Air Force Weekly - 1983

Air Force Weekly was the official news  show of the USAF

Jan Garman and Dave Ellswick were the anchors but PAO shows from all over the world phoned in the latest.

We had horrible network lines.  These were probably 2k.  That's how all news broadcasts sounded...

Air Force Weekly - 1983

Danny Kramer - 1983

Danny Kramer from KSL Salt Lake City was one of the jocks that did shows for a 1983 project when the Voice Of Home included cities all over the country.

Vicente in Madrid recorded many of these.

Danny Kramer - 1983

More from Danny Kramer

Golden Days Of Radio - 1969

Frank Bresee started doing the Golden Days of Radio show in 1968.  "Network Radio" had stopped in 1962 with the last of the big shows going off of the air so the memories were fairly recent.  Frank had the biggest moments of radio from the 1930s-50s and kept that going until 1996, making the last recrorded show for AFRTS-LA.  They are in the process of digitizing all of the shows to make them available online.  When I have more information, I'll be passing it along.

Golden Days Of Radio - 1969

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Clem Stein - 1964

Last year we lost AFNer Clem Stein.  Clem had shared memories and sent along a couple of nice airchecks.  This is a 1964 "Weekend World" broadcast with him being the booth announcer.  Before that sharing some memories.

Clem Stein - Weekend World 1964

Clem Stein obituary

More Clem Stein

Marine Band Concert - 1962

"The President's Own" The United States Marine Band had been on the radio back to the 1920s.  BY the 1960s they had weekly broadcasts on CBS.  Those broadcasts were rebroadcast by AFRTS.

Marine Band Concert - 1962

Enchantment Of Music - 1962

"Enchantment of Music" was a light classical show originated by KCBH-FM, Beverly Hills "in the matchless Fidelity of Frequency Modulation."  I'd bet it was usually run on our AM stations.

That was the studio.  Bruce Wendell was the talent he bounced through several stations before becoming an executive at Capitol records.

Enchantment of Music - 1962

More Enchantment Of Music

World Of Show Business - 1962

Bud Widdom was a jack of all trades at AFRS, hosting variety shows during WWII, hundreds and hundreds of interviews.  He did it all.  In 1962 Bud was making "The World Of Show Business" a nice interview show.  On this one he talks with Jackie Gleason.

World Of Show Business - 1962

More from Bud Widdom

TP-196 1967

1. Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love
2  The Outsiders - Respectable
3  Darrell Banks - Open the Door to Your Heart
4  Tommy James and the Shondells - Say I Am
5  Brian Hyland - The Joker Went Wild
6  Junior Walker - How Sweet It Is

Freedom Sings - 1962

We had patriotic shows... We had martial music...  The Freedoms Foundation sponsored a lot of patriotic radio programs.  Freedom sings was one of the better ones.  All of the services bands had radio programs at one time or another.  This one featured the Army Band and chorus.

Freedom Sings - 1962

More programs from 1962

AFRTS - 1961

That'll keep us busy...

Arrived.  It's a good day when the postman is cursing me.  Bunch of One Night Stands, Grand Old Opry, Rocketing Rhythms, Continental Varieties, Swingin' Years, Broadway is My Beat and many more...

Many thanks!

The following contributors are some of the people that have made this a better place.  With your help we get more material and better tech for better transfers. Thank you very much, it goes a long way!

Linda Lord
Erkan Acar
Ken Hissong
William James
Dale Nulik
John Miller
Chris Andrews
Glen May
Burt Schneider
Steven Kuhn
Jeff McKnight
Gary Schneider
Robert Baucik
Joseph Webb

AFRTS Torrejon - Keith Anderson 1981

Aerial view of Torrejon AFB 

May of 1981 and Air Force SGT Keith Anderson has your favorites.

AFRTS Torrejon - Keith Anderson

AFN to a local citizen

I'm Julius, living in Munich, Germany.

I was born in Mannheim in 1950 and lived there till 1975. My absolute favorite Station was AFN FRANKFURT.  I heard them all: Wolfman, Roger Carroll, Charlie Tuna, Caseys' Count Down, Old Gold Retold, Hawaii Calls etc.

 I recorded a lot of their music, but not the complete shows. Sometimes only the trailers with the voice of the DJs.

 For decades I tried to find out the name of the title music from WEEKEND WORLD. Last Year, the SHAZAM-Program on my Mobile answered the question: "Super Chief" by Bob Thompson. I was happy like a child!

 My "AFN-YEARS" in Mannheim were an important part of my life, and when I now listen to the clips on your web-site, I always feel the spirit of that time.

Ride on ....

Breakfast Club - 1967

Don McNeill had the longest running network show in history.  The Breakfast Club began in 1937 and continued until 1968.  It started on NBC and went to ABC when NBC was split up.  Much of that time we ran it  on AFRTS.  From the Clouds Room of The Hotel Allerton, Chicago it's 1967 and time for a low keyed entertainment.

Breakfast Club - 1967

Bob Moke - 1983

In 1969 Bob Moke was at AFN.  In 1983 heard worldwide.

Bob Moke - 1983

More Bob Moke

AFRTS Torrejon (Madrid) Spain 1976

Torrejon studios

We've just received some wonderful tape of the Torrejon station.  Vicente lived in Madrid and saved his cassettes and is making them available to us.  Here's the first.  There will be more.  Gracias!  

AFRTS Torrejon AB 1976 misc

Goodbye Mickey Rooney

Sunday April 6th was sad.  We lost Mickey Rooney.  Besides his many decades of stardom, Tech Sergeant Rooney was a WWII AFN vet.

Mickey Rooney with Tom Poston 

In 1944 he enlisted and spent 21 months in the army.  He was awarded the Bronze Star for entertaining troops in combat areas.

Goodbye Mickey and thank you.

GI Jive 1945

About two minutes into this is video of GI Jill announcing.

More GI Jive

Melody Roundup - Spade Cooley 1946

His band sure swung.  This is from a 1946 live remote rebroadcast from Riverside Rancho as a Melody Roundup.

Melody Roundup - Spade Cooley

More Melody Roundup

KHJ Real Don Steele 1969

 

Years ago I had heard about a series of albums that were distributed to the troops overseas.  Top 40 radio broadcasts, off-line with commercials.  Great idea!  I finally located the Don Steele one. The album gives no idea who was responsible. 

 

From the label:"A fifty minute transcription of an actual broadcast on KHJ radio in Los Angeles, especially produced and distributed free as a public service for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces." If the government was involved, there'd be a credit.  If this was a KHJ project, I can't believe they wouldn't say something about listening to the station when you got home.

 

Somewhere I had heard Cola Cola was somehow involved, but again no credit.  Do you remember these?

 

Weird, but some great radio.

 

KHJ - Don Steele 1969

AFN Eurospin 1995

So do you remember Sign-on?  Here's the AFN sign-on (No German national anthem?) and Eurospin with PFC Jennifer Lopez (not that one...).  She's really good...

AFN Eurospin - 1995 PFC Jennifer Lopez

More AFN

Serenade In Blue - 1967

The military used commercial radio stations for recruiting in a big way starting with WWII.  Most of the programs were good entertainment.  Sometimes these shows would end up broadcast by AFRTS.  That puzzled me.  Although there were places like Germany and the Canal Zone with many dependents, most of our stations were on ships or in non-command sponsored areas.  Was there a purpose in playing an Air Force recruiting show on a Navy ship?  

Serenade in Blue was quality music from Air Force bands.  Here's a 1967 visit:

Serenade In Blue - 1967

A Chat With Mark Moss

Mark Moss had quite a career, Army, Air National Guard, tours at SEB Italy, AFKN Korea, Desert Storm and was a DINFOS instructor... 

A Chat With Mark Moss

Country Music Time

Country Music Time had a long run for USAF recruiting.  Today Perry Bullard features Leroy Van Dyke.

Country Music Time

More Country Music Time

Is it spring yet?

I did want to thank Steven for making a contribution to the blog.  They help a lot.  There will be some acquisitions that I think we can all enjoy.  If you'd like to help, just click the "Donate" button on the left to start.  I won't be naggy.  Have a wonderful day!

Off the Wing Tip - 1967

We ran filler shows.  Prior to 1971 many of the DJ shows were 45 minutes.  With five minutes of news it left a ten minute hole.  "Off The Wing Tip" was a ten minute show.  I had assumed it was a recruiting program but I don't think so.  On this one from New York they spend some time with the pilots of the NYPD.

Off The Wing Tip - 1967

AFTN - Captain Madrac 1973

Before they made him use his real name, Ralph Gebes was Captain Madrack on AFTN Odapau, Thailand.  

AFTN - Captain Madrac1973

There's a really great website with AFTN memories click here.

Mike Webb - FEN Okinawa - 1992

We now join our affiliate station...

I thought you may have some fun with this.  Airchecks from the field

AFN Europe

AFVN Vietnam

AFKN Korea

FEN

AFTN Thailand

AFRS Alaska

AFRS Iceland

AFN France

SCN Panama

Mosquito Network

Did you save any airchecks?

AFN Ted Northrup Z-FM 1995

The Z-FM sounded slick.

AFN Ted Northrup 1995

So who knew Ted, what was AFN like in then?

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