Friday, October 17, 2025

VA - Once Upon the Airwaves Vol. 01 (A Butterboy Compilation) (6 x CDs)

RADIO DAYS

VA - Once Upon the Airwaves Vol. 01 (A Butterboy Compilation) (6 x CDs)

A memory - Late at night, when the house had settled into silence and the world outside was just a hum, the radio came alive. It wasn’t background noise; it was a lifeline. You’d sit with a blank cassette loaded, fingers poised over the record button, waiting for something new, something strange, something that didn’t sound like everything else. The dial was your compass, drifting between AM and FM, picking up distant signals and local oddities.

There was magic in the unpredictability. A forgotten  ballad from the ’70s. A B-side that never charted. A DJ whispering through static, introducing a track you’d never hear again. You taped it all, snippets, full songs, even the ads if they bled into the outro.

This wasn’t just listening. It was searching. You were building your own archive, your own mythology of sound. No algorithms, no playlists, just instinct and curiosity.

And in those hours, it felt like the radio was speaking only to you. Everyone else was asleep. The world was yours. You weren’t just hearing music, you were discovering it. Tuning in became a ritual, a quiet rebellion against the ordinary. You weren’t chasing hits. You were chasing ghosts. Remember that feeling...

This 6-CD set is a quiet revolution, an archival rescue mission for artists who once ruled the radio but have since faded into static. Once Upon the Airwaves Vol. 01 gathers 120 tracks that were once staples of 60s & 70s AM and FM playlists across the US and UK, yet now barely register in modern rotation. These aren’t deep cuts, they were hits, beloved and ubiquitous, now curiously absent from the cultural conversation.

Each disc is themed, sequenced with care, and plays like a lost broadcast, warm, melodic, and emotionally resonant.

Across six themed discs, the set restores melodic brilliance and emotional storytelling to the spotlight. You’ll find songs that once filled kitchens, car stereos, and transistor radios, now largely forgotten. 

The sequencing is deliberate, balancing chart success with emotional depth. Each CD plays like a lost broadcast, warm, wistful, and full of character. These tracks weren’t just popular; they were formative. They shaped the emotional vocabulary of a generation, and their absence from today’s airwaves is a cultural blind spot.

CD1 - Soft Gold & AM Staples      This disc opens with the gentle giants of AM radio, songs that soothed, inspired, and lingered long after the dial was turned. Expect lush arrangements, soft harmonies, and heartfelt lyrics from artists like Jim Croce, Bread, and Dan Fogelberg. Jim Weatherly’s “The Need to Be” and Clifford T. Ward’s “Gaye” are standouts—once ubiquitous, now rarely compiled. These tracks were the emotional ballast of morning shows and late-night dedications, offering comfort in their melodic sincerity.

CD2 – Pop-Rock & Forgotten FM Favorites      Here’s where the guitars get brighter and the grooves a little tighter. FM radio’s golden era is revisited through tracks that once filled stereo speakers but have since slipped through the cracks. The Grass Roots, Spanky and Our Gang, and The Association appear with their less anthologized gems, ongs that still sparkle with pop-rock charm. From “Midnight Confessions” to “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” this disc celebrates the buoyant energy of forgotten favorites.

CD3 - Singer-Songwriters & Storytellers      This disc is all about lyrical intimacy and melodic storytelling. From Harry Chapin’s bittersweet “W.O.L.D.” to Janis Ian’s poignant “At Seventeen,” these songs speak directly to the listener, personal, poetic, and deeply human. The selections span folk, country, and soft rock, with voices like Cat Stevens, Don McLean, and Mickey Newbury weaving tales of longing, memory, and quiet revelation. Whether it’s the reflective melancholy of Gordon Lightfoot or the narrative charm of Tom T. Hall, each track offers a window into the soul of its writer.

CD4 - Soulful Crossovers & Lost Harmony Groups      A rich blend of soul-pop and vocal harmony, this disc celebrates artists who bridged genres and brought warmth to the airwaves. riends of Distinction, 5th Dimension, and Delfonics shine here, alongside harmony-driven acts like The Vogues and The Arbors. These tracks once danced between soul stations and pop charts, offering radiant choruses and heartfelt hooks that still resonate.

CD5 - Twilight Frequencies & AM Echoes      This is the dusk hour of the set, songs that evoke fading light, quiet reflection, and the soft hum of a transistor radio. It’s a moodier mix, full of emotional depth and subtle arrangements. From Paul Davis’s aching “I Go Crazy” to the wistful shimmer of “Oh, Lori” by the Alessi Brothers, this disc is perfect for late-night listening and solitary drives.

CD6 - FM Drift & Lost Frequencies II     The final disc leans into the atmospheric and the overlooked. These are tracks that once floated through FM playlists, rich in texture, tone, and emotional nuance, from Garland Jeffreys’ “Wild in the Streets” to Karla Bonoff’s “Home.” Pacific Gas & Electric's "Are You Ready?" is a fitting finale: spiritual, soulful, and expansive. The track’s gospel-infused energy and call-to-consciousness vibe bring a sense of uplift and resolution to the compilation’s moody arc. This is a graceful close to a compilation that’s less about nostalgia and more about musical justice—a tribute to the artists who colored the margins of memory with beauty and soul.

Curated with respect, Once Upon the Airwaves isn’t just a nostalgia trip, it’s a restoration of musical memory. This is for anyone who remembers the quiet power of a well-placed radio song, this set delivers. It’s melodic archaeology with heart. (B)

==========================================================

ALL 

OR

ALL 

===========================================================

Track lists

CD1     Soft Gold & AM Staples

01 Jim Croce - Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels) 3:48 1972

02 Lobo - Me and You and a Dog Named Boo 2:59 1971

03 England Dan & John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love to See You Tonight 2:37 1976

04 Seals  &  Crofts - Diamond  Girl 4:14 1973

05 Dan Fogelberg - Part of the Plan 3:20 1974

06 B.J. Thomas - Rock and Roll Lullaby 4:09 1991

07 Bread - Diary 3:06 1972

08 Harry Chapin - Taxi 6:45 1972

09 Al Stewart - Year of The Cat 6:49 1976

10 Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown 3:37 1974

11 John Denver - Follow Me 2:29 1971

12 Jim Weatherly - The Need to Be 3:56 1974

13 Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Fallin' in Love 3:12 1975

14 Michael Johnson - Bluer Than Blue 3:00 1978

15 Stephen Bishop - On and On 3:01 1976

16 Andrew Gold - Lonely Boy 4:22 1976

17 David Gates - Goodbye Girl 2:47 1978

18 Gene Cotton - Me and The Elephant 2:57 1976

19 Paul Davis - I Go Crazy 3:53 1977

20 Clifford T. Ward - Gaye 3:34 1966


CD2     Pop-Rock & Forgotten FM Favorites

01 Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions 2:47 1968

02 Association - Windy 2:56 1967

03 Turtles - Elenore 2:31 1968

04 Three Dog Night - Out in the Country 3:08 1970

05 Gary Puckett & the Union Gap - Young Girl 3:13 1968

06 Buckinghams - Don't You Care 2:28 1967

07 Spanky and Our Gang - Sunday Will Never Be the Same 2:59 1967

08 Cowsills - The Rain, the Park and Other Things 3:02 1967

09 5th Dimension - Carpet Man 3:16 1968

10 Friends of Distinction - Love Or Let Me Be Lonely 3:21 1992

11 Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Don't Pull Your Love Out 2:43 1971

12 Rascals - A Beautiful Morning 2:35 1969

13 Tommy James & The Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion (Mono 4:01 1969

14 Hollies - Long Dark Road 4:15 1972

15 McCoys - 1 Sorrow 1966 2:04 1966

16 Tremeloes - Here Comes My Baby 2:49 1967

17 Cyrkle - Red Rubber Ball 2:23 1966

18 Classics IV - Stormy 2:46 1968

19 Jay & The Americans - Come a Little Bit Closer 2:46 1964

20 Vogues - Five O'clock World 2:09 1965


CD3     Singer-Songwriters & Storytellers

01 Harry Chapin - W.O.L.D. 5:13 1973

02 Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories 2:06 1972

03 Don Mclean - Castles  in The Air 3:41 1970

04 Cat Stevens - Where Do The Children Play? 3:52 1970

05 Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind 3:50 1970

06 John Stewart - Gold 4:25 1979

07 Michael Martin Murphey - Wildfire 3:19 1975

08 Phoebe Snow - Poetry Man 4:33 1974

09 Jesse Winchester - Yankee Lady 4:02 1970

10 Jim Ed Brown - Pop A Top 2:21 1967

11 Tom Rush - No Regrets 3:52 1968

12 Janis Ian - At Seventeen (Single Version) 3:55 1975

13 Mickey Newbury - Heaven Help The Child 4:13 1973

14 Eric Andersen - Thirsty Boots 5:55 1966

15 Tim Hardin - Reason to Believe 1:58 1966

16 Fred Neil - Everybody's Talking 2:45 1966

17 Steve Goodman - City of New Orleans 3:54 1971

18 Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five and Dimers Like Me 2:41 1973

19 Tom T. Hall - Homecoming 3:20 1969

20 Rod Mckuen - Jean 2:36 1969


CD4     Soulful Crossovers & Lost Harmony Groups

01 5th Dimension - One Less Bell to Answer 3:33 1970

02 Friends of Distinction - Grazing in the Grass 2:56 1969

03 Spanky and Our Gang - Lazy Day 3:05 1967

04 Cowsills - We Can Fly 2:17 1968

05 Delfonics - La-La (Means I Love You) 3:17 1968

06 Stylistics - You Are Everything 2:56 1971

07 Hues Corporation - Rock the Boat 3:09 1973

08 Sandpipers - Come Saturday Morning 3:02 1970

09 Free Design - Kites Are Fun 2:41 1967

10 Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday 3:05 1969

11 Honey Cone - Want Ads 2:47 1971

12 New Seekers - Look What They've Done to My Song Ma 3:21 1971

13 Poppy Family - Which Way You Goin' Billy 3:24 1969

14 Addrisi Brothers - We've Got to Get it on Again 2:50 1990

15 Arbors - A Symphony for Susan 2:37 1966

16 Vogues - You're The One 2:21 1965

17 Tokens - Portrait of My Love 2:21 1970

18 Lettermen - Put Your Head on My Shoulder 2:43 1970

19 Fortunes - Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again 2:51 1971

20 Brooklyn Bridge - Worst That Could Happen 3:10 1968


CD5     Twilight Frequencies & AM Echoes

01 Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows 2:53 1970

02 Paul Davis - I Go Crazy 3:53 1977

03 Happenings - See You in September 2:27 1966

04 Hamilton Bohannon - Dance Your Ass Off 7:47 1976

05 Climax - Precious and Few 2:47 1972

06 Shaun Cassidy - That's Rock 'N' Roll 2:55 1977

07 Cyrkle - Turn-Down Day 2:34 1966

08 Bobby Sherman - Julie, Do Ya Love Me 2:56 1970

09 Peppermint Rainbow - Will You Be Staying After Sunday 2:32 1969

10 Alessi Brothers - Oh, Lori 3:22 1976

11 Paper Lace - The Night Chicago Died 3:31 1974

12 Tremeloes - Here Comes My Baby 2:43 1992

13 American Breed - Bend Me, Shape Me 2:10 1968

14 Music Explosion - Little Bit O'soul 2:18 1967

15 Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me 3:08 1966

16 Idle Race - Days of the Broken Arrows 3:50 1969

17 Mott the Hoople - All the Way from Memphis 3:24 1973

18 Who - The Seeker (Original Version) 3:12 1970

19 Easybeats - Friday on My Mind 2:53 1966

20 Tee Set - Ma Belle Amie 3:14 1970


CD6     FM Drift & Lost Frequencies II

01 Garland Jeffreys - Wild in the Streets 3:01 1973

02 Tim Moore - Rock and Roll Love Letter 4:23 1975

03 Valerie Carter - Ooh Child 2:57 1977

04 Michael Franks - Popsicle Toes 4:34 1976

05 Randy VanWarmer - Just When I Needed You Most 4:00 1979

06 Ambrosia - Holdin' on to Yesterday 4:18 1975

07 J.D. Souther - You're Only Lonely 3:47 1979

08 Karla Bonoff - Home 4:20 1979

09 Poco - Magnolia 6:13 1973

10 Livingston Taylor - I Will Be in Love With You 3:32 1978

11 Peter McCann - Do You Wanna Make Love 3:33 1977

12 Nicolette Larson - Lotta Love 3:06 1978

13 Jesse Colin Young - Sunlight 3:59 1973

14 Ian Gomm - Hold On 2:58 1979

15 Walter Egan - Magnet and Steel 3:24 1978

16 Chi Coltrane - Thunder and Lightning 3:03 1972

17 Sanford Townsend Band - Smoke From A Distant Fire 3:31 1976

18 Gary Wright - Phantom Writer 3:34 1975

19 Melanie - Lay Down (Candles in The Rain) 3:46 1970

20 Pacific Gas & Electric - Are You Ready? 5:45 1970

=============================================================

=============================================================

Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

=============================================================

=============================================================

No comments:

Post a Comment