KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Ode To Gravity: Vocal Yokels

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

OTG.1971.06.30

Program Series

Ode To Gravity

Program Length

60 mins

Dates

1971-06-30 | broadcast
| 1971-06-30 | created

Description

An eclectic mix of text-sound compositions, world music, and other bizarre recordings, some of which were presented at the 1970 Fylkingen Festival in Stockholm. Highlights of this adventurous free-form radio program include Arne Mellnäs’ “Far Out,” a hauntingly beautiful auditory portrait of Laura Nyro, in which elements of some her best known songs are artfully mixed and manipulated to eloquently evoke the career of this talented singer-songwriter. Also heard are a couple of pieces of sound poetry by Charles Amirkhanian, some of which may have been improvised on the spot by the host, and a program closing montage of electronic music, excerpts from “The Merchant of Venice”, committee meeting roll calls, and other sundry sounds. Filling in the gaps of this lively and engaging program are selections of world music, wolves howling, and the sounds of breathing. Taken in its entirety this program is a testament to the radically avant-garde experimentation that was a mainstay of KPFA programing during the later half of the 20 century.

Genres

Sound poetry
World music

Musical Selections

I Revolutionens Snö (“In the Snow of Revolution”) (1969) (3:36) / Ilmar Laaban (3:42) -- Poésie Action [title could not be confirmed] 3:03) / Bernard Heidsieck -- Dactl Dactl Mther Mther Mther Bongg Bongg Frgid (1971) (2:34) / Charles Amirkhanian -- Ana Winta (4:51) / Sawaya Quartet -- [unidentified excerpt] (1:13) / Canterbury Fair -- [excerpt, English Speech Instruction LP] (1:53) -- [last track of side one from the LP “The language and the music of the wolves”] (2:39) -- As Easy [excerpt] (2:31) / Bob Cobbing -- I Put a Spell On You (1956) (2:21) / Screamin’ Jay Hawkins -- [counting] (4:01) / Charles Amirkhanian -- [humming] (4:11) / Charles Amirkhanian -- [first track of side two of the UNESCO LP “Music of the Dan”] (1:21) -- Far Out: Portrait of Laura Nyro (1970) (10:20) / Arne Mellnäs -- [fifth track of side two of the UNESCO LP “Music of the Dan”] (4:11) -- [mix of excerpts from William Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” Berkeley City Council meeting, Folkways LP “This is Rhythm, and electronic music by Ralph Lundsten from Odeon LP] (9:17)

Subjects

Sound poetry
Text-sound compositions
World music
Music -- Lebanon
Rock music
Animal sounds
Blues (Music)
Electronic music
Music -- Africa

Acknowledgment

Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by the GRAMMY Foundation.

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Sawaya Quartet
Canterbury Fair (Musical group)
Amirkhanian, Charles
Laaban, Ilmar, 1921-
Heidsieck, Bernard, 1928-2014
Cobbing, Bob, 1920-2002
Hawkins, Screamin' Jay
Mellnäs, Arne
Nyro, Laura
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
Lundsten, Ralph, 1936-