Ignored Obscured Restored
Fifty years ago this month, I began my freshman year at Boston College, and one of the first things I did was volunteer at the campus radio station, WZBC.
I arrived at a transformative moment. Just six months prior, WZBC had been an AM station, limited to campus via carrier current. But in April 1974, the station secured an FM license, allowing it to reach the greater Boston area. I was eager to earn a spot on the FM schedule, but it required meeting a few key criteria: a semester on the AM schedule, passing a test for a third-class radio operator’s license (no longer a requirement today), and convincing the Program Director to grant me a slot. By the second semester, I had met all three.
The biggest perk of being part of WZBC was early access to new releases. Some incredible albums hit the airwaves in my first few months. John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges, released on September 26th, was a highlight. The hit single, “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” featured Elton John, whose involvement helped propel the song to the top of the charts. I frequently played another favorite from the album, “#9 Dream.”
Another standout was Electric Light Orchestra’s Eldorado, released on October 1st. My friend Kevin Nolan, who represented the station at a prerelease party, returned with a few white-label promo copies. He gave one to me, which I still cherish. Side 1, anchored by “Boy Blue,” is an album side I still consider to be perfect.
Linda Ronstadt’s Heart Like a Wheel dropped on November 19th and became a massive success. The album topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks, while the single “You’re No Good” reached #1 on the Billboard singles chart.
The fall of 1974 and my initiation to WZBC remain inseparable from those great records and the magic of that year.
Enjoy… until next week.