ALTOONA, Pa. — Local radio DJ Danny “Mustang” McGibbon quickly pressed play on Iron Butterfly’s classic 17-minute-long rock song “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” before diving into his lunchtime burrito, ravenous sources confirmed.
“When you’re broadcasting for hours at a time sometimes you just need a break,” said McGibbon, dabbing at a blotch of sour cream on his chin with a paper napkin. “I have the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. midday slot, so eating lunch is always a challenge. But I’ve got a list of long songs I can play, depending on what I’m eating. Salads are easy, since I can eat the first half during, say, ‘November Rain,’ then do a quick station ID, then finish it during ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ But for something messier like a burrito or a meatball sub, I need to be a lot more hands-off in my broadcasting. That’s where prog rock is a godsend.”
Longtime listener of the station Sarah Segura says she can often recognize when McGibbon plays a tune to buy time.
“I’ve been listening to Mustang for a while now, so when I hear him throw on a super long track around 12:30 or 1 p.m., I know he’s chowing down on a big sandwich,” said Segura. “Shorter tracks like ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or ‘Born to Run’ are just long enough for him to take a piss– you can hear the relaxation in his voice when he rushes back to the microphone– but for a meal, he needs longer. Sometimes if it’s getting late in the afternoon and I can tell he’s getting hungry, I’ll call in and request side two of ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ just so he can have time to squeeze in a meal.”
Ronnie Kunkel, a sound engineer present at the 1968 recording of ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,’ recalls that the band intended to create a lengthy song that would provide relief for radio DJs.
“Back in the ‘60s, most songs were kept pretty short, the thinking being that a short song would be more ‘radio-friendly’ and be played more often,” Kunkel mused. “But Iron Butterfly, they had a different idea. They realized that these radio DJs were stuck at their chairs, sorting through stacks of vinyl and talking on the mic for hours on end. They were dying for a song long enough to give them a chance to step away to grab a coffee, or eat a snack, or chat up the office receptionist. So when ‘In-A-Gadda’ came out, it was an instant hit. We had fan mail from DJs all over the country coming in, thanking us for the song and saying that their prayers had been answered.”
At press time, a satisfied McGibbon put on Pink Floyd’s 23-minute track “Echoes” as he prepared for his post-lunch nap.
