The 93 KHJ-LA Complete Boss 30 - 1968 (2020 Upgrade)

KHJ 1968 (The End Of Mono)
Yes, it is a wonderful sensation to hear a song from the past...especially when it has been so long that it rings long-forgotten bells of youth. But what about when our favorite old tune sounds different than what we remember? Is this anything to be alarmed about?

The answer to that isn't so simple and might be based on where, when, and who you are in the chronological landscape. Music lovers are usually content to be reminded of a song that they love. Often this is based on emotion. But, times change, as do technology and physiology. And quite often, conflict can arise that is in direct opposition to what is natural, subjective, and objective. So, let us jump to the heart of this blurry predicament as heard in the early years of KHJ BOSS radio.

When the station began its campaign, the music industry embraced both mono and stereo formats. Many music lovers preferred the stereo sound and didn't mind paying $1.00 more for stereo LPs. At that time a mono LP retailed for $3.00 while it cost $4.00 for its stereo counterpart. However, the stereo demographic was quite small in terms of the popular music whole. This is because nearly all popular music was initially heard on the radio...and for KHJ listeners, that meant AM radio which broadcast its signal in mono. We have already spoken of gimmicks and whatever stereo really had going for it...it too was a technological gimmick.

FM stereo broadcasting was NOT the industry norm and so for entities like The Wrecking Crew and their engineers and producers, it meant extra work on any given recording. Since AM radio could not emphasize the gimmick of stereo records, it relied on their mono counterparts to provide this function. The radio business is about selling airtime for commercial advertising and it is also about selling music. The Music business certainly understood this as there was a huge amount of revenue to be gained or lost in how both formats were utilized. KHJ's weekly tally of airplay rotation had created the competitive atmosphere of being at a drag-strip on Saturday night, and if the songs acted out the role of race cars...'The Wrecking Crew' assumed the role of the mechanics/pit crews. It might have made no difference to the musicians but the producers were certainly under additional pressure to insure that both formats received their respective representation. Radio required the very best from the mono format. Retail required the very best from the stereo format. Radio needed a song to reach its airplay impact while the retail world needed to capitalize on the stereo gimmick.

And therein lies the rub. For mono is the ONLY discipline the music industry was ever to know. Mixing a song into mono was much more critical in terms of the production decisions because there is no forgiveness when the song is finally broadcast on AM radio. Conversely, stereo versions of the same song will sound different every time you change your location in relation to the left and right speakers. So, it is pure joy to have these early years of KHJ Top 30 as presented here. BlankFrank has endured the drudgery of collecting ALL of the tracks in their DEDICATED mono mixes. THAT is why many of these songs will sound different to the way we remember them from the past. It is unknown why the industry betrayed the mono format as the status quo. It worked so well for radio! It certainly helped BOSS radio realize its own objectives. It helped consumers justify the purchase of their favorite tunes as singles. The 7" retail unit was clearly the most profitable way to sell music. And it also connected more directly with listeners regardless of their willingness to buy music. It kept them listening and that's what mattered the most. Where consumer demand is the consideration, mono mixes guaranteed intellectual/entertainment value to every ear.

Let us cite a vintage example of this phenomenon. We need only play The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album to understand why the music industry might have been guilty of treason. The mono and stereo versions of the album are two completely different experiences regarding their respective audio dynamics. Why is this? It doesn't matter. The Beatles considered the mono format to be the precedent that mattered the most. So, when we see that they attended all mono mixing for the album...(2 months total) and that they did not attend the sessions for the stereo mixing(2 days total) we can at least see that this would lead back to basic business concerns. If the mono album was going to retail for $1.00 less, then perhaps the only alternative for the music industry was to throw the mono format off of the roof of a tall building. And, it didn't matter much to KHJ, if by 1968...the Top 30 was only available in stereo. To accommodate the radio industry, NO mono consideration would be forthcoming. The records would be offered in folded down mono promotional copies.

Did this take the punch out of the greatness of BOSS radio? Well, that debate is all we have left of the mono format. I personally prefer the mono mix of Sgt. Pepper. All the while, Steve Wilson keeps nailing nails in its coffin. It probably means nothing that Nature's own model offers NO creatures that speak in stereo. And yet, evolution provided most of the animal kingdom with two ears. All this means is that in Nature, there are NO gimmicks...only DIRECTNESS. Could there be too much directness in mono mixes to risk losing a retail price increase of 33%? Maybe! Will Steve Wilson ever mix Abbey Road into mono in search of a Sgt. Pepper-like version of the classic? We don't know.

Should radio even be allowed to influence such decisions? Well, the KHJ Top 30 was still running full tilt in 1968, and it was doing so without any say in the matter. They cannot broadcast or survey a format that no longer exists. Was there a loss in the directness in proportion to the massive increase in music production profits? Well, now we get to make up our own minds. Great songs, great music and BOSS broadcasting are still commodities to be embraced, but was the gain enough to make up for what was lost? THAT is a question that will be the only epitaph that mono will ever be able to call its own. And, since no entity can stand in the way of 'progress'...we can at least know that in every gain there is loss. And, in every loss, there is gain. And, so it was still BOSS radio...but it wasn't true mono ANYMORE! - Kwai Chang

1967 to 68   Yandex    Zippy 
1968 Part 1 (Jan-Feb)   Yandex    Zippy
1968 Part 2 (March-April)   Yandex    Zippy
1968 Part 3 (May-June)   Yandex    Zippy
1968 Part 4 (July-Aug)   Yandex    Zippy
1968 Part 5 (Sept-Oct)   Yandex    Zippy
1968 Part 5 (Sept-Oct)   Yandex    Zippy
BF Notes - This was supposed to be a simple update of my original post last autumn, Instead, it has been the most difficult of all of them, but, for now at least, it's my favorite and a HUGE improvement over the original post.

Thanks to the generosity of Faltonians and AYNCS readers, about 100 tracks have been upgraded to mono single mixes or upgraded sound. Many have never seen a digital release. It was pretty cool sometimes having a few versions to choose from. When I first compiled this set, I felt lucky to have the song!. Also, about 100 new airchecks were edited and added to the collection.

Some months are lean with airchecks, but much of this feels like you're being transported back to 1968 and getting the full 93 KHJ-LA experience. At 468 tracks and 17 hours +, it's also the longest in the series so far. @320

If you have the original version from last October, replace it with this.

1968, 69, 70, and 71 upgrades will get posted when completed. After that, 1972 and 73 are planned. Stay tuned and please be patient.