Skywave Rider Book Club: Al Kooper Biography

I had lost track of Al Kooper. I loved his work way been when -- Super Session, The Blues Project and early Blood, Sweat and Tears. I played them all on my radio shows.

When I was recently reading Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller (another good read) I learned that Kooper had crossed paths with both Joni Mitchell and Carole King in their early years.

in her book, Weller cites Al Kooper's 1977 autobiography Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards. I searched for Backstage... online and saw the 1977 edition was out-of-print and existing copies were selling for several hundred dollars each.

Then, I saw that Kooper in 2007 had released a revised version that incorporates much of the celebrated earlier book. So, I bought a copy.

Kooper's book tells his story in a totally raw and uncompromising manner. I found myself frequently thinking "what a jerk" as Kooper describes situations and people who screwed him again and again. And the people (particularly women) he screwed. The Kooper I met is full of anger issues, paranoia and grudges.

Also, Kooper writes of amazing encounters and experiences with musicians at key times in their lives. Kooper played organ on Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone and most of tracks on Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blond and New Morning. He recounts vivid times backing Dylan when Bob first went "electric" at the Newport Folk Festival and the Hollywood Bowl.

The great names and events roll through out the book: Gene Pitney, This Diamond Ring (Kooper wrote it), Monterey Pop, the Rolling Stones, Clive Davis, Smokey Robinson, Lynyrd Skynyrd (Kooper produced their first three albums), Michael Mann (Kooper did the music for the remarkable TV series Crime Story) and on and on.

Kooper's road is littered with burned bridges, rip offs and hard feelings. His career descends lower and lower, much of it caused by his own words and deeds.

In the end, Kooper finds himself, starts teaching at the Berklee School of Music, gets his musical voice and reflects on the full measure of his life.

This a courageous book because Al Kooper tells the truth and gives us "a piece of his heart." His stories mean a lot to him and to me too.

Ken Holding Together on KLOH October 1970

In the fall of 1970, I started doing an underground rock show on Sundays on KLOH AM & FM. The show was called Holding Together, inspired by Tony Glover's all night folk and blues show on KDWB and Beeker Street on KAAY, Little Rock.

To hear a brief scoped aircheck, click on this link and push the "play" button:

Ken Holding Together on KLOH October 1970

Ken on KLOH August 1971

I was in my second year doing "rock 40" on KLOH in the summer of 1971. The station gave me incredible freedom. I'd mix current top hits with album cuts and oldies. This was taped on a Saturday afternoon.

To hear a brief scoped aircheck, click on this link and push the "play" button:

Ken on KLOH August 1971

Lost & Found Sound: KISD Tribute to Steve Ellis

On August 31, 1967 Steve Ellis, leader of Steve Ellis and the Starfires, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Highway 23 just south of Pipestone, Minnesota. His death came as a shock to everyone in the local music community. How could someone so vital, so alive, die?

Two weeks following Steve's death, Tom Rambler from KISD radio assembled the three remaining members of the Starfires -- Barry Hansen, Mike Mulligan, and Dean Senthner -- for an interview to remember Steve. The interview was made into a half-hour radio program that also featured the band's music.

The program aired on KISD in late September 1967. I recorded it off-the-air on my Wollensak reel-to-reel tape deck. You can hear the program, plus how KISD sounded back then, at:

Lost & Found Sound: KISD Tribute to Steve Ellis (click this link and press "play")





Portions of Tom Rambler's interview were later included on the IGL release "Steve Ellis and the Starfires Songbook."





















This is perhaps the last known photograph of Steve Ellis and the Starfires performing in June 1967. The location is unknown.

Band members left-to-right are Mike Mulligan (bass), Dean Senthner (drums), Steve Ellis and Barry Hansen.





In 1966, Steve Ellis and the Starfires released "Walking Around." The song, which is included in the KISD radio program, made the Billboard chart and received considerable radio airplay.

South Dakota Rock Hall Coverage #2

Here are some of my favorite moments from the South Dakota Rock Hall of Fame induction weekend, April 22 -24, Sioux Falls Ramkota:

Dale Gregory and the Shouters were inducted into the SD Rock Hall of Fame.

Everyone from both eras of the band were there except Pat O'Brien who was preparing for the debut of his new Fox Sports Radio show.

Dale Gregory Yost gets the award for "farthest away attendee" for his trip from Singapore, now his home.







The Fabulous Trippers, another Ken Enterprises band, was also inducted. Mark Griffin and Gordy Haugan were there.

Mark Griffin gave a donation to the SD Rock Hall in honor of Terry Park, the drummer for The Trippers, who died in 2002. Terry's daughter Heather, son Jason, parents and sisters were in attendance.

Heather brought custom t-shirts (right) flashing an image of Terry to promote the band.

Danny Hein of The Fabulous Flippers
does the Harlem Shuffle.
I described Danny to someone as a combination
of Joe Cocker and Otis Redding.

I had a chance to talk and party with John O. Brown, one of my earliest rock n roll heroes.

John Brown created Mid Continent Entertainment, The Red Dog Inn and the great KOMA bands The Flippers, The Red Dogs, The Blue Things and Spider and the Crabs.

John Brown is still the center of scene.



I had the honor inducting KLOH Radio, Pipestone. Wally Christensen was there.

I said KLOH was cool because it created a community for rockers in the 60s and 70s. KLOH, particularly DJ Doug Wagner, had cred because it never talked down us.

(Right) Mylan Ray in 1974 at KLOH.

Thank you to all folks who worked so hard
to make this transcendent weekend.

South Dakota Rock Hall Coverage #1

On Saturday night, April 24, 2010,
40+ years of time evaporated
and I was 18 again.
It was a wonderful magical night.
For a brief moment in time, I could fly.

DALE GREGORY & THE SHOUTERS REUNION

(left to right) Greg Blomberg, Mike Titus, Roger Opime, Dale Gregory
Yost, Ken Mills, Gary Tabbert (not pictured Pat O'Brien)

South Dakota Rock Hall of Fame Induction April 24, 2010

KEN MILLS APPEARS ON KSOO AM 1140
Thursday, April 22, 2010


Rick Knobe (left), host of the top hometown radio talk show, Viewpoint University, interviews Ken Mills.

Click here to listen to the interview with Ken Mills

THE ROARING RED DOGS ON STAGE

South Dakota Rock Hall Induction Ceremony, April 24, 2010
(photo by John O. Brown)

The Red Dogs horn section, they also played with The Flippers
(photo by John O. Brown)

Steve Dahl, leader of The Red Dogs, on stage in Sioux Falls
(photo by John O. Brown)

More coverage coming soon...

Friday Night Football

SKYWAVE RIDER CHRONICLES
“FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”
© Ken Mills © 2010

October 1981

In the early ‘80s I was the Program Director of KXRB-AM and KIOV-FM, two country music stations in Sioux Falls.

KIOV-FM had a honker signal --- 100kw at 900 feet HAAT --- that covered a wide section of southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa.

Coverage map for 104.7 FM, now KKLS-FM, Sioux Falls

Though the station did well with city listeners its bread-and-butter were listeners and advertisers in the rural communities that dotted the map.

KIOV had broadcast Friday night football games for many years. It was seen as supplemental income from a low listening daypart. Rather than cover the city school games, KIOV concentrated on the bigger towns around the region.

I came up with the idea that we could greatly increase revenue from the games if the coverage became more of an “event” --- something that the town and high school would perceive as a big deal. This tied into the sales plan to get local merchants to sign annual advertising agreements with KIOV. The games were a way to position KIOV -- at least for one or two nights a year -- as the champion of the town and the high school.

Here is how the events happened. I hired a well-known TV sports anchor (Mark O) to do the play by play and a former Pro Bowl linebacker for the NFL Detroit Lions (Wayne R) to do the color commentary. I was the third member of the team.

We copied the ABC-TV Monday Night Football formula.

ABC-TV Monday Night Football 1981

I was Cosell doing the intros, offbeat observations and delivering the advertising announcements. Mark O and Wayne R called the games.

We had a huge banner behind the broadcast booth that screamed KIOV 104.7 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL and lots of lighting that made the booth brighter than the football field.

All of this staging made it look like KIOV Friday Night Football was the Biggest Fucking Deal ever to arrive in Smallburg.

And we picked games with the only the best teams playing their arch rivals. Friday night football is more than religion in small towns. If the hometown team was good, you could count on a packed house and a fevered crowd for the games. In other words, the whole scene rocked.

One of our favorite places to broadcast games was Brandon Valley High School.

Recent renovations to the Brandon Valley High School football field pressbox

The Lynx were sorta like little Nebraska Cornhusker’s. They had a very good team ever year and had built a stadium than was better than what most small college teams had. In fact, a couple of local colleges would rent the Brandon Valley stadium for their home games.

The particular Friday night I am thinking of was crisp and cool. Early October with leaves in full fall color. No wind (and that matters in South Dakota). The smell of cotton candy was in the air. Pom poms were hoisted high. Moms and dads sat on “comfort cushions” and looked through binoculars for their kids. Young guys were off under the stands smoking cigs and laughing.

This was no ordinary game. The Lynx were undefeated. They were facing the West Central High Trojans, last year’s conference champs who had knocked off the Lynx in the state playoffs. The Trojans were 6-1 and had a quarterback who was destined to play Division I college ball.

The first quarter was close. Brandon Valley trailed at the end of the period 7-3.

In the second quarter the Lynx exploded. Three quick touchdowns – including two from interceptions of passes from the bigtime Trojan QB. The Lynx led 24-7 at the half. The crowd was wild with celebration.

During the half time, Mark O, Wayne R and I did a (hopefully funny) bullshit routine as we gave the mid-game stats.

That night the Lady Lynx --- the Brandon Valley cheerleaders and pom pom girls --- were on the field doing their half-time show accompanied by Brandon Valley High School band.

Actual Brandon Valley High School cheerleaders

There were lots of kicks and jumping and gymnastics that brought to mind the porn flick (which I had recently rented) called “Debbie Does Dallas.”

Debbie Does Dallas was released in 1978 on VHS video cassette

So, Mark O, Wayne R and I were doing our usual gabfest while the Lady Lynx danced to the delight of the crowd.

I said on the air, “Boy those Lady Lynx are sure pumped tonight.” Mark O and Wayne R enthusiastically agreed. I said, “I know this song they are dancing to.... It’s....um....I’ve almost got the name....it’s........”DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP” BY AC/DC!”

AC/DC

I don’t think Wayne knew the song because he said “Whaaaa?”

So Mark O and I began singing along with the song. Since lots of people who came to the game brought along radios to listen to the play-by-play, they heard us singing. And they started singing too. Loudly.

So here is a whole stadium of revved up football fans singing DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP while the Lady Lynx, hearing the crowd, put special emotion into their routine. The kicks became higher. The panties were in full view. Lady Lynx butts were shaking.

The Lynx won by a touchdown. Awesome night.