Saturday, December 30, 2017

World Of Folk Music 1969


The World of Folk Music was an interesting show. First Oscar Brand did a conventional Folkie show, then the ones I've heard were great profiles of country music.  A couple of weeks ago someone asked for one.  A few days ago, Dan sent one.  I can take a hint.  Take a listen to  Hugh Jeffrey tell the story of Merle Haggard.




Monday, December 25, 2017

John Doremus 1967


Great music, wonderful stories, and... that voice.   John Doremus was one amazing talent.  



Joe Ferguson 1983




Joe Ferguson is back with some memories of 1983.  Thanks again Joe for sharing these!!!
I was just finishing up at SCN Panama when this aired.  Good times!

Joe is joining the team at http://rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com  Give a listen.


Monday, December 18, 2017

Mary Helen Barro 1983


I remember the Canal Zone..  It sure would be nice to stretch out on the beach.  Mary Helen Barro has the music.  You'll have to bring a beverage.




Hootenavy 1967


The services had a lot of recruiting shows running on US stations.  Several of those were picked up by AFRTS.  WSMs Ralph Emery did "Hootenavy", today with Ferlin Husky.







Sunday, December 17, 2017

Charlie Tuna Christmas 1978



Christmas away from home could be a difficult time, Charlie and the rest of the team made home not quite so far away.  I'm off to the mess hall for lobster...

Here's Charlie Tuna and a 1978 Christmas show.

Charlie Tuna Christmas 1978

More Charlie Tuna

We're running 24 hour Christmas Shows at http://rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com with Roger Carroll, Ira Cook, Chris Noel and more.


Joe Allison - 1967


First couple of minutes on this are a little rough, but Joe has a nice show here.  Rich Green from AFRTS Kwajelein visits with Joe




Ed Masters, International Man Of Mystery



I was paging through an AFKN yearbook.  I knew all of the places and some of the people. Ed Masters I've always wondered about.  Ed came to AFKN from FEN (prior to John Buey) during the Korean War, was there when I was 25 years later.  Well over 30 years as a DAC is a story in itself. Ed's legs were were handicapped.  He never was.  His pain had him awake and monitoring the network 24 hours a day.  I'd make a mistake. Ed's on the batphone patiently explaining how to do it correctly.  I learned a lot.  At the time it was said that he was a rising star in radio, his niece said that a motorcycle accident put an end to that.  Normally such things are easy enough to get details about.  Ed just seems to start with the Korean war, 

 
 

All That Jazz 1968



Sometimes there's a show with zero information.  Jack Taylor was playing some smoky jazz in the 1960s




Sunday, November 26, 2017

Bobby Troup 1968

Bobby Troup in MASH

Well, here's something we've never heard before.  Bobby Troup was an actor, musician, DJ and husband to Julie London.  He did a show for AFRTS:


Saturday, November 25, 2017

Wolfman Jack 1975


I was visiting a radio pal "Somewhere I have a Wolfman ET, want it?"  That's an easy question.  The disk was trashed and I've spent most of a year trying to get it to track.  The recruiting shows were recorded at the big deal recording studios rather than AFRTS.  Wolf is on a tear...







Roger Carroll 1976


Here's some more fun from Hollywood with Roger Carroll!  Roger has been a part of this crazy business since the 1940s.  Now, internet streaming http://rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Andy Mansfield 1963


Andy Mansfield loved his oldies, but when you start doing an oldies show in the 1950s we hear big band and before.  His first show was with his wife but always it was some of his favorites from his collection.



Roland Bynum 1980


Time for some soulin' with Roland.  Roland still makes the magic at KJLH, Los Angeles.


Bill Stewart 1968

Bill loved his jazz.  For a while he was a very successful rock jock but this was his music.  He was having a "Musical Bill Affair" well into the 1970s.




Sunday, November 12, 2017

Jim Pewter 1978

PV2 Jim Pewters and Jill St John in Korea 1964.  Jill was with the Bob Hope show.  Copyright Playground Productions.  Courtesy Jim Pewter.


Jim Pewter has your favorite oldies.  These guys did such a great job with Command Information.  I was just listening to this one and realized I had spent a minute being interested in a spot about hepatitis .  I would have been in Korea around this time.  Street vendors, things swimming in the water.  I did avoid the tattoo parlors..

Jim is also part of the greatest airteam ever at http://rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com

The music's great.  C'mon down to the malt shop..








Sunday, November 5, 2017

Monday, October 30, 2017

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Charlie Tuna 1983



A few years ago a friend of mine was visiting family in Duluth MN.  I was texted "Charlie Tuna's on the radio up here!!!"  Charlie had a syndicated show heard from coast to coast (through Black Card). 

Joe Allison 1969


Joe Allison is back with another hour of your country favorites.  Hello Dottie West...


Monday, October 23, 2017

America's Popular Music 1961


Andy and Virginia Mansfield

Andy did a bunch of shows, starting with Turn Back the Clock, America's Popular Music.  I wouldn't surprise me if there were others.  It's a great look at the earliest popular music.



Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Roland Bynum 1980



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The Detroit born Roland first got to Los Angeles in 1967 at KGFJ to replace the "Magnificent Montague" eventually rising to Program Director.  1998 started a long run at Stevie Wonder's KJLH. Time for a "good Bynum".  Roland is back with memories of 1980.





Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Jim Pewter 1982




Our AFKN brother Jim Pewter is back with another oldies party from the malt shop!  If it starts with Louie, Louie it's gotta be great!

Thursday, October 12, 2017

GI Jive 1945



When AFRTS worked best, it was the Voice Of Home, a place to remember. Nowhere was that easier to see than by the presentation of women. During WWII Martha Wilkerson was GI Jill, a friendly neighbor. In the 1950s it was Rebel Randall. In the 1960s Chris Noel was very much a product of the times. Here's GI Jill:




Monday, October 9, 2017

Chris Noel - 1968



Chris is okay after the nasty weather in Florida! To celebrate Chris Noel's book "A Blonde Bomb Goes To Vietnam" (get a copy by clicking here , proceeds benefit Chris's veterans shelter "Ceasefire House"), it's time for A Date With Chris.

AF Teen Thirty




With the help of the Frankfurt Radio Club, it's time for Teen Thirty.  We served our communities and sometimes let the dependents rock.  Joe Ferguson was a member, here's some details:

The Frankfurt American High School started a radio club amongst students who were interested and we produced and aired a weekly radio program on AFN Frankfurt.  I believe the first year was the 1961-62 school year and they would bus us from the school out to the castle in Hochst where the studios were located and we would record the program.  I believe it aired on the weekend.  There was music, school activities news and sports news.  The first faculty adviser to the radio club was the speech and drama teacher, Catherine Rotter and she was great fun.
In the castle along with the studios, there also were barracks and an AFN club with a bar and pub food.  My senior year, 62-63 I was the president of the club. 
Imagine the effect on an impressionable teen, interested in learning something about radio.  Having the opportunity to go to a real life castle with big gates and real turrets too was an amazing experience.  And then, throw in studios just stuffed with all this nifty Grundig and Telefunken broadcast gear and all the AFN pro’s we got to work with..  I was hooked! 
Little did I know I would never work in another radio station that had its own bar complete with pub food; =) Or one that had a turret either.
Regards,
Joe


Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Continental Varieties 1960




Here's Dick Crawford with some dinnertime Music of the Continent.  Today the highlight is on the Americans. Dick did the show from the late 50s until the mid-60s.  I can see a lot of Colonels grooving...



Sunday, October 1, 2017

Charlie Tuna - 1984



Greatest (disk) jockey

Charlie sure inspired fans.  We're lucky enough to have a LOT of these because Steve Orchard was a military kid.  He'd listen to AFN and really like "Staying Tuna'd" and saved hundreds of cassettes.  I had a great time transferring them.



Saturday, September 30, 2017

Joe Allison 1969

Joe Allison with Hank Cochran and Jeannie Seely


Wolfman Jack 1983


And to top things off, the weekend begins with a Friday show.  I just read Border Radio, a great book about the beginnings of the Mexican border blasters.  In a nutshell, the guys who were best were paid by the amounts of products they sold.  This guy could sell...

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

AFN Berlin - Tom Adams 1990



The tapes a little beat up, but from Berlin Tom Adams plays them for you...

Turn Back the Clock 1958


Andy and Virginia Mansfield share some highlights of their record collection, and they're excited about it.  That always makes for great listening.  Andy had to build special shed to store his collection.  Hmmm...

Andy went on to do other shows for AFRTS for many years.



Monday, September 25, 2017

Roger Carroll 1969



It's Monday.  Won't you join us for the Best Sounds In Town?  If you haven't heard yet, I'm working with Roger on his internet streaming radio station.  http://rogercarrollbestsoundsintown.com features classic Roger Carroll shows and Roland Bynum, Gene Price, Jim Pewter, Chris Noel, Ira Cook and shows from Robert W Morgan, Wink Martindale and Billy Pearl.  All done and told sounds a lot like when I heard these guys the first time.  You're invited!  

Roger was with the network for a long, long time.  We're glad to make this available.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Roland Bynum 1980


Roland Bynum discusses his career.

Jim Pewter 1973




Welcome back Jim Pewter, we did go to different high schools together (I live about 5 miles from where Jim grew up).  Jim was in the Army, was at AFKN and then the magic began.



Friday, September 22, 2017

Chris Noel 1968

Chris Noel with Lawrence Welk

Chris Noel was an amazing talent.  Let's go back to 1968 for a Date With Chris.


Thursday, September 21, 2017

Joe Ferguson 1983





In 1983 AFRTS reached out to jocks all over the country to record series of shows for the troops.  Joe Ferguson from Portland (OR) was one of the guys to contribute great shows.  A while back Joe shared his shows with us.  They are a bunch of fun...



Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Wolfman Jack 1980

Young Wolfman probably at AM daytimer soul station KUXL Minneapolis. Did he ever do a bad show?  It's 1980 and Wolf rocks the world...


Sunday, September 17, 2017

AFKN 1970 - Dave Massa



Well AFKN in Seoul is on it's way to being closed. A while back Dave Massa sent a memory,  a 1970 AFKN Munsan aircheck. It's time for "Mail From Home" Here's a nice history from 1970 the AFKN story






AFKN Munsan 1970 - Dave Massa


Saturday, September 16, 2017

Jim Pewter - 1970

Jim Pewter in a 1967 promo picture at AFRTS 
(picture courtesy Jim Pewter)

Jim spent 30 years at AFRTS from 1966 through 1996, every show a painless education of rock.

Guenther recorded a bunch of these from AFN and it's some great listening.  Thank you Guenther and Jim!




Friday, September 15, 2017

Blue Danube Network - AFN Austria 1955

Blue Danube Network in Austria. BDN was initiated shortly after World War II, and the first station went into operation in Salzburg July 10, 1945.
The unit opened its first permanent station in Salzburg under the call letters KZCA. The Salzburg station was followed by BDN Vienna, when the capital city became the command's headquarters. Next came the Linz outley, thus creating a trio of stations spread across Austria.

The quality and originality of BDN production increased gradually and soon augmented AFRS "canned" shows. Two of the original productions were "Hospital Request Show" and "Man On The Street."

Located At Klessheim
When USFA Hq moved from Vienna to Salzburg in 1950, BDN Salzburg became the main station. In 1955 BDN was shut down as the Americans were asked to leave Austria.

Here's a variety of airchecks and interviews about BDN




Thursday, September 14, 2017

Charlie Tuna - 1981

Charlie Tuna, Brooke Shields and Leo Sayer

So where were you in 1981.  I was at SCN in Panama, still getting settled in and playing these shows.  Charlie Tuna was a big part of the network.

Charlie, thanks for the memories and letting me crib off of these shows


Monday, September 11, 2017

Joe Allison 1969


Joe Allison shows off the Country Corner



Russian Roulette with a Sugar Cube 1966




By the mid 60s drugs were being an issue and the information crew of AFRTS wanted to get the truth out about LSD.  It's an interesting show.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Wolfman Jack 1975

Check out the history of the Wolfman from the Wolfman Jack Online Museum.  Click Here

It's howlin' great.  Here's another visit with Wolfman Jack:

Wolfman Jack 1975


More Wolfman Jack

Monday, September 4, 2017

Roger Carroll - 1981


I always find it special to transfer a disk that I would have run at the station.  In 1981 I was at SCN, did the cleverly titled "Morning Show", played Charlie Tuna then Roger Carroll.  RC brings us straight back to a Friday in 1981.  It really is the best sounds in town....




Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Roland Bynum 1980


Roland's back with some really wonderful music.  Partytime starts now!




Thursday, August 17, 2017

Chris Noel 1968




Chris Noel is an amazing story if you haven't heard it already take a look at her website.

She still does so much more than she has too.  Vetsville is a homeless shelter for veterans that she keeps running.  Make a contribution, go to her website and buy something.  It helps.


Saturday, August 12, 2017

Jim Pewter 1981

 

Picture from Jim Pewter, copyright Playgound Productions

Barry White was a big man, with a big voice and a big talent.  He stopped in to talk with our friend Jim Pewter.  Jim and Barry had been friends since 1966, producing sessions for Mustang and Bronco records in Los Angeles.