Audio
AUDIO • BUSINESS • PEOPLE • TECHNOLOGY
It would be very cruel to bring you a website about radio programming and then not allow you to hear anything of how it sounded. So, sit back and relax as you listen to these audio recordings related to Boss Radio 93/KHJ and other Drake-Chenault radio programming:
Ancient KHJ: This is one of earliest known airchecks of any radio station in the United States. Listen to 2 minutes of radio station KHJ recorded on September 2, 1931 featuring vocalist Bing Crosby:
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(2:00) MP3, 1.84 MB
KHJ Two Minute History: Radio station KHJ at 930 on the AM dial in Los Angeles has been broadcasting since 1922. Using recordings provided for use on this site, I produced a history of the sounds of KHJ for people with short attention spans. You know who you are.
In this Two Minute KHJ History audio retrospective, you’ll travel very quickly from the earliest days as a Don Lee station to Bill Drake to the rhythm of Southern California to the country music format and finally to the Spanish language programming and the return in the year 2000 to the original KHJ call letters:
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(2:00) MP3, 947 KB
Produced by Ron Jacobs, these 45 minutes will take you back in time so you can listen to Robert W. Morgan as he sounded on the air in 1965 when he was on 93/KHJ Boss radio: Cruisin’ 1965 (external link)
Listen to one of the earliest Boss Radio promos featuring lyrics written by Ron Jacobs, and music and singing by The Beach Boys (adapted from the hit, “Little Deuce Coupe”) with Boss Jocks Robert W. Morgan, Roger Christian, The Real Don Steele and others. This demonstrates vividly that some White guys can’t rap:
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(1:40) MP3, 786 KB
Other promos successfully linked 93/KHJ with highly popular television shows at that time like Star Trek and Batman.
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(1:02) MP3, 491 KB
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(1:15) MP3, 587 KB
The catchy productions that became known as Drake jingles were very popular with listeners and radio industry people. Here you can play back recordings of selected jingles and listen to them over and over.
The audio imagery on KHJ in the mid-1960s was very unique because it went against the traditions at the time. Long singing jingles and music beds (sometimes as long as commercials) were “normal” in those days. The Boss Radio format brought to Los Angeles in 1965 a very different sound–much shorter audio imagery and catchy, unforgettable melodies. Listen to these two “Motown-style” jingle melodies without any voiceover:
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(:44) MP3, 688 KB
The audio imagery on KHJ is especially memorable even after decades have passed. This imagery included not only radio jingles, but also on-air promotional announcements known as promos, which relied upon a few well-chosen words and slogans that were repeated frequently.
Bill Drake, himself, voiced what become one of the most famous components of the Boss Radio KHJ. He could be heard saying, “And NOW, ladies and gentlemen…”—with a deliberate emphasis on the word “now”—leading into a singing jingle featuring the name of the on-air personality, like this:
Drake: “And NOW, ladies and gentlemen. The Real Don Steele…”
Jingle singers: “KHJ, Los Angeles.”
Listen to that here:
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(:08) MP3, 102 KB
Here is a collection of the most memorable jingles heard on 93/KHJ:
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(5:38) MP3, 5.17 MB
Listen to a collection of Drake voiceovers, including a rare bonus track:
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(:54) MP3, 638 KB
After the success of the audio imagery on KHJ–especially the jingles–all the other radio stations that Bill Drake and Gene Chenault consulted started using what became known as “Drake Jingles.” The melodies of the acapella jingles are nearly identical whether they were played in Boston, San Francisco, New York City, Tulsa, Memphis and everywhere else.
A Brief Jingle History in LA: “I remember when we were going to do the jingles for KHJ, I first contacted Chuck Blore who had been at KFWB. Well, he contacted us and wanted to do the jingles. He had a production company that did jingles and that sort of stuff. All I wanted was frequency, call letters and maybe the jock’s name, and that’s it.” But Blore warned,’…it will never work in Los Angeles.’ So, we called Johnny Mann and got five or six singers together, and went down to the RCA studios and did it ourselves.” –Bill Drake
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(0:41) MP3,656 KB
Although the Boss Radio format started on AM radio, FM radio in stereo started to emerge in the late 1960s, so stereo versions of the audio imagery were produced. Here are jingles, music beds and news theme from WOR-FM, New York.
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(3:50) MP3, 3.53 MB
The Real Don Steele Sign-Offs: If I had to select only one most distinctive aspect of Boss Radio, it certainly would be the Friday afternoon sign-offs by The Real Don Steele. Never before had such a unique radio sign-off been done. Steele would shout his relevant rhymes in the “Neon Fun Jungle that is Los Angeles,” and assure us that “Tina Delgado is alive, alive!” Hear many frenetic audio recordings on reelradio.com since mere words on a screen cannot accurately describe how he sounded.
“You Can’t Sit Down” by the Phil Upchurch Combo (1961) was the song used by The Real Don Steele as his music bed. Or, at least he used two minutes of it. When Steele arrived at K100, he naturally wanted a stereo music bed since he was now on FM and in stereo. Under his direction and guidance, I worked with him in the K100 production room in 1973 and did physical edits (the old-fashioned way using a razor blade and white splicing tape!) to blend both sides of the 45 rpm stereo single into a remix that matched exactly the original KHJ version he had used for many years.
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(3:15) MP3, 2.24 MB
Syndicated Radio Programming: Hear a demo of “Hitparade 68” (one of the earliest Drake-Chenault taped syndicated radio programming services) narrated by Bill Drake, himself. This will give you a real taste of how KHJ-FM in Los Angeles and KRFC-FM in San Francisco sounded in the late 1960s:
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(3:49) MP3, 3.5 MB
After The Real Don Steele reappeared on Los Angeles radio in the early 1970s on K100, Drake-Chenault produced the “The Real Don Steele Top 20/20” syndicated show for him. Hear the lively and upbeat 1973 demo of
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(11:16) MP3, 10.3 MB
Boss Radio Silver Anniversary, May 9, 1990: A legendary date, May 9, 1990, marks a final celebration. This was what was left of Boss Radio. Don’t be sad for what we lost. Be happy to remember what we had.
The opening night of the Radio and Records annual trade magazine convention at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Century City, California features a $93-per-person admission price to a reunion party. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The Johnny Mann Singers are performing the “93 KHJ” jingle live as Robert W. Morgan reaches the podium. A sense of anticipation and excitement flows through the audience.
You are in the presence of Bill Drake, Gene Chenault, The Real Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan, and many other members of the radio and record industry in Los Angeles. Hal Blaine has a full drum set occupying a prominent position to the left of the podium. Johnny Mann, himself, leads his original Singers poised in readiness to the right of the podium. Few people have ever heard a live performance of a KHJ jingle before. So when Blaine, Mann, and the Singers jump into their work, you are helpless with awe.
The voice of Dick Clark booms down upon the crowd (on audio tape) and announces why this anniversary is being celebrated at all: No radio station before or since has had such a national impact, says the disembodied voice.
Casey Kasem appears in person, however, representing the historical Los Angeles radio opposition between KRLA and KHJ. He seizes the opportunity at the microphone to deliver a unique tribute by voicing the “93 KHJ” station identification—a phrase you never thought you’d hear him say at any microphone.
You listen to Bill Drake thanking everybody for their hard work in making Boss Radio KHJ as successful as it was, and watch in anticipation as Drake introduces his partner, Gene Chenault, who chooses to remain ever silent in the audience. The ones who say the least are clearly the most powerful ones in this room tonight.
Most of the talking is done by the others. You watch the original Boss Jocks, Robert W. Morgan, Gary Mack, The Real Don Steele, Dave Diamond, Sam Riddle, Johnny Williams, and Frank Terry each take turns at the microphone. Once-secret anecdotes–and outright lies–about sex, booze, drugs, and rock and roll punctuate the memories. If you listen to these guys, there’s no way to learn what really happened 25 years ago. The Real Don Steele observes, “Twenty-five years later and we still can’t tell the truth!”
The rarity of their appearance together here in Century City tonight is really all that matters. Rarest and most special of all at this anniversary party is the appearance by a man named Clancy Imuslind. He does not look boss. He looks dignified, charismatic and spiritual.
It was KHJ radio promotion man Clancy Imuslind who implemented the Boss Radio phrase as promotion director at KHJ radio in 1965 after having coined the promotional phrase “the Boss of the Bay” at KYA in San Francisco. But here and now at the 25th anniversary of Boss Radio, Clancy Imuslind seems out of place, as if he belongs elsewhere—somewhere more important perhaps. He jokes about how, despite all the charitable work he has done, “…the one thing I’m remembered most for is Boss Radio.”
Several of the original people involved at KHJ in 1965 made remarks at this event. Here are some recordings so you can hear how they sounded that evening:
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Robert W. Morgan (1:46) MP3, 833 KB
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Robert W. Morgan introduces Clancy Imuslind (2:14) MP3, 1.03 MB
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The Real Don Steele (0:36) MP3, 287 KB
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Robert W. Morgan introduces Bill Drake (3:56) MP3, 1.8 MB
The “free and easy” party atmosphere and the rounds of laughter conceal two unmistakable truths, however: The first is that the entire, original Boss Radio team is not reunited here tonight. Robert W. Morgan makes a vague reference to the absence of original Boss Jock, Roger Christian, but never really explains why Roger Christian did not attend this important event.
And that points to the second truth: To live the life of a Boss Jock was neither “free,” nor necessarily “easy.” Watch the celebrants at the 25th anniversary joke about drugs and alcohol, and you will see this truth worn on many aging faces.
Just over a year later, Roger Christian dies.
Then, lung cancer cuts short the lives of both The Real Don Steele and Robert W. Morgan less than ten years following the 25th anniversary of Boss Radio.
Thus ended an era. But, the audio here on Boss Radio Forever can help preserve memories.
