In writing diverse articles, my topics rarely need to include a person’s sexual identification and frankly, I don’t care. To each their own. I believe everyone is a standup human ... until I learn otherwise. It matters not to me, if you’re LGBTQxxxxxyz, or while we’re at it, black, white, yellow, brown, red, calico, or an alien purple people eater .... if you’re a good “person,” you’re ok in my book.
You don’t need to agree with me, but I’ll respect your rights, if you respect mine.
(This post will remain at top of site for one month [09/25/22-to-10/25/22]. If you even give two shakes of a lamb’s tale [as my grandmother used to say], here is why I posted this message.)
So let’s get on Rockin' life ... Walkin’, Rockin’ and Talkin’ to the Sky
It’s no lie ... 1972 was crazy-wild with awesome tunes still viable today. We’re Speaking to the Sky on a Stairway to Heaven an’ lovin’ every second of it!
> SEPTEMBER 1972 Rockin’
News Then …
You might notice on the Featured Radio Survey page that for September
1972, 1) there’s a 2-fer! and 2) their lists of songs are almost nothing
alike.
The East Coast nearly always had a head
start on new music, so this month WFIL/Philadelphia’s chart has already
shed much of what is listed on KERN/Bakersfield, California’s survey.
What that means for you and me, is we’ll have twice as much fun exploring SEPTEMBER
1972 ...
September 2nd: While Rod Stewart's second hit single "You Wear it Well," hit the #1 spot in the UK, it was still climbing in the US, albeit quickly. Up five spots from the previous week at WFIL/Philly, it took over at #22, but didn’t make the cut with KERN/Bakersfield, California, listeners.
September 20th: Police discover cannabis growing on Paul & Linda McCartney's farm ... something tells me they weren’t concerned about the beetles.
September 24th: Does anyone remember the ABC television series, In Concert? It was short-lived, leaving the air in 1975. However, music heavyweights like Alice Cooper, Curtis Mayfield and Bo Diddley headlined the first concert, taped on September 21st at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York.
Monthly Song of Note ♪
SEPTEMBER 1972
was a tough decision with two incredible radio charts to choose from! “Brandy”
But it’s Rick Springfield’s cryptic debut song “Speak to the Sky” that beat it out as our Monthly Song of Note ♪. This time, the West Coast apparently picked up on it earlier than other stations. By the first week of September it was climbing KERN/Bakersfield’s chart at #22, while it didn’t even hit the bottom rung of WFIL’s survey until October 2nd.
"Speak" was an uplifting tune for that year, as much needed then as now. Taking a break from daily reality is as good an idea today as 50 Years Ago ... have a chat with the Universe, or God, or whatever/whoever you hold in highest esteem ... ♪ Speak to the sky whenever things go wrong ... ♪
Family Cat with “Violence” sitting at #27 on KERN this month, but no place for it on WFIL. Little wonder, as a fairly thorough search yielded no information on the lyrics, its writers (*A. Mercier, Jr. and R. Marlin as noted on the record label), or the artist. Not even a dribble. Only a couple of *45’s available for sale in the usual places. Please feel free to share, if you know any of its provenance.
Raspberries with “Go All the Way” came in at #20 on WFIL – though we’re not privy to know how the name came about, they did some clever marketing. WIKI: “This 1st album [self-titled Raspberries] featured a strong scratch and sniff raspberry scented sticker on the front cover.” Sweet.
SEPTEMBER 1972 ~ Two now-iconic tunes are standouts in the climb up the charts on this month’s radio surveys. Elvis’s* (hunka-hunka) “Burning Love” burned its way up WFIL’s chart to #12 so far, but it’s nowhere to be seen on KERN’s chart ... meanwhile, Bakersfield fans are ahead of the curve, lovin’ Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” It rose quickly, this week, jumping to #21. It didn’t even make a showing at WFIL until the October 10th survey where it hit the ground running, leaping up to #16. Mind you, “Stairway” was officially released on November 8, 1971 ... wha’ happened?
Wellllll, apparently, their concerts came first, where the song was heard for most of 1971, before its official record release. Still, it took nearly another year to hit the radio charts, which in part, may have been due to the stations’ reluctance to play the lengthy song (7 minutes, 55 seconds). But more likely because it was only sold on albums. However, test pressings in 45rpm do exist in a short list on eBay, ranging from $100 to $1,000.
> SEPTEMBER 2022 Rockin’ News Now …
It’s Classical Music
Month! In case you want an official link, all we have is the PDF link to
the government statute that put it on the calendar.
And, I know we’re all about Rock & Roll here, but
surely you’ve noticed the melting pot of the genre is thick with classical
music influence ... we’re thinkin’ “It’s
Now or Never” by Elvis* (1960); 1967’s “Whiter Shade of
Pale” by Procol Harum, and the 1973 classic, “Could
It Be Magic” by Barry Manilow—all based on Classical Music! Get out your
ol’ turntable and enjoy.
September 18th: Get your tablets and eyeglasses primed for Read An Ebook [sic] Day! Well isn’t this cool? Another day we can celebrate our founding books in shameless promotion! The hosting publisher link is just as unabashed as yours truly, obviously establishing the day for its authors. So take your pick – my Rockin’ Blast from Your Past books support this blog, while theirs is nameless and faceless. 😊 Either way, happy reading!
September 25th: Don’t look now, it’s National One-Hit Wonder Day! Incredibly, there is no supporting link. And there’s only one tune from our 2-fer Featured Radio Surveys that seems to qualify for the distinction. Last month’s, “Motorcycle Mama,” by Sailcat, was a good’un. But our qualifier this month is all about unrequited love—always a trendy music topic—in “Brandy” by Looking Glass. Their brief fame might have been briefer if Washington D.C. DJ Harv Moore hadn’t championed the song and rallied fans around it. Who doesn’t know its catchy tune? ♪ She could feel the ocean fall and rise | She saw its ragin’ glory ... ♪
♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey
It’s an FRS 2-FER! Two great classic surveys to motivate your memory! September 4, 1972 ~ KERN/Bakersfield, California, and September 11, 1972 ~ WFIL/Philly ... KERN’s great ‘70s art and WFIL’s *Elvis image make them both special in my vintage music charts book. …take a wild and crazy trip down memory lane ... 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played …
Let’s Celebrate SEPTEMBER 1972 and … Rock On! ♪
BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on
Amazon
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on
Amazon
Blast
from Your Past Gifts
Share your Oldies R&R fun on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
And dear readers, I just want you to know that I try
my best to create an informative, aesthetically creative article for you each
month. However, Blogger is not a professional hosting site—but they’re free
through Google. So we’re stuck with their crummy platform that doesn’t work
well to manipulate images with writing. Trust me, I’ve tried for years to write
articles without gaps between paragraphs and even between sentences. Sigh.
Maybe I’ll win the lottery and be able to afford a professional hosting site
someday. Cheers!
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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