I will be uploading several hours worth of air checks from KOME FM 98.5 from San Jose, California.  These were recorded during a weekend special called the LBJ Years featuring music from the time when Lyndon Johnson was president. The music played however stretches the boundaries well past December 1968 and some of it veers deep into the Nixon era. In fact the track Mexico by the Jefferson Airplane, heard on the first clip, is about Richard’s war against drugs.

KOME started as a Free Form station in 1971 and by the mid 70’s the format had tightened and morphed into AOR. The Free Form ethos was however revived at the station in 1978  continued during the time of these air checks and beyond.

The music featured on the air checks includes favorites from the original free form era plus many well known classic rock staples and some top 40 pop rock.  These are complete air checks which include period piece commercials,  clips from LBJ era TV and movies plus a resurrected president Johnson. Some of the extras will be heard on later uploads.

The first DJ is Dennis Erectus and he sounds at times like a shock Jock well before the genre came into being. He can be heard pushing the envelope of rock radio in 1979.  The take off of the Berkeley Barb ads on the second clip for example. Jim Seagull takes over from him on the second clip.

Please note that the goblins that invade during the Janis Ian and Cowsill tracks are intentional interruptions.

Two new clips. The first is a fabulous set of oldies played by Dick Bartley on Solid Gold Saturday Night and the second, a compilation of radio contests from 1050 CHUM and CHUM FM. Uploaded to the Radio Miscellany Section – Scroll to the bottom of the page.

***A note to air check traders. Please do not record these air checks and try and trade. I have the original tapes many of which I recorded myself and thus the authenticity can not be in doubt and can be easily traced.

***A note to air check traders. Please do not record these air checks and try and trade. I have the original tapes many of which I recorded myself and thus the authenticity can not be in doubt and can be easily traced.

More WMMR FM from early 1974. The DJ featured during the first two breaks is the late Ed Sciaky. Some great music and interesting commercials are heard.  WMMR was one of the early supporters of Bruce Springsteen and you will hear a  bit of the Boss recorded live at the Main Point club  in Philadelphia. The full concert was originally aired on the station in 1973 and may have been one of the first  live broadcasts featuring Springsteen.

One of the ads is for Canadian singer-songwriter Murray McLaughlin’s album Sweeping The Spotlight Away which was given some promotion in the US.

***A note to air check traders. Please do not record these air checks and try and trade. I have the original tapes many of which I recorded myself and thus the authenticity can not be in doubt and can be easily traced.

I rarely repeat content on the site but I have combined two previous clips from WUWU FM into one post and both feature Gary Storm  on air during the day and not on his all night Oil of Dog program. The clip also highlights two fantastic station ID’s which can be heard at 3:13 and 14:40. Gary Storm can be heard in between two off-kilter Led Zeppelin covers recorded on two separate broadcasts. You will also hear the late Bob Allen at 19:16 promoting his talk program called the Town Crier. There’s also a small snippet from Buffalo’s 97 Rock. All the content is from 1982.

WUWU was a truly gonzo outfit and legend has it that Bob Allen took over the station without authorization on it’s last day as a free form station. Some have said that was a stunt but I was listening that night and Mr. Allen sounded like a man who had become unhinged and more so when I called him up on the studio line when I heard what he was saying on air.

Search the site for a lot more content from WUWU and the earlier but related  free form stations WZIR and WBUF.

***A note to air check traders. Please do not record these air checks and try and trade. I have the original tapes many of which I recorded myself and thus the authenticity can not be in doubt and can be easily traced.

This is a clip from WMMR FM Philadelphia. MMR was one of the best free form stations in America. The clip features DJ’s Michael Tearson and Ed Sciaky briefly. You will also hear some creative station ID’s and promos, plus comedy by Lenny Bruce and an  eclectic music mix. I have a bit more from the station to post in the future but there are many hours of vintage air checks from WMMR available on the net. Google and you shall find.