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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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

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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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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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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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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Roland Bynum 1974

 

Roland Bynum has another "Soul In Motion".  Roland has touched a lot of people, both as a broadcaster and as an educator.  Today it's all about the Air Force and some legendary music.

Roland Bynum - 197

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Gary Owens 1969

  

Gary's back with more of his patented brand of silliness.  KMPC, the voice of Space Ghost, Laugh-In.  Somehow it ties together but always great.

In 1969, heard worldwide on AFRTS

Gary Owens - 1969 

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Charlie Tuna 1982

 Charlie's back to start your day.  And there's a special broadcast, the third launch of the Columbia space shuttle (all went well).

Charlie Tuna - 1982

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Chris Noel Interview 1968

 

In 1968 Chris Noel was visiting the troops.  She stopped at Johnston Atoll and it was a big moment to get an interview.

My name is John Rodman and I was a sailor on Johnston Atoll from 1967-1968.

Sometime in 1968 Chris Noel's plane stopped in for fuel and she did an interview for our AFRTS station which I was able to record to reel to reel tape.  The tape and player are old and noisy but I converted it to MP3 just to save it for posterity?  Anyhow it is attached to this email and you're welcome to it.  Maybe a pro like you can clean up the hiss and uneven volume levels.  Some one might get a kick out of it, I know it was a big deal at the time.  There were no woman on the Island in the sixties!

Chris Noel - Johnston Island 19!68

 

Wonderful!  Thanks for sharing the memories.

Chris Noel 1967

"Really enjoyed the interview with Chris Noel. I remember well stopping at Johnson Island in 1951 on the way to Manila. There was nothing there but an old airstrip and gooney birds!"

 

Best,

Jim Gough

AFRS Sangley Point 1951 

Kris Erik Stevens 1983

   

Kris Erik Stevens made a lot of great radio, taking Chicago then Los Angeles by storm.  Over the last few years, Kris has been the voice of the pre-show music at the theatre.  Here's part of 1983 with Kris Erik:

Kris Erik Stevens - 1983

Wow Thomas........

Hearing my radio show performed years ago was

quite a wakeup call on my Sunday morning ----- 

Takes me back in time..... 

Thanks for sharing memories of my AFRTS radio days.

Kris Erik Stevens

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Harry Newman 1980

  

Top (l to r): Harry Newman and Hoss Barnes

Below (l to r): Corky Mayberry, Bob Jackson, Hugh Jarrett and Larry Scott

Time for more of your country favorites with Harry Newman: Today Harry's guest is Jimmy Rogers.

Harry Newman -1980

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Jubilee 1942

 

I normally don't bother with "split" shows but Jubilee is always special.  In late 1942 we recorded the (Nat) King Cole trio, Mantan Moreland with wonderful comedy, Judy Carroll and Noble Sissle. Supporting the troops should always be this good.

Jubilee - 1942

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AFN Turn your radio down...

 

When I was a teenager in Minneapolis in the early 1970s this clip periodically ran on Mark Durenberger's WLOL-FM jazz show. Somehow he still had, could locate and sent me a copy of it. Unfortunately he had no further information other than probably late 50s or early 1960s. Do you know who it is?

AFN Promo

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AFN Nightside - Craig Miller and Abba 1974

 

The Craig Miller tapes continue.  I had always heard in the past that their English was limited.  What we heard was wrong.

AFN Nightside - 1974 Abba

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Chuck Cecil 1961

 In the late 1950s Chuck Cecil was doing an oldies show on KFI.  "The Swingin' Years" spotlighted the hits of the 30s and 40s.  It was picked up by AFRTS and was still running well into the 1980s.  Chuck was still doing the show in 2010s on a public station in Los Angeles although he was retired.  Quite a run, a bit of fun, The swingin' years...

The Swingin' Years - 1961

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Roger Carroll 1961

 

Here's Roger with a great 1961 show.

Roger Carroll - 1961

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Roland Bynum 1973

 

Roland Bynum with his daughter and son

It's the best Bynum.  Roland has the songs of 1973 in this Air Force recruiting program recorded for Roger Carroll's company and heard from coast-to-coast.

Roland Bynum - 1973

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AFVN Quang Tri 1970

 Here's some silent film of AFVN Quang Tri

Seems to take forever to buffer

Here's a direct download link

 

Doug Jennings had some more information: "That is SFC Jim Psak editing the film, pulling the slides and later in the TV Studio.  The TV Van was brought from Hue to Quang Tri. From the biography of Vic Sage on the MACOI site, it says, "When he arrived in Saigon as a SP5, he was met by the network OIC, LTC Ray Nash, who explained that he was to be a part of the rebuilding of Detachment 5, which had been relocated following its destruction by Communist troops during 1968's Tet Offensive from Hue to Quang Tri. Victor left immediately, and once the TV van was hauled to its new location he was part of the crew that patched and refitted the equipment. Although damaged, the van was found to be serviceable. There were three bullet holes in the electronics bay and another in the studio section, where an announcer would sit."

 

Rick Fredericksen  "I wonder if the bullet holes were caused by the attackers, or, maybe the AFVN engineers damaged it so a workable TV station would not fall into enemy hands???"

Gary Owens 1967

 

 

You may find this a bit garish.   From the big 810, here's the insegrevious Gary Owens.

 

Gary Owens - 1967

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Charlie Tuna 1982

Would you like some breakfast serial with that?

It's almost Christmas 1982

Charlie Tuna - 1982

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Chris Noel 1969

 

The weekend is almost here.  Chris Noel has memories of 1969

Chris Noel 1969

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Kris Erik Stevens 1981

   

Milwaukee born Kris was with us after taking Chicago by storm WCFL, WLS (replaced Art Roberts) and to CKLW and Los Angeles.  Visit his website http://kriserikstevens.com/ In 1981 here's what happened...

Kris Erik Stevens - 1981

 

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