DECEMBER 1968 … Enjoy the Moment ... Again!
politically correct wacko on me, I will
say what I’ve said many times in recent years … Yes, recognize the
insensitivity of it and learn from it. But
the past cannot be changed or erased! We are dangerously close to mimicking
the worst of Orwell’s 1984—attempting
to eradicate the past needs to stop. In 1968, “too many chiefs, not enough Indians,”
was viewed as a customary Native American proverb.
Remember the past for all its inequities and look to the future. Besides, we
can’t be angry at Dean Martin. He sang the words with such smooth finesse.
Hope
you’ve enjoyed December 1968 50
Years Ago this Month’s reverie of eclectic Top 40 song titles, and BFYP’s whole year of
retro memories. I do it for you … looking forward to what 2019 &
1969 bring …
Featured Radio
Survey: WRIT/Milwaukee
“Merry Christmas from the Good Guys,” December
23, 1968. Take a gander at the relatively “normal” tunes on the chart and rev
up your memories to recall … 50 Years
Ago This Month. That awesome day
when …
Celebrate DECEMBER 1968 and … Rock On!
Blast from Your Past Gifts
November 4th: We’ve heard of
dueling banjos and dueling pianos, but in November 1968 we radio listeners played
a crucial part in a duel for the top of the charts between two talented and
charismatic music powerhouses.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
October 1968 ~ IT’S ROCKTOBER TIME!!
However you celebrate or revere October and/or Halloween—Samhain (Irish; pronounced saw-win), Autumn traditions, or simple Fall pleasures—mostly, it’s
just plain fun. And the Rockin’ Radio DJ
who howled into his beer-foam of Oktoberfests, helped
turn it into ROCKtober!
We’re celebrating October,
Halloween, and Wolfman Jack! In
my neck of the woods, ROCKtober and Halloween
would not be complete without a hefty helping of the Wolfman’s aaooowwww! From “Monster Mash” (August 1962,
Bobby “Boris” Pickett) to “Clap for The Wolfman” (June 1974, The Guess Who), October knows no year or
decade … it’s simply fun every year.
still enjoy it.
dynasty to succumb to the nationally
popular
Featured Radio
Survey: WFIL/Philly is
our featured radio survey, with not only the Funny Girl ad, but a “Revolution” goin’ on—sorta—as fans pushed The
Beatles song up to #1, tied with its flip side, MOST POPULAR of the whole
DECADE, “Hey Jude” … 50 Years Ago This Month. Rev up your memories and
recall that awesome day
when …
August 1968 ~ Dreamy, Restless, and Born to Be Wild!
Across the country, “The Real Don Steele” spun the hits
at KHJ/Los Angeles. Their Boss 30 chart spotlighted the West’s
restlessness, with “Born to Be Wild” already sitting pretty at the top of the
chart by August 21st. ♪
Like a true nature's child | We were born, born to be wild …! ♪
And through the long, hot summer of 1968, our radios blared
with the added spectrum of FM on our dials while music took on every color of
the rainbow … or at least it did, in our minds …
Or were you groovin’ to Cream with Eric
Clapton (post-The Yardbirds) as they turned us on to “Sunshine of Your Love”?
The standout songs jumped from #17 and 18, to #7 and #8, respectively.
JUNE 1968: Motown Surrenders to Prog Rock
Featured Radio Survey: WCFL/Chicago
led with top ratings in May 1968, featuring one of BFYP’s fab DJs, Jim Stagg,
at the mic. Enjoy this aircheck
from 1966. The whole crew of “Yummy” DJs adorned the cover in a mini-poster
for fans, 50 Years Ago This Month. Recall that awesome day when …
April 3rd: We fell in love again with the flowing
strains of Johann Strauss’s “Blue Danube Waltz,”
bringing Classical Music back to life in the future-forward film debut of 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I'm sorry, Dave.
I'm afraid I can't do that.” What, he can’t dance?
April 29th: By the end of the month, Broadway let down
its Hair to wild acclaim, proving Rock (title song) was still
king, and love isn’t the only emotion to write about. As we know, war inspires
expression, too.
On the same day, WMMR/Philadelphia, shocked
its listeners when it flipped from “beautiful music” to progressive
rock/freeform as "The Marconi
Experiment." Brainchild of its first Rock DJ, Dave Herman, the show led off with The Beatles’ “Flying” and away they
went. The experimental format proved successful and the rest is proverbial Rock
history!
Do you have a Rockin’ April
’68 memory of your own? Feel free to share below in a comment, or choose a
“reaction” to express your emotion.
Keep the stories coming!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
The Swinging Sixties felt the change and
upheaval in all aspects around the world. Rebel Rock really started to catch
fire as FM radio heated up the broadcasting industry. A handful of innovative disk
jockeys felt the vibe—especially those who heard the call of underground music,
and the psychedelic siren of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury. Leaning into 50
Years Ago this Month 1968 …
Tom spoke into the microphone with energetic glee, “You can
see, we’re gonna be doin’ a LOT of boogie’n’.”
50 Years Ago this Month - Cue the Cowbell!
February 1st – WABX/Detroit
decided classical music was on its way out, and they weren’t about to be left behind in
the music revolution. Grabbing the Progressive Rock shiny new brass ring, they rolled over to a freeform style with a
commanding presence through 1984.
Blast from Your Past Gifts
Seven Top 40 song titles
that make you go, “Huh?”
Aha!
It took only a moment to discover something a little unique to offer you for
the final month of 1968. Let’s go
all-music this month—no, not Christmas/Holiday music; there are enough Silver Bells*
floating in the air. The standard vintage radio music chart 50 Years Ago this Month … with a twist.
(*Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in The Lemon Drop Kid, 1951. Wonderful!)
(*Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in The Lemon Drop Kid, 1951. Wonderful!)
Perusing
this month’s Featured
Radio Survey—WRIT/Milwaukee’s
Top 40—I was struck by the number of unusual and ambiguous song titles that
punctuated the list.
Most
of the time, record labels prefer song titles to be immediately understood by
the public and preferably strike an emotional chord. December 23, 1968 seemed to buck the norm with 7 song title oddities
out of the top 40. Oh, there are a few others that if you saw them for the
first time, make you wonder what they could possibly be about: “Crimson &
Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells, and “Till,” a sentimental tune by The
Vogues, are such. But nothing like these (in
order of chart position):
1) “Abraham, Martin & John”
by Dion, hit
WRIT’s #1 spot in December 1968 and
stayed there for a couple of weeks. Think you don’t know anyone by those names?
History proves you knew them—Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy (and Robert F. Kennedy not named in title, but
in verse). The song’s tribute to four of history’s revered architects of social
change became a career revival for Dion. ♪ But
it seems the good they die young ♪
4) “Bang Shang a Lang,” a simple love song (♪ My heart went bang shang a lang ♪), somehow made it to the top ten, despite its animated (yes,
fictional, as in not real) garage band. The Archies starred
in a Saturday morning TV show based on the Archie
comic book series, with a significant attachment to Pop radio! Former Boston DJ Norm Prescott, was one of three founding owners of Filmation Associates which
produced the show for CBS. While “Bang” was their debut single, you’ll likely
recall a more popular “Sugar, Sugar” the following year.
9) “Chewy Chewy” (no, not from Star Wars!) is a
seriously sugary pop tune wrapped up in pseudo sex. Ohio Express dedicated 1968-70 to
light on lyrics and heavy on innuendo. ♪ Baby
a living box of candy wrapped up so very fine ♪ is about the least sexual
lyric I could quote from “Chewy.” It’s fun to read the lyrics from some of the
‘60s songs now, and wonder … did they really say that?! Heehee. Which of course, is nothing compared to today’s
sexually, violently, explicit hip hop fare. (Sorry, can’t call it “music.”)
Ohio Express’s swinging door of artists and session musicians fashioned a vague
anomaly in an era of well-defined, iconic bands. By most accounts only Tim Corwin
remained a constant. Wiki’s depiction
attempts to untangle the confusion.
15) “Not Enough Indians” by … surprisingly … Dean Martin. Oh, how he’d be vilified on
Twitter today! ♪ There's too many chiefs and
not enough Indians around this house ♪ And before you go
23) “Battle Hymn of the Republic” was certainly not a “new” song, considering its inception during the Civil War more
than a hundred years prior. Andy Williams,
famously known for his theme song, “Moon River,” gave this battle
cry a popular lift. We were not in short supply of patriotism in 1968—however,
given the national strife of the Vietnam War, it held our patriotism a bit closer. ♪ He has sounded from the trumpet that shall never call retreat ♪
25) “1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero” is not the standard Top 10 fare of love
found, love lost, or plain ol’ lust. Bobby Russell
sings a catchy tune dedicated to the praise of the neighborhood nice guy. You
would know Russell best as a country and pop songwriter, penning such hits for
others as, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (1973, then-wife, Vicki Lawrence) and “Honey” (1968, Bobby
Goldsboro). Like novels, lyrics are
often based in truth. Was “Hero” a personal touch? ♪ Christmas time, he took | 'Em
down to see the floats ♪ … just one reason he
was a hit with the local kids.
… and
last but not historically least …
33) “Vance”
is another tribute tune that makes you think; especially if you remember the
era. While Roger Miller
performs the spoken/tuneful song with reverence in his deep, meaningful voice,
the lyrics eventually lead you down a path that ends in vintage reality. It’s a perfect example of what was once thought a man had to do to be a man—a principle that we’d like
to think, no longer applies. (Sadly again, see hip hop comment above.) ♪ And it did my heart so much good when Vance
hit ole Smitty … But he had finally
made a stand and he'd become a self made man ♪ “Vance” dropped off the
chart at this point.
Hope
you’ve enjoyed December 1968 50
Years Ago this Month’s reverie of eclectic Top 40 song titles, and BFYP’s whole year of
retro memories. I do it for you … looking forward to what 2019 &
1969 bring … 
Featured Radio
Survey: WRIT/Milwaukee
“Merry Christmas from the Good Guys,” December
23, 1968. Take a gander at the relatively “normal” tunes on the chart and rev
up your memories to recall … 50 Years
Ago This Month. That awesome day
when … Celebrate DECEMBER 1968 and … Rock On!Blast from Your Past Gifts
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
November 1968 ~ Baby Jude: Hey Jude’s Love Child!
Believe it or not, here we go head-long into the final two
months of 2018. How did we get here?!
As we turn our thoughts to the season of thankfulness—at
least through Thanksgiving—many of us will also begin a mental review of the
year, noting achievements, carryovers for 2019, and perhaps a duel or two to
resolve before year’s end.
Speaking of duels, a
battle of boy-band vs. girl-band played out on music surveys across the nation Fifty Years Ago this Month …
November 4th: We’ve heard of
dueling banjos and dueling pianos, but in November 1968 we radio listeners played
a crucial part in a duel for the top of the charts between two talented and
charismatic music powerhouses.
Diana Ross and the Supremes and brash boy band, The Beatles, hit the national charts
about the same time in 1964. From that point on, we fueled their duel on the
airwaves and up ‘n’ down the surveys’ top hits for the rest of the decade.
WRIT/Milwaukee’s
Silver Dollar Music Survey November 4, 1968 is a perfect example of their
musical rivalry. Click on our Featured Survey*
to see The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”/”Revolution”
combo at #2, nipping at the heels of Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were the Days.”
Diana Ross & the Supremes’ “Love Child” started its
climb as a distant contender in the #28 spot.
The Beatles’ songs stayed at #2 for the November 11th
chart, but “Love Child” quickly jumped several rungs up the ladder to #12.
By November 25th, however, Diana had led her girls up to
#3, while The Beatles slipped to #4 & #5 (“Revolution” & “Hey Jude,”
respectively). And yep, “Those Were the Days” still kept a glass ceiling on their rise.
November
22nd: The Beatles weren’t crying too hard, though. The White Album (aka The Beatles) was released on this date—and we all know how that
turned out. *In anticipation, KFRC/San
Francisco even devoted their entire November
20th Big 30 survey No. 128, solely to songs of The White Album. Cool.
Featured Radio
Survey: WRIT/Milwaukee November 4, 1968 … for all their popularity across the country,
neither The Beatles or Diana Ross and The Supremes could knock Mary Hopkin out
of the #1 spot at WRIT … 50 Years Ago This Month. Rev up your memories and recall that awesome day
when …
Celebrate NOVEMBER 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
October 1968 ~ IT’S ROCKTOBER TIME!!
We’re finally in the month during
which summer heat turns to cool fall days (hopefully), and golden leaves wistfully
float over the breeze on their way to a colorful, communal pile on the ground.
The seasons exchange pleasantries on their way by each other, while our pace
quickens with renewed energy. Today, as in 1968, we welcome the change. Ahhhh,
it’s Fall.
Is that the only reason we step a
little quicker? I think not. October is also the month of wafting spicy scents
and furtive glances over our shoulders when daylight dims, peering uneasily
into darkened corners. We swear an ethereal flash teasing our senses was a bona
fide ghost. Yep, it’s pumpkin-baking spooky October!
However you celebrate or revere October and/or Halloween—Samhain (Irish; pronounced saw-win), Autumn traditions, or simple Fall pleasures—mostly, it’s
just plain fun. And the Rockin’ Radio DJ
who howled into his beer-foam of Oktoberfests, helped
turn it into ROCKtober! We’re celebrating October,
Halloween, and Wolfman Jack! In
my neck of the woods, ROCKtober and Halloween
would not be complete without a hefty helping of the Wolfman’s aaooowwww! From “Monster Mash” (August 1962,
Bobby “Boris” Pickett) to “Clap for The Wolfman” (June 1974, The Guess Who), October knows no year or
decade … it’s simply fun every year.
So, here’s a question for you … is
it only in the Christmas season that seasonal
songs are actually on the radio charts
of yesteryear? “Way back when,” October 1968 charts flaunted some great
songs—none of which had anything to do with spooks and Halloween.
Although we had plenty of ghoulish
tunes from previous years to play, like 1967’s “Ding, Dong the Witch is Dead”
by The Fifth Estate … yes, the Wizard of Oz’s witch. And by the way, it spooked WCFL/Chicago’s Sound 10 Survey in June, not October. I guess I’m looking for order in an unorderly world …
Getting back to October 1968, at KAFY/Santa Barbara, California, O.C. Smith’s “Little Green Apples” and
Al Wilson’s “The Snake,” crowned the top two spots (respectively). Of
course, if you’re afraid of snakes, Wilson’s hit song is a little creepy. Take me
in, oh pretty woman | Sssssighed the
snake …
Now television … that’s where there is some semblance of
order …
October 1: Horror
films have always been popular. But it wasn’t until the release of Night of the Living Dead
that we began to see the horror of it all. Literally. Originally panned for its prolific gore, the cult
classic film, preserved in the National Film Registry, is a neophyte in today’s
“let it all hang out” blood-and-guts films.
October 25: Led Zeppelin begins
their long journey to music immortality, with their first official live performance at Surrey
University, England. After reorganization and new determination, strategic
members of The Yardbirds morphed into history-making Led Zeppelin. When I give
you all my love | please, please
be true … (“How Many More Times” 1969).
Wolfman Jack and all
things ghoulie.
As my vintage
Rock & Roll mind rambles down Memory Lane, it turns to the Radio DJ who
truly defines Halloween—the incomparable Wolfman Jack.
Robert Weston Smith nurtured his inner werewolf, pandering
to an audience who loved his salacious, hairy image.
 |
| BFYP Collection: Aug 1967 |
As Wolfman Jack, he blasted his signature
howl to “13 states and 2 Canadian provinces” at XERB/Hollywood (by way of Rosarito Beach, Mexico).
Come Halloween, think ghosts, goblins,
witches’ brew, seances, and weird, hairy creatures … like Wolfman Jack! We got a good
thing goin’ on now! Aoooowwwooooo!
Featured Radio
Survey: KAFY/Santa Barbara … celebrate Fall, Oktoberfests,
and Wolfman Jack! 50 Years Ago This Month. Rev up your memories and
recall that awesome day
when …
Celebrate ROCK-TOBER 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
September 1968 ~ Beatles, Barbra & a Buzzard
For a 39er (39 and Holding several years
over), it’s just plain fun writing
about Rock and Roll and the pioneering
Radio DJs who helped make the hits of yesteryear.
It’s especially meaningful when you’re
reliving it as you write, listening to a replay of WOR-FM/New York’s New Year’s Eve 1969 100 Top Hits of
the Sixties, like “I Got You, Babe”* (1965; coming in around #88).
Give it a try—how many songs can you sing along to?—well, at
least the chorus. This Top 100 list
isn’t WOR’s 2018 replay on Rewound Radio—every
“Top 100” of any era is subjective to its compiler and sources. Seriously … you
can have a list of a thousand top ‘60s hits and it wouldn’t capture all the
great songs of that decade. I guarantee you’ll
So let’s see what fun we can conjure up as we step back to
one of the most prolific music months of 1968. While our summer tans began to
fade …
September 18: Barbra Streisand
took her award-winning Broadway musical, Funny Girl,
to the big screen. For me, the enigmatic song, “People,” was the
most profound tune of the movie. Streisand made it her first Top 40 hit in 1964
when the stage production debuted, and it regenerated for The Tymes
in 1968. Funny Girl’s ad for the Goldman
Theatre debut, graced the back cover of WFIL/Philadelphia’s September 30, 1968 Boss 30 chart.
Barbra
gave women the courage to love themselves as-is in a decade when we were just
beginning to realize our potential. ♪ But first be a person who needs people ♪;
and one who can always look in the mirror and say, “Hello, gorgeous!”
September 28: WHK-FM radio made history in Cleveland,
as the last FM station in the Metromedia progressive
rock and freeform format.
Do you recall when it signed back
on the air as WMMS? It was an
ego-thing, originally meaning MetroMedia Stereo. Arguably, its best-ever
broadcast incarnation, becoming unstoppable by the time “The Buzzard” logo was
adopted in 1974.
But, back to the chart toppers 50 Years Ago This Month. They pulled at your heartstrings and
pushed you into daydreams and nightmares. Something for everyone!
*Just for fun … let’s peek into our future from
1968, what was the decade’s #1 hit on WOR/New
York in December 1969? September 1968’s
“Hey
Jude,”** by The
Beatles. ♪ Don't carry the
world upon your shoulders | For well
you know that it's a fool who plays it cool …♪ (**This video is
hilarious—back when you could get up close & personal with celebrities.)
Featured Radio
Survey: WFIL/Philly is
our featured radio survey, with not only the Funny Girl ad, but a “Revolution” goin’ on—sorta—as fans pushed The
Beatles song up to #1, tied with its flip side, MOST POPULAR of the whole
DECADE, “Hey Jude” … 50 Years Ago This Month. Rev up your memories and
recall that awesome day
when …
Celebrate SEPTEMBER 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
August 1968 ~ Dreamy, Restless, and Born to Be Wild!
In 1968 we sashayed toward the Psychedelic Seventies, with every dreamy and “far out” song that
hit the top of the charts.
Heating up the August charts with ethereal and floating
tunes, we crooned “Dream a Little Dream of Me”
with Mama Cass, and turned
retro with The Vogues’
“Turn Around, Look at Me.” But rebel Rock was never far from the top.
“Born to Be Wild”
(Steppenwolf)
flew up the WABC Radio 77 (New York) chart from the bottom, to #9, by the end of
August. Can’t you just see Cousin Brucie cuing
up the record and singing with us, ♪
Get your motor runnin’ | Head out on the highway … ♪
Across the country, “The Real Don Steele” spun the hits
at KHJ/Los Angeles. Their Boss 30 chart spotlighted the West’s
restlessness, with “Born to Be Wild” already sitting pretty at the top of the
chart by August 21st. ♪
Like a true nature's child | We were born, born to be wild …! ♪
Aiming for the stars, new bands coveting that #1 spot on the
chart, formed right and left; some fans said no, some yelled a resounding …
August 4th:
YES!
had an inauspicious start at a kids’ summer camp on this day in East Mersea,
Essex. But within a year, Tony Wilson, British columnist for pioneering weekly
music mag, Melody Maker, chose Yes and Led Zeppelin as the two bands "most likely
to succeed." Prophetic, indeed!
And through the long, hot summer of 1968, our radios blared
with the added spectrum of FM on our dials while music took on every color of
the rainbow … or at least it did, in our minds …
Trip on your mind-blowing memories of the Crown of Creation album (Jefferson Airplane),
set to debut the following month, September 1968.
Featured Radio
Survey: Though not appearing on the chart, Simon & Garfunkel graced
the cover of the Boss 30 chart for August 21, 1968 at KHJ/Los Angeles. For the full chart, it’s hosted at my fave vintage
radio survey site The Airheads Radio Survey Archive.
Or, see the top ten as our featured survey, 50 Years Ago This Month.
Rev up your memories and recall that awesome day
when …
Celebrate AUGUST 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
July 1968 - Summer Sun, Independence Fun!
Regardless of news
reports, patriotism has never—and should never—be in short supply in the United
States. What was signed into existence this day, July 4th, two hundred and forty-two years ago, created our country.
It wasn’t perfect then. It isn’t perfect now. As a patriot,
I have to say, if someone doesn’t like it here, they can be part of the
solution, not create a problem, or go somewhere else. This country must still
be great, or so many people from
everywhere else, wouldn’t cross our borders illegally.
For all its imperfections, the United States of America (however
loosely defined these days) is deserving of our patriotism. Ask yourself how you can make it better, or
simply enjoy what it is … still the
best country in the world.
That said, I hope you enjoy your 4th of July Holiday! And “feel free”
to continue celebrating your part in “America the Beautiful”
the rest of the month.
And now, flip on the mic, let’s Rock on
back to Independence month JULY 1968
…
While we bounced around from party to party, waving flags
and listening to our transistor radios, WIBG/Philly
played our favorite tunes with Gary Mitchell’s bouncy voice behind the mic. Talk of the day was surely
the imminent demise of a popular Psychedelic Rock band …
July 7th: Culminated the final days for The Yardbirds. The band brought us promises in “For Your Love (1965),” To fill you with delight | I’d give you diamonds bright; and the prophetic
antics of “Over Under Sideways Down (1966).” When will it
end … ? We were about to learn.
Over the years, The Yardbirds
launched careers for Rock notables and guitarists extraordinaire, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton; the result endeared the
band to fans worldwide.
The band played through a series of U.S. concerts before a
June 12th announcement confirming rumors of two founding members’ departure.
The Yardbirds landed for their final performance in Luton, Bedfordshire,
England on July 7th.
But … we all know, it wasn’t the end of the Rock road for elements
of its illustrious sound. The iconic Led Zeppelin warmed up in the wings with Jimmy Page, and strains of The New Yardbirds wafted close.
It’s said that 1968 was the greatest year in Rock & Roll
Music. If July is proof, it is so!
Meanwhile, WIBG
fans pushed two songs ten steps up
the ladder in one giant leap. Its “Big 30 Records in Philadelphia” chart for July 9, 1968, tells the story …
Did you empathize with Nancy Wilson when she told us, “Face It Girl It’s Over”? ♪
Does he have to draw you pictures | Does he have to spell it out ♪…?
Or were you groovin’ to Cream with Eric
Clapton (post-The Yardbirds) as they turned us on to “Sunshine of Your Love”?
The standout songs jumped from #17 and 18, to #7 and #8, respectively.
Featured Radio
Survey: WIBG-Philly, top 30 July
9, 1968 gave us “Lady Willpower” (Union Gap) and “Stay in My Corner”
(Dells) in the top two spots for the second week. Though his money-making
single slid off the charts by this time, Tiny Tim is on the cover with venerable DJ Gary Mitchell, 50 Years Ago This Month.
Rev up your memories and recall that awesome day
when …
Celebrate JULY 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
JUNE 1968: Motown Surrenders to Prog Rock
Were you suffering a sunburn from your day on the beach 50 Years Ago this Month? Or hiding in cool,
dark movie theaters, peeking through your fingers at the horrors of Rosemary’s Baby,
or equally horrific Vietnam war film, The Green Berets?
Radio to the rescue
to lighten the mood and cool our red faces, with nighttime Rock on the radar 50 Years Ago this Month …
June 10th:
Tom
and Raechel Donahue ended May
1968 with KSAN/San
Francisco fans and owner, Metromedia, lovin’ their format style. So they spread
the love to its KMET
station in Los Angeles. Tom’s progressive rock format began with a meager four
hours per night. But not for long. “The Might MET” soon broke through the
underground to full time Rockin’!
June
20th: A stellar appearance at the famed Copacabana on this day 1968
gave Martha Reeves & the Vandellas’ new single “Forget Me Not” a
fighting chance on the charts. It debuted on KISN/Portland OR Good Guys Survey
for June 25th at #47. Alas, this tribute to long-distance military
love failed to impress, and dropped off the following week. They had hit their
peak on a great run through the 1960s.
Featured Radio
Survey: As a beacon of Rock & Roll in the Pacific Northwest, KISN/Portland, kept 50 Years Ago This Month. Recall that awesome day when
…
its listeners tuned
in to the in-crowd,
Celebrate JUNE 1968 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer and
editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two
books (of three) 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!
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KSAN
Ate Up the Competition - MAY 1968
Ya just gotta love our innocence of the 1960s. I mean, how
ugly and mean-spirited could we have been then, to push a song title like “Yummy Yummy Yummy” (The Ohio Express) up to the top ten?!
It landed at #2, week ending May 23, 1968 at WCFL/Chicago. Enjoy the memories in this month’s Featured Survey.
“I got love in my tummy” … for 50 Years
Ago this Month …
May 14th: With a lack of anything much radio-related to
focus on this month, I found our popular cartoon pup racing for his house,
following musical notes floating in the air. Did Snoopy hear his
favorite song on the radio in the “Peanuts” May 14, 1968 comic strip? Nope … just his teakettle singing for attention.
 |
| Snoopy first captured our attention in 1950; still a growing pup in 1968! |
 |
| KSAN ad in Playboy 1973 |
May 21st:
Finally, it’s official! Back in March
we chatted about famed DJs Tom
“Big Daddy” and Rachael Donahue and their “Great
Hippie Strike” at KMPX/San
Francisco. After two months of negotiations with nothing resolved, the Donahues joined forces with new KSAN’s owner,
Metromedia, and set up shop with most of their former KMPX crew at the
innovative FM station.
“The Jive 95” (94.9, now KYLD) Rocked the bay for the first time on May 21st, with a freeform format. The Donahues led KSAN into the next decade, at top of the ratings. Rock On!
“The Jive 95” (94.9, now KYLD) Rocked the bay for the first time on May 21st, with a freeform format. The Donahues led KSAN into the next decade, at top of the ratings. Rock On!
Must do a repeat for you of a vintage KSAN promo, it’s priceless! Raechel salaciously purred, “This
is KSAN in San Francisco. Sometimes
we do it fast … sometimes we do it slow … but we al-ways do it!”
Featured Radio Survey: WCFL/Chicago
led with top ratings in May 1968, featuring one of BFYP’s fab DJs, Jim Stagg,
at the mic. Enjoy this aircheck
from 1966. The whole crew of “Yummy” DJs adorned the cover in a mini-poster
for fans, 50 Years Ago This Month. Recall that awesome day when …
Celebrate MAY 1968: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!
LinDee
Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock &
Roll. She has published two books (of three) 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!
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The Waltz Returns with Hair ~ APRIL 1968
Swinging into Spring 1968,
love is in the air! We proclaimed our affections singing with the Radio charts’
top tens including Bobby Goldsboro (“Honey”), The Beatles (“Lady Madonna”), and the
Box Tops (“Cry Like a
Baby”). *
You know, it just hit me … growing up Country until Rock &
Roll really kicked into high gear, I was used to the down-home tunes often
labeled as “cryin’, dyin’ and goin’ away” music.
But when you think about it, that’s what all music embodies,
regardless of genre—feelings. So it was no stretch to find charts from both
sides of the country throughout April
1968, giving us ample outlets to express our feelings.
In the film
industry though, we were treated to a rebirth of a song even further back than 50 Years Ago this Month …
April 3rd: We fell in love again with the flowing
strains of Johann Strauss’s “Blue Danube Waltz,”
bringing Classical Music back to life in the future-forward film debut of 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I'm sorry, Dave.
I'm afraid I can't do that.” What, he can’t dance? 
April 29th: By the end of the month, Broadway let down
its Hair to wild acclaim, proving Rock (title song) was still
king, and love isn’t the only emotion to write about. As we know, war inspires
expression, too.
On the same day, WMMR/Philadelphia, shocked
its listeners when it flipped from “beautiful music” to progressive
rock/freeform as "The Marconi
Experiment." Brainchild of its first Rock DJ, Dave Herman, the show led off with The Beatles’ “Flying” and away they
went. The experimental format proved successful and the rest is proverbial Rock
history!Do you have a Rockin’ April
’68 memory of your own? Feel free to share below in a comment, or choose a
“reaction” to express your emotion.
Keep the stories coming!
*Featured Radio Survey: KMEN/San Bernardino, California in
its “Kmentertainer” magazine (vol. 3 no. 19), week ending April 13, 1968.
Classic pics of DJs and vintage ads. Cool, man … 50 Years Ago This Month,
recall that awesome day when …*BONUS KLZ-FM/Denver
April 1968 survey with BFYP DJ Bill Gardner, added 04/15/18!
Celebrate APRIL 1968: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!
LinDee
Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock &
Roll. She has published two books (of three) 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!
*
FYI, I know that over the years, some early artists’ reputations have lost
luster for one reason or another. I am not glorifying anything of the era, or
anyone. I simply report the way it was …
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Rebel Rock on Your Radio Dial - MARCH 1968
This 50 Years Ago this Month post can brag
about a DJ featured in the Blast from
Your Past series! Those of us who were “there”, know the 1960s is in many
ways, an uncanny sister-era to the 2010s. But back “in the day” we had the
added attraction of enjoying the birth of FM Radio and Rebel Rock.
The Swinging Sixties felt the change and
upheaval in all aspects around the world. Rebel Rock really started to catch
fire as FM radio heated up the broadcasting industry. A handful of innovative disk
jockeys felt the vibe—especially those who heard the call of underground music,
and the psychedelic siren of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury. Leaning into 50
Years Ago this Month 1968 …
March 11th:
With the progress of Acid Rock and early Progressive Rock on FM radio airwaves, several former Top 40 radio stations gave up the
ghost for an all-news format, like KFWB in Los Angeles. It followed in the footsteps of KYW/Philly and WINS/NY. However, a Boston station took a go-with-the-flow attitude
…
March 15th:
WBCN/Boston
thought no one would notice if they gradually began switching from easy
listening to freeform Progressive Rock. Right
… just proved a point for a very vocal pioneering DJ …
March 18th: Always the
innovator and instigator, popular San Francisco DJ and program director, “Big
Daddy” Tom Donahue (1928-1975), propagated
the infant Progressive Rock march into FM stations like legendary KMPX.
But he shocked management when he resigned, with attitude. He and wife,
Raechel, pushed the envelope, taking much of the staff and DJs with them in a
walk-out dubbed “The Great Hippie Strike.” More than a little partying flanked
the picket lines, as the strike waged on for two months, with a lot of
head-butting, but no resolution.
The Donahues didn’t let one stubborn station owner get in
their way of Rockin’ progress. They morphed former KLFR 94.9 into iconic KSAN/FM “The Jive 95.” Most of the former KMPX staff moved in with them.
As Raechel used to say, “This is KSAN in San Francisco. Sometimes we do
it fast … sometimes we do it slow … but we al-ways do it!”
Tom spoke into the microphone with energetic glee, “You can
see, we’re gonna be doin’ a LOT of boogie’n’.”
Featured Radio Survey: Top 40 still ruled many San Francisco
stations, though, like popular KFRC.
The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” marched up the chart at #13. A far-out rendering of
the Fab Four on the cover, fascinated fans.
50 Years Ago This Month, recall
that awesome day when …
Celebrate MARCH 1968: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!
LinDee
Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock &
Roll. She has published two books (of three) 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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
50 Years Ago this Month - Cue the Cowbell!
Two very different but equally dynamic Radio personalities
commanded our attention in February 1968:
Dr. Don Rose honed
his down-home style at WQXI/Atlanta,
while Jim Stagg reveled in his
popularity at his Chicago home station, WCFL.
Many high-profile Rock and Roll Radio DJs crossed paths as
they crisscrossed the nation in their nomadic profession. Interestingly, both
of these veteran DJs graced the air in San
Francisco at one point or another, just not together …
Jim’s early career found him testing the waters in 1960’s City
by the Bay at KYA. Not finding the
avant-garde city his style, in less than a year, he hot-footed it back to the traditional
Midwest. I’m guessing he never learned how to surf.
It would be another decade before Dr. Don skipped across the
country to plant himself at KFRC. By
1974 the amiable Dr. Don felt his home and his heart, belonged in the
cosmopolitan city, despite his corny, country-bumpkin one-liners. Cue the
cowbell! We loved him.
What else happened in February
1968? Do you hear the sound of progress …?
February 1st – WABX/Detroit
decided classical music was on its way out, and they weren’t about to be left behind in
the music revolution. Grabbing the Progressive Rock shiny new brass ring, they rolled over to a freeform style with a
commanding presence through 1984.
February 19th
– Apropos! THIS month (2018), Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is in the news again, touting Tom Hanks as the star of a Mister Rogers biopic, You Are My Friend. It’s just in time to herald the show’s National Education Television debut on this day, 50 Years Ago! No, it has nothing to do with Radio, but you can’t
deny Fred Rogers’ influence on the entertainment industry of that era … right
up to this one. (Mr. Rogers moved to a heavenly neighborhood in 2003.)
Featured Radio Survey: A
two-fer! Since we spotlighted two DJs above, and I just happen to have February
1968 surveys for each, you’re in luck! WQXI
and WCFL surveys at your
pleasure … 50 Years Ago This Month! Were you listening? "Love is Blue" (Paul Mauriat) led us into Valentine's Day on both sides of the continent. An instrumental that tugged at our heartstrings. Recall
that awesome day when …
Celebrate FEBRUARY 1968: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!
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50 Years Ago 6-Cent Stamps +Wolfman Moon - JANUARY 1968
Ah, the good ol’ days … remember when 1st class postage raised from 5 cents to 6 cents? Oh, we were incensed!
At Blast from Your
Past, we spend much time, in "remember when" pasts. There is a reason for
that—the 1960s gave us the Golden Age of
Rock and Roll Radio—and it’s still
fun!
More than that, though, the era nurtured sweeping change, with
music mirroring our attitudes. Mid-decade, radio chart Top Tens faded from
Bubblegum Pop in ’61, ushering in girl-group sounds like “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,”
(The Shirelles) #1 at WIP/Philadelphia
(January 23, 1961), to January 15, 1968’s #1 spinning at WLS/Chicago, “Bend Me, Shape Me” (American Breed).
 |
| Yep, the Caddy is a radio too! 1963. |
Both love songs tugged at the heart strings, but
“Tomorrow’s” violin strings were old school, compared to “Bend Me, Shape Me’s” heavy
drumbeat and guitar riffs. An upbeat with a downbeat sound, reverberated
through our growing pains as a new generation came to terms with war and
discrimination. Musically, it lead us straight into the Heavy Metal era.
Heralding the mass
manufacturing of portable, transistor models, Radio fought for its relevance,
with the infamous boob tube. And like Rock and Roll, it proved Radio will never
die. It simply shape-shifts into a different howling animal.
Which brings us to the animal we celebrate every January 21st, regardless of the year. Hint: Is it any
wonder he was born under January’s Wolf Moon?!
Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938-July 1, 1995),
self-described, “Original Rock & Roll Animal,” aka Wolfman Jack, turned a raucous 30
years old in 1968!
The iconic Radio personality is featured in the Blast
from Your Past books, to which the series is dedicated. As a man,
like all of us humans, Wolfman Jack
had his foibles; as a howling Radio DJ
and later, television host, he personified the innovation of broadcasting.
In January 1968, Wolfie and business partner, Mo Burton,
enjoyed the fruits of their labors established in 1966, with a studio in
Hollywood. Taping their shows stateside, they muscled their way over the
airwaves of a powerful, towering Radio transmitter in Rosarito, Mexico. Olé!
From the San Diego border, to Canada and points far East, Wolfman’s crusty voice boomed over XERB/1090’s radio waves and lit
rebellious fires in impressionable teens.
Wolfman’s XERB strayed from Rock & Roll,
pushing funky and soulful to the top three on its Soul 30 chart,January 3, 1968: #1 “Boogaloo Down Broadway” (Fantastic Johnny C); #2 “Chain of Fools” (Aretha
Franklin); #3 “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You” (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell).
How’s your Boogaloo? Can
you dig it! Ah, lay a little Soul on me …Have Mercy!*
Still perfecting his Wolfman
persona in 1968, his transformation called for learning to electrify live
audiences, in gigs up and down California. Though most comfortable behind the
mic, he enjoyed thrilling his listeners. “Most of his fans had ‛never seen
anything freaky-deaky like this.’ It was a more exhilarating high for him than
any hallucinatory could produce.”** Polishing his stage presence would serve Wolfman Jack well throughout the 1970s.
Aoooowwwwwoooo!
As we strut into this
21st century New Year, take a moment or two for a January 1968 fun flashback,
and Enjoy the Moment … Again!
Featured Radio Survey: WLS/Chicago
hits the mark January 15, 1968, with a smiling image of BFYP DJ, Ron
Riley, once briefly (and reluctantly) known as “Smiley Riley”—well
before 1968, Ron lost the goofy personality name and was just a smiling, fun
DJ. 50 Years Ago Ron rocked WLS! Were you listening? Recall that awesome day when …
Celebrate JANUARY 1968: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!
Share on
Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
** From BFYP
Book 2, TheSwinging Sixties;
Wolfman Jack Part 3.
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