Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Whistler 1946


The Whistler ran from 1942-55 in the states.  Sometimes nationally, sometimes only in the Western states. There were movies, books.  It was big.  AFRTS had it many times well into the 80s.  In the 1981 run it had apparently been picked up by a syndicator.

This appears to be an early 60s reissue of a 1946 show. The lawyer for the biggest crook in town finds himself the only witness that can convict his client. The story has a surprising and uncharacteristic finale.




Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Adventures In Good Music 1970

Karl Haas at WJR

Classical music had a home on AFRTS.  The lead for that was Karl Haas.  He started his program in Detroit in 1959.  Somewhere in the early 60s it was picked up by AFRTS.  "Adventures in Good Music" became the world's most listened to classical music program.

The theme music for Adventures in Good Music was the 2nd movement from Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata (Sonata No. 8 in C minor), performed by Haas himself.


Monday, July 22, 2019

AFVN Steve Sandoz 1969




From the late AFVN'er Paul Bottoms.  Steve's daughter wanted to hear dad.  It's the 1969 AFVN year end countdown

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Chris Noel 1968




Chris has a book about filming the movie "Beach Ball".  Take a look Click here.  In 1968, she was on AFRTS making some amazing radio.  Thank you Chris!



Thursday, June 27, 2019

Chris Noel 1971

Chris Noel - 1963

Chris did the show during the height of the Vietnam War and toured the theater several times.  Thanks for everything Chris!

Please consider supporting homeless vets through Ceasefire House, Chris runs this in Florida Click here





Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Jingles, what time IS is?




The the MISC library there were many generic jingle packages.  One of them with a very hokey band and these lyrics:
 
"For the best music on wax
it's time to sit back and relax
with your favorite disk jockey show"
 
How could I not play that?

What I did find recently was MISC-249



Did you have a favorite jingle?


Thursday, June 13, 2019

Saturday, June 8, 2019

LaRita Shelby 1994




I'm always going to be grateful to LaRita and Roger Carroll for helping us get a LOT of new material.  In there was a bunch of her AFRTS shows.  Wonderful radio.  Take a listen!


Sunday, May 26, 2019

Well, that's unusual.

If you've been battling with this trying to play/download stuff, just wanted to let you know that's all been fixed.  Apologies and thanks for your support!!!

Monday, May 20, 2019

Roger Carroll 1979


Roger Carroll and Los Angeles radio were the same thing. From 1948-58 at KABC and 1959-79 at Gene Autry's KMPC.

"KMPC was one of the most successful radio stations in the country, and had the lineup -- the most envied talent in the radio business," said Roger Carroll, who played records on KMPC. The key to their success, he said, was a rapport with the audience. "Everybody who listened to the station thought we were their friends."

Roger brought that sound to McCadden Av. and AFTRS. Part of the reason he related so well was that he was one of the few network personalities that were a veteran.

"I served two years active duty 1953-55 then 26 years doing my AFRTS show every Tuesday for five hours....my William Morris agents knew and told clients who wanted me to do their voice overs he is not available Tues 8a-1p doing his AFTRS shows many client who served in the military we will wait for him..."

Roger said it was very special "when parents of our guys in Viet Nam and around the world would call me at KMPC or write a letter, telling me their son wanted to thank me for doing the show that they hear on AFVN, FEN, AFN and all around the world."

Mr. Carroll's company was responsible for the recruiting shows done by Gene Price, Roland Bynum and himself heard every Sunday morning on hundreds of radio stations in the 70s and 80s


The theme was an edit of one of the KMPC jingles . Harry Zimmerman Orchestra.


Roger Carroll - 1979

More Roger Carroll

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Bob Kingsley 1974



Bob was an AFRS Keflevik vet (1960), then a career of jocking around Los Angeles before becoming the longtime voice of American Country Countdown for many years. In the mid-70s he was doing an AFRTS rock show. Bob is still Doing the Country Top 40 Visit the website, listen to the show!

Bob Kingsley - 1974

More Bob Kingsley

Polka Party - 1961


Dick Sinclair was one of our first jocks.  He was in that first class at Fox Film studios in 1943, went to the Mosquito Network.  When he got back he made polka music incredibly popular, a syndicated radio show, several TV shows.  He loved his work.  By the 1950s Polka Party was on AFRTS and continued through the late 1960s.



Monday, March 18, 2019

AFKN-FM 1968



Once upon a time, automation wasn't a horrible thing.  We had fun on the AM and the Colonels listened to the FM.  Good trade.  Some day I'll tell you about the first live assist systems...

But in 1968 here were the liners for AFKN-FM.  




Monday, March 11, 2019

Chris Noel 1967

Chris Noel in "Get Yourself A College Girl"


And another great hour of music.  Chris had been doing the show for almost a year and she connects.





Sunday, March 10, 2019

AFRS Alaska 1944


TIME OUT from pool game to listen on the radio.  Portable radios are furnished by the Special Service division of the Army.  Radio reception is not too good in most sections of the Highway, due perhaps to mountains, mineral deposits, and Northern Lights.  Pool tables are, however, a late addition to most camps.  They were furnished by the American Red Cross.

(The Alaska Highway "Truck Tracks" 16 Feb 1944)

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

AFVN Gary Gears 1968

After 1968...

So Gary Gears was drafted, promptly aggravated the higher ups and was taken off of his DJ shows.  After that Gary spent a lot of hours in the production room practicing and keeping his chops..





Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Roger Carroll 1979


1979 had some great songs and Roger Carroll made them better.  Happy Hour is now!
This was recorded from the station in Torrejon Spain (thanks Vicente!) but we had the same magic worldwide.  Hear Roger on www.rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com along with the rest of our AFRTS friends!




Small World 1965

Small World was a magazine show, similar to NBC's Monitor in many ways. This was the series that Chris Noel made her debut on AFRTS. This particular program has Bud Widom hosting. Talk about a full career with AFRS. He was on Command Performance and Jubilee during WWII, went on to host Bud's Bandwagon in the 50s and then ran radio at FEN in the 1960s.



Small World 1965
More Small World

Monday, February 25, 2019

Bob Kingsley 1973

Bob Kingsley visting SCN in the Canal Zone

With American Country Countdown Bob Kinglsy was the Dean of Country music.  Before that came together he was one of us, first with the Air Force in Iceland (love to hear an aircheck of that)  and later at McCadden Place rocking up a storm.





Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Top Pops #63




I was listening to some TPs, the early ones had locked grooves.  LOCKED GROOVES, who remembers those?  If you don't, what a locked groove would do is just stop after the song.  That made it harder to leave the switch open and run the next song accidentally.  Pronunciations?  It was never a regular thing, I only remember rarely seeing them.  At least no one could say Joe Maphis wrong!

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

AFRTS Ethiopia



Sam Hale was the station manager at the station in Eritrea 1957-58.  He's working on the history of AFRTS Kagnew Station.  This is well researched and a work in progress.

Redd Harper 1948


Redd Harper with Carolina Cotton

Redd Harper (1903-1992) was raised in Oklahoma, gigged around the midwest with a Western Jazz band.  He moved to Los Angeles.  World War II started and he did his time in the Coast Guard.  After the war Redd had a very popular show on AFRS.  The Hollywood Roundup focused on the music and the movies.  Here's a 1948 visit with Gloria Henry.


Redd had his own Hollywood credits appearing the 1948 The Strawberry Roan and 1947s Under Colorado Skies (uncredited role as stagecoach driver).  His final bigscreen appearance was in Oiltown USA in 1955.







Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Sagebrush Theater 1970

Sam Buffington as Luke Slaughter

Sagebrush Theater "from the library of radio programs from many years ago" was one of many shows that rebroadcast radio shows from the 1940s and 50s.  We had an amazing library of these saved from their first runs.  We had many stations that didn't have television.  That worked out as a good fit.





Thursday, January 3, 2019

Jim Ameche 1964


Jim and Don Ameche

Jim Ameche was on Jack Armstrong, later being the first to syndicate a really popular DJ show.  He made several trips as a host from New York to Los Angeles.  Before Pete Smith, Before John Doremus the Colonels had a song...