Brother John on KRTH Los Angeles, K-Earth 101 | July 20, 1981
Here’s an extremely RARE look at L.A.’s K-Earth 101. This is not the Oldies format that fans know and love, it’s a glimpse back into a very short era when KRTH was AC. Do not confuse this scoped aircheck with another, similar recording posted on this site from around the same time period (I think they are days apart) featuring Pat Evans and Brian Bierne. These are on separate tapes.
Notables: This was recorded by my brother Mike, who was on a vacation visiting relatives for the Summer. He sent this to me in August, ‘81… what a nice gift that was (nicer gift was finding this at my dad’s house last week, after all these years!).
Honestly, you won’t believe your ears. While this is scoped to comply with copyright law, I kept the transitions and the old commercials… here’s Brother John (not John Rivers from K-Love) along with spots for The Gap, featuring Terry David Mulligan (remember those?), concerts at The Greek, and a TON of dead segues!
This aircheck was recorded on Scotch brand Highlander tape - some of the lowest quality recording tape you could have bought back then… still, while I converted this to mono, the audio is superb after 24 and a half years!
Yes, gang, 1981 was a long time ago indeed!
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Man, it brings back some memories to hear this! Brother John was pretty legendary in LA, dating from the KPPC days with the Firesign Theater and Tom Donohue.
This is just prior to RKO’s installation of KFRC’s Phil Hall as PD at KRTH; the first thing he did was blow up the format and go back to all-oldies. I’d forgotten how disjointed this format was! Air Supply, Van Morrison, “Funeral For A Friend” and Stacy Lattisaw! There was no energy left in the station at that point. What a mess!
Brother John was a friend. I remember his Heaven is in Your Mind show on Sundays. When he suffered from a stroke he had on the air at K.Earth 101, I sent him an aircheck of my show, and I was told that while he was recovering, relearning to speak, he would play my aircheck over and over, trying to copy what I was saying. I will always miss Brother John. But will see him again in Heaven.
I’m in need of assistance. Does anyone know how to access a show Bro. john did entitled “Brian’s life is falling apart”? The theme was addiction recovery. Thank you, Bob.