49:32,399
or punky reggae, acts that, you
know, there was a lot of bands now
841
00:49:32,401 --> 00:49:34,998
coming out of England
that were doing punk reggae.
842
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:38,399
♪ Can I take you to a restaurantThat's got glass tables
843
00:49:38,401 --> 00:49:41,667
♪ You can watch yourselfWhile you are eating ♪
844
00:49:41,667 --> 00:49:45,232
♪ ... ammunitionPolice and thieves
845
00:49:45,234 --> 00:49:48,265
♪ In the streets, oh, yeah ♪
846
00:49:48,267 --> 00:49:52,667
If you wanted to hear a reggae format like
mine, you would hear it on a college station.
847
00:49:52,667 --> 00:49:56,399
There were no commercial
stations, no commercial stations
848
00:49:56,401 --> 00:49:59,332
in America doing a reggae show.
849
00:49:59,334 --> 00:50:03,499
♪ I say Pass the dutchie
On the left hand side
850
00:50:03,501 --> 00:50:07,365
♪ Pass the dutchie on the left
hand side It a gonna burn,
851
00:50:07,367 --> 00:50:10,665
♪ Give me music make me jump
and prance It a go done,
852
00:50:10,667 --> 00:50:13,232
♪ Give me the music make
me rock in the dance
853
00:50:13,234 --> 00:50:16,399
Musical Youth, which had a
song called Pass the Dutchie,
854
00:50:16,401 --> 00:50:19,365
which was, you know,
it became a Screamer of the Week.
855
00:50:19,367 --> 00:50:23,232
♪ You could feel it 'cause
it was the month of June
856
00:50:23,234 --> 00:50:25,898
Chi-ca
Chi-ca
857
00:50:25,900 --> 00:50:29,700
♪ So I left my gateand went out for a walk
858
00:50:29,700 --> 00:50:31,865
♪ How does it feelWhen you've got no food?
859
00:50:31,867 --> 00:50:35,700
♪ As I pass the dreadlocks' campI heard them say
860
00:50:35,700 --> 00:50:38,731
♪ How does it feelWhen you've got no food?
861
00:50:38,733 --> 00:50:41,731
♪ Pass the dutchie On
the left hand side, I say
862
00:50:41,733 --> 00:50:44,731
♪ Pass the dutchie On the
left hand side It a gonna burn
863
00:50:44,733 --> 00:50:48,566
♪ Give me the music make me
jump and prance It a go done
864
00:50:48,568 --> 00:50:52,700
♪ Give me the music make
me rock in the dance... ♪
865
00:50:52,700 --> 00:50:56,232
We went ahead and we helped
Blondie's management get her
866
00:50:56,234 --> 00:50:59,399
a rock steady song called,
The Tide is High,
867
00:50:59,401 --> 00:51:02,532
which became a
pretty big song for her,
868
00:51:02,534 --> 00:51:04,332
thanks to Denis McNamara
and LIR.
869
00:51:04,334 --> 00:51:09,566
♪ The tide is highBut I'm holdin' on
870
00:51:09,568 --> 00:51:14,665
♪ I'm gonna be your number one
871
00:51:14,667 --> 00:51:16,965
♪ I'm not the kinda girl
872
00:51:16,967 --> 00:51:21,399
♪ Who gives up just like that,
873
00:51:21,401 --> 00:51:22,834
♪ Oh no ♪
874
00:51:24,301 --> 00:51:28,767
♪ Free Nelson Mandela
875
00:51:31,067 --> 00:51:35,834
♪ Free, Free,
876
00:51:37,667 --> 00:51:40,299
♪ Free, free, free
877
00:51:40,301 --> 00:51:43,667
♪ Nelson Mandela
878
00:51:51,767 --> 00:51:53,934
We were messengers
for the musicians
879
00:51:53,934 --> 00:51:55,767
and we were taking the message
to our listeners.
880
00:52:06,867 --> 00:52:11,834
♪ Free Nelson Mandela
881
00:52:15,067 --> 00:52:17,698
Well, you know,
we were playing Free Nelson Mandela
882
00:52:17,700 --> 00:52:19,000
and people thought
we were nuts.
883
00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:21,865
♪ Shoes too smallto fit his feet
884
00:52:21,867 --> 00:52:25,665
♪ His body abusedBut his mind is still free
885
00:52:25,667 --> 00:52:29,667
♪ Are you so blindThat you cannot see
886
00:52:29,667 --> 00:52:31,232
♪ Free Nelson Mandela
887
00:52:31,234 --> 00:52:34,665
Well, you know what, our audience picked
up on it. They made it a Screamer,
888
00:52:34,667 --> 00:52:38,499
they agreed with us and also, it was cool.
It was musically hip, it was reggae, it was,
889
00:52:38,501 --> 00:52:40,466
and also, you know what,
it was wrong.
890
00:52:40,468 --> 00:52:43,733
What was going on in South Africa
was wrong and it woke us up to it.
891
00:52:47,700 --> 00:52:50,532
Probably the best example
I could give though,
892
00:52:50,534 --> 00:52:54,566
of how people really were caring about
things and the music was presenting it
893
00:52:54,568 --> 00:52:56,301
to them was Live Aid.
894
00:52:58,568 --> 00:53:02,733
We're an Irish band.
We come from Dublin City, Ireland.
895
00:53:07,700 --> 00:53:09,832
Like all cities
896
00:53:09,834 --> 00:53:13,932
it has its good,
but it has its bad.
897
00:53:13,934 --> 00:53:16,034
This is a song called Bad.
898
00:53:20,434 --> 00:53:24,698
It was great that someone like
LIR did broadcast the audio
899
00:53:24,700 --> 00:53:26,099
from the concert,
900
00:53:26,101 --> 00:53:30,401
because a lot of people
didn't get the visual feed
901
00:53:30,401 --> 00:53:33,731
from the first half of the concert in
the, the UK because
902
00:53:33,733 --> 00:53:39,466
of the time differences.
And, I believe that a lot of television
903
00:53:39,468 --> 00:53:41,367
here in America
904
00:53:42,834 --> 00:53:45,667
chopped it up
into chunks, I mean...
905
00:53:45,667 --> 00:53:47,798
Money speaks louder
906
00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:51,132
than what was going on then,
so the commercial breaks ended
907
00:53:51,134 --> 00:53:52,932
right in the middle
of performances,
908
00:53:52,934 --> 00:53:54,566
so a lot of the performances
that were coming
909
00:53:54,568 --> 00:53:59,132
and being fed from all around the world
weren't actually broadcast very well.
910
00:53:59,134 --> 00:54:04,665
So with LIR broadcasting the
audio, that's fantastic,
911
00:54:04,667 --> 00:54:07,800
that people actually got a chance
to, to hear what was going on.
912
00:54:09,000 --> 00:54:13,032
Live Aid took place
on July 13th, 1985.
913
00:54:13,034 --> 00:54:14,532
It was a big date for us.
914
00:54:14,534 --> 00:54:17,532
And it was a dual concert
915
00:54:17,534 --> 00:54:21,499
set up in Philadelphia and in
England at Wembley Stadium,
916
00:54:21,501 --> 00:54:25,667
and it was a fund-raising concert
for famine relief in Africa.
917
00:54:25,667 --> 00:54:30,667
♪ Share the light of love
918
00:54:30,667 --> 00:54:35,667
♪ Share the light of love
919
00:54:35,667 --> 00:54:39,667
It was Sting and it
was Paul Young and it was the Durans.
920
00:54:39,667 --> 00:54:44,032
It was such a blur.
What I can remember is the promoter,
921
00:54:44,034 --> 00:54:48,199
the famous Bill Graham coming up and saying
like, "You know, you gotta get on there.
922
00:54:48,201 --> 00:54:51,532
"The presenter is gonna come up to
you and he'll have a word with you
923
00:54:51,534 --> 00:54:54,665
"and then he'll go on." But he
didn't say who the presenter was.
924
00:54:54,667 --> 00:54:58,265
It was Jack Nicholson. And we were
like, wow... So I remember the main...
925
00:54:58,267 --> 00:55:01,499
I think we only played 20 minutes Live
Aid, but I think I spent
926
00:55:01,501 --> 00:55:03,765
the first 18 thinking,
"Jack Nicholson."
927
00:55:03,767 --> 00:55:08,034
♪ You know I would if I could
928
00:55:08,733 --> 00:55:13,265
♪ I would let it go
929
00:55:13,267 --> 00:55:17,065
It was put together by Midge
and Bob Geldof who were friends of ours,
930
00:55:17,067 --> 00:55:21,566
because you know, Midge was Ultra
Vox, Bob was the Boomtown Rats.
931
00:55:21,568 --> 00:55:23,765
Both of them
played on the concert.
932
00:55:23,767 --> 00:55:26,998
It was something that we could be
proud of that those were our artists.
933
00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:29,667
Those were the people
that we'd championed,
934
00:55:29,667 --> 00:55:32,232
and they were doing
something good for the world.
935
00:55:32,234 --> 00:55:36,900
♪ Throw this lifelesslifeline to the wind ♪
936
00:55:41,834 --> 00:55:44,667
For me, a good lyric
was often inspired by
937
00:55:44,667 --> 00:55:48,765
just the irony,
the subtext of a headline.
938
00:55:48,767 --> 00:55:52,032
Back then, one of the big influences
for me was the sense of impotence
939
00:55:52,034 --> 00:55:55,731
between Margaret Thatcher
and Ronald Reagan.
940
00:55:55,733 --> 00:55:57,898
They were the big
champions of capitalism
941
00:55:57,900 --> 00:56:01,865
and this easy credit was coming in
and it was like the first sedative.
942
00:56:01,867 --> 00:56:06,065
Put people to sleep with instant
gratification whilst we can march around
943
00:56:06,067 --> 00:56:08,132
and just change
the whole political map.
944
00:56:08,134 --> 00:56:12,798
With Margaret Thatcher, that was
definitely the undoing of British society,
945
00:56:12,800 --> 00:56:16,065
where people started to treat
each other as competitors,
946
00:56:16,067 --> 00:56:18,798
instead of neighbors.
947
00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:21,765
There was the imbalance of
the extra-rich and the not so,
948
00:56:21,767 --> 00:56:25,265
and they really like, you know,
almost like two different wars going on.
949
00:56:25,267 --> 00:56:29,265
The content of punk music
affected us lyrically,
950
00:56:29,267 --> 00:56:31,965
in the way
we sort of wrote songs
951
00:56:31,967 --> 00:56:35,101
and what we talked about, because it
was now acceptable to get out there
952
00:56:35,101 --> 00:56:37,165
and just complain
about stuff.
953
00:56:37,167 --> 00:56:40,101
I remember when Reagan got
reelected, I played The Ramones'
954
00:56:40,101 --> 00:56:41,967
I Wanna Be Sedated 15 times
in a row.
955
00:56:51,067 --> 00:56:54,667
♪ All around me
are familiar faces
956
00:56:54,667 --> 00:56:58,965
♪ Worn out places,worn out faces
957
00:56:58,967 --> 00:57:02,798
♪ Bright and earlyfor their daily races
958
00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:06,332
♪ Going nowhere,oing nowhereg
959
00:57:06,334 --> 00:57:09,199
I think we played
our first gig as Tears For Fears
960
00:57:09,201 --> 00:57:12,731
the day the Falklands War started.
It was the first time
961
00:57:12,733 --> 00:57:16,032
that I'd ever experienced something
that was like a war to me.
962
00:57:16,034 --> 00:57:20,132
♪ Hide my head I want to drown my
sorrow No tomorrow, no tomorrow
963
00:57:20,134 --> 00:57:23,232
I think it was pure,
beautiful coincidence
964
00:57:23,234 --> 00:57:27,834
that I Ran happened to be
our song at exactly the time
965
00:57:27,834 --> 00:57:30,834
that the Iran situation
was happening.
966
00:57:30,834 --> 00:57:35,332
♪ And I ranI ran so far away
967
00:57:35,334 --> 00:57:39,167
And I, I think that a lot of people
listened to that song in the first place,
968
00:57:39,167 --> 00:57:42,865
because that's what they thought it was
about. And then when they'd listened
969
00:57:42,867 --> 00:57:45,898
to it a couple of times, they went, no,
it's just a good, good song, you know?
970
00:57:45,900 --> 00:57:49,332
It was a grand opportunity that you
could sing about that sort of stuff,
971
00:57:49,334 --> 00:57:52,865
whether it was
about social politics
972
00:57:52,867 --> 00:57:55,232
or whether about
gender politics.
973
00:57:55,234 --> 00:57:58,865
But I guess there was that whole,
you know, with Top 40 radio stations,
974
00:57:58,867 --> 00:58:01,199
there was that whole
kind of macho,
975
00:58:01,201 --> 00:58:05,232
kind of like,
rock band, kind of image,
976
00:58:05,234 --> 00:58:06,900
and we didn't necessarily
fit into that.
977
00:58:15,967 --> 00:58:20,032
Andy's always been very
honest and upfront about his sexuality.
978
00:58:20,034 --> 00:58:24,399
And I've always supported him. You know,
that, that's what we are. That's who we are.
979
00:58:24,401 --> 00:58:28,234
We've never tried to hide or shy
away from that, from that fact,
980
00:58:28,900 --> 00:58:31,299
or tone it down
981
00:58:31,301 --> 00:58:35,132
for the sake of Top 40 radio,
for instance.
982
00:58:35,134 --> 00:58:39,900
♪ I hurt inside out
Oh l'amour
983
00:58:41,067 --> 00:58:42,199
♪ Broke my heart ♪
984
00:58:42,201 --> 00:58:45,800
♪ I'll stop the worldand melt with you
985
00:58:48,367 --> 00:58:52,432
♪ You seen the differenceand it's getting better
986
00:58:52,434 --> 00:58:54,032
♪ all the time ♪
987
00:58:54,034 --> 00:58:58,765
When you hear I Melt With You by
Modern English, it brings you back.
988
00:58:58,767 --> 00:59:02,099
But who knew that it was
about making love
989
00:59:02,101 --> 00:59:04,867
when a bomb is coming
at you from Russia?
990
00:59:07,534 --> 00:59:12,332
But it was, really,
just starting to form the opinions
991
00:59:12,334 --> 00:59:17,132
of that whole generation of students,
who now are a whole generation
992
00:59:17,134 --> 00:59:22,299
of vice presidents and presidents
and executives, who are going to be
993
00:59:22,301 --> 00:59:25,466
the ones in the next year or
two who will make that change,
994
00:59:25,468 --> 00:59:29,265
because social change takes
ages, doesn't it, you know.
995
00:59:29,267 --> 00:59:34,032
You're meant to be young and impetuous
and then think that it's all for nothing
996
00:59:34,034 --> 00:59:39,032
and we didn't change the world and oh, what
happened, and it felt like we were going to
997
00:59:39,034 --> 00:59:43,199
but anywhere from 15 to 25
years afterwards, you start
998
00:59:43,201 --> 00:59:48,134
to see the social implications of
the way people had an opportunity
999
00:59:48,134 --> 00:59:49,301
to look at
the world differently.
1000
01:00:09,334 --> 01:00:14,365
♪ When I'm standing here
lookin' at you What do I see? ♪
1001
01:00:14,367 --> 01:00:17,466
I hear music today and I
hear the influences of that,
1002
01:00:17,468 --> 01:00:23,032
some of our artists have on artists
today, like The Killers and The Strokes.
1003
01:00:23,034 --> 01:00:27,301
New Order is a big influence
on some of the bands today,
1004
01:00:27,301 --> 01:00:30,199
as is Joy Division
on acts like Interpol.
1005
01:00:30,201 --> 01:00:34,165
If you ask them, they'll, they'll
say, "We listened to Duran Duran.
1006
01:00:34,167 --> 01:00:37,000
"We listened to The Replacement and The
Clash," and you can hear the influence.
1007
01:00:41,367 --> 01:00:47,099
The '80s music had an element of fun to
it, and when the late '70s hit,
1008
01:00:47,101 --> 01:00:52,299
to me that's the best time in music,
when the switch happened, you know.
1009
01:00:52,301 --> 01:00:56,265
Hearing things like Gary Numan or Elvis Costello
or getting into Devo and things like that.
1010
01:00:56,267 --> 01:00:57,965
We would say why does
everything have to be separate?
1011
01:00:57,967 --> 01:01:01,365
Why can't we put things, let's just take
the rock and roll world, the dance world,
1012
01:01:01,367 --> 01:01:05,932
the funk world, the gospel world,
let's stick it all together.
1013
01:01:05,934 --> 01:01:10,399
It just had something so different.
Adam & The Ants, I mean,
1014
01:01:10,401 --> 01:01:12,534
Kings of the Wild Frontier,
that record is probably
1015
01:01:12,534 --> 01:01:14,499
my favorite record
that's ever been made.
1016
01:01:14,501 --> 01:01:18,898
♪ That music's lost its tasteSo try another flavor
1017
01:01:18,900 --> 01:01:20,998
♪ Antmusic ♪
1018
01:01:21,000 --> 01:01:23,432
I still think to this day
it's adventurous and different,
1019
01:01:23,434 --> 01:01:27,099
and who makes
a American Indian/ pirate/
1020
01:01:27,101 --> 01:01:30,165
Try and categorize
that record and you can't.
1021
01:01:30,167 --> 01:01:33,032
And there was a lot of things
like that back in that time,
1022
01:01:33,034 --> 01:01:36,399
and I think it was a rebellion to the
stagnation of, of sonic approaches
1023
01:01:36,401 --> 01:01:38,234
that had been taken
for the decades past.
1024
01:01:51,401 --> 01:01:54,367
You've got to think outside the box to
try and make something that's different,
1025
01:01:54,367 --> 01:01:57,432
that's radically different
from what has been before.
1026
01:01:57,434 --> 01:02:01,099
Rock music hasn't really changed
an awful lot since the 1950s.
1027
01:02:01,101 --> 01:02:04,099
We still use guitars.
We still record them the same way.
1028
01:02:04,101 --> 01:02:05,731
We're still making noise.
1029
01:02:05,733 --> 01:02:08,101
Jimi Hendrix made a feedback-y
noise with his guitar.
1030
01:02:08,101 --> 01:02:11,132
We still do it today so it hasn't
really evolved an awful lot.
1031
01:02:11,134 --> 01:02:13,399
And so to do something
radically different,
1032
01:02:13,401 --> 01:02:14,731
it's not just
the instrumentation
1033
01:02:14,733 --> 01:02:16,434
that's important,
it's how you think.
1034
01:02:16,434 --> 01:02:18,466
And the instrumentation,
1035
01:02:18,468 --> 01:02:22,101
all of a sudden, synthesizers
became accessible.
1036
01:02:37,267 --> 01:02:40,499
Synthesizers were coming out at the
time too, which the punks hated,
1037
01:02:40,501 --> 01:02:44,667
because it wasn't just crashing on a guitar,
but to people like me that was atmosphere
1038
01:02:44,667 --> 01:02:47,267
and that was really
what we were after.
1039
01:02:49,234 --> 01:02:52,399
♪ I walk along the avenue
1040
01:02:52,401 --> 01:02:56,499
♪ I never thoughtI'd meet a girl like you
1041
01:02:56,501 --> 01:03:00,065
♪ Meet a girl like you
1042
01:03:00,067 --> 01:03:03,399
People that were interested
like, that were like, going, wow,
1043
01:03:03,401 --> 01:03:06,065
you're not like a
"rock band" rock band.
1044
01:03:06,067 --> 01:03:08,731
You're this strange
combination of things.
1045
01:03:08,733 --> 01:03:12,466
And they would be interested in
just seeing how it was put together.
1046
01:03:12,468 --> 01:03:15,332
How do you integrate synths
and lead guitar?
1047
01:03:15,334 --> 01:03:17,165
They didn't understand
how it worked.
1048
01:03:17,167 --> 01:03:20,199
And we always used to get people
after shows coming up and going,
1049
01:03:20,201 --> 01:03:22,167
"How did you workout
what the synth's gonna do
1050
01:03:22,167 --> 01:03:24,665
"and what the guitar's gonna
do?" And of course, we'd just go,
1051
01:03:24,667 --> 01:03:26,665
"It's easy, when I can't play
a bit, he'll play it."
1052
01:03:26,667 --> 01:03:30,367
This is Depeche Mode.
Right behind me you will see New Life.
1053
01:03:41,667 --> 01:03:44,566
♪ I stand still stepping
on the shady streets
1054
01:03:44,568 --> 01:03:47,532
♪ And I watch that man
to a stranger
1055
01:03:47,534 --> 01:03:52,232
There is no question that
we emerged at the same time
1056
01:03:52,234 --> 01:03:57,165
as the synthesizer emerged as this
incredibly important instrument.
1057
01:03:57,167 --> 01:04:00,698
It was a movement in technology,
and the difference between
1058
01:04:00,700 --> 01:04:05,568
what Vince Clarke or Martin Gore,
as opposed to what Keith Emerson could do,
1059
01:04:05,568 --> 01:04:09,865
was completely different. The battery
of keyboards that Wakeman and Emerson
1060
01:04:09,867 --> 01:04:13,665
had to have on stage, I was the
biggest Yes and the biggest ELP fan,
1061
01:04:13,667 --> 01:04:19,067
so I loved the sound of the Moog synthesizer
but that was not a portable situation.
1062
01:04:19,067 --> 01:04:21,765
It took up a wall.
You know, these things, you had to be
1063
01:04:21,767 --> 01:04:24,401
a brain surgeon to operate these things.
You had to be a scientist
1064
01:04:24,401 --> 01:04:25,965
to figure out how
to patch it up.
1065
01:04:25,967 --> 01:04:30,099
♪ ...your shadow's red Like a
film I've seen, Now show me ♪
1066
01:04:30,101 --> 01:04:32,199
For Depeche Mode,
when they first did
1067
01:04:32,201 --> 01:04:35,665
their earliest gigs in Basildon,
those guys used to stick their keyboards
1068
01:04:35,667 --> 01:04:39,566
under their arms, and they were lucky to be
able to afford them. But they could stick them
1069
01:04:39,568 --> 01:04:44,667
under their arms and take them to the local club
and play gigs. And that's how they started,
1070
01:04:44,667 --> 01:04:48,232
and that's why they were able to
change music in the way that they did.
1071
01:04:48,234 --> 01:04:51,667
And it's not like music just changed,
it's not like Depeche Mode just came along,
1072
01:04:51,667 --> 01:04:55,067
or the Human League just came along and
everybody said, "Oh wow, look at the future."
1073
01:04:55,067 --> 01:04:58,667
They were despised, and laughed at,
and ridiculed by almost everyone.
1074
01:04:58,667 --> 01:05:01,232
There was a real backlash, you know.
I mean, it's kinda interesting
1075
01:05:01,234 --> 01:05:06,134
that, you know, for a lot of middle
America, the lack of guitars and big hair
1076
01:05:06,134 --> 01:05:08,667
and stuff like that was a problem.
You know, they would say,
1077
01:05:08,667 --> 01:05:12,199
they would describe, this as wimpy.
You know, they would say, well, it,
1078
01:05:12,201 --> 01:05:15,165
it's not real music if it's done with
electronic instruments and so on.
1079
01:05:15,167 --> 01:05:17,365
And we sort of laughed at that
really, and pushed past it.
1080
01:05:17,367 --> 01:05:21,265
Back then, anything that didn't
have a guitar in it was considered
1081
01:05:21,267 --> 01:05:23,731
not to be music by some people,
you know.
1082
01:05:23,733 --> 01:05:26,365
They did a piece on me that
said, oh, Howard Jones
1083
01:05:26,367 --> 01:05:29,865
doesn't need to turn up to his shows
because he just sends the equipment.
1084
01:05:29,867 --> 01:05:33,532
Quite often, people
would say synthesizers were too wimpy.
1085
01:05:33,534 --> 01:05:37,665
It's true that some of them
were really cheesy-sounding.
1086
01:05:37,667 --> 01:05:41,698
It was like, homogenized.
The drum machines, the exact bass drum,
1087
01:05:41,700 --> 01:05:44,932
the exact snare drum,
everything was homogenized.
1088
01:05:44,934 --> 01:05:48,299
Drum machines
was called quantized.
1089
01:05:48,301 --> 01:05:50,832
They had to quantize everything to
get it to sound a little bit live,
1090
01:05:50,834 --> 01:05:52,301
but it wasn't happening.
1091
01:05:52,301 --> 01:05:55,199
There wasn't like a John Bonham who
played a little behind the beat.
1092
01:05:55,201 --> 01:05:57,466
You know, everything was right on
it, just sterile.
1093
01:05:57,468 --> 01:06:01,134
And they had a very different
take on what music should be.
1094
01:06:01,134 --> 01:06:04,232
It was all about creating
the imagery, the atmospherics,
1095
01:06:04,234 --> 01:06:07,332
the cinema elements of,
of the music.
1096
01:06:07,334 --> 01:06:10,998
Our sound was intergalactic space
music, basically.
1097
01:06:11,000 --> 01:06:13,867
Space love songs and it was
a, it was science fiction.
1098
01:06:13,867 --> 01:06:18,232
This produced most of the drum
sounds for the early records,
1099
01:06:18,234 --> 01:06:19,832
and it would be one sound
at a time.
1100
01:06:19,834 --> 01:06:22,432
Daniel's big thing was making
kick drum sounds out of it.
1101
01:06:22,434 --> 01:06:27,532
And it used to infuriate us,
because he'd be like, all day
1102
01:06:27,534 --> 01:06:28,965
and he'd be...
1103
01:06:28,967 --> 01:06:32,499
and he'd be change... and we'd think...
And nothing would change,
1104
01:06:32,501 --> 01:06:34,700
as far as we were concerned.
It was just the same sound.
1105
01:06:36,367 --> 01:06:38,032
He would drive us crazy.
1106
01:06:38,034 --> 01:06:41,731
Depeche Mode, of course,
and that was led by Vince Clarke.
1107
01:06:41,733 --> 01:06:44,998
In another life, Vince might've
been Jimmy Page or Eric Clapton
1108
01:06:45,000 --> 01:06:47,898
if he played guitar,
only he happened to play synthesizer.
1109
01:06:47,900 --> 01:06:51,365
Vince Clarke writes,
you know, in Yaz and in early Depeche
1110
01:06:51,367 --> 01:06:55,365
and certainly in Erazure,
you know, has written pop songs
1111
01:06:55,367 --> 01:06:56,865
as simple and beautiful as
1112
01:06:56,867 --> 01:06:59,700
any '50s pop song
you have ever heard.
1113
01:07:01,667 --> 01:07:04,432
It's a completely different
process now.
1114
01:07:04,434 --> 01:07:08,432
Anybody can do it, I mean, any kid
with an idea can turn on his laptop
1115
01:07:08,434 --> 01:07:10,332
and his little Casio,
1116
01:07:10,334 --> 01:07:13,665
and make a record, and that's a
wonderful thing the flip side of that is
1117
01:07:13,667 --> 01:07:15,434
not everybody who has
a Casio and a keyboard,
1118
01:07:15,434 --> 01:07:17,432
should be making music.
1119
01:07:17,434 --> 01:07:19,934
But you know, but at the same
time, who are any of us to judge?
1120
01:07:29,967 --> 01:07:32,665
Malibu.
Dance and alternative music.
1121
01:07:32,667 --> 01:07:35,667
Two rooms, two DJs.
1122
01:07:35,667 --> 01:07:38,667
Malibu, Lido Blvd.,
Lido Beach.
1123
01:07:38,667 --> 01:07:43,401
If music were a religion,
Malibu would be its cathedral. Malibu.
1124
01:08:21,667 --> 01:08:24,731
♪ Everybody, it's a good thing
1125
01:08:24,733 --> 01:08:27,698
♪ Everybody wants a good thing
1126
01:08:27,700 --> 01:08:30,965
♪ Everybody, ain't it true that,
1127
01:08:30,967 --> 01:08:33,898
♪ Everybody's looking forthe same thing
1128
01:08:33,900 --> 01:08:36,667
♪ Ain't it true,There's just no doubt...
1129
01:08:36,667 --> 01:08:41,032
Every generation of kids wants
their own music. I mean, it doesn't mean
1130
01:08:41,034 --> 01:08:44,865
they hate their parents, but they enjoy
getting music to piss off their parents.
1131
01:08:44,867 --> 01:08:47,132
They want their own,
they want their own stuff.
1132
01:08:47,134 --> 01:08:49,667
♪ Ain't it true as the sunthat shines
1133
01:08:49,667 --> 01:08:55,065
These clubs opened
and they became this really cool place
1134
01:08:55,067 --> 01:08:58,667
where you can go meet friends,
hang out, fall in love
1135
01:08:58,667 --> 01:09:01,065
and dance, but most importantly,
1136
01:09:01,067 --> 01:09:04,900
hear more of that LIR music that you
were loving so much on the radio.
1137
01:09:09,767 --> 01:09:12,566
And we really started
working with the people at the clubs
1138
01:09:12,568 --> 01:09:15,932
and I started hiring people who
were legitimate club spinners,
1139
01:09:15,934 --> 01:09:19,568
so there naturally became
a symbiotic relationship
1140
01:09:19,568 --> 01:09:22,401
between the clubs and LIR.
1141
01:09:22,401 --> 01:09:25,432
They'd advertise with us.
We'd do special nights there.
1142
01:09:25,434 --> 01:09:29,665
And together
we created a scene
1143
01:09:29,667 --> 01:09:32,932
that wasn't precedented
on Long Island,
1144
01:09:32,934 --> 01:09:36,698
because the radio station got
the word out to the masses.
1145
01:09:36,700 --> 01:09:38,798
We were grassroots.
1146
01:09:38,800 --> 01:09:42,731
Everybody loves to be turned on to
new music. Now, for the first time,
1147
01:09:42,733 --> 01:09:46,898
they were hearing the new music on the
radio, they were buying the records
1148
01:09:46,900 --> 01:09:49,466
and then they were coming to see them live.
And we all made some good money
1149
01:09:49,468 --> 01:09:52,099
from it you know, and,
and we had some great times too.
1150
01:09:52,101 --> 01:09:53,765
And we also had
some disasters.
1151
01:09:53,767 --> 01:09:55,067
Oh, sure,
that was...
1152
01:09:55,067 --> 01:09:57,798
The radio stations that played
the music we wanted to hear
1153
01:09:57,800 --> 01:10:02,067
weren't radio stations. They were clubs.
And then all of a sudden LIR came out
1154
01:10:02,067 --> 01:10:04,898
and like, there was a station that
was actually playing the things
1155
01:10:04,900 --> 01:10:07,631
that we were dancing
to at those clubs.
1156
01:10:07,633 --> 01:10:10,765
We started going to Spit every
Wednesday night and every Friday night.
1157
01:10:10,767 --> 01:10:15,798
I loved it. I lived it.
I dressed it. I slept it.
1158
01:10:15,800 --> 01:10:18,598
You had your Monday night thing,
your Tuesday night thing,
1159
01:10:18,600 --> 01:10:19,965
your, your Wednesday night
thing.
1160
01:10:19,967 --> 01:10:23,731
I went to Paris, New York,
I went to Spize.
1161
01:10:23,733 --> 01:10:26,099
We went to Spit only you know, Wednesdays
and Fridays were the nights that.
1162
01:10:26,101 --> 01:10:28,598
Sometimes Sundays
in the summer.
1163
01:10:28,600 --> 01:10:30,631
Yes. It was sometimes
Sundays in the summer.
1164
01:10:30,633 --> 01:10:35,466
I went to Malibu... uh,
I went to Spit,
1165
01:10:35,468 --> 01:10:36,932
I went to Thrush,
1166
01:10:36,934 --> 01:10:38,468
I went to 007.
1167
01:10:40,900 --> 01:10:43,765
My first club experience
was at Spize.
1168
01:10:43,767 --> 01:10:45,132
We were too young
to be in there.
1169
01:10:45,134 --> 01:10:47,067
We'd have a couple of drinks in
the car before we would go in.
1170
01:10:47,067 --> 01:10:50,566
In the glove box,
we used to have a pint of vodka,
1171
01:10:50,568 --> 01:10:52,965
a knife and
some lemon wedges.
1172
01:10:52,967 --> 01:10:56,731
And we would drink, and we would go
in, and we would just party.
1173
01:10:56,733 --> 01:10:59,532
Yup, and then we'd have
all the boys buy us drinks.
1174
01:10:59,534 --> 01:11:02,967
You know, it was like, "Oh, 007's. I'd love
to go there if only I wasn't afraid of it."
1175
01:11:14,034 --> 01:11:18,667
The girls would come with their poufy
skirts and their hair spiked up.
1176
01:11:18,667 --> 01:11:22,532
Pale face, red lipstick, I was
out the door. And I was good.
1177
01:11:22,534 --> 01:11:25,265
Great hairstyle, I used to have
back then you know, whatever.
1178
01:11:25,267 --> 01:11:26,667
And it's like, "Oh,
I used to wear those pants."
1179
01:11:26,667 --> 01:11:30,731
I went to a place in the city,
in the Village, and they, they shaved
1180
01:11:30,733 --> 01:11:34,532
one whole side of my head,
and the other hair, half was just kinda
1181
01:11:34,534 --> 01:11:35,800
hanging over the front
of my face.
1182
01:11:37,767 --> 01:11:40,000
♪ I want Candy
1183
01:11:42,134 --> 01:11:44,468
♪ I want Candy
1184
01:11:44,468 --> 01:11:47,667
The first thing I get to hear
people say when they remember me
1185
01:11:47,667 --> 01:11:52,532
from the '80s is, you know, "You had
a great Mohawk." You know, and I said,
1186
01:11:52,534 --> 01:11:55,099
"Yeah, I had a lot of colds too with
that Mohawk," because I used to get
1187
01:11:55,101 --> 01:11:59,832
a lot of colds with no hair. You,
lose 10% of body heat through your head.
1188
01:11:59,834 --> 01:12:02,667
People, you lose 10%
if you wanna go baldy.
1189
01:12:04,201 --> 01:12:06,865
We had short hair.
We had straight trousers.
1190
01:12:06,867 --> 01:12:10,731
Hair changed.
Shoulder pads got wide.
1191
01:12:10,733 --> 01:12:13,566
I used to have the hair
spiked up and the tails,
1192
01:12:13,568 --> 01:12:16,765
and I used to have balloons
holding my tail up.
1193
01:12:16,767 --> 01:12:19,165
♪ I want Candy
1194
01:12:19,167 --> 01:12:21,998
It was the time of
like, the tank tops with like,
1195
01:12:22,000 --> 01:12:23,566
the off-the-sleeve sweatshirt.
1196
01:12:23,568 --> 01:12:25,765
I had my poufy hair...
1197
01:12:25,767 --> 01:12:29,232
We would spike our
hair up like Flock of Seagulls.
1198
01:12:29,234 --> 01:12:32,832
We'd go into the city and you
know, go to like,
1199
01:12:32,834 --> 01:12:37,898
Unique Clothing and Zoot and get,
you know, like the Morrissey shirts,
1200
01:12:37,900 --> 01:12:40,232
you know, that looked like something
Morrissey would wear and...
1201
01:12:40,234 --> 01:12:44,165
We definitely dressed like Madonna
with you know... Yeah, yeah.
1202
01:12:44,167 --> 01:12:48,568
We would wear our hair like Tom
Bailey from the Thompson Twins.
1203
01:12:50,767 --> 01:12:55,065
We seemed to be something of a magnet
for the misfits and the freaks,
1204
01:12:55,067 --> 01:12:58,099
who wanted to come out and wear their
fancy, you know, weird looking clothes
1205
01:12:58,101 --> 01:13:01,099
because they saw in us
some kind of kindred spirit.
1206
01:13:01,101 --> 01:13:05,132
We wanted to make the bands
of the '70s look outmoded.
1207
01:13:05,134 --> 01:13:07,965
We wanted it to be
an instant change, that,
1208
01:13:07,967 --> 01:13:11,765
that it was very obvious
this was a new decade.
1209
01:13:11,767 --> 01:13:16,265
Fashion's not about wearing
something and just looking perfect.
1210
01:13:16,267 --> 01:13:19,965
It's wearing it
the way you wanna wear it.
1211
01:13:19,967 --> 01:13:24,265
♪ Life is so strangewhen you don't know
1212
01:13:24,267 --> 01:13:28,101
♪ How can you tellwhere you're going to
1213
01:13:28,101 --> 01:13:32,399
♪ You can't be sureof any situation
1214
01:13:32,401 --> 01:13:35,934
♪ Something could changeAnd then you won't know
1215
01:13:43,301 --> 01:13:46,932
♪ You ask yourself
Where do we go from here
1216
01:13:46,934 --> 01:13:51,299
If you got a record
added to LIR,
1217
01:13:51,301 --> 01:13:53,667
it was guaranteed
1218
01:13:53,667 --> 01:13:56,998
that it would break nationally.
That's just the way it was.
1219
01:13:57,000 --> 01:13:59,667
♪ I don't know
what this all means to me
1220
01:14:01,834 --> 01:14:05,399
Because you're dealing
with a really targeted,
1221
01:14:05,401 --> 01:14:08,332
passionate, loyal audience
1222
01:14:08,334 --> 01:14:10,798
that did everything that
the station said to do,
1223
01:14:10,800 --> 01:14:13,998
which is the power
of radio at that time.
1224
01:14:14,000 --> 01:14:17,731
That was a lifestyle, LIR.
It wasn't just a radio station you put on,
1225
01:14:17,733 --> 01:14:21,898
say okay, I'm gonna hear the Top 40 songs.
People just lived it.
1226
01:14:21,900 --> 01:14:24,000
♪ I guess it doesn't matteranyway
1227
01:14:24,000 --> 01:14:25,798
♪ Life is so strange ♪
1228
01:14:25,800 --> 01:14:28,165
Well, the record stores
started to move product all of a sudden.
1229
01:14:28,167 --> 01:14:31,334
They're not supposed to be moving this
product in this marketplace at that point.
1230
01:14:31,334 --> 01:14:33,998
All of a sudden,
they're selling a ton more records
1231
01:14:34,000 --> 01:14:37,165
and LIR became, I mean, they were,
you were their best friend all of a sudden
1232
01:14:37,167 --> 01:14:39,399
because you opened up
this new marketplace for them.
1233
01:14:39,401 --> 01:14:41,332
Now all of a sudden,
this little radio station
1234
01:14:41,334 --> 01:14:44,399
in the number 11 market
is getting a 1 share,
1235
01:14:44,401 --> 01:14:47,332
a 1.1 share, a 1.2 share
1236
01:14:47,334 --> 01:14:50,232
in New York City. We're taking
1237
01:14:50,234 --> 01:14:53,667
millions of dollars' worth
of advertising away
1238
01:14:53,667 --> 01:14:55,798
from these big radio stations.
1239
01:14:55,800 --> 01:15:00,798
LIR was plowing right ahead,
moving forward with the times,
1240
01:15:00,800 --> 01:15:05,765
and everybody else was like, well,
uh-oh, what are we gonna do now?
1241
01:15:05,767 --> 01:15:08,965
LIR and KROQ were
the first wavers,
1242
01:15:08,967 --> 01:15:11,932
and once they had success,
1243
01:15:11,934 --> 01:15:15,099
there were radio stations in
Asbury Park, New Jersey
1244
01:15:15,101 --> 01:15:17,765
and KQAK in San Francisco
1245
01:15:17,767 --> 01:15:21,432
and 91X in San Diego.
1246
01:15:21,434 --> 01:15:23,466
They became the second wave.
They said, wait a minute,
1247
01:15:23,468 --> 01:15:25,234
I see what they're doing.
It's working.
1248
01:15:26,867 --> 01:15:31,067
If the promo people can say,
"You guys and LIR
1249
01:15:31,067 --> 01:15:35,900
are the only stations
that are playing this music.
1250
01:15:36,967 --> 01:15:39,365
"You are all we have
right now."
1251
01:15:39,367 --> 01:15:44,399
And so that's how I knew
how important WLIR was.
1252
01:15:44,401 --> 01:15:48,132
People were just lined up to get
anything that had WLIR on it.
1253
01:15:48,134 --> 01:15:51,798
They sell tickets
because their listeners
1254
01:15:51,800 --> 01:15:53,365
are fan...
1255
01:15:53,367 --> 01:15:55,900
They're fanatics,
true fanatics.
1256
01:15:55,900 --> 01:15:59,365
They had an incredibly loyal fan
base that just grew and grew.
1257
01:15:59,367 --> 01:16:02,099
I mean, Yaz sold out
Madison Square Garden.
1258
01:16:02,101 --> 01:16:04,800
You know, how does an act like that
sell out Madison Square Garden?
1259
01:16:04,800 --> 01:16:09,800
We had such a great audience.
Ratings go way up.
1260
01:16:09,800 --> 01:16:15,132
The audience loyalty factor is
unbelievable. Not only do we feel it,
1261
01:16:15,134 --> 01:16:18,532
you see it in the business. You know,
the concerts were all selling out.
1262
01:16:18,534 --> 01:16:21,967
The clubs were all filling up.
The labels liked us.
1263
01:16:21,967 --> 01:16:25,165
Even the car dealers are
selling cars to our listeners.
1264
01:16:25,167 --> 01:16:29,834
I mean, money is coming in,
but we had a big problem.
1265
01:16:36,000 --> 01:16:39,332
Denis would do staff meetings.
And he called a staff meeting together
1266
01:16:39,334 --> 01:16:42,967
and I didn't see this coming at all.
He announces to the staff that he just got
1267
01:16:42,967 --> 01:16:48,832
a letter from the FCC that we were
gonna have our FCC license pulled.
1268
01:16:48,834 --> 01:16:52,265
And in the next breath he said,
"But I know how we can beat it,
1269
01:16:52,267 --> 01:16:53,665
"and I know how
we can get around it."
1270
01:16:53,667 --> 01:16:56,365
The way it was explained to me,
when I got there as an intern,
1271
01:16:56,367 --> 01:17:00,134
was that it was a paper work snafu and Elton
was going to get this whole thing figured out
1272
01:17:00,134 --> 01:17:03,566
that it was really just a mix up and
once he got this whole thing figured out
1273
01:17:03,568 --> 01:17:06,667
you know it'd be done. I think I found
out years later that he'd might not
1274
01:17:06,667 --> 01:17:10,201
have ever really had a license.
It was always so hard to decipher.
1275
01:17:10,201 --> 01:17:13,867
There was the battle for the interim
license before they figured out
1276
01:17:13,867 --> 01:17:16,499
who would get
the permanent license
1277
01:17:16,501 --> 01:17:20,201
and Elton had applied for the interim
license. And that would be the license
1278
01:17:20,201 --> 01:17:23,432
of who would run the station while they
did the search for the permanent license...
1279
01:17:23,434 --> 01:17:28,165
That was secretly talking a group that would,
that applied for the interim license.
1280
01:17:28,167 --> 01:17:32,165
There were four claims in the
petition to deny against WLIR.
1281
01:17:32,167 --> 01:17:34,867
One was the unauthorized
transfer of control.
1282
01:17:34,867 --> 01:17:39,665
One was that the station had changed
its format without notifying the FCC.
1283
01:17:39,667 --> 01:17:44,032
Three is that the station's ascertainment
of community needs was somehow deficient
1284
01:17:44,034 --> 01:17:47,201
and four, that the licensee did
not have appropriate character
1285
01:17:47,201 --> 01:17:51,232
because they had
"stolen Mr. Wolfe's tapes
1286
01:17:51,234 --> 01:17:53,534
and because Mrs. Rieger had
1287
01:17:53,534 --> 01:17:56,401
"put in for unemployment
when she was employed."
1288
01:18:00,034 --> 01:18:01,665
The FCC license.
1289
01:18:01,667 --> 01:18:06,101
Oh, yeah, that's confusing.
Here's what kinda happened.
1290
01:18:06,101 --> 01:18:09,731
The trouble started in 1972.
1291
01:18:09,733 --> 01:18:12,432
The station was owned
by a man named John Rieger.
1292
01:18:12,434 --> 01:18:16,065
John's wife, Dory, had
a debilitating illness.
1293
01:18:16,067 --> 01:18:17,499
John wanted to
take care of her,
1294
01:18:17,501 --> 01:18:21,065
so he tried to sublet the
radio station to someone else.
1295
01:18:21,067 --> 01:18:25,934
The FCC didn't like this.
To complicate matters, a man who recorded
1296
01:18:25,934 --> 01:18:30,667
a weekly show for the station, Franklin
Wolfe, had a beef with John and Dory,
1297
01:18:30,667 --> 01:18:33,265
something about taping over
his audio tapes.
1298
01:18:33,267 --> 01:18:35,934
He was so mad
that he tried
1299
01:18:35,934 --> 01:18:38,667
to get LIR's license revoked
and given to him.
1300
01:18:38,667 --> 01:18:41,667
However,
in a karmic twist of fate,
1301
01:18:41,667 --> 01:18:45,365
Franklin Wolfe went to one of
Long Island's beautiful beaches,
1302
01:18:45,367 --> 01:18:48,667
and a gust of wind blew
a beach umbrella into his head,
1303
01:18:48,667 --> 01:18:52,499
severely injuring him, and he dropped
his challenge for the license.
1304
01:18:52,501 --> 01:18:56,466
But the FCC decided to
pursue the case anyway.
1305
01:18:56,468 --> 01:19:00,132
For 15 years, Rieger and his
partner, Elton Spitzer
1306
01:19:00,134 --> 01:19:03,466
fought the FCC,
trying to get the license back.
1307
01:19:03,468 --> 01:19:08,731
But in 1987, WLIR went
off the air for good.
1308
01:19:08,733 --> 01:19:12,665
I kind of came in to, I hate to
say, like a sinking ship,
1309
01:19:12,667 --> 01:19:14,665
but it was like, "Hey,
everybody!" and they're like,
1310
01:19:14,667 --> 01:19:17,000
"You know you're
on the Titanic, right?"
1311
01:19:17,000 --> 01:19:21,199
The notice came over the AP wire
that we had to cease and desist.
1312
01:19:21,201 --> 01:19:25,032
It was you know, very scary.
You know, they actually said,
1313
01:19:25,034 --> 01:19:26,665
"Cease and desist."
1314
01:19:26,667 --> 01:19:30,399
And like, in a moment, I looked
at the phones in my office,
1315
01:19:30,401 --> 01:19:33,299
because I was standing in the
hall, now they're all lighting up.
1316
01:19:33,301 --> 01:19:36,698
Part of the daily routine of many
Long Islanders has come to an end.
1317
01:19:36,700 --> 01:19:40,532
Those who regularly tuned in
to 92.7 on their radio dials
1318
01:19:40,534 --> 01:19:45,032
to listen to the station WLIR will no
longer find that station broadcasting.
1319
01:19:45,034 --> 01:19:47,165
♪ Unintelligible
1320
01:19:47,167 --> 01:19:49,798
♪ I'm not a queer
1321
01:19:49,800 --> 01:19:53,667
♪ I'll state my case,of which I'm certain
1322
01:19:53,667 --> 01:19:56,532
The last song
that was played on WLIR was My Way
1323
01:19:56,534 --> 01:19:59,365
only it was
the Sid Vicious version,
1324
01:19:59,367 --> 01:20:01,665
and it was a "Fuck you"
to the FCC.
1325
01:20:01,667 --> 01:20:04,667
♪ I've traveled eachAnd every highway
1326
01:20:04,667 --> 01:20:07,167
So what happened
here today?
1327
01:20:07,167 --> 01:20:12,065
Well, WLIR is leaving the frequency 92.7.
After a legal battle
1328
01:20:12,067 --> 01:20:15,631
of about 15 years,
it's all come to an end, finally.
1329
01:20:15,633 --> 01:20:17,798
We've lost the license
for this frequency.
1330
01:20:17,800 --> 01:20:19,501
Who did you lose
the license to?
1331
01:20:19,501 --> 01:20:24,399
We've lost the license
actually, to Jared Broadcasting.
1332
01:20:24,401 --> 01:20:28,798
We didn't even really lose it to them. This
is the man to, to ask those questions to.
1333
01:20:28,800 --> 01:20:31,566
Would you tell me
about Jared Broadcasting?
1334
01:20:31,568 --> 01:20:35,132
I don't know much about them.
They're a company that won the award
1335
01:20:35,134 --> 01:20:37,731
for the station after... They also
had a five-year battle to win it.
1336
01:20:37,733 --> 01:20:42,232
How did it feel to,
after how many years, go off the air today?
1337
01:20:42,234 --> 01:20:45,332
Terrible.
It's very sad for us.
1338
01:20:45,334 --> 01:20:47,466
It's funny because today,
1339
01:20:47,468 --> 01:20:50,000
it's like a ray of
sunshine in the clouds.
1340
01:20:50,000 --> 01:20:53,798
We were just told by a trade
publication called The Gavin Report,
1341
01:20:53,800 --> 01:20:57,499
which is a tip sheet for not just
this format of radio, but all formats,
1342
01:20:57,501 --> 01:21:00,165
adult contemporary, Top 40,
1343
01:21:00,167 --> 01:21:03,365
that we're now nominated
for Station of the Year.
1344
01:21:03,367 --> 01:21:07,365
That's one in five stations
across the country.
1345
01:21:07,367 --> 01:21:10,099
That's a great honor. I mean,
whether or not we win it,
1346
01:21:10,101 --> 01:21:13,067
it's irrelevant. The fact
that today of all days, right,
1347
01:21:13,067 --> 01:21:15,568
we found out that we're nominated
for Station of the Year.
1348
01:21:15,568 --> 01:21:19,401
It's just hard to close this
chapter because this battle has been
1349
01:21:19,401 --> 01:21:23,432
so close to us for so long and this
station has been so close to our hearts.
1350
01:21:23,434 --> 01:21:26,733
Everybody that works here
loves working here.
1351
01:21:26,733 --> 01:21:29,232
Nobody works here
just because they like radio,
1352
01:21:29,234 --> 01:21:30,865
they'd rather work in the city.
1353
01:21:30,867 --> 01:21:34,698
It's WLIR that means
a lot to us and this music.
1354
01:21:34,700 --> 01:21:38,299
It was a sad day,
and it really was emotional for me
1355
01:21:38,301 --> 01:21:42,698
and I remember walking out, thinking,
"I'll never have this again."
1356
01:21:42,700 --> 01:21:45,667
We were devastated.
There was a huge void in my life
1357
01:21:45,667 --> 01:21:48,798
when WLIR, so to speak,
1358
01:21:48,800 --> 01:21:51,432
not, well, folded.
I guess folded.
1359
01:21:51,434 --> 01:21:54,365
It was a happy time.
1360
01:21:54,367 --> 01:21:59,232
It was a great time and hearing you know,
if I hear a song, it just brings me back
1361
01:21:59,234 --> 01:22:02,199
to the LIR days. It, it does.
1362
01:22:02,201 --> 01:22:05,665
There's, there was nothing like
it. I don't think there will
1363
01:22:05,667 --> 01:22:10,765
ever be anything like it ever again.
It was just, it was that good.
1364
01:22:10,767 --> 01:22:14,199
There's no other stations that, you
know, we didn't have the internet,
1365
01:22:14,201 --> 01:22:17,667
so what am I gonna listen to? There's no
other stations that even come close to WLIR.
1366
01:22:17,667 --> 01:22:22,165
When WLIR went
off the air,
1367
01:22:22,167 --> 01:22:23,532
people cried,
1368
01:22:23,534 --> 01:22:26,199
and I mean, cried.
We all did.
1369
01:22:26,201 --> 01:22:30,800
It was a very sad day. I remember being
in high school and everybody talking
1370
01:22:30,800 --> 01:22:35,299
about the day that LIR went off the air was...
That's all you heard. I can't believe
1371
01:22:35,301 --> 01:22:37,834
they're leaving us and, and,
and what are we gonna listen to?
1372
01:22:37,834 --> 01:22:41,199
I had to pull off on the side
of the road and catch my breath.
1373
01:22:41,201 --> 01:22:44,332
If I had a paper bag,
I would've been hyperventilating.
1374
01:22:44,334 --> 01:22:46,432
I was truly upset. I cried.
1375
01:22:46,434 --> 01:22:49,468
The other radio stations
were playing very processed,
1376
01:22:49,468 --> 01:22:53,532
commercial Top 40 music or hair bands.
They weren't focusing
1377
01:22:53,534 --> 01:22:58,532
on all this incredible world music that
they brought to these kids in Long Island.
1378
01:22:58,534 --> 01:23:01,932
This is what LIR did for people.
It made them say,
1379
01:23:01,934 --> 01:23:04,998
"Of course you could do it.
Who cares if you look like a freak?
1380
01:23:05,000 --> 01:23:09,499
"Who cares if people make fun of you?
You can do it." And we did.
1381
01:23:09,501 --> 01:23:12,466
There was a time where people
were fighting
1382
01:23:12,468 --> 01:23:16,532
to get the LIR license
in every unethical way possible,
1383
01:23:16,534 --> 01:23:18,532
hiring these
expensive lawyers
1384
01:23:18,534 --> 01:23:21,731
to go in and manipulate politicians
and, and to manipulate
1385
01:23:21,733 --> 01:23:24,432
a political governing force
1386
01:23:24,434 --> 01:23:28,667
known as the FCC, the scary,
you know, thing that oversees
1387
01:23:28,667 --> 01:23:32,932
all of communication on the public
airwaves, and it's total bullshit.
1388
01:23:32,934 --> 01:23:36,399
That is an agency that's been
fraught with stupidity
1389
01:23:36,401 --> 01:23:39,731
and really ignorance about the
business that it's involved with,
1390
01:23:39,733 --> 01:23:43,399
and at the same time, it's gone
hand-in-hand with major corporations.
1391
01:23:43,401 --> 01:23:45,032
Look what happened
to radio in America.
1392
01:23:45,034 --> 01:23:47,232
What are they,
two people that own almost
1393
01:23:47,234 --> 01:23:49,765
every radio outlet in America?
That's wrong.
1394
01:23:49,767 --> 01:23:52,765
These are public
airwaves, and also,
1395
01:23:52,767 --> 01:23:55,534
it has cut down
on the diversity of sound,
1396
01:23:55,534 --> 01:23:58,532
it has basically made
for this horrible,
1397
01:23:58,534 --> 01:24:01,898
formulaic state of radio
that is...
1398
01:24:01,900 --> 01:24:04,965
You know what, under-financed,
over-valued and,
1399
01:24:04,967 --> 01:24:08,665
and loaded with commercials, and now
people have gone out of their way to find
1400
01:24:08,667 --> 01:24:13,898
other things to replace it with and you've
got an era now, where we've got Pandora.
1401
01:24:13,900 --> 01:24:17,667
You're gonna turn to that instead
of using the public airwaves and,
1402
01:24:17,667 --> 01:24:21,934
radio in America has always been a
great artistic culture, and it still is
1403
01:24:21,934 --> 01:24:25,998
in many countries in the world
that have not had the kind
1404
01:24:26,000 --> 01:24:29,665
of corruption that has existed in this
country, and the kind of corruption
1405
01:24:29,667 --> 01:24:31,432
that brought down WLIR.
1406
01:24:31,434 --> 01:24:35,767
I think the legacy of LIR
speaks for itself really.
1407
01:24:35,767 --> 01:24:39,499
You know, all the artists
that were around at that time
1408
01:24:39,501 --> 01:24:44,566
who went through that experience
and rose up through the ranks
1409
01:24:44,568 --> 01:24:49,665
of alternative radio
realize the importance
1410
01:24:49,667 --> 01:24:52,998
of what Denis did.
1411
01:24:53,000 --> 01:24:55,765
LIR was important as it picked
up imports from Britain.
1412
01:24:55,767 --> 01:24:57,832
It picked up unknown bands
1413
01:24:57,834 --> 01:25:00,566
and it championed them
on the airwaves and
1414
01:25:00,568 --> 01:25:03,499
we really need that again.
1415
01:25:03,501 --> 01:25:08,132
Rock and roll needs that to,
to move through this period where
1416
01:25:08,134 --> 01:25:11,566
it doesn't maybe have the
same impact it used to have.
1417
01:25:11,568 --> 01:25:15,365
I think a lot of people want to know
where the roots of music have come from.
1418
01:25:15,367 --> 01:25:18,065
Where did what's
happening today come from?
1419
01:25:18,067 --> 01:25:21,501
Where, where did the ideas
1420
01:25:21,501 --> 01:25:25,532
of today, even the technology that's
working today, where did it come from?
1421
01:25:25,534 --> 01:25:28,665
How did it begin?
What, what got us here?
1422
01:25:28,667 --> 01:25:30,798
I think people always
want to know that
1423
01:25:30,800 --> 01:25:35,399
and they always want to know what the
triggers were, what the mechanisms were,
1424
01:25:35,401 --> 01:25:40,365
what the thing that pushed the wheel
of life forward, the wheel of history,
1425
01:25:40,367 --> 01:25:42,466
the wheel of
musical history forward
1426
01:25:42,468 --> 01:25:44,834
and kept it going to where
we're still excited.
1427
01:25:44,834 --> 01:25:46,965
We're still dancing
1428
01:25:46,967 --> 01:25:50,898
and going out of our minds
to great music somewhere.
1429
01:25:50,900 --> 01:25:54,501
And if we're not, we're thinking
about how to make that happen.
1430
01:25:54,501 --> 01:25:57,667
They were doing the same thing that the bands
were doing, where just by being different
1431
01:25:57,667 --> 01:26:00,065
and outrageous,
they were saying,
1432
01:26:00,067 --> 01:26:02,000
"Hey, guys, move out of the way.
We're here now."
1433
01:26:02,000 --> 01:26:04,532
Maybe that's an interesting way
of looking at it.
1434
01:26:04,534 --> 01:26:09,067
They were using the same kind of
dynamics as the bands themselves,
1435
01:26:09,067 --> 01:26:11,731
to say it's time for a change.
1436
01:26:11,733 --> 01:26:14,132
It was a fantastic
period for music.
1437
01:26:14,134 --> 01:26:16,667
We generated en masse
1438
01:26:16,667 --> 01:26:19,798
some fantastic songs
we had great songwriters.
1439
01:26:19,800 --> 01:26:23,667
We were doing revolutionary
things with record production.
1440
01:26:23,667 --> 01:26:25,731
So you can look back
at that period
1441
01:26:25,733 --> 01:26:28,932
and just about anyone who has
played on LIR, you know,
1442
01:26:28,934 --> 01:26:31,765
whether it's Depeche Mode
or The Cure,
1443
01:26:31,767 --> 01:26:36,099
they all had something that was
different from the generation before.
1444
01:26:36,101 --> 01:26:39,667
They all created something that was
really new and exciting and vibrant,
1445
01:26:39,667 --> 01:26:42,898
and I think part of that was that,
that what happened at the end
1446
01:26:42,900 --> 01:26:46,765
of the '70s,
early '80s, was...
1447
01:26:46,767 --> 01:26:50,698
The punk era had
kind of set the attitude.
1448
01:26:50,700 --> 01:26:52,532
You know,
you can do it yourself.
1449
01:26:52,534 --> 01:26:55,132
You don't need the big
record companies to do this.
1450
01:26:55,134 --> 01:26:58,132
You can go and you can
pick up a guitar,
1451
01:26:58,134 --> 01:27:02,067
learn three chords,
get a few mates and make a band.
1452
01:27:02,067 --> 01:27:07,667
And that was the attitude.
I think that early '80s period was just
1453
01:27:07,667 --> 01:27:12,832
as important musically as the early '60s
was with The Beatles, and The Stones,
1454
01:27:12,834 --> 01:27:16,665
and The Who, and Gerry and the Pacemakers
and all of those bands, the first,
1455
01:27:16,667 --> 01:27:21,765
kind of British wave that came to America,
I think the '80s did the exact same thing,
1456
01:27:21,767 --> 01:27:25,765
but in a very different way, because those songs
are still being played on the radio today.
1457
01:27:25,767 --> 01:27:27,667
Those songs don't go away.
1458
01:27:27,667 --> 01:27:32,932
WLIR, you know, had soul.
And corporations, they don't have soul.
1459
01:27:32,934 --> 01:27:36,165
And as long as you understand
that, it'll all make sense.
1460
01:27:36,167 --> 01:27:39,665
I don't think Sire would've
been the label it became
1461
01:27:39,667 --> 01:27:41,532
without WLIR.
1462
01:27:41,534 --> 01:27:43,698
I'm very, very grateful.
1463
01:27:43,700 --> 01:27:48,698
You know, the tagline, "dare to be
different" is a really important thought.
1464
01:27:48,700 --> 01:27:53,667
And this radio station embodied that,
lived it, encouraged it's audience
1465
01:27:53,667 --> 01:27:58,499
to do that, and that's important in life.
It was expressed through music,
1466
01:27:58,501 --> 01:28:03,201
and a love of music, and a connection
to music. But if you look at that
1467
01:28:03,201 --> 01:28:08,201
as a philosophy,
it's a philosophy worth sharing.
1468
01:28:08,201 --> 01:28:10,667
The Long Island
Music Hall of Fame
1469
01:28:10,667 --> 01:28:14,566
pays tribute to one of
its own board members.
1470
01:28:14,568 --> 01:28:17,667
He's the man whose voice
we all remember...
1471
01:28:18,733 --> 01:28:21,032
I love this man.
1472
01:28:21,034 --> 01:28:25,332
Music in America would not be
the same without Denis.
1473
01:28:25,334 --> 01:28:29,566
I am proud to call him my friend.
Denis, congratulations!
1474
01:28:29,568 --> 01:28:31,534
No one deserves this
more than you.
1475
01:28:42,834 --> 01:28:47,265
The crazy thing was, we thought we
were gonna survive, all together.
1476
01:28:47,267 --> 01:28:50,265
Elton had plans to move
to another station.
1477
01:28:50,267 --> 01:28:55,265
We are, at this time,
working on getting a new station for WLIR.
1478
01:28:55,267 --> 01:28:59,065
We will continue to be known in
1988 as WLIR when we come back,
1479
01:28:59,067 --> 01:29:01,898
as we move up
the FM radio dial.
1480
01:29:01,900 --> 01:29:05,132
We just filed
for a station today.
1481
01:29:05,134 --> 01:29:06,932
It's out in River Head,
Long Island.
1482
01:29:06,934 --> 01:29:11,165
It's now commonly known as WRCN,
and when we take over the license
1483
01:29:11,167 --> 01:29:13,998
and when it's approved by the
FCC, it will be called WLIR.
1484
01:29:14,000 --> 01:29:17,232
It should be pretty
much the same station.
1485
01:29:17,234 --> 01:29:21,065
We'll have the same nutty
crew, the same records,
1486
01:29:21,067 --> 01:29:24,965
the same kind
of an attitude towards music,
1487
01:29:24,967 --> 01:29:29,299
and it should be
good old WLIR.
1488
01:29:29,301 --> 01:29:31,265
Hopefully, we'll be on the air.
1489
01:29:31,267 --> 01:29:34,132
I think that's around the time
we'll be on the air.
1490
01:29:34,134 --> 01:29:36,898
Can you imagine
if we won Station of the Year,
1491
01:29:36,900 --> 01:29:38,731
and we weren't on the air yet?
1492
01:29:38,733 --> 01:29:41,165
I don't think that's ever
happened in broadcasting history.
1493
01:29:41,167 --> 01:29:43,667
How can you make a station,
Station of the Year and not be on the air?
1494
01:30:01,667 --> 01:30:04,965
Rock and roll has definitely
fallen out of favor, somewhere,
1495
01:30:04,967 --> 01:30:10,065
but who knows man, it can make its evil comeback
and that's what we're always waiting for
1496
01:30:10,067 --> 01:30:12,998
something loud, smelly
and nasty! Yeah!
1497
01:30:16,000 --> 01:30:21,065
♪ Wanna play,won't be the same
1498
01:30:21,067 --> 01:30:25,232
♪ I'll go with all the rest
Just playin' a game
1499
01:30:25,234 --> 01:30:27,665
What does 92.7
mean to you, Joan Jett?
1500
01:30:27,667 --> 01:30:31,934
92.7 is WLIR, and...
Hold on...
1501
01:30:34,067 --> 01:30:35,132
Hold on...
1502
01:30:35,134 --> 01:30:36,265
I'm waking up.
1503
01:30:36,267 --> 01:30:37,267
I'm waking up.
1504
01:30:39,800 --> 01:30:43,134
♪ Well you can rockor you can roll
1505
01:30:45,267 --> 01:30:50,099
♪ Well you can break the rules
or do what you're told
1506
01:30:50,101 --> 01:30:52,731
What does 92.7
mean to you, Joan Jett?
1507
01:30:52,733 --> 01:30:58,165
92.7 is... Shit.
I keep fucking it up, man.
1508
01:30:58,167 --> 01:31:02,965
♪ You've just goteverything to gain
1509
01:31:02,967 --> 01:31:06,199
♪ So let's dare
to be different
1510
01:31:06,201 --> 01:31:08,334
What does 92.7
mean to you, Joan Jett?
1511
01:31:08,334 --> 01:31:12,032
92.7 is WLIR
1512
01:31:12,034 --> 01:31:15,000
and waking up every morning
with John DeBella.
1513
01:31:17,301 --> 01:31:22,399
♪ Well take a chance,
don't be afraid
1514
01:31:22,401 --> 01:31:27,167
♪ You just got one shotso let's be brave
1515
01:31:29,234 --> 01:31:33,667
♪ Take aim, take aim,let it fly
1516
01:31:35,401 --> 01:31:39,067
♪ You only losewhen you don't try
1517
01:31:40,867 --> 01:31:44,132
♪ So let's dare to be different
1518
01:31:44,134 --> 01:31:46,798
♪ Let's go against the grain
1519
01:31:46,800 --> 01:31:50,132
♪ There's no point,
it's no fun
1520
01:31:50,134 --> 01:31:52,334
♪ If we all look the same
1521
01:31:54,733 --> 01:31:58,065
♪ Look alive, jump at life
1522
01:31:58,067 --> 01:32:01,000
♪ Just ain't no kind of life
1523
01:32:01,000 --> 01:32:04,434
♪ Don't walk in stepwith anyone
1524
01:32:06,867 --> 01:32:08,365
♪ You must be true
1525
01:32:08,367 --> 01:32:12,865
♪ Just be you
And do what you want to do
1526
01:32:12,867 --> 01:32:15,733
♪ Take my advice,it's more fun
1527
01:32:15,733 --> 01:32:19,967
♪ To dance to your own drum
1528
01:32:34,067 --> 01:32:39,299
♪ Now I know that it ain't easy
1529
01:32:39,301 --> 01:32:44,034
♪ But you got what it takes,I hope you believe me
1530
01:32:45,434 --> 01:32:50,067
♪ 'Cause right nowit's your time
1531
01:32:51,900 --> 01:32:55,434
♪ You got nothin' else to dobut shine
1532
01:32:56,967 --> 01:33:00,299
♪ So let's dare to be different
1533
01:33:00,301 --> 01:33:03,532
♪ Let's go against the grain
1534
01:33:03,534 --> 01:33:09,199
♪ There's no point, it's no funif we all look the same
1535
01:33:09,201 --> 01:33:12,332
♪ So let's dare to be different
1536
01:33:12,334 --> 01:33:15,332
♪ Let's go against the grain
1537
01:33:15,334 --> 01:33:18,967
♪ There's no point, it's no fun
1538
01:33:18,967 --> 01:33:20,867
♪ If we all act the same
1539
01:33:39,000 --> 01:33:42,432
♪ I'm a heartbreak beat
1540
01:33:42,434 --> 01:33:46,199
♪ Yeah, all night long
1541
01:33:46,201 --> 01:33:50,332
♪ And nobody don't danceon the edge of the dark
1542
01:33:50,334 --> 01:33:53,998
♪ We've got the radio on
1543
01:33:54,000 --> 01:33:58,134
♪ And it feels like love,
1544
01:33:58,134 --> 01:34:01,967
♪ But it don't mean a lot
1545
01:34:01,967 --> 01:34:06,099
♪ And it feels like love,
1546
01:34:06,101 --> 01:34:08,234
♪ And it's all that we've got
1547
01:34:10,167 --> 01:34:14,265
♪ There's a heartbreak beatplayin' all night long
1548
01:34:14,267 --> 01:34:16,501
♪ Down on my street
1549
01:34:17,568 --> 01:34:20,201
♪ And it feels like love
1550
01:34:20,201 --> 01:34:23,934
♪ Got the radio on
and it's all that we need
1551
01:34:25,667 --> 01:34:29,566
♪ There's a heartbreak beat
1552
01:34:29,568 --> 01:34:31,434
♪ And it feels like love
1553
01:34:33,367 --> 01:34:37,534
♪ There's a heartbreak beat
1554
01:34:37,534 --> 01:34:39,367
♪ And it feels like love
1555
01:34:41,501 --> 01:34:44,932
♪ Well, the beat don't stop ♪
1556
01:34:44,934 --> 01:34:48,867
♪ We talk so tough
1557
01:34:48,867 --> 01:34:52,232
The guy who truly dared to
be different, who owned the radio station
1558
01:34:52,234 --> 01:34:56,065
and allowed us to just run amok with
it, let the lunatics run the asylum.
1559
01:34:56,067 --> 01:34:59,265
I'm sure you all know
his name: Elton Spitzer!
1560
01:35:12,667 --> 01:35:17,267
This is the man who gave us the
freedom to do WLIR, Elton Spitzer.
1561
01:35:20,824 --> 01:35:25,824
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