Celebrating Sgt. Pepper At 50

Though you may not be of that certain age where the 50^th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a big deal, my guess is there is someone in your life that remembers the release of that iconic album when it first came out in America on June 2 back in 1967. Ask them and they will tell you what an amazing thing it was to hear that album for the first time for a variety of different reasons. From the album cover itself to the magic that waited inside for your ears to experience, in its day, it was unlike anything in rock that had come before. And now, 50 years on it has been remastered, repackaged & re-released to rave reviews and sales that in its first week of release put it at the top of the album chart in England and nearly matched that here in the U.S. where it sold over 75,000 copies in its first week to re enter the Billboard 200 Album Chart at #3. The last time Sgt. Pepper peaked that high was on December 30, 1967 after a run at #1 that lasted 15 weeks. I mention all this to set the stage for the package that you could win here on The Drive during our Sgt. Pepper Summer. All summer we will be giving you a chance to win the 50th Anniversary Edition of the LP both on the air and at various locations throughout Rutland County. Before Labor Day we will award the ENTIRE package to one lucky listener. Take a look at the special video here on our website to see what the 50th Anniversary Edition includes and listen to The Drive in the days and weeks ahead for your chance to own a very special piece of rock music history.

All In The Family

The Drive is part of the Catamount Radio Group and because of that we remind you that the Catamount Radio Auction is coming up on June 3^rd from 7:30 in the morning until 2:00 Saturday afternoon. We can promise you here at The Drive that we will be Driving you through that Saturday with the perfect weekend soundtrack of great Classic Hits, but if at any time on June 3^rd you want to take a stab at grabbing some great items at huge savings then tune to one of our “sister stations” that will be airing The Catamount Radio Auction. You can hear the auction on Cat Country at 105.3 FM or on one of the two signals that broadcast WSYB in Rutland. On the AM dial you can hear WSYB on 1380, but Catamount Radio has now added WSYB to the FM dial too. Listen to the auction there at 100.1. Between now and  the 3^rd of June you can check out all the latest items that will be up for bid by clicking “CATAMOUNT RADIO AUCTION” on the front page of this website. New items seem to pop up there on a daily basis, so check it out. Save on big, expensive items to certificates for food & services. It’s all on the radio at 105.3 & 100.1 FM or 1380 AM. So on Saturday June 3^rd you have a chance to bid on some great items from local businesses on those stations….but if that’s not your idea of a good Saturday of radio, remember…. We’re always here with great Classic Hits for all of Rutland County…….94-5 THE DRIVE.

Frampton Comes Alive on The Drive

Earlier today I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes chatting with Peter Frampton. Yes, the artist that released an album of live music in 1976 that remains, after more than 40 years, one of the best selling LIVE albums of all time. Admittedly I didn’t know what to expect from an artist that has shared the stage, and the studio, with some of the other big names of our generation; George Harrison, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, B.B. King and even Jerry Lee Lewis. But what I found was a gentleman. The kind of guy you would hope to have a chance to meet in a quiet pub and have a sip or two with. When you found out who he was (if somehow you didn’t recognize him right away) you would hope he would pull out his acoustic guitar & play a song or two for you from his amazing body of work. Well, that is just about what he plans to do at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland on April 12^th. He is touring with his son Julian along with his best friend & fellow musician Gordon Kennedy. Together they bring that intimate meeting I described a moment ago to the Paramount for a more than two hour show. Plan on an evening of great music, stripped down to its acoustic form from two of the best guitarists of our time. I’m looking forward to it. So should you. Get your tickets at the Paramount Box Office or direct from paramountvt.org

Some Thoughts On The Blizzard.

During yesterday’s blizzard many things came to mind for me. Like the stories that my great aunt told me as a child about the famous blizzard of 1888. She was a very young girl at the time and only remembered that it was impossible to go anywhere for weeks. The storm dumped up to 60 inches of snow in its wake in parts of New England including her town in Connecticut. Over almost two full days  the wind blue drifts as high as 50 feet in some areas. I imagined what it must have been like. A blizzard more powerful than our blizzard of 2017 trapping people in their own homes during a time that only offered a hand shovel to most people of the 1880’s. Roads & walkways couldn’t be cleared for days on end and good old radio was still more than 30 years away from broadcasting the spoken word. An event that would be a literal lifesaver in the time of future storms. It’s been just short of 100 years since radio began broadcasting those first words and here we are again finding ourselves in the mist of another blizzard and the need for information that for some could be lifesaving. The difference is today snowplows, snowblowers and other devices to make our life easier are plentiful & there are so many other ways to get information that to those who need help radio becomes an afterthought. Perhaps getting the information that you need from radio isn’t as important as it once was but a local radio station like The Drive is still a place to know that in your community of Rutland County Vermont we care about what happens because it is our community too. I live here with you. So does Uncle Dave and the rest of the Drive family. By all means, check your text messages, tweets & facebook pages but remember; we will be here not only as a music radio station, but as a community one as well. For you.

 The Blizzard of 1888. New Britain, CT. My Great Aunt Nellie told stories to us of that day.

Might Need To Re-work The Image

Once in awhile I will walk across the street here in downtown Rutland to grab a coffee from one of the shops. I did that this morning and added a cookie to go along with it and as I walk in with the snack balanced on top of my coffee cup it seems people thought I was enjoying a bit of Guinness to get my day going! So either I need to re-work my image or begin starting my work day with a bit of the frothy brew!

We Called Him "Big Dog"

I want to take a minute to honor the memory of a man who is well known here in the Rutland community, especially the hockey community. Over the weekend my good friend Phil Varney passed away. Phil was instrumental....and really the catalyst behind the creation of the Rutland Regional Field House which is now Spartan Arena. I remember Phil floating the idea of the Fieldhouse years ago when his kids were playing local hockey for the Rutland Amateur Hockey Assn (RAHA) at the Mandigo Arena here in Rutland. Through his vision and hard work a new place to play hockey became a reality.....something that he was very proud of. Phil was also there at the inception of the Castleton University hockey "Blue Line Club" serving on the board of directors from the very beginning and held the position of the club president for three years.That's just some of what Phil has done for this community over the years, but what was more important to me was the Phil Varney I knew on a personal level. Phil was one of the very first people that I met when I first brought my family to Rutland almost 24 years ago, and we became instant friends. He loved the Red Sox, the Patriots....and The Moody Blues. But most of all he loved his family and I was honored that he considered my family part of his. It is always hard to say goodbye to those who are especially close to you...but sometimes certain lives, like Phil's, make it almost impossible. So instead. I say sleep well my friend, until we meet again.

Thinking Back

I’ve been in this business that we call radio for almost all of my adult life. I have been one of the lucky ones. I have been able to make a living & raise a family doing what I love in a business that doesn’t allow that luxury to most. I say that from my perch here in an “unrated” Vermont radio market that some working in larger markets may scoff at but it is a place that I fell in love with many years ago and has become my home just as surely as the place that I was born and raised as a child was once the place I loved most. I never think much anymore about what got me to this place or the larger “rated” markets that I worked in years ago but this weekend I was reminded of one of the best “gigs” I ever had in this business. The reminder came however in the sad news that one of the best men I ever had the pleasure to work for passed away last week. His name is Joe Rizza. Joe was my boss for nearly all of the seven years I spent at WMAS-FM in Springfield, Massachusetts. Joe and I didn’t always see eye to eye on things but he was always fair and pleasant no matter what the issue. I certainly wasn’t always as accommodating in return. The last conversation we had ended badly; and I never spoke with him again. That was more than 20 years ago. It wasn’t because I was angry at him and I know it wasn’t in his make up to remain angry over an unpleasant exchange of words that took place two decades ago; of that I am sure. But life does have a way of putting you in the position of looking back and finding a regret here or there no matter how successful or happy you are. And for me, one of those regrets was never having the chance to finish that conversation. To tell him that he had a hand in allowing me the luxury to work at what I love so many years later. All I can do is hope that he knew that already.

Me, Bob O'Brien, Jack Kratoville, Joe Rizza & Chuck Herlihy- WMAS-FM, Springfield, Ma