Like music did in the 1970s, sometimes you just have to shake things up a bit. Switch ‘em up, turn ‘em around, and see what comes out. Similar to what happened for many of us in 2021 … whether we liked the results or not.
But we made it through and we’re extolling the virtues, vibes, and nostalgia, albeit a tad late, for DECEMBER 1971 … 50 Years Ago this Month …
♪ Rockin’ News & Views ~ Then & Now
With
the 1960s’ revolution and evolution of Rock & Roll, it continued to break
away from early Rock. By 1971, we’re hearing more funk and soul, still Rockin’
out to Psychedelic Rock for a while longer, and hearing whispers of Disco that
will dominate the latter ‘70s. (While never my fave music genre, I have to give
Disco props for danceability … and I love to dance!)
֎ Then DECEMBER 1971 …
December 2nd: Like pioneering Rock Radio DJs, long before there was Howard Stern as radio’s premiere shock jock, there was Dick Imus. On this day 50 Years Ago, Imus began his infamous Imus in the Morning radio show on New York’s WNBC, a mere three years after first getting behind a microphone at KUTY in Palmdale, California. And like many jocks over the decades, his career was driven or stymied by his personal life. Still, a memorable milestone in radio broadcasting.
Despite its lukewarm reception by many fans and critics, it managed to skim the bottom of Chicago’s WCFL December 23rd “Big 10 Albums list” at #10. Usually, though, when an album is popular, at least one song from it hits the Top 40. Not in Chicago. Although the album managed to scramble up its list to #6 a few weeks later, nary a song leapt from Wild Life to the chart lists. December 31st: Were you attending The Band’s New Year’s Eve concert held at New York’s Academy of Music 50 Years Ago this Month? Was it a true surprise or somewhat expected when Bob Dylan appeared on stage for the encore? Together again, they performed great tunes like "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and "Like a Rolling Stone."
While performing with Bob Dylan in the late 1960s, The Hawks were finally recognized for their outstanding music and by the early 1970s, formally adopted “The Band” name. The informal moniker is how they were introduced as Dylan’s backup band, and looking for a new band name to get serious with their music, The Band was suggested and stuck.
֎ Now DECEMBER 2021 …
But like November, December is also a month of giving, sharing, and this year especially, to Reflect merrily, Rejoice presently, and Rejuvenate for tomorrow.
So, just a couple days can be loosely applied to Rock music and radio, if you stretch their meanings a tad.
December 8th: Let’s celebrate Pretend to
Be a Time Traveler Day … Blast from Your Past does this every
month! There is no official link, so we’ll make our own Time
Traveling adventure back to December 1971!
WCFL/Chicago is our Featured Radio
Survey this month and they rose to the occasion back in the day, with a fun
Holiday tunes list of “Big 10 Christmas ’71.” Some obscure and still-popular
tunes fill the list, like #1—"The Marvelous Toy” by
Peter, Paul and Mary, #4—"Jingle Bell Rock” Bobby
Helms’ eternal fave, and down at #10—The Royal Guardsmen’s catchy tune, "Snoopy's Christmas."
December 18th: Once a goofy party idea, National Ugly Christmas
Sweater Day is now a fun tradition! Reflect merrily as your personal
choice of fashion, like choice in music, tells the world a little of who you
are. Make mine Oldies Rock & Roll!
December 25th: Christmas! May your day be merry and bright whatever way you choose to celebrate the Holiday Season. Rejoice presently in your individualism and gather when you can, with those who understand you and love you, anyway.
December 31st: New Year’s Eve … time to Rejuvenate for tomorrow. What did we learn this year? That we will likely never be free of the scourge that was unleashed on our world two years ago. And then, what did we do? We put on some Rock & Roll (or whatever your fave music choice is) and said, “All right, if that’s the way it’s gonna be, let’s sing loud and dance proud!” Thank your lucky stars you’re still here to party, and Rock On into 2022.
♪ 50 Years Ago on Your Tinny Transistor
Radio
DECEMBER 1971 ~ Celebrating the season also means giving this month’s primary Zodiac sign
its due, with an instrumental that climbed the charts this month. WCFL/Chicago’s December 23rd music survey notes “Scorpio” by Dennis Coffey & the
Detroit Guitar Band. It isn’t an easy feat for an instrumental to jump from #24 to #16 in one week. Its funky
beat was just right, defining ‘71’s moody Scorpio season …
♪ BFYP
Featured Radio Survey
DECEMBER 23, 1971 ~ WCFL/Chicago’s
survey gets all the glory with its top ten out of forty tunes focused primarily
on love and family. Songster Melanie enjoyed the music chart’s #1 spot with “Brand New Key,” and her
picture even graced the back cover. Nice marketing … 50 Years Ago this Month in
Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when
your radio played …
Let’s Celebrate DECEMBER 1971 and … Rock On! ♪
 |
| LinDee |
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
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!
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Originally posted 12/01/21 @ 7:53p PST
Merry Holidays & Happy Christmas to All!
If you're here for the BFYP blog, thank you! It'sa comin'. So far as I can tell, it should be up tomorrow. I emphasize "should" because these days we just don't know what's coming tomorrow. A little hint ...
Like music did in the 1970s, sometimes you just have to shake things up a bit. Switch ‘em up, turn ‘em around, and see what comes out. Similar to what 2021 proved to do for many of us … whether we liked the results or not.
But we made it through and here we are, extolling the virtues, vibes, and nostalgia of DECEMBER 1971 … 50 Years Ago this Month …
♪ Rockin’ News & Views ~ Then & Now
With the 1960s’ revolution and evolution of Rock &
Roll, it continued to break away from early Rock. By 1971, we’re hearing more
funk and soul ... but there was way more to the '70s than that.
֎ Then DECEMBER 1971 …
December 2nd: From a pioneering shock jock to this month's Midwest Featured Radio Survey and ...
֎ Now DECEMBER 2021 …
We'll pretend to be a time traveler and more ... C'mon back for great info and memorable nostalgia ...