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Anyone reading this ever listen to Happy Station, broadcast on Sundays (early evenings here in the New World) by Radio Netherlands?

I used to listen to the medium wave and short wave versions, relayed from Hilversum "Olanda" via the Dutch Antillies. I recall this version as being called "Happy Station 70", which gets no hits on google.

I only vaguely recall Eddie Startz, but long admired his replacement Tom Meyer's personable trilingualism switching around between English, Spanish, and Dutch. A mix of current pop hits from Europe, Latin America, and the Carribean, (maybe a few US hits, but I don't recall much) would be mixed with vintage recordings like one of Josephine Baker's recordings in French or Spike Jones novelty songs.

I thought this was The World's Best Radio Show. Sometimes it would be loud and clear, sometimes less so, and occasionally i was bummed when atmospheric conditions or interference from closer stations made it unlistenable.

From this website, I learn that "Happy Station" predated the post-WWII formation of Radio Netherlands, debuting back in 1928. It lasted until 1995.




60th anniversary sticker, from Hugh's Awesome Shortwave Recordings, which unfortunately has none of this show in its RealAudio files.

KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2004-03-18 04:06 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Did many folks in the NOLA area ever listen (like me) to the Bleeker Street program on KAAY-Little Rock,ARK in the early-mid 70's? It was on late at night on an AM clear channel, and danged if I didn't hear all sorts of very-far-out rock music like Todd Rundgren's UTOPIA's live album (a whole side at one time, "IKON") and Mahavishnu Orchestra, all sorts of eclectic stuff like that... Um, sorry this is kind of off-topic, Froggy, but this "Happy Radio" item reminded me of that... - from Peter Evans, formerly of Laplace & now living in BRLA.

PS - what a nice blog, and the related web sites are fabulous!

Re: KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2004-04-02 12:20 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Yes, Peter. I remember KAAY/Bleeker Street very well. (I am in N.O.) It was fantastic for its time. Among other things, that is where I first heard Led Zeppelin. I was thinking: what is this sound? Do you remember that song about the Titanic. What a trip!
Daryl from Gentilly

Re: KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2005-02-27 10:13 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Too cool, I thought maybe I was the only one who ever tuned in. I lived in SW Missouri in the early 70's. I found this site trying to research The Song & Artist that played The Legend of The Titanic. The song was a main stay of the station. Did you ever find the Lead in music of the Station?

Re: KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2005-02-27 10:16 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Too Cool belongs to hoovers3@bellsouth.net

Re: KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2004-12-17 09:45 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
I rememberbleeker street well - especially the chimes or whatnot that announced the show if anyone has a recording of this, i would appreciate a copy - just that haunting sound brings back many happy memorys... was also where this kansas kid heard a lot of the big names for the first time.
If you have the bleeker street musical logo please let me know at alren@swbell.net
Memories....
allan

Re: KAAY's "Bleeker Street"

Date: 2010-11-14 03:21 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
We used to listen to the program in Marquette, Michigan, a small college town on the southern shore of Lake Superior. It came in strong and clear on a regular basis. The music and DJs were great. At night when our friends would drop by our dorm room, they would often say,"Turn on that really cool station". We always knew what the meant. I miss those days.

No Recording of Happy Station

Date: 2004-05-10 10:53 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
At the time I didn't have disk space for long broadcast recordings. Now I do, but I didn't record any Happy Station, not even the boing after Tom Meijer's name. Alas.

-hugh

Date: 2004-12-12 01:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celestialweasel.livejournal.com
A very late reply, so you will only get this if you have email comments turned on :-)

Yep, I remember the Happy Station program. I did once find some RealAudio of the beginning of the last show somewhere on teh interweb but can't find it now. I am 40 now and probably listened from about 10 to my late teens, plus the odd show afterwards.

It is always kind of sad to find these things have disappeared even if you stopped listening before they did (sadly this often happens, it is a zeitgeist thing).

Funnily enough, the 'podcast' of Adam Curry (who was an MTV VJ and is now rich from internet stuff) reminds me a lot of the random talking and conversations with a bit of music, so in a way its spirit lives on.

Happy Station

Date: 2004-12-14 02:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] infrogmation.livejournal.com
Thanks for the note. Yes, I get email notice of replies. This post has generated my most long delayed replies. Did you find it on a web search for "Happy Station", or just going through my old entries?

Wondering simply, -- Froggy

Re: Happy Station

Date: 2004-12-15 02:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] celestialweasel.livejournal.com
It was a search for 'Happy Station', well I was trying lots of different searches to flush out the audio of the beginning of the last show with the theme. I guess it just shows that when I find anything obscure like that I should record it somehow (I must get round to installing some software to capture streaming audio).

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