Back in 2013, when this blog was part of the Albany Times Union’s blogfarm, I received a message from someone who used to enjoy my college radio station, WHCL, back in the 1980’s. And his favorite show at the time was a reggae program called “Dead at the Controls,” as performed by one of my college classmates, Mark Pisani.
Now this reader said he enjoyed Dead at the Controls so much at the time, that he actually recorded some episodes off-air. He said that if he found those tapes, he would digitize them and send me the links.
Yesterday … I received a message. He found the tapes, and digitized them and placed the audio on YouTube.
This is incredible.
This would have aired in approximately May 1985, and it features what may be a list of Mark’s favorite reggae tracks from Aswad, Toots and the Maytalls, Black Uhuru and the like.
There are a few more links to some WHCL airchecks, and I’ll list them below.
These are incredible captures. 40 years of time-travel back to free-form college radio days. Definitely worth a share and a listen. And much thanks to Rick Hep, who found these audios and was kind enough to share them.
Excuse me while I listen for a couple of hours and mellow out. 😀
Chuck The Writer 
that’s so cool that they found the tapes and you can share them now, all these years later
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I’m trying to imagine you in dreadlocks.
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