MORE FROM ANDY BROWN:
My three years at WSAN, Allentown in the 1970s included being involved with their $2 concert series. I was just starting out there and hadn't moved to full time yet; I was still finishing up my engineering studies at nearby Lehigh University and doing a few shifts on the weekend. Veteran afternoon drive DJ Denny Somach said to me one afternoon when I happened to stop by to pick up my paycheck, "Hey, Andy, Return To Forever is tomorrow and I've got so much to do before the show, I need you to do my show in the afternoon before you come up to the theater." I was a little hesitant since I wasn't used to running a lot of commercial breaks, but I agreed. As I was leaving, Denny said "By the way, you'll need to interview Chick Corea." That turned out to be my first radio interview. I did many others and got to meet some really great musicians. Wish I had those old reel to reel tapes we made, especially the one with the late Rory Gallagher whose Irish brogue was so thick I could barely understand his answers.
One winter morning at WSAN it started snowing about 2 or 3 in the morning. I went out twice to shovel the snow away from the front doors of the station and kept my car clear so I could get out in the morning. The phone rings about 5:15 AM and it's the morning guy, Joe McClaine. "I can't get my car up my driveway" he said. "Sit tight, I'll come and get you" I said. So I put on the live version of Mountain's "Nantucket Sleighride" and hopped into my wheels, drove through the snowstorm to his place, watched him slip and slide on his butt up the driveway, scarf, gloves and boots and made it back to the station with about a minute to spare before the network news came on.
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