Relics from WHY "The Big 12" Manilus, NY (.09kw, DA-1)

May 2004: It's amazing what kids can do. Here are the only known live air checks of WHY Manlius, the radio station we ran from 3 different homes over 2 or 3 years. This info is mostly related to the final and grandest incarnation of the operation; at my house in Manlius , NY. It's August 1972; the songs say it all. The references you'll hear to WDDN, Fayetteville, were because that's what we called it a few months earlier when it was running from Dave Williams' house. You shudda seen us moving the woodwork up Highbridge Road on the top of my Mom's Dodge Dart (later known as "The Slodge"). Thanks for the help Chrisalyn & Tommy!

The first WHY Final Amp (w/ custom TuckerMade masonite 807A tube socket) c. 1970

Stop by for more as it becomes available. And, if you or anyone you know has PIX or TAPES, we'll love ya ta death if you'll share!! Michelle gets our eternal love and affection for uncovering the 31 year old picture of Paul (below). We're also looking for rare photographs of "The BallRoom" at F-M HS 1972 thru 1975. Write

ADDENDUM 2009: Referring to the heartfelt plea above, it just goes to show you should NEVER give up hope.  This summer, longsuffering wife Carol and I took a 4,000 mi trip thru the US Northwest to see what we could see. Aided by rumors heard by Mike, we found, and spent a very pleasant hour or so with, Heidi Guhl Tsadillas (FM '74) in Coeur d'Alene, ID. Before we left she said, "you know, I think I have a tape of that radio station you had with Mike Tucker". I was floored. The next day she produced it, still in pristine shape after having been in a box someplace for at least 38 years, and I've subsequently digitized, processed, and telescoped it. Thanks Heidi.   [At the time it was made, the concept of editing it on your desktop computer and sharing it with the world over the "Internet" was Star Trek fantasy. Now it's old news.]

• Offair airchecks by Terry Beacham:   WHY at Phil's house, 1972     WHY 1972 Part1 (MP3)    WHY 1972 Part 2 (MP3)
• Studio aircheck by Heidi Guhl:          WHY at Mike's house, 1971    WHY 1971 Phil (MP3)      WHY 1971 Mike (MP3)
• Attempts to record jingles (from Heidi Guhl). Phil and Brian Arnold. Location unsure - sounds like maybe WOLF.
  
  (IMPORTANT NOTE: I don't know why but some browsers play the whole audio file while others play a couple seconds then stop. IE for Windows and Safari Mac work OK for me but for Firefox and Camino it seems like you need to r/c on the link and then download it then listen to it locally)

I could never figure out why it was that Mike was SO much more professional than I was yet I wound up in radio for 17 years and he did not.  The 1972 tapes feature Tommy Carr and Nick Pircio as well as me and Mike. The 1971 tapes are me and Mike and you can hear Bunky in the background on one. On a sadder note, the 1971 recording of Mike includes a dedication to '73 classmate Matt Roberts who passed away earlier this year.

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