Music Writes the Holiday Songs
Happy Holidays! Is this month’s title a
little confusing? Do you think I’ve finally gone senile? Well, maybe, but not
completely. You’ll understand when you get down to our December Song of Note.
It is totally apropos to the nostalgic Holidays and how music comes from the
soul. Onward …
As hinted in previous months, December’s Featured
Radio Survey is another hype for Wolfman Jack.
But that’s not all you’re gonna hear from him
… not only does the inimitable Wolfman end our year on a sweeping high note, he
also begins our New Year! Just not at the same station or even in the same
state.
Radio DJs have always been known as
musical nomads, skipping around the country, going where the money and fun lead
the pack. But by this time, Wolfman had established his popular, syndicated
shows and could pop up anywhere, anytime. So it isn’t surprising that we see
him sashay from Portland this month, to Georgia in January.
That said, let’s take a peek at what and who
you were listening to … 50 Years Ago this Month!
º DECEMBER 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪
What music icon was in the news and what was your fave DJ playing
when you spun the dial on your transistor radio 50 Years Ago?
December 6th: Were you there?! As The Who toured the country in The Who by Numbers Tour, they played their
biggest crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, with 75,000+ screaming fans—setting
the largest indoor concert to date.
December 14th: While we Boomers
knew of the notorious offshore pirate radio stations of the 1960s, the ‘70s
brought their own adored DJ scoundrels to land, in low-powered transmitters. On
this day 1975, WCPR-1620AM/Brooklyn, New York, began broadcasting
… which apparently lasted for only two months, but it made the news! Want to
know more about pirate radio? Click the link.
December 25th: Oh, sure, it was Christmas
Day, but in 1975 the macabre gift under the tree was one of
Britain’s pioneering heavy metal bands, Iron Maiden. Steve Harris says he formed the band
and likened it to the torture device in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939
movie).
December 31st: Speaking of the
Pontiac Silverdome, it was a New Year’s Eve spectacular with the
irrepressible Elvis Presley
facing the largest audience of cheering fans in his career … and splitting his
pants onstage. Oh, my!
Turning
to our December Rockin’ Radio Stations & dapper DJs … If you
were in Portland, Oregon, the #1 tune on your tinny transistor radio was Barry
Manilow’s bragging rights (seemingly) in “I
Write the Songs.” But St.Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota, fans heard the cry
for help in Abba’s “S-O-S.”
Both winter-cool radio station surveys proclaimed their listeners’ top tunes on
December 1, 1975.
Let’s start in chilly Minnesota where KDWB
wowed its fans with a music chart featuring bawdy, ballsy and hilariously lusty
cartoon characters, to warm them up. The Playboy magazine reference is
your hint of who sponsored it. It’s quintessential 1970s right down to the
salacious lyrics of “That’s
the Way (I Like It),” by K.C.
& The Sunshine Band. It does, however, come with a music chart mystery.
In my collection of vintage
surveys, I have a few without printed dates. Generally, the seller had already
established the date and either indicated it on the sales paperwork, or
stupidly written on the vintage survey. Purchased way back in 2010, this KDWB
chart is in the latter category.
I didn’t have any reason to doubt
the handwritten December 1, 1975 date—until now. I often consult the
incomparably comprehensive ARSA survey archive (not a secure site) to validate accuracy. However, even that didn’t
help with KDWB. Their offering did not include the usual survey image to
establish its authenticity; unverified lists were available, but none of their
Top 20 hits exactly matched the KDWB survey in my collection. I give
up—it’s either the November 25, 1975 issue or the December 2, 1975
issue … your guess is as good as mine!
I’m leaning toward the November
issue, and though that puts it in last month, I’m still including it here,
‘cause it’s such a fun survey. And our best BFYP DJ emeritus,
Bill Gardner, sat behind their mic in December 1973! LOVE this Holiday
pic from that year, of the station employees …
From radio survey mystery to Radio DJ mastery, we’re
now in Portland, Oregon, listening to the pioneering DJ to whom my Blast From
Your Past books are dedicated, Wolfman Jack!
Portland/Vancouver Radio fans were
jacking up their Saturday nights from 10:00p to 1:00a, listening to Wolfman Jack on KISN.
“When my syndication activity was at its peak, and I was on the armed Forces
Network, I was on some 1,400 radio stations worldwide. That included Vietnam,
of course.” Wolfman was humbled by the stories returning Vets told him. “By
doing my thing in a Hollywood studio, I was helping them keep it together. And
they made it out the other end of a pretty hellish experience.” (Quotes from
Wolfman Jack’s Have Mercy!
Confessions of the Original Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal.)
KISN may be in
what many might call the po-dunk of the Pacific Northwest, but it’s mostly been
a die-hard, original Top 40 Rock & Roll station since 1959! Many
top-ranking Radio DJs sat behind their mics, including "The Real" Don Steele. So they’re OK in our book! However,
the FCC wasn’t as enamored of Star Stations, its parent company. It wasn’t long
before they were unceremoniously given the boot off broadcasting for
shenanigans stemming from WIFE/Indianapolis IN. They endure today, though in a lowkey way.
But
no self-respecting end-of-year Oldies Radio article would be complete without a
couple of top tune Year End Surveys!
Powerhouse station WABC/New York
MusicRadio 77 gave its listeners a huge Top 100 Hit List roundup of the
year, with a cool cover graphic. WIND/Chicago was no slouch either, with
their Top 56 tunes and awesome pics of their ten dynamic DJs.
You’ll find these charts at the bottom of the Featured Radio Survey page.
♪ December 1975 Song of Note ♪
Heartfelt music is a
running theme through the Holidays, so our December Song of Note gives music
its due. You may think you know what Barry Manilow’s #1 tune, “I Write the
Songs”
is about … but you don’t, if you think he’s just bragging.
Written by Beach Boys member,
Bruce Johnston, as quoted from SongFacts.com, “I wrote
it about 'where music comes from' (for me, music comes only from God).” Manilow
had his reservations about recording it, and rightly so—many fans always
thought he was being egotistical. But he simply agreed with Johnston … music is
… My home lies deep within you | And I've got my own place in your
soul …
♪ December 2025 Music Events
& More ♪
Saturday/Sunday ~ December 13th-14th: I generally report
only Rock & Roll events here, and though this is about a
song-and-dance man, what makes Dick Van Dyke* (b.12/13/1925) specific to
BFYP is he also began as a Rock Radio DJ at the tender age
of sixteen in Danville, Illinois, ohhhhhhh so many years ago. And this weekend
is special, as his documentary, “Dick Van Dyke: 100th
Celebration” is released in theatres on his 100th birthday.
*Mr. Van Dyke shares pre-documentary tales On Turning 100 with the Today
show (November 2025). Go. Enjoy history in the making.
Saturday ~ December 20th: It’s always frustrating when a perfectly fun day to celebrate has lost
its sponsor. But never fear, this Go Caroling Day link will tell you all about how a beloved Holiday tradition became
part of our lives, around the 13th century.
For our purposes, I’ve listed the Top
Ten (in my humble opinion) Rock & Roll versions of vintage and
classic Christmas songs in alphabetical order … why not add them to your Christmas
Caroling Day playlist and spread some upbeat cheer?
Blue Christmas / Elvis Presley (1968)
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) / Darlene Love 1963;
this version 1986
Frosty the Snowman / The Ronettes (1963)
Jingle Bell Rock / Bobby Helms (1957; great b&w version on Dick Clark show)
Little Saint Nick / The Beach Boys (1963)
Please Come Home for Christmas / The Eagles (1978)
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree / Brenda Lee (1958)
Run Rudolph Run / Chuck Berry (1958)
Santa Baby / Eartha Kitt (1953)
Silent Night / The Temptations (1970?)
Thursday ~ December 25th: Of course,
it’s Christmas Day! I hope you Rock around the Christmas tree and
if you don’t have a tree, just Rock On!
Wednesday ~ December 31st: Have you
been waiting all month for a festive New Years Eve? It’s here! Enjoy, be
safe and face 2026 with a Rockin’ melody in your heart. See ya next
year!
♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪
DECEMBER 1, 1975 ~ KISN/Portland, Oregon, is your Holiday
Rockin’ Radio Station! Can’t go wrong with Wolfman Jack on the cover,
tellin’ ya, he’ll Rock your Saturday nights. Memories are marvelous, and
I expect there are more than a few who once called Portland home and remember
Action Alley clothing store with their “Kicky Clothes for Gals.” I hear it was
once on the South Fred Meyer corner … 50
Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were
you that groovy day when your radio played …
Nostalgia
and Rock Radio History all wrapped up with a bow, make great gifts!
Don’t forget to check out Blast from Your Past books! All about the pioneering Rock Radio DJs of
yesteryear. 1950-1959 Rock Radio DJs: The First Five Years (eBook
only) and The Swinging Sixties (eBook & print). True tales of
music and mayhem from behind the mic! Rock DECEMBER
1975 and … Reflect, Rejuvenate, Rejoice &
Rock On!
BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959)
on Amazon
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging
‘60s) on Amazon
Blast from Your Past Gifts
Share your Golden Oldies
R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk
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LinDee
Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock &
Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast
from Your PastTM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959TM
(eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll
Radio DJs: The Swinging SixtiesTM
(eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!TM
Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally
visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed
sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or
singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything
cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned
by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.comTM.
No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other
commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site.
Enjoy!
RE:
AI – The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never
(knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s
just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles.
They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial,
soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!
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