Backspin was a neat show, Charlie Van Dyke had memories .
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Saturday, July 27, 2024
Joe Allison 1965
1965 was an interesting time in Country music. Before that "hillbilly" music was a lot more folky. Ray Price, Jim Reeves it got a lot slicker. Our friend Joe Allison is back with another Country Corner.
Wolfman Jack 1983
And to top things off, the weekend begins with a Friday show. I just read Border Radio, a great book about the beginnings of the Mexican border blasters. In a nutshell, the guys who were best were paid by the amounts of products they sold. This guy could sell...
Mary Turner 1986
Mary Turner brought the rock in the 1980s and 90s. She had the daily show and "Off The Record". The music was great and she really had a way with an interview. She always treasured her time as one of the AFRTS-LA talent.
Vance Graham 1974
Victor was Vance Graham. Vance had entered Los Angeles radio in the 1930s and found his greatest success as a spanish DJ. Bolero Time was heard on multiple stations and recorded for AFRTS well into the 1970s.
Herman Griffith 1967
Jim Pewter, Herman Griffith and Roger Carroll
Herman brought rock and soul to the troops. These are great!
Herman Griffith 1967
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Turn Back The Clock 1958
Andy and Virginia Mansfield share some highlights of their record collection, and they're excited about it. That always makes for great listening. Andy had to build special shed to store his collection. Hmmm...
Andy went on to do other shows for AFRTS for many years.
Tom Campbell 1975
Time for another trip down memory lane with Bay Area fave, Tom Campbell (for Cal Stereo). Here's a neat 1975 show..
When Tom got out of the Air Force, he got a gigs in Shreveport, WDGY Minneapolis (The Twin Cities connection continues) and Dayton. 1967 it was to San Francisco where fame struck. between radio and agency work he bounced around southern California including for us at AFRTS
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Bill Stewart 1967
It's time for a "Musical Bill Affair," a phrase that's as intriguing as it is mysterious, originating from a jingle. Bill was a renowned talent at KMPC during 1951-59, and subsequently worked at KGIL and KRHM. His acclaim extended to record production, culminating in a celebrated concert at the Hollywood Palladium in 1969. Bill also curated in-flight music programming. Sadly, we bid farewell to Bill in 1993, when he passed away due to congestive heart failure.
JIm Pewter 1979
This is nice, about an hour excerpts of Jim's shows with the music not scoped. We went to different high schools together.
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Don Tracy 1983
Don Tracy was from Hartford. Learned his trade at the Conneticut School of Broadcasting with gigs in Hartford and New Haven before the lure of California. Then to KGFJ, KABC TV and KDAY and KMBY in Capitola CA then where most of us found him AFRTS. In 1997 Don was selling at KNX after that he was a part of Malloy and Associates, an advertising agency in Los Angeles. Here's a short piece from 1983.
Joe Ferguson 1983
Joe Ferguson is back with 1983. A while back Joe donated these shows to the archive and it's quite a feeling to run the same disks that I ran three decades ago. Thanks Joe!!
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Pete Smith 1975
When I was in at the stations the Easy Listening shows felt painful. As I "mature" I can understand the genius behind them.
Gene Price 1974
Gene, Charlie and Jim
It's been a privilege to stay in touch with all three. Here's Gene Price with your 1974 country favorites:
Saturday, July 20, 2024
Charlie Tuna 1979
For a while in the late 70s, and early 80s Charlie Tuna was backed with Wolfman Jack. Wow...
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Joe Allison 1965
I've been getting requests for more of Joe. He was a great person, a giant in country music and a wonderful jock.
Monday, July 15, 2024
Polka Party 1968
Dick Sinclair was in the first class of AFRS talent during WWII. He later served with the Mosquito Network on Guadacanal. When he came back he had a big career, mostly hosting polkas. In the 50s and 60s that really was a huge deal.
Dick was doing Polka Party starting in the 1950s and AFRTS picked it up. We were running the show well into the 1960s
Ralph Gebes AFTN 1973
Captain Madrack sent in some nice sounding memories of the Thailand network.
I really appreciate it and I'm sure that a lot of others do when you share your airchecks with us all. I threw mine away and greatly regretted it later. Please let me know what you have.
Today the good Captain (Ralph Gebes) is still involved with the troops:
Thom I am very involved in support our deployed troops. Operation Support Our Troops Illinois www.osotil.org. We have a concert every year with Gary Sinise and the Lt Dan Band. I will send you a copy of last year’s concert. I have taken up video production I am not making a living at it but produce videos for the VFW, OSOTIL, and the local cable access channel. I enjoy the creative side of things and often wish I could be on the air again.
Roger Carroll 1970
Roger Carroll and Glen Campbell
It's a Tuesday in 1970 and time for the Happy Hour. Roger swings!
Mary Turner 1984
Received a nice note from Mary Turner:
"I often think about my 18 years at Fort McCadden with great fondness. Loved that Roach Coach-I remember always getting teased for actually paying for a bottle of water. I was ahead of my time!"
And she certainly was.
Herman Griffith 1968
Jim Pewter, Herman and Roger Carroll
Herman was the first of the really great soul jocks at AFRTS. He was making waves at KGFJ and went worldwide. Herman was the one that brought Roland Bynum in..
1968 was great year for music. Take a listen:
Andy Mansfield - America's Popular Music 1965
We've always had oldies. In 1965 that would have been music from the 1930s and 40s. Andy Mansfield did a pair of oldies shows for AFRTS. First was one with his wife Virginia in the 50s "Turn Back The Clock". Later he did this one "America's Popular Music".
On this broadcast Andy plays requests for our shadow audience, Americans that live overseas, residents of other countries. We always knew they were there but they were rarely acknowledged on the network.
Tom Campbell 1979
So what kind of jock would put his home phone number in ads? Tom Campbell would. You can say he was accessible... In 1971 Tom joined the network for a long run.
Bill Stewart - Rocketing Rhythms
We counted them down. The first rock countdown show was Rocketing Rhythms, usually hosted by Jack Brown. Today Jack is on vacation and KLACs Bill Stewart steps in with the hits from the pages of Cash Box. Here are the pre-Beatles years hits!
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Jim Pewter 1981
Come and get your memories. Jim's back again with another great half hour. Starts with the original version of a song made huge by the Beatles. Jim was one of us and it shows up on every show. They don't make music like this anymore. No one ever presented it better.
Don Browne has more: All AFRTS radio programming records are spotty, but Jim Pewter is more complicated.
Jim Pewter started his AFRTS-LA career in January 1967, presumably with #1M in flight RU 27-7. His "oldies" specialty show was initially 5-25:00 and lasted about two years. About March 1969, just in time for my arrival at FEN, Tokyo, JP, Jim Pewter was demoted to once a week at 1-55:00. I made a note of it in my FEN log when I reviewed show #366, RU 41-9 in April 1969. The Jim Pewter Show 1-55:00 lasted for about seven years (364 weeks)!
Then at the start of the Bicentennial Year, the Jim Pewter Show was promoted to 5-30:00 with (approximately) #752M in flight RU 1-76 (the first transitional quarter) in January 1976. Because of the long period of one-per-week, the numbering system was in complete disarray. For five-per-week, Mondays, which normally started with xxx1 followed by Mondays as xxx6, instead started with Mondays as xxx2 followed by Mondays as xxx7.
If Jim Pewter continued his 5-30:00 "oldies" show through the transition to Unistar/SMN satellite programming in October 1995, his final cassette-delivered program would have been (about) #5961F in flight RC 52-5, December 1995.
Don Tracy 1980
Never really mattered what day it was, it always felt like the weekend during the Don Tracy Show.
Chris Noel 1970
I first heard Chris when I had gotten to AFKN-TDC. It was 1976. TDC was in the middle of the 2nd Infantry Division and these were perfect. Unfortunately no practical way to edit them. Hundreds of her shows had been saved and they were every bit as relevant.
Joe Ferguson 1983
Joe Ferguson back with more memories of 1983. In 1983 the network tried being less LA-centric and got jocks all over the country to do shows for the troops. Joe was in Portland OR and brings it home... A few years ago Joe sent his set of disks for us to hear again. Many thanks!
Saturday, July 13, 2024
John Doremus 1967
It's been a busy day and time for orchestral music and stories for the dinner hour from John Doremus.
Thursday, July 11, 2024
AFRTS Guam 1965
"Would you like some tape from the Guam station?" AFRS Guam was there in 1944. Radioman Cousin Mike held down the fort on the "Night Beat". I believe that's from the Naval Communication Station at Finegayan, Guam.
It's a pretty good hour..
Chiquita 1955
Starting in 1945 Chiquita Juarez started her show for our Spanish speaking troops. I wish I had more information on Sre Juarez. She showed up on at least one Duffy's Tavern and had smaller parts in several movies. For AFRS, she was Chiquita...
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Charlie Tuna 1982
Which kind of jockey?
Suddenly it's 1982, another morning show done and time for Charlie. Over at Charlie's website he has an interview with the late fitness guru Jack LaLanne (is there anyone he didn't have a conversation with?)
Monday, July 8, 2024
Harry Newman 1985
Harry's daughter shared the following:
My dad was a HUGE fan & supporter of those in the military & was thrilled that one of my daughters was born on Nov 10...just a few hours away from Veterans Day. He ALWAYS reminded me when Veteran's Day was coming, bc he just had so much reverence & respect for those who served. And if I happened to be visiting in November, we always ate out on the 11th!
And Harry was the voice of "Cops". On today's show, it's a summer day in 1985 and Ed Bruce stops by.
Wolfman Jack 1980
Young Wolfman probably at AM daytimer soul station KUXL Minneapolis. Did he ever do a bad show? It's 1980 and Wolf rocks the world...
Sunday, July 7, 2024
Mary Turner 1983
Mary Turner and Ted Nugent
Mary Turner was the opposite of GI Jill and Chris Noel, a broadcaster that was a female, it kept with the times, yet still was the girl left behind.
When Mary started her show we were concerned about how an hour of slamming rock and roll would go over. I knew the troops would love it but the Colonel. The Canal Zone civilians? They really liked to complain. It went over great and was a wonderful addition.
Saturday, July 6, 2024
Herman Griffith 1968
Jim Pewter, Herman and Roger Carroll
Herman was the first of the really great soul jocks at AFRTS. He was making waves at KGFJ and went worldwide. Herman was the one that brought Roland Bynum in..
1968 was great year for music. Take a listen:
Andy Mansfield 1965
Andy and Kay Starr
In the 1950s Andy Mansfield did a program with his wife Virginia. It Was Called "Turn Back The Clock", featuring the oldies of the last 30 years. In the 60s, he did the program by himself. Now it was called "America's Popular Music".
Tom Campbell 1971
Paul Bunyan was very young Tom Campbell
In 1971, Tom Campbell was still the new guy, he did a show about what were the 10 most hated songs on the radio. There were truly some clinkers...
Roland Bynum 1984
Here's a 1984 visit with Roland Bynum. Hear Roland In Los Angeles, weekends on KJLH, Radio Free 102.3
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Bill Stewart 1969
Here's the man who can fill the musical bill, Bill Stewart. Today he has a guest, Bob Cameron singer on the Don McNeil "Breakfast Club" shows and of course some swinging jazz.
Jim Pewter 1980
Jim and Laurie Allen (another Minnesotan!!)on tour
Famous Minnesotans! Jim Pewter. Jim was on the network shortly after leaving AFKN and stayed on until 1996. Here's memories of memories from 1980.
Monday, July 1, 2024
Chris Noel 1968
Chris Noel did A Date With Chris between 1966-70 and touched a lot of lives. She sent signed photos. She toured Vietnam many times. She was there. A few years ago she shared her shows with us. I'm glad to be able to bring them back.
Chris has a shelter for homeless vets in Florida take a look.