Blast from Your Past

Monday, October 2, 2017

50 Years Ago All Hallows Love Oct 1967

Breaking News - Wednesday, 10/25/17: Blueberry Hill has indeed, lost its thrill. Antoine Domino, Jr., affectionately known in Blues and Rock & Roll for more than 60 years as Fats Domino, passed through the gates of Rock & Roll Heaven last night, at age 89. Rock On big guy!

Thursday, 10/19/17: Many BFYP friends are classic car lovers too. Sadly, more than a few muscle cars and pure classic cars felt the intensity of recent Sonoma County, California wildfires. Since they were likely garaged at or near homes, it stands to reason the owners who poured life savings into their cars, also lost their homes.

My eyes teared as I watched news footage of a resident towing the burnt carcass of his vintage 1956 Chevy through the devastated Coffey Park neighborhood. Survivors treasure their safety … still … life will never be the same. If you feel their pain, please donate to assist in the fire relief efforts. Goodguys Rod and Custom Assoc. put together more links to bona fide donation centers. Give hope for another day. Rock On!

Always News: BFYP Rock and Roll Radio DJs: Book 1 (1950s) and Book 2 (1960s) ready at Amazon to walk you down Memory Lane, to the Golden Age of Rock & Roll Radio! Enjoy the moment ... again.

And now, flip on the mic for your October '67 trip down Memory Lane …

Bubbly Brew of Love Songs & Inner Demons

While this month’s Featured Survey design fits right in with the spooky Halloween month, its list of hit songs was less than ghostly or ghastly for October 1967.

KACY/Santa Barbara, California’s October 6, 1967 top ten gives us frothy love song, “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie,” by Jay & the Techniques at #6, and somehow The Box Tops bounced “The Letter” all the way up to #1. ♪ Well, she wrote me a letter | Said she couldn't live without me no more ♪ … Uh-huh.

So were sappy (but sweet) love songs the only hits 50 Years Ago this Month? Nah. Bad-boy band, The Doors urged us to look at the weirdos inside us, and our creepy neighbors, in “People Are Strange,” clawing its way up the chart at lucky #13. It hit #4 the following week where it stayed ‘til the love songs kicked it down again, nearing Halloween. ♪ People are strange when you're a stranger | Faces look ugly when you're alone ♪ … Just the right mood for Halloween.

With 1967 a pivotal year for innovative radio and the FM stations, on October 30^th-31^st WNEW/New York raised the dead by flipping to a progressive Rock format. Reportedly the first in the Metromedia chain to listen to their listeners, that format held them at the top of the ratings through the 1970s and beyond.

ROCK-tober is truly a unique month of the year, with Halloween as a most beloved “non” holiday. All the fun without the stress! And like it or not, it signals the beginning of the Holiday parties.

It’s also the time each year when my vintage Rock & Roll mind rambles down Memory Lane, to the Radio DJ who truly defines Halloween—the incomparable Wolfman Jack.

In October 1967, Wolfman Jack continued to nurture his werewolf within, growing an enthusiastic audience who loved his salacious, hairy image. He blasted his signature howl to “13 states and 2 Canadian provinces” at XERB/Hollywood (really coming from Rosarito Beach, Mexico).

Though billed as the “Soul Monster,” XERB’s listeners jammed the pop-Top 40 hit “The Letter,” up to #1. But you can bet Wolfie put his own spin on it. (Image: XERB “Soul 30 in California” October 7, 1967. Thanks to Airheads Radio Survey Archive and their collection of surveys for our viewing pleasure.)

Come Halloween, think ghosts, goblins, witches’ brew, seances, and weird, hairy creatures … like Wolfman Jack! We got a good thing goin’ on now! Aoooowwwooooo!

Have fun … be safe. Yes, you can do both.

Featured Radio Survey: KACY/Santa Barbara, California “Psychic Seances” October 6, 1967, blended a Soul and Rock Pop witch’s brew of hit songs. Do you have a special memory from this month, 50 Years Ago? Check out the full chart and recall that awesome day when …

Celebrate OCTOBER 1967: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!

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Sunday, September 3, 2017

50 Years Ago Sullivan vs Morrison Sep 1967

Breaking News 10/02/17: Coming soon ...

Always News: BFYP Rock and Roll Radio DJs: Book 1 (1950s) and Book 2 (1960s) ready at Amazon to walk you down Memory Lane, to the Golden Age of Rock & Roll Radio! Enjoy the moment ... again.

And now, flip on the mic, let’s Rock On …

Opening The Doors

As we headed back to school 50 Years Ago this Month, Ed Sullivan likely sang “Come Back When You Grow Up” to bad-boy band, The Doors (#1 song by Bobby Vee in Milwaukee*).

Jim Morrison lied—or conveniently forgot his agreement—to eliminate the word “higher” in the line, “Girl we couldn’t get much higher.” (“Light My Fire”) Sounds a bit prudish these days, doesn’t it? It was serious business to Mr. Sullivan.

Morrison traded one night of self-satisfaction for a really pissed Sullivan, who banned them from the nationally popular show and cancelled the remaining six that had been scheduled.

A California gal, I’d seen The Doors in concert months before they appeared on Mr. Sullivan’s show, and knew they were destined for stardom, without much help. But that show was a hallmark of popularity for anyone fortunate to gain access to its stage.

Obviously, The Doors did what they set out to do—garner national fans. With that performance, there were many opportunities other than The Ed Sullivan Show.

Having appeared already on American Bandstand (July 22, 1967), after Sullivan, The Doors gave The Jonathan Winters Show a holiday treat (December 24^th) … but TV rather ignored them from that point.

Per Wiki: “Morrison died at age 27 [July 3, 1971], the same age as several other famous rock stars in the 27 Club. In 1974, Morrison's girlfriend Pamela Courson also died at the age of 27.”

Radio didn’t ignore The Doors! “Light My Fire” was still in the top ten on a Midwest survey*, though it had waned on others. WABC/New York’s fans began pushing their new “People Are Strange” up the chart that week, mimicked by KFRC/San Francisco.

In BFYP Book 2 “The Swinging Sixties,” DJ William F. Williams talked about the merger of Rock & Roll with FM radio, during the late ‘60s. Glad to find himself at KBLA/Los Angeles: “I was seeing an awakening of what became known as ‘Sixties Music,’” William recalled. “Oh yeah, I definitely want to be in on this! I want to play the long version of ‘The End’ by The Doors, which you’re not going to hear at KHJ, KFWB, or KRLA.”

Featured Radio Survey: *A compilation survey reported song faves in Milwaukee and beyond in “Hot Happenings,” No. 38, September 18, 1967. Do you have a special memory from this month, 50 Years Ago? Perhaps the full chart will help you recall that awesome day when …

Celebrate SEPTEMBER 1967: 50 Years Ago and … Rock On!