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Radio ... 1970 and now ... trippin' out in Tony Boy's Wayback Machine

P

Phantom

Guest
Do you think radio was better in 1970 than it is now?

Numerous times I have mentioned Lee "Baby" Simms on this and other boards.

And listening to his 1970 aircheck from KCBQ (the Heavy Eleven Seventy) convinces me that radio in 1970 was better ... or certainly more interesting.

Style, pacing, personality, variety of music, etc.

What happened to albums? :)

Listen to him talk up to the vocal on "The Wind" by Jimi Hendrix (20:15 into the aircheck) -- great stuff.

www.reelradio.com

type in simms in the search box, then click KCBQ 1970 ...

Mine is certainly a subjective opinion but certainly top-40 is different now.

The question is: Is it better?

Lee told me that everytime he went into a radio station, he tried to be the best DJ he could possibly be. Lee, obviously, was never a liner or a Drake jock, and he had to work at stations that gave him the freedom to be himself.

Do people give it their best today?

I don't think they have the freedom.

What do you think?

Who, what, when, where, why and how?

Journalism 101 :).

P.S. Hey, check out the winner and the wife of the winner, "Honey", of the "High-Low" contest ... right after "The Baby's" "spaceout" ... (11:45 into the aircheck).

Wonder if Dave and "Honey" are still married after 35 years? I hope so.

"Honey" does have an unusual voice :).

"If I had a LOT of money, I would be a philanthropist ... I think" ... Lee "Baby" Simms (15:17 into aircheck)

Tony <P ID="signature">______________
Tony Lyndell Williams</P>
 
Tony,
that's a good set of questions.

I don't know if radio is any better or worse since
1970. The on-air style has changed quite a bit.

Most jocks today couldn't do the shows we heard
back then -- it took alot of prep time, timing
itself and management who would allow that style
of disc jockey -- more of a personality than just
the people on air pushing the F8 button.

It's a time long gone in our business.
Good thing someone recorded it for us.
 
> Do you think radio was better in 1970 than it is now?
>
> And listening to his 1970 aircheck from KCBQ (the Heavy
> Eleven Seventy) convinces me that radio in 1970 was better
> ... or certainly more interesting.
>
> Style, pacing, personality, variety of music, etc.
>
> Listen to him talk up to the vocal on "The Wind" by Jimi
> Hendrix (20:15 into the aircheck) -- great stuff.
>

Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be summarily shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!


JMHO
 
> Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be summarily
> shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!
>


Typical Pod-Head.....
 
> > Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be summarily
>
> > shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!
> >
>
>
> Typical Pod-Head.....
>


I'll take that as a compliment. Talking while a song is beginning is lame. How that is supposed to be "cool" is beyond me.


JMHO
 
> I'll take that as a compliment. Talking while a song is
> beginning is lame. How that is supposed to be "cool" is
> beyond me.


Watch it -- your age is showing...or is it mine?
 
> Tony,
> that's a good set of questions.
>
> I don't know if radio is any better or worse since
> 1970. The on-air style has changed quite a bit.
>
> Most jocks today couldn't do the shows we heard
> back then -- it took alot of prep time, timing
> itself and management who would allow that style
> of disc jockey -- more of a personality than just
> the people on air pushing the F8 button.
>
> It's a time long gone in our business.
> Good thing someone recorded it for us.
>
Radio was more enjoyable to listen to back then,and certainly more enjoyable to work in. Radio had content that contained thought,preperation,entertainment, and importantly individualism. Listeners actually heard requests played,not "banked calls". The music fit the region,"not one size fits all". The disc jockeys had talent overall back then,not a warm body reading liners when the mike was open. Promotions were "larger than life" not just an appearance at some car dealership.
Disc jockeys were allowed to develop their own characterisitics,not assembly line blandness that is heard all too often today. Finally the station served the community of its license not a board room of real estate agents and stock brokers.
 
> > Tony,
> > that's a good set of questions.
> >
> > I don't know if radio is any better or worse since
> > 1970. The on-air style has changed quite a bit.
> >
> > Most jocks today couldn't do the shows we heard
> > back then -- it took alot of prep time, timing
> > itself and management who would allow that style
> > of disc jockey -- more of a personality than just
> > the people on air pushing the F8 button.
> >
> > It's a time long gone in our business.
> > Good thing someone recorded it for us.
> >
> Radio was more enjoyable to listen to back then,and
> certainly more enjoyable to work in. Radio had content that
> contained thought,preperation,entertainment, and importantly
> individualism. Listeners actaully heard requests played,not
> "banked calls". The music fit the region,"not one size fits
> all". The disc jockeys had talent overall back then,not a
> warm body reading liners when the mike was open. Promotions
> were "larger than life" not just an appearance at some car
> dealership.
> Disc jockeys were allowed to develope their own
> characterisitics,not assembly line blandness that is heard
> all too often today. Finally the station served the
> community of its license not a board room of real estate
> ageants and stock brokers.
>
Good points. Then radio=an effort at doing a good job. Now=
prep means just showing up and preventing too much dead air between commercials. There's more but no use in overstating the obvious.

Praise for the talented few who give a hoot but are always run off, only to be replaced by low pay, nothing happening personnel who don't care, don't know, and don't care to know.
 
Talking over a song's intro ...

> > Do you think radio was better in 1970 than it is now?
> >
> > And listening to his 1970 aircheck from KCBQ (the Heavy
> > Eleven Seventy) convinces me that radio in 1970 was better
>
> > ... or certainly more interesting.
> >
> > Style, pacing, personality, variety of music, etc.
> >
> > Listen to him talk up to the vocal on "The Wind" by Jimi
> > Hendrix (20:15 into the aircheck) -- great stuff.
> >
>
> Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be summarily
> shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!
>
>
> JMHO


Well, although KCBQ played the hits and a lot of album cuts, its presentation was pure top-40 with personality.

One question: Did you listen to how he introduced "The Wind"? Imaginative ... creative with style. In a nutshell, that intro is Lee "Baby" Simms.

All I would ask is just listen to it before you judge it.

But I agree, much of the time, the DJ has absolutely nothing to say.

If that is the case, he or she should shut up.

Tony


<P ID="signature">______________
Tony Lyndell Williams</P>
 
Show prep ... Charlie Tuna ...

> Tony,
> that's a good set of questions.
>
> I don't know if radio is any better or worse since
> 1970. The on-air style has changed quite a bit.
>
> Most jocks today couldn't do the shows we heard
> back then -- it took alot of prep time, timing
> itself and management who would allow that style
> of disc jockey -- more of a personality than just
> the people on air pushing the F8 button.
>
> It's a time long gone in our business.
> Good thing someone recorded it for us.


From people I know, my understanding is that Charlie Tuna in LA still devotes hours to show prep. And Charlie is in his 60s now, I believe.

At KHJ, I heard that he used notecards and wrote out everything ... in and out of songs ... "ad libs" ... everything.

That is hard work. But of course, Tuna is one of the best. In fact, in a vote on the LA board, Tuna was voted THE best ... KHJ, KROQ, KRLA, and many other stops.

As a kid, I observed Tuna at KOMA in Oklahoma City. The guy was prepared for EVERY stop set. Check out his airchecks from that era from California Airchecks. Just amazing ...

Tony <P ID="signature">______________
Tony Lyndell Williams</P>
 
"Cool"

> > > Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be
> summarily
> >
> > > shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!
> > >
> >
> >
> > Typical Pod-Head.....
> >
>
>
> I'll take that as a compliment. Talking while a song is
> beginning is lame. How that is supposed to be "cool" is
> beyond me.
>
>
> JMHO


Well, it takes timing and skill as well as familiarity with the music.

JMHO :)

Tony<P ID="signature">______________
Tony Lyndell Williams</P>
 
Community of license ... comments are right on the money ...

> > Tony,
> > that's a good set of questions.
> >
> > I don't know if radio is any better or worse since
> > 1970. The on-air style has changed quite a bit.
> >
> > Most jocks today couldn't do the shows we heard
> > back then -- it took alot of prep time, timing
> > itself and management who would allow that style
> > of disc jockey -- more of a personality than just
> > the people on air pushing the F8 button.
> >
> > It's a time long gone in our business.
> > Good thing someone recorded it for us.
> >
> Radio was more enjoyable to listen to back then,and
> certainly more enjoyable to work in. Radio had content that
> contained thought,preperation,entertainment, and importantly
> individualism. Listeners actually heard requests played,not
> "banked calls". The music fit the region,"not one size fits
> all". The disc jockeys had talent overall back then,not a
> warm body reading liners when the mike was open. Promotions
> were "larger than life" not just an appearance at some car
> dealership.
> Disc jockeys were allowed to develop their own
> characterisitics,not assembly line blandness that is heard
> all too often today. Finally the station served the
> community of its license not a board room of real estate
> agents and stock brokers.


I agree with EVERY sentence especially the last one -- serve the local community.

How many rimshot or airball stations try to serve Dallas now instead of the communities of license?

Gee whiz, there are plenty of stations serving Dallas. How 'bout serving the smaller communities?

Great points ...
<P ID="signature">______________
Tony Lyndell Williams</P>
 
Just turned my Radio friend on to Lee Baby Simms at KCBQ, and he loved it! Thanks for keeping Lee Baby alive!

> Do you think radio was better in 1970 than it is now?
>
> Numerous times I have mentioned Lee "Baby" Simms on this and
> other boards.
>
> And listening to his 1970 aircheck from KCBQ (the Heavy
> Eleven Seventy) convinces me that radio in 1970 was better
> ... or certainly more interesting.
>
> Style, pacing, personality, variety of music, etc.
>
> What happened to albums? :)
>
> Listen to him talk up to the vocal on "The Wind" by Jimi
> Hendrix (20:15 into the aircheck) -- great stuff.
>
> www.reelradio.com
>
> type in simms in the search box, then click KCBQ 1970 ...
>
> Mine is certainly a subjective opinion but certainly top-40
> is different now.
>
> The question is: Is it better?
>
> Lee told me that everytime he went into a radio station, he
> tried to be the best DJ he could possibly be. Lee,
> obviously, was never a liner or a Drake jock, and he had to
> work at stations that gave him the freedom to be himself.
>
> Do people give it their best today?
>
> I don't think they have the freedom.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Who, what, when, where, why and how?
>
> Journalism 101 :).
>
> P.S. Hey, check out the winner and the wife of the winner,
> "Honey", of the "High-Low" contest ... right after "The
> Baby's" "spaceout" ... (11:45 into the aircheck).
>
> Wonder if Dave and "Honey" are still married after 35 years?
> I hope so.
>
> "Honey" does have an unusual voice :).
>
> "If I had a LOT of money, I would be a philanthropist ... I
> think" ... Lee "Baby" Simms (15:17 into aircheck)
>
> Tony
>
 
> > > Anyone who talks over a Hendrix song needs to be
> summarily
> >
> > > shot! I'll stick to my iPod, thank you!
> > >
> >
> >
> > Typical Pod-Head.....
> >
>
>
> I'll take that as a compliment. Talking while a song is
> beginning is lame. How that is supposed to be "cool" is
> beyond me.
>
>
> JMHO
>
Today's "ProfessionaL" CC Classic Rock Radio stations regularly talk over the ending of songs..... But... some omgs best parts are the very ends.... but to no avail.... as CC personel are trained to see -ALL- songs as equal.... -ALL- having the same "uminportant" endings.....
Which to me... unverifies their so-called credibility every time....<P ID="signature">______________
1968-1978 -- THE "GOLDEN AGE" OF ALBUM ROCK MUSIC . . .
In spite of Disco and Top 40 in that period,
it yielded the "Motherload" of Great Album Rock Releases
--Enough for a Lifetime-- :) :) :)</P>
 
> Do you think radio was better in 1970 than it is now?
>
I think that FM radio was waaaaaaaaaaay better than it is now, or has been for mannnnnnnnny years now.

I remember one late night (after 2am) on Q102 in the late 70's, when the DJ was playing a bit from a Ceech & Chong comedy record. At a certain point in the Cheech & Chong comedy bit, the DJ cut in with a segemnt from the Live version of Led Zeppelin's 20 minute "Dazed And Confused".... somewhere in the middle section....

Now that was cool, and kind of blew you away.

Not when I was 20, or 30, or even now at 50..... do I appreciate the lowest common denominator formula of playing the same 'ol small selection of tunes.
That is the antithesis of what I --ever-- listened to radio for.

Obviously I am not going to change.... And I will wait for the radio landscape t change some way or the other to accomodate my tastes..... which are not that exclusive, except when you are talking about the same 'ol songs.<P ID="signature">______________
1968-1978 -- THE "GOLDEN AGE" OF ALBUM ROCK MUSIC . . .
In spite of Disco and Top 40 in that period,
it yielded the "Motherload" of Great Album Rock Releases
--Enough for a Lifetime-- :) :) :)</P>
 
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