Commercial: The Clash at Rider College

I spent last summer in a dust mask so as to catalog WPRB’s collection of 1000+ 1/4″ reels. Some of them were moldy or suffering from sticky shed syndrome, while others were frustratingly mislabeled. With the help of the great Scott Konzelmann (aka “Chop Shop”), we also revived the station’s aging Otari reel to reel deck (whose primary function had sadly been reduced to ‘doorjam’ here at the station), and began digitizing reels.

For the initial test of the rejuvenated Otari, I needed a “junk reel”, for lack of a better term—something that no tears would be shed for in the event the Otari chewed it up, so I found something anonymous-looking which I figured was expendable.

WRONG! After racking up a reel from an unmarked box, I was rewarded with this great (albeit pretty dorky) commercial for The Clash‘s appearance at Rider College circa 1982. (I’m guessing the year based on the “Should I Stay or Should I Go” music bed. That song is from Combat Rock, which came out that year.)

I’m not sure if this was a natively-produced WPRB commercial, or one created by the show’s promoter, but either way, it was the first of many awesome surprises in the station’s massive collection of reels. (See below.)

Were you at this gig? Are you a WPRB DJ or listener who remembers this ad? Please help us fill in the blanks by commenting below!