Hi There, Ran across your site through Google while searching KMET-FM. I just want to take a quick moment to try to illuminate the terrain in which we find ourselves currently deployed. As an on-air person there in the late 70's I should mention that KMET-FM was not exactly free form. It was formatted. That being said, it was also a loose format (more so than any other station in LA) that allowed the jocks to have enough freedom on the air to be creative (what a concept) and sound free form. That, along with the ability to have a lot of input at our weekly staff meetings, largely attributed to its huge #1 ratings in LA. A better example of a true free form progressive rock station is KNAC-FM 105.5 where I was on air 1970 – 1977. KNAC-FM actually had no format at all. We could play or do anything we wanted to do... and we did. Including bringing in folks like Frank Zappa or the Firesign Theater and talking with them for the whole show blitzed out of our minds. Anyway, those days of radio are long gone and probably will never return in any meaningful way. Thanks for your site and Blog. Hope you will get the KMET-FM link fixed soon. I would love to explore it. Peace and respect. Bob B. Blue
Chris Crawley: I am making a documentary film about the history of KMET and LA rock radio in the 1970's and 80's. I see from the website that you did some work there. Do you have any any archival photographs or videotape material from your days at the station? I would be very interested in looking at whatever you have.
I can be contacted for more details at: 213-880-2062 cel bart.lipton@cox.net
I listened to LA radio as I was growing up, first KRLA, then KFWB and finally XERB and KMET. I listened to the wolfman and then BMR and Elliot Mintz. I remember the night KMET launched free form radio and the first song was the Doors Light my Fire (what was the date?). Later hearing the generation gap and firesign theatre and david ossman reading the tales of Don Juan by Carlos Castenada. It was great radio.
I Grew up In So.Cal, and grew up on KMET. I Remember hearing, amoung other memorable things, a then unknown parade music artist named "Weird Al Yankovik" play, "Another One Rides The Bus" live on the air from the KMET studio. I also remember at least two or three occasions when KMET either got fined by the FCC, or even had they're broadcast license suspended for brief periods of time, for mis-conduct of some kind, that happened to slip out on the air, because some-one had disabled the sensor delay, if memory serves me.
hi there everybody"i grew up with kmet,i would always stay up late at night partyin with my friends listing to the heavy meatal hour kmetl..i sure miss those days:i still have the music recorded on tape and concert stickers kmet:michael.gardner66@yahoo.com
i remember back in the mid-70's DEA started spraying the pot fields of Colunbia with an herbicide called paraquat, ostensily to assist in eradicating the importation of weed in this country. there was a reporter called something Kelly, who soon acquired the moniker "paraquat Kelly", that read updates on program. had a real cool little guffaw after comments. i'm sure many listeners remember it tho
In high school (76-77) I hung out at KNAC doing odd jobs for pay. Carting spots and updating the PSA folder and mostly hanging out in the production room fucking around with tapes and practicing recording my voice.
The first time I snorted coke was at KNAC. FUN. Thanks, Lloyd.
KMET Day is coming to 100.3 The Sound "Finally a KMET Friday" July 10th.
KSWD 100.3 fm in Los Angeles, a fairly new station has hunted down the most talked about radios station heroes on Los Angeles and have decided to turn the airwaves over to them once again.
Former DJ's Ace Young and Jeff Gonzer will start the day off, Rick Scarry, David Perry, Jackson B Snyderfish, Paraquat Kelley, Dr. Demento will be doing shows.
We have soooooo much sound from back in the day.
More KMET friends will be dropping by during the day including Sam Bellamy our KMET program director. It's going to be great!!
The station can also be heard online at www.thesoundla.com don't miss it.
This is a monumentous day by popular demand and has been a request and petition on Facebook for months now as the former members of KMET have begun accumulating online in Facebook. They finally made it happen.
I am so JAZZED to hear that the Mighty Met will finally be coming back - even if only for one day, it will truly be a little bit of heaven.:)
KMET is the station I grew up listening to, and what those guys and gals were doing made me want to be in radio in the first place when I was just a kid!
Now I've been in radio for 20 years (was lucky enough to start out my career at the last freeform rock station on the Oklahoma prairie, KKLR/KTNT - airchecks of that station are available at the link by my name) and really have those great people at KMET to thank for giving me so much inspiration.
It will be so nice to hear all of their voices again! Can't wait until July 10th!!!!:)
And also a big thank you to the commenters above who shared their own stories of working in LA radio during those golden days.
Do you remember the Birdmama, that was my mother Barbara Birdfeather, would be eager to hear your or anyone's memories of her or her segments, as I never got to hear her...
Do you remember the BirdMama? That was my mother, Barbara , woulf love to hear any anecdotes, or if you'd likr to discuss her, please feel free to email me!
Do you remember the Birdmama, that was my mother Barbara Birdfeather, would be eager to hear your or anyone's memories of her or her segments, as I never got to hear her...
I just finished listening to 13 hours of KMET on 100.3 the Sound. What a great reunion day hearing many of the Mighty Met DJ's and also listening to Clips from the past. It brought back SO many great memories and made me realize just how far KLOS has fallen. It's about as far from KMET as it can be and still be considered rock. Thank you 100.3 The Sound for a great journey into the past!
KMET was the best radio I was at mike harrisons live at the strip we left a time capsel that we all put things in it should be relesed soon it has some wils stuff in it,
I have about 3 hours of off-air recordings I did of 94.7 KMET on 08/23/1986 and 10/17/1986 featuring Paraquat Kelly and Rick Skerry on the morning side and David Perry, Garth Hemp(live backstage at the Forum) and the "Fish Report with a Beat" on the afternoon side. Of course, the great music is all there and even the (now classic) commercials are all intact. I've been thinking about offering them for sale but don't know if there would be an interest in them. They sound as good as the day they were broadcast all over the southland.
If interested you can contact me using the contact page at my company website: http://www.vitapurity.com/pages/contact.html
Does anyone remember the broadcast on or around the Iran Hostage Crisis of November 4, 1979, around 4:30- 5:30 PM, when Jeff Gonzer and Paraquat Kelley, over dubbed the words to the Three Dog Night recording of "Mama Told Me Not to Come," and substituted the words with references to the hostages in key parts of the lyrics, and renamed it, "Ayatolle' Me Not To Come?"
It was hilarious. My friend and I had been heading south on the 101, and had to pull over to the shoulder, from laughing so hard. I realize it was a solemn time to be clowning around like that, but it helped to break up the shock of the Shah's overthrow, and this new regime taking over by way of a "bloodless" coup d'etat, at the time.
A little welcomed bit of comic relief, if you will. I've never forgotten that afternoon, especially whenever I hear Three Dog Night's, or Randy Newman's version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come." In my "mind's ear" it'll always be, "Ayatolle' Me Not To Come."
I have some BMR, Jimmy Rabbit, Steven Clean and Shadoe Stevens air checks on reel to reel that I will give to anyone who will xfer them to a CD and trade to me in exchange.
I always remember Burner Mary Turner's "Is that a roll of Quarters in your pocket, or you happy to see me?"
Also, one night Paraquat Kelley came on and said; "That he was out of weed. And if anyone would bring him some(weed), they could spent the night in the studio, with him." About an hour later, Paraquat said, that he had some weed. Also, that the building's security guard said, that there was a line about block long of people wanting to give him some weed.
Sell one like this KMET 94.7 Vol 001 ~ mini LP 2 CD Set JUNE 1978 ~ New from Beatlebobby59 on ebay... Here's a Link http://www.ebay.com/itm/360366759100?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Hello, radio lovers! My name is Isabella Birdfeather, and Im the daughter of Barbara Birdfeather, better known as KMET, KPPC, &KPFK's the Birdmama. If anyone would like to share memories of her, has recordings of her broadcasts, PLEASE feel free to email me!!! Thanks¡!
I moved to Southern California in 1972, and by 1975, when I was in Junior High School, KMET was THE Only station we listened to...Constantly !
I would be STOKED WHOOYA, IF There was a website or other place to located vintage broadcasts from KMET, I know there are 2 compilations floating around so far, one , from 1978, and the other , from 1981 But, IF You have ALLOT Of them, I am willing to pay you for compies of everything you have ! PLEASE ! Radio in Los Angeles SUCKS in 2017, My friends and I would rather listen to vintage broadcasts from KMET !
Hi There,
ReplyDeleteRan across your site through Google while searching KMET-FM. I just want to take a quick moment to try to illuminate the terrain in which we find ourselves currently deployed. As an on-air person there in the late 70's I should mention that KMET-FM was not exactly free form. It was formatted. That being said, it was also a loose format (more so than any other station in LA) that allowed the jocks to have enough freedom on the air to be creative (what a concept) and sound free form. That, along with the ability to have a lot of input at our weekly staff meetings, largely attributed to its huge #1 ratings in LA. A better example of a true free form progressive rock station is KNAC-FM 105.5 where I was on air 1970 – 1977. KNAC-FM actually had no format at all. We could play or do anything we wanted to do... and we did. Including bringing in folks like Frank Zappa or the Firesign Theater and talking with them for the whole show blitzed out of our minds. Anyway, those days of radio are long gone and probably will never return in any meaningful way. Thanks for your site and Blog. Hope you will get the KMET-FM link fixed soon. I would love to explore it. Peace and respect. Bob B. Blue
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteChris Crawley: I am making a documentary film about the history of KMET and LA rock radio in
ReplyDeletethe 1970's and 80's. I see from the website that you did some work there. Do you have any any archival photographs or videotape material from your days at the station? I would be very interested in looking at whatever you have.
I can be contacted for more details at:
213-880-2062 cel
bart.lipton@cox.net
Thanks.
- Bart Lipton
- Director/Producer
I have lots of KMET airchecks from 1968-77 e-mail me if anyone is interested?wmbunn@msn.com
ReplyDeleteWould love airchecks
DeleteI listened to LA radio as I was growing up, first KRLA, then KFWB and finally XERB and KMET. I listened to the wolfman and then BMR and Elliot Mintz. I remember the night KMET launched free form radio and the first song was the Doors Light my Fire (what was the date?). Later hearing the generation gap and firesign theatre and david ossman reading the tales of Don Juan by Carlos Castenada. It was great radio.
ReplyDeleteMarty
>>>I remember the night KMET launched free form radio and the first song was the Doors Light my Fire (what was the date?)<<<
ReplyDeleteWRONG. The first song played by BMR was a Beatles song in June 1968. It is mentioned in a new book.
I Grew up In So.Cal, and grew up on KMET. I Remember hearing, amoung other memorable things, a then unknown parade music artist named "Weird Al Yankovik" play, "Another One Rides The Bus" live on the air from the KMET studio. I also remember at least two or three occasions when KMET either got fined by the FCC, or even had they're broadcast license suspended for brief periods of time, for mis-conduct of some kind, that happened to slip out on the air, because some-one had disabled the sensor delay, if memory serves me.
ReplyDeleteWe miss the Mighty MET. Please bring it back....
ReplyDeleteI recall hearing Wierd Al the first time on KMET / Dr Demento show..played "Belvedere Cruising" live with an accordian while he was a teenager.....
ReplyDeletehi there everybody"i grew up with kmet,i would always stay up late at night partyin with my friends listing to the heavy meatal hour kmetl..i sure miss those days:i still have the music recorded on tape and concert stickers kmet:michael.gardner66@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletei remember back in the mid-70's DEA started spraying the pot fields of Colunbia with an herbicide called paraquat, ostensily to assist in eradicating the importation of weed in this country. there was a reporter called something Kelly, who soon acquired the moniker "paraquat Kelly", that read updates on program. had a real cool little guffaw after comments. i'm sure many listeners remember it tho
ReplyDeleteIn high school (76-77) I hung out at KNAC doing odd jobs for pay. Carting spots and updating the PSA folder and mostly hanging out in the production room fucking around with tapes and practicing recording my voice.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I snorted coke was at KNAC. FUN.
Thanks, Lloyd.
KMET Day is coming to 100.3 The Sound "Finally a KMET Friday" July 10th.
ReplyDeleteKSWD 100.3 fm in Los Angeles, a fairly new station has hunted down the most talked about radios station heroes on Los Angeles and have decided to turn the airwaves over to them once again.
Former DJ's Ace Young and Jeff Gonzer will start the day off, Rick Scarry, David Perry, Jackson B Snyderfish, Paraquat Kelley, Dr. Demento will be doing shows.
We have soooooo much sound from back in the day.
More KMET friends will be dropping by during the day including Sam Bellamy our KMET program director. It's going to be great!!
The station can also be heard online at www.thesoundla.com don't miss it.
This is a monumentous day by popular demand and has been a request and petition on Facebook for months now as the former members of KMET have begun accumulating online in Facebook. They finally made it happen.
Hope you join us!
CHERIE
FACEBOOK: cherielynnae
I am so JAZZED to hear that the Mighty Met will finally be coming back - even if only for one day, it will truly be a little bit of heaven.:)
ReplyDeleteKMET is the station I grew up listening to, and what those guys and gals were doing made me want to be in radio in the first place when I was just a kid!
Now I've been in radio for 20 years (was lucky enough to start out my career at the last freeform rock station on the Oklahoma prairie, KKLR/KTNT - airchecks of that station are available at the link by my name) and really have those great people at KMET to thank for giving me so much inspiration.
It will be so nice to hear all of their voices again! Can't wait until July 10th!!!!:)
And also a big thank you to the commenters above who shared their own stories of working in LA radio during those golden days.
Do you remember the Birdmama, that was my mother Barbara Birdfeather, would be eager to hear your or anyone's memories of her or her segments, as I never got to hear her...
DeleteDo you remember the BirdMama? That was my mother, Barbara , woulf love to hear any anecdotes, or if you'd likr to discuss her, please feel free to email me!
DeleteDo you remember the Birdmama, that was my mother Barbara Birdfeather, would be eager to hear your or anyone's memories of her or her segments, as I never got to hear her...
DeleteI remember one of the joke at 5: " Why did GM invent the the tilt steering wheel? More head room.
ReplyDeleteI just finished listening to 13 hours of KMET on 100.3 the Sound. What a great reunion day hearing many of the Mighty Met DJ's and also listening to Clips from the past. It brought back SO many great memories and made me realize just how far KLOS has fallen. It's about as far from KMET as it can be and still be considered rock. Thank you 100.3 The Sound for a great journey into the past!
ReplyDeleteKMET was the best radio I was at mike harrisons live at the strip we left a time capsel that we all put things in it should be relesed soon it has some wils stuff in it,
ReplyDeleteI have about 3 hours of off-air recordings I did of 94.7 KMET on 08/23/1986 and 10/17/1986 featuring Paraquat Kelly and Rick Skerry on the morning side and David Perry, Garth Hemp (live backstage at the Forum) and the "Fish Report with a Beat" on the afternoon side. Of course, the great music is all there and even the (now classic) commercials are all intact. I've been thinking about offering them for sale but don't know if there would be an interest in them. They sound as good as the day they were broadcast all over the southland.
ReplyDeleteIf interested you can contact me using the contact page at my company website: http://www.vitapurity.com/pages/contact.html
Does anyone remember the broadcast on or around the Iran Hostage Crisis of November 4, 1979, around 4:30- 5:30 PM, when Jeff Gonzer and Paraquat Kelley, over dubbed the words to the Three Dog Night recording of "Mama Told Me Not to Come," and substituted the words with references to the hostages in key parts of the lyrics, and renamed it, "Ayatolle' Me Not To Come?"
ReplyDeleteIt was hilarious. My friend and I had been heading south on the 101, and had to pull over to the shoulder, from laughing so hard. I realize it was a solemn time to be clowning around like that, but it helped to break up the shock of the Shah's overthrow, and this new regime taking over by way of a "bloodless" coup d'etat, at the time.
A little welcomed bit of comic relief, if you will. I've never forgotten that afternoon, especially whenever I hear Three Dog Night's, or Randy Newman's version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come." In my "mind's ear" it'll always be, "Ayatolle' Me Not To Come."
I have some BMR, Jimmy Rabbit, Steven Clean and Shadoe Stevens air checks on reel to reel that I will give to anyone who will xfer them to a CD and trade to me in exchange.
ReplyDeletechefsteban@gmail.com
Hey, Stebkat... Email me & I will transfer your tapes. Thanx, Timmy at: TICDS@SBCGlobal.Net
DeleteI always remember Burner Mary Turner's "Is that a roll of Quarters in your pocket, or you happy to see me?"
ReplyDeleteAlso, one night Paraquat Kelley came on and said; "That he was out of weed. And if anyone would bring him some(weed), they could spent the night in the studio, with him."
About an hour later, Paraquat said, that he had some weed. Also, that the building's security guard said, that there was a line about block long of people wanting to give him some weed.
Sell one like this
ReplyDeleteKMET 94.7 Vol 001 ~ mini LP 2 CD Set JUNE 1978 ~ New from Beatlebobby59 on ebay... Here's a Link http://www.ebay.com/itm/360366759100?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Hello, radio lovers! My name is Isabella Birdfeather, and Im the daughter of Barbara Birdfeather, better known as KMET, KPPC, &KPFK's the Birdmama. If anyone would like to share memories of her, has recordings of her broadcasts, PLEASE feel free to email me!!! Thanks¡!
ReplyDeleteI moved to Southern California in 1972, and by 1975, when I was in Junior High School, KMET was THE Only station we listened to...Constantly !
ReplyDeleteI would be STOKED WHOOYA, IF There was a website or other place to located vintage broadcasts from KMET,
I know there are 2 compilations floating around so far, one , from 1978, and the other , from 1981
But,
IF You have ALLOT Of them, I am willing to pay you for compies of everything you have !
PLEASE ! Radio in Los Angeles SUCKS in 2017, My friends and I would rather listen to vintage broadcasts from KMET !
ANY Information would be GREATLY Appreciated !
Thank You
Mike Fair
Laguna Niguel, Ca