Category: New York Top 40 Radio

“I know it’s America here… I’ve noticed.”

The Beatles flood continues. In a perfect world, when the Beatles arrived in the United States for the first time they would have been followed by a film crew. What’s that? They were?? Incredible!

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There’s a lot more footage available on YouTube, but here are ten interesting minutes I’ve edited, starting with their arrival on Friday, and ending when they left the Plaza Hotel suite on Sunday for CBS studios, and their famous appearance on Ed Sullivan’s variety show.

  • At the airport press conference John says “we need money first” before they can sing. Later, Paul and Ringo seem to have no recollection of John’s quip.
  • The reporters took the Beatles as a joke. It seems silly now that their hair was such a big deal.
  • The boys appeared excited seeing themselves on TV.
  • Walter Cronkite can be heard closing his CBS broadcast with news of the Beatles’ visit. Cronkite was one of the first American newscasters to feature the Beatles in 1963.
  • The boys seemed genuinely tired from jet lag, discussing the time difference and the prospect of going out later. A hard day’s night.
  • John really was very cutting when he felt he was suffering fools. Murray “the K” Kaufman, with his toupee, had no idea that “wacker” meant “a stupid person.”
  • “Cyn” is, of course, John’s wife Cynthia. She’s told to watch Channel 2 at 8.
  • John plays around with a mouth organ. Three years later, the tune would become the opening to “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
  • Love the Pepsi transistor radios.

Monty Python’s Boston Radio Connection

Another Monty Python Record

On January 1, 1967, an FCC ruling went into effect that required major market radio stations — those with an FM frequency that was simulcasting their AM signal — to broadcast alternative programming at least half the time on FM. What resulted was a sweeping change in the radio business. From the late 60’s into the early 70’s, there was a shift from singles played on AM, to albums on FM.

In a way, it was timely that my family moved from Connecticut to Massachusetts only a few weeks after Herb Oscar Anderson quit 77 WABC in September, 1968, because the times had indeed a’changed. (Note: HOA’s site auto-plays audio.) Anderson was still #1 in New York, but songs such as this one drove HOA away.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/JUL/Fire.mp3]

“Fire”, a top 10 hit on AM radio in Sept. ’68, was the first song I heard on WBCN-FM in Boston, which had switched formats from Classical to Underground music six months prior to my arrival in Massachusetts. Four years later, in 1972, I heard a record on WBCN that had a huge effect on me. This is exactly the point where I picked it up…

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2009/JUL/MontyPython.mp3]

… and after that bit I heard “The Argument Clinic” and I was hooked. Eric Idle’s Money song pre-dates the Euro, but it correctly predicted that “everyone must hanker for the butchness of a banker,” because that’s the world we had until last September.

That was the first time I encountered Monty Python, and I felt as though a bullet had hit me between my ears. I LOVED those guys. And I mean I LOVED them, like they were the Beatles. But I was lucky to have heard them, because ‘BCN was just about the only place where Python had a home in America at the time. There’s an excellent little documentary called “Monty Python Conquers America” that tells of WBCN’s role in paving the way for Python. I’ve stitched together the pertinent bits.

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I didn’t look all that different from that young DJ in the stock footage, and I know that Gates control console well from my own radio days, but it couldn’t have been BCN’s, because it’s monaural.

Something that isn’t pointed out is that before Monty Python, WBCN had played Firesign Theatre records, and I think those guys deserve credit for creating a new generation of comedy record fans. Not only that, Firesign Theatre albums were intricate and fully produced, as were the Python records, making them eminently re-listenable, like a Rock record.

Pet Pitches For Coca-Cola

It’s already been over a year since the PBS program The British Beat, hosted by Petula Clark, first aired. Take a look at this video clip I posted, and you’ll see what Comcast analog cable TV looked like, and why I switched to Verizon FiOS digital.

That show wasn’t the first time Pet had been paired, in a sense, with legendary New York DJ Bruce Morrow, aka: Cousin Brucie. Pet did some radio spots for Coca-Cola in the sixties, with Cousin Brucie doing the intro.

[flv:/Video/2008/APR/PetCocaCola.flv 440 330]

I know that Pet greatly admires the late Dusty Springfield, but as a kid I had a hard time recognizing Dusty’s new songs. Versatile to a fault, is how I would now describe her work. In this regard Springfield was similar to Bobby Darin.

Petula Clark, on the other hand, has a distinctive and immediately recognizable sound that’s all her own, whether she’s belting out a pop tune or a love song. She’s done it all, from small French cabaret performances to lavish Broadway productions. For myself, growing up when I did, Pet represents the same thing the Beatles do — the absolute finest in popular music.

Ivory and Ebony on WABC, 1962

I enjoyed doing an oldies post last Saturday night, so I’ll do another one tonight. On the audio player is a classic WABC Musicradio jingle, then two songs from the WABC chart for the week ending June 30, 1962. The first one is number 19, followed by number 20.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/FEB/WABCJingle.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/FEB/DrKildare.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/FEB/INeedYourLovin.mp3]

You must play the first song all the way through to get the full effect when the second song comes in. This is one of the best examples I’ve ever heard of the culture clash that was so unsettling to the White establishment of the time.

Being PETicular

Petula ClarkMy sister Jean has reminded me that it’s been a while since I’ve posted something about dear Petula Clark. Indeed! First, I would like to send you over to View Images to see a fabulous collection of over sixty Pet photos, some very early, and some very recent.

What a long and varied career Pet has had. She is so deserving of the title of Dame in the UK, but we’re still 100 shy of the 1000 mark for signatures on the PETition. I guess I’m not really entitled to say “we’re” because I can’t vote, not being a citizen or resident of the UK. There are only a couple more months to vote, folks! So please do it now. While you’re doing that you can listen to an audio interview with Pet, conducted for the U.S. Army in December, 1966, by disk jockey Harry Harrison, while he was with WMCA in New York. In ’68 Harrison jumped over to WABC to replace the departing Herb Oscar Anderson.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/PetArmy.mp3]

As a child, Petula sang for the British troops on BBC radio during World War II. She was famous for singing “Mighty Lak A Rose.” Later, as a young woman she sang it again. I’m not sure exactly when this recording was made.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/MightyLakARose.mp3]

And finally, I’ve a confession to make. I never wanted any of the Beatles to hold my hand. That’s why I’m glad Pet recorded her own version of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JAN/PetHoldHand.mp3]

Cousin Brucie on WABC Saturday Night Oldies

Cousin Brucie on WABC

Tonight I happened to catch a few minutes of the legendary disk jockey Bruce Morrow on WABC’s Saturday Night Oldies with Mark Simone. Cousin Brucie talks about meeting the Beatles.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/MAR07/CousinBrucie.mp3]

Bruce Morrow with Beatles

If you haven’t checked out my tribute to New York radio in the 60’s, click here. The picture above of Bruce Morrow interviewing the Beatles in 1965 is amusing, because the boys appeared bored and disinterested. Maybe they were stoned. Or perhaps they’d had their fill of New York DJ’s. Murray “The K” Kaufman had leveraged his contact with The Beatles during their first visit to shamelessly further his own career.