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 RADIO GAGA
size does matter
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…While my JVC vibrates the concrete…Sorry, if you can’t understand, but I
need a radio inside my hand. LL COOL J
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Back in 1985 when LLCoolJ released his debut album Radio, street culture
in the US was alive with the sound of what was colloquially termed the
“boombox” or ghettoblaster, depending on where you were from. In central
Canada where I grew up, we called them BFR’s - big F*cking radios! The
cover of LL’s album reiterated the prominence of his hit single “I Can’t Live
Img.4 Without My Radio” by depicting a closeup of a JVC RC-M90(Img.1), one of
the biggest and best performing radio cassette players of its day.
Today, in this new millennium, 80’s culture has returned with a vengeance,
and in light of this resurgence an interest in and around old school culture,
so its no surprise that interest in boomboxes as cultural icons has resurfaced.
Boomboxes these days adorn sneakers, T-shirts, shoulder bags, necklaces,
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and of course album covers and videos, from Armand Van Helden to
Madonna. I was moved to write about these radios as I collect them and have
found a hobby bordering on obsession! I have learned as much as I can about
them, taking them apart, as well as playing with them and using them in my
everyday life. Sharp was a great innovator and is responsible for an amazing
variety of radios, although I have a personal bias towards JVC, simply
Img.6 because in my youth JVC was the best brand available in my community, and
I still feel a strong connection and nostalgia for their products. But what’s
in a name? Many radios and indeed other electronics from this time were
rebadged by rival companies, so you might see the same radio with 3 or 4
different names. There are many radios and many brands that are excellent
for all sorts of reasons, I will try to give you some examples of what I
Img.7 consider technological or design innovations from back in the day.
JVC, or the Japan Victor Company launched themselves into the portable
radio cassette player/recorder market in the late 1970’s when they released
the amazing RC-550 (Img.2). Dubbed “El Diablo” by the Latino community,
this giant monobox was devilish. It had a 10” woofer, a 4” midrange, and
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a 2“ tweeter, separate bass and treble controls, and a big strong handle as
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well as a shoulder strap. It had roll bars on the sides that extended forward
to protect the speakers and even had shortwave bands as well. This unit was
built for the streets, and signaled a change in the mindset of portable design,
Img.9 although not a stereo player, this unit was BIG!
JVC followed up the success of the RC-550 with another great radio destined
to become the classic model for most boombox design, the RC-M70(Img.3).
This radio was a stereo player, with 4 speakers, two 6” woofers and two 2”
horn tweeters. All the slide controls and buttons were on top, including a
click down music search function and a loudness button. A great sounding(40
watts of consumptive power), cool looking unit it had tremendous build
construction (a JVC trait), and great bass response at a time when bass heavy
music, funk and R & B were merging their flavors to begin the Rap/ Hip Hop
movement. This radio also had a special seat belt styled click in shoulder
strap and even had a special carry bag as well. At 22” long and 12” tall, a
big radio for certain, but still portable. These radios were meant to be carried
around the streets!
JVC was not done yet as they introduced the flagship of their line in 1981,
the RC-M90 (Img.4), the radio that inspired the LL COOL J song. This was
it, 8” woofers, 3” tweeters, a full logic two motor cassette deck (meaning
computer chip controlled as opposed to mechanical buttons), 8 radio bands, a
more sophisticated LED lit music search, and huge dimensions, 26”x14”, this
radio was perhaps the best performing loudest radio of its time (G.O.A.T.?).
It also had Super ARNS noise reduction to further refine its sound, as Dolby
was all the rage. The unit also had an optional wired remote control with a
16 foot cord to enable long distance, somewhat anyway, manipulation of the
cassette deck.
While JVC made some great boomboxes, they were certainly not alone.
Panasonic, Sharp Fisher, Aiwa, and Toshiba also made valuable contributions
both stylistically and technologically as these portable players flooded the
market. In terms of design innovation and style, one needs look no further
than the Panasonic RX-7200 (Img.5), a beautiful single decked, logic
controlled player that boasted both a stylistic variant - the upside down
design whereby the radio tuner was located along the bottom portion of the
unit instead of the top - and a technological innovation, a digital tuner for the
radio with a green LED readout. Sized between the M70 and the M90, it also
had wood paneled sides and could be purchased with a matching record stand
that the 7200 mounted on top of to create an unbroken wood panel - this was
not a radio for the streets, but a radio for a posh study or library, a beautiful
combination of high technology and organic warmth.
Aiwa released several beautiful units, but perhaps the best one was the
CS-880 (Img.6). Medium sized (22” long), it had its single cassette deck
thrust up in the left hand corner and in the middle had a 7” passive radiator
designed to enhance the sound coming from the twin 5“ woofers and 2”
tweeters. The Aiwa had an amazing tape deck, this unit boasted wow
and flutter on par with high end home cassette players, which resulted in
amazingly clear sound. Great build quality, elegant, compact design and
amazing sonic performance, Aiwa made a name for themselves as smaller,
high quality players. This was again a unit that seemed more at home in a
home, portable yes, but not for the street.
Getting back to the street, we have to include one of the biggest and most famous
radios of the early 80’s, the Conion C-100F from Coney-Onkyo (Img.7). This
was a beast! 31” long 16” tall, it had all the street cred one could imagine, as well
as some design innovations. First of all, it had two cassette decks, but instead of
making them tandem, they were stacked on top of one another with the top deck
being a horizontal slit for the tape to slide in through a spring loaded door. It had
3 pairs of speakers, two 8 “ woofers, two 4” midranges and two 2” tweeters - a
full range of sound production. Two analogue VU meters, and LED meters as
well, it was designed to not just catch eyes but hold them hostage! As if this was
not enough, in case its size, loudness and killer bling bling looks overcame your
morals, it had an incredibly loud motion alarm feature that when set, went off if
someone moved the radio. Despite the political incorrectness of the term, this was
a ghettoblaster, a consummate example of its time and was featured in several
films including Beatstreet and Breakin’.
Sony was able to weigh in with an unusual boombox. Sony made the CFS-
Fisher also got into the game, their major contributions were the massive
88(Image 18), a unit that was designed to be closed up like a suitcase for
PH-490 (Img.8) and PH-492, over 30” long,15”tall, almost identical units that
transport, or opened up to reveal a 36” monster with 8 inch woofers. In its
had two very significant innovations: one, they had detachable speakers, so the
closed version, all the components were safely shielded. It bridged the space Img.10
speakers could be places further apart to get true stereophonic sound, and they
between the “for the street radios” as they grew bigger and flashier, and the
had individual cases so they could resonate with better acoustics having their own
cabinets. The other important feature they brought to the industry was a 5 band
equalizer to further refine sound to the individual taste. With an EQ, it essentially
portable component units that had handles, thus were portable, but which
were made to deliver true hifi sound as well.
had a pre-amp, and with enclosed speakers, the Fishers were great sounding big
As portable radio desires changed, so did their design. JVC again was back
heavy units that reeked of quality you were able to tweak.
in the driver’s seat in 1982with the multi piece PC or portable component Img.11
Fisher also made a very unusual unit called the SK-300, a cassette deck with
systems. The PC-5, divided into five pieces with a separate radio, tape deck,
detachable speakers and a removable synthesizer keyboard (Img.9)! You
and amplifier. This radio was promoted by that other famous quintuplet,
could adjust all aspects of your synth sound-pitch, tone, and length of notes,
the Harlem Globetrotters (Img.19). JVC followed up with another superb
you could change the sound so it can be almost any instrument as well. You
“executive” component system, the PC-55/550(Image 20). These units
can also use the onboard beats to provide a backdrop while you play the
were portable, but really they were meant to be separated and used at home
keyboard overtop and record the whole arrangement using the cassette deck!
as high quality mini stereos. This unit had many special features, Dolby B
Other companies also made keyboard synthesizers as well, not surprisingly, Img.12
and C, a 5 band EQ, speakers with ceramic woofers, wooden speaker cases
Casio made the KX-101(Img.10), and Sharp made the GF-990 with a double
for better quality sound, and most innovatively an illuminated LCD panel
deck and a pop out “music processor.”
display that showed the many functions and options of the unit. Great sound,
although ever so slightly bass shy, this multi component unit was a wonderful
Sharp was again a leader in design and innovation with the VZ-2000
sounding for all sorts of music, and has one of the best tape decks ever
(Img.11), a massive, heavy unique player that had a single cassette deck,
constructed in a portable.
radio, and a dual stylus linear tracking turntable. This unit allowed one to Img.13
play BOTH sides of the record without turning the record over, essentially
When I think about the 80’s and portable radio culture, I realize how different
an autoreverse feature, but with a record. Sharp also had the famous GF-777
the world is today. The world of sharing music in parks and on city streets
(Img.12), a giant 4 woofer (two mid ranges) and 2 tweeter monster with
now resides in cyberspace as we share in anonymity online. The radio that
twin decks in the upper left corner, and removable speaker grilles. The other
marked this change from public music “broadcasting” to private consumption
innovation was that the main woofers had individual bass controls as well
was the JVC PC-100 a mini unit with a detachable walkman. Now you could
as a general bass control and a loudness button. The GF-9696 (Img.13), a
share your music in the public sphere, or keep it private by ejecting the
beautiful looking machine also had individual bass controls, and had pitch Img.14
cassette deck and plugging headphones into it. In many ways the descendant
control to adjust tape speed for different recordings.
of the walkman today is the MP3 player, the ubiquitous Ipod. Indeed, all the
radios I have mentioned here were all built with the ability to plug a portable
Toshiba also produced a monster very similar to the GF-777 called the WX-1
media player into them, so you can easily plug your IPOD into these radios
Bombeat RT-S983(Img.14). This unit had a very unusual configuration for
and mix the digital age with the warmth of analogue amplification and sound.
detachable speakers, dual decks, woofers, tweeters and passive radiators
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similar to the one in the Aiwa. This is perhaps the heaviest radio in existence,
Today, when you think that the Iphone is the best thing to happen to music
also with pitch control and a bass booster system as well, great looks and a
and communication ever, remember that 25 years ago, playing your music
great name, Bombeat! Toshiba again showed their innovation with another
was a public phenomenon. We blasted our favorite jams and drowned out
model, the RT-S932 (Img.15), which has one of the most significant technical
the competition, or went to a party and rocked it with a few tapes, a big radio
and design innovations: a built in wireless remote control that ejects from the
and maybe even decks plugged into it. That was how we injected the public
unit with the push of a button.
sphere with music and soul, making converts and sometimes enemies, back Img.16
in the day…
Sanyo made several quality boxes, perhaps the best among them was the
Peace, - James, Ernesto and Frank
massive Big Ben (Img.16). The Big Ben or MX960 had a stylistic innovation
that is common place today: the single subwoofer! It had two tweeters, two
midranges, and an 8 inch sub with an individual bass control. To house the
sub, they tilted the woofer and made the case deeper, which allowed the
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speaker to point to the ground on an angle. A beautiful unit and unusual looks
make this radio very collectible today.
Other lesser known companies also weighed in and perhaps the most famous
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boombox of its time was one of these and was made so by Spike Lee.“Do the
Right Thing” was a seminal film about broiling racial issues in Brooklyn and
the object that sparked the riot on the hottest day of the summer was the giant
radio belonging to Radio Raheem. He strutted the streets, conquering all
those he met with his main weapon a volume slider. The radio he used to slay
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all comers was a Promax J-1 Super Jumbo (Img.17), a monster with a ten
band EQ and 3 pairs of speakers including 8”woofers. In reality, the cheaper
build quality of this radio is less than impressive, but its black case and crazy
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light display win it style points for certain. Despite its great size, the cheaper
plastic makes it half the weight it could be - much easier to carry around and
duel unsuspecting rivals! Img.20