Clyde Clifford
Encyclopedia
Dale Seidenschwarz, aka Clyde Clifford, is the host of Beaker Street
, a weekly freeform
rock
radio program.
Beaker Street, which first aired on clear channel KAAY
AM 1090 from 1966 through 1972, was the first underground music
program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station. The show attracted a legion of fans across the western hemisphere
with its pioneering format, which featured long album cuts from artists who otherwise would not get airplay.
Clyde is the prototype of the laid-back late-night DJ. His on-air comments are delivered softly and deliberately over a background of space music
. Clyde was one of the pioneers of the album oriented rock format which became popular on FM radio in the 1970s.
The stage name
Clyde Clifford came from an inside joke at KAAY. The on-air personalities took their stage names from the board of directors of LIN broadcasting, the owners of KAAY. Clyde W. Clifford was the comptroller general of LIN.http://www.beakerstreet.com/faq.htm
To be fair, there were actually a number of other personalities that followed Clyde Clifford. Among the many people who hosted the show after Clyde, there were several Ken Knights. As mentioned earlier, many names were given to the jocks to use at KAAY until 1976 when Dick Downes became the Program Director replacing Wayne Moss. In order to give the show more verisimillitude, Downes had the next host use his real name. So, there was Beaker Street with Stuart (McRae) for the last few years into the mid seventies. Stuart truly looked and lived the part of the '70s Hippy DJ, complete with the hair, beard and jeans. His approach was very laid-back and mellow, and his music selections were excellent. Under Downes' direction, Stuart (he just used his first name on air) expanded the show from the original three hours to a full five and a half (11:00 PM to 4:30 AM) achieving some of the best ratings the show ever attained, besting the 10 PM lead-in hour with twice the audience. Unfortunately, McRae's rabbi, Downes, departed and when replacement Carl Hamilton took over the Program Director position in early 1977, he decided to end Beaker Street (it wasn't consistent with the rest of the day) to much protest from all over the world (KAAY had an amazing signal). The last Beaker Street show was done by Don Payne. Stuart McRae resigned more or less on-the-spot after being informed of the end of Beaker Street on KAAY.
Beaker Street is currently off the air, having been cancelled by its most recent home, The Point 94.1 FM KKPT
on February 6, 2011. Updates on the status of the show will be posted on the Beaker street homepage (see External Links below).
Beaker Street
Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central US. Beaker Street began on Little Rock, Arkansas clear channel, 50,000 watt AM radio station KAAY late in 1966 and ran through 1972...
, a weekly freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
radio program.
Beaker Street, which first aired on clear channel KAAY
KAAY
KAAY is a 50,000-watt, class-A AM radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas, licensed on 1090 kHz.-History:KAAY was founded as KTHS in 1924 in Hot Springs; it moved to Little Rock in 1953. After the TV station KTHV was created from it in 1955, KTHS was sold to LIN Broadcasting, who turned it into...
AM 1090 from 1966 through 1972, was the first underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station. The show attracted a legion of fans across the western hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
with its pioneering format, which featured long album cuts from artists who otherwise would not get airplay.
Clyde is the prototype of the laid-back late-night DJ. His on-air comments are delivered softly and deliberately over a background of space music
Space music
Space music, also called spacemusic, is an umbrella term, synonymous with a segment of New Age Music and Ambient Music, used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness. Space music can be found within a wide range of genres. It is particularly associated with ambient, New...
. Clyde was one of the pioneers of the album oriented rock format which became popular on FM radio in the 1970s.
The stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Clyde Clifford came from an inside joke at KAAY. The on-air personalities took their stage names from the board of directors of LIN broadcasting, the owners of KAAY. Clyde W. Clifford was the comptroller general of LIN.http://www.beakerstreet.com/faq.htm
To be fair, there were actually a number of other personalities that followed Clyde Clifford. Among the many people who hosted the show after Clyde, there were several Ken Knights. As mentioned earlier, many names were given to the jocks to use at KAAY until 1976 when Dick Downes became the Program Director replacing Wayne Moss. In order to give the show more verisimillitude, Downes had the next host use his real name. So, there was Beaker Street with Stuart (McRae) for the last few years into the mid seventies. Stuart truly looked and lived the part of the '70s Hippy DJ, complete with the hair, beard and jeans. His approach was very laid-back and mellow, and his music selections were excellent. Under Downes' direction, Stuart (he just used his first name on air) expanded the show from the original three hours to a full five and a half (11:00 PM to 4:30 AM) achieving some of the best ratings the show ever attained, besting the 10 PM lead-in hour with twice the audience. Unfortunately, McRae's rabbi, Downes, departed and when replacement Carl Hamilton took over the Program Director position in early 1977, he decided to end Beaker Street (it wasn't consistent with the rest of the day) to much protest from all over the world (KAAY had an amazing signal). The last Beaker Street show was done by Don Payne. Stuart McRae resigned more or less on-the-spot after being informed of the end of Beaker Street on KAAY.
Beaker Street is currently off the air, having been cancelled by its most recent home, The Point 94.1 FM KKPT
KKPT
KKPT is an American commercial radio station located in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. KKPT broadcasts a classic rock music format branded as "The Point"...
on February 6, 2011. Updates on the status of the show will be posted on the Beaker street homepage (see External Links below).