[Description by Uncle Ricky from notes by Don Kent]
This recording doesn’t offer the best fidelity, but it is a rare piece of Los Angeles radio history. It’s a pre-produced 90-minute special highlighting many of the 1962 songs nominated for the 5th Annual Grammy Awards in May, 1963.
Unfortunately, there are some technical issues. A lot of hum was removed (some remains), but despite best efforts, there’s a high hiss level, some cross-talk from an unknown adjacent station, and some speed variations. There was also at least one record off-center on the original broadcast!
The show is hosted by the KFWB disc jockeys, including Bill Ballance, Wink Martindale, Elliot Field, Joe Yokam, Gene Weed, Sam Riddle, Jimmy O’Neill and Program Director Jim Hawthorne. The aircheck opens and closes with a Cleve Herman newscast.