The Marconi Experiment

[lah' mah]

There was a new radio show in Philadelphia back then on WMMR, an FM station, called “The Marconi Experiment.” about 1968. Hosted by Dave Herman, it came on from 7-midnight right after the Frank Sinatra Hour. The Marconi Experiment featured bands like Cream, Traffic, the Steve Miller Band and the Grateful Dead and the Beatles. These were groups that you heard only on The Marconi Experiment. Top 40 radio would not touch this stuff. The presentation of the music was different as well. No screaming jocks, but rather a sincere sense of brotherhood was conveyed from the station to the audience. We were all in on something new and exciting, maybe even illegal. It was underground radio and I was hooked. I had an FM radio in my car! Listen to one of the radio shows.This broadcast is from the show's first anniversary in April 1969 when Dave Herman hosted a multi-day "Beatles Festival".

dinsdalep.podomatic.com/enclosure/2006-07-19T08_24_50-07_00.mp3

contents-

- I've Just Seen A Face (rehearsal, 1-91)
- "The Marconi Experiment" (WMMR-FM, 4-69)
- Hey Jude (outtake, 7-30-68)
- Devil In Her Heart ("Pop Go The Beatles", 9-3-63)
- Where Have You Been All My Life (Star-Club, 12-62)
- Ringo & Sammy medley ("Saturday Night Live", 12-8-84)

[fourthousandholes]

Ah, the good ol' days.
I used to listen to Father John, and "Rosco" on WNEW-FM from NYC.
They'd speak eloquently against war, and then play Country Joe and the Fish.
It was dynamite! ;D
I'm surprised WMMR carried the Frank Sinatra Hour.
I thought they were album rock all the way.
We couldn't really pick up WMMR where I am.

Tying into the category:
"Revolution #9" was a favorite of WNEW-FM, and album-oriented radio caused
people to focus on the themes of albums as a whole. No longer were albums
a random collection of songs, as had been pretty much the case up to that point.