KROQ Freddy Snakeskin On Air, circa 1982
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2024
- Long before CBS reared its ugly corporate head, there was a small but influential independent LA radio station called KROQ, housed in a dumpy little building in Pasadena. From my private collection, you are cordially invited to be my in-studio guest, one weekday afternoon in the infamous KROQ air studio, circa 1982. Featuring yours truly Freddy Snakeskin at the controls, with special cameo appearances by Jed The Fish, Dusty Street, Rick Carroll (wearing an actual tie!), Larry Groves, "Shotgun Tom" Kelly, Dr. George "Baby" Cooing, Sam Freeze and more. Original video by Shotgun Tom aka Buster Hymen. Hope you have as much fun watching it as we all had playing radio in that tiny room, way back when.
You will undoubtedly note many differences between the Original World Famous KROQ, and what's left of it today -- all those juicy vinyl records for one thing (and yes we really could Play What We Wanted, at least "within reason", ha ha). Plus it's kinda sad how all those tasty 80's beer commercials seem to have been replaced by a never-ending onslaught of annoying ads for banks and car dealers.
On the other hand, no more phony inducements to get trained for a rewarding career in radio -- not even Trump could sell that crap to anybody today. Oh well, such is progress, or whatever you want to call it...enjoy, and feel free to share (and if so inclined you could always adopt a rescue kitty and name him Freddy -- or for even better karma remember the Freddy Snakeskin Unemployment Fund!) Better still: somebody please offer this guy a job -- now!
Dusty from King Cotton here. Hearing Stick to the Grind on KROQ was always a thrill - you guys broke our record! I met my wife of 35 years - Szu Mink of KNAC - when we appeared at a KROQ show at the Roxy. Forever grateful!
Oh my goodness! King Cotton was one of my absolute favorites. I was in high school in the 80s in Huntington Beach and loved KROQ! 😍👍🏼✌️
i was born in MICHOACAN, MEXICO and was brought to the wonderful city of Huntington Park, Ca. at the age of 6 and i am so blessed to have grown up listening to KROQ, KMET AND KLOS 🙃! I would not change a thing in my life 🙏!
FA MA baja, California mexico.
Grew up listening to KROQ...Such awesome music and personalities. Snakeskin was quite the character. Perfect for the offbeat, irreverent nature of the station back then...Great days in Socal.
Excellent, before the corporations bought radio and destroyed it.
In 1983/84, I was an intern for Dusty Street, answering the request line and trying to be helpful - and she was lovely. I got to meet Johnny Lydon, Nina Hagen, Jane Wiedlin, Tim Scott, and Siouxsie Sioux. Poorman was very kind and gave me my first taste of Thai food and sushi. Scott Mason seemed creepy and kind of a douche. Jed the Fish magically "lost" a very rare white vinyl Depeche Mode Black Celebration mega mix I purchased in Denmark and just kind of shrugged his shoulders when I came to the station to retrieve it. Freddy Snakeskin was the most fun to listen to. Swedish Egil and Rodney Bingenheimer were sweet. Robert Roll made the place FUN! Some of the best memories of my teenage years right in that Pasadena location.
I used to listen to Freddy Snakeskin all the time back in the 80s. KROQ was AWESOME... I started listening from '79 on. They used to play the best music! I loved the experimental nature of it and how they'd play groups like Sparks, Barbie & the Kens, the Plasmatics, Oingo Boingo, Devo, B-52's, etc., etc., and the sound effects too. Many of these lesser-heard groups have been lost to time, But I keep an ongoing list of old faves that I pass on to the younger generations and I always love it when I can turn on younger people to music from 40 years ago and what was the best time ever in music history. I absolutely LOVED listening to the Young Marquee and Stanley on Sunday nights too. Weren't they taken off for being too racy?
Has anyone else watched this video numerous times? Past thoughts of summer in HB 1982 ditching high school and smoking clove cigarettes. KROQ DJs in free form with excellent music.
In 1982, Me and my date to the Prom went walking around downtown HB after the dance. It was around midnight, and I was wearing a white tuxedo....I'm lucky I didn't get mugged- it was rough back then.
Freddy Snakeskin and Jed the Fish were the best DJs. This was back in the day when KROQ played really good music
Dude, i almost forgot about Jed The Fish.
I loved Dusty Street and her raspy voice. I remember thinking she sounded like cigarette, haha!
Jed the Fish had a gig on KRVM out of Eugene, OR in '96 and may still be doing it.
Heard Dusty call someone a cum bubble one time on air.
@@aprilmayem9820 he also had a gig before KROQ at KWVE in San Clemente when he got recruited by then.
Growing up in the SFV in the 80s was pretty great... KROQ was always the soundtrack! This is so cool, thank for uploading! ❤️
Wow! That was very cool. And hey - King Crimson on the radio??? What a time.
Magic! This is what made KROQ truly world famous and motivated me to become a DJ a few years later. I was 16 in 1983 and listened to KROQ every chance I could, even interviewed John Logic for a school newspaper story in 1984. KROQ's music was amazing, but it was the air talent like Freddy, who had the freedom to sneak in a non-format song here-and-there, drop in lots of snippets and sound effects, and speak for more than 15 seconds at a time, that made KROQ magical. This is KROQ at the pinnacle, it's a damn shame it'll never sound anything like this again.
girosta,every time I see an old movie I can tell which lines KROQ would play
and there's no other radio station that has ever done that.Was that Jed The Fish doing that? So cool.
This is one of the best things I’ve ever seen! I wanna go back to good music and great radio.
Spectacular!!! Back when listening to the radio was a fun experience shared with a group of friends. Haven't heard great music like this coming from KROQ in a very long time. I could listen to this all day... every day. Thanks Freddy.
You guys are what made being a Gen-X teen in the '80s very very special. Saw all you guys at Old World and other places.
Thanks for posting this.
Old World! The best times! Lines around the block. Great tunes! Crazy hair styles.
I got to meet Mz Rachael Donahue at one of those OLD WORLD Record Hops, She and her husband Big Daddy Tom Donahue started Free Form FM Rock Radio in 1967 at KMPX San Francisco ! At the same time - his buddy B. MITCHELL REED started the same format at 106.7 FM KPPC Pasadena ! Later they changed the call letters to KROQ from KPPC and even simulcast in AM and FM for a time. So the start of FM ROCK RADIO in Los Angeles Market was also the Genesis of what would become KROQ !
You guys were great! Moving to L.A. from a small town in Michigan in the summer of 1980, KROQ was so much a part of my early years out here. (Although Sunday evenings I listened to Dr. Demento on the "Mighty Met") I later lived across the street from Rodney on north Curson near the 7-11 for five years. Jed the Fish was pretty funny also. Thanks so much for everything, and thanks for posting this!
I used to listen to you every weekday in 82, 83 and 84. Those were the golden years. Kids these days don't understand the role dee jays played for us when we were kids, home sick on a weekday or alone on a Saturday night. There were no better friends than you and the folks you mention in the info above. Such sweet memories. Thanks!!!
Or ditching the whole day in H.S., shot gunning weed through an empty 5 gal Sparklets water bottle and bingeing on Taco Bell Burrito Supremes and Nachos del Grandes.
@@kaisersozshye2525 Sounds incredible! Tell us more....
Some of the bet Punk & New Wave was first heard on KROQ! Sex Pistols, Clash, Oingo Boingo, Adam & the Ants, Damned, Dead Kennedys - I all heard for the first time on the ROQ. The music of my pre teen and teen hood. Grew up in Redondo Beach, Torrance PV and I listened everyday. Miss you all and the city of Angels - good times
Oh my gosh! This brings back the BEST memories of my young life 💕 I lived and breathed the music of KROQ during the “new wave” era. So much fun 🤩
Incredible! I'm once again back at Pierce College looking for a parking spot or driving down Corbin in my dad's old Lincoln I'd borrowed to drive to school! This is an amazing slice of SoCal back when it was an amazing place to live!
Good times! Thanks for sharing this! 🤜🤛
This is fantastic! You guys were groundbreaking. Soundtrack of my life.
Freddie Sez... that the advertised film Slumber Party Massacre "opens tomorrow," so this video was probably shot November 11th, 1982 (the movie opened 11/12/82, according to IMDB). And yet the calendar on the wall shows the page for September. So many mysteries... So great to see you, Freddie, in KROQ's prime as I remember it, along with hearing all my favorite drop-ins from Dragnet, Young Frankenstein, Star Wars, etc. All my favorite music was burned into me by KROQ from 1976 to the late 1980s.
SO GREAT to hear this, Snake. You were a major part of my adolescence growing up in SoCal in the 80s. I can't wait to see if you have other gems like this on your channel. Please know this content is pure gold to untold teens lucky enough to come of age in that special decade. Well done.
Freddy - Paul Motter here (from PHX, the Rick Scott and Kurt Funk hanger-on, also from Burbank where I first caught up with you in L.A. at the house overlooking Universal Studios). Man - KROQ was a life-changing station for me and I listened to you for a year without even knowing Freddy was my friend from Scottsdale. The songs I mostly remember were from Berlin, The Waitresses, Missing Persons, and of course the Phoenix band Killer Pussy, which you were brave enough to play. It is great to watch this.
Truly a special time and radio station. Back when the DJ played what they wanted with no play list and no corporate format. Located on Los Robles Ave in Pasadena. Rodney on Sunday nights. Never to be seen again.
the Asian woman saying his name was the best, and after him was dusty street (fly low and avoid the radar) those were the days my friend. glad i was there. and still going.
Wow! I miss radio like this. This was when I was really first listening to radio a lot- I had already had my little mind blown by live music- but radio was it's own magic. Thank you for sharing this phenomenal time capsule. Listening to guys like you is why when I couldn't really figure out a major for college, I went with broadcast communications-journalism. I never actually got a gig in radio, but I did get to wander in to KROQ a few times over the years (in Burbank). Thank you.
KROQ helped break so many new wave and punkish bands in the late 70's early 80's... U2, Go Go's, B52's, REM, Missing Persons, Berlin, Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran and the list goes on.
I stumbled across this video aircheck just now and really enjoyed it! -Dr Demento
Obviously having more fun watching this than others! Love Freddy. KROQ HD was heartbreaking! I miss Larry and Rick. And the beer commercials that paid our salaries.
Love ya man
Is that you, Jed-em Fish-em???
I truly miss KROQ of the old days and as one of the biggest radio contest winners this is the station I was born on. I still have Wendy O'Williallams guitar sawed in half and Dave Edmunds guitar. From 1980 to 96 I was so lucky to get to meet all the Dj's working there and was truly a highlight of my time in LA. Miss you All.
So cool Analog with the vinylrecords , tapes and a great joy filled attitude. Just really nice and fun to see Freddie Snakeskin. A time machine // Hans from Stockholm Sweden
Started tuning in when I started college in 1986. I missed out on so much fun!
The day this video was filmed was Thursday September 9, 1982.
How do you know? Just curious..
Bradley Smith
Things mentioned on the news portion and some of the advertisements for upcoming events allowed me to eliminate all other dates.
That and a 1982 calendar 📅 on my iPad
@@GasPipeJimmy Good work! Thanks!
Bradley Smith
My pleasure.
It was an interesting little project. It only took about as long as the video played to narrow it down
@@GasPipeJimmy Cool! Thanks again
Gold. I used to get tapes of KROQ halfway across the country when I was a young aspiring radio geek. There have really only been a small handful of truly groundbreaking radio stations at various times over the years. This is a great example of just that.
Jason Duerr One could argue that KROQ was one of the greatest stations in history.. Progressive to the core. Still good for the teen demo now.
@@doublea3542 KROQ was progressive? So they were pure evil and the enemy of all mankind?
friends would visit me in LA, and tape KROQ and bring back to the unwashed
This is ART folks. Back when DJ's were actual DJ's. Throwing in all those excerpts over top the intro's and outro's. So cool to actually see this in action. Brings back my teenage days. I lived in "Gorillaside" by the way. Awesome upload Freddy!
This is really cool seeing how radio use to be, it blows my mind hearing all these hits being played on the radio. It must have been something different to listen to radio back then.
Greetings Freddie. I am overcome with a sentimental longing and wistful affection for my days in college at Cal State Northridge, by happy personal association of your shifts on the airwaves via this little trip back in time. Merci! XO.
I was ten years old in Pasadena and used to go up the back stairs on los robles for free stickers (got any left??) Didn't realize how much time I had spent listening to your show until just now. Y'all were my CHILDHOOD BABYSITTERS (HAW!) and Ushers into my Pubescent World (GOOD GAWD!) and onward. There are some dumber than a box of hair comments on this thread so I wanted to show some apt gratitude; I posted this to my facebook today - just like you folks did it for us back then, I share it, FOR LOVE! Totally hairball, dude
Thanks for this Freddy! It's like the real life WKRP! Please post more if you have 'em!
Great video! Brings back so many freakin memories. Definitely 1982.
I remember Frazier Smith 0n 106.7..back in the mid 70s..I Loved April and Sluggos show the best..Kevin and Bean got old real fast..until Ralph joined the show. Don't listen any more since he was let go..I'm 63 now and I moved on. But.. it was true..KROQ PASA-DENA..was the best radio station..long live Flash Back Lunch.
I was listening! KNAC before they went metal too! Legend!
Love it! Thanks Freddie. Please post more if you have it. This is great!
Takes me back to my early college radio days. Fun times!
Yeah! This is when KROQ used to play AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Blondie, Plasmatics, The Romantics! It was a great time to be a teenager!
You wanna talk about the 80s,when the Fanatic from Felony comes on it totally brings you back to the time of skinny ties,parachute pants,and a simpler time.Man I know every decade has its moments but if you were in your teens or young adult then it definitely has alot of nostalgia for you.
"The Fanatic" by Felony! Awsome
This was when radio was still special. Back in the early 80s, before radio was under corporate control and consolidation, the DJs made all the decisions. They loved music and they were a combination of Spotify for new music discovery and iPod shuffle for variety. Celebrity gossip was kept to just upcoming albums and concerts. Rock wasn't segmented yet, so you had Rolling Stones followed by Talking Heads followed by Van Halen followed by Beach Boys. Any song would be played. Soon, rock radio was segmented to Modern Rock, Mainstream Rock and Classic Rock stations, DJs had to follow limited playlists made by suits, and the bottom line had it that most stations were voice tracked from talent hundreds of miles away. College, community and public radio stations continue to try to keep the old freeform style, but it's all but extinct in commercial radio. Such a shame.
"Free-form" or Freak-form radio is alive and well on the internet streams near you!
Thanks Freddy..... WOW.... This just REALLY started my day off perfect!... AWESOME times and you were one of the elements that made the 80s is incredible for me and I thank you!!!!!! STILL rooting for your continued success in broadcast and AWESOME things are still to come!!
Holy crap! Jed looks like a high school kid! Come to think of it, he probably was! I miss the "wild frontier" KROQ that I grew up with. Thanks for posting Freddy!
I always enjoyed Freddy's weird sense of humor and deadpan delivery. His pet tips segments cracked me up.
I too want to send my truly profound loss. Freddy united Snakes 4ever. RIP D.S. YOUR legend. Always Lena❤
Freddie played so many of my requests, from Laurie Anderson to King Crimson, and of course, Starship Trooper. Late 70's/early 80's in SoCal were the best.
When KROQ ruled the world.
Way #OfTheEpic I miss them days.
I love this. What wonderful memories you brought back, Frederick J. Snakeskin.
WOW ! How fun was that !? Thank You Freddy , what an enjoyable trip back in time!
Great to see my favorite KROQ DJ behind the scenes. Grew up in the 80s in Huntington Beach. Thanks to Freddy and Jed the Fish and Scott Mason and Dusty Street. Miss you guys.
freddy and larry woodside were my favorite KROQ djs, freddy was quick wit and had the coolest voice
Look at that old bottle of 7up in the background I loved that style of bottle
Thank you, Freddie, for the ride way back when! Miss L.A., you and The ROQ sooooooooo much.
Oh bless that little studio on Los Robles. Won tickets to my first concert with Freddy. I was caller #3 LOL!
Love it, flashing back to my youth.💖💖💖💖
I remember years of laughing, often with surprise, at your remarks, mangled (intentionally) names, and that wry, usually spontaneous, tone in your voice and manner. Frederick J Snakeskin was my KROQ, from the early 80s on.
Thanks Freddy!! Great seeing Rick Carroll in the video as well. He was a true visionary.
I could watch 3 hours of this
I loved how he incorporated sound bites in his show
Called "drop ins" pretty much used by everybody on air at the time.
@@fenneckyfasty9440 Thank you, yeah they used them a lot, it made radio so great back then.
Noticed at the end as Freddie is leaving he's taking some records with him. I've always heard that the on air staff at KROQ would bring in some of their own music.
Thanks Freddy! This is like a time machine fever dream. Amazing playlist. You really helped make being a teenager in LA pretty magical. I remember driving to Poo Bah’s records in Pasadena to get some of the harder to find import / indie records you guys, ( especially Rodney) played. Btw Last time I checked Freddy is still doing it 80s style on KR0Q HD
Classic! This has to be summer 1982 based on the commercials and the reference to "Southern California's Radio Leader" - same as an aircheck of Denise Westwood I have from August 2, 1982. The Dianetics ad and Robert W. Morgan-voiced "career in broadcasting" spot are there. So is Shotgun Tom Kelly! This is the attitude and "F-U" feel that is so missing from radio today. I dare a broadcaster to put this on the air with Alternative currents and a gold show on Sundays - it would be amazing
Thanks for posting! I looked forward to your shows everyday. Real radio like this is gone for good.
Brought me right back to high school....thanks Freddy
KROQ was a great station with the best dj's. I moved to L.A. in fall '82 and discovered great music on that station, for which I am still thankful.
Wow. Thank you so much for the memories! Wow. This is such gold.
4:33 Good song by Sparks. I used to have the Angst in my Pants album.
Cool! A face behind that great radio voice.
You and The Spacin Scott Mason were my favorites!...R.I.P Scott 😪
Best of times!!! Thanks for the throwback Freddy.
THE best radio in the world!
Snakeskin ruled!
Loved you all in the late 70's and very early 80's - thank you Snakeskin. You were great man! Loved how you all could play what you wanted a few times an hour. Music and times were good! Now where's Jed?
Nora Smith Right here and recently on klos. A fill-in DJ, or as Freddy would say, a felon DJ.
Is no one gonna talk about that patch on his shirt?
I loved KROQ back then...sigh.
We were VERY fortunate to live through these times. It was timeless and at the time we never knew it. We'll never have another station like this and D.J.'s like Jed and Snakeskin. Poor Man too.
Rock the catbox lmao
The heartbeat of 80s LA, KROQ......was soooo good. Rodney!!
Excellent headphones. I want some!
Cool both visually and audio wise.
The best!!! Just about the time I was discovering radio and it was magical!
Snakeskin so hot, plus with impeccable music taste makes him forever untouchable.
A Great lineup of jocs, those that experienced it will never be the same electrically speaking, true enjoyment for all encountered the listening experience and even better being in house to view this madness, doesn't get any better and will never be repeated sadly enough
Got here via searching for Rodney on the Roq compilations. KROQ was the best station when I was growing up. Senior year of high school here.
Such amazing radio.
Oh my God The Bogus News. The best!
BRILLIANT upload Freddy! Thanks for sharing it!
Daniel Barassi (under the guise of The Arkivist) :)
Barby and the Kens FTW
This is so cool! Radio history! (Wish it was still like this)
Filet mignon, prime rib and halibut for $5.95 each. Those were old Vegas prices back when LV was still kinda mobbed up.
The mob was more decent to the public than these parasitic corporate scumbags
Wow, this is some great rare footage here.. great stuff..