We’re rolling into summer, lovin’ the music, sprinkled with a spirit of nostalgic adventure! Not only will we take you back to June 1973, we’re sharing 2023’s San Diego County Fair full of nostalgic music fun, and below that, you’ll find a lineup link to similar summer festivals across the country.
First, on the virtual Internet streets, word has it, June is National DJ Month! Sponsored by Music Talkers, they couldn’t have said it better, “Whether broadcasting to listeners on the radio, engaging TV audiences or just setting the mood of a party, wedding reception, or any a special occasion, the DJ is an essential part of our culture.”
So true—from decade to decade, radio for instance, has reinvented itself to remain relevant, with help from the disk jockeys who refuse to believe their listeners don’t need them. We do. Locally and globally.
So, together with our respective DJs, here we are in June 2023, Rocking back to the Summer of 1973 with fond memories of now-iconic tunes, like George Harrison’s “Give Me Love,” and “Thinking of You” (Loggins & Messina). No doubt about it, Summer Love holds a special place in the hearts of teens in every generation. The world feels brighter, hearts are lighter, and luuuuvvvv is in the air! 50 Years Ago this Month …
Rockin’ News 1973 ♪
June 15th: ♪ And if you feel like I feel baby … ♪ “Let’s Get It On” was recorded by the inimitable Marvin Gaye on this day, finally hitting WCFL’s July 21st chart at #37, to begin its slow, sexy, upward climb to the top ten tunes by November 1st. ♪… Somethin' like summer time … ♪ #SoulTrain
On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪
Ya
gotta love an ad that even 50 Years Ago compared itself to “industry
standard,” McDonald’s. June 1973 radio survey ad: “Yahoo,
Texas Burger! More beef than a
Quarter Pounder or Big Mac from Dog N Suds …
And just to confuse you, that’s in Chicago! Yup, we’re heading into another month of WCFL on your turntable. Not for any particular reason—it’s just the only June vintage music chart in the BFYP Collection*.
Last month, we saw Larry Lujack lounging on WCFL’s cover. For June, mid-days’ DJ Bob Dearborn made the cover and brought you all the hot tunes for lunch! As a DJ mainstay with the top stations in Chicago, Bob’s career in the windy city spanned sixteen years in his forty-five-plus years in radio. Practically a record in DJ-speak!
We were getting thirsty for Pepsi as the turntable spun under the hot summer sun, JUNE 1973. A WCFL ad mentioned Pepsi-Cola's 75th anniversary ... but do you know what the famous "pop" was called for five years before 1898? Visit the Featured Radio Survey page for answer! Musically, not much changed in the Top 40 lineup from late May to early June. May’s top ten songs shuffled up-and-down and danced around each other, to push Sylvia’s steamy “Pillow Talk” to the top. ♪… And let's get together before the day runs us down … ♪
Some fun new tunes are bubbling up from the bottom, with Pink Floyd (“Money”), Deep Purple (“Smoke on the Water”) and Tower of Power (“So Very Hard to Go”) all clinging to a bottom rung. By month’s end, the first two (incidentally, not about love) found their tunes jockeying in the top twenty of sweltering Summer hits …
Quirky Band Names ♪
Ya betcha there’s a band named New York City, with their first and biggest
hit, “I’m Doin’ Fine Now” on the charts, 50
Years Ago this Month … after taking a bite of the Big
Apple, we’re hitchin’ a train to the Midwest. Following a string of early
no-hits, the still-active-today Ohio
Players first gave us “Funky Worm.”
Ah, but what about the Quirky Name? You guessed it—the Doobie Brothers earned their moniker honestly—so to speak—but band drummer, John Hartman, is reported to having not a clue “doobie” meant a marijuana joint. Um, okay. They also hadn’t intended to use the name permanently, just until they could think of a better one. And as our parents would have said, “See kids, this is what smoking pot does to you!” LOL Whatever their name, we’re glad they stuck around ♪… Without love where would you be now … ♪
Monthly Song of Note ♪
*Music
surveys from the BFYP (Blast from Your Past) Collection of
Rock & Roll and Radio memorabilia is the source for our Featured Radio
Survey and monthly Song of Note. Limited availability of vintage
charts means at times, I managed to collect only one radio station radio survey
for any given month.
For instance, WCFL/Chicago’s charts are the only ones I have for both May and June of 1973. They’re only two weeks apart, so still share several tunes in the top ten. However, “My Love” by Paul McCartney (and Wings) rocketed up the WCFL/Chicago chart for June 2, 1973, hitting #6, from last week’s #16. Its rapid rise put it in a class by itself for June.
McCartney bounced onto the last few rungs of the Top 40 chart for the first time at #38, May 5th, and with just three giant leaps, “My Love,” that celebrates his wife, Linda, passed up songs languishing in the top twenty for weeks, on its way to #6. Yup, it was a hot, steamy month for love, June 1973! ♪ … Don't ever ask me why | I never say goodbye to my love … ♪
June 2023 Music Tidbits ♪
Making
summer hot, our San Diego County Fair, June
7th to July 4th, brings the steam to SoCal stages.
Their apropos theme: “Get Out There” urges us to roam and explore this summer,
and ya may as well enjoy great music while you’re at it! Some standout Rock
below and full list of stellar concerts
and comedy in all-inclusive fun, here. (Of course, fair admission comes
with ticket purchase!) And the Chevrolet Paddock Stage performances are all free with your fair ticket!
June 7th: Don't you just love a great trip with California’s own Train?! Who knows, maybe you’ll “Meet Virginia.” Great way to open the Fair! Train tickets
June 14th: Bruuuuuce! You definitely don't want to miss a trip down Memory Lane with the Springsteen Experience! Performer Josh Tanner is also a Jersey guy & his Paddock Stage show is free with Fair ticket.
June 17th: Keepin’ you Rockin’ halfway through the Fair, dig out your inner teen, 39ers, we’re heading to the 50th anniversary tour of Lynyrd Skynyrd! From Jacksonville, Florida, to San Diego, California, like many Rock & Roll powerhouses, Skynyrd has proven 39 and HOLDING is more than a cliché (and our sister club’s platitude), and Rock is an enduring lifestyle. “Get Out There” and Rock On! ♪… Gimme three steps towards the door …♪ Skynyrd’s tickets
June 23rd: What's a good date night concert? Eagle Eyes of course! This talented group has perfected their tribute to the acclaimed Eagles, down to the smallest details for the biggest effect. See for yourself ... free on the Paddock Stage.
July 1st: Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but we’re sneakin’ into July to bring you news of Southern Rock band, Alabama, taking the stage at the San Diego County Fair! Who doesn’t love Rock with a twang?! Though their biggest hits ushered in the 1980s, founding member, Jeff Cook (with cousins, Randy Owen and Teddy Gentry), was a Rock Radio DJ in their hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama, in the late 1960s. Playing together in the early ‘70s, it was 1973 when they decided to “go pro.” ♪… Oh, Tennessee River and a mountain man | we play together in Mother Nature's Band …♪ Alabama ticket-time
The Fair’s steamy summer music doesn’t stop there. That’s just a sampling of the Toyota Summer Concert Series on the “Corona Grandstand Stage.” There are local bands and great tribute bands on the Chevrolet Paddock Stage throughout the month. Bottom line, make June 2023 a stand-out summer of music and more, to remember! And BFYP readers across the country, check out your local county fairs to make it a super summer and “Get Out There”!
June 28th: Back to general June news, we’d be remiss not to tell those who Rock a little more laid back, Island Style-under-the-limbo-stick, it’s International Parrot Head Day. If you don’t know what that means, well, all I can ask is, where have you been for the past 50 Years-plus?! Jimmy Buffett is a classic and so are his songs ♪… Chew a little Juicy Fruit | Wash away the night …♪
BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪
JUNE
2, 1973 ~ WCFL/Chicago—yep again! Last month’s Larry
Lujack cover was fun, while June’s mid-day DJ Bob Dearborn,
promised all the hot tunes for your afternoon lunch! You may remember Bob as the DJ who
championed Don McLean’s “American Pie” with an
in-depth analysis of
the song in January 1972. This month, still playing the hits, Bob’s
halfway through his six-year gig at WCFL … 50 Years Ago
this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played …
Let’s Celebrate JUNE 1973 and … Rock On! ♪
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon
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Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on Twitter: @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 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 … Book 3 – 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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