When KRNW-FM shut its doors on April 1, 1977, it was the end of freeform radio in Boulder. The rock music station KBCO-FM began its storied run a few months later with a format that emphasized the “Colorado sound.” In deference to the KRNW audience, they gave me a six-hour show on Sunday nights and […]
1970s
Playlist: September 29, 1972
Although I had been on the radio for less than a year (KRNW-FM, Boulder, CO), I felt like a grizzled veteran. Every day I arrived at the station with a sense of purpose. I played music by my favorite artists (Dylan, the Byrds, Spirit, Poco) and always made sure to turn the audience on to […]
Playlist: September 28, 1972
During my 1971–1977 radio stint at KRNW-FM (Boulder, CO), I was primarily a morning DJ. But during the fall of ’72, there were personnel changes, and I moved to middays (10 a.m.–2 p.m.). That meant I could stay up late and trawl the clubs and bars without having to wake up at 5 a.m. Judging […]
Playlist: June 1, 1976
I did mornings at KRNW (97.3 FM) in Boulder, Colorado, from 1971 to 1973 and again from 1975 to 1977. I’m flushed with memories of being able to mix in so many genres into each single four-hour show. This random playlist incorporates folk rock, Latin fusion, an acoustic guitar dirge, glossy R&B, English prog rock, straight ahead jazz, and […]
Playlist: September 24, 1976
This playlist is from one of my morning shows on KRNW (Boulder, CO) when I was 28 years old. I was still heavily influenced by the sounds of country rock that were so prevalent in Boulder. But when I look at my playlists from the same week, I see Slade, T-Rex, The New York Dolls, […]
Playlist: February 19, 1978
I worked at KBCO-FM (Boulder, CO) from June 5, 1977, to February 19, 1978, doing a Sunday evening specialty freeform show called Hot off the Press. The show featured my selections of music interspersed with artist interviews and an interactive matchmaking feature called “The KBCO Communal Bathtub.” This is the playlist from my final show (#36) […]
Playlist: June 20, 1972
When I look at this playlist from 1972, there’s more than a twinge of sadness that so many of my favorite musicians are gone. Steve Goodman, Phil Everly, Arthur Lee, Gene Clark, Doc Watson, and Sandy Denny are all so important to me. Then I look at all the people on this list who are still […]
Playlist: October 4, 1971
After only two substitute air shifts at KRNW-FM (Boulder) in the fall of 1971, I was hired full-time as the morning-drive DJ (M-F, 6-10 a.m.). Here’s the playlist from my first show on Monday, October 4, 1971. It was the freeform era when the disc jockeys picked their own music. My radio career was off […]