KLAR 1300 Radio

Friend, Lover, Wife

2011-03-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the sixth anniversary of my being married to the best woman in the world.

I heard this song a few weeks ago, and immediately thought of my wife. It's corny but true.

(By the way, mustache alert.)

Johnny Paycheck - Friend, Lover, Wife

Top Funk

2011-01-24T17:48:00.000-06:00

Through all my searching for everything KLAR in Google brought up an interesting surprise.

This is a Top 40 list from the week of September 12, 1973 clipped from the local paper. It's the highest resolution I could find, but it's still pretty cool.

It shows the diversity of the type of music played on KLAR - from Roberta Flack to Joe Walsh to Conway Twitty to Tower of Power.

Here's one of my faves from Tower of Power - quite possibly, according to my friend Roland, the best funk band of the seventies. If they weren't the best, you have to admit, their mustaches certainly are in the top 10 of funk band mustaches.

Tower of Power - As Surely As I Stand Here

Greatest of all time?

2011-01-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

Maybe.

In my book, when it comes to hard rock, I say yes, Led Zeppelin IS the greatest band of all time. Drums bigger than life, guitar licks that are often imitated and never duplicated, best bass player in the business, and a front man that can never be equaled.

And, yes, there is a mustache in their midst.

Let me WARN YOU: It's loud. (That's the way it's meant to be.)

Led Zeppelin - Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman)

Skaggs-stache

2011-01-22T23:23:00.002-06:00

KLAR played Country music almost as often as Top 40, and at one point, their programming was exclusively Country.

One song I remember quite fondly was "Honey (Open That Door)" by Ricky Skaggs.

Listening to "Honey" it's obvious that it's a main-stream Country song. Skaggs' roots, though, were in bluegrass.

Here's a song from 1984's Country Boy that showcases his bluegrass talents.

And yes, that's a moustache on Ricky.

Ricky Skaggs - Wheel Hoss

People Try To Put Us Down

2011-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Who weren't from My Generation.

My Generation: Pop Rocks, Lik-M-Aid, He-Man and the Masters Of The Universe, Thundercats Hooo, BMX Bikes, M.C. Hammer, and the rest of all that hind-sightedly ridiculous stuff.

Wish I grew up around this.

The Who - My Generation (Live)

Born To Run...anthem for border angst

2011-01-16T01:56:00.002-06:00

Written at 7½ West End Court in Long Branch, New Jersey in early 1974, the song was Bruce Springsteen's last-ditch effort to make it big. The prior year, Springsteen had released two albums to critical acclaim but with little commercial success.

In his 1996 book Songs, Springsteen relates that while the beginning of the song was written on guitar around the opening riff, the song's writing was finished on piano, the instrument that most of the Born to Run album was composed on.

Here it is, the would-be rock song to end all rock songs. (It did for some.)

Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

By the way, back then, he had a mustache.

Thousand Miles From Nowhere

2011-01-14T19:49:00.007-06:00

Life in Laredo in the 70's & 80's wasn't exciting.

There were River Raft Races in the Rio Grande that had to stop, rumor has it, because someone grew an extra eye. (Don't quote me on this.)

Somethings haven't changed. Enjoying Breakfast Tacos (a.k.a. Mariachis) on Saturday morning and the smell of fajitas cooking on the South Side that same evening. People driving the wrong way in the grocery parking lot.

But other things have come full circle and are almost surreal. (Sushi in Laredo? I mean, come on. REALLY?)

Whether you've lived in Laredo your whole life, or have only been there a few times, I'm sure you'd agree with me that it truly seems like it's "1000 Miles From Nowhere."

Jesse Colin Young - 1000 Miles From Nowhere

Before The Bodyguard...

2011-01-14T19:04:00.003-06:00

It was 1975.

Dolly Parton had topped the country charts the year before, yet, this song remained largely unplayed on pop stations. 17 years later, Whitney Houston would record this song and sell 12 million copies.

However, Linda Ronstadt's version off of her Prisoner In Disguise LP is hands down, in my opinion, the best version of this song.

Dave Michaels, my father, is, to the best of my knowledge, the first to play "I Will Always Love You" on Top 40 radio. He liked to do stuff like that...play album cuts when most everyone else was just spinning singles.

Here it is in all it's 1975 glory.

Linda Ronstadt - I Will Always Love You

He Needs A Mustache

2011-01-13T21:24:00.002-06:00

Tom T. Hall - Sneaky Snake

KLAR Blog Reboot

2011-01-13T20:51:00.007-06:00

Rebooting the blog.

This means AT LEAST weekly posts, more retro research, and more awesome music.

And more 70's mustaches.
Marty Robbins - Meet Me Tonight In Laredo

The Golden Age of KLAR

2011-01-13T20:21:00.006-06:00

Dave & John in the Mornings....

The Bird on Afternoon Drivetime

And great stuff on the radio...

Elton John - Honey Roll
Steely Dan - FM