Raised on Radio

I was raised on the radio in a sense. From a very early age, I loved it. I loved the DJs, the music, the contests, the weekly countdowns, and even the stunts such as the music battles — remember the champion and challenger, with listeners (at least supposedly) voting for their favorite; the winner being played again immediately after? 

I even loved the news and public affairs programs: Ask the Professor, Powerline, and more. In many ways, my life revolved around radio, to the point where I can often state the station I first heard a song, even if it was during a visit to Gilroy as when Brian Adams’ “Cuts Like a Knife” was a hit on the amazing 610/KFRC in San Francisco.

So it was with great anticipation that I started reading the just-released book “Raised on Radio, Power Ballads, Cocaine and Payola, The AOR Glory Years 1976-1986” by Paul Rees. I figured it would be an inside look at Rees’ own relationship with radio, focussing on stations that played album-oriented rock and roll, such as KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM), KLOS (95.5 FM) and others like them throughout the country.

Turns out its not that at all. In fact, it has no direct connection to radio, other than radio is where Rees heard many of the bands, artists  and songs featured in his book. And while it isn’t necessarily a book for fans of radio itself, it is a well-written, fully-researched tome on the music and related stories behind the music you would have heard on AOR, or Album Oriented Radio.

I’ve actually never read a book like it. The chapters are organized around a topic, and then filled with quotes from interviews done by Rees related to that topic. The result is a fast-paced look at all things related to those songs you remember from the era.

As but one example, Chapter 31, entitled “‘Keep on Loving You’ and the Perks of Being a Radio Programmer” delves into the semi-hidden world of payola, and the ways record company promotors got around some of the rules and laws to still pay for record airplay. But that happens after a bit of reflection from REO Speedwagon members about the development of their hit song mentioned in the chapter title. 

I’m not sure I agree with some of the concepts; while consultant Lee Abrams is given credit for helping actually create and popularize AOR out of what was once called freeform rock, it could be argued that this eventually led to the downfall of the format to the point today where it no longer even exists.

Michael Stark, who once worked at KLOS, explained it this way. “Lee Abrams helped to organize ‘free form’ radio. He added research to the mix and in my mind ruined it” by limiting the playlist to a particular demographic, at the exclusion of many black artists. “Having heard him speak about it I do think he understand that he moved music radio from an art form to strictly business.”

Regardless, the book is a very interesting read, especially of you are a fan of the era’s music. Available at bookstores everywhere.

Uncle Joe Passes

It was announced on the Uncle Joe’s Garage page of Facebook: “It is with great sadness that we share the news legendary disc jockey Joe Benson’s passing. In the early hours of Tuesday, February 24th, Joe passed away peacefully from Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinson’s Dementia, and complications from a fall.”

Benson truly was a legend, and a super-nice guy at that. When I made a visit to 100.3 The Sound KSWD (now KKLQ) — his last commercial station gig — years ago, he made a point to not only look for me but sat me down for an in depth talk. Not an interview, a talk. We spoke of our kids and our mutual admiration for various people, and he bragged about his talented guitar-player son Jeremy as I bragged about my guitar-player son Sean. There was no purpose to the talk other than to get to know each other better. He said to stay in touch, and for the most part, we did.

Besides The Sound, Benson was heard locally on KLOS for an amazing 30 years, as well as on KLSX (now KNX-FM, 97.1) and Arrow 93.1 (now KCBS-FM, 93.1). I remember him best as host of The Seventh Day when it was on KLOS. After The Sound changed formats he retired from local radio to concentrate on the syndicated “Off the Record” musical interview show and streaming his own Ultimate Classic Rock show. He left his hosting duties at Off the Record due, I was told at the time, to his health issues, unknown to the public at the time.

There are many touching tributes on Facebook to Uncle Joe and his career, which on addition to radio included announcing at the California Speedway for over 20 years, as well as writing Record Guides and doing a little car racing himself.

Dave Beasing was Benson’s last on-air programmer at The Sound, and he has fond memories of working with him.“Joe instinctively knew that an audience is built one listener at a time,” Beasing told me. “He’d have sincere conversations with people at public appearances. Then years later, they’d show up again and he’d resume the same conversation. Joe genuinely loved people, and we all loved him back.”

Said one reader in an email, “I feel like I’ve lost a friend.” I can sincerely say, we all do.

Benson is survived by his wife , Jan, and his two children, Jay and Jeremy. His family asks that donations be made to The Brain Donor Project or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.