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. And so much more, as I give you a loving peek at the past, with much more to come soon … 50 Years Ago this Month …
º FEBRUARY 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪
February 17th: 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 15th 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.
♪ February ’75 Song of Note ♪
You would think, with February 1975 radio chart lists full of “love titles” …
“My Eyes Adored You,” “Best of My Love” and “Lovin’ You,” among others, that it
would be easy to find a love song to honor with our February Vintage Song of
Note. Ha!
There is so much more coming, Rock & Roll friends, but this will have to do for now. The rest, plus links and images for the above will come very soon. Thank you (as always) for your patience! Please check back for more Rockin’ love floating on the airwaves …
Let’s Celebrate FEBRUARY 1975 with Love … Rock On!
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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