The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour

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The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour

Each episode, we'll play a show from The Firesign Theater's classic Dear Friends era (1970 to 1972) of radio broadcasts, which started out with The Firesign Theater Radio Hour Hour (Originally on KPPC-FM in 1970), which begat Dear Friends ( KPFK in 1970-1971), which begat Let's Eat (KPFK in 1971-1972).

For the uninitiated, Firesign Theater's radio era had its roots in Peter Bergman's radio program Radio Free Oz, which ran on Pacifica Network station KPFK-FM in Los Angeles in 1966.

One night, Peter had as guests three friends, Phil Austin (who was Radio Free Oz's producer), David Ossman (the station's former dramatic director) and Phil Proctor (an actor).

That Oz broadcast was a life-changing improvisation,” says David Ossman. “After that we set out to stone the system, if you see what I mean.” Phil Proctor concurs: “We knew we were on to something. No matter how absurd we were, the audience bought it!

The shows were a success with radio listeners and a record deal with Columbia Records soon followed and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Firesign Theater radio era presented here on KBOO covers the period from 1970's Radio Hour Hour to 1971's Let's Eat. These programs were running when Peter, David and the Phils were working on thier classic LPs. It's like listening in the Founding Fathers during a rope-smoking rap session whence came the Constitution. Many Firesign characters and situations appear here in embryonic form.  While some shows contain polished skits and japes, some are simply the four or five crazy guys ad-libbing to books they've brought in or riffing on contemporary events. It's easy to see the shows as the crucible from which emerged Mark Time, Artie Choke and Rocky Rococo.

Many may be familiar with some of this era of Firesign radio via the Columbia compilation Dear Friends, which was released commercially in 1972, which excerpted select bits from a similarly titled twelve record set of complete Dear Friends episodes that was distributed to radio stations and was heavily bootlegged over the years and into the bits n' bytes era over the internet. But the Duke of Madness Motors collection goes much further, thanks to the tireless digging of Firesign archivist Taylor Jensen and others who've come forward with airchecks of seemingly lost episodes.

We're pleased as punch to have the kind permission of the Firesign Theater to run these programs on KBOO.

This program alternates with "Talking Earth."

Streams: 
KBOO Stream 1
Program status: 
Retired

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 12/03/12

Airs at: Mon, 12/03/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 11/26/12

Airs at: Mon, 11/26/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 11/05/12

Airs at: Mon, 11/05/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
This is Worker speaking... In keeping with KBOO's mission to air unheard views and broadcast unpopular ideas, we're setting aside an hour for the National Surrealist Party and their presidential candidate, George Papoon. In that light, we'll be hearing Martian Space Party, f... Read more

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 10/22/12

Airs at: Mon, 10/22/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 10/01/12

Airs at: Mon, 10/01/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
 After a month-long John Cage-induced silence, The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour returns with a brand old episode entitled Dick Nixon Chevrolet.   This episode comes from the Dear Friends era and was originally broadcast on January 3rd, 1971 on KPFK. The Firesign Theatre Radio... Read more

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 08/06/12

Airs at: Mon, 08/06/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 07/23/12

Airs at: Mon, 07/23/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
 This weeks offering comes to us from the Dear Friends series and is entitled Hour of Ecstasy, which was originally broadcast on KPFA on 12/27/70. Hope you can tune in! Read more

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 06/25/12

Airs at: Mon, 06/25/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
This week's thrilling episode is entitled Big Brother is Washing, from the Dear Friends series, which was originally broadcast on September 16th, 1970 on KPFK. Read more

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 05/28/12

Airs at: Mon, 05/28/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
On this week's Firesign Theatre Radio Hour, we have a particularly bizarre episode entitled Only The Blackness Behind Me Is Real, which originally aired on July 15th, 1970, on KPPC as part of the Firesign Theatre Radio Hour Hour series. Multiple storylines, plot points and ... Read more

The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour on 04/02/12

Airs at: Mon, 04/02/2012 at 10:00pm - 11:00pm
It's first Monday, so time for another thrilling episode of The Firesign Theatre Radio Hour. This week, it's one from the Radio Hour Hour series entitled KWKWT-TV, which originally aired on KPPC-FM in Pasadena, on February 22nd, 1970.            On it, we'll hear what sound... Read more