In 2021 I had the opportunity to digitize a number of cassette tapes that a KPFT listener had made years ago. Most of them were from 1998-2004 from Cajun Bandstand and Blues Brunch.
One tape that did not have a label looked and felt older than the rest. The clear plastic of the tape body was clouded and scratched. It had a dusty feeling, the way cassettes did after spending time in the car, out of their protective cover.
The quality of the audio was also worse than the tapes that appeared newer, with some warble not present on the 1998-2004 series.
After careful listening several clues became evident and my best guess is that the tape is of Cajun Bandstand, between May 1985 and May 1986.
- Pe-Te calls himself Les Johnson, not Pe-Te
- He calls the station 90FM, not 90.1
- The Louisiana Festival at Tom Bass Park is happening that Saturday - Pe-Te, Curtis Joubert ( mayor of Eunice LA 81-95) and the Sheriff of Orleans parish are judging the gumbo cookoff.
- Tony Sherman may have been the organizer of the festival
- One song, Fires of Hell is given as sung by "the late Austin Pete (Pitre)," who died in 1981
- John Delafose (who died in 1994), is said to be playing the festival
- Pe-Te played Thank You For Making Me A Cajun on "Lousiana Day" which is Nov 9 in the 2020s and that date was a Saturday in 1985 and 1991
- He also says the Strawberry Festival in Pasadena is that weekend and it is held in May, making May, 1985 a lower bound date and May, 1986 an upper bound
- There's an interview in Cajun French with Houston Lejeune, who DJed at KEUN in Eunice from 1985-87, when a stroke put him off the air for several years
- Pe-Te refers to his own show as The Pure Cajun Show (not Cajun Bandstand) which was its title from the 1984 premiere on KPFT.
- The song My Toot Toot played and announced as a new hit sweeping the nation. It was released on a local album in Oct 84, local single in Jan 85, and nationwide on Epic Records in June, 1985 from which it charted for 18 weeks
Audio Sample
1. Cajun Bandstand and 90FM, most likely from 1985
