Father’s Day Audio

Blasphuphmus Radio Almanac: Father’s Day Special 
(Featuring selections from Orson Welles’ Radio Almanac, songs about fathers, and the beginning of our serialization of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Moon Maid!)

Happy Father’s Day everyone!  As we continue to attempt new and exciting things on our program, we are experimenting with a radio format that has more or less disappeared from the dial in the last several decades: a Radio Almanac.  These kinds of programs were a kind of variety show, where news, historic anecdotes, music, dramatic readings, sketch comedy, and more were all put in a blender and presented as part of a broadcast for your entertainment.  With that in mind, here is my first attempt at something like this, inspired by one of the last great people to attempt something like this, Mr. Orson Welles himself!

I’ve been more than a little obsessed with him lately. (If you aren’t really listening to it already, then you should start podcasting Orson Welles On The Air IMMEDIATELY.)  His radio broadcasts were incredible, and in the days where he was the king of radio, he was also at the height of his powers.  It’s also incredibly unusual to hear Orson perform comedy, as much of his other career has erased from memory the fact that he was good at it, too.  I’ve been looking for a way to sneak his material into our program, and when I hit upon the idea of trying my hand at this kind of radio.  As this is my first stab at it, I’m still zeroing in on what does (and doesn’t) work in this format.  Hopefully, I can iron out all the kinks as time goes on.

Debuting in this episode is the beginning of my serialization of the incredible Sci-Fi classic, The Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  (As I like to say, “The OTHER Burroughs.”)  As I began reading this book, I was stunned at the kind of story I was being hit with, which is equal parts Flash Gordon and Jorge Borges.  I’ve been kicking around the idea of adding new features to the program, and this seemed like the perfect way to introduce something new and something old at the same time.  In this episode, I read the Prologue of this novel.  Chapter One, hopefully, will be coming soon.

Father Songs abound in this episode, and I also try to give a little background on this particular holiday, centered around everyone’s favorite patriarch.  However, this show should be suitable for all members of the family, whether you have a father or not.  Consider this a mish-mash of the kinds of things I love, and hopefully, stuff you love, too.

Enjoy!

Father’s Day Special

01.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 14 June 1944
02.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 21 June 1944
03.) Father * The Great Society * Collector’s Item * Columbia Records
04.) On A Frontier of Fables [Excerpt] * Jonn Serrie * Planetary Chronicles, Volume II * Miramar, Miramar Records

05.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 14 June 1944
06.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 21 June 1944
07.) My Father * King Missile III * The Psychopathology of Everyday Life * Instinct Records

08.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 21 June 1944
09.) Father * Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 * Admonishing The Bishops * Matador Records

10.) On A Frontier of Fables [Excerpts] * Jonn Serrie * Planetary Chronicles, Volume II * Miramar, Miramar Records
11.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 21 June 1944
12.) Father’s Song * Stinking Lizavetta * Tolotta Records

13.) Orson Welles Radio Almanac [Excerpts] * 21 June 1944