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Vintage Rock with Gregg Whitcomb
Aug 1973 to Feb 1984
Gregg is first found on the volunteer list in the Nov 1972 guide. The earliest guide (found so far) with a Vintage Rock program is Feb 1974. Over half of the guides from 1973 are missing from the collection, so we can't say for sure when it started, but Gregg thinks it was around Aug 17, 1973 (see below).
Here's how Gregg remembers it:
I'm not sure when I started, exactly. It was at the donut shop, a short distance from where I was living at the time on 86th. I did Sunday morning fill, playing scheduled tapes and baroque fill music.
The first Vintage Rock was sometime after Spring of 1973 when I moved to my current residence. The idea for an "oldies" (hate that) show came from KOL-FM. In 1973 or a little earlier, a fellow named Don McCarthy ("Grease") had a record shop at 535 1st Ave West, in Seattle, and on Wed evenings at 10 PM he was on the air with the regular guy, usually Jon Kurtzer or Bruce Buls. He had all these old RnB records I had never heard before. Vocal groups, rockabilly. I had a small collection, and when we moved to the Firehouse, I convinced Bob Friede on a second audition that I could do a show. The first shows were after the City Council Broadcast on Mondays, about 6 PM. That could mean 55 minutes or five minutes. It wasn't too long before it was 5-6 PM, and eventually 9-10 PM.
I had an engineering degree from UW but was still at my "summer job" at the Post Office and had taken the Columbia School of Broadcasting course by mail foolishly thinking that would be something lucrative. Well, it did get me ten years at KRAB.
By my calculations, this is the tenth anniversary show: Aug 17, 1983
[Gregg, tried to call you during the anniversary show to let you know "Hey Gregg, I really think you’re a groovy guy. I really dig what you’re doin’. I think its great you drive down to KRAB radio for ten years, spending your own money on gas, spending your own money on records, and playin’ them one after another, commercial free, for us to tape record!" But the phone lines were tied up. Thanks for saving, and sharing, the tapes and playlists, too. chuck]
Here they are, in order of original air date.
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Bird Groups - Aug 16, 1976 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, The Signifying Monkey - Sep 4, 1977 - View Playlist - See also
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Serebrin calls it "older music" - Sep 18, 1977 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Older music for A Real Wild Child - Nov 20, 1977 - View Playlist
NEW OCT 2021 Listen now - Vintage Rock, My Heart's Crying - Jan 7, 1979 - View Playlist
NEW OCT 2021 Listen now - Vintage Rock, Red Hot 4 Letter Word - Apr 8, 1979 - View Playlist
NEW OCT 2021 Listen now - Vintage Rock, Let the Boogie Woogie Roll - Jun 10, 1979 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, On the Banana Boat - May 17, 1981 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Walkin the Chalk Line - Jul 12, 1981 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, NW Recording Groups of the Early 60's - May 19, 1982 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Free-Single-and-Disengaged - Nov 10, 1982 - View Playlist (note below)
Listen now - Vintage Rock, where the turkeys are hoppin' - Nov 24, 1982 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Doing the Santa Claus - Dec 22, 1982 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Kick'n off the New Year with a Nut Rocker - Jan 5, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Forty from the Star Teenage Club (in Sheffield)- Jan 19, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Live it up Pretty Baby Mau-Mau- Feb 2, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, It's Gonna be a Wild One - Feb 16, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Gregg plays the newest dances - Mar 2, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, That's All Right - Mar 30, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Blue Jeans and Heartbreaks - Apr 13, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, It Really Was Buddy Knox - May 25, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Hickory Dickery Dock - Jun 8, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Let the Boogie Woogie Roll - Jun 22, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Let's Stay (Stuck) Together - Jul 6, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Whoa Mabel, Watch It, Sprocket - Jul 20, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Gee Oh Gee! Are you wearing your Vintage Rock T-shirt? - Aug 3, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Tenth anniversary - Aug 17, 1983 - View Playlist
Listen now - Vintage Rock, Forty one cups of coffee - Aug 31, 1983 - View Playlist
Notes:
Nov 10, 1982 - Yikes! Something happened to the tape! Too much fatback and alimony, so Gregg threw in a bit of gospel. Hallelujah, there's no sin in rhythm.
Most Recordings and playlists courtesy of the one and only Gregg Whitcomb
Jan 7, 1979; Apr 8, 1979; and Jun 10, 1979 recordings courtesy of Robert Hennes
If you possess any souvenirs (program guides, tapes, or photos) or have a story about your experience with KRAB you are willing to share, please email archive@krabarchive.com