Proving once again that the life of a radio DJ is filled with one move after another, here’s the late Big Ron O’Brien rocking southern California on a miserably hot day at Kiss-FM. Yes, Rick Dees is the morning guy by this time, and O’Brien was making the rounds of the nation’s top 10 radio markets. This particular show finds O’Brien working through a rare 90-plus degree Santa Anna heatwave as L.A. bakes its way through early 1983.
If you hated the hit music in the months between March – October ’83, with artists like Culture Club, Kajagoogoo and the like, you’ll cringe – but fortunately this is scoped, so the tourture is short lived. Everything else about this recording is great however, including O’Brien, who sounds like he’s matured… well, okay this is about 6 years after we heard him on WXLO 99X.
Enjoy this, newly discovered recording of a legendary station and jock, both in their prime years.
Jingle freaks will notice the JAM WLS-FM package in use customized for KIIS-FM
Remember listening to Ron on KIIS when I was doing evenings at KFI. Then had the chance to work with him briefly at WYXR in Philly. Nice man.
Hated hit music in 1983? Seriously? After the post disco doldrums of 1980 and 1981, pop music got way better and more fun once Mike Joseph’s Hot Hits format started multiplying on FM and MTV became so influential. It was a fun and exciting time, Too Shy is a total earworm. So much great stuff that year, MJ’s Thriller, Prince, David Bowie, The Police, Talking Heads etc etc,