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Remembering Bill Allen: Assistant Director: 1970-1982. Director: 1982-1989. Funeral Service for Bill Allen | Bill directing The Lord's Prayer | Bill's songs and albums | Obituary |
End of Season, 1968 |
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/2/2021 | Era: 1960s | Director: Al Stewart
Comments: 0 Page views: 1534
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Source: Bill McGaughey collection
Description:
“Hey Paul. Found a write up I did shortly after I found and digitized the tape. I think the thing that was so special about it was here was Al at his very best. Something we never got on the records.”
Let There Be Music
It started as a simple basement cleaning exercise a few months ago. I was on a no holds barred; take no prisoners mission when I came upon a simple, brown cardboard storage box. I thought I should at least see what’s inside before I committed it to the dumpster. To my surprise, it was filled with old reel-to-reel tapes I hadn’t seen, or obviously listened to, in many, many years. The box had survived numerous moves and had been sitting in a damp basement for at least the last 15 years, an almost certain formula for audio tape disaster. My first instinct was to just toss it. After all, any tapes in the box were certainly ruined by now. But my natural curiosity and some innate need to never throw anything of any value away drove me into that box. As I started to sort through the tapes I found most to be old pop music I’d recorded back in the 60’s and 70’s. As I got to the bottom I found them: two boxes of Scotch ¼” audiotape, Model 111. On the back of the first box, hand written in blue ink, was the following: Side 1 – Beginning through Plothow “Yesterday.” Side 2 – “Danny Boy through Introduction to “Scholars”. I knew immediately it was Mickey McGuire’s handwriting. I was stunned.
I don’t remember exactly how I came to have these tapes. I suspect I asked Mickey to run a copy of my final concert, as I had done on previous occasions while in the club. I took the first tape out of its box and to no surprise; the sides were covered with mildew. Not a good sign. I took them upstairs and cleaned them up the best I could. Then the search began for my vintage Sony reel-to-reel tape recorder. I knew I hadn’t thrown it away. A frantic rifling of the house finally located it in the back of one of our closets. At least I had the sense not to store it in the basement with the tapes. I probably haven’t used it in 20 years so I wasn’t expecting much. I took the covers off, cleaned the rolls and capstans, oiled the rollers and put it back together. I apprehensively plugged it in and pressed the on button. Much to my surprise there was no smoke. The lights came on and I could hear the motors purring. So far, so good. The moment of truth had arrived. I gingerly loaded the first tape, threaded it through the capstan and onto the take up reel. Remember the old reel to reels? I put the earphones on and with not much confidence twisted the start lever to play. The tape started rolling.
Coming from offstage, I heard us singing the Purdue Hymn. I was mesmerized. As the song ended I heard us start to run on stage. The applause started to build; then it increased as Bill moved to the piano and finally it was obvious Al had walked to center stage. Bill started an introduction that became so much a part of us, Let There Be Music filled the earphones and I was off on a trip I thought I’d never experience again. I was back on that stage for nearly 2 hours with the goose bumps and the tears and the emotions that made us so great.
I have some old glee club records I’ve tried to play from time to time, but they were so worn out it was always a disappointment. Plus, Al was never there. I even went so far as to contact Brian Breed a couple of years ago to see if there was a possibility to issue some “vintage” glee club material on CD. No luck.
The quality of what I listened to that afternoon was amazing considering the history of the tape and the machine it was being played on. There was more hiss at the beginning of each reel than I wanted to hear and an occasional dropout. Certainly not up to the digital standards we have become accustomed to these days, but overall, the quality was incredible. I believe now it was a first generation tape, copied from the master that was made for a WBAA broadcast that was scheduled for the day after commencement.
I knew immediately what I had to do: preserve these treasures and share them with as many of my Brothers as possible. Fortunately, a year and half ago, I obtained a digital MP3 player / recorder I have really enjoyed using. I eventually produced digital MP3 files from the tape and started the editing process of cutting the songs into individual tracks and doing what limited processing I could do to improve the sound. Finally, I reassembled the tracks and burned the CD’s you’re about to listen to. A true labor of love.
It’s all there…Al’s truly unique down home showmanship, Bill’s awe inspiring accompaniment, Dick Plothow, The Scholars, Kenny Knowles, Let There Be Music, The Eagle…only a few moments from our past, but a time that will live in my heart forever. I thought I’d never be in that place again.
So, 35 years later, the house lights are coming down. Make that last adjustment to your tie, check your fly and get ready to run on stage one more time.
Brothers, Sing On!
Bill McGaughey
Easton, Connecticut
June 3, 2003
- Purdue Hymn
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 751 Duration: 00:02:50 - Let There Be Music
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 658 Duration: 00:03:11 - Al welcomes audience and introduces Ein Traum
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1034 Duration: 00:00:45 - Ein Traum (A Dream)
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 665 Duration: 00:02:39 - Al introduces The Eagle (Composer Noble Cain is in the audience)
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1160 Duration: 00:00:28 - The Eagle
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 748 Duration: 01:37 - Al introduces Brothers Sing On
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 942 Duration: 00:28 - Brothers in Song Sing On
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 761 Duration: 02:12
Singers: - Al introduces The Spirit Flower
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1011 Duration: 01:18 - A Spirit Flower
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 727 Duration: 03:57 - Al introduces Cool Water
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 572 Duration: 00:33 - Cool Water
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 745 Duration: 03:41
Singers: Byron Fox - This Is My Country
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 588 Duration: 03:18 - Al introduces Yesterday
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 759 Duration: 00:54 - Yesterday
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 801 Duration: 02:26
Singers: Dick Plothow - Danny Boy
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 689 Duration: 02:20
Singers: Dick Plothow - Al introduces Marching To Pretoria
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 927 Duration: 00:09 - Marching To Pretoria
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 612 Duration: 01:31 - Al introduces Gonna Build A Mountain
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 860 Duration: 00:21 - Gonna Build A Mountain
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 653 Duration: 02:54
Singers: Ted Howard - Al introduces Set Down Servant
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 783 Duration: 01:44 - Set Down Servant
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 668 Duration: 03:05
Singers: Bob Smith, Ted Pearson - Glee Club Introduction
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 649 Duration: 03:35 - Al introduces Row Row Row
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 589 Duration: 00:12 - Row Row Row
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 659 Duration: 02:34
Singers: Mack Shultz - Al introduces I Wish You Love
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 697 Duration: 00:19 - I Wish You Love
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 598 Duration: 02:11
Singers: Ron Walz - Al introduces Walk Into The Dawn
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 990 Duration: 01:01 - Walk Into The Dawn
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 541 Duration: 02:27
Singers: Michael W. Chung - Al introduces I’ll Walk With God
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 919 Duration: 00:16 - I’ll Walk With God
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 663 Duration: 03:03
Singers: Dan Macy - Al introduces Three Scholars
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1055 Duration: 01:53 - A Very Good Year
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 855 Duration: 04:21
Singers: The Three Scholars - A Woe A Me
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 730 Duration: 02:51
Singers: The Three Scholars - Al introduces Soliloquy From Carousel
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1135 Duration: 00:24 - Soliloquy (From Carousel)
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 570 Duration: 06:59
Singers: Zig Berzins - Al introduces Sugarcane Jubilee
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 713 Duration: 01:01 - Sugarcane Jubilee
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 655 Duration: 02:25
Singers: The Pappas - Al’s followup, Sugarcane Jubilee
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 817 Duration: 00:26 - Happy Birthday Tom Ringer
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 633 Duration: 00:29 - Al introduces Once In Love With Amy
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 532 Duration: 00:30 - Once In Love With Amy
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 604 Duration: 02:12
Singers: Rick Pickering - Lazy River
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 665 Duration: 01:38
Singers: Rick Pickering - Al introduces Old Man River
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1046 Duration: 01:00 - Old Man River
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 675 Duration: 02:24
Singers: Phil Jenkins - Old Man River (Fast Version)
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 1 | Page views: 804 Duration: 01:56 - Senior Cane Ceremony
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 635 Duration: 03:03 - Senior Cane Ceremony Continued
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 664 Duration: 01:05 - Al introduces Water Come A Me Eye
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 662 Duration: 00:06 - Water Come-a-Me Eye
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 602 Duration: 02:39 - Al introduces Dominique
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 930 Duration: 00:06 - Dominique
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 567 Duration: 01:03 - Al Stewart introduces Mosquitoes
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 792 Duration: 00:24 - Mosquitos
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 767 Duration: 02:19 - Al Stewart, Ken Knowles Introduction
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1043 Duration: 02:23 - Once Upon A Time
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 795 Duration: 02:38
Singers: Ken Knowles - I Believe
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 1 | Page views: 907 Duration: 02:51
Singers: Ken Knowles - Al Stewart’s Comments on Purdue Students
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 731 Duration: 02:27 - Born Free Introduction
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 1126 Duration: 04:24 - Born Free
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 839 Duration: 03:10 - Auld Lang Syne
Rec. Year: 1968 | Added: 9/1/2021 | Comments: 0 | Page views: 977 Duration: 01:38
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