#wlir

1982.

Re-Flex “The Politics Of Dancing” (1983)

I’m not going to lie to you, but my trip to Riverhead’s Sunday Records made an impact on me. It’s that store that really opened my eyes to the Eighties and Long Island’s radio culture. How so? Sunday Records classified their records not by genre but by radio stations. Yes, radio stations. The owner had a one-of-a-kind system based on playlists and station hits acquired from anyone who cared to preserve radio history through YouTube and Discogs, and of course being there when it happened. One of those stations was WLIR, once a long-standing station that “dared to be different” and now has a documentary about it. Sunday’s owner went as far as labeling some of its’ records as “Screamers Of The Week” as voted by WLIR’s listeners at the time (week) of broadcast. That’s how special and direct the experience was. As mentioned here, it’s why Sunday specialized in new-wave and synthpop; and why I’m now re-discovering it. It opened my eyes to all the many hits I never knew existed, but also to my surprise the many industrial acts like Front 242 and Strawberry Switchblade recieving airplay which it sells. It was new-wave and synthpop’s connections that lead to us discovering industrial in the first place because they more-or-less shared similar elements. So here’s a question: if you are into Underworld to where you need more of it, would you embrace their early incarnation as Freur and appreciate the Eighties’ new-romantic sound all around it? You would. That’s why I’m here, and that’s why you’re here.

Some of Lou’s archive, the entire contents of which was donated to the New York Public Library.

Duran Duran comes to WLIR studios on Fulton Aveune in Hempstead in 1980. 

From left: Nick Rhodes; DJ Bob Waugh; Simon LeBon of Duran Duran; and DJ Ray White.