A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1967
The Grande Ballroom Site Center Stage
DETROIT — Presented by “Uncle Russ,” the Chambers Brothers played to good-sized crowds at the Grande Ballroom here on Friday and Saturday, September 1 and 2.
Throughout their two shows on Saturday night the brothers, who record for Columbia, completely captivated the audience with their powerful harmonizing and fine musicianship.
The four brothers, with drummer Brian Keenan, play and sing with a fervor that comes from their gospel music background. Their sound combines rhythm and blues and psychedelic in a unique style that comes with tremendous impact on record and more so performing live on stage.
Whether the Chambers Brothers played “People Get Ready,” “Mustang Sally,” or their own composition like “Time Has Come Today,” the excitement they create has few equals in the present pop/rock music scene. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; September 16, 1967)
The Chambers Brothers: The band’s rendition of “People Get Ready.” And what it might have sounded like when they sang it live on stage at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, September 1 and 2, 1967.
Gentlemen, While it’s true that Russ Gibb had the Grande going strong during this time, WKNR FM did not go underground until May of1968. So it’s highly unlikely that the radio station had anything to do with this concert. Agreed? Did you “edit” the article from Billboard?
Kim, good background check on the post regarding WKNR-FM. We just looked into it and you are correct. While we did edit the article from the Billboard, WABX-FM was the only underground radio station in Detroit at the time in 1967. The reference to the radio station is as you pointed out is in error. Uncle Russ was at WKNR-FM in 1968 and in 1969. Thanks again for bringing this out. We’ll remove the reference as found in error.
Kim: When WKNR-FM went underground — https://usaradiomuseum.com/?p=14157
Jim,
The link you provided for the article on WKNR FM says “scheduled to start May 26”, but according to Grace Potts, WKNR secretary, the actual date was May 20th. My source is http://www.keener13.com. I still love your website. Thanks for sharing. When I am done with my documentary on WABX, WXYZ FM, WKNR FM, WRIF, WWWW, CJOM and WLLZ I’ll likely have some material for you. I’m still categorizing and editing my radio treasures. Health & clarity, Brother Kim
Brother Kim — thanks for the heads up. We’ll have to go with the info you provided insofar the actual date. Billboard was off several days. Had a Billboard reference posted about Jerry Goodwin (WKNR/WABX) who, the piece claimed, made the switch to another radio station in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 but he caught it — wrote us back he was never down there. So Billboard has been wrong on some things we have caught but hey, we like to post them as they had published them during that period — whether they be totally right or found to be wrong from time-frame. But yes, anything you would like to provide insofar as your “radio treasures” let us know. We’d love to share your classic Detroit radio rockers with others here on Motor City Radio Flashbacks. And of course, it’ll be to YOUR credit. Please, do keep us in mind in sharing, we always welcome new airchecks and Detroit radio materials here on MCRFB.COM.
Jim, even in 1967, there were no underground stations in Detroit. In the fall of 1967, WABX had one “underground” program on the weekend, “Troubador” hosted by John Small. But WABX didn’t go full time underground until February 1968. Can we agree on that?
Rock on,
Brother Kim
Agreed! Please keep us in mind with your updates of your Detroit radio documentary project which you are working on. Is it a film or an audio project? Glad you enjoy the website Kim!
Documentary is going to be a video. You’ve read David Carson’s book “Rockin’ Down the Dial”? My objective is to re-write Chapter 21. And while you have a few WABX audios, where’s the WKNR FM and CJOM stuff? The very fact that your own website has so little of that FM era is evidence of how hard it is to find. I’ve built a list of over 300 names of DJ’s, GMs or PD’s from the WABX, WXYZ FM, WRIF, WKNR FM, WWWW, CJOM and WLLZ days and I’m trying to find out at least something about each of them. That will be for the book project, and if I can’t find a publisher it will all wind up on the web. I’ve been in contact with and interviewed many of the folks from that era, Dick Kernan, Harvey Ovshinsky, Dan Carlisle, Larry Monroe, Larry Miller, Russ Gibb, Jerry Goodwin, Barbara Holliday, Ira Lipson, Don Schuster, and on and on. I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy the results of my efforts. Stay tuned.
Yes, those FM you made reference to are hard to find insofar as recorded airchecks. I guess one of the reasons may be they primarily don’t compare to the “normal” airchecks, if you will, as for the most part those early underground FM programming entailed mostly about the music itself played, and the DJ had little to say between segues but an introduction here and about the tracks played previously there after a very long set. And, for the most part, they WERE about the (long) album oriented rock station here instead. And again, not your “average” aircheck. While we do have several FM rockers on CD (Dan Carlisle and Dave Dixon) what is heard were are long album sets and a few words or announcements by the radio host in between. But that was the basis of drawing more audience appeal. It was all about the music. Not the radio personality. Despite several names having become legendary while going underground with the format in FM radio early on. But of course, that is an area where MCRFB lacks in insofar as airchecks. And another area we lack as well and would like to build on, would be the black R&B stations from the 60s and 70s in Detroit as well. Love to have those as well, someone out there has to have these. But if there is anything you may have insofar as what we touched on where would appreciate in you sharing with us anything — of your project and ongoing efforts to bring to light more of the FM side of Detroit radio history during the 1960s and 1970s as we remember them as well. Thank you Kim for sharing with Motor City Radio Flashbacks. And feel free to keep us updated as you move along in your work.