Mike Phillips on KJR Channel 95 Seattle | January 11, 1964 (15:14) Scoped
Here’s a scope of Channel 95 from 1964. DJ Mike Phillips went on to greatness at KFRC San Francisco, but here he is in Seattle, working his trade at KJR. This aircheck features the early 60’s sound of Top 40 radio, complete with early PAMS Jingles (the WABC “Chime Time” version is used here). I should remember the cut number, but I’m having a memory block here tonight.
Once again, the audio quality is fantastic. I am beginning to suspect that whomever provided this cassette to me had a vynl copy of these airchecks. There’s very little tape noise and this sounds, literally, just as it did when it came out someone’s AM radio speaker. Someone, after listening to this, pen a letter to a few broadcast engineers and ask them why even on talk stations, why the frequency response at those stations here in 2004 is so poor as compared with 40+ years ago. I know the answer, but I’ll let some BE give us his opinion.
If you’re old enough to remember this era of KJR, you’ll certainly enjoy this trip down memory lane!
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Listen how slick Mike was when he started the bobby goldsboro record on the wrong speed. Without missing a beat, he speeds it up to 45. He nails every post!
This aircheck was most likely taken straight from the board by management or the talent themselves.
Mike Phillips was a great talent from the gitgo. He was part of such a talented airstaff with Lan Roberts, Larry Lujack, Dick Curtis, Tom Murphy, and I guess Pat O’Day. (I’m no judge of his talents)
As program director, it’s hard to describe how proud I will always be of that KJR team.
I came to this site to hear the 9/11 five year tribute, but a further search found one of the great airchecks from one of the great 60’s Top-40’s, KJR Seattle. I was too young to remember this era, but it is fascinating and not surprising how KJR dominated Seattle in the 1960’s. Especially liked the uptempo, positive vibe of this aircheck, production elements and all. “Sea-level temperature” was accurate, as the studios were exactly located at sea-level on Harbor Island. While this era was just pre-Beatles, and soon after JFK, it is a jewel of that unique time in our history. Within a few years, Drake-syle stations would take over,(KING-AM tried in the early 70’s) but KJR would have none of it. And KJR never really went that direction, even through the 70’s. Seattle listeners were the lucky recepients of this “personality” style for years to come.
Still have my Phil Specter Christmas album Mike gave at a Grange hall dance on Bainbridge Island in early sixties. The Ronnettes singing jingle bells, etc. KJR was the greatest. Also remember the summer Pat Oday got all the guys out to the Lake to broadcast the Gold Cup hydro race. Wish I had a tape of that. World Famous was in the turn and said he couldn’t see anything and it was loud. Also, for some reason remember sitting in traffic on 23rd ave heading back to the U district from Seattle U. WFTM played Time is Tight by Booker T. and the MG’s. Whenever I hear that song I think of that one moment. Always great to wake up to Lan in the mornings. During college, I worked Saturday night cleaning a grocery store. The store was empty of course, so I would tape the PA mike open and stick it next to my transister radio and blast “Big Jim Martin” all night throughout the store as I swept, mopped, and waxed. Where is he now, I know he was from Everett as he mentioned on the air in the early hours.
Somewhere, buried deep within my sock drawer,in an old cigar box, is a red, hardball sized window sticker that says ‘KOL 1300′, several newspaper clippings of the KJR Fab 50 music survey, and a little piece of green cloth that says, “Little green thing”. Oh yeh…it also had a duck on it.
From the mind of Lan Roberts came incredible weirdness, and a streak of creativity that compelled people to tune in each morning, day after day. In my early teens I viewed the world through the eyes of a morning jock at channel 95. I guess that pretty much explains my warped personality, eh? I loved that radio station, and I miss it so much. Change is not always for the good, and the state of todays radio bares that out. Thanks so much for the look back.