ANOTHER GRAY SATURDAY ...One of my biggest troll critics laments my constant appreciation of the past and disillusionment about the present and future.I still get dismayed by the complete and ongoing destruction of KGO Radio although you can say its demise was certified long ago.
There's still fond memories of waking up to Jim Dunbar and Ted Wygant broadcasting the "KGO Morning News." There's a fond appreciation of listening to Owen Spann when he would interview Paul Harvey. There's a sentimental feeling of missing Jim Eason's hilarious takes on news of the day in the 1970's. There's the constant sports pitter-patter of Monte Stickles, Joe Starkey and Gregg Jordan broadcasting some element of sports on a Saturday in the fall; Jordan's Saturday Sports-Talk show followed by Starkey's Play-by-Play of Cal Football and Stickles' color analysis --he would later join Bill King in the Raiders PBP booth.
In fact, Saturday was a staple on the old KGO with some pretty cool and unique talk-show hosts and programs. I was born in 1962 so I didn't get a lot of Ira Blue but I was told he was a big time KGO host during the weekend and weekdays too. I remember as a young kid listening to "Clergy on the Line" but I couldn't figure out why I liked it; maybe it was because it was really live and local and the nuance of talk radio was taking shape in the Bay Area and KGO was its courier. I used to love listening to Sonny Buxton's 4-7 PM show; Buxton was sort of controversial and a little too edgy for my taste but he always made it an enjoyable afternoon of listening. He was unique, a sort of rabble-rouser that wasn't conventional SF news-talk, which kept me hooked. Buxton currently has a weekend show on KCSM.
Same deal with the Chronicle movie and pop-culture writer, John L. Wasserman, (who died tragically in a car accident in 1979) Wasserman mixed it up quite a bit and had an acerbic sense of humor. It worked and sounded great on radio. *SF RADIO memories this and that...Peter Cleaveland on the "streets of SF" as KGO's morning beat reporter...Dr. Don Rose on KFRC...Ken Bastida and Vicki Liviakis doing the news on same...Larry Brownell booming news voice on KYA! ...Stephen Kapen's brilliance on the old KSAN with Rosie Allen doing the news...The cool Art Cribbs on KDIA...Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins in the "Purple Grotto" overnight on KGO...Ken Copper on K-101 ...
Ah, the memories.
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Trolls are a bore. The second and third paragraphs are spot on. (I wish Harvey didn't grow a Hairpiece in the last years of his life. Guess he knew what was going to happen yesterday.) Ira Blue was before me, but love that classic John Wasserman post. The "You Know What I Mean" one-hit wonder with blues great Albert King? Only in the Bill Graham Era. Love to read a follower here at 415 share a Merl Saunders story or two as I'm only aware of that bond with Garcia. Plus, Boz Scaggs hanging out at the SF clubs - that hasn't changed too much, lol.
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember Buxton. Terrible loss when Wasserman's car fatally crashed. And spot on about SF Radio memories, with a memory of Jazzbeaux also on KSFO at one time, but no memory of Copper before my time.
It was all when radio cared about the communities it served. Clearly not the case now, with real estate more important than customers. A shame.
"It was all when radio cared about the communities it served. Clearly not the case now, with real estate more important than customers. A shame."
DeleteBack when Democrat politicians didn't sell out their constituents for more and more immigration to secure that south of the border vote.
Wasserman's headliner notes caught my eye as well. Listen to Lee Michael's 3rd album with "Stormy Monday", "Heighty-Hi", and the "Tell Me How Do You Feel" suite that comprises an entire album side. Anyone lucky enough to catch Lee Michaels live on the Hammond B3 with Frosty on drums might argue that the term "one-hit wonder" doesn't do justice to the scope and intensity of either the studio work or the live performances.
DeleteMerle Saunders also had a bond with The Dinosaurs, and it was always worthwhile catching them at The Saloon on Grant Ave. back in the day...
I wish we could go back in time. They should have a dial on the radio that just plays what radio use to be. I know I'm dreaming and get over it but it sure would be nice.
ReplyDeleteGreat memories Rich! I used to listen to Ira Blue toward the end of his career just before he died about 1970. The poor man had really bad lung problems toward the end, (think he was a lifetime smoker like many of his generation) and sometimes when he would take a big breath he'd let out a long ragged sigh!
ReplyDeleteI like the memories and nostalgia, and I hate to think that the destruction of KGO was avoidable. There's still an audience out there and there are still potential advertisers. But the spots are now for clients who are on every station, Kars for Kids, pillows, etc. You don't hear spots for small businesses who are looking for new customers. Clients aren't impressed by ratings or clicks, they want to see their revenues increase. Radio can do that, but sales reps these days are horrible. They don't knock on doors. They don't try to understand their clients needs. If they get a sale, they put lousy spots on the air, often with the client reading their own copy, which always sounds amateurish and off-putting.
ReplyDeleteBuxton did either a full segment or an hour one time on his perception that that particular day there were a lot of ugly people out and about and he was not thrilled about that turn of events.
ReplyDeleteI remember Dunbar getting pissed because he had to announce the time every two minutes. He'd fume.
ReplyDeleteyou mean, uh,uh,uh, Dunbar, uh, uh..... how does a professional speak like that on the radio???
Deleteif I do say so myself, the "70s Bay Area radio was its best decade. This decade is certainly the worst ever. I think you can put a fork in it these days.
ReplyDeleteI'm old enough to remember Joe Dolan. He was a conservative but railed against the Viet Nam war. And Lee Rogers, 7-10 pm. Another Conservative you respected, unlike loud mouths like Rush. No clue why KGO was destroyed. Will always be a mystery to me.
ReplyDeleteLike Gordon Gekko said in the film Wall Street, it was destroyed because it could be destroyed. Deregulation, just a few huge predator companies owning 90% of the airwaves, and the only thing that matters to them is profit to their CEOs and shareholders.
DeleteYour critic is a jackass. Radio had creativity back in the 1960s and 1970s. It was locally owned and locally produced. You didn't have dipsticks in Dallas trying to tell you about the traffic jam 2,000 miles to the west. You didn't have a brain dead bitch look at a weather map on TV in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLocal ownership of media outlets is a thing of the past, sadly. We're stuck with syndication, wire stories and trying to believe everything you read on the Internet.
I'm even older than you guys. Not only do I remember Ira Blue but Les Crane who came before him and sort of kick-started the call-in format. I used to call up Jim Moore and Joe Dolan as a kid. There was an"Ask the Manager' weekend show where they actually addressed viewer's complaints and questions --and Jim Dunbar -- who someone once took a shot at when he was broadcasting -- also did a Saturday night show of old time radio shows doing a Bela Lugosi accent. Other personnel I remember are Robin King and Robert Trebor. KGO is gone in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteBoy, do i miss it.
Yes, Robert (Bob) Trebor (palindromic radio name) and Jazzbeaux were comforting voices at night.
DeleteIt was a long time but, but I seem to recall the day when Ronn Owens first started on KGO. Ira Blue was the night time host, and Ronn came on the 3 hour segment after Ira, late at night. At that time Ronn postured as sort of a militant anti-Vietnam war "march in the streets" talk show liberal. I definitely remember I found his show topics interesting. He does have the gift to gab. And a great voice. And I think he tries to treat his callers with respect, gives them a chance to say their peace even if they disagree with him, for the most part.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I miss Rich? Christopher Glen and his "in the news" segments. They were a big part of growing up as they used to run them in between Saturday morning cartoons.
ReplyDeleteI long for the days of Doc Herrold's DJ shows out of San Jose. We spark radio operators on ships used to take breaks to listen to music coming over the wireless.
ReplyDelete