Rock Radio APRIL 1971 Chick-a-Boom Boom Boom

Chick-a-Boom, Baby! No Foolin … 

Spring has sprung! The Easter chicks are peeping pink candy and April Fool’s jokes take a nosedive.

Seems the right time to sing a silly song from 1971 … though the cheeky “Chick-A-Boom” (Daddy Dewdrop, aka Dick Monda) wasn’t a pop hit everywhere or for long, it caught the fancy and fun of San Diego radio fans, who jammed it up to #2 on KCBQ’s “Q Hits” survey for April 16, 1971.
      Yep, we’re talkin’ cheeky … ♪ Don't Ya Jes' Love It … | I asked about the chick but what they said was freaky …| Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boom-boom-boom … ♪
      It was just too much fun—as it should be—since it was created for the popular Groovie Goolies animated TV show about trendy monsters; a production of Filmation co-founded by BFYP DJ Norm Prescott. Talk about tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

So now that we’ve sprung into Spring with a chuckle, let’s flip on the mic, and Rock On back to APRIL 1971 …

Rockin’ News & Views ~ Then & Now 
♪ Then … ♪
Are you into celebrity news? While they celebrated hanging on in the top ten of some stations like KFRC/San Francisco, with “Brown Sugar” at #8, it was more of a behind-the-scenes party that featured the song’s new label. I venture to say, its lyrics would be banned in today’s volatile racial climate, but we can’t change history, we can only learn from it. Society was very different 50 Years Ago this Month.
      An elite Spring gala honored their new contract with Atlantic Records on April 1, 1971, sans April Fool’s Day tomfoolery, as they forged an alliance featuring the Stones’ launch of their own label, Rolling Stones Records. Were you invited to their Cannes party April 6, 1971? Let’s par-tay! 

 ♪ & Now … ♪

Do you know what a LOT of pioneering Rock Radio DJs did before they began their crazy careers? Set up a mini radio broadcast "station" in their bedroom, basement, or anywhere mom would let them! So let's celebrate Amateur Radio Month. Well, darn, there isn’t an associated link for the month designation, but …
      There is the International Amateur Radio Union that organized to save short wave radio back in 1925 and established World Amateur Radio Day that falls on April 18^th this year. Join them in 2021’s encouraging theme, “Amateur Radio: Home but Never Alone.” Check it out and learn how to create and/or enjoy a home radio setup! [I’m sure it’s waaaay different than 50 Years Ago!] 

 … ♪ Okay, let's give it to 'em, right now! … ♪ April 11^th is International "Louie Louie" Day! Although there is no official associated link, we have a cool one just for you! BFYP DJ Ken Chase (aka Mike Korgan) made his mark on music near the top of the Pacific Northwest, at KISN/Portland, Oregon. He put their hometown boys, The Kingsmen, at the top of the charts by producing “Louie Louie” which became everyone’s favorite dance party tune for decades to come. 

Speaking of dance, although its origins are steeped in ballet history, National Dance Week is April 16-25^th and I say we move our feet to any ol’ music just to get us up and dancing! With celeb spokespeople over the years, like Paula Abdul, Ben Vereen and Jo Rowan, the week’s host obviously celebrates the motivating action more than a standard form. So … let’s shake all over and Rock & Roll!

50 Years Ago on Your Tinny Transistor Radio ~ APRIL 1971

There are generally one-to-two Rockin’ vintage radio station music charts in the BFYP Collection for each month of the 50 Years Ago this Month blog. However, this month I have four spread from coast-to-coast, and as I eyed which might work best for the Featured Radio Survey, I noticed the oddly disparate top ten lists. Although one coast to the other often display different musical preferences spread throughout the month, the top ten usually have more stations in common than noted for APRIL 1971.
     In a quick tally, only two tunes ranked in the top ten for all four stations:
With two weeks (or more) to climb the charts, “Joy to the World” (Three Dog Night) enjoyed the #1 ranking for KCBQ/San Diego, California, where you listened to BFYP DJ Rich Brother Robbin 04/16/71.
      Keeping them company was WSAI/Cincinnati, Ohio 04/24/71, and KFRC/San Francisco, California 04/23/71. But even with help from six dynamo DJs including Dick Linn, fans at KBZY/Salem, Oregon, hadn't had enough time on the 04/02/71 survey to push it up any further than #8 (from #14 prior week). Musta been the frog that made it so popular ...  ♪ Jeremiah was a bullfrog | was a good friend of mine ... ♪
      "Wild World" (Cat Stevens), the other song of note on the charts, had just belatedly clawed its way to #2 on KBZY, but already downsliding to #8 on KCBQ and WSAI, while KFRC and DJ Bob Foster had already dropped it into nowhere land.

BFYP Featured Radio Survey  
Rockin’ APRIL 1971 ~ Gotta love the ‘60s and ‘70s music charts artwork. Perfect example is

KCBQ/San Diego, California’s “Q Hits” chart for April 16, 1971. The more ornate and indecipherable, the better. Innuendos, double-entendres and pseudo-ads were the norm, hidden within flowers, curlicues, popular symbols, and mind-blowing, flowing lines. Look closely at the featured survey to find ankhs, peace symbols, the infinity sign, and even a cute little mouse. … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played …

Celebrate APRIL 1971 and … Rock On!  

Blast from Your Past Gifts
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! 

 

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Rock Radio NOVEMBER 1969 Thanks for Memories

Thank You … Thank You Very Much … 

November and December are months devoted to food, don’t you think? What’s for Thanksgiving … who’s bringing the eggnog for Christmas … and where’s the next potluck Holiday party? Sound familiar?

Food was certainly on Dave Thomas’s mind when he opened his first Wendy's Hamburgers in Columbus, Ohio, November 15, 1969. Yep – 50 Years Ago this Month!

So while we were munching on the new American fast food delicacy, Thanksgiving was just around the corner. Although certainly worthy and debatably the most celebrated meal, it isn’t the only event in November. So after we give thanks for the food and family memories, let’s take a walk and work off our big-T-dinner with more fun. Rockin’ on down Memory Lane …

Your Tinny Transistor Radio News ~ NOVEMBER 1969         

November 1^st: Without any recent records from Elvis, by 1969 everyone wondered if we would ever hear his sexy sounds on the radio again. Oh ye of little faith. After a seven-year hiatus, he hit Billboard’s #1 in ratings again on this date, following the popularity of “Suspicious Minds” during the Halloween season. Thank you ... thank you very much.

KHJ/Los Angeles fans bounced it to the top as early as October 8^th, and by November 3^rd, it still rallied at #5 on *WLS/Chicago. California wearied of it finally, kicking it off KHJ’s chart by November 5^th, to replace it with The Beatles’ dynamic duo, **“Something” and “Come Together.” ♪ Got to be a joke he just do what he please  ♪ …

November 7^th: Where were you this date in 1969? If you called Fort Collins, Colorado, home, or Colorado State University your alma mater, it’s likely you favored stones over boulders, to attend The Rolling Stones’ concert on this date. Rock critics dubbed it a Rock and Roll legend. What made this American warm-up show of their long-awaited tour so memorable?

            It was the first major outing for “Little Mick” Taylor having recently replaced guitarist Brian Jones. From “Honky Tonk Women” to "All Down the Line" and “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll,” Taylor contributed to many of the Stones’ early best works, 1969-1974. ♪ But I like it … ♪

**November 29^th: Was it fair that “Something” and “Come Together” kicked other songs off the top of charts 50 Years Ago this Month? I’m sure The Beatles thought so. Revising charting policies for A and B songs on this date, Billboard gave the two songs a push by combining each song’s accrued points to create “one” #1 hit. It wasn’t long before other artists cashed in as well, like Creedence Clearwater Revival with “Fortunate Son” and “Down On The Corner.” Cool. ♪ Willie and the Poor Boys were playin’ … ♪

Rockin’ Retro Radio

Buy, sell, trade. The mechanics of business plays out in radio ownership, and 1969 saw significant changes, like the National Science Network’s acquisition of KMPX-FM/San Francisco, along with KPPC-AM & FM stations/Pasadena.

BFYP DJs Tom and Raechel Donahue had already reprogrammed KMPX to a successful album-oriented Rock format before exiting in 1968. As 1969 came to a close, KPPC was about to follow suit headed by PD Doug Cox, who begged (BFYP) DJ, William F. Williams, to join him.

            Says Raechel of the long-play format growing ever more popular in that era, “… it was really fun to be able to create the show when you could weave a musical topic and tell the story.” (BFYP, Book 2.)

It appears about two years was the average length of time for conservative owners NSN to tolerate KPPC’s Rockin’ rebellious staff. Case in point—William dubbed it, the “PP”. Williams left late in 1972.  

*Featured Radio Survey

WLS/Chicago captures this month’s Featured Survey honors, as their “Radio 89 Hit Parade” holds former #1 comeback hit for Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds” at #5 on the November 3, 1969 chart. ♪ And we can’t build our dreams | on Suspicious Minds ♪  … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when …

Celebrate NOVEMBER 1969 and … Rock On!

Blast from Your Past Gifts

Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk

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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