1 of 1- Jim Southern
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Offline - Registered: December 30, 2018
- Posts: 233
Cruisin' In My Car....
In my rambles around thrift stores and garage sales, I picked up 4 of "Cruisin'" CD's. They are....
'62...Russ Knight, KLIF Dallas
'64...Johnny Holiday, WHK, Cleveland
'65...Robert W. Morgan, KHJ, Los Angeles
'68...Johnny Dark, WCAO, Baltimore
I've been playing them in my car stereo this week and it really brought the good old days back to hear a radio jock playing the hits and living it up. The DJ's were really a key part of why the oldies sounded so good back then. Radio was fun, the music was fun, they really were the good times.
I actually listened to 2 of them doing their shows back when they were on the air.
When I was in Texas in '63, I took a week off and headed over to Dallas. I had become friends with a DJ on the other Top 40 station in the area, KBOX so he invited me to town. Driving around at night, I listened to Russ Knight (The Weird Beard) and really was in awe of how good he was.
When I was doing the all-nighter on KKOP-FM in Los Angeles in '65, I'd listen to KHJ after work on the way home, when Robert was on the air ("have a good Morgan"). KHJ had just launched the "Boss Radio" format in L.A. and really causing a fuss with KRLA and KFWB.
Other favorite DJ's I heard in my travels...
Wolfman Jack...Nothing better than the Wolfman as I was driving through the Nevada desert at 2 in the morning.
Gary Owens...Mr. "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" was really gifted as a radio jock. I met him once in '63 when I toured KFWB.
Big Fat Chuck Dan on KOMA. If you lived in the middle of the USA, you knew where KOMA, 1520 AM was and
Chuck was doing some of the night time slots. I later became friends with him when he was a staff announcer at CBS-TV in Hollywood. My brother worked there and I'd visit him in my travels.
I have to repeat it, what a great memory it is to look back and know that I got to play the game back then. I give thanks everyday.
- Little Rich
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- From: Juneau, Alaska
- Registered: December 31, 2018
- Posts: 332
Re: Cruisin' In My Car....
Yeah, Jim. KOMA was a favorite of mine when I was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, NM. I'd tune in at night to listen and the DJs were super. It's been too many years to remember names of the DJs.
- Taz
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- Posts: 280
Re: Cruisin' In My Car....
You just cost me $12.17!
I was going to post that I had them all but I guess I can still say I have the whole series “55 to ’70 and Cruisin with Porky Chedwick.
I did a search just to make sure we were talking about the same thing and found Cruisin Rockabilly which I bought (3CD set). It looks like there a bunch more, Cruisin Story (various years), Cruison Classics, Cruisin In The 60s. Thought I’d try the one and go from there.
- Taz
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- Posts: 280
Re: Cruisin' In My Car....
The Cruisin' Rockabilly CD arrived this afternoon. I’m pretty happy with it, not first two-wheeler next to the Christmas tree happy but still happy.
Even though they imitated the artwork from the Crusin’ series, this is NOT a Crusin’ disc. I kinda expected that since there was no DJ name listed in the description.
I only recognized 3 songs in the listings, Boppin' The Blues by Carl Perkins and Black Slacks by Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones, which are the only tracks I already had, and Mystery Train by Elvis Presley which I wanted. I’ve included the track listings below.
The sound quality seems to be OK but I’m no audiophile, I only listened through the computer speakers and I usually only listen on my phone. Sometimes I listen through blluetooth in the Jeep but not that often and my 2012 Grand Cherokee has less than 20k miles on it so I’m not in it that much.
Cruisin' Rockabilly
Track List:
[Disc 1]
1. Cruisin' - Gene Vincent
2. Red Headed Woman - Sonny Burgess
3. Big Blon' Baby - Ronnie Self
4. Rock-A-Bye Baby Rock - Connie Dycus
5. Boppin' High School Baby - Don Willis
6. One Hand Loose - Charlie Feathers
7. Teenage Ball - Elroy Dietzel & The Rhythm Bandits
8. One Of These Days - Jack Scott
9. Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track) - Johnny Burnette
10. If I Had Me A Woman - Mac Curtis
11. Gonna Rock 'n' Roll Tonight - Carl Mann & The Kool Kats
12. Drive In Show - Eddie Cochran
13. Hey Baby - Bill Lawrence
14. Won't Tell You Her Name - Al Urban
15. Go! Go! Go! - Roy Orbison
16. Big Door - Gene Brown
17. Bang Bang - Janis Martin
18. I've Got A Woman - Eddie Bond & The Stompers
19. Cast Iron Arm - Peanuts Wilson
20. Rockin' With My Baby - Malcolm Yelvington
21. Movie Magg - Carl Perkins
22. I'm Countin' On You - Ray Vernon
23. You Oughta See Grandma Rock - Skeets McDonald
24. Rockin' - The Strikes
25. Uranium Rock - Warren Smith
[Disc 2]
1. That Ain't Nothin' But Right - Mac Curtis
2. Sitting On Top Of The World - Curtis Gordon
3. Going Down That Road - Ersel Hickey
4. Bottle To The Baby - Charlie Feathers
5. Cadillac Baby - Bill Sherell
6. So Tired - The Chavis Brothers
7. Barking Up The Wrong Tree - Don Woody
8. Rockin' Daddy - Eddie Bond
9. Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight - Sid King & The Five Strings
10. Jungle Rock - Hank Mizell
11. Ten Little Women - Terry Noland
12. I Got The Bug - Kenny Owen
13. Rock & Roll Nursery Rhyme - Dave Dudley
14. Bop, Bop Baby - Wade & Dick
15. Rock All Night - Glenn Honeycutt
16. Hop Skip & Jump - The Collins Kids
17. Go Cat Go - Bill Flagg
18. Boo Hoo - Marvin Rainwater
19. Race With The Devil - Gene Vincent
20. Honey Don't - Carl Perkins
21. Mystery Train - Elvis Presley
22. Born To Love One Woman - Ric Cartey
23. Rock On The Moon - Jimmy Stewart
24. Dig That Ford - Doug Harden
25. Brand New Cadillac - Vince Taylor
[Disc 3]
1. Shirley Lee - Bobby Lee Trammell
2. Dig Boy Dig - Freddie Hart
3. Grandaddy's Rockin' - Mac Curtis
4. Draggin' - Curtis Gordon
5. Ooby Dooby - Sid King & The Five Strings
6. Twenty Flight Rock - Eddie Cochran
7. Crazy Baby - Gene Maltais
8. Bird Dog - Don Woody
9. Boppin' The Blues - Carl Perkins
10. Pink Thunderbird - Gene Vincent
11. Burning The Wind - Billy Wallace
12. Sixteen Tons Of Rock 'n' Roll - Jimmy Murphy
13. If You Can't Rock Me - The Strikes
14. Black Slacks - Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones
15. Done Gone - George & Earl
16. Rock Billy Boogie - Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio
17. Hot and Cold - Marvin Rainwater
18. Walk My Way Back Home - Dwight Pullen
19. Rockin' Bones - Ronnie Dawson
20. Go 'Way Hound Dog - Cliff Johnson
21. Only Teenagers Allowed - Jackie Walker
22. Tongue Tied Jill - Charlie Feathers
23. Birddoggin' - Bill Craddock
24. Seven Nights To Rock - Moon Mullican With Boyd Bennett & His Rockets
25. So Long, Good Luck & Goodbye - Weldon Rogers