Two recently found historic L.A. easy listening airchecks

[Chad-Stevens]

I didn't record nor post these, and the title listing them as KIIS FM is incorrect:

The first half is Mike Saxon on KRHM-102.7 from January 7, 1970 - he actually says the date during the recording
The second half is Gary Brandt on KPOL -93.9 from December 23, 1969 - based on the announcement of Christmas music beginning tomorrow, Christmas Eve. Despite the proximity to Christmas, there's no holiday music on this aircheck!

 

[Bongwater]

Every scrap of tape is precious. Thank you for bringing this to light.

I heard of KRHM, but I know a little more of it's pre-KIIS successor, KKDJ. Strangely, it was an obscure oldie that seems forever connected with KKDJ in my mind, "Voice of Change" Mason Proffit (1970). It was used at their top hour ID jingle. I really liked the KKDJ airchecks I've heard. Then they got "married" to new AM sister, KIIS 1150.

The rest as they say, is history....

 

[K.M. Richards]

I heard of KRHM, but I know a little more of it's pre-KIIS successor, KKDJ. Strangely, it was an obscure oldie that seems forever connected with KKDJ in my mind, "Voice of Change" Mason Proffit (1970). It was used at their top hour ID jingle. I really liked the KKDJ airchecks I've heard. Then they got "married" to new AM sister, KIIS 1150.

That was the late Rick Carroll's doing when he took KKDJ live after a couple of years of it being automated.

I actually have a CD with the Mason Proffitt song and recreated that TOH "logo". The late T. Michael Jordan said I got it perfect.

The whole story of how KKDJ became KIIS-FM is a tale in and of itself, and it had to do more with the GM wanting a station he could brag about at the country club than any clear path to success. Not surprisingly, the station performed so badly as an A/C that its short-lived switch to Disco was actually an improvement.

 

[michael hagerty]

Every scrap of tape is precious. Thank you for bringing this to light.

I heard of KRHM, but I know a little more of it's pre-KIIS successor, KKDJ. Strangely, it was an obscure oldie that seems forever connected with KKDJ in my mind, "Voice of Change" Mason Proffit (1970). It was used at their top hour ID jingle.

And here it is (plus the beginning of the "Top 102.7 of 1973", featuring the "Voice of Change" in its entirety, plus---at 03:58--- song #102, the song that put KKDJ firmly on the map at Bishop Union High School.

And when you're done with that, let's help erase the deficit of unscoped Rich Brother Robbin airchecks in this world, shall we?

 

[michael hagerty]

I didn't record nor post these, and the title listing them as KIIS FM is incorrect:

The first half is Mike Saxon on KRHM-102.7 from January 7, 1970 - he actually says the date during the recording
The second half is Gary Brandt on KPOL -93.9 from December 23, 1969 - based on the announcement of Christmas music beginning tomorrow, Christmas Eve. Despite the proximity to Christmas, there's no holiday music on this aircheck!

A great find.

In the 60s, Christmas music was programmed differently. It was RARE to hear a Christmas song before December 15th, though that changed when hot current acts released Christmas singles in late November (Carpenters' "Merry Christmas Darling", Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad", John & Yoko's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)." But then---ONLY those songs would get the early play.

For most stations, ten days before Christmas, it'd be one Christmas record per hour, seven days before, two per hour and the final five days you might hear three. Christmas Eve would often be a 50/50 mix, and Christmas Day, all Christmas.

There were, of course, exceptions. KPOL not playing any on December 23 was unusual, though we only hear 32 minutes and we don't know if the things that were cut in the first half were Christmas songs.

Unfortunately, whoever recorded KPOL paused and restarted several times in the first half---dumping either commercial breaks or songs they didn't like. It's depressingly common on Beautiful Music airchecks, usually recorded by middle-age and older women who "just wanted the music" (there's also a ton of it on KROQ airchecks). Anyway, they gave up about midway through and it's intact from there.

 

[K.M. Richards]

For those who want to hear that TOH "Voice Of Change" bed, after it was brought up here last night I dug into my archives and found my recreation.

For your listening and dining enjoyment, in honor of the late Rick Carroll, Billy Pearl, and T. Michael Jordan (who, when I first edited this together, said I "nailed it"):