An historical relic. KFWB was the first Top 40 station in Los Angeles. Long before KHJ decided to turn up the volume, KFWB’s Swinging Gentlemen cranked out the hits.
It lasted until 1969. Now, hear the beginning of a legend.
KFWB Los Angeles Flips to Top 40 as “Color Radio” Channel 98 | 1958 (15:31) Scoped
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GOSH DARNED PEPINO, YOUR RIGHT, I DUNN STUCK GOLD.; BEA EM ARE THE BEST.
THIS IS REALLY GREAT, FINALLY FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.. A PART OF THE GREAT PAST OF KFWB ! IT WAS WONDERFUL TO HEAR MY FAVORTE DJ.. ELLIOTT FIELD AS WELL AS ALL THE MUSIC FROM 59, 60, 61 AND 62 YEARS.
THANKS FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE !
False! KFWB lasted until 1968 not 1969 as posted. They flipped to all news in March of 1968.
Eliot Field lives out here in Palm Springs. I talk to him often. He sounds great on this tape. Wow, that last show under KFFB’s old format was dreadfull !
I remember as a teenager living in Santa Ana, we would all listen to Emperor Hudson on KFWB…along with the other DJ’s. KFWB used to be a very good station and the receiption was great, even as far away as Orange County. When Emperor Hudson was done with his shift, and leaving the studio, his classic line was “clear the freeways, you peasants!!!” He was a character and I will never forget him.
I was a devoted listener to KFWB from the early ’50s to its demise. Listening to this “changeover” reminded me that although it was a powerhouse in L.A., BMR’s recitation of upcoming songs shows its MOR bent: Johnny Mathis, Gogi Grant, Pat Boone, Debbie Reynolds, Ray Peterson. Despite that, the station’s lineup of “Swinging Gentlemen” compelled me to listen through the years.KHJ’s ascendency to the top courtesy of the late Bill Drake’s format(too teeny-bopper) didn’t sway me from KFWB; neither did KDAY, KGFJ or KPOP. Only KRLA was its rival in my book. From Al Jarvis to Bill Ballance and on to the declining year with Lohman & Barkley and Gary Owens, KFWB was the powerhouse in LA and surrounding neighborhoods. Thank you for the memory!
I’m 67 and I have never forgotten KFWB over the years. I used to listen to Al Jarvis. When I was in highschool in Grants Pass,OR it came in better at night and I would stay awake for hours listening. Then, it was my favorite station when I moved to So Cal. after I graduated. I still like those golden oldies. It’s been good to hear ya.
Wow!
B. Mitchel Reed on KFWB “set on” 33 1/3 instead of 78 1/2.
KFWB and KRLA were also my favorites, Richard, even though I was barely a preteen when KHJ went top-40 in 1965.
No internet and no PCs, no central air conditioning, no cell phones, no McDonald’s, no color TV, no cruise control, no electric toothbrushes, no microwave ovens, etc.
And those were the good ‘ol days?
Well, we did have transistor radios that fit nicely under our pillows. So who needed iPods?
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams