Woody Goulart - Latest Comments

Re: Jacobs and Drake On The Record, Part Two

Pete Johnson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:56:25 -0000

This is a great interview. I wrote “The History of Rock & Roll” for Ron, Bill and KHJ, and, although it was a life-shortening experience, it was a privilege to work with Ron, in particular, who is kind of brilliant. One observation on the “Boss Radio” format: I was impressed by its mix of music by black and white artists. The station flourished during the rise of Motown and Atlantic Records, and I think KHJ greatly helped homogenize popular music in a very fine way.

Re: Audio

Zargo — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:42:31 -0000

I was about 12 years old when I heard this sound. Got introduced to surfing the same year. Used to live in Pasadena, Ca, now living in Houston, TX. Boy it's great to hear this again! Brings back a lot of good memories!

Re: Syndicated Radio Programming on Tape

Lew — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:50:28 -0000

I have about 72, 12 inch tapes made by Drake Chenault mosyly are Hit Parade and some are
Wolfman Jack. Would they be of interst to you or anyone?

Re: Jacobs and Drake On The Record, Part Two

Goodhelp — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:04:50 -0000

Thank you, Woody G. This interview is one of the best I've read between any two radio people. They tell it like it is, was and why. And I learned something: my 20+ years as a disc jockey in radio has been "a character building experience!"

Re: Ron Jacobs

gorilla2boot — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:21:25 -0000

Oops! KGB took 150 days to make it to #1. Also BILLBOARD Station of the Year. KDEO and KCBQ better than
KRLA and WB. Wuzup, jagoff?

Re: Audio

Sfptechnologist — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:06:57 -0000

I am the morning DJ at KHJ... W.O.L.D by Harry Chapin says it all.

Re: Ron Jacobs

Jackolantern909 — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:22:06 -0000

KHJ would have still been succesful without Jacobs. Jacobs didn't make KGB number one in 60 days, against better competition than KRLA or KFWB. It would have simply been different, but number one it would have been.

Re: Audio

Jim — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:41:14 -0000

Wow this site is like a time machine! Boss Radio was "THE" radio station of Los Angeles. It was cool reliving those times through this site. TENA DELGADO IS ALIVE........ALIVE! Once More!

Re: Don’t Know Much About History

Gary Theroux — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 14:13:19 -0000

I don't think there is any question that Ron Jacobs, Bill Mouzis and company were the people who created the original KHJ version of "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" in 1969. I was one of those who was deeply impressed by their version when it was later syndicated and broadcast over WLS in Chicago. At the time, as a kid in school, I didn't know much about rock history and it was that program which inspired me to devote a huge chunk of my life to exploring not only rock history but the evolution of popular music of all forms on record. While working at KIIS and writing my own book on the subject in 1976, I heard that Drake-Chenault was in the process of updating the HRR in nearby Canoga Park, CA. As a huge fan of the original program, I contacted the company and offered to open my own archives, which by then included not just thousands of detailed files but hundreds of audio interviews with rock artists. Drake-Chenault then hired me to take over the project -- a daunting task but one that I was more than willing to undertake.

At first I figured I would simply update the 1969 version, but as I carefully reviewed the original script I came to realize that the 1969 program suffered from serious structural, editorial and factual problems. After talking it over with Bill Drake, I reformatted the program into self-contained thematic modules and then rebuilt and reprogrammed the contents from scratch. As it turned out, Drake and I were on the same wavelength regarding the show -- philosophically, structurally and content-wise -- about 95% of the time. My only serious diasagreement with him came over the fact that I wanted more roots content than he though the affiliated stations would go for.

In the end, only two elements from the 1969 HRR were retained in the Billboard award-winning 1978 version: the Phil Spector listening test sequence and the involvement of Bill Mouzis, who was of enormouis help to chief engineer Mark Ford. You might also find it interesting to know that I formatted, programmed, researched and wrote the 1978 script entirely by myself with no support staff or co-writers at all (despite the office politics which rendered the closing cedits factually inaccurate). There was no budget for any of that -- which was why it took me about 18 months to complete the project from beginning to end. During Bill Drake's early voicetracking sessions, he sometimes made minor changes to my copy simply to make it easier to match his speaking style. After a short time, though, I because familiar enough with his natural phrasing to craft the narration to synch with his vocal cadence.

Bill and I grew to become very good friends as a result of the HRR and I treasure the e-mails he later sent me over the years, including his last one written only the day before he entered the hospital for the very last time. After the HRR was released, I surprised Bill with a gold album award I had made up for him to commemorate the event. (One wonders where it is now.) He and I also served together on the nominating commitee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. You can read more about the production of the 1978 HRR on the drakechenault.org website.

I was not directly involved in the third version of the HRR, which, for some reason, was marketed as the "Silver Anniversary" edition. (Silver anniversary -- of what?) The "Silver" edition was basically a condensed version of my 1978 HRR with a few "updating" hours tacked on. Unlike the first two versions, the "Silver" edition was a relative flop -- even though it still gets rebroadcast from time to time. If you hear it, just keep in mind that anything in it pre-1978 was lifted from the 1978 tapes (sometimes edited in ways which I did NOT approve). The post-1978 material is stuff tacked on by others.

Remarkably, in the early to mid '70s, Ron Jacobs was interviewed in Billboard magazine and stated a belief that talent will out and implied that anyone with talent was already well-known. As a new arrival in L.A. who was just beginning to get established, I wrote to Ron and stated that I felt I had some talent but as of yet was pretty much unknown. He sent back a very warm note in which he opined that I DID have untapped expertise and that soon an opportunity would emerge which would give me the chance to show off what I could do. He was right. Less than two years later I was asked by Bill Drake and Gene Chenault to rebuild "The History of Rock 'n' Roll." And all the time I was working on it, I kept thinking, "This has to be as good as it could possibly be. I want Ron to like this."

Since the HRR, I have created, developed, written and produced other radio and TV programming for Disney, PBS, CBS and others and in 2009 picked up an Emmy nomination. I also spent 20 years as the Music & Entertainment Editor of Reader's Digest, have written several books, countless articles and liner notes and compiled/produced more than 300 multi-disc CD box sets with cumulative sales topping 39 million-copies. (The latest of those, "The All-Time Greatest Hits of Christmas," will be released October 4 through Guideposts Magazine. ) And all of that can be traced back to the "History of Rock 'n' Roll." Little did I know as a kid in school just how profoundly listening to the 1969 HRR over WLS was going to change my life. Even today I still get mail filled with questions about the "History of Rock 'n' Roll." I'm glad that the above article was written as it clarifies where the original idea came from.
-- Gary Theroux

Re: Audio

Jaime Martinez — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:54:24 -0000

put k-earth 101 jingle

Re: Audio

Downeynative — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:56:27 -0000

I have had a BLAST listening and reading. Amazing, historical work. Plus, I feel like a kid again. I have always thought the KHJ radio jingles were some of the most unique and exciting ever produced. To be able to hear them again, wow. Thanks.

Re: Audio

James F. Cosper — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:09:35 -0000

I was 11yrs. old when I discovered FM radio on the end of the Huntington Beach pier in 1967. I later talked my parents into purchasing a Motorola Home Entertainment System with record changer, AM/FM stereo radio and 24"B & W TV screen with rich Maple woodwork for a mere $50 from an Estate sale from some hippies in Laguna Beach in 1968... I soon explored the rich offerings at the time on the Los Angeles FM spectrum, such as KPFK 90.7 a Pacific Foundation station with sister FMs in Berekley, CA, Houston, TX and New York City, KHJ-FM 101.1, KCBH 98.7, KRHM 102.7, KPOL 94.9, KWST 105.9, KBIG 104.3, KOST 103.5, KFSG(former KRKD)-FM 96.3, KGBS-FM 97.1, KABC-FM(KLOS)95.5, KLAC-FM(KMET, KTWV)94.7, KNAC 105.5 Long Beach, KOCM 103.1 Newport Beach, KSRF 103.1 Santa Monica, KWIZ-FM 96.7 Santa Ana, KEZR(KEZY-FM)95.9 Anaheim, etc. I always enjoyed the Bill Drake Hitparade '68, '69, '70 and later Solid Gold Rock 'n'Roll formats and had the unique pleasure of meeting in person, Gene Chenault at their then offices and studios on Roscoe Blvd. in Canoga Park when I was just 14yrs. old in 1970! What a treat! Many thanks and best regards to the memory of Bill Drake and others for their programming talents! - James F. Cosper, Santiago, Chile

Re: Audio

Spcapalbo — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:53:39 -0000

Just found your site. Excellent. Thanks for letting me relive my Youth!!!!!