KFRC's annual top 100

[DougKUCI]

Wikipedia currently lists at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFRC_(defunct)#Annual_top_100 as:

"On new year's eve and new year's day, KFRC would count down the top 100 songs of the past year. Some of the number one songs, by year, were:

1967, Light my Fire, by the Doors.
1969, Sugar, Sugar, by the Archies.
1970, (They Long to Be) Close to You, by the Carpenters.
1971, It's Too Late, by Carole King.
1976, Silly Love Songs, by Paul McCartney and Wings. "

However, this is all from memory. Can anyone here confirm that this is correct? Can anyone recall their top song from any other years? Thanks. (Anyone can edit wikipedia, so this is subject to correction, and I hope, addition.)

 

[LKellerIII]

I can confirm that any self-respecting Top 40 station in that era "counted down" the Top X hits at the end of the year...the number was usually determined by the station's frequency. I didn't move to the Bay Area until 73, but I remember that KHJ had the Top (or "Boss") 93. KFRC undoubtedly did 100 because 610 is way too many and 61 isn't enough.

It seems ridiculous now, but Sugar,Sugar by the Archies was HUGE in 1969 - I know it was the top hit on the LA stations, so it stands to reason that it was #1 on KFRC too.

Close to You - The Carpenters were also huge. I believe it.

It's Too Latein 1971 is a good bet too - the song was a giant hit, and the Carole King album from which it came - Tapestry - stayed in the Top 100 for album sales for five years.

Editorial comment: If Silly Love Songs was the top hit in 1976, I have further validation for my decision to stop listening to Top 40 radio during the late 70s. A truly treacly song. At least Sugar Sugar was honest bubble gum music, and there were a lot of great rock songs on the Top list in 69.

We need Michael Hagerty to chime in with his encyclopedic knowledge of Top 40 radio and hit songs of that era.

 

[SFStatic]

As I recall, Tapestry was on the Top 100 Album Sales for 11 years. There was a photo of Carole King with a birthday cake about it in Billboard.

 

[1069_KIFR]

I unerstand that Milli Vanilli are/were the modern day Archies. Since the Archies lip-synched all of their songs, but yet no one complained. Although I do not believe the Archies ever won and accepted a Grammy!

 

[LKellerIII]

I unerstand that Milli Vanilli are/were the modern day Archies. Since the Archies lip-synched all of their songs, but yet no one complained. Although I do not believe the Archies ever won and accepted a Grammy!

I don't know if you can make a comparison. The Milli Vanilli controversy happened because they were lip-synching a song in a live show... either televised or in concert...not sure which. As I remember, Ashley Simpson caught grief when she lip-synched on SNL, which always features live singing.

In the 60s through the mid 70s, most second-tier and one-hit-wonder groups "performed" their hits primarily on TV dance party shows - shows like American Bandstand and Shindig! nationally, or any one of hundreds of local dance party shows. In LA in the 60s, there was Shebang! (Casey Kasem), Boss City (Sam Riddle - later the Real Don Steele) and Groovy! (Robert W. Morgan). You'll notice that one word show titles with exclamation points were very popular. There were probably equivalents to these shows in the Bay Area.

Songs on the dance party shows were ALWAYS lip-synched. I remember watching Kenny Rogers (and the First Edition) totally botch the lip-synch of Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town on Groovy! Kenny totally messed up his vocal...er...lip movements, then just shrugged into the camera half way through the song and stopped even trying.

Variety shows like Ed Sullivan or Hollywood Palace were different - the groups were expected to sing their vocals live.

 

[LKellerIII]

Couldn't resist. The Hues Corporation lip-synching Rock the Boat on The Real Don Steele Show circa 1974. Followed by Don's Hollywood gossip segment, and Gary Glitter lip-synching. Gotta love it, baby!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeQ5froOHOs

 

[michael hagerty]

The songs listed above are correct. Bobby Ocean's special hour "KFRC 1966-1986: The Making Of A Classic", which aired in February, 1986 (for KFRC's 20th anniversary as a Top 40), did a "timesweep" of the #1 songs for each of the 20 years...ran a minute or two.

I don't have the ability to play RealAudio on my work computer, otherwise I'd whip up the complete list (Bobby's special is on both Reelradio.com and the Bay Area Radio Museum)...but those songs I remember as being part of it.

As for the Archies and Carpenters...hey, they were hits. KFRC played the hits.

Some perspective: A guy who has a KGB tribute site also has an impressive list of KFRC Big 30 surveys online: http://www.ct30.com/kfrc/kfrc_index.html

 

[DougKUCI]

The songs listed above are correct. Bobby Ocean's special hour "KFRC 1966-1986: The Making Of A Classic", which aired in February, 1986 (for KFRC's 20th anniversary as a Top 40), did a "timesweep" of the #1 songs for each of the 20 years...ran a minute or two.

I don't have the ability to play RealAudio on my work computer, otherwise I'd whip up the complete list (Bobby's special is on both Reelradio.com and the Bay Area Radio Museum)...but those songs I remember as being part of it.

Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

So, you (and I) are correct about the list above. I'll post the rest here when I've finished typing it out.

 

[DougKUCI]

[Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

OK, I'll write up the rest later, but their first dozen number one songs, by year, were:

Year Song Arist
1965 Satisfaction The Rolling Stones
1966 I'm a Believer The Monkees
1967 Light my Fire the Doors
1968 Hey Jude the Beatles
1969 Sugar, Sugar the Archies
1970 (They Long to Be) Close to You the Carpenters
1971 It's Too Late Carole King
1972 Alone Again Naturally Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973 Superstitious Stevie Wonder
1974 Seasons in the Sun Terry Jacks
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille
1976 Silly Love Songs Paul McCartney and Wings

BTW, there is a great bit at the end of this segment, where KFRC is making their frequency available to ETs. I'm pretty sure the voice was the great Paul Frees (of Boris Badenov fame).

 

[LKellerIII]

[Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

OK, I'll write up the rest later, but their first dozen number one songs, by year, were:

Year Song Arist
1965 Satisfaction The Rolling Stones
1966 I'm a Believer The Monkees
1967 Light my Fire the Doors
1968 Hey Jude the Beatles
1969 Sugar, Sugar the Archies
1970 (They Long to Be) Close to You the Carpenters
1971 It's Too Late Carole King
1972 Alone Again Naturally Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973 Superstitious Stevie Wonder
1974 Seasons in the Sun Terry Jacks
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille
1976 Silly Love Songs Paul McCartney and Wings

BTW, there is a great bit at the end of this segment, where KFRC is making their frequency available to ETs. I'm pretty sure the voice was the great Paul Frees (of Boris Badenov fame).

Thanks for the list. DougKUCI. Again, I have to say thumbs down to hit music in the mid/late 70s. Seasons in the Sun and Silly Love Songs...ugh! As much as people made fun of Captain and Tenille Love Will Keep Us Together was actually a fun and listenable piece of fluff...until the 754th time you heard it. But then they did Muskrat Love...another depressing reminder of the late 70s.

That voice was indeed the great Paul Frees. Aside from doing voice work for Jay Ward (among others) and voice overs on many national campaigns, he lived in Marin County for many years and did a lot of local work in the Bay Area- Marine World/Africa USA, NewsCenter 4 (when KRON was a real TV station), and numerous others...including KFRC, obviously.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

[Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

OK, I'll write up the rest later, but their first dozen number one songs, by year, were:

Year Song Arist
1965 Satisfaction The Rolling Stones
1966 I'm a Believer The Monkees
1967 Light my Fire the Doors
1968 Hey Jude the Beatles
1969 Sugar, Sugar the Archies
1970 (They Long to Be) Close to You the Carpenters
1971 It's Too Late Carole King
1972 Alone Again Naturally Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973 Superstitious Stevie Wonder
1974 Seasons in the Sun Terry Jacks
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille
1976 Silly Love Songs Paul McCartney and Wings

BTW, there is a great bit at the end of this segment, where KFRC is making their frequency available to ETs. I'm pretty sure the voice was the great Paul Frees (of Boris Badenov fame).

Thanks for the list. DougKUCI. Again, I have to say thumbs down to hit music in the mid/late 70s. Seasons in the Sun and Silly Love Songs...ugh! As much as people made fun of Captain and Tenille Love Will Keep Us Together was actually a fun and listenable piece of fluff...until the 754th time you heard it. But then they did Muskrat Love...another depressing reminder of the late 70s.

That voice was indeed the great Paul Frees. Aside from doing voice work for Jay Ward (among others) and voice overs on many national campaigns, he lived in Marin County for many years and did a lot of local work in the Bay Area- Marine World/Africa USA, NewsCenter 4 (when KRON was a real TV station), and numerous others...including KFRC, obviously.

Paul Frees was really one of a kind. He did Orson Wells better than Wells himself. He was also a voice on many of the rides at Disneyland. However he's getting harder to find on those rides as they've updated them over the last 20 years. Incredible talent. I believe based on his use at KFRC he was also brought in for work at KHJ. There's an aircheck of Charlie Fox on the Boss 93 from 1980, might be on Reel Radio, I'm not sure, but Frees is the voice on the TOH ID and on the "Time Machine" stager, he was awesome.

 

[michael hagerty]

Les Garland (PD of KFRC at the time) won a Clio award for the Close Encounters promo...brilliantly voiced by Frees...which included "eight seconds of radio silence to extend our frequency...for possible communication from extra-terrestrial beings".

If you've never heard it, you'll probably laugh reading about it. But I heard it for the first time on a dark night in Northern California on a lonely highway...and I gotta tell you, it was awesome.

As for Frees, Bryan's right. In fact, as Orson got older and more difficult to deal with, casting directors who wanted Orson Wells went straight to Paul.

And yes, Bryan...the Charlie Fox KHJ 1980 aircheck is on Reelradio. Paul did two versions of the TOH. In both, he says "The Rhythm of Southern California" and the jingle singers come in with "93/KHJ". Then, in one version, the jingle singers finish with "Los Angeles". But the killer is the second version, where Frees dials down a notch and says "Los Angeles" himself. The hair on the back of my neck still stands up when I hear that one...and it's been (ack!) 30 years.

 

[LKellerIII]

Regarding Paul Frees and his Orson Welles quality: I used to wonder how he got away with it. I remember as far back as the 70s (60s maybe), there were legal controversies because celebrities understandably took exception to radio commercials that used their 'voice' when they weren't being renumerated. After that time, there would always be an announcer's tag on the commercial that said "celebrity voices impersonated."

Frees' would have probably said he wasn't doing an impersonation, but it certainly came close to the line. Though his natural voice was similar to Welles, you could tell he was purposely copying Orson's unique phrasing and pacing. I still remember part of one of his Marine World/Africa USA commercials from the late 70s or early 80s - when MW was still in Redwood Shores, where Oracle is today. Frees was using his best dramatic Welles voice:

Singers: Here come the thrills...

Frees: Straight down your spine...

Singers: Here come the spills...

Frees: To jangle your nerves...

Unfortunately, I can't remember the rest, but it was a classic radio commercial.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Segueing off Paul Frees for one moment...

According to this ad in Billboard, #1 on KFRC in 1967 was:

http://bayarearadio.org/kfrc/dox/KFRC_1967_Billboard-Ad.png

 

[BossRadioDJ]

As for Frees, Bryan's right. In fact, as Orson got older and more difficult to deal with, casting directors who wanted Orson Wells went straight to Paul.

I understand, from talking to one of Paul Frees' neighbors (a wonderful fellow who still resides a few magnificent houses down from the old Frees place on the edge of the hill overlooking Tiburon), that Frees was not always a sweetheart to deal with, either.

On the museum website, a 1984 interview with Paul Frees on KCBS (scroll down to "1984"):

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kcbs/index.shtml

And, on our Big 610 page, the "Close Encounters" spot, as part of the Fred Magazine Limited Edition Aircheck (scroll down to "1978"):

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kfrc/

 

[LKellerIII]

As for Frees, Bryan's right. In fact, as Orson got older and more difficult to deal with, casting directors who wanted Orson Wells went straight to Paul.

I understand, from talking to one of Paul Frees' neighbors (a wonderful fellow who still resides a few magnificent houses down from the old Frees place on the edge of the hill overlooking Tiburon), that Frees was not always a sweetheart to deal with, either.

On the museum website, a 1984 interview with Paul Frees on KCBS (scroll down to "1984"):

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kcbs/index.shtml

And, on our Big 610 page, the "Close Encounters" spot, as part of the Fred Magazine Limited Edition Aircheck (scroll down to "1978"):

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kfrc/

I've said this before on some thread, I think, so skip this if I'm being boring. My father was an animator working for Jay Ward in the 60s. One of his favorite things was attending the voice-recording sessions, even though it had nothing to do with his job, really. He would bring home stories of the antics of Frees, William Conrad, June Foray, Daws Butler, and Hans Conreid, among others. These sessions were usually followed by alcohol-soaked 3 martini lunches. My father thought Paul Frees was a great guy. In my memory, Conrad was the prickly one, though he was also a major practical joker.

 

[michael hagerty]

Just for grins, I dug up the Billboard #1 songs of the year for the same time period. Here's what they had:

1965: Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs: Wooly Bully (Satisfaction was #3)

1966: Ssgt. Barry Sadler: The Ballad of The Green Berets (KFRC may have meant "Last Train To Clarksville"...I'm A Believer was #5 in 1967)

1967: Lulu: To Sir With Love (Light My Fire was #6)

1968: Beatles: Hey Jude (agreement with KFRC)

1969: Archies: Sugar Sugar (agreement with KFRC)

1970: Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water (Close To You was #2)

1971: Three Dog Night: Joy To The World (It's Too Late was #3)

1972: Roberta Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Alone Again Naturally was #2)

1973: Tony Orlando & Dawn: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree (Superstition was #26)

1974: Barbra Streisand: The Way We Were (Seasons In The Sun was #2)

1975: Captain & Tenille: Love Will Keep Us Together (agreement with KFRC)

1976: Paul McCartney & Wings: Silly Love Songs (agreement with KFRC)

[Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

OK, I'll write up the rest later, but their first dozen number one songs, by year, were:

Year Song Arist
1965 Satisfaction The Rolling Stones
1966 I'm a Believer The Monkees
1967 Light my Fire the Doors
1968 Hey Jude the Beatles
1969 Sugar, Sugar the Archies
1970 (They Long to Be) Close to You the Carpenters
1971 It's Too Late Carole King
1972 Alone Again Naturally Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973 Superstitious Stevie Wonder
1974 Seasons in the Sun Terry Jacks
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille
1976 Silly Love Songs Paul McCartney and Wings

BTW, there is a great bit at the end of this segment, where KFRC is making their frequency available to ETs. I'm pretty sure the voice was the great Paul Frees (of Boris Badenov fame).

 

[DougKUCI]

Just for grins, I dug up the Billboard #1 songs of the year for the same time period. Here's what they had:

Thanks, Michael. Thanks also for the correction to the title of Stevie Wonder's song. Here's the rest of the list:

Year Song Arist
1977 Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song) Fleetwood Mac
1978 Night Fever the Bee Gees
1979 The Logical Song Supertramp
1980 Call Me Blondie
1981 Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes
1982 I Love Rock and Roll Joan Jett
1983 Every Breath You Take the Police
1984 Jump Van Halen
1985 The Power of Love Huey Lewis and the News

And thanks Lew for the Paul Frees anecdotes. I'm a big R&B fan and have not read this from you before.

 

[GeorgeJ.]

KFRC was probably the only station in the country that was still printing Top 100s of the year in the 80's....and usually a classy looking list too.

I expect that the last list of any kind that came out of KFRC was the Top 610 of All Time from February 1986 that ran during the KFRC 20 Year DJ Reunion over the Valentine's Day weekend in 1986. #1 song of all-time according to that list was Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones. #160, Shout - The Isley Brothers.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Just for grins, I dug up the Billboard #1 songs of the year for the same time period. Here's what they had:

1965: Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs: Wooly Bully (Satisfaction was #3)

1966: Ssgt. Barry Sadler: The Ballad of The Green Berets (KFRC may have meant "Last Train To Clarksville"...I'm A Believer was #5 in 1967)

1967: Lulu: To Sir With Love (Light My Fire was #6)

1968: Beatles: Hey Jude (agreement with KFRC)

1969: Archies: Sugar Sugar (agreement with KFRC)

1970: Simon & Garfunkel: Bridge Over Troubled Water (Close To You was #2)

1971: Three Dog Night: Joy To The World (It's Too Late was #3)

1972: Roberta Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Alone Again Naturally was #2)

1973: Tony Orlando & Dawn: Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree (Superstition was #26)

1974: Barbra Streisand: The Way We Were (Seasons In The Sun was #2)

1975: Captain & Tenille: Love Will Keep Us Together (agreement with KFRC)

1976: Paul McCartney & Wings: Silly Love Songs (agreement with KFRC)

[Thanks, Michael! The timesweep is at the beginning of the second segment of the show, which is at:
http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/kfrc/1986/KFRC%20-%20The%20Making%20of%20a%20Classic%20(2).mp3

OK, I'll write up the rest later, but their first dozen number one songs, by year, were:

Year Song Arist
1965 Satisfaction The Rolling Stones
1966 I'm a Believer The Monkees
1967 Light my Fire the Doors
1968 Hey Jude the Beatles
1969 Sugar, Sugar the Archies
1970 (They Long to Be) Close to You the Carpenters
1971 It's Too Late Carole King
1972 Alone Again Naturally Gilbert O'Sullivan
1973 Superstitious Stevie Wonder
1974 Seasons in the Sun Terry Jacks
1975 Love Will Keep Us Together Captain and Tennille
1976 Silly Love Songs Paul McCartney and Wings

BTW, there is a great bit at the end of this segment, where KFRC is making their frequency available to ETs. I'm pretty sure the voice was the great Paul Frees (of Boris Badenov fame).

I can't resist:

1986 Magic Moments-- Perry Como or Dione and Friends-- That's What Friends Are For.

I miss 99.7 KFRC before 2005...and of course the old 610....Wah....

Okay, mow I feel better and am over it.