Radio Radio

As is I have established in the title of this post, I reserve the right to quote Elvis Costello at any time I deem appropriate.  For those who are confused by this statement, "Radio Radio" is a song by Elvis Costello that was originally released in 1978. It's actually about the commercialization of radio and how the power is taken out of the hands of the artists and given to record company executives who decide what gets played on the radio. Consumers are pretty much told what's going to be popular and the vast majority of them take it hook, line and sinker. Pretty dead on, Elvis.

I'm already getting off topic, but I hope you enjoyed the trivia/commentary.


So, the title also refers to my latest little project. It all started several months ago...

I was out in the tool shed at my in-laws' house and I ran across something that caught my eye. The tool shed is not only a shed that houses tools. In fact, there aren't that many tools left out there. At one time, there were all kinds of tools and machinery in the shed but now it's mostly used to raise spiders. There's also a large pile of stuff behind the shed that consists of scrap wood and a 10-speed bike, among other things. It was in this pile that I spotted an old wooden console radio.


I have a soft spot for old radios. For the most part, any old radios that I bring home end up living at our house indefinitely. I don't have a ton of them, but I do have some pretty cool ones. I just really like the style of the older radios. Modern radios just don't have the appeal of the old ones. Back in the day, they were more than devices for listening to music. They were pieces of furniture. They were part of the decor. Before TV, the radio was the focal point in the living room, so they had to fit the part. Big, lighted dials, ornate faceplates and fancy cabinets were the norm. Unlike today's sleek, silver boxes the old-school radios had character.


So, when I saw this old radio decaying in this pile of garbage, I felt the need to save it. It was exposed to the elements and the outer part of the cabinet was in pretty sad shape. I wish that I had gotten to it sooner, but I didn't.

 The outside was shot, but parts of the inside were salvageable so I went back later with sawzall in hand. I wish I had taken a picture of it before the demolition began, but here's what it looked like after I got it home.


 


It was somewhat beat up but, as an added bonus, it was filled with ants. I transported it in the plastic garbage bag you see in the picture and then poured some high powered ant killer in the bag and closed it up. After it sat for about 6 months, I figured it was safe. It was.

Here's what it looked like when I opened it up.

I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it and the chassis (the part with all the tubes and mechanical pieces, pictured to the right) wasn't a part of the plan. So, I started trying to carefully remove the face from the chassis. It wasn't too difficult but it was quite nasty. The radio was a Majestic model 8FM775, made in 1947 and I think a family of mice moved into it shortly thereafter. And, it appears that these mice weren't terribly concerned with housekeeping or cleanliness. Typical mice. I assume that the mice later moved to the suburbs and made way for the ants who were even less sanitary than the mice. It's just hard to find good renters these days.


All that being the case, I had to clean the face once I got it separated from the chassis. I wiped everything down and put the chassis back into the plastic bag for later use or to permanently occupy a corner of my garage. I haven't decided which.

 

Here, you can see the chassis removed from the face. You can also see some whiffle balls. These are evidence of last weeks batting practice that took place in the garage. Jack is playing T-ball again this year and last week, on a rainy day, we set up the tee in the garage and hit whiffle balls. After raising two girls, it's a lot of fun having a little boy. If I didn't have Jack, I would miss out on a lot of cool stuff like T-ball, Green Lantern cartoons and Batman underwear. Ok, I might still have some Batman underwear, but I don't think they'd let me play T-ball. Anyway, I love being a dad to a little boy. It's almost like being a little boy myself again.




Back on track...I got it all apart and cleaned up and then started looking for something to use for a frame. My first idea was to use a picture frame, but I couldn't find one that fit, so I opted for making one. I found some pieces of wood in the garage that I thought would work well. It turns out that the pieces of wood were actually the seat from a small bench that I found on the side of the road one day. The bench had cast iron arms and legs that were made together and one of the legs had broken, so they chunked the whole thing. But, what really drew me to the bench was the back. It's now hanging over a door in our house.

I love the animal scene and the detail involved. How could somebody trash this thing? People perplex and frustrate me, but I probably have the same effect on them (he says with a smile).

The wood pieces that I used for the frame looked the same as those pictured above. I painted them black to match the knobs on the face of the radio and then I "aged" them a little. When I painted them, they were black black. Too black. I thought they should show signs of age similar to that of the radio itself, so I got medieval on them with a wire brush.

The piece on the left is before the wire brush and the one on the right is after. I thought about also beating them with a logging chain but decided that might border on overkill. Let the wire brush suffice, but bear down pretty hard on it.


"And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools," according to Elvis Costello. I was hoping that he wasn't referring to me when he wrote that, but I was pretty confident that this was going to turn out well. The stars were all lining up for this one.


Oddly enough, I think the stars were lining up for this beginning on December 17, 1977. Elvis Costello was the musical guest on that night's episode of Saturday Night Live. Costello wanted to play "Radio Radio", but the powers that be demanded that he play the song "Less Than Zero", partly because of the anti-media message of "Radio Radio." So, Elvis and his band, The Attractions, began "Less Than Zero" but Elvis stopped them, told the audience there was no reason to play that song here, and launched the band into "Radio Radio." You can see the performance here. One of the all-time great flip-offs to the establishment. It also got him banned from appearing on the show until 1989.


But, what does that have to do with John, you ask. Well, the host of that episode was an 80-year old lady from New Orleans named Miskel Spillman. That fall, SNL ran a contest called "Anyone Can Host" and she was the winner. It's the only time that a non-celebrity has hosted the show. But, although Miskel and I share a last name, I'm not aware of any further relation. Still, it seems quite providential that more than 34 years later (!) some guy named Spillman would be writing about her, Elvis Costello and a radio.


Cool, huh?


So, I put together a frame, and got the whole thing assembled. When I found the radio, it was left for dead. Needless to say, the days of music streaming from its speakers were gone. But, that doesn't mean that it can't live on in another form. I figured if it works for Buddhists, why not radios? This radio's new form isn't too far from the previous one. Chances are that when it went home with Tanya's grandparents in 1947, it was the centerpiece of the living room. It was a beautiful piece of furniture that accented the rest of the decor. Now, once again, it's a thing of beauty. It's got some miles on it, but I wanted to leave the evidence of those miles. I thought it fitting.

Its life expectancy has been dramatically increased over what it was in the junk pile. It's hanging high enough that Jack can't reach it to try to turn it on, so it's probably safe. I think it's going to be a nice addition to our house. And, I think Elvis Costello and Miskel Spillman would both approve of it.




Thanks for reading! Please share with your friends!

John