60's Music Gone From WCBS-FM

[landtuna]

I think we need to be thinking of music from the 50s, 60s and 70s as more of a "genre" rather than for a certain target audience...because from the young people I speak to, a lot of them are quite fed up being fed with the likes of Kanye West and the like...

I came into my kitchen the other evening while my 28-year old daughter was cooking dinner and listening to.....DOO WOP!

She said she had heard me playing a Doo Wop song the other day and decided it was much better than "the modern crap" (her words).

I just smiled and downloaded my Oldies library for her.

 

[TheBigA]

I came into my kitchen the other evening while my 28-year old daughter was cooking dinner and listening to.....DOO WOP!

This generation is far more polite and more willing to listen to their parent's music than previous generations. Ask any boomer what they think about Fred Astair or Bing Crosby, and you'll get a few nods of recognition, but not a whole lot of fans.

 

[landtuna]

This generation is far more polite and more willing to listen to their parent's music than previous generations. Ask any boomer what they think about Fred Astair or Bing Crosby, and you'll get a few nods of recognition, but not a whole lot of fans.

My parents music was WWII-era - something the happy go lucky 50's didn't want to relive. Big Band music is still a blast to dance to but the crooners, with few exceptions, put me right to sleep. Bing Crosby had perhaps the most beautiful male voice in all creation but his private life was a piece of work. Male and female vocalists were a dime a dozen during this period and most of them pretty ordinary. I include Sinatra in that list.

My music was the happy go lucky 50's when RnR was born and most music reflected the good times and happy days and was targeted at the teens of the day.

Then came the early 60's and the death of happy days and beginning of the drug culture. Later in the decade came protest music and anti-war songs. Not surprising people don't want to hear most of those songs again. The British Invasion introduced a whole new sound to the USA and shook up the music industry.

The 70's was a time of musical innovation and experimentation and carry over of the drug culture music. Many great tracks in this time period and probably why it remains popular so many years later. Even Disco, wildly panned at the time, left some remarkable legacy stuff.

Mid-80's to current - rap-crap, hair bands, grunge and hip-hop. No wonder people seem to like the old stuff.

 

[MarioMania]

I'm mostly a 80's kid with Music

I think the focus is now 80's & 90's music on the radio

 

[TheBigA]

My parents music was WWII-era - something the happy go lucky 50's didn't want to relive.

As you've said, you're a pre-boomer, so my comment wasn't really directed to you. I actually find a lot of boomers tend to like current Alternative, Americana, and current country (because it sounds like 80s rock).

 

[landtuna]

As you've said, you're a pre-boomer, so my comment wasn't really directed to you. I actually find a lot of boomers tend to like current Alternative, Americana, and current country (because it sounds like 80s rock).

I am a pre-Boomer by a total of 12.5 months. I have never heard a name given to my generation (between The Greatest and Boomers) but we are pretty much just like the Boomers. I was a very young teen when Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis shook up pop music and an old teen, and Vietnam veteran, when the British Invasion occurred. A young adult during the 60's. A young parent during the 70's. A mature parent during the 80's and 90's and an aging curmudgeon ever since. I gave up pop music in 1984 and the only Country I listen to now is Classic (and not that Howling Hayseed stuff). I touch on New Age some and Big Band some but not Alternative nor Americana (whatever that is). Virtually all of my listening is done in the car (Oldies) but on that rare occasion when I want something different at home I listen to WCKE over the 'net which tends to be music from my early childhood. Rap, hip-hop, hair bands, grunge, metal and most Motown get the immediate pre-set push.

I will listen to everything that Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Emmylou Harris ever recorded and the only two albums I have ever bought where I liked virtually every song were Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms. My favorite single is The End by Earl Grant. I was once a member of a brass marching band and played the cornet but my favorite instrument is the guitar. I always wanted to learn drums.

Bet that doesn't fit your average Boomer profile.

 

[davideduardo]

...and an old teen, and Vietnam veteran, when the British Invasion occurred.

The British invasion started, per some pundits, with the US release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in January of 1964.

While there were American advisors in Vietnam dating back to pre-Korean war times, the first really major troop escalation occurred following the Gulf of Tonkin incident which was after the start of the musical British Invasion. Unless you enlisted at age 16 or so, it would be hard to be Vietnam vet before the Beatles broke.

 

[davideduardo]

Then came the early 60's and the death of happy days and beginning of the drug culture. Later in the decade came protest music and anti-war songs. Not surprising people don't want to hear most of those songs again. The British Invasion introduced a whole new sound to the USA and shook up the music industry..

First British Invasion, then the protest and anti-war (and pro-war in the case of SS Barry Sadler) songs.

The early 60's (actually late, late 50's) was the post-The Day the Music Died era, and was known for the wane of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis and other rock and rollers and the start of a period of novelty songs like The Twist, early girl groups like the Ronnettes and Shirelles and artists like Frankie Avalon, Neil Sedaka, Gene Pitney, Steve Lawrence and even Lou Monte.

 

[jbl]

Want to listen to oldies that no one else plays then tune into WKCE am 1120 Knoxville.They have a great morning show from 8 to 10 am east coast with Roger Morgan he takes requests and the DJ answers the phone. They run jockless the rest of the day. I love the station and listen on line in Calif. The format is oldies including an occasional country oldies tune. Is seems everything they play is from the fifties to the early to mid sixties.

 

[benale]

The 60's music is just about gone on CBS FM,KRTH,etc. I'm glad there are alternatives for people who still want to hear 50's and 60's music.Internet radio and Sirius XM and a handful of terrestrial stations. In the New York area, WHLI,WMTR and a few other suburban AM's.I'm 67 and loved CBS FM in the 80's and 90's and I would drive 60 miles to listen to the station and it's personalities. This is the pre streaming days. These days with any station available on your phone or computer, I hardly ever listen.

To me, the 60's were the greatest decade ever for music. Many of the hits are timeless,but with advertisers targeting 25 to 54 for Classic hits stations, you will hardly ever hear these songs. It's the way of the world and as mentioned, I;m glad there are other places to hear music from the 50's and 60's,.

 

[landtuna]

The British invasion started, per some pundits, with the US release of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in January of 1964.

While there were American advisors in Vietnam dating back to pre-Korean war times, the first really major troop escalation occurred following the Gulf of Tonkin incident which was after the start of the musical British Invasion. Unless you enlisted at age 16 or so, it would be hard to be Vietnam vet before the Beatles broke.

My personal timeline is a bit different than yours as I was outside the USA (and in an area that did not have American pop music) beginning in '64. In those very rare port visits to Yokosuka, Japan we got exactly 30 minutes per day of American pop music through AFRTS. Because of atmospherics mainly there was nothing listenable while we were afloat in the South China Sea (which was almost continuous). The first intro I had to the Beatles was upon my discharge from the Navy in early summer of 1966. For obvious reasons we also heard nothing of the anti-war protest music from AFRTS and AFAIR it was not being played on English-language services such as Redifusion (Hong Kong), Australia or even in the Taipai or Yokohama night clubs.

My ship switched home ports from Long Beach to Yokosuka in August '64. We had just gotten to our new home port when the Gulf of Tonkin incident took place. We sailed several days later for the gunline and spent most of the next two years there with very infrequent visits to shore. During that time we occasionally could tune in Chinese stations which played some American pop music. I remember one midnight shift I got a station with a very strong signal which was playing "Downtown" but when that song ended there was just static. Oddly, Hong Kong was then a British possession but I never heard the Beatles in any club or bar there and I think we visited that port 2 or 3 times over two years.

I remember hearing Barry Sadler's protest song while in Japan so, for me, protest began before the Beatles (although we got some of the Invasion music before the Beatles hit it really big in the States). I remember hearing Herman's Hermits, for example, very early in our tour which also pre-dated the Beatles. Just before we left the States I remember reading about the Rolling Stones in the L.A. paper. They were being negatively compared to the Beatles (who were the clean cut rockers at that time). I don't remember hearing either group very much in those days though but that might be because we were preparing for relocation and didn't have much free time.

The 1960-61 years seemed like the music had definitely died and was taken over by girl groups. Radio seemed to be playing it cautious and not playing the music which was popular during the payola days.

I enlisted five days after high school graduation (June '62) and was 17.5 years old at that time.

The first really large American troop escalation occurred in March of 1965 at DaNang. We were there - sitting like ducks in the harbor waiting for the VC to show themselves so we could blast them with our 5"38's. They were too smart to reveal themselves and waited until we left to begin shelling the huge American base.

 

[landtuna]

Want to listen to oldies that no one else plays then tune into WKCE am 1120 Knoxville.They have a great morning show from 8 to 10 am east coast with Roger Morgan he takes requests and the DJ answers the phone. They run jockless the rest of the day. I love the station and listen on line in Calif. The format is oldies including an occasional country oldies tune. Is seems everything they play is from the fifties to the early to mid sixties.

WKCE calls itself "Midcentury Radio" and that is mostly what they play. The only thing I don't like about their playlist is the oddball Blues stuff. Fortunately they don't play much of that. You can tell just how old some of their stuff is by the clicks and noise from the recording.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

I remember hearing Barry Sadler's protest song while in Japan

Haha you're getting your Barrys mixed up... SSGT Barry Sadler had the #1 hit "Ballad of the Green Berets" (1966) definitely not a protest song; Barry McGuire's anti-war protest song was "Eve of Destruction" in the summer of '65 (Barry formerly was lead singer of the New Christy Minstrels)

 

[SuperRadioFan]

the only two albums I have ever bought where I liked virtually every song were Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms.

"Tea.." is one of my wife's favorite albums (not so much mine) and we always pop in the CD when driving on vacation. As to "Brothers In Arms", totally agree not a loser among all 10 tracks. Would be on my "Desert Island" list (if I'm allowed 10 LPs)

 

[landtuna]

Haha you're getting your Barrys mixed up... SSGT Barry Sadler had the #1 hit "Ballad of the Green Berets" (1966) definitely not a protest song; Barry McGuire's anti-war protest song was "Eve of Destruction" in the summer of '65 (Barry formerly was lead singer of the New Christy Minstrels)

You're right. Thanks for the correction. How could I mix up that gravelly voice of McGuire's?

 

[CTListener]

You're right. Thanks for the correction. How could I mix up that gravelly voice of McGuire's?

Especially for the thin, nondescript voice of Sergeant Sadler!

 

[landtuna]

Especially for the thin, nondescript voice of Sergeant Sadler!

Soldier first. Singer second.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

it would be hard to be Vietnam vet before the Beatles broke.

Maybe not.

From 38 USC 101:

(29) The term “Vietnam era” means the following:

(A) The period beginning on February 28, 1961, and ending on May 7, 1975, in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period.

(B) The period beginning on August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975, in all other cases.



Yes, I would agree the number of folks who qualify for Vietnam vet status by virtue of actually being in RVN between February 28, 1961 and August 4, 1964, would be rather low, compared to the numbers of folks who were on active duty from August 5 1964 to May 7, 1975.

Bear in mind, those who were in service in part (B) above, did not actually have to be in Vietnam.

In both cases, the individual had to be on active duty a minimum of 180 days to be eligible for veterans benefits.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Wonderful reminiscing there, Land Tuna. Thanks for sharing. It's Holiday time, and as such it's great experiencing nostalgia such as that.

I joined the Navy several years after you did, but never wound up in Nam. Thoroughly undistinguished E-3 hitch. Never served on a ship! It was all radio and Morse Code and short wave, with -- would you believe -- a stint at the Army base of Fort Bragg, doing the blips and beeps and teaching the stuff? At age 19 ? Lol.

* * * * * * *

My submission to this thread is mild compared to your fine contribution, but does speak somewhat of a form of culture-clash vis-a-vis oldies.
In 1967, for reasons I'm sure made sense at the time, I wound up listening almost exclusively to Countrypolitan 97 WJRZ. Good stuff ...... Don Gibson, Red Sovine, Loretta Lynn, Stonewall Jackson. I'm a rock and roll punk but I liked WJRZ's sound -- a Top 40 station with jingles and DJs, and which played cowboy records.

As a result, I thoroughly missed the ascent and the peak of one huge song. People at work were singing it for a while. I never heard the darned thing until it was off the charts of WMCA and WABC.
So to this day, the tune 'Windy' by the Association sounds newer and more fresh to me than any other 'oldie'

 

[landtuna]

So to this day, the tune 'Windy' by the Association sounds newer and more fresh to me than any other 'oldie'

In 1967 I took an old navy buddy and our wives to an Association concert at the venue right across the street from Disneyland. It was an awesome concert - one of the very best I ever attended. I don't know why that group doesn't get more Oldie exposure as they were vocally extraordinary.

P.S. My Marine son lived in Allentown until about one year ago when they bought a house out in Whitehall. Not as much gunfire out there he says.