Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ MARCH 1975

Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll in your Chevy Van!   

♪ … We made love in my Chevy van | And that's all right with me … ♪ Yep, in the 1970s we were carefree and cocky … and that was all right with me! How ‘bout you?  

We were lucky to survive the ‘70s—a decade of excess and wildness—much like the 2020s! And some of that carefree ATTittude was echoed by our Rock & Roll Radio DJs, who reflected the mood of the Psychedelic Seventies, behind the mic, playing our hits with wild abandon. Think Cheech & Chong in a Radio studio … you’ll get the idea.

Let’s take a peek at what chart-topping artists were doing … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º MARCH 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪ 

Where are we spinning the Radio dial and listening to our fave DJs this month? Vegas, baby! Who remembers KENO 1460 (go figure) and its “Hit Parade” chart in teeny-tiny print on a boring gray background? At least its Top 40 was exciting. So let’s get Rockin’ and take a look at news of the day …

March 2^nd: Keep in mind as you read this, not even a tiny amount of pot was legal back in the day … I’m sure Paul and Linda McCartney knew that when Paul ran a red light in L.A. Not smart, as police pulled them over and the cop got a whiff of sweet Maryjane. A quick rummage through Linda’s purse produced six-to-eight ounces of the wacky weed. Oops! She took the fall (and, ahem, the cop forgot about the likely faulty brakes on Paul’s 1974 Lincoln Continental). Just one of several legal mishaps for the duo … but hey, we didn’t care … that pot gave us great music!

March 10^th: You would soon see another former Beatle still immersed in his “retro” tunes with John Lennon’s release this month of Ben E. King’s 1961 tune, “Stand By Me.” It had already hit KENO’s Top 20 chart by the 3^rd week.

March 21^st: When you’ve been out of sight for a year, a music artist looking for a concert comeback needs to make a spectacular statement … Alice Cooper (aka Vincent Damon Furnier) did just that, beginning his two-year tour with his first solo effort, “Welcome to My Nightmare,” on this date in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
       There’s no doubt Alice is a controversial character, but I stumbled on a brilliant quote made in a 1975 (August) German press release: “ … critic Noel Coppage already noted, 'since it is becoming increasingly difficult to shock adults, Alice Cooper is an example of how hard a band must work these days to gain the bad reputation that Elvis once achieved with a simple hip swing.'” So true! His “Only Women” (also controversial) from the album, hit KENO’s chart at #35 just five days later.

March 29^th: Ok, I’m going to have to let you laugh at me here … I totally remember loudly singing along to Patti Labelle’s chart-climbing tune, “Lady Marmalade” that gave her a #1 hit on this date. No big deal, we all did sing-alongs, right? Did you specifically memorize the French phrase that comprised a popular chorus? I did … “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?” I was SO proud to be able to just rattle that phrase off like I knew French! Do you know what it translates to?  
       I did not … but I thought I was cool, until I learned the catchy song phrase asks, "Do you want to sleep with me, tonight?" (!) Rumor has it though, Labelle was as oblivious as I was! “I didn't know what it was about,” she said. “I don't know French and nobody, I swear this is God's truth, nobody at all told me what I'd just sung a song about.” I’m vindicated by the “Godmother of Soul”! LOL 

♪ On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  
What were you listening to in March 1975? Actually, the story of “Lady Marmalade” is perfect to lead us into the top tunes as we heard them on KENO 1460/Las Vegas, Nevada. Is it any wonder the tune was at #1 on the Sin City’s “Hit Parade” survey for March 26^th, before slipping into 2^nd?
       Although KENO is a Spanish language sports-talk station now, in the 1960s and ‘70s it was tunefully Top 40, swinging with vibes of the day. Top three listener picks: 1) “My Eyes Adored You,” (Frankie Valli), 2) “Lady Marmalade,” (Patti Labelle), and 3) “Lovin’ You” (Minnie Rip(p)erton*; *Radio stations weren’t always known for print accuracy on their charts.) 

♪ March ’75 Song of Note ♪
No less sexy and controversial than “Lady Marmalade,” our vintage Song of Note is all in English and clear in its meaning. It was a prime example of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll with a hippie van thrown in for fun. “Chevy Van” was a one-hit-wonder for Sammy Johns (1946-2013), telling the story of hook-ups from a half-century ago. 

       The song was originally ignored by his label, GRC Records, until it found fans on the radio. Although called the "… ‛song of the '70s’ by Rolling Stone magazine,” Johns’ biggest success came from creating hit Country songs for Waylon Jennings and Conway Twitty. ♪ … She woke up and took me by the hand | She's gonna love me in my Chevy van … ♪  

♪ March 2025 Music Events & More ♪    
Well, we’re a little sparse in this section, but the one special day we have is a force to be reckoned with in Rock & Roll music. Musicians likely begin their trip down the tuneful road first learning to play either the guitar or the piano. So just for you …

March 29^th: Do you know how to tickle those sweet ivories? It’s World Piano Day and piano or keyboards are such a fun part of Rock & Roll. From Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” (c. 1957; most fun in the Top Gun movie scene of 1986) to Billy Joel’s 1974 hit, “The Entertainer.” While there are plenty of international piano events to peruse, there are few (none I could find) in the US. So, unlock your inner Billy Joel and create one!   

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
March 26, 1975 ~ KENO 1460/Las Vegas, Nevada, may not have the coolest or flashiest Radio survey in the town which usually has plenty of both, but it did reflect its listeners' excellent taste in music, served up by DJs like Phil Branigan, Norm Seeley and Dave Winter. Do you remember … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio? Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let’s Celebrate MARCH 1975 with Luck to All & … 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 Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (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.com^TM. 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! 
            01/01/25: 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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Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ February 1975

When Beauty & Rock are in Eye of the Beholder  

Happy Love Month Rockers! You know, the more I dive into the music, artists, and DJs that brought us the dynamic music of the 1970s, the more I realize I truly had not been paying attention back in the day. When it came to music, if I could dance to it, I loved it. If it had cool lyrics, that was a bonus. But rarely did I question their meanings.

My quest this month for a simple love song to honor February’s status as the “love month,” turned into an “I didn’t know that!” moment. Hint: you’ll love the vintage Song of Note. Explore and enjoy … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º FEBRUARY 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪ 

February 17^th: There wasn’t much music news-of-the-day, but I found an endearing album released on this day that went even further back in time, to the 1950s and ‘60s. John Lennon (1940-1970) released the album, Rock ‘n’ Roll, on this day 1975, giving his personally preferred Oldies tunes another life.
       John enjoyed tweaking and tuning them to his style, and included some well-known tracks, like “Be-Bop-a-Lula” (Gene Vincent, 1956), “Ain’t That a Shame” (Fats Domino, 1955) and “Do You Want to Dance” (Bobby Freeman, 1958).
       But when it came to a love song, I picked up on “Stand By Me” (Ben E. King; this version by John Lennon), a longtime favorite since 1961. Fun radio trivia fact: John hooked into a slew of radio stations simultaneously, to turn them on to his new release.

♪ On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  

Where were you braving the winter with Rock & Roll in February 1975? Eugene, Oregon, Louisville, Kentucky, San Antonio, Texas, or were you ridin’ high in El Paso? Here’s a sample of what and who you were listening to …

Starting with the Pacific Northwest, you might not think Oregon was a hoppin’ place to be 50 Years Ago … but where do you think all the hippies went when their craze faded? Just kidding (sort of). For the most part of the 1970s, KZEL/Eugene, Oregon, operated as a progressive free-form album station and boasted a full schedule of charismatic DJs like Stan “Harry ‘Til 6” Garrett, Gary “The Wasted Potato” Palmatier, and Magic Mike. What’s #1 on their February 15^th chart? David Essex’s self-titled album hit the top with the theme song to his movie, Stardust, which likely spawned the biggest same-name hit from the album, for the handsome UK artist. 

Moving down and over to WAKY/Louisville, Kentucky, “The Big 79,” listeners are jammin’ with its Top 40 format and bouncy DJs. Do you recall Dude Walker, Gary Burbank, or our own BFYP, saucy Bill Bailey (born Bill Boahn), better known at WAKY as “The Duke of Louisville”?
       I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Bill for the BFYP series (available on Amazon), who had this to say about being a Radio DJ and marriage, “My best days on the radio was in the Seventies (WAKY). All of the Seventies—right on up to ’81. I had a good time, ‘cause I always had a good life. I should be ashamed of that, but I’m not. Married three times-did I say three? Make it four! Oh, my last one was unbelievable—I’m trying hard to forget that one.” (1930-2012)
       WAKY was known for being wild an’ crazy—largely due to the country’s top DJs they attracted, astutely recognized by program director, Johnny Randolph. He made the station a force to be reckoned with. And what tune were Bill’s fans pushing to #1 this month? Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop.”

Strolling into San Antonio, Texas, KTSA “550 AM” wowed its fans with Top 40 hits, and I know this, despite a lack of current history about the station, in the 1970s. Apparently Gordon McLendon transformed the sleepy station with hip hits in the ‘60s, but except for music charts, it’s left to our imaginations for a decade, until it switched to adult contemporary in the 1980s. We’re in February 1975 though … so, were you there when the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water” topped it off at #1? KTSA wasn’t the only radio station in Texas …

Finally, I’ve reached our destination station … boot-scootin’ on over from San Antonio 550 miles west, to El Paso, Texas, we mix it up with border blaster, X-ROC 80! Technically transmitting from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico), it entertained as a triple-threat, serving Chihuahua, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and El Paso. Much like Wolfman Jack’s XERB south of the California border, the station’s format for years was Spanish-language and religious programs by day, and targeting U.S. Rockin’ listeners by night. But by 1972, it flip-flopped the format and became X-Rock 80, “The Sun City Rocker” (referencing El Paso), or as its 1975 survey says, X-ROC 80—scroll below for this month’s Featured Radio Survey.

♪ February ’75 Song of Note ♪
You would think, with February 1975 radio chart lists full of “love titles” … “My Eyes Adored You” (Valli), “Best of My Love” (Eagles) and “Lovin’ You” (Riperton), among others, that it would be easy to find a love song to honor with our February Vintage Song of Note. Ha!

Although love is Rockin’ on the airwaves, I had to look deeper to find a tune that didn’t end in heartbreak. I scrolled further down X-ROC 80’s chart to find an “obvious” love song, “You Are So Beautiful,” by Joe Cocker. Sitting at #18, it easily made its way up to the Top Ten by March, giving every guy a way to sing himself into a girl’s heart, right? Well, guess what … 50 Years later, I’m just learned that this “simple little love song” is actually a tribute to the writer’s mom …  
       Billy Preston was mortified when he heard that artists and fans were crooning the sweet song to their lovers—but he created it as a tribute to his mother!! I love the discovery part of my work. Back to it … what more Rockin’ fun is out there from 50 Years Ago? 

♪ February ’75 Quirky Band Name Award ♪  

Here’s what happens when a radio station publishes a skinny music chart … I didn’t find any Quirky Band Names on this month’s Featured Radio Survey that we haven’t noted here before. But X-ROC 80 gave band names their own little twist that at least once or twice, made me scratch my head and look up the songs. The survey lists several bands that may test your Oldies music acumen. Do you know who these awesome artists are just by their initials?
       O.N. John; A.W.B.; J.C. & Sugarloaf; B.T.O.; O.M.D. … scroll to the Featured Radio Survey section below to check your answers! 

♪ FEBRUARY 2025 Music Events & More ♪    
Just one fun music-related special day, but with history and artistry, you can enjoy it all month! 

February 11^th: Well, sadly, there is no sponsor for today’s Get Out Your Guitar Day. But never fear, you know I’m here with something to click on as you drag your ol’, neglected guitar out of the closet. First, a little guitar history for the soul—and trivia for your next party!
       Do you know that stringed instruments showed up in cave carvings more than 3,000 years ago? You can read the full history, or enjoy an accounting of 50 Guitars that Changed the World with a fun story about famed Country artist, Chet Atkins—often referred to as “Mr. Guitar.” Want to learn about the history of the electric guitar and how to play? Even you could play the delectable intro to the “Best of My Love,” Eagles’ Top Ten hit for February 1975!

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
February 26, 1975 ~ X-ROC 80/technically South of the Border in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico), but entertaining U.S. border listeners in a far-reaching way as a high-powered “border blaster.” Did you guess all the survey’s “initial” bands? From the beginning: Olivia Newton John, Average White Band, Jerry Corbetta & Sugarloaf, Bachman Turner Overdrive and last year’s May QBN Award winner: Ozark Mountain Daredevils … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let’s Celebrate FEBRUARY 1975 with Love … 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 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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 Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (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.com^TM. 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! 
            01/01/25: 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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