Rock Radio ROCK-TOBER 1971 Little Country Rock & Roll

Little Bit Country, Little Bit Rock for ROCK-TOBER! 

This month we sway a little bit country and swing a little bit Rock & Roll with a howl from Wolfman Jack for ROCK-tober! Aooowwww …

As John and Yoko do some wishful thinking in the studio, Pink Floyd gathered parts and pieces of their experimental recordings for a (sort of) cohesive final release. It’s a hint of what’s to come a couple years later in their epic Dark Side of the Moon … 50 Years Ago this Month …

♪ Rockin’ News & Views ~ Then OCTOBER 1971 …

October 5^th: Yet another band made history at the venerable Hollywood Whisky a Go Go, when Black Sabbath began their set in all-white tuxedos. Although they didn’t get much credit from R&R’s critics of the 1970s, they were still taking the stage in enigmatic fashion with their self-titled album, released in February the previous year. Who needs critics when the fans love their great black-and-white contrast statement. Along with the self-titled name, the album gave us more spooky songs like “The Wizard” and “Evil Woman” (a Crow cover song). ♪ I see the look of evil in your eyes …  ♪

Album photo by Iain Macmillan

October 28th: And so Happy Xmas (war is over) ♪ ... not quite. It was nose-to-the-studio-grindstone for John Lennon and Yoko Ono to record a now-iconic wistful, Holiday tune. Released in December, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" featured the Harlem Community Choir. Many big name artists have since recorded their own versions. “Happy Xmas” served a two-fold purpose, as a Christmas song and a Vietnam War protest tune. It won on both counts. ♪ A very Merry Xmas | And a happy New Year | Let’s hope it’s a good one | Without any fear …  ♪ 

October 31^st: Having finally finished a “new” studio album in August, Pink Floyd released Meddle on this date in 1971. Its prominent song, “Echoes” is a hearty 23-1/2 minutes long and takes you tripping into another dimension, without any illegal inducements. ♪ The echo of a distant tide | Comes willowing across the sand …  ♪

>Now OCTOBER 2021 …  

Though we’re all about Rock & Roll here, the genre didn’t come of age all by itself. Last month, it had help from Classical Music. This month, we celebrate Rock’s roots for Country Music Month. Yeehaw!

That of course, makes our Monthly Song of Note, especially notable … its bouncy banjo on “Sweet City Woman” came in at #18 on our Featured Radio Survey (below). Considered The Stampeders’ signature song and labeled Country/Rock, it had dropped a rung on the music ladder. But it served the Canadian bred band (regarded a “Rock” band) well, as it climbed all the way up to #8 before sliding back down the chart. ♪ I can almost touch you | Sweet, sweet city woman … ♪

Country music … well, all music, really … is known for venting feelings about love, war, politics, or your old truck. That’s because we enjoy our First Amendment rights and this month, we celebrate Freedom of Speech Week (October 18-24^th). And like Rock, it’s intricately entwined with the twang of Country Music. ♪ Oh peace train take this country, come take me home again …  ♪ (“Peace Train” by Cat Stevens, #26 on the Featured Radio Survey.)

Annnnnd … it’s Halloween month! This is one holiday of the year that has something for everyone—spooks and goblins for fun, scary costume parties or grand galas leading into the Christmas Holidays, and a myriad of traditional religious and other sacred rites. What’s not to love?
       While you’re in the party mood, join BFYP’s ROCK-tober nod to our favorite consummate DJ and most lovable spooky character, Wolfman Jack! Aooooowwww!

♪ 50 Years Ago on Your Tinny Transistor Radio   
OCTOBER 1971 ~ With sometimes sketchy documentation, it’s often difficult to track a DJ’s historically nomad life as they crisscross the country for jobs. That’s where radio music surveys and charts can pick up the trail.
       We know this week’s pictured survey establishes DJ Joe Conrad at KFRC 50 Years Ago. Working days, he trucked down the record road in the plush 9 to noon gig. The BFYP Collection also finds him risen in rank from the year before, in long-haired hippy style for the yawn-worthy midnight hour (11/16/70). So, we know Joe was there at least a year …
       It was a truckin’ month for KFRC. The following week (10/11/71), DJ Jim Carson sat behind the wheel driving you to work from 6 to 9.

♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey  

OCTOBER 4, 1971 ~ KFRC/San Francisco. Not only does DJ Joe Conrad mean business on the cover, when he tells listeners to “keep on truckin’,” but there’s a treasured pic of a pre-teen John Lennon inside, pulling the ears of a pig! Making it more humorous, Rod Stewart’s album title is a fitting comment at #1 in the top five: Every Picture Tells a Story … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played …  

Let’s Celebrate OCTOBER 1971 and … Rock On!  ♪  

 

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three) are published in her Blast from Your Past series, available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

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. 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! 

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