These air checks were contributed to the web site by Terry Alexander. He transferred them himself from a reel to reel tape  and it’s a great quality transfer,

The air checks are from 1977 and  like the 1979 air checks from KOME on the site, they also feature music from the “Johnson Years.” Music from when LBJ was president . The clip features a great set of music which includes free form era favorites as well as some Top 40 nuggets. Great to here less known San Francisco bands such as the Vejtables. The DJ featured on the air checks is Jona Denz-Hamilton who still works in the San Jose area on KBAY FM.

Thank you Terry for these excellent recordings and I have  more tape from the set to upload in the future.

https://youtu.be/r0s7zqYF8NU

Here is more from KPPC FM, KMET FM and KROQ. The three stations were an important part of the free form and alternative broadcast history of Los Angeles and California.

In a sense the clips chart the history of free form in the city.  KPPC FM was the first major free form outlet in the area and then the mantle was passed to KMET.  K Rock or KROQ  became one of the premiere alternative rock stations on the continent but at the beginning they had the attitude and a free form ethos which is evident on this clip featuring Jimmy Rabbit from November 1976.

Cosmos is the DJ on the KPPC clip from September 1971 and B Mitchell Reed is heard once again on on KMET from June 11, 1975. I have more to upload from these great stations in the future.

Have a listen to more vintage KMET at the Past Daily site and use the search function at the site to find more than what is on the link.

https://youtu.be/-9QVNbUPzgM

***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.

Scott Muni was on New York radio for almost 50 years. He began as a Top 40 DJ and in 1966 he became a radio pioneer at proto free form WOR FM in New York. He moved to WNEW in late 1967 and and the station became the first real progressive station in the city and one of the earliest in the country.

This air check is from Nov 4 1980 election day. The station by that time was starting to move to a more conventional AOR format but could still be counted on for some element of musical diversity and surprise as you will hear on this.

I still have a second part of this broadcast to upload in the future plus more including a clip from the vintage free form era. WNEW was an important part of the NY rock ‘n roll scene and you get a glimpse of that in these air checks.

Listen to both clips in the Radio Miscellany section of the site.

***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.

Another fantastic set from the WBCN series. The first clip features Charles Laquidara from January 16, 1971. He can be heard playing the new ELP track  Lucky Man as it was released. This is the second air check on the site to feature that album at release time. David Pritchard from CHUM FM being the first. WBCN must have worn out it’s copies of The Notorious Byrd Brothers album as can be heard on this air check. I believe the flaws are more than just tape distortion. The set starts with the Cat and Dog Report and into some folk by way of Tom Rush and Fred Neil. This segment  continues on a clip I posted earlier which can be heard here

The second clip is a continuation of Charles playing the Stones because he could and not because it was a special. The first half of that was uploaded earlier this year.  Highlight for me from this segment is Mick’s “Memo from Turner”  an old FM staple from the Performance soundtrack with slide guitar played by Ry Cooder.

Quality is better on the Stones segment. Still more to come on the site from the great WBCN FM. The content guaranteed not to disappoint.

***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.

Clips feature DJ Larry Sharp on Seattle’s KISW FM from the late summer of 1981. Most of the programming comes from a show called “Sunday Night Oldies” and you will hear some cuts that are rarely played on the radio now. KISW’s regular AOR programming is heard during the last 15 minutes of the first clip.

Another great set of music as played on KOME FM in 1979 during their” LBJ years” weekend special. You will hear the Doors,  The Steve Miller Band,  Jethro Tull,  Lee Michaels and a lot more.  The DJ’s include Jim Seagull into “Kelly” about a quarter way into the second clip. There`s a few diversions from the usual classic rock fare to keep things interesting for fans of free form.

I have some idea about the Canadian network or station this broadcast originated on but am not 100 % sure. The show is called Grapevine from October 1972. The host Doug Aldridge sounds like a broadcast professional. The format is progressive rock but highligting new or recent releases. The track played by Cream is older but it comes from a 1972 compilation.

Roxy music was not widely played at the time but you will hear them here. The set opens with a progressive staple called Deteriorate by National Lampoon . The host can be forgiven for calling Pure Prairie League a Canadian group as the album played was recorded in Toronto. The bassist mentioned as a member of the group was not but rather a studio hand. Clapton cohort Bobby Whitlock can be heard on a solo version of Tell The Truth.

https://youtu.be/y8DJP6XYGDQ