If Shelley’s tenure had started on a soft note, those days were numbered. In the late ’60s, his inexperience and age didn’t always mesh with the kids he was trying to woo. “You’re too folky, bluesy, and too outrageous” chided Grafman to Gary Bennett, the Music Director from the late-’60s to the early ’70s. Bennett didn’t see it that way. “It was everything you should have been at the time on the air,” said Gary. The songs of Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead both produced friction in the studio. Shelley’s opinion of Dylan’s music was not what some on his staff held. He had no patience for the lyrical poetry of the songwriter’s music, or the long jams of the Grateful Dead. Battles were fought over their selection. DJs were fired.
Intro to Shelley Grafman, Page 60
“We followed this one hall that made a left turn, and when we came around the corner, down at the other end of that hall, is Noddy Holder lead singer of Slade, standing in the hall in his undershorts stumbling around because his pants were around his ankles! A girl came out in the hall and when they both saw us, they laughed and she pulled him into the room, and closed the door. This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to meet the band, but I figured since there were four guys in Slade, maybe some of the other band members wouldn’t be so busy.
Bill Parsons, Page 63
“Needless to say, many a time that jocks mentioned Acid Rescue they were stoned out of their brains or possibly tripping,” said the ex-DJ. “In addition to pot, mushrooms were viewed as a fun on air recreational item as well. Not as heavy as LSD, but it definitely altered one’s perspective. You could actually tell what drugs were in strong supply in town by listening to the station. If there was a lot of boogie music, it was probably bootleg speed, those little white pills called ‘White Crosses.’ Ten at a time and you were the KING of rock ’n’ roll for your whole shift. If the pot supply was good, then that’s when you would hear the long Grateful Dead jams, whole sides of Moody Blues, etc. For the adventurous types that went the mild hallucinogenic route (mushrooms, etc).... jazz/fusion jams.,. Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea. And if ya got big time whacked and had your very own mental fireworks going off... whole sides of Firesign Theater.”
Page 64
