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The long, hot
summer of 1967 was just underway. Hartford had endured racial protests
during the previous four summers but an escalation of violence and
mass arrests in the city's predominately North End were just weeks
away.
For most of
WDRC's young listeners, the summer of love was symbolically
launched on the other side of the continent. In mid June the Monterey
International Pop Festival gathered thousands of rock and roll fans
who peacefully enjoyed the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas
and Papas, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and The
Who on the same stage. It was the first large-scale, outdoor concert
ever - and was remarkably tranquil.
As
always, WDRC program director Charlie
Parker was out in front of the trends. He dreamed up
a free outdoor concert that he could tie-in with a commercial
sponsor. An added bonus was promoting the station's studio
relocation from its Bloomfield transmitter site to plush,
new studios at 750 Main
Street in downtown Hartford.
It
was the era of Rowan & Martin's hit TV show Laugh-In.
In January, thousands flocked to Golden Gate Park in San
Francisco for a Human Be-In. Charlie dubbed his concert
an Out-In. He hoped to attract thousands of Big D
listeners to the Blue Hills Drive-In Theatre adjoining WDRC's
building at 869 Blue Hills Avenue.
Billboard
magazine, August 30, 1952
Blue
Hills Drive-In was a popular attraction from 1952-74. During
the 1950s it's innovative manager, Melvin LeRoy, enticed
movie goers with such innovations as a television in the
concession lobby (1953) and a minature railroad circling
the entire grounds (1956).
On
November 8, 2015 this website received the following e-mail
and
audio
file:
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2012 Google photo showing WDRC transmitter
site & former Blue Hills Drive-In Theatre
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Hello Mr.
Brouder,
I
cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed your website, wdrcobg.com.
I grew up at 887 Blue Hills Avenue in the shadow of the twin towers.
We listened to WDRC all the time! (on our telephone, television,
dental fillings, etc). My Dad was manager of the Blue Hills Drive
In which
was right next door to WDRC. He was given a promo which has been
on reel to reel tape since the day it was recorded. I have recently
become a life member of the Vintage Radio And Communications Museum
of Ct in Windsor, CT where I acquired an old reel to reel tape
recorder. I was amazed to hear that this old tape survived and
delighted that it did! I'm hoping that you would be interested
to add it on your website.
By the
way, the show mentioned in the promo never happened. At the time,
the police advised against it citing concerns about civil unrest.
Several months later, the city of Hartford (less than a mile away),
would erupt in riots after the news of Dr. Martin Luther King's
death.
Best regards
always and keep up the great work!
Terry Wright,
North Granby, CT (e-mail)
Terry's promo
sat in a box for 48 years but played back perfectly to reveal WDRC's
Don Wade rushing
through 90 seconds of copy. Concert goers would have been treated
to the Fifth Dimension and Big Al Anderson's Wildweeds, among others.
WDRC's move to 750 Main Street was accomplished and Governor
John Dempsey recorded an announcement welcoming the station back
to downtown Hartford.
As for the long
hot summer of '67, the wisdom of station and city officials to cancel
the free concert proved sage. From July 12-15 riots erupted in Hartford
leaving 16 police officers injured and three dozen people in jail.
The unrest was punctuated by looting, vandalism, shootings and arson.
Racial unrest continued in 1968 and there was a major riot in September
1969.
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