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)
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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
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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.
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