Pop Chronicles Explained

Show Name:The Pop Chronicles
Home Station:KRLA
Syndicates:Hot Air, Armed Forces Radio
Creator:John Gilliland
Producer:Chester Coleman
First Aired:1969
Num Episodes:55
Othertheme:The Chronicles of Pop by Len Chandler

The Pop Chronicles are two radio documentary series which together "may constitute the most complete audio history of 1940s–60s popular music."[1] They originally aired starting in 1969 and concluded about 1974. Both were produced by John Gilliland.

The Pop Chronicles of the 1950s and 60s

Inspired by the Monterey Pop Festival, the Pop Chronicles of the 1950s and 1960s originally was produced at KRLA 1110 and first aired on February 9, 1969.[2] John Gilliland[3] narrated the series along with Sie Holliday[4] and Thom Beck (pictured).[5] Also performing interviews were Dick LaPalm, Lew Irwin, Harry Shearer, Mike Masterson, and Richard Perry.[6] The show's brief recurring theme song "The Chronicles of Pop" was written and performed by Len Chandler.[7] The engineer and associate producer of the series was Chester Coleman.[8] [9] [10]

KRLA 1110 originally broadcast an hour a week of the Pop Chronicles,[8] which were later syndicated[11] [12] by "Hot Air"[13] and broadcast on Armed Forces Radio.[14] The photo above indicates that it was broadcast on KABC-FM sometime before that station became KLOS.

The University of North Texas Music Library made the Pop Chronicles available online[15] since June 2010.[16]

The Pop Chronicles of the 1940s

Show Name:Pop Chronicles the 40s
Home Station:KSFO
Syndicates:AFRTS
Creator:John Gilliland
Narrated:John Gilliland
First Aired:1972
Num Episodes:24
Reviews:
  • Allmusic [{{Allmusic|class=album|id=r618134|pure_url=yes}} link] -->
Website:The Pop Chronicles Of The 1940s

The Pop Chronicles of the 1940s was produced by John Gilliland and broadcast on KSFO (AM) while he worked there beginning in 1972[12] [17] [18] for a total of 24 episodes. To promote the show, KSFO "had a 40's month celebration with a dance remote and a jitterbug contest at Union Square." Allan M. Newman of KSFO said of the show that Gilliland, "interviewed damn near everybody involved during those years. such as Bing Crosby, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer, Patty Andrews, Tex Beneke, etc. ... I think John has put together a true collector's item."[19]

In 1972, Gilliland had produced and syndicated 12 episodes which covered the first half of the 1940s. He then asked his listeners to write to their stations if they wanted to hear the rest of the series.[20] He would produce another 12 episodes to cover the rest of the 1940s.[21]

This series was syndicated by Doug Andrews[22] [19] and broadcast on AFRTS.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ARSC Conference 2008 – Session Abstracts . 2009-07-13.
  2. Web site: CLASSIC DJ & RADIO SCRAPBOOK: KRLA POP CHRONICLES Program, 1969 (1 of 2) . Classicdjradioscrapbook.blogspot.com . 2009-07-13.
  3. Web site: Los Angeles Radio People, Where Are They Now, G . Laradio.com . 2009-04-16.
  4. Web site: Los Angeles Radio People, Where Are They Now? H . Laradio.com . 2021-02-19.
  5. http://www.laradio.com/whereb.htm Los Angeles Radio People, B
  6. Web site: Index to Interviews — University of North Texas Libraries . Library.unt.edu . July 24, 2008 . 2009-04-16 . https://archive.today/20070607042351/http://www.library.unt.edu/music/gilliland/indexint.html . June 7, 2007 . dead .
  7. Web site: Index to "Pop Chronicles" — University of North Texas Libraries . live . Library.unt.edu . 2009-04-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070607042144/http://www.library.unt.edu/music/gilliland/indexpop.html#1 . June 7, 2007 .
  8. News: Hopkins . Jerry . Jerry Hopkins (author) . 'Pop Chronicles' Chronicle Pop . . 34 . October 4, 1969 . 43 . Chester Coleman, engineer and associate producer.
  9. Web site: CLASSIC DJ & RADIO SCRAPBOOK: KRLA POP CHRONICLES Program, 1969 (2 of 2) . Classicdjradioscrapbook.blogspot.com . 2009-07-13.
  10. Web site: RBR epaper, Volume 23, Issue 56 . March 21, 2006 . 2020-06-12 . Jim Carnegie . rbr.com . Radio Business Report . Lake Ridge, VA . Chester Coleman, who was both a station owner and media broker passed away last Friday in San Francisco.
  11. Vox Jox . September 26, 1970 . 2011-01-04 . . Alt URL
  12. News: Radio Returns to the '40s. . October 29, 1972. Bob . MacKenzie. https://web.archive.org/web/20120209175138/http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/ksfo/1972/Trib_Pop-Chronicles-Article-1_1972.pdf. February 9, 2012 .
  13. Web site: The Pop Chronicles: More than a history of rock and roll . 1969-04-07 . Broadcasting: THE BUSINESSWEEKLY OF TELEVISION AND RADIO .
  14. Book: Gilliland, John . Pop chronicles. 36 (RU 11-1 [Sept. 1970] . August 18, 2008 . 50111827 .
  15. Web site: The Pop Chronicles Of The 50s And 60s. 1969. radioechoes.com. September 22, 2018.
  16. Web site: Statistics: John Gilliland's Pop Chronicles UNT Digital Library . Digital.library.unt.edu . 2013-07-24.
  17. Web site: The Pop Chronicles Of The 1940s . 1972-10-29 . RadioEchoes.
  18. Web site: John Gilliland – Pop Chronicles: The Forties . bayarearadio.org . 2009-04-16 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20090201210327/http://www.sfradiomuseum.com/audio/ksfo/1972/ksfo_pop-chronicles_5-nov-1972.shtml . February 1, 2009 .
  19. . 1973-03-31 . Syndication: An Explosion . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20150428015016/http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1973/Billboard%201973-03-31.pdf . April 28, 2015 . Alt URL
  20. Web site: Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #12. John. Gilliland. October 7, 1972. UNT Digital Library.
  21. Web site: Search Results — 24 Results. UNT Digital Library. May 3, 2024 .
  22. 12-Hour Special Spots Forties' Music & Events . January 13, 1973 . 2011-01-04 . Billboard . Alt URL
  23. . 1973-10-06 . Syndicated Air Show Sells LP's .
  24. Web site: John Gilliland's the Pop Chronicles presents the 40's free . 1973-10-08 . .
  25. . 1974-03-30 . Radio Show Set To Test Oldies .
  26. Book: Gilliland, John . Pop chronicles . Worldcat.org . August 18, 2008 . 31611854 .
  27. Book: The big band chronicles . Worldcat.org . 38555138.
  28. Web site: John Gilliland Collection, 1955–1991 | Music Library . Findingaids.library.unt.edu . 2019-06-14.
  29. Book: Gilliland, John . Pop chronicles of the 40's. 1 (RU 14-76 [Apr. 1976]) [WorldCat.org] |publisher=[WorldCat.org] |date=August 18, 2008 |oclc=50311556 }} In 1973 MCA Records used the show to sell a nine-album set of music from the show,[23] so the show could be offered for free to radio stations.[24] But in 1974, RCA negotiated for the rights to the show.[25]

    In 1994, Gilliland released an edited version as the four cassette audiobook Pop Chronicles the 40's: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40's.[26] This was later rereleased as The Big Band Chronicles.[27]

    After his death, Gilliand's sister donated the Pop Chronicles tapes to the University of North Texas Music Library where they form the John Gilliland Collection.[28]

    References

    Print sources

    • Book: Gilliland, John . On Chronicling Pop . Los Angeles Radio People: Volume 2, 1957–1997 . Don . Barrett . Valencia, CA . Db Marketing . 1997 . 978-0-9658907-0-0 . 38994418. (The pages in this book are not numbered, but Gilliland's essay is located between the E and F entries.)

    Notes

    External links

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