The Velvet Forum

searching through various [web]archives brought something completely new for me:

"Quadrophonics" - A Pair of 4-Channel Concerts
1970 June 12, San Francisco Chronicle, advert on page 44 [right bottom]
Tonight [1970.Jun.12]: 9:00-11:00 - "Positions" by Robert Moran - World Premiere, Santana and The Velvet Underground, William Moraldo and others.
Tomorrow Night: 7:00-10:00 - The Oakland Symphony... [classical music only]
KQED/FM - 88.5 / KPFA/FM - 94
For further information tune in

scan: http://public.maximus.newsbank.com/imag ... 859BCE.tif

Anybody knows more about this?
Did this ever happen?
If really happened, which concert was broadcasted?

An exciting find, but the phrasing leads me think that “Positions” might simply incorporate pre-existing works by the cited artists.

It definitely warrants further exploration. Can you post an image of the ad itself? (If not, I can do it for you.)

I have to say, that description of Secret Beyond the Door in the TV listing is wholly inadequate.

Sheila Klein wrote: ↑03 Nov 2022 22:21 An exciting find, but the phrasing leads me think that “Positions” might simply incorporate pre-existing works by the cited artists.

That is a possibility, even then, in 1970 a classical composer integrating VU song[s] in his work makes me want to hear that!
Background on Robert Moran: https://www.newsounds.org/people/robert-moran/

But also note that already in 1970 KQED was recording and broadcasting concerts of Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Santana, etc...

PS: I'm woring on an image of the ad itself

These were quadrophonic broadcasts achieved by simultaneously broadcasting two channels on one stereo station and two on another.

The VU stuff was recorded at the Matrix, according to this:
https://archive.org/details/kpfafolioju ... 9/mode/2up

I guess the least exciting possibility is that the Matrix recordings were the 4-track recordings we already know about.

The program guide makes it clear that the VU portion of the broadcast was unrelated to Moran's "Positions," and also makes it seem likely that it's the same material as we now have from the Matrix.

A four-track recording, however, is different from quadrophonic, and it's extremely exciting to note the existence of a quad recording of the VU! My guess is that the quad broadcast was made from a unique mix of the four-track recordings, most likely done by someone at KQED and possibly not even stored then, let alone be available now. Furthermore, one would need a quad playback system to be able to hear it in that format, which makes it hardly worth investing time trying to locate a master tape.

I'm personally going to chalk this up as one more thing that's thrilling to imagine, but which cannot be reproduced at this time. Great work in tracking this info down!

searchin4mymainline wrote: ↑04 Nov 2022 10:06 These were quadrophonic broadcasts achieved by simultaneously broadcasting two channels on one stereo station and two on another.

The VU stuff was recorded at the Matrix, according to this:
https://archive.org/details/kpfafolioju ... 9/mode/2up

Thank You!!!

on page 19 of the linked KPFA Folio you can read how you could listen to the quadraphonic 4-channel program on 1970 June 12...
https://archive.org/details/kpfafolioju ... 9/mode/1up
...needed two stereo radios with speakers, the front set tuned to KPFA and the back set to KQED...

broadcasted are most likely the 1969.Nov/Dec Matrix recordings, but imho it's very strange that this broascast isn't mentioned in, as far as I know, any book/liner notes/article about the VU... the people behind the Matrix tapes must have known about this!

The ad I found

that's amazing - thanks for digging it up!