Y
yourmom
Guest
does anyone know where one can get a copy of the History of Rock n Roll that KFRC is airing this Presidents Weekend. It is terrific.
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The History of Rock and Roll was still running yesterday afternoon (Tuesday), so perhaps it is not so abridged after all. I believe the narrator is Bill Drake, himself. If I remember correctly, the original version was first aired in 1969 or 1970, with Robert W. Morgan as narrator.
Some of what I heard over the weekend covered the rock scene in the mid and late 70s. I think the "rockumentary" was updated by Drake in the 80s.
A competing rockumentary, originally produced around the same time at KRLA (competitor to Drake's KHJ) was "The Pop Chronicles" written, produced, and narrated by John Gilliland (KSFO in the mid and late 70s). It's also terrific, and could be considered a more intellectual version of the History of R&R. But I don't think it has been aired in a couple of decades.
Some of what I heard over the weekend covered the rock scene in the mid and late 70s. I think the "rockumentary" was updated by Drake in the 80s.
A competing rockumentary, originally produced around the same time at KRLA (competitor to Drake's KHJ) was "The Pop Chronicles" written, produced, and narrated by John Gilliland (KSFO in the mid and late 70s). It's also terrific, and could be considered a more intellectual version of the History of R&R. But I don't think it has been aired in a couple of decades.
Lkeller said:
The original version of HRR aired in 1969 from noon on February 21 to 5 p.m. on February 23 on 93/KHJ. It was produced by Ron Jacobs and narrated by Bill Drake and Robert W. Morgan, and was subsequently syndicated by American Independent Radio (AIR), beginning in March 1969.
The complete revised version of HRR was narrated by Humble Harve (Harvey Miller) in the early 1970s. This version, which is occasionally available on bootleg CD on Ebay, was the one that many Top 40 stations -- and the RKO-General stations particularly -- played throughout the 1970s.
Uncle Ricky has the AIR demo on Reel Radio at http://reelradio.com/ricky/horr.html
There is conflicting info about the original recording. In the Reel Radio comments, Charlie Van Dyke says: "Marc Elliott and I were the narrators for the version aired on CKLW and KFRC. The way it worked was that each station recorded their own (to get call letters in). Scripts and audio elements came in daily by 'Special Delivery' from LA."
(Michael Hagerty, if you're out there, could you please provide clarification?)
John Gilliland's "Pop Chronicles" was covered in detail on this board previously. I realize now that one (or the other) was an attempt to trump the other one (or the other). I have the complete "The Pop Chronicles: The Fifties" and most (if not all) of "TPC: The Forties" on reel-to-reel, and Gilliland's archives are at the University of North Texas.
Segments of TPC may sampled on the radio museum website at http://tinyurl.com/2a6m2j
D.J.
I still feel that there is something going on. I can take a special holiday weekend programming. But to run an encore, what about the other on-air personalities? Are they forced to take a vacation or have they been shown the door? When this 'encore' ends, will we hear a tweaked format, with or with out (replaced) air-personalities? Something just dosen't feel right......
1069_KIFR said:
From the other KFRC thread:
The "Powers that Be" at KFRC are making changes!
When the "History of R&R" ends on Friday, we'll (supposedly) notice:
- more 60's
- more 70's pop
- less of a "classic rock" sound
BossRadioDJ said: "John Gilliland's "Pop Chronicles" was covered in detail on this board previously. I realize now that one (or the other) was an attempt to trump the other one (or the other). I have the complete "The Pop Chronicles: The Fifties" and most (if not all) of "TPC: The Forties" on reel-to-reel, and Gilliland's archives are at the University of North Texas. Segments of TPC may sampled on the radio museum website at http://tinyurl.com/2a6m2j"
Thanks for that background, DJ. As a Top 40 radio junkie growing up in LA, I can confirm that you are correct about the competition between the 2 rockumentaries. KRLA had been top rated until Boss Radio came along in 65, and was generally the deer caught in KHJ's headlights in terms of programming and ratings. But by 1969, KRLA was counter-programming KHJ with some compelling programming, including free-form album rock after dark, some very good DJs, and the Credibility Gap satirical news program with Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and John Gilliland, among others.
So for a couple of years, there was serious competition between the 2 stations. Though TPC was Gilliland's production, I'm sure he used KRLA's production facilities. I remember that he used a number of fellow Credibility Gap players for narration, so I assume it was produced on KRLA's dime. I remember listening to both HRR and TPC during most of my waking hours, but I can't remember which one had bragging rights to going on air first.
Thanks for that background, DJ. As a Top 40 radio junkie growing up in LA, I can confirm that you are correct about the competition between the 2 rockumentaries. KRLA had been top rated until Boss Radio came along in 65, and was generally the deer caught in KHJ's headlights in terms of programming and ratings. But by 1969, KRLA was counter-programming KHJ with some compelling programming, including free-form album rock after dark, some very good DJs, and the Credibility Gap satirical news program with Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and John Gilliland, among others.
So for a couple of years, there was serious competition between the 2 stations. Though TPC was Gilliland's production, I'm sure he used KRLA's production facilities. I remember that he used a number of fellow Credibility Gap players for narration, so I assume it was produced on KRLA's dime. I remember listening to both HRR and TPC during most of my waking hours, but I can't remember which one had bragging rights to going on air first.
D.J.:
Just talked to Charlie. He says that Marc (then using the air name "Ed Mitchelll") did the folk-music hours, and Charlie did the rest.
As for the mechanics of it, the raw material and scripts would arrive each day from Los Angeles. It wasn't a backing track...it was a stack of tapes, records and scripts that then had to be stacked and played in the correct order.
Charlie and Marc recorded each of the hours just as if they were doing the show live...if they got a line wrong, or stepped on a vocal, the hour got started over.
In the script, there were several call-letter mentions ("the KHJ rockumentary", "Ahmet Ertegun tells KHJ"). Charlie says when they recorded their version of the show, two tape recorders were rolling. Any segment with call letters was read twice...once as "KFRC" and once as "CKLW". One of those segments was edited out of each tape before airing, so KFRC and CKLW got their calls and only their calls.
And they did this....48 times.
---Michael Hagerty
F
Fastphilly
Guest
BnRinBayArea said:
This is closely familiar with "style" they had on 99.7 before their classic hits phase...I can only hear so many Beatles,Motown,Eagles,Elton John in a day before it gets played out...I can remeber those days of sticking with "core" or "safe artists" to ensure ratings...obviously it did'nt work......
I think it was fine the way it is...Allthough I think their early 80's selections (which they say they cover in their format) is lackluster and limited to say the least...
As one who owns a CD version from the master of the Bill Drake narrated version of the HRR, it was cut to 36 hours The set I got two years ago cam from then KEN R.'s former jingle company in Toledo, just prior to his going into retirement.
From correspondence, Ken sold out of the 300 copies of the stereo series that was sold for several hundred dollars each. Here's the listing of the 1981 version narrated by Bill Drake:
I have an original reel-to-reel of a studio dub of the Robert W. Morgan KHJ promos for the HRR.
Here's the run-down list of the 36 hours that were offered for sale:
http://www.oldradioshows.com/network/hor&r81.html
From correspondence, Ken sold out of the 300 copies of the stereo series that was sold for several hundred dollars each. Here's the listing of the 1981 version narrated by Bill Drake:
I have an original reel-to-reel of a studio dub of the Robert W. Morgan KHJ promos for the HRR.
Here's the run-down list of the 36 hours that were offered for sale:
http://www.oldradioshows.com/network/hor&r81.html
DavidKaye said:
David: No. That was the original done in 1969. KFRC is running the syndicated version from 1981 voiced by Bill Drake.
As I think was outlined here, the original 48 hour version in 1969 was voiced by Robert W. Morgan for KHJ and Charlie Van Dyke with Marc Elliott for KFRC and CKLW.
In late 1970, an updated version was produced, to reflect the breakup of the Beatles, Woodstock and other major events in rock and roll that had occurred since February, 1969. It ran 52 hours. Robert W. Morgan had left RKO's employ for WIND, Chicago, so Humble Harve Miller voiced that version, which was carried on the RKO stations and syndicated to non-RKO outlets by Drake's AIR (American Independent Radio), later and better known as Drake-Chenault.
By mid-1971, Harve was no longer employed by RKO, and by mid-1973, neither were Bill Drake and Gene Chenault. The History of Rock and Roll faded into radio history until 1978, when Bill Drake voiced a new version condensing older and by then more marginal aspects of rock to allow for the addition of 8 years worth of new musical trends. It was syndicated through Drake-Chenault for a few years, with the final update in 1981.
That version lay on the shelf until the mid-90s, when FM oldies stations hit their stride and were fine with a special that started with Elvis and ended in 1981. That's the one KFRC is running now.
---Michael Hagerty
I heard Jay Coffey on with HRR yesterday, The air people are running the show like board ops, and doing
spots and traffic reports etc. I did hear Jay say to go to their Web Site, I believe the line was somthing like
"We want to know your 3 favorite songs because we are building a new KFRC"
So I guess the one that was built in August of 07' is ready to be remodled or torn down???
Now, I have got to think that with Masons recent visit to SF that perhaps it's steller lack of success may have come up. (Ya Think!) And with the KRTH and WCBS good numbers in his hands, I have to believe that "Fix It" may have come up in the conversation...And "Here's what they did, and it's what you should do" perhaps was said. But I'm just guessing.
Let's hope they fix it, or at least improve some of the elements, however this CBS SF group tends to reshuffle the same HAND and not the DECK...BUT, still expects to get different results...So nothing may happen at all.
Lot's of nice folks over there...But with an 0.9 even nice folks should be embarassed. Now being a market vet I should remind you if they change nothing, but say, the music... By expanding it a bit, and the numbers are still bad, Then here is what we'll hear next as an excuse.
A's Baseball...
So Lets hope they win the division, the pennant and the WS...Because then, everyone at CBS-SF will be a programing superstar.
See, I told you there was nothing wrong with 106.9!
spots and traffic reports etc. I did hear Jay say to go to their Web Site, I believe the line was somthing like
"We want to know your 3 favorite songs because we are building a new KFRC"
So I guess the one that was built in August of 07' is ready to be remodled or torn down???
Now, I have got to think that with Masons recent visit to SF that perhaps it's steller lack of success may have come up. (Ya Think!) And with the KRTH and WCBS good numbers in his hands, I have to believe that "Fix It" may have come up in the conversation...And "Here's what they did, and it's what you should do" perhaps was said. But I'm just guessing.
Let's hope they fix it, or at least improve some of the elements, however this CBS SF group tends to reshuffle the same HAND and not the DECK...BUT, still expects to get different results...So nothing may happen at all.
Lot's of nice folks over there...But with an 0.9 even nice folks should be embarassed. Now being a market vet I should remind you if they change nothing, but say, the music... By expanding it a bit, and the numbers are still bad, Then here is what we'll hear next as an excuse.
A's Baseball...
So Lets hope they win the division, the pennant and the WS...Because then, everyone at CBS-SF will be a programing superstar.
See, I told you there was nothing wrong with 106.9!
michael hagerty said:
Dang! To me it doesn't sound like Bill Drake, either. I remember reading that this version is about a 95% new production, and is the most historically accurate version as well. I also remember reading that the producer of this newer version met with Bill Drake and asked him to narrate it; apparently he had wanted to, but was maybe too shy to suggest it?
It's quite a labor when you think of it. Even those most of those 52 hours (or 52 chunks of 52 minutes) is music, still there's a whale of a lot of writing and research that went into the production.
F
Fastphilly
Guest
This show rocks!!! I heard this once before (sometime in 1989 on a non-KFRC, and then again on KFRC sometime in the late nineties)....This time I'm taping!! And when I'm at work, my little brother is on tape duties..lol
Is the show the original analog recording? These songs sound fantastic , a good natural sound compared with the MP3's and the digitally remastered stuff they still call original these days that sound "too clean"..
Is the show the original analog recording? These songs sound fantastic , a good natural sound compared with the MP3's and the digitally remastered stuff they still call original these days that sound "too clean"..
R
radiogurl45
Guest
just a small note, KFRC is leaving out about 4 hours of the version they are airing. That includes the hour about folk music and John Denver. Can't remember what the other hours included
Jay Coffey identified the narrator as Bill Drake. Is Drake still alive?
Bill's very much alive...retired and in Los Angeles.
---Michael Hagerty
---Michael Hagerty
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