Behind-the-Mic Scenes
of Music & Mayhem
On the radio in 1969, we heard the DJs rave about a new
song, as they slapped it on the turntable and talked over the first few seconds
of its spinning, slick vinyl grooves.
 |
| Neil Ross Honolulu KKUA ‘68 |
“Flamethrower”
stations (the big guys) may have transitioned to reel-to-reel tapes, but either
way, musicians’ studio recordings personified the best of the bands’ musical
prowess … then we began to hear rumors of what went on behind studio mics, or
we scored tickets to see them in concert … LIVE … a whole different experience.
50 Years Ago
this Month in Rock & Roll Radio
May
10th:
By 1969, we were used to hearing about the bad-boy antics of boy bands, and
learned of the many real or imagined concert mishaps. But none so prestigious
as this one …
Reported by 95.9 The River’s “Today’s Rock History,” “The Turtles and The Temptations
performed at the White House for a ball given by President Richard Nixon’s daughter,
Tricia. Mark Volman of The Turtles was reported to have fallen off
the stage several times.”
Most reports set it at FIVE times. That musta hurt. Or not …
until the next day.
May 24th: We were told to “Get Back,” and we didn’t mind a bit! On
nationwide average, The Beatles' single clawed its way to #1 on Rock Radio charts, where it stayed
for most of another month.
DJ Don Bombard at WOLF/Syracuse, New York, is featured on the
cover of their “Hot 30 in the Salt City” survey for May 14, 1969. At that point, “Get Back” cruised to #2;
but a week later, peaked in the #1 spot.
Meantime, WABC/New York fans
& most Rock stations of the nation, also boosted The Beatles’ “Get Back” to
#1 in mid-May, where it stayed on WABC until late June, when knocked off the top by the Henry
Mancini Orchestra and “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet.” Talk about night and day. From lyrical
admonishment to silent amour.
Fun fact or fiction? Per Wiki on “Get Back”: “Lennon
also said that ‘there's some underlying thing about Yoko in there,’ saying that
McCartney looked at Yoko Ono in the studio every time he sang ‘Get back to
where you once belonged.’” Oh my.
Featured Radio
Survey: Just before “Get Back” stepped forward on the
music scene, WOLF/Syracuse, New York,
listed a mighty mixed bag of songs in their top 30 tunes. Who remembers dreamy “Atlantis” at #10 (Donovan – who by the way, celebrates
his 73rd birthday May 10th);
and at #20, hilariously skewed lyrics of “Bad Moon Rising” (Creedence)
… ♪There’s a bathroom on the right! ♪
Check out all the charted hits on WOLF … 50 Years Ago This Month in
Rock & Roll Radio. That awesome day
when …
Celebrate MAY 1969 and … Rock On!
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!
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