More Music On WCAP

[Bill O'Neill....]

Mark Watson wrote:

>    Shameless plug: I will be in the parade, providing the Christmas 
> music that will eminate from the 4 Atlas Sound speakers atop the world 
> famous 30 year old WCAP Mobile Studio, still sporting it's original 
> paint and furnishings, and
> 23,000 +original miles. WCAP owner/ GM Maurice Cohen has a 12 volt DC 
> amplifier in place to power the speakers. I think it came from his 
> broadcast museum out behind the studios, somewhere near the 70's 
> vintage Pepsi machine & used studio and office furniture. <g>
>
> Mark Watson

Spent many a remote at the old GMC. Mark, try cranking the Bogen past 
"4" and observe neighborhood damage.

<harp sfx> Details fading with age but my most memorable WCAP mobile 
studio flashback was about 20 years ago, mid-80s.  There was some sort 
of "battle of the bands" going on at Cawley Stadium in Lowell (where LHS 
football plays, etc.)  No idea what sales genius thought this one up, 
since we were a full-service AC station whose idea of a risky tune was 
the long version of Beatle's Hey Jude.  This is significant for the fact 
that the bands battling were local garage bands.  Real, honest, Lowell 
garages such that they really sounded a lot *better* in the garage (akin 
to any one of us singing in the shower and thinking we're good.)

It gets worse.  WCAP was to be the "judge" of the top three winners.  It 
was getting very dark.  It was a hot, steamy night in Lowell.  And well, 
we were awash in a full-array of cultural youth all in various stages 
of, shall we say, sobriety?

The bands rumble on.  And on.  It really hurts. Headphones were used 
solely as hearing protection.  The station played it's regular format 
from the studio and none at the site really noticed.  There's the 1974 
GMC Mobile Studio sitting dangerously alone perpendicular to the 50 yard 
line with a conspicuously large gap of space between the studio and the 
bleacher crowd. 

The prizes to award?  Ghetto blast..... er, "boom boxes" became the 
words affixded to the glass in front of the mic.  Nice radios.

Bands are done.  Judging goes on <crickets> and then we arrive at the 
three top bands and then award the second runner up.  Applause, cheers, 
and then the winning band charging toward the yellow submarine looking 
for their boom boxes.  <oops>  The genius account exec. miscalculated 
that *every* kid wants (and deserves) a boom box.  The  dolt, we now 
learn (as we regret the lack of back-up jockey shorts) that all three 
winning bands are to get....ONE radio for the entire band.  All is okay 
until muttering turns to indignation and then expletives become 
unintelligible and then there are the suggestions that are physically 
impossible to perform to oneself.  This radio host, fearing no lie, 
announces to the entire winning band members, "<echo> There will be boom 
boxes for EVERY winning band member....er, um...  TOMORROW!"  Things 
begin to quiet down, images of a flipped-over mobile studio and the 
final scene of the movie "Sand Pebbles" begin to subside.  <harp sfx 
under/out>

Consider that my Alice's Restaurant (needing some major punching up.) 

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Bill  O'Neill
Dracut, Mass.

-- 
 I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and radio. Rodney Dangerfield