Robert W Morgan 1976

 

Robert W. was another giant of Los Angeles radio.  We had his Special of the Week.  He also did the Army recruiting show for Roger Carroll's company.

Robert W. Morgan - 1976

We lost Robert W to lung cancer in 1998.

AFVN Gerry Elliott 1973,

 

Gerry Elliott, Alexis Wright, SGM Young at SCN c 1982

Gerry Elliott almost got me to stay in the Army.  In the early 1980s SCN in Panama was controlled by the 193rd Infantry Brigade.  No big problem by itself but the command had made it clear that we weren't going to be promoted.  Okay, I won't do the boards.  I was a E-4 with well over 3 years in grade.  That's life.  In 1983 Gerry and SGM Bob Young conspired to get me to go to the boards after the Army Broadcasting Service took over.  Young and Elliott were on that board, it wasn't too brutal and I did well.  Wherever you are Gerry, thanks.

Let's see what was going on in Saigon in 1973.  Here's Gerry with sports.

AFVN Gerry Elliott Sports

Chris Noel 1970

 

This certainly has been the biggest project.  Chris is letting us hear the disks she saved from her AFRTS run.  Great radio.  We're up to 1970.

Date With Chris - 1970

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Herman Griffith 1972

  

Here's Herman with Roger Carroll, Jim Pewter, Gary Owens and the rest

In the early years of the Vietnam war there was not a lot of rock programming coming from the network.  Herman Griffith played rockin soul for the "brave and bold on the Records Caravan."

 

Herman was at KGFJ between 1963-66 and we know little else.

 

Herman had helped Roland Bynum get is first big Los Angeles gig and a few years later disappeared.

 

During those years, Herman was on our team.  I just wish I had more of these...

Herman Griffith - 1972

 

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Kris Erik Stevens 1978

   

Kris Erik Stevens left Michigan to take over Chicago radio and was a star at WCFL and WLS when that really meant something. At WLS he worked with AFVN vet Gary Gears. After Chicago he went for the bigger challenge of Los Angeles and won. He was with AFRTS before and after disco. Remember disco? .

http://www.kriserikstevens.com/







Kris Erik Stevens - 1978
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Mary Turner 1994

 

Mary Turner was rocking.  In 1994 it had already been a ten year run.  Take a listen..

Mary Turner 1994

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Harry Newman 1987

 

Harry had a big career in country radio in Los Angeles KBLA, 1965-66; KBBQ, 1967-68; KLAC, 1970-84. Harry was the voice of "Cops" 

Harry Newman - 1987
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Tex Williams Show 1955

 

So I get a bundle of the Tex Williams Show from 1955.  Really nice music but there wasn't such a thing.  So what are these?  Apparently in 1955 "Town Hall Party" ran on NBC radio with parts of it televised on KTTV-TV in Los Angeles which were kinescoped for AFRTS.

You may have heard Commander Cody and his Planet Airmen sing "Smoke That Cigarette".  The original was by Tex Williams.  Before leading his own group, Tex was the singer for Spade Cooley

The Tex Williams Show 1955

Chiquita 1949

 

 

We tried to serve all soldiers.  Part of that being our native Spanish speaking troops.  Chiquita debuted during WWII and was still going strong in the 1950s.  I'm trying to locate more information about her.  Apparently, she had some small movie roles in the 1940s.

Gracias amiga por todo!

Chiquita - 1949

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Jim Pewter 1980

 

Don Browne has some Jim Pewter information:

To my knowledge, Jim Pewter is the only person to work overseas on AFRTS (AFKN) and then work as a show host on the RU series from the AFRTS-LA studios. The desire to work at AFRTS-LA after exposure to the disc programs at an affiliate was very strong. When my active duty at FEN was completed in January 1971. I spent a month in Los Angeles haunting the AFRTS-LA studios at North McCadden Place, trying to convince Jack Brown to hire me for a 13-week "flight" (1-55:00) on the RU. My schtick was that I would introduce PAMS and CRC jingles to the separation of program "sides" which could be used by the local affiliate. They were not impressed. What was impressive was that AFRTS-LA had a "Listen-Line" direct from AFVN Saigon, and you could listen to local AFVN programming on the building PA system. When it was 8 a.m. PST in LA it was 11 p.m. local time in Saigon; when it was 6 p.m. PST in LA it was 9 a.m. local time in Saigon.

Jim Pewter, because of his special status, worked every combination of show scheduling during his AFRTS-LA career. He was heard in series of 5-25:00, 5-30:00, 5-55:00, and 1-55:00 shows. Because of this, his show numerology was completely in disarray. As can be determined, Jim Pewter #1 was issued in RU 27-7 (January 1967).

Million Dollar memories were the Jim Pewter show.  Jim was always the king of songs that you forgot to remember.  From 1981, the Jim Pewter show.  First couple of minutes of this transfer are rougher than I'd like, but it's worth it.

Jim Pewter 

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Bill Stewart 1969

 

Today Bill talks with Mel Lewis and Thad Jones.  They had a wonderful big band.  The music's great and so is the conversation.

Bill Stewart - 1969


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Tom Campbell 1978

  

After serving in the United States Air Force, Campbell was hired for his first radio job, at KEEL in Shreveport, La., by Al Hart, who would later become a newscaster and radio personality in San Francisco.

Campbell subsequently worked in Minneapolis, Minnesota at WDGY and at WONE in Dayton, Ohio  before his move to KYA 1260 AM San Francisco in 1967. He was known to loan his personal phonograph, record collection and even his car to individual listeners under the caveat that they simply return them, which they apparently did.

 His home and car phone (yes, he had one of the rare car phones in 1967) numbers were publicly listed in the white and yellow pages of most Bay Area phone books, and he would receive calls from listeners at home.

Tom Campbell did two shows for us.  "Tom Campbell Stateside" and a more album oriented "Playback".  Tom went out to the garage and shared a couple boxes of these. I'm very grateful. It's time for Playback..

Tom Campbell Playback 1978

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Roger Carroll 1974

 

Roger Carroll welcomes us to another Happy Hour.  Memories of 1974.  

Roger Carroll - 1974

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Andy Mansfield 1963

 

In 1963 it really hadn't been that long since we lost MAJ Glenn Miller during WWII.  Glenn entertained the troops and cut a lot of exclusive music for AFRS and V Disc. Andy Mansfield did a five part tribute.

America's Popular Music - 1963

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Wolfman Jack 1979

 

Let's revisit 1979. I was 22, in Korea and don't remember most of the year. I met Wolfman at LAX when I came Stateside. Only time I was ever totally speechless at meeting a celebrity. Play it loud!

Wolfman Jack - 1979

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AFN Latin Tempo 1980

 

1980 was HOW many years ago?  Anyone know who was doing the Spanish show on AFN in 1980?  Good stuff.

AFN Latin Tempo 1980

Roland Bynum 1973

 

One of the things a broadcaster strives for is a one on one sound.  Roland Bynum had that down, making him perfect to tell America about opportunities in todays Air Force.  Roger Carroll's company was the all-time leader in recruiting shows.  It's 1973, almost Christmas and time for Soul In Motion with Roland Bynum:

Roland Bynum - 1973

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SCN Tom Kirby 1965

 

Tom Kirby was from Massachusetts, ended up in the Army with a stopover in Ft Huachucha them to Fort Clayton in the Canal Zone, doing radio and televison.  By the 1980s Tom was a news director at a station in Minneapolis.  In 1965 here's what happened on 79/1420 khz...

SCN - Tom Kirby 1965 - production cuts

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Joe Ferguson 1983

 

Joe Ferguson was one of the jocks from all over the country sharing his skills in an experiment AFRTS tried in the early 80s.  He shared these shows and I'll always be grateful.

Joe Ferguson - 1983

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Mary Helen Barro 1980

 

Mary Helen in 1972 with Joe Ortiz

There's always been latin music on AFRTS. Chiquita during WWII and many others well into the 1990s. Mary Helen Barro held down the fort in the early 1980s. Here's Mary Helen, recorded off the air on AFN Frankfurt.

Mary Helen Barro - 1980
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AFRTS 1977

From Torrejon, We'll hear bits and pieces from Roger Carroll, Roland Bynum, Humble Harve and more.  1977 was a big year in AFRTS history, it was the year they stopped using system cues "This is the American/Armed Forces Radio and Television Service".  You'd never believe how many memos there were about that.  The system cue was your warning that there was just fill music til the top of the hour.  Somehow we managed to figure it out.  This is great listening:

AFRTS - 1977

Gene Price 1974

 

Gene Price and Marc Yablonca at a 1981 remote at Universal on KLAC.

Here's Gene in 1974 on the Country Express.  There's some great opportunities in today's army!

Gene Price - 1974

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Gary Owens 1969

  

Gary Owens has a nice wikipedia biography:

Gary Owens (May 10, 1936-February 12, 2015) was an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens was equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is frequently heard in television, radio, and commercials. He is best known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the voice of the titular superhero on Space Ghost. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Likewise, Owens provided the voice of Roger Ramjet on The Roger Ramjet Cartoons. He was the primary voice of the over-the-air digital network Antenna TV.

We had Gary in the late 60s and it was great.  

Gary Owens - 1969

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Charlie Tuna 1983

 

Here comes Charlie.  What an amazing career, KOMA when that meant something.  WMEX when that meant something.  From there to Los Angeles and KHJ.  Wow.  In 1971 we stayed Tuna'd until 1996.  Here's a memory:

Charlie Tuna - 1983

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Chris Noel 1967

Chris Noel with Bob Hope at the 1966 Christmas show.  

 Chris did a lot for us over the years.  "A Date With Chris" brought memories than and now.  A very interesting life.  

It's a Monday on Armed Forces Radio and time for your Date With Chris

Date With Chris - 1967

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Jingles

 Thought you might like this, part of from the Totalsound jingle package. Have you ever listened to an entire, full jingle package? I'm always left with "Who thought THAT was a good idea?" and gems that made stations sound bigger. What do you think?

Totalsound part 3

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Steve Phillips AFRS Adak 1968

 And I'll bet the weather was cold... Steve Phillips returns with another visit, 1968

Steve later went on Fort CONUS to KISN Portland.  He's got of bunch a nice radio at his website RadioDiscJockey

 

Steve Phillips - AFRS Adak 1968

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Herman Griffith 1967

  

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas "Jimmy Mack"

"Time for something for the brave and the bold, it's the Records Caravan".  The music was changing.  Herman made it better.

Play it loud

Herman Griffith 1967

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Kris Erik Stevens 1978

   

Learn something new every day, Kris didn't go to the McCadden studios:

"I had my own studios so I never worked in the building.... but hand delivered shows there for at least 5+ years in the 70’s ----American Disco and the Kris Erik Stevens show --- Bit of a blur... but great fun!"

And great shows they were.

American Disco - 1978

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Rebel Randall 1952

 

During the Korean War, Rebel Randall did "Jukebox USA" a DJ show for the troops.  Her run with the network was much shorter than GI Jill or Chris Noel but it was good.

Jukebox USA - 1952

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Tony Pigg 1971

  

 

These are fun.  By 1971 "Free-form" rock stations started in many markets.  In New York ABCs WPLJ sounded great and Tony Pigg was a great example.

Tony Pigg - Love - 1971

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Bill Stewart 1969

 

There were a lot of interviews.  The biggest stars found time to talk for the troops.  Bill Stewart talkd with Mel Lewis from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1969.

Bill Stewart - 1969

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Jubilee 1945

 

It's time for your jive session

The first tune is, "Rough Idea." Verne Smith (announcer), Murray McEachern (conductor), Manny Klein, Frank Wiley (trumpet), Henry Coker (trombone), Willie Smith (vocal), Bobby Hackett, Emmett Berry, Babe Russin, Bam Brown, Jack Martin, Juan Rolando, Nick Glicco, Corky Corcoran, Harry The Hipster Gibson, Lem Davis, Leo Watson, Peggy Lee, Ray Coniff, Slim Gaillard, The Jubilee All Stars, Vic Dickenson, Ernest Whitman (m. c.). 

Jubilee - 1945

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Jim Pewter 1979

  

Album Jim did for the USO

Jim lives the oldies.  From his time with his band to AFKN, Los Angeles radio and then the worldwide network it's just really hard to describe.  Fire up the grill, grab a beer and remember.

Jim Pewter - 1979

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Tom Campbell 1971

 

Tom Campbell had an amazing focus.  He just sounds excited and like every last word is important. And it's not an act, he's excited about life,   He really could make reading the phone-book pop.  

Tom Campbell 1971

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Roger Carroll 1976

 This is from the Torrejon airchecks.  Wolfman finishes a show, station break and then Roger Carroll with the happy hour.  Were Roger and the Wolf scheduled adjacent?  That'd be odd.

It's a great listen

Roger Carroll - 1976

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Wolfman Jack 1977

 

This is nice, Wolfman recorded off of AFN in Germany in 1977, at the end Wolfman is on voice tracks talking about USAEUR.  Did all of the AFRTS-LA team record these?  Howl!

It's been almost 30 years since we lost Wolf.  

Wolfman Jack - 1977

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