"The 1960s Pop-Rock Music and TV Shows Net" Roundup for November 2008

"The 1960s Pop-Rock Music and TV Shows Net" was held each week during the month of November with good participation. There were a lot of terrific trivia questions covering both '60s rock music and TV shows plus the three featured Net segments, "This Week In 1960s Rock and Roll History", "#1 Hits For The Week Of.....", and "This Week In 1960s Television History". During the Net on November 26, an interesting discussion developed over a '60s music trivia question concerning some of the "superjocks" who played this great music during the decade including Larry Lujack at WLS, Wolfman Jack at XERB, "Cousin Brucie" at WABC, etc. The discussion then turned to "Border Blasters", the ultra high-powered AM radio stations located in Mexican border cities that blasted their super strong signals across the U.S. and helped popularize rock and roll music; these stations, in particular, XERF and XERB, also launched the highly successful career of Wolfman Jack, making him the most popular rock and roll DJ of all time.

For the month of November there were 12 different hams that checked into the Net with seven making the "PA" (Perfect Attendance) List.  Those stations were: K7DMF (Dave) in Vail, N7PHX (Jim) in Tempe, K7SLS (Shel) in Phoenix, KE7GRV (Terry) in Tempe, K1ATV (Bil) in Mesa, KE7FQL (John) in Phoenix, and KB4VYM (Clark) in Tucson. Thank you, guys for your outstanding weekly participation. Perfect attendance is a key factor in maintaining a strong and vibrant net.

I would also like to recognize KC0AIZ (Mark) from Phoenix who checked into the Net for the very first time. Mark drives an 18-wheeler and participated in the November 26th Net as he drove from Phoenix to Tucson. We hope you will join us any time you can, Mark as you travel the highways of southcentral Arizona. WELCOME!

This month I would like to feature in the Net Roundup report Mr. Neal Schiff, a friend of mine who is not a ham, but should be! He not only has the personality to be a very engaging ham, but also shares our passion and joy in listening to all the great rock and roll hits of the 1950s and 1960s. Though Neal has never been behind the mic of a ham rig, he has spent a lot of time behind microphones as an oldies DJ at WEEL in Fairfax, Virginia and WMJR in Manassas. Before spinning the music of Elvis, The Four Tops, The Beatles, and all the other '60s groups, Neal actually began his career in radio at WEEX in Easton, Pennsylvania and later WAEB in Allentown. His next job took him to WAVZ in New Haven, Connecticut followed by work at WTRN in Tyrone, PA. He then left broadcasting and was employed by the F.B.I. at headquarters in Washington D.C. for four years before returning to radio and becoming News Director at WAIV in Jacksonville, Florida. Neal later was an anchor/reporter for radio stations WIOD and WINZ, both in Miami. This would be his final full-time work in commercial broadcasting before returning to service with the federal government.

Neal again joined the ranks of the F.B.I. in the Office of Public Affairs in 1987 where he still currently serves as a Public Affairs Specialist. In this position he is able to fulfill his passion working in radio, producing shows and podcasts, for the F.B.I.'s Internet home page (http://www.fbi.gov). The radio programs Neal produces are called "FBI, This Week" (an ABC Radio Network program), and "Gotcha (The Closed Case of the Week)". "FBI, This Week" airs on WABC, 770 AM, in New York City, WMAL, 630 AM, in Washington D.C., as well as many other ABC Radio affiliates around the country.

Like millions of other '50s and '60s music lovers, Neal is a big Elvis fan and saw The King of Rock and Roll twice in concert, first in 1972 and again in 1976. He's been to Graceland in Memphis and to The King's birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi; in addition, he has toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland. Neal's interest in rock and roll music, like mine, all started by listening to WLS and WCFL in Chicago as a teen in the 1960s. And the rest is history as the saying goes.

Pictured above is Neal at the microphone recording one of his F.B.I. radio shows. You can also listen to Neal introduce "America's Band", the Beach Boys, for a full concert held in 1988 as they performed for some 2,600 F.B.I. employees in the courtyard at F.B.I. Headquarters in Washington. The concert was sponsored by the agency's Recreation Association. Introducing the Beach Boys was, according to Neal, "the thrill of a lifetime", something he said he would never forget.  Click Here to listen to that introduction.    

The Internet companion to the Net, "CQ Hams Still Groovin' In The 60s", continues to develope and expand with new material being added each week. Recently added articles in the "DID YOU KNOW....." section included "Mystery Solved!" (Who Were The Exports?), "Banned From The Airwaves" (The Story of Banned 60s Rock Hits), "Mr. Down In The Boondocks" (The Biography of Billy Joe Royal), and "A Wonderful Summer" and Robin Ward. In the "Brain Teasers and Trivia" section, a 1960s Rock and Roll Bands Geography Test was added. If you haven't tested your knowledge on 60s bands and the city or region from where they hailed, give it a try.... you might surprise yourself!

And please don't forget that your suggestions, comments and questions for the website are always welcome!

Listed below are the music trivia questions for the month. Give them a try and see if you are a 'Novice', 'Technician', 'General' or 'Extra' when it comes to '60s pop-rock music.

If you live in southcentral Arizona, are visiting, or just passing through, please join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm on the 224.500 repeater (N7EOJ) located at 9,100' above Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains for the Net. Everyone "into the '60s" is welcome!

73',
John  N7LQR
Maricopa, Arizona  

  MUSIC TRIVIA QUESTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 2008

139. This band formed in San Diego in 1967 and would
        ultimately have six Top 20 hits between 1967-1969
        including “Woman, Woman”, “Young Girl”, and “Lady Will
        Power”. What is the name of this rock group?

140. An R&B doo-wop group from Pittsburgh, The Marcels had
        two Top 10 hit records in 1961, one of which was
        “Heartache”. What is the name of their big #1 hit that
        stayed on top of the charts for three weeks and in the
        Top 40 for 11 weeks?

141. He was an early 60’s rock artist with such big hits as
 “New Orleans”, his #1 hit record “Quarter To Three”,
        “School Is Out”, and “Twist, Twist Senora”. What is the
        name of this recording artist?

142. Lorne Greene, the star of several successful television
        shows including “Bonanza” and “Battlestar Galactica” also
        had a #1 pop hit record in the 1960’s. What is the name
        of this song?

143. One of the top pop-rock groups of the 1960’s, this band
        had such noted hits as “California Dreamin’”, “Monday, Monday”,
        “I Saw Her Again”, and “Words of Love”. What is the name
        of this famous '60s quartet?

144.    These pop-rock music recording artists all share the same
        first name, Gary, and all but one had record-charting hits
        during the decade of the 1960s. Which “Gary” did not produce
        a hit record during the 1960s?

        Gary Lewis   Gary (U.S.) Bonds   Gary Glitter   Gary Puckett

      
145.    One of the greatest guitarists of the 1960’s and creator of
        surf rock music, he soon was nicknamed the “King of the
        Surf Guitar”. His hits included “Let’s Go Trippin’”, “Surf
        Beat”, “Jungle Fever”, and “Misirlou”. What is the name
        of one of Americas all-time greats on the guitar?

146.    A native of Philadelphia, Len Barry had three Top 40 hits
        during the mid 1960’s. Barry’s biggest hit, however, was
        his first record that soared to #2 nationally in October
        1965 after an appearance on Dick Clarks American
        Bandstand Show. What is the name of his smash hit
        song, the title for which is a series of numbers and not
        words.

147.    The Capitols, an R&B vocal trio from Detroit were a "one hit
        wonder" group that had a very popular hit record that reached
        #7 on the pop-rock charts in May 1966. What was the name of
        their hit song?

        “Mustang Sally”    “Good Lovin’”    “Cool Jerk”
        “Funky Broadway”    “Hully Gully Baby”

148.    British clarinetist Acker Bilk, described as the “GrandMaster
        of the Clarinet” and whose sound and style was at least as
        singular as had been those of American jazzmen Benny Goodman
        and Artie Shaw, recorded this instrumental piece for a British
        television series in 1962.The single shot to #1 on the American
        Billboard pop charts making Bilk the first British musician
        ever to put a song in the #1 position on the U.S. charts. What
        is the name of Bilks chart-topping instrumental hit record?

      
Scroll down for the answers 

ANSWERS:

139.  A: Gary Puckett And The Union Gap

140.  A: “Blue Moon”

141.     A: Gary (U.S.) Bonds

142.  A: “Ringo”

143.     A: The Mamas & The Papas

144.  A: Gary Glitter

145.     A: Dick Dale (And The Deltones)

146.  A: “1-2-3”

147.     A: “Cool Jerk”

148.     A: “Stranger On The Shore”