Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ December 1975

 Music Writes the Holiday Songs   

Happy Holidays! Is this month’s title a little confusing? Do you think I’ve finally gone senile? Well, maybe, but not completely. You’ll understand when you get down to our December Song of Note. It is totally apropos to the nostalgic Holidays and how music comes from the soul. 
       Um, just one quick note as we Rock into December ... there are many more links, images, and just plain fun, yet to post. But don't stop reading! The meat of it is below, with final touches coming asap. Plenty to read, so Rock On! 

As hinted in previous months, December’s Featured Radio Survey is another hype for Wolfman Jack. But that’s not all you’re gonna hear from him … not only does the inimitable Wolfman end our year on a sweeping high note, he also begins our New Year! Just not at the same station or even the same state.
       Radio DJs have always been known as musical nomads, skipping around the country, going where the money and fun lead the pack. But by this time, Wolfman had established his popular, syndicated shows and could pop up anywhere, anytime. So it isn’t surprising that we see him sashay from Portland this month, to Georgia in January.

That said, let’s take a peek at what and who you were listening to … 50 Years Ago this Month!

º DECEMBER 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪  

What music icon was in the news and what was your fave DJ playing when you turned on your tinny transistor radio 50 Years Ago?

December 6^th: Were you there?! As The Who toured the country in The Who by Numbers Tour, they played their biggest crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome, with 75,000+ screaming fans—setting the largest indoor concert to date.  

December 14^th: While we Boomers knew of the notorious offshore pirate radio stations of the 1960s, the ‘70s brought their own adored DJ scoundrels to land, in low-powered transmitters. On this day 1975, WCPR-1620AM/Brooklyn, New York, began broadcasting … which apparently lasted for only two months, but it made the news! Want to know more about pirate radio? Click the link.

December 25^th: Oh, sure, it’s Christmas Day, but in 1975 the macabre gift under the tree was one of Britain’s pioneering heavy metal bands, Iron Maiden. Steve Harris says he formed the band and likened it to the torture device in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939 movie).  

December 31^st: Speaking of the Pontiac Silverdome, it was a New Year’s Eve spectacular with the irrepressible Elvis Presley facing the largest audience of cheering fans in his career … and splitting his pants onstage. Oh, my!

Turning to our December Rockin’ Radio Stations & dapper DJs … If you were in Portland, Oregon, the #1 tune on your tinny transistor radio was Barry Manilow’s bragging rights (seemingly) in “I Write the Songs.” But St.Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota, fans heard the cry for help in Abba’s “S-O-S.” Both winter-cool radio station surveys proclaimed their listeners’ top tunes on December 1, 1975.

Let’s start in chilly Minnesota where KDWB wowed its fans with a music chart featuring bawdy, ballsy and hilariously lusty cartoon characters, to warm them up. The Playboy magazine reference is your hint of who sponsored it. It’s quintessential 1970s right down to the salacious lyrics of “That’s the Way (I Like It),” by K.C. & The Sunshine Band. It does, however, come with a music chart mystery. 
       In my collection of vintage surveys, I have a few without printed dates. Generally, the seller had already established the date and either indicated it on the sales paperwork, or stupidly written on the vintage survey. Purchased way back in 2010, this KDWB chart is of the latter category.  
       I didn’t have any reason to doubt the handwritten December 1, 1975 date—until now. I often consult the incomparably comprehensive ARSA survey archive (not a secure site) to validate accuracy. However, even that didn’t help with KDWB. Their offering did not include the usual survey image to establish its authenticity; unverified lists were available, but none of their Top 20 hits exactly matched the KDWB survey in my collection. I give up—it’s either the November 25, 1975 issue or the December 2, 1975 issue … your guess is as good as mine!  
       I’m leaning toward the November issue, and though that puts it in last month, I’m still including it here, ‘cause it’s such a fun survey. And our best BFYP DJ emeritus, Bill Gardner, sat behind their mic in December 1973! LOVE this Holiday pic from that year, of the station employees …

From radio survey mystery to Radio DJ mastery, we’re now in Portland, Oregon, listening to the pioneering DJ to whom my Blast From Your Past books are dedicated, Wolfman Jack!  
       Portland/Vancouver Radio fans were jacking up their Saturday nights from 10:00p to 1:00a, listening to Wolfman Jack on KISN. “When my syndication activity was at its peak, and I was on the armed Forces Network, I was on some 1,400 radio stations worldwide. That included Vietnam, of course.” Wolfman was humbled by the stories returning Vets told him. “By doing my thing in a Hollywood studio, I was helping them keep it together. And they made it out the other end of a pretty hellish experience.” (Quotes from Wolfman Jack’s Have Mercy! Confessions of the Original Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal.)
       KISN may be in what many might call the po-dunk of the Pacific Northwest, but it’s mostly been a die-hard, original Top 40 Rock & Roll station since 1959! Many top-ranking Radio DJs sat behind their mics, including "The Real" Don Steele. So they’re OK in our book! However, the FCC wasn’t as enamored of Star Stations, its parent company. It wasn’t long before they were unceremoniously given the boot off broadcasting for shenanigans stemming from WIFE/Indianapolis IN. They endure today, though in a low-key way.

But no self-respecting end-of-year Oldies Radio article would be complete without a couple of top tune Year End Surveys! 

Powerhouse station WABC/New York MusicRadio 77 gave its listeners a huge Top 100 Hit List roundup of the year, with a cool cover graphic. WIND/Chicago was no slouch either, with their Top 56 tunes and awesome pics of their ten dynamic DJs. You’ll find these charts at the bottom of the Featured Radio Survey page. 

♪ December 1975 Song of Note ♪  
Heartfelt music is a running theme through the Holidays, so our December Song of Note gives music its due. You may think you know what Barry Manilow’s #1 tune, “I Write the Songs” is about … but you don’t, if you think he’s just bragging.
       Written by Beach Boys member, Bruce Johnston, as quoted from SongFacts.com, “I wrote it about 'where music comes from' (for me, music comes only from God).” Manilow had his reservations about recording it, and rightly so—many fans always thought he was being egotistical. But he simply agreed with Johnston … music is … My home lies deep within you | And I've got my own place in your soul …

♪ December 2025 Music Events & More ♪    

Saturday/Sunday ~ December 13^th-14^th: I generally report only Rock & Roll events here, and though this is about a song-and-dance man, what makes Dick Van Dyke (b.12/13/1925) specific to BFYP is he also began as a Rock Radio DJ at the tender age of sixteen in Danville, Illinois, ohhhhhhh so many years ago. And this weekend is special, as his documentary, “Dick Van Dyke: 100^th Celebration” is released in theatres on his 100^th birthday. Go. Enjoy history in the making.

Thursday ~ December 25^th: Of course, it’s Christmas Day! I hope you Rock around the Christmas tree and if you don’t have a tree, just Rock On!                

Wednesday ~ December 31^st: Have you been waiting all month for a festive New Years Eve? It’s here! Enjoy, be safe and face the New Year with a Rockin’ melody in your heart. See ya next year!

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
DECEMBER 1, 1975 ~ KISN/Portland, Oregon, is your Holiday Rockin’ Radio Station! Can’t go wrong with Wolfman Jack on the cover, tellin’ ya, he’ll Rock your Saturday nights.    

And there's more! Still on my computer, unfinished. Sigh. But it's gettin' there. As I said at the top, there are many more links, images, and just plain fun, yet to post. Please be patient and c'mon back soon!

Nostalgia and Rock Radio History all wrapped up with a bow, make great gifts! Don’t forget to check out Blast from Your Past books! All about the pioneering Rock Radio DJs of yesteryear. 1950-1959 Rock Radio DJs: The First Five Years (eBook only) and The Swinging Sixties (eBook & print). True tales of music and mayhem from behind the mic!

 

Rock DECEMBER 1975 and … Reflect, Rejuvenate, Rejoice & Rock On!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            RE: AI – The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ November 1975

Thank You For Stopping By. Now Fly, Robin, Fly!  

We’re Rockin’ on into the month of gratitude. Yet, in these tumultuous times, we may not feel thankful for much. Granted, our national pain is palpable. And while we may not be able to sit down this Thanksgiving to a dinner with all the trimmings, we can still be thankful for what is before us, and what offers a smile. Rock & Roll is good for that!  

As I worked on this article in the final days of October, I was reminded one particular day, of the unexpected things in life that bring joy. I wrote, looking ahead to November, trying not to be downcast and decided some upbeat Jimmy Buffett tunes might help soothe my savage soul. Songs You Know By Heart (1985) was perfect.

About halfway through the album, I kept hearing this little chirp and I knew it wasn’t Jimmy’s parrot, so I got up and looked down through the panoramic window, to see an adorable little robin redbreast* about four feet to my left, at the edge of the window ledge (about 18” down). I tapped on the window … (*And if it isn’t a robin, please let me know!) 

To my amazement, she cocked her head at the sound and walked over to stand in front of me. We looked at each other and I chattered at her for a few seconds. She just stood there staring at me. Then I began to sing along with Buffett’s “Pencil Thin Mustache.” My eyes widened as she perked up and began fluffing her feathers!

I sang to her through two more songs before we both seemed to tire. I am often visited by birds, but never had one stick around for nine minutes. It was a magical moment that renewed my spirit and led me to this month’s vintage Song of Note: “Fly, Robin, Fly!”

I hope you’ll forgive that rather long intro, but the timing and the song were just too good not to share. I hope you smiled. Now, let’s flip on the mic & see what’s happening … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º November 1975 Radio News & Muse ♪ 

Disco music was gaining ground, though radio station surveys were more a melody mix than ever. This tune took a change of voice and three years to make it to Rock & Roll …

November 15^th: A Country Crossover favorite was released today 50 Years Ago … "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," was written and recorded by Ed Bruce and his wife, Patsy. How well we know the tune, right? Just not this year. It made a splash on the Country charts, even garnering attention of the Western Writers of America, naming the tongue-and-cheek tune as one of their Top 100 Western Songs. But it didn’t hit the big time and cozy up to Rock & Roll until its 1978 release by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

♪ On Your Tinny Transistor Radio ♪  
So, Oldies lovers, where were you alive and doin’ the jive in November 1975? Oh, not alive yet? That’s OK, we love the company and though Kansas City (MO) and Pittsburgh (PA) Rocked great Radio, we’re back to NorCal for more comic chuckles. Don your cool new mood ring and check out a sample of what and who you were listening to …

We start on the hip East Coast with WKTQ/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For you night owls, DJ Brother Al is behind the mic from 2-6a.m. and their Top Thirty from November 15, 1975, shows they’re a tad ahead of the music curve. WKTQ fans already bumped tunes to the top that are still climbing elsewhere in the country. #1 is KC & the Sunshine Band’s “That’s The Way I Like It,” with Elton John’s “Island Girl” sitting comfy at #2, and our Song of Note at #3, Silver Convention’s “Fly, Robin, Fly.”

Let’s take a Rockin’ shuttle over to Kansas City, Missouri’s, KBEQ where DJ Mike O’Brien spins their Top Thirty tunes for your 6-10a.m. morning drive, November 21, 1975. “That’s The Way I Like It” (K.C. & the Sunshine Band*) also grabbed #1 in the Midwest, while kicking Elton John’s former topper, “Island Girl,” to #2 and keeping Morris Albert’s “Feelings” at #3. Were you there for the hyped rod & custom car, motorcycle and van show Thanksgiving weekend? Vroom! (* If you noted the difference in “KC” and “K.C.”, good eye! Two different surveys spelled it two different ways.)

Then it’s a long leap to the West Coast where you may recall KERN/Bakersfield, California’s, September cartoon fun with Issue #3. They’re back with this month’s Issue #11 for November 7, 1975. And yep, DJs J.J. Jackson & Russ Gerber are still up to no good and their cartoon capers prove it. Joining  them this month is news guy, John Q. Lawrence. With Burger King sponsoring a Super School contest and Royal Print & Copy supplying the corny comics, I’m sure listeners loved the antics as they Rocked out to KERN. Which brings me to … 

♪ November ’75 Song of Note ♪   

Our vintage Song of Note this month has much to be thankful for … it made history for its artists, Silver Convention, by being only the second German group to make the top of American music charts at that time … and their decidedly disco song, “Fly, Robin, Fly” became a chart-topping tune with only six words. I kid you not. Few words but great beat!
       Their catchy tune stayed in the Top Ten at KERN until nearly New Year’s … a touch of trivia … it’s said the original title was “Run, Rabbit, Run.” Hmmmmm. And … 

♪ Quirky Band Name Award ♪    
I had to do it. More as an afterthought of the Song of Note, figured I’d throw in the trivia tidbit about Silver Convention’s name and tack on November’s Quirky Band Name Award. Why they came up with a rabbit for their hit tune’s original title, I have no idea, as their name has always been about birds. Early on they were known as Silver Bird Convention and sometimes, just Silver Bird.

♪ November 2025 Music Events & More ♪    

Wednesday ~ November 26th: For those of you keeping tabs, even without a sponsor link, National Jukebox Day is worth a mention. It's always the day before Thanksgiving, which makes it fun to poke your musical memories while prepping for the holiday. The link above is for your enjoyment to learn the history of the iconic Jukebox. What were the top tunes on the Jukebox at your fave local dive bar 50 Years Ago? 
       Yep, though they originated in the early Twentieth Century, we still had Jukeboxes at nearly every watering hole in town throughout the ‘70s and even into the ‘90s. A few themed diners and specialty bars even today, house the big, bulky, but fun record players—or turned them into digital hybrids. Either way, they’re a hoot! Fun tip to display vintage items at home? Grab an eye-catching, collectable, diner-style tabletop jukebox, transistor radio, for a spotlight! I have several vintage Crosleys. 

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
November 7, 1975 ~ KERN/Bakersfield, California, distributed Issue No. 11 of their Super-Comics & Official Hit Music List! Gotta give ‘em an A for artsy creativity … but then, that’s what the ‘70s were all about. Perhaps a little corny. Come to think of it, so were we. KERN promoted DJs J.J. Jackson and Russ Gerber, and even roped in their news guy, John Q. Lawrence. Fun stuff … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Rock NOVEMBER 1975 and … In the month of Gratitude, my THANKS for Visiting!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            01/01/25: The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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