5 Comments

  1. Michael Cala

    Fass’s Radio Unnameable, along with Steve Post’s The Outside, which came later, politicized a working class Sicilian-American kid who hadn’t a clue about radical politics — or music, or history, or dissent — into an antidraft counselor on the Lower East Side during my teens. I believe the material I heard — both spoken and sung — helped me to understand why I needed to refuse induction into the armed services on moral and ethical grounds. As if that weren’t enough, the shows were just so much damned aural fun for a kid without any similar context in his “regular” life. “Hello, Hello” by Sopwith Camel played for over 90 minutes until pledge drive goals were met! Killingly funny, Fass’s ironic postmodern “DJ” was, as he shook up his audiences, compared to the mostly vacuous radio people onb “straight” channels were just selling us gas (as in hot air). Fass and WBAI brought me and a lot others to the Lower East Side to effect change, and revel in the radical strength and beauty of youth. (BTW, anyone remember Merton-Buber House, our draft counseling center, on 1st Ave and 6th Street?)

  2. Bob Kennedy

    Mike Cala. Beginning in late ’69, I think, and definitely by the time we moved to the bigger place on 3rd (4th?) Street, I was one of the two Merton House “co-ordinators” with Frank Allegra (I was the young guy with the wife and baby boy) and have actually just started a novel about that place and my related experiences in the “movement.” Unfortunately, I’ve lost most of my notes/journals from the time and am having more than a little trouble dredging up memories from a lifetime ago. I’d love to trade memories with you by e-mail (regkennedy@hotmail.com) and/or phone. Are you in contact with anybody else who used to hang at Merton House? And by any chance are you the Mike (as I remember) who had incredible chutzpah for a “kid” and put all us “oldsters” (i.e., 20-somethings) to shame hawking anti-war buttons over near NYU to make money for the house? (I still have my “F*ck Nixon” button.)

  3. Howard Salat

    I remember the fantastic humor shows way back in NYC such as Super-Spade,Super-Jew, the skit about lifting an object with an array of pulleys-“It’s Your World & You Can Have It ” and much more.I was in my car a lot and almost went off the road while I laughed.Any possibility of re- hearing these shown on the net?
    Thanks,
    Howard

  4. Howard Salat

    WBAI is mentioned a lot in the George Carlin biog called “Seven Dirty Words”One of lines was “Ignorant selfish politicians are elected by ignorant selfish voters”.

  5. Hi! I guess I’m writing to Eli. Where to send a newly released CD submission? You know I met Bob Fass and hung out with him one evening after a Broadside Magazine benefit show at Gurde’s Folk City. It must have been around 1977 – 1982 because I had interviewed Phil Ochs in 1973 and he was interested in hearing about that. In Aug 2015 I made that audio into a video and posted it on Vimeo (link below) and YouTube. I was in my late 20’s or early 30’s, and did not have a CD out yet. Here’s a couple links to my new cd released Dec 2, 2016. My version of Phil Ochs’ “Changes” was aired last Sunday on KPFA’s Across The Great Divide by Kevin Vance. Sounds like Bob Fass is still doing radio and will be on the air in 30 minutes according to this website. Cool!
    Vic Sadot

    Here’s a couple links to my new cd, which has licensed covers, 2 from Phil Ochs, one from Bob Dylan and one from John Lennon.

    ♫ “Truth Troubadour CD Is Ready For Review!” Truth Troubadour CD by Vic Sadot and the 18 songs on the disc were posted at CD Baby on Dec 2, 2016. Now we need some listeners! Now we need some reviews! https://vicsadot.com/2016/12/14/truth-troubadour-cd-ready-for-review

    ♫ Vic Sadot has released a new 18 song CD called “Truth Troubadour” at CD Baby where most songs can be listened to in full length preview and/or purchased in several formats. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vicsadot4

    1973 Audio Becomes 2015 Vimeo Video: “Phil Ochs May 1973 Interview: Nixon, Watergate, South America” by Vic Sadot & Rich Lang (30:10) Vic Sadot Broadside Balladeer Vimeo Channel. Phil talks about Nixon, Watergate developments, the TV show he was on the day before, and his travels in South America. http://vimeo.com/137101473

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