Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ MAY 1974

South of the Border & Drummin’ Up Tunes  

Final finally posted: May 31, 2024 ...
The elder rental/renovations issue isn’t going away, it’s just being moved to our sister site, 39AndHoldingClub.com, where there is a new menu listing—Elder Advocacy—and link for my full story (Opaque Elder Abuse), in all its frustrating glory. As the sign says, Final Boxes for #1xxx. This move didn’t kill me, but not for lack of trying! Trust me, this could happen to any of you and/or your loved ones. But here and now, we’re ready to Rock! 

Last month we had Guitar Month, March was Piano Month, so it just seems natural to follow up with Drum Month! Drum solos are decades-old epic features in many outstanding Rock songs … give it some thought—betcha you can name more than a few that you’ve enjoyed over the years! Onward and Rock On with all I managed to piece together for …

MAY 1974 Radio Muse & News ♪ 

DJ Dave Sebastian (Williams) made a career of radio—this month 50 Years Ago at KHJ/Los Angeles—before diving into the natural transition of voice over work. His legacy in that industry began with a back pocket piece of folded notepaper in 1988, and the Voice Over Resource Guide (lovingly known as The VORG), is still alive and well. Its history is HERE, where you’ll find that he and his wife, Terri, sold it to young’uns to keep it relevant, in January 2018.

On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  
Where were you spending the end of Spring and Memorial Day weekend in May 1974? Upstate New York, Monterrey Mexico, or SoCal? Here’s a sample of what and who you were listening to …

Yes, I know WGNA/Albany, New York, is a COUNTRY station. But hey, we all know many country tunes have shared the airwaves with Rock & Roll for decades. So their May 8, 1974 “.45 Caliber Survey” caught my eye. Especially since one of our BFYP DJs spent some time there. You’ll find Warren Garling listed with the news team—no surprise, since he eventually went full-time into radio and TV news. Their #1 tune: Dolly Parton’s classic, “I Will Always Love You.”

And, let the crossovers shine, as the survey shares titles with XEG/Mexico, and KHJ/L.A., like “The Streak,” The Sting’s “The Entertainer,” and “If You Love Me.” 

If you ventured forth South of the Border, surely the familiar gravely voice of Wolfman Jack caught your ear as you rotated the radio dial. XEG/Monterrey, Mexico, featured Wolfman’s faves for the month, in his “Thundering 30” list (05/13/74), along with 7 each, “Striking New Hits!” and “Wolfman’s Extras!”

On your trip back North, a flip of the dial tuned you into venerable 930 KHJ/Los Angeles. Their music chart #464 for 05/21/74 featured the coolest image of DJ Dave Sebastian sprawled across his car with the “I’m a DJ” license plate! Gotta love it. Their chart also held an interesting list of Top 30 that includes a remarkable three tunes from cinema and TV theme songs: The Sting; The Exorcist and Soul Train. We loved our movies and their theme songs.

Monthly Song of Note ♪    

May’s Song of Note is a tantalizing tune for the Gen Xers who were conceived as Maria Muldaur softly coaxed their parents into a little hanky-panky, with “Midnight at the Oasis.” Released February 1974, it took a couple months to make its way up to the Top Ten’s middle rung in the City of Angels (wow—is that a misnomer these days!), on KHJ’s “93 ‘Thirty’” chart for May 21, 1974. 

According to Wiki: “AllMusic reviewer Matthew Greenwald describes the song as ‘so sensual and evocative that it was probably one of the most replayed records of the era and may be responsible for the most pregnancies from a record during the mid-'70s’.” Oooooooh, so gather your memories, Boomers, and ♪ … Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon | And kick up a little dust … ♪  

May 1974’s Quirky Band Name ♪
Choosing May’s premier Quirky Band Name was incredibly tough, especially when I was in a super-hurry to post. Yep, if there is more than one on the Featured Radio Survey, we’re gonna have a run-off. It’s easy if there aren’t many innovative band names on the survey. Or, if a band with the oddest / goofiest / or most unique name also gives us a one-hit wonder. But all three below had outstanding hits we all (from the era) still remember. Only one, though, can take our top honor. And the nominees are …

Starting in the KHJ/L.A. chart’s Top Ten, at #9 is Main Ingredient with  “Just Don’t Want to be Lonely.” The Poets was their first iteration in 1964—actually, I kinda like that one best—then decided to be the Insiders for a few years. Why “The Main Ingredient” in 1968?  We all know it as a phrase once printed on Coca-Cola bottles. One of the trio’s founding members passed suddenly in 1971 from leukemia. Rather than fold, a backup vocalist, Cuba Gooding, Sr., stepped in and by 1974, The Main Ingredient had a couple great hits on their hands. ♪ … When you're gone (When you're gone) | I just don't wanna be lonely | I'd rather be loved … ♪  

Let’s move next to #23 on the chart, and Redbone’s “Come and get Your Love.”  If you’re not familiar with the band, watching YouTube’s song intro will give you a huge hint as to who they were and what was important to them, before they flow into the popular song’s melody. (Also a great example of Drum Month!) Reportedly a Cajun term for a mixed-race person, the band’s name bespoke the founding brothers’ proud heritage of Mexican American and Native American. Formerly the Vegas Brothers (Pat and Lolly), they added a couple members and became first, Crazy Cajun Cakewalk Band (that’s a mouthful!), and morphed into the Avantis, before settling on Redbone. ♪ … Hell, with it, baby, 'cause you're fine and you're mine | And you look so divine … ♪  

Then there are the bands with a name ya just gotta love. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils pretty much says it all in “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” … you got to raise a little hell. Amen! The tune just got started at #30 on the KHJ chart, but up against some heavy-hitters this month that dominated the airwaves, it was destined to ride the tide to ever to slowly to #17 by early July. Originally “Cosmic Corn Cob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils," after eschewing their maiden name of “Family Tree,” and flirting with “Buffalo Chips,” the band wisely shortened it to Ozark Mountain Daredevils. They’ve been happily active over the decades and currently heading into a farewell tour late this summer (August events posted!) ♪ … I never read it in a book | I never saw it on a show | But I heard it in the alley | On a weird radio … ♪  

So … have you guessed yet, which band takes the May Quirky Band Name ♪ honor? Though it was a toss-up with Redbone, I couldn’t help m’self … since learning my Grandpa C was born in the Ozarks back in 1893, I had to go with the Daredevils. Between the Ozarks and an Irish heritage, our family has certainly demonstrated their song’s message and name and just plain fun. Rock On! 

MAY 2024 Music Events & More ♪    

It may be Drum Month in May, but with no supporting link, and since the rest of this blurb is about the eternal (so far) Rolling Stones, we’ll just mention the 2021 death of the Stones’ drummer, Charlie Watts. Certainly his absence is still missed by band members, and they’re down to three current core members (Mick, Keith and Ron), which you’d think might slow their roll a bit. It has not come close to rolling them off the stage … far from it!

Over decades, the Rolling Stones have been a hot new band to rival the Beatles, an iconic, experienced group, a respected concert band, and a vintage Rockin’ anomaly. What’s next? I’d say, a Rock & Roll emeritus band … except they won’t quit! And why should they? With four assisting musicians, they’re still out-playing bands 60 years younger!

The Stones’ latest tour on the release of the new Hackney Diamonds album, is sponsored in part by AARP. Smart sponsorship!

BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪  
MAY 21, 1974 ~ KHJ/Los Angeles chart #464 – How could I choose anything other? It not only rocks with current top tunes, including “The Streak” at #1, on the “93 KHJ ‘Thirty” chart for six straight weeks, but DJ Dave Sebastian (Williams) and his classy “I’m A DJ” car license plate are classic Rock Radio! Check it out … 50 Years Ago this Month … where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let’s Celebrate MAY 1974 ~ And … Rock On!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon   
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on “X”/Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

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. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. 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! 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

Previously posted May 25, 2024 …  

Well, I’m finally picking up the pieces of what’s left of my little life and Rockin’ on. It isn’t easy, but when I whined as a young’un, my mother always replied, “Nobody ever said life was easy.” Usually adding, “So get busy!” 

With that, vintage Rock lovers, I’m back! A lot worse for wear, but still muttering, Never Give Up! Soon as you do, the other guy wins!

If you’ve been here looking for more musical article notes ♪ beyond my rental woes, my apologies. The elder rental issue isn’t going away, it’s just being moved to our sister site, 39AndHoldingClub.com, where there will soon be a menu listing—Opaque Elder Rights—and link for my full story, in all its frustrating glory (look for it sometime in June). Trust me, this could happen to any of you and/or your loved ones. 

Previously posted 05/01/24: A full-fledged scion of Spring, May should bring joy and warm your winter heart with visions of flowers in bloom, listening to the drumbeat of Spring. If only I could enjoy it …

If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you know I’ve struggled immensely to write, while following a mandatory mandate set by apartment building owners to vacate the premises for a ten-day period, floor-by-floor, while they renovate inside and out.

Vacate doesn’t mean just me and a suitcase for a fun staycation returning to a beautiful “new” home. It meant we had to pack, move and allow them to store everything we own. But this is a senior citizen apartment building. From 60 years to 100 … stating they would give us “everything we need” to make it happen. They lied. And they didn’t make us aware of the personal ramifications.

The building owners have stolen time from my life, disrupted my goals, and deteriorated my health. Admittedly, until last year I had never lived in a high-rise apartment and am new to the ins-and-outs of its owner/property management/tenant constructs and skewed legalities. As happens many times in life, I wish I had it to do over again.

I am now going to appeal to you through the social media communities. By common definition, this is a borderline form of #ElderAbuse. If anyone reading this has ever experienced, or known/heard of this type of mass move-out of senior citizens from their homes for “renovations,” please contact me via X/Twitter: @Irishwriter or @39HoldingClub, either by DM or publicly. eMail is also available at Info @ LRochelle.com. (without spaces)

So, enough about me! Of course, I wanted to post a fun BFYP article for you today. Unfortunately, it’s going to be piecemeal again, and over a period of time. Please return for the beginning, hopefully tomorrow (Thursday 05/02/24) and periodically, for updates. In the meantime, remember, “Rock & Roll will never dieeeeee …” Coming soon … 

Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ APRIL 1974

Rockin’ April Nights and City Lights 

Didja enjoy March’s World Piano Day? Well, for you hummers and strummers, it’s time to rummage around in your closet for International Guitar Month!

Sadly, the sponsoring site hasn’t been updated since 2020, but I found another option for you part-time pickers to explore. My Guitar Lair has a 2021 article about Guitar Month, but their blogs about techniques and tips is current and relevant. Let’s get strumming … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

APRIL 1974 Radio Muse & News ♪ 

April 5^th: Who were the lucky ones to see Van Halen in concert for the first time? Taking the stage at the famed Hollywood A Go Go (Gazzarri’s) on the Sunset Strip, Van Halen appealed to the hard-edged Rockers in the audience and never looked back. Although the club’s owner complained they were too loud, they scored a regular gig there. After previous years of building their band from garage to stage, the Van Halen brothers (Eddie and Alex) were soon on their way up the musical fame ladder. 

April 8^th: Heading deeper into a new life without the Beatles, Paul McCartney & Wings released “Band on the Run.” The largely symbolic tune, written by Paul and Linda McCartney, lead the band running up the music charts to become an enduring anthem tune for them. ♪ … All I need is a pint a day | If I ever get out of here … ♪ 

On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  
Where were you feeling fresh as Springtime, enjoying city lights and April nights in 1974? Walkin’ the streets of New York, Des Moines, Iowa, or then-revered San Francisco, California? Here’s a sample of what and who you were listening to … 

#1 songs varied widely across the country: DJ Dan Ingram was “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue Swede, spinning the vinyls in New York’s WABC studio; while Ted Scott, music director for Des Moines’ KFMG tallied callers’ votes to find “Locomotion” by Grand Funk, at the top of their chart. 

However, I have a rare, quirky little survey sheet from San Francisco’s creative K-101 that reportedly began the radio dial trend of pairing call letters with their dial position. Creative too, were the 101.3 fans who wasted no time boosting “The Entertainer”* movie theme instrumental from The Sting, to #1, well before the other two stations. (*Written by Scott Joplin in 1902, reimagined and rearranged by Marvin Hamlisch for the movie.) See our Featured Radio Survey for more!  

Monthly Song of Note ♪
With crooning horns and a soul-funk heart full of love for a city and a girl, Tower of Power hit the San Francisco, California, charts with “Below Us, All the City Lights.” I couldn’t resist its soul-soothing, sentimental sound, from back in the day, when Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area could hold its head up. Memories …

Interestingly, K-101 fans pushed the largely unknown “Below Us…” to #7 this week, despite most everyone else liking better, the Back to Oakland album’s “Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream).” But even that one didn’t reach anyone’s Top Ten list. If you’re hankerin’ for some Tower of Power time, their 2024 tour touts Tower of Power 40^th Anniversary album recorded (2011) in San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium and now available in translucent orange … cool. ♪ … The night stood still for just a moment | As we share that crystal feel … ♪   

Quirky Band Names ♪
Hey, baby, we’ve got style, with The Stylistics and like Tower of Power, they’re still going strong! Members of the group when getting together in 1966, came from competing Philly groups, “The Percussions” and “The Monarchs.” A guiding hand by their high school English teacher, Beverly Hamilton, helped the singers find their artistic style and their new name. The two remaining original guys, Herbert Murrell and Airrion Love, have been friends since junior high school and still cruise the country sharing their inimitable style.  

According the WIKI: in the first half of 1970s, The Stylistics … had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" … and, making the Top Ten lists April 1974, "You Make Me Feel Brand New"; all of which earned them five gold singles and three gold albums. 

APRIL 2024 Music Events & More ♪    

So what’s happening today in Oldies music? Celebrate …

Thursday ~ April 11^th: Let’s dance! It’s “Louie Louie Day”! What rock have you been under if you haven’t heard of “Louie Louie”? The 1957 R&B song released by Richard Berry, was eventually made infamous in 1963 by the Kingsmen (produced by Ken Chase, aka Mike Korgan, one of BFYP’s featured Radio DJs). We celebrate the Pop-Rock version on Richard Berry’s birth date (1935-1997), despite WIKI’s suggestion that it defines … “ur-text of punk rock.” Nah—it‘s R&B/Rock and we just love to party with it. Rock On! 

Thursday ~ April 18^th: Around the world, we honor World Amateur Radio Day. Although it encompasses much more than just Rock and Roll Radio as we love it, the IARU (International Amateur Radio Union) is likely the reason it was possible for very young, aspiring radio broadcasters to evolve into our celebrated DJs. Next year they’ll be commemorated in “A Century of Connections: Celebrating 100 years of Amateur Radio Innovation, Community, and Advocacy”. Congratulations and thank you.  

Saturday ~ April 20^th: We’ve loved our vinyl record stores since the day they were a mere section of our local “dime stores.” If you haven’t been for a while, go today! It’s Record Store Day and special album drops along with new and collectible vinyl records are waiting for you. According to its site, “On the first Record Store Day, April 19, 2008, Metallica spent hours at Rasputin Music in San Francisco meeting their fans.” See what’s new!  

April 21^st-27^th: Now that you have your new records, is it time for a sing-a-long? Wet your whistle and prep for National Karaoke Week. There seems to be no official sponsor for this week, but what would Rock & Roll Radio be without the medium that spreads musical love?? Surely a location near you is hosting a lively night of audience fun, whether you-all call it “singing” or not! The link I included is for a San Diego watering hole … find yours and sing to your heart’s content. Or host your own celebration at home—singing soothes the soul, ya know. 

BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪

 
APRIL 17, 1974 ~ K-101/San Francisco, California … I couldn’t help but laugh when I noticed that their #3 tune, “My Mistake” (Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye) came just before they erred with #4’s title, “I Don’t Last a Day Without You” (Carpenters). Of course, it should be “Won’t.” An oddly plain music chart for the decade that spoke in graphics, it doesn’t sport even one little ‘70s squiggly art line … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let’s Celebrate APRIL 1974 ~ And … Rock On!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on “X”/Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

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. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. 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! 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪