Driving round the M25 this morning I caught the first part of Nick Barraclough's "Border Radio" programme on Radio Four. This concerns the inimitable but frequently imitated Wolfman Jack who broadcast in the 50s and 60s on America's equivalent of the pirate stations, the so-called "border blasters" that sent powerful signals into the United States from transmitters just over the Mexican border. Some nights when the ionosphere was right the signals would "bounce" from the upper atmosphere and back to earth, so that they could be heard as clear as day as far away as New York and Canada. That's how the young Robbie Robertson and Bob Dylan got to hear strange sounds coming out of the south, records they would have no chance of hearing on their restricted local stations. I'd always feared that this was just the kind of myth that appeals to people like me. It turns out to be true.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
How they took the good news from Mexico to Montreal
Driving round the M25 this morning I caught the first part of Nick Barraclough's "Border Radio" programme on Radio Four. This concerns the inimitable but frequently imitated Wolfman Jack who broadcast in the 50s and 60s on America's equivalent of the pirate stations, the so-called "border blasters" that sent powerful signals into the United States from transmitters just over the Mexican border. Some nights when the ionosphere was right the signals would "bounce" from the upper atmosphere and back to earth, so that they could be heard as clear as day as far away as New York and Canada. That's how the young Robbie Robertson and Bob Dylan got to hear strange sounds coming out of the south, records they would have no chance of hearing on their restricted local stations. I'd always feared that this was just the kind of myth that appeals to people like me. It turns out to be true.
It was a great documentary. I listened this morning thanks to the wonders of the iPlayer. The second part is on Saturday moning again.
ReplyDeleteListening to it, I found it very hard to believe that people fell for Wolfman's act, nevertheless they must have. Perhaps it's been imitated so much that it doesn't seem original anymore. Or maybe it's a case of 'you had to be there'.
Damn, does that mean that the picture painted by American Graffiti was fictional?!
ReplyDeleteNot unless the Wolfman didn't really like frozen popsicles...
ReplyDeleteSadly, despite inspiration like the Wolfman, the closest I got was being part of boosting Hull University's radio station a bit further than we were meant to...about 70-80 miles in any direction, rather than the 1 or 2 we were allowed.