Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2020 20:59:36 GMT
Below is the first “reopened but request” Vicodin memory STeVe pulls out before some strange exchanges with Deer Whisper Tim Lookingbill followed by a couple of new ones from Ol’ STeVe.
STeVe:
I'm asked stuff: Favorite mastering engineer, best BOSTON CD, best TRAVELING WILBURYS CD, etc..
Followed by -
Timmeh:
STeVE:
And now comes the dirty part of it all. KaRLa, are you jealous yet?
STeVe:
STeVe:
Reposted by request:
In school I worked at Metromedia sister stations KLAC AM (Country) and KMET FM (Rock). I worked the swing shift, started at 3 PM, off at midnight, thereby avoid traffic both ways since I lived in the West Valley and the stations were in town. Sometimes I stayed long after midnight if something cool was going on. I hung with B. Mitchell Reed and all the gang at the Mighty Met and the great country jocks at KLAC.
Working there was the best job I ever had, even if the pay was low @ $3.25 an hour.
KLAC is where I met all the Country stars of the day and 10 feet away up the hall was KMET where I met all the Rock stars of the day. I was in heaven and they were paying me. I was living at home, my dad paid for my gas, I went to school in the AM and rocked out in the PM. I got free Country records and free Rock records, I was in charge of the air sound at KLAC during prime drive time and always had a blast. I picked out KMET DJ Jim Ladd's groupies for him, I kissed Tanya Tucker, got to strum guitar with Johnny Cash, I chatted with ALL of Fleetwood Mac about politics, I was in bliss. I met Pink Floyd, Elton John, all kinds of great rock and country people.
I got to do live remotes from Disneyland, I got to know the wonderful record company reps, and learned everything about broadcasting from KLAC GM and Radio Legend Bill Ward (the best boss I ever had), KMET PD Sam Bellamy, KLAC PD Don Langford, all the gang at Metromedia Radio. Best year I ever had. 1976-77. Ask Dr. Demento, he remembers it all!
Weekends I worked at Pacifica Radio KPFK and got paid for that as well, one of the few that did. That was (is) a crazy place but I learned a lot there as well, a more political kind of learning, and a deep discovery of obscure music from all eras.
I just wanted to mention that this all came about simply because I hung around our local college radio station, watched them do live shows, learned how to work the board and took the effort to get my FCC license (cost like 20 bucks or something). One of the college radio people was working at Metromedia, leaving for a better paying union job at CBS and recommended me. I was willing to work weird hours, and I guess they liked me. They hired me and the next thing I knew I was standing next to Elton John, adjusting him microphone. Happened in one day.
In school I worked at Metromedia sister stations KLAC AM (Country) and KMET FM (Rock). I worked the swing shift, started at 3 PM, off at midnight, thereby avoid traffic both ways since I lived in the West Valley and the stations were in town. Sometimes I stayed long after midnight if something cool was going on. I hung with B. Mitchell Reed and all the gang at the Mighty Met and the great country jocks at KLAC.
Working there was the best job I ever had, even if the pay was low @ $3.25 an hour.
KLAC is where I met all the Country stars of the day and 10 feet away up the hall was KMET where I met all the Rock stars of the day. I was in heaven and they were paying me. I was living at home, my dad paid for my gas, I went to school in the AM and rocked out in the PM. I got free Country records and free Rock records, I was in charge of the air sound at KLAC during prime drive time and always had a blast. I picked out KMET DJ Jim Ladd's groupies for him, I kissed Tanya Tucker, got to strum guitar with Johnny Cash, I chatted with ALL of Fleetwood Mac about politics, I was in bliss. I met Pink Floyd, Elton John, all kinds of great rock and country people.
I got to do live remotes from Disneyland, I got to know the wonderful record company reps, and learned everything about broadcasting from KLAC GM and Radio Legend Bill Ward (the best boss I ever had), KMET PD Sam Bellamy, KLAC PD Don Langford, all the gang at Metromedia Radio. Best year I ever had. 1976-77. Ask Dr. Demento, he remembers it all!
Weekends I worked at Pacifica Radio KPFK and got paid for that as well, one of the few that did. That was (is) a crazy place but I learned a lot there as well, a more political kind of learning, and a deep discovery of obscure music from all eras.
I just wanted to mention that this all came about simply because I hung around our local college radio station, watched them do live shows, learned how to work the board and took the effort to get my FCC license (cost like 20 bucks or something). One of the college radio people was working at Metromedia, leaving for a better paying union job at CBS and recommended me. I was willing to work weird hours, and I guess they liked me. They hired me and the next thing I knew I was standing next to Elton John, adjusting him microphone. Happened in one day.
I'm asked stuff: Favorite mastering engineer, best BOSTON CD, best TRAVELING WILBURYS CD, etc..
Followed by -
Timmeh:
Were you ever told by Doug Brown and other technicians?..."Don't touch that button" and/or "Who pushed that button and didn't turn it back off".
With all those buttons and levers displayed in the pictured control board I can't imagine the disasters in sound that would occur. It's like a airline cockpit. I know I couldn't keep straight what any of those buttons would do to the outgoing broadcast sound.
With all those buttons and levers displayed in the pictured control board I can't imagine the disasters in sound that would occur. It's like a airline cockpit. I know I couldn't keep straight what any of those buttons would do to the outgoing broadcast sound.
STeVE:
Doug was (is) a master at it. Most DJ's of that era could talk, spin the records and engineer all at the same time. I practiced when the station signed off after 2 am. Took not long. I'd been playing DJ at home since I was a kid...
But at KLAC, it was scary, I mean, it was the big time and they trusted me for the afternoon drive time sound. I didn't announce, just engineered but still, records were under three minutes, then talking, jingle, commercials, news, etc., etc. Just one goof and you're dead meat. I never goofed though. It was fun as heck. I also had to (at the same time (3 pm to midnight) monitor KMET and both transmitters, etc.
And of course, VERY IMPORTANT, one has to work well with the talent. If you can't get along, you're out!
I still have dreams about it though. There is dead air because I can't cue up the next record in time and I wake up in a panic. All radio people have that dream...
But at KLAC, it was scary, I mean, it was the big time and they trusted me for the afternoon drive time sound. I didn't announce, just engineered but still, records were under three minutes, then talking, jingle, commercials, news, etc., etc. Just one goof and you're dead meat. I never goofed though. It was fun as heck. I also had to (at the same time (3 pm to midnight) monitor KMET and both transmitters, etc.
And of course, VERY IMPORTANT, one has to work well with the talent. If you can't get along, you're out!
I still have dreams about it though. There is dead air because I can't cue up the next record in time and I wake up in a panic. All radio people have that dream...
And now comes the dirty part of it all. KaRLa, are you jealous yet?
STeVe:
Sorry to bore anyone with this but I'm nostalgic.
KLAC did a remote broadcast at Disneyland on Saturday. It was "Country Music Day" at Disneyland and there was Barbara Mandrell, Freddy Fender, Lynn Anderson, The Gatlin Bros., etc., bunch of great country acts. We broadcast from the Main Street train station all day starting at 7:00 am.
I was there (as the engineer in charge) at 4:30 am, in Disneyland, with no one else there except the guard. It was wonderful and spooky. The morning jock showed up at 5 and we set up the microphone, turntables, etc. and started broadcasting before the place opened at 9. Got free food, anything we wanted.
I, at that time had a giant crush on singer Barbara Mandrell (who didn't?) She had a song on the charts I really loved called "Standing Room Only." (Sample lyric: "You must think my bed's a bus stop, the way you come and go...")
Anyway, her tour bus pulled up in the morning along with all the rest and she came over to say hi (on the air). I was ga-ga at that point and I asked her "will you sing Standing Room Only tonight?" She said she would sing it just for me. Left me melting and the DJ with his mouth open. "What's your secret?" I had no idea. Maybe she liked my long hair. At any rate, in the afternoon we took the remote microphone pack and broadcast FROM THE RIDES! That was about the best hour of my life. They cleared the lines for us, held the rides for us, and it was crowded..
That night, I was in the underground area (under Tomorrowland) where some of the stars were getting ready. I chatted with Freddy Fender and watched him go up the stage elevator to the "Tomorrowland Terrace" to perform. (You start playing at the bottom and the stage rises up, as those of you who know Dizzyland are aware).
I went up to to wait for Barbara's band, they came on, did a few songs and then she came on, sang a hit or two and then started Standing Room Only. She caught sight of me at the side of the stage and sang the entire song right to me. Looking at me the entire time. Man, could have died right there.
After it was over the caveman part of my brain thought that maybe, just maybe, you know, I had a chance. She saw me, gave me a kiss on the lips, looked at my expression and said (and I quote:)
"You're too young, honey."
Dang, almost!
81YZOlts0rL._SS500_.jpg
KLAC did a remote broadcast at Disneyland on Saturday. It was "Country Music Day" at Disneyland and there was Barbara Mandrell, Freddy Fender, Lynn Anderson, The Gatlin Bros., etc., bunch of great country acts. We broadcast from the Main Street train station all day starting at 7:00 am.
I was there (as the engineer in charge) at 4:30 am, in Disneyland, with no one else there except the guard. It was wonderful and spooky. The morning jock showed up at 5 and we set up the microphone, turntables, etc. and started broadcasting before the place opened at 9. Got free food, anything we wanted.
I, at that time had a giant crush on singer Barbara Mandrell (who didn't?) She had a song on the charts I really loved called "Standing Room Only." (Sample lyric: "You must think my bed's a bus stop, the way you come and go...")
Anyway, her tour bus pulled up in the morning along with all the rest and she came over to say hi (on the air). I was ga-ga at that point and I asked her "will you sing Standing Room Only tonight?" She said she would sing it just for me. Left me melting and the DJ with his mouth open. "What's your secret?" I had no idea. Maybe she liked my long hair. At any rate, in the afternoon we took the remote microphone pack and broadcast FROM THE RIDES! That was about the best hour of my life. They cleared the lines for us, held the rides for us, and it was crowded..
That night, I was in the underground area (under Tomorrowland) where some of the stars were getting ready. I chatted with Freddy Fender and watched him go up the stage elevator to the "Tomorrowland Terrace" to perform. (You start playing at the bottom and the stage rises up, as those of you who know Dizzyland are aware).
I went up to to wait for Barbara's band, they came on, did a few songs and then she came on, sang a hit or two and then started Standing Room Only. She caught sight of me at the side of the stage and sang the entire song right to me. Looking at me the entire time. Man, could have died right there.
After it was over the caveman part of my brain thought that maybe, just maybe, you know, I had a chance. She saw me, gave me a kiss on the lips, looked at my expression and said (and I quote:)
"You're too young, honey."
Dang, almost!
81YZOlts0rL._SS500_.jpg
Also check out his later "Supergroup" songs with the late Doug Sahm, etc. All great stuff.
