50 Years Ago August 1968 Restless & Wild

>>BFYP BULLETIN 08/19/18: Philly breeds DJs in triplicate! The Gardner Brothers are more than siblings and great friends. Originally from the City of Brotherly Love, Al and Andre (center and right) followed big bro Bill, into radio broadcasting, to help pioneer Rock Radio. Bill, a BFYP DJ featured in Book 2, The Swinging Sixties, sent this pic from their recent reunion in Las Vegas. Coming up in 2019, the spotlight will focus on Al and Andre’s stories in Book 3, The Psychedelic Seventies! Don’t touch that dial! But click here, for a fun blurb on airline pilot and DJ extraordinaire, “Ol’ Captain” Bill’s website … 

And now, let's flip on the mic, and Rock On back to 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) survey 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 21^st. ♪ 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 4^th: 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. The full chart is 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!

 

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!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

50 Years Ago Waltzing with Hair April 1968

Breaking News 04/29/18: If you have never heard of “Radio’s Best Friend,” now is a great time to introduce yourself! With a lifetime love of radio, Art Vuolo started out decades ago on a selfless journey to video-record radio station DJs, their broadcasts, and special events. He’s finally getting his just rewards, with an exhibit dedicated to his life’s work in the Radio Hall of Fame.

Eastern Michigan University’s recent article chronicles Art’s fascinating life and says, “The Radio Hall of Fame, located within the Museum of Broadcast Communications in downtown Chicago, is developing a permanent exhibit, ‘A History of the American Disc Jockey’ with Vuolo’s collection as its nucleus.”

Blast from Your Past owes several of its DJ features to the contacts Art graciously provided. Thanks Art and congrats on such a prestigious legacy!

And now, flip on the mic, let’s Rock On back to 1968 …

BONUS April Featured Radio Survey!

Just added (04/15/18) … My BFYP DJ inspirational cohort, Bill Gardner, sent over a copy of his prized KLZ-FM/Denver April 5, 1968 survey for your viewing pleasure. 
Says Bill, “We were three years into the KLZ-FM Denver launch and publishing a ‘Supersonic 70 Survey.’ Some of the ‘near misses’ we were playing back then are funny to see today. No doubt you remember ‘Fat Albert’ by the Fat Albert Orchestra? Probably one of the all time greats. And Steve Alaimo beating out ‘Lady Madonna’ by the Beatles with a song called ‘Denver’ at number one?!?!” Great memory, Bill thank you! Any wonder "Denver" was #1 in Denver? Check it out now … or read this month's fun retro writing and see link below. 

The Waltz Returns with Hair

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 3^rd:  We fell in love again with the flowing strains of Johann Strauss’s “Blue Danube Waltz,” an original big hit back in 1867. It brought 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 29^th: 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. "To have a radio station go 50 years without changing format is remarkable... and for a rock station, it is unprecedented," said PD Bill Weston. (Quoted by RAMP, 04/23/18) 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!

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!

* 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 …

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪