Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ♪ August 1976

Ready for a Little Boogie on your Hot August Nights?    

It seems this Summer is one for the records, and I don't mean the vinyls! Hope you're finding a way to stay cool. With my fans going 24/7, you'll find August's article below, nearly in its entirety. More links, images, and a tad more text will round it out soon. In the meantime ... 

You know, sometimes when I start these articles, I pick out a few songs as options for the month’s Song of Note, do a little research and read the lyrics … that’s when I wonder … am I the only one who didn’t really let the lyrics sink in back in the day?!
       How could I not have known what I was really singing about? We go from full-on sex to fantasy wishful thinking to abstract anger and violence, and everything in-between. The popsicle early ‘60s music was definitely gone, replaced by “Popsicle Toes,” a little on the ewwww side … the only innocence left was the funky dance beat.
       Sooooo, I scrapped ideas for the feature song, like “Play That Funky Music (White Boy), #1 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s WKTQ, and “Afternoon Delight” (um … I knew what I was singing along with on that one 😊) in favor of the rare, popular instrumental hit, “A Fifth of Beethoven,” (#11) which brought a little Classical class to Disco Duck (coming up in September). Check it out below, and enjoy … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º AUGUST 1976 Radio News & Muse ♪ 
What was your fave DJ playing when you turned on your tinny transistor radio 50 Years Ago? We continue our B-100 West Coast Summer in San Diego, adding a little funk with WKTQ, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Did you scurry down to the Record-Rama store to pick up August’s 13-Q Official Music Sheet #177?

Their August 28, 1976, top tunes list was nearly three weeks later than San Diego’s B-100 chart, but the East Coast was nearly always ahead of us in grabbing the tunes. “Play That Funky Music” already hit #1 for the Q but still working its way up on B-100’s chart at #16.
       Who remembers “The High Roller,” DJ Ray Zoller? Maybe his picture on the cover surrounded by great ‘70s psychedelic art, will jog your memory. I found Ray on LinkedIn where he credits his experiences at the Q for qualities that helped him to excel in technology later. It was only “One unforgettable summer …” at 13-Q when he not only had a blast, but learned “… how to operate confidently in high-pressure environments, how to connect with people from different worlds, and how creativity and technology often intersect in powerful ways.”
       If 50 Years Ago has taught us anything, it’s that we are the sum of our lifetime experiences. The 1970s was a powerful time to be in Radio for pioneering broadcasters. According to records, since 1973 WKTQ had been gaining more young, Top 40 fans, and Ray helped the station enjoy its highest-ever ratings, second only to the area’s KDKA. However, it was short-lived, ending in 1977 with the burgeoning popularity of FM. It flipped to adult standards and eventually returned to its former WJAS.
       For the hot Summer delights of 1976 however, the Q’s Top 40 music sheet delights its listeners who picked up a copy, with the lyrics to Seals & Crofts’ “Get Closer.” Ah, yes, Summer love  ♪ … Darlin’ If you want me to be closer to you | Get closer to me … ♪ 

From teen angst in the city to sounds of the surf at night, we hit the beach with Shotgun Tom Kelly at California’s B-100! Shotgun (Tom Irwin in “real” life) is a beloved San Diego broadcast icon who is about to be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame (October 26, 2026). He deserves the accolades as Radio buddy, Bill Gardner, can attest. 
       In 1973, Bill and Shotgun worked together at KCBQ, the legendary San Diego Radio station that even received its own monument, in 2010. Lifelong friends since, Bill’s pride in their friendship and in Shotgun Tom has seen his friend achieve incredible career milestones.

       In addition to his stellar broadcast career, Shotgun has thrilled kids in a fun TV game show for children, “Words-a-Poppin’”, swapped “hats” with Cardinal Dolan at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral (pictured), earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and published a book of his life behind the mic and in the news: All I Wanna Do Is Play the Hits! (Oh, and his early start is chronicled in BFYP/Book 2, The Swinging Sixties!) Induction into the Radio Hall of Fame is well deserved.
       Were you listening to Shotgun as he urged you to “Get Up & Boogie”? The hit tune was heading down the chart at #24 as Shotgun used it one last time on the cover of B-100FM’s Top 30, to motivate you to call their “Boogie Phone” with requests! What was the #1 top tune? Nine weeks on the chart, it’s no surprise that “Afternoon Delight” (Starland Vocal Band) sat comfortably at the top of the August 5, 1976, survey. Perhaps it was because so many were familiar with its lyrics ♪ … Be waiting for me, baby, when I come around | We can make a lot of lovin' 'fore the sun goes down … ♪ Summertime fun time … 

Enjoy the memories of what and who you were listening to … 50 Years Ago this Month!

August 5^th: 1976 and 2026 may be 50 years apart, but that doesn’t mean we’ve grown much. Protests and extreme politics colored the musical spectrum then, as now. Eric Clapton couldn’t help making a vehement on-stage statement opposing immigration on this date, so long ago. Apparently the Birmingham, England, concert crowd wasn’t thrilled with his perceived racial slurs and ranting. Sound familiar?

August 10^th: The fans at Elton John’s Madison Square Garden concert on this date, however, were ecstatic to even have a ticket! It was the first of seven sold out performances to wind up his North American tour.

August 31^st: Today marks a U.S. district court ruling suggesting former Beatle George Harrison had “subconsciously” imitated The Chiffons’ huge 1963 hit, “He’s So Fine” (written by Ronnie Mack), to create his “My Sweet Lord,” which topped worldwide charts in 1971. Personally, I don’t hear it …

♪ AUGUST 1976 Song of Note ♪
This month, traditionally referred to as the “dog days of summer,” I have a Song of Note to energize your hot August nights …      
       Never thought I’d want to dance to Beethoven … but I did! Sorta. This is a rare tribute to a #1 instrumental hit that twitches Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” into Disco with “A Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy (originally: “And the Big Apple Band”). Ironically, in our B-100 West Coast Summer,  the B-side song is “California Strut.”  
       I found it sitting at #11 for Pennsylvania fans at Pittsburgh’s WKTQ; though not even showing up yet on San Diego’s B-100 chart, it would leap to #1 in six weeks.
       Good thing “A Fifth of Beethoven” did so well, appearing on the soundtrack for 1977’s Saturday Night Fever and used for various pop culture musical needs over the years. ‘Cause try as he might, Murphy never quite made the top ten with other breakthrough classical adaptations, and though a musician in demand, “A Fifth of Beethoven” was his only Top 40 hit.    

♪ AUGUST 2026 Music Events & More ♪    
I’ll bet you think August doesn’t have anything interesting to do other than swelter in the hot sun. Think again!

August 8^th – 16^th: It’s time again for the annual tribute to Mr. Elvis Presley—it’s Elvis Week! Lest we not forget to put things into perspective, he was swiveling his hips to Rock & Roll long before today’s Rockers’ grandparents were born! Argh, makes me feel old. However, I was just a babe, too, when Elvis took to the stage, and able to watch him evolve into the first true, mega-celebrity.
       Whether you were there in the ‘60s when he dominated early Rock or simply know of him from the plethora of nationwide Elvis impersonators, check out the site for fun “ancient” history!

August 17^th: You really do need to be an official Boomer (born 1946-1964) to enjoy this site’s Baby Boomer’s Recognition Day. Although you’ll recognize many celeb faces they’ve posted info about, it’s a tad out of date here and there, but still fun if you love “the good ol’ days.” Grab your bell bottom jeans and a tie-dyed shirt, and Rock Out! (Be advised, it is NOT a secure site.)

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
August 5, 1976 ~ B-100FM/San Diego, California ... more details coming soon … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Rock AUGUST 1976 and … stay cooool Oldies Rock Fans!  

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! 
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