All about Rodney
RodneyBingenheimer was the first DJ to play the Go-Go's on the radio. and he gave them endless exposure on his late night show. Rodney was cool. Everybody loved Rodney.
RodneyBingenheimer was the first DJ to play the Go-Go's on the radio. and he gave them endless exposure on his late night show. Rodney was cool. Everybody loved Rodney.
In August, 1976 Rodney Bingenheimer was given his own radio show on a new station called KROQ. His show was called Rodney on the Roq. At his time KROQ was a relatively unknown Pasadena FM and AM radio station.
His format was at odds with the prevailing country-rock style that dominated the Los Angeles music scene at the time. There was no Eagles, no Doobie Brothers, no disco on his show.
Rodney on the Roq was the first radio program to give punk and other underground music it's own forum every Sunday night. He introduced his audience to the new music of the day as he brought in more and more records that he had collected from England.
August 1976 - Rodney on the Roq
KROQ-FM was the most punk-friendly station in the United States -- KROQ was putting punk records in heavy rotation at a time when most rock stations avoided this kind of music.
Some of the New York bands Rodney would play included: Blondie, the Talking Heads, Patti Smith and the Ramones. He also exposed his LA audience to the more obscure New York bands such as Television, The Heartbreakers, Dictators, Pere Ubu, the New York Dolls and Dead Boys.
Photo: www.rottentomatoes.
He gave air time to local bands as well. Bands like the Germs, the Weirdoes, the Zeros, the Nuns, the Dils, The Avengers and of X were among the bands that Rodney played regularly on his show.
Some of the New York bands Rodney would play included: Blondie, the Talking Heads, Patti Smith and the Ramones. He also exposed his LA audience to the more obscure New York bands such as Television, The Heartbreakers, Dictators, Pere Ubu, the New York Dolls and Dead Boys.
Photo: www.rottentomatoes.
In 1976, Rodney Bingenheimer (the DJ) and Kim Fowley (the music producer/ promoter) pretty much had this town sewn up. If you were an unsigned band, without their endorsement, you were cut out on KROQ and from playing the Whisky or the Roxy.
There were:
- Kim Fowley Presents at the Whisky
- KROQ New Wave Nights at the Whisky
Rodney Bingenheimer the MC
www.mrbalihai.com/haideaway/v/whisky
www.mrbalihai.com/haideaway/v/whisky
Darby Crash at the Whisky
www.mrbalihai.com/haideaway/v/whisky
Say...What is punk music anyway?
www.mrbalihai.com/goof/2005/12/what_is_bop.html
www.punk77.co.uk/punkhistory/backinthegarage.htm
1 comment:
I lived in San francisco and used to go down to L.A. regularly for a week or so at a time to catch shows, hang out on the beach, etc. I remember Rodney's radio show being so unique and great that I would bring a radio/cassette recorder down with me to tape his shows and bring them back up to S.F. "Why can't we have good music like this up here?" I would lament. In fact, one time when I was taping Rodney, he previewed some Go-Go's material that hadn't even been released yet. I taped it and was ecstatic! I took it to our northern California equivalent of Denny Cordell's Roller Boogie Palace (our place was in Fremont, Ca) and the DJ played it--- needless to say it was a big hit, and in my distorted mind I like to think I had a hand in "breaking" the Go-Go's in S.F. --Pete Maloney
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