 "The 'Pop Chronicles' Team"c. 1970.[1] From left to right areJohn Gilliland,Mike Dorrough,Sie Holliday,Chester Coleman, andThom Beck. | |
| Home station | KRLA |
|---|---|
| Syndicates | Hot Air,Armed Forces Radio |
| Created by | John Gilliland[2] |
| Produced by | Chester Coleman |
| Narrated by | John Gilliland,Sie Holliday,Thom Beck |
| Original release | 1969 – c. 1970 |
| No. of episodes | 55 |
| Other themes | TheChronicles of Pop byLen Chandler |
| Website | digital.library.unt.edu/collections/JGPC |
ThePop Chronicles are tworadio documentary series which together "may constitute the most complete audio history of 1940s–60spopular music."[3] They originally aired starting in 1969 and concluded about 1974. Both were produced byJohn Gilliland.
Inspired by theMonterey Pop Festival,[4] thePop Chronicles of the 1950s and 1960s originally was produced atKRLA 1110 and first aired on February 9, 1969.[5]John Gilliland[2] narrated the series along withSie Holliday[6] andThom Beck (pictured).[7] Also performing interviews wereDick LaPalm,Lew Irwin,Harry Shearer,Mike Masterson, andRichard Perry.[8] The show's brief recurring theme song "The Chronicles of Pop" was written and performed byLen Chandler.[9] The engineer and associate producer of the series wasChester Coleman.[10][11][12]
KRLA 1110 originally broadcast an hour a week of the Pop Chronicles,[10] which were later syndicated[1][13] by "Hot Air"[14] and broadcast onArmed Forces Radio.[15] The photo above indicates that it was broadcast onKABC-FM sometime before that station becameKLOS.
TheUniversity of North Texas Music Library made thePop Chronicles available online[4][16] since June 2010.[17]
 Cover of the audiobook version | |
| Home station | KSFO |
|---|---|
| Syndicates | AFRTS |
| Created by | John Gilliland |
| Narrated by | John Gilliland |
| Original release | 1972 – c. 1974 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Website | The Pop Chronicles Of The 1940s |
ThePop Chronicles of the 1940s was produced byJohn Gilliland and broadcast onKSFO while he worked there beginning in 1972[13][18][19] for a total of 24 episodes.[20] To promote the show, KSFO "had a 40's month celebration with a dance remote and ajitterbug contest atUnion Square."[21] Allan M. Newman of KSFO said of the show that Gilliland, "interviewed damn near everybody involved during those years. such asBing Crosby,Jimmy Van Heusen,Johnny Mercer,Patty Andrews,Tex Beneke, etc. ... I think John has put together a true collector's item."[22]
In 1972, Gilliland had produced and syndicated 12 episodes which covered the first half of the 1940s. He then asked his listeners to write to their stations if they wanted to hear the rest of the series.[23] He would produce another 12 episodes to cover the rest of the 1940s.[24]
This series was syndicated by Doug Andrews[21][22] and broadcast onAFRTS.[25] In 1973MCA Records used the show to sell a nine-album set of music from the show,[26] so the show could be offered for free to radio stations.[27] But in 1974,RCA negotiated for the rights to the show.[28]
In 1994, Gilliland released an edited version as the four cassette audiobookPop Chronicles the 40's: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40's.[29][30] This was later rereleased asThe Big Band Chronicles.[31][32]
After his death, Gilliand's sister donated thePop Chronicles tapes to theUniversity of North Texas Music Library where they form the John Gilliland Collection.[3][20]
Chester Coleman, engineer and associate producer
Chester Coleman, who was both a station owner and media broker passed away last Friday in San Francisco
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