Sunday Morning Odds & Sods

54 - overcast at 10:51am

Good Morning. I've been revisiting progressive rock radio's past.

Listening late last night - and again this morning to airchecks of KCAC/Phoenix - progressive rock in 1971 on a then-500 watt daytimer at 1010 on the dial. Audio found after discovering this great blog. The KCAC "progressive rock" era lasted just a few short years.

On an aircheck of the last hour hour of the station's format - August 14, 1971 (before it disappeared forever), the late Bill Compton had some words about his radio career that I'm just betting others in the industry (and some who have left) can relate to:

"...its been sort of my life - and my enemy and my friend and everything all rolled into one."

"....I've been more involved in it than anything else I've ever done in my life. And at times I've probably hated it more than anything else in my own life, depending on how things were going, etc. Its been something thats really meant a lot of me and something I felt strongly about. I guess thats really the only way describe it."

Compton and most of his staff went on to sign on the legendary KDKB AM & FM a little over a week later. Read more and listen at the KCAC blog here. A story about Compton and KDKB here.

Compton passed away in a 1977 car accident; the Phoenix concert venue "Compton Terrace" named after him.

KDKB signed on at noon August 23, 1971. Station owner - the late Dwight Tindle - quoted as recalling:

"I shut the door to the studio and placed “On The Way Home” on the turntable. I said a little prayer and turned off the ocean sounds. The Buffalo Springfield sang, “When the dream came, I held my breath with my eyes closed. I went insane like a smoke ring ay when the wind blows.” KDKB was born. And I was the luckiest person on the face of the Earth.

Read C. Dwight Tindle's story behind KDKB here. A great read!

There needs to be a blog about the early progressive rock stations...there's got to be a lot of great stories - great audio out there. I wish I had the time. It was a special time for radio, especially FM, music and culture. I found one such blog here (where I first found the above quote from C. Dwight Tindle).

Back to the present tomorrow. Have a great Sunday.