The Broadside is a political tradition going back to 17th century England: a one page political pamphlet or lyric sheet meant to get a radical message straight to the people in the street.
Broadside Magazine was an American twist on the English formula. It was founded by Sis Cunningham and Gordon Friese, a married couple who had been radicalized in the Thirties and blacklisted in the forties. The pair set up Broadside in 1962 when the folk music revival was colliding head on with the protest song movement.
Broadside was the mimeographed bible of that time. And what a time it was: Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, Buffy Sainte-Marie all were writing political songs about big issue politics: civil rights/Vietnam. And their work was published in Broadside. The magazine was also the first place the public could read the lyrics of the legendary Blind Boy Grunt a.k.a. Bob Dylan. (Hosted by Michael Goldfarb)
