Kwai Chang Essay: I wonder how KHJ management felt in April of 1970 when Paul McCartney made it formal...The Beatles were OVER! If the fab four had actually been ANY part of BOSS Radio's inception, was their demise going to play a role in how boss KHJ would continue to be? The Beatles' name did not even appear on the very first Top 30 survey. That didn't happen until survey #2 with the HELP single listed as "HIT BOUNDS (ON THE WAY UP)". From that moment forward, the group would be a primary piece of BOSS Radio's airwave weaponry.
On the surface, KHJ understood the group's potential and had no need to act differently towards them. It was a subdued approach that oozed confidence in The Beatles' coolness and made the absolute most of their high standard of radio-friendly gravity. The group had already proven that they could generate sufficient numbers where ever they were marketed. KHJ was reciprocating a similar coolness by showing them no particular favoritism. It was a very strategic way to bank on the group's already proven track record.
At KHJ, The Beatles might have just as well been a local band with everything to lose...and no conspicuous favoritism is shown them. Very clever. There were plenty of markets that were heavily reliant on The Beatles' inclusion in the proceedings. So, at KHJ, The Beatles had to succeed on the same level playing field as every other act listed in the surveys. Their week to week status would be determined the same way as the local newcomers. After all, KHJ had an incredible influence on many demographics. Los Angeles was just one of them. So, it was on survey #4, that we finally see The Beatles in the Top 30 with their single HELP at position #13! What is interesting about this is that the group's name DID appear on survey #3 as part of a contest for FREE tickets to see their upcoming concert at The Hollywood Bowl. But, they were NOT listed as HIT BOUND the week prior as survey #4 claims. The same contest for free Bowl tickets also appeared on survey #4. On survey #5 the single rose to #5 in the Top 30. A
NEW contest was announced for MORE FREE BEATLES TICKETS...and at the top of the HIT BOUNDS is the group's HELP LP(the WHOLE album)! So, this cool approach to the fab four was gaining some boss momentum. If KHJ's relationship with The Beatles was symbiotic, it was being played coolly. Survey #6 has the HELP single up to #4 in the Top 30 with the Hollywood Bowl shows still more than three weeks away. Survey #7 proudly boasts the image from inside the HELP album's gatefold jacket! Beneath the photo is HEAR THE BEATLES ON 93/KHJ! Meanwhile, the HELP single falls back down to #5. Survey #8 the single holds steady at #5...with the concerts in L.A. only four days away! After the Bowl shows, survey #9 finds the HELP single up two notches to #3 AND we see the single YESTERDAY at the top of HIT BOUNDS. Then, on survey #10, there are two Beatles singles in the Top 30...HELP steady at #3 and YESTERDAY at #29. Survey #11: (WATCH OUT)---> Cleverness alert! We have HELP single down to #8 while at #11 is...wait for it...YESTERDAY...by PAUL McCARTNEY. This might coincide with a rumored/planned solo album by the cute Beatle. Was this a KHJ insider tip/internal-use-only memo(?) from Capitol's Dave Dexter Jr.??? Or...or, or, or!
It's irrelevant. It is more clever KHJ promo-promotion(call it POT-STIRRING) and also a possible downplay of the over-used moniker(Beatles). Who knows? But, I guarantee, it generated SPIN...both literally and figuratively. Pure genius from the BOSS! All the while keeping the top slot open for more local contenders. Like I said...this Beatles support in the Top 30 needed to look innocuous! So far, so good! Just watch: Survey #12 finds the McCARTNEY single (YESTERDAY) up to #3 while The Beatles' HELP(...now listed as HELP/I'M DOWN) is down one notch to #9! Fantastic spin...ALL from the still new...still fresh radio in "BOSS Angeles"! Survey #13 find NO CHANGE in position of YESTERDAY or HELP/I'M DOWN...(#3 and #9, respectively). Man, is this just far out...or WHAT? Survey #14 finds our very first #1 by PAUL McCARTNEY with YESTERDAY as HELP/I'M DOWN falls ever farther to #12. Survey #15 sees NO change regarding The Beatles entries including PAUL McCARTNEY's name. He's still listed as the artist with the TOP slot on the Top 30.
We can see that KHJ was adamant in showing no Beatles bias. So, for now...only one song(unless you count I'M DOWN) is listed with their name on it! Survey #16 follows through on this with PAUL McCARTNEY's YESTERDAY holding the Top 30 top slot for the third straight week and NO entry listed to The Beatles. HELP/I'M DOWN has fallen off completely. On survey #17...MORE Beatles razzle-dazzle. YESTERDAY (STILL listed by PMc) has fallen to #5...and lo and behold, HELP returns to the Top 30 at #30 without the I'M DOWN designation. The more The Beatles are downplayed...the more bias they actually receive.
All the while, making The Fabs just another name in the pack. It also made the Top 30 the most exciting list in music. Billboard's HOT 100 was too big and only served to lose artists in its enormity. Remember, ONLY two Beatles songs have given buoyancy to 16 weeks of Top 30. That's not bad considering this infancy was only 17 weeks old. It might be that KHJ was the most amazed of all as all of their objectives seemed to be realizing themselves. What could that have to do with The Beatles? 'They' haven't even hit the #1 position. Survey #18 McCARTNEY's YESTERDAY holding steady at #5 and here come The Beatles again with the 'I'M DOWNless' listing of HELP climbing up one to #29! Survey #19 YESTERDAY drops to #8 while NO Beatles song is listed. Was this 'help' from The Beatles always going to be this minimal? I'm sure that KHJ management was counting on it! Survey #20 is also without The Beatles while PAUL McCARTNEY finally falls to #18. Survey #21 verifies a cycle starting to repeat itself. The Beatles are back as HIT BOUNDS with DAY TRIPPER/WE CAN WORK IT OUT...so count that as two listings...PLUS McCARTNEY at #24.
Now, EXHALE! Survey #22 is finally devoid of ANY Beatles involvement...just like Survey #1. Can we...should we salute the beauty that had become the KHJ BOSS Top 30? After all, it had downplayed The Beatles in the most advantageous way possible. So, whatever the reason, the year of 1965 was a great year for the BOSS and all of the other talents that had graced the Top 30. The Beatles probably made everyone very happy as survey #23 reaffirms that this is going to be...ONGOING. The group emerges from nowhere at #5 with two songs listed as HIT BOUNDS the week prior...which of course neither were. It has been two weeks since they were HIT BOUNDS with DAY TRIPPER/WE CAN WORK IT OUT but, hey...what kind of difference can a week really represent? This party is just getting started! Survey #24 has both Beatles tracks taking up a single slot at #2! Since there may be symbolism in the numbers...Survey #25 will cover December 25 and for that eventuality, Santa BOSS has left two #1s under The Beatles' Christmas Tree.
So, maybe we should bid them a Happy New Year and end this retrospective glance since 1970 was the end of The Beatles. Would KHJ need to be worried? Would BOSS Radio still be boss? Would KHJ be able to do this without The Beatles? If this road had been long and winding, would it be possible to just let it be? I think it must have been the only thing on their minds! If this all seems overly boring, just realize that radio is about numbers more than anything else. In that context...the end of the KHJ BOSS magic had begun!
1969 to 1970 Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 1 (Jan-Feb) Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 2 (March-April) Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 3 (May-June) Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 4 (July-Aug) Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 5 (Sept-Oct) Yandex Zippy
1970 Part 6 (Nov-Dec) Yandex Zippy
Blank Frank: Ironically, beginning in 1970, the solo Beatles had far more KHJ chart hits!
1970 has been completely overhauled with about 70 music upgrades to original mono single mixes and/or sound quality and about the same amount of airchecks. Some of the quality of these aren't so good, but unfortunately, I had to take what I could get. Nevertheless, like with the other years, it plays much closer to an actual 1970 radio experience. Also, like the other years posted so far, there are quite a few rare mono mixes included. Prepare to be surprised!
Magnificent! Continuous thanks from: The Chairman
ReplyDeleteAwesome post. Look forward to these.
ReplyDeletehey, hello...another slice of this marvelous period in music, the 70's...unfortunately, part 6 seems to be missing track 398...can you help? thanks, Blank Frank...
ReplyDeleteAmazing posts. Thank you for posting.
ReplyDeleteBF
ReplyDeleteThanks. A true labor of love.
@Silvio, there is no 398 - it's a numbering error. I'll correct it by next week, but it won't affect playability at all. Thanks for pointing it out.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the series more than I can say. Thank you again, and again, and again again.
ReplyDeleteYou and your helpers have done it again BF. Many thanks for this walk down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteThank you once again for these awesome works. Much enjoyed and appreciated.
ReplyDelete@BlankFrank: that's what I thought...I just wanted to be sure...thanks for your attention...cheers...
ReplyDeletethank you 4 this music Aussie
ReplyDeleteMany thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks once again BlankFrank ... Your hard work is our pleasure to enjoy !!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all your hard work and another brilliant year!
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Paul
BlankFrank, I was listening to 1970 (upgrade) and found that "The Rapper" by The Jaggerz even though in mono is not the single version. It must a stereo fold down to mono from the album "We Went To Different Schools Together". You can tell the different when the song gets to "Come up to my place for some coffee or tea , or me" and on the word me their is excessive echo ...me,me,me,me. (around the 2:10 - to 2: 13 mark)
ReplyDeleteHere's a YouTube video of the single playing the actual 45.
https://youtu.be/ptZJuU0sFL8
If you want to replace your version with my mp3 copy (@320) ... https://mega.nz/folder/RVtQ1SiT#P8-cUj8MALpuS1SkecRMVA
Cheers
@ Noises 2A, Thanks for BOTH pointing it out and supplying me with your version.
ReplyDeleteAfter investigating, it appears that the non-echo mono version was the original 45 - which can only be found on the original vinyl. In all, there are 4 versions in total and the other mono version with echo was issued on the Budda Box (1993). It makes compiling these accurately really difficult, to put it mildly. That said, I've made so many mistakes compiling these before that I had to take what I've learned the first time around and redo my first attempts. Even then, with a small team assisting me, the mistakes still happen!
Here's more info: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-jaggerz-the-rapper-appreciation-thread.246448/page-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDptZJuU0sFL8&v=ptZJuU0sFL8&feature=emb_rel_end
http://www.top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6625&PN=1
BlankFrank, Dealing with the size of each KHJ Collection alone must be an daunting task. Each song involved probably has so many variations that it can make almost impossible to create the "perfect" collection.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking my input with grace. Many others would take outside suggestions as an imposition. Since you obviously strive for accuracy, you are generous with accepting input. For that I thank you.
"The Rapper" is one of those songs that, due to the ignorance of many who supervise 50s/60s/70s/80s collections for various music labels and by just using what's easily available, have repeatedly been use and wind up rewriting the details of music history.
Being 62 yrs old I grew up with the lions share of what's on each KHJ Boss Collection. So many of the songs are like old friends that one knows intimately so if something seems out of sort it can stick out like a sore thumb.
That being said, since I grew up in NY, the KHJ Collections include so many regional hits that are fresh to my ears that as I listen to your collection it's like having the radio on as a kid hearing a new song for the first time.
These are the songs I really want to thank you (and your team) for hunting down. These are the songs that truly are almost impossible to find and in a decent listening condition.
Thanks once again all you do... Cheers !
Thanks so much! Would love 1971 and 1972 too, if you can.
ReplyDelete@ GW 1971, 72, and 73 are coming. Not sure if the series will continue after that - though I'd like it to be a full decade of top-30 radio
ReplyDelete