Jim Stagg - WCFL Chicago - Friday, March 18, 1966

Jim Stagg was the "afternoon drive" (the station's high-profile 3 to 6 p.m. slot) disc jockey at Chicago's Voice of Labor, WCFL. He interviewed nearly every major rock star of the 1960s, including Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, The Monkees, and Simon & Garfunkel.

Stagg eschewed the flashy theatrics of other Top-40 radio hosts in favor a straightforward rock and roll show that kept the focus on the music.

Stagg rose to program director at WCFL - where he authorized the station to play The Beatles' controversial Ballad of John and Yoko.

Melvin X. Melvin - WMEX Boston - Sunday, January 31, 1965

A number of different announcers filled the shoes of Melvin X. Melvin on 1510 WMEX Boston through the years. The man behind this aircheck is J.J. Jeffrey, later of WLS in Chicago.

George Oxford - KDIA San Francisco - Friday, February 22, 1963

You may be familiar with the re-creation of a KSAN Jumpin' George Oxford (pictured) show from '55 on the CRUISIN' 1955 LP. THIS is the real thing, recorded off-the-air in '63 when G.O. was the morning host on 1310 KDIA. 

By this date, Oxford was no longer using the "Jumpin'" monicker, having lost the right to do so in a dispute with former employer KSAN.

Bob Mitchell - KYA San Francisco - Friday, December 15, 1961

The Boss of the Bay! Radio K-Y-A!

This is the Top 40 where legendary programmer (and Daddy of the Boss sound) Bill Drake cut his teeth. It was also the home of FM rock radio pioneer Tom Donahue, while he was still a Top 40 jock.

Check out the afternoon drive show with Bob Mitchell (pictured, far left, with l-r Les Crane, Peter Tripp, Norman Davis, Jim Stagg.)

Runtime: 9:22

Ken Knox - KLIF Dallas - Wednesday, January 4, 1961

Here's KLIF 1190 in happier times, with Ken Knox at the helm. K-L-I-F Dial a Mink time, a Wednesday-type-morning, 1961!

KLIF 1190 was the Gordon McLendon station in Dallas, competing at the time of this recording with crosstown KBOX for Top 40 supremecy. Note, Top 40, not Rock and Roll. The music on the charts this day is very, very diverse, ranging from Lawrence Welk to The Drifters to Johnny Horton.

This recording features a KLIF newscast, called K-L-I-F JetStream News. (Listen for the blurb about the U.S. keeping their base on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "no matter what happens.")

Runtime: 18:08

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Kennedy Assassination - KLIF Dallas - Friday, November 22, 1963

History as it happened. We join the Rex Jones show on KLIF Dallas in progress. Part way through I Have a Boyfriend by the Chiffons, we hear the first bulletin of a shooting in President Kennedy's motorcade.

As the assassination took place during the lunch hour on a weekday, most people learned of the event via the radio, not television. This is an astounding recording that illustrates how many citizens of the Dallas / Ft. Worth heard the news.

Runtime: 63 minutes

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Wolfman Jack and the Border Blasters

The story of the mighty Mexican 'X' stations that dotted the U.S. border. This two-part documentary, produced in 2001 and hosted by Canadian broadcaster, Rick Everett, spotlights the '60s and '70s, when characters like Wolfman Jack (pictured), The Nazz and Fat Daddy Washington blasted Soul music to the United States and beyond. Features never-before-heard material direct from the XERB production reels, courtesy of the Ralph 'Preacher Paul Anthony / The Nazz' Hull's private collection.

Running time:

Part One - 49:46

Part Two - 49:26

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Use the player's <<>> buttons to advance from one part of the documentary to the other.

Godfrey Kerr - KTYM Inglewood, CA - Thursday, March 31, 1966

What a rare gem! It's The Godfrey Show, with Godfrey Kerr, on the peanut-whistle daytimer KTYM-AM near Los Angeles.

The music mix is outstanding! Only choice cuts of R&B (Otis Redding, The Temptations), mixed in with some of the finest Rock (The Who, Paul Revere and the Raiders). If I had only lived in L.A. in '66 (and was lucky enough to receive the signal ;) THIS would have been my station of choice.

Runtime: 10:14 (scoped)

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Rockin' Robin Scott - WIL, St. Louis - February 8, 1961

While we're hangin' out in 1961, let's slide westward to St. Louis, MO, to hear a classic high-energy Top 40 sound via WIL and Rockin' Robin Scott (actually Bob Dayton). The date on this 'check is Wednesday, February 8, 1961.

Interesting to note that amid all the ruckus and commotion, the #1 song on the Silver Dollar Survey that week was courtesy of Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music.

Also, have a close listen to the station IDs. That's the voice of the legendary Dan Ingram.

Runtime: 5:12 (scoped)

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

First, the news...

A classic example of Top 40 news-cum-entertainment, WFUN Miami's FUNdamental News, from Wednesday, April 26, 1961, hosted by Britt Huey.

One of the most interesting parts of this audio time capsule is the featurette called WFUN Predicts. Products grown from crystals, hey?

Runtime: 5:25

Download here, courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Backsell

Definition: a radio disc jockey (DJ) technique where the deejay announces the title and/or artist of the song or songs he just played.

Backsell, the blog, will feature vintage radio airchecks, primarily from the era of television. Country, Rock and Soul radio from years-gone-by.

From time-to-time, however, we'll throw in other treasures we think you'll like.

Thanks for tuning our way!