This is actually something I've wanted to share with you and indulge myself with for
wuite some time.
One of my favorite times was when I worked at KFMI/KNCR in Eureka, California. At that
station at that time, it was like hanging out with a bunch people in a family that had a
mission to rock Humboldt County with Classice ROck.. and we did it well, until we didn't.
:} But while we did...
I was supposedly an advertsing sales person who didn't really sell too much, but worked
hard and was really nice to people. What I really did was a supposed fill-in daytime show
almost every day of the weekdays for 3-4 hours, some advertising sales and copy writing..
but th ebest part for me was the weekends.. I lived for it.
Those were the days when you could make your own mixes still. Sure, you had a
"wheel" that told you which kind of song to play in what order and approximate
time, and they supplied the music you were allowed to play. But you got to make the mixes,
and that's what made radio an art back then in 1975. (And there's this guy named
Biran and his friend the Pizza Messiah who know what I'm talking about, I think.. at
Rockstar Studios.... sorry, inside joke)
Anyway... There ws this tim eperiod when I'd do all that stuff during th eweek,
but when the weekend came, it was another "Chuck Davis Weekend", and I was on
the air 24 of 48 hours per weekend. I'd work 6 hours, then run home (5 minutes away from
the station), throw a steak andbaked potato in the microwave, eat, and then flop into bed,
leaving just enough time for cereal and coffee before heading back to the station
for the next 6 hours...
It wasn't a talk show or anything like that. It was all about the music, 3-in-a-row
rock.. and more.. I loved it.
But my favorite part was Sunday Morning... that's when I played nothing but love
songs... and my mom would call and tell me I did the sexiest weather forecast on the
radio.. which I thought was kind of weird, but I accepted her unusual sense of humor long
before that. Of course, in Monterey, I'd tell people that I always tied my dog up by the
radio when I was on the air to make sure SOMEONE was listening. :}
Anyway... every Sunday morning.. I particularly remember the Commodores doing a
song that I'll play.. and I'll use a few more recent tunes just because they'll sound good
and I won't seem quite so old :} But I'm going to give you a sample hour of what that
would be like, and I never got tired of it, and it always started the same way with the
same songs...
Paul
McCartney - Red Rose Speedway - My Love
Marvin
Gaye - Sexual Healing
Santana
- Samba Pa Ti
and then he came out with Europa,
and I had to do a two-fer
and then it was practically anywhere my imagination took me, to
paint a feeling so to speak, with the colors of music.. like this song, that I used ot
request everyday myself from other DJ's.. drove 'em nuts. I'd keep calling, saying
"How much longer?" And I worked there. :}
Lionel
Richie - You Are that I later liked a lot on All My Children, Too (Jesse:})
Commodores
- Just To Be Close To You
Bette
Midler - Do You Want To Dance
Spinners
- Keeper of the Castle - Could It Be I'm Fallin' In Love
And then we'd take a commerical break, for which there were usually no
commercials because it was Sunday morning, so I'd just say somehthing like Rockin' Stero
96, KFMI, Chuck Dvis with you on a beautiful Chuck Davis weekend where it's Sunday Loves
Songs, all morning long...
Or something equally sugary like that.. :} And then
LTD
- Back In Love Again
Earth,
Wind & Fire - Shining Star
Johnnie
Taylor - Disco Lady
And then I'd have to take a break and do the weather. it was always Blue Skies and
Highs in the 70's... :} And then.. Rockin' Stereo 96 with Fleetwood Mac...
Fleetwood
Mac - Landslide
Gary
Wright - Dream Weaver
King
Harvest - Dancing in the Moonlight
John
Denver - Annie's Song
and then finish it up, maybe, with something like this
Paul
McCartney & Wings - Wingspan Hits (Disc 1) - 07 - Silly Love Songs
Leon
Russell - Lady Blue
Little
Feat - Long Distance Love
Michael
Tomlinson - Run This Way Forever - 07 - By a Friend
And finally, the completely self indulgent part... special tips of the hat going out
Eric Clapton - I'd love to do the Autobahn with you one day, Ray Davies and, your brother
wasn't it?... And of course the guys as WKRP... :}
Kinks
- Around The Dial
Tuck
& Patti - Tears of Joy - Takes My Breath Away
Eric
Clapton - Change The World
Earth,
Wind & Fire - All About Love
Elton
John - Love Song
Beatles
- Let It Be - 203 - Long And Winding Road
The road winds
And the hills are steep
As we walk along
On tender feet
We turn our backs on what's behind
And look ahead for what we'll find
