Blast from Your Past: kfrc

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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Rock Radio APRIL 1970 Baby Wrote a Letter

Earth Day Cometh & The Beatles Go-eth

While President Richard Nixon put his John Hancock on a bill to limit cigarette advertisements (took effect the following January), Wisconsin senator, Gaylord Nelson founded our first Earth Day. Americans eagerly celebrated on April 22^nd and it’s grown into a movement, not just a day.

Rock and Roll related April celebrations once included an “International ‘Louie Louie’ Day.” Apparently, that fell by the wayside, but WE still remember it, don’t we? Blast from Your Past DJ Ken Chase (aka Mike Korgan) produced The Kingsmen’s version in April 1963 and it still endures as the ultimate party song! ♪ Louie Louie, oh baby | We gotta go …! ♪

Let’s get our dancin’ shoes on and head into a feel-good COVID-19 note about International Guitar Month! April recognizes the many outstanding guitarists and classic strummin’ tunes over the decades. Of course that features incredible Rock and Roll songs.

WMGK/Philadelphia’s Andre Gardner may be broadcasting from home (as are most radio pros these days), but he’s still “cranking up the volume” on this month’s greatest top guitar hits for Philly’s listeners. Watch for Blast from Your Past 1970’s Book 3 (hopefully later this year) with tales of Andre’s broadcasting debut!

And here, we'll pause as the music abruptly stops for this Public Service Announcement:

This month’s article WAS longer, but I guess being in lockdown means a police state in more ways than one. "The powers that be" don't care that I'm doing a service for those who love Old Time Rock & Roll--they arbitrarily removed three images I'd used to help us reminisce on history. No one notified me to ask nicely if I would remove them. I always use everything on my sites in a respectful, positive and hopefully enjoyable manner. Considering the amount of trash on Social Media sites that "meme" everything/everyone ... to hijack my website and remove images/blank them out without even allowing me to know who is behind the action and why, is reprehensible and cowardly. I have decided to remove text in this article that pertained to those images in question. There may have been a "glitch" on Blogger; if I find that's the case, I'll try to rectify it--but it's rather unlikely.

That said ... let’s see what's left of music on the radio played to make the world go ‘round …

50 Years Ago this Month ~ APRIL 1970

Which ... leaves us with nothing much happening in this month "back in the day," that I'm apparently allowed to comment on; so sorry. I'll look around again and see what I can find. This issue may also cloud my future articles ... so sad someone has to ruin the fun for others.

On Your Tinny Transistor Radio

This month’s Featured Radio Survey from KFRC/San Francisco not only showcased a playful McCartney on the front cover, but a shaggy-haired Joe Cocker on the back, advertising his upcoming concert at the Filmore West.

Joe recorded “The Letter” on St. Patrick’s Day the previous month and it already claimed #12 with San Fran fans, topping out at #3 by May 20^th. ♪ Give me a ticket for an airoplane | I ain’t got time to take no fast train … My baby she wrote me a letter … ♪

However, Joe was nowhere to be seen on WTRY/New York’s April 17 Big Sound Survey. On the other hand, were you listening to morning guy Jay Clark when you called to request “Let It Be”? It still held the top spot.

Featured Radio Survey: KFRC/San Francisco’s Big 30, April 22, 1970 … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played …

Celebrate APRIL 1970 and … Rock On!

Blast from Your Past Gifts

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and 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!

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. However, as with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion.

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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Rock Radio SEPTEMBER 1969 Tie-Dye & Bells

Get Together … ♪ ☮ for September 1969

Come on people now | smile on your brother | everybody get together | try to love one another right now. Is it too late? The Youngbloods (and songwriter Chet Powers) had the right idea 50 Years Ago this Month when “Get Together” hit radio’s top ten … we just didn’t listen to the words.

Bell bottom Jeans and tie-dye shirts flooded campuses and punctuated protests as schools opened across the country. A carefree flair that is still fringe fashion today, it belied our angst, as the style persisted throughout most of the 1970s. Musically speaking …

50 Years Ago this Month in Rockin’ News

September 11^th: Janis Joplin (1943-1970) had a life … albeit short one … after leaving her trademark group, Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968) to strike out on her own. I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! released on this day in 1969.

Janis performed the album at Woodstock and though never considered a knockout set, Kozmic Blues which she wrote, became a fan favorite from the album. ♪ I keep trying to make it right | Through another lonely day …♪ A melancholy apology to someone special?

Pete Townshend of the Who reportedly reminisced about Janis’ Woodstock performance in his memoir (Who I Am, 2012), “… even Janis on an off-night was incredible.” Absolutely.

September 19^th: You Midwest Rockin’ fans, put on your Memory caps and stroll down the lane to the “new” Jim Tarbell’s Ludlow Garage in Clifton/Cincinnati, Ohio, for a jolly 50^th Anniversary show! Do you recall the short-lived Rock venue’s first show on this date in 1969? Revel in memories of the Grand Funk Railroad, Lonnie Mack and Balderdash! Though a jive-Rockin’ with top of the line artists, its first run lasted only until 1970.

This year’s anniversary tribute to the renovated and re-established music venue is sure to be just as invigorating as the first one, with headliner, Dweezil Zappa. (However, if you didn’t score tickets already to the sold-out event, you may need to stick with memories … or find a seat on the street? Details.)

September 20^th: The date on which On This Day pronounces “Sugar, Sugar,” virtual band the Archies’ popular pop-single, #1 on radio charts. It didn’t take some stations that long, however, to boost the sexy pseudo-sweet song to the top. (Which probably pissed off some "real" bands!)

KFRC/San Francisco “Big 30 Hits” for August 30^th hoisted it to their top spot a full month earlier. And WCFL/Cleveland followed shortly with “Sugar, Sugar” sitting comfortably at the top of their “Big 10” by September 3^rd.

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 (and a BFYP pioneering Rock jock, 1950s & ‘60s), was one of three founding owners of Filmation Associates which produced the show for CBS. Not bad for an animated band!

Rockin’ Retro Radio

Our featured survey station this week is from WIFE in Indianapolis, Indiana. They did something at the time that would have been cool if they all did—tell us the most requested song of the week!

September 1969 began with Indianapolis fans head-over-heels in love with Bobby Sherman’s “Little Women.*” It took a phenomenal leap from #46 to shake up their September 3^rd survey at #6! ♪ You've got to come into my world | Leave your world behind … ♪ Male-dominated society or drugs? Either/or.

By the following week it hit #3 and would take another week to push Three Dog Night’s “Easy to Be Hard” out of the #1 slot. (*Another radio chart misprint in “Little Woman.”)

Featured Radio Survey: WIFE/Indianapolis, Indiana’s “Good Guy Survey for the Midwest” week of September 10-17, 1969, takes us into early Fall … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when …

Celebrate SEPTEMBER 1969 and … Rock On!