This week features a sort-of lengthy article (html link) entitled "No Hits, All the Time", written about WFMU for the New York Times Magazine's April 11, 1999 issue. Fast forwarding 30 years from WFMU's groovy past, we get a picture of the station as it is, more or less, in these modern times. Quotes from Citizen Kafka, Kenny G, Monica, and other DJs attempted to elucidate for the coffee-sipping Sunday morning Times readers exactly what it is that makes FMU so different from your average pitstop on the radio dial.
Citizen Kafka used to have this article archived on his site, and he (with the help of Irwin) went to the trouble of identifying all the records being held up by the WFMU staffers in the photo accompanying the article. Through the magic of archive.org, here's the list:
FRONT ROW: Irwin Chusid (Linda Perhacs: 'Parallelograms'), Mike Cumella, aka 'Mac' (Edison disc). 2ND ROW: Hova Najarian (Mekons: 'Rock'n'Roll'), Belinda Miller (Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers), Ken Freedman (Sing Along With JFK), Brian Turner (Jordy: 'It's Tough To Be a Baby' 12"), Laura Cantrell (George Jones). BACK ROW: Gaylord Fields (10"-sq. piece of metal that Chop Shop record came strapped to), Citizen Kafka (on ladder) (The White Sisters), Monica Lynch (Mr. Magic's Rap Attack), Glen Jones (John Mellencamp), Kenny G. (John Cage).
I regret to report that I have only 2 out of the 12 discs pictured in my own personal collection, but I have collected 7 out of the 12 WFMU staffers in the photo.
Posted by: jima | October 26, 2005 at 09:53 AM