Friday, October 22, 2004
John Raino joins the blog
Welcome to John Raino to this blog. John grew up in Los Angeles listening to rhythm and blues, following the scene, and in the 1960s, John was hired as counterman at the world famous Flash Record Shop in L.A. and has many stories abou the R&B scene at the time.
We start in 1963:
"Do you remember TV Station KIIX, Channel 22 in 1963? (Ed note: it signed on the air in March 25, 1963 - it's now known as KWHY - a Spanish language TV station). It was L.A.'s first black owned TV station. It was very short lived, lasting about 9 months. Nobody I've ever mentioned it to remembers it (like Bill Gardner). The main reason it didn't last too long was simple, the owners didn't think of the fact that hardly any black people had UHF/VHF TV's. I didn't get one til' 1965! My mother was furious that my sister Ella gave up her good steady (boring / 9 - 5) job at a big insurance Co. on Wilshire Blvd., and take such a risk at something like this. The station was on for limited hours (About 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. and maybe starting at noon on Saturday & Sunday). Larry McCormick had a dance program on Saturday afternoons. James Brown was there to lip sync his latest record. My sister told me the kids got a little rowdy & un-ruly. They also promised sis that if things went well, they'd promote her from receptionist & give her, her own talk show. No such luck."
Flash Records and Hunter Hancock, 1964:
"Moving right along: Ella got a new job working for Hunter Hancock. Margie had left the show. Hunter started recording his show at his office: 1640 N Gower st. Ella's job was to run the tapes for him. Meanwhile I landed my $50 a week job at Daisy Mae's Flash Records.Most of the famous people seem to come in at night. As you remember, I was on the day shift. A few I remember waiting on:
Gloria Garcia - She sang the spanish version of Tina Turner's - "You can't miss nothin' that you never had". I even remember she bought 'Five will get you ten' by Z.Z. Hill.
Billy Preston - I sat next to him in the school choir at Dorsey High. He bought 'Everybody needs somebody to love' by Solomon Burke
Mike Love - I was in the choir with Him also. Can't remember what he bought, all I remember was the '63 Sting Ray he drove away in.
Elliot Shavers - Leader of the house band at The 5-4 Ballroom.
Andy Belvin - Godfrey Kerr's best friend, and recorded "Travelin; mood" for Godfrey's Flashback label.
Round Robin - I'm told he went to Jr. High with me under his real name
Paul Gayten - Use to come in to see Daisy all the time. Always dressed to the nines (in his Rolls Royce). He gave Daisy a 100 box of 4 biggies on Anna.(Barrett Strong, Johnny & Jackie, Ty Hunter & Paul Gayten)."
More from John in an upcoming blog.
Do you have a comment about this history? Let John and me know, by checking the comment box and filling out your...well, comment.
We start in 1963:
"Do you remember TV Station KIIX, Channel 22 in 1963? (Ed note: it signed on the air in March 25, 1963 - it's now known as KWHY - a Spanish language TV station). It was L.A.'s first black owned TV station. It was very short lived, lasting about 9 months. Nobody I've ever mentioned it to remembers it (like Bill Gardner). The main reason it didn't last too long was simple, the owners didn't think of the fact that hardly any black people had UHF/VHF TV's. I didn't get one til' 1965! My mother was furious that my sister Ella gave up her good steady (boring / 9 - 5) job at a big insurance Co. on Wilshire Blvd., and take such a risk at something like this. The station was on for limited hours (About 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. and maybe starting at noon on Saturday & Sunday). Larry McCormick had a dance program on Saturday afternoons. James Brown was there to lip sync his latest record. My sister told me the kids got a little rowdy & un-ruly. They also promised sis that if things went well, they'd promote her from receptionist & give her, her own talk show. No such luck."
Flash Records and Hunter Hancock, 1964:
"Moving right along: Ella got a new job working for Hunter Hancock. Margie had left the show. Hunter started recording his show at his office: 1640 N Gower st. Ella's job was to run the tapes for him. Meanwhile I landed my $50 a week job at Daisy Mae's Flash Records.Most of the famous people seem to come in at night. As you remember, I was on the day shift. A few I remember waiting on:
Gloria Garcia - She sang the spanish version of Tina Turner's - "You can't miss nothin' that you never had". I even remember she bought 'Five will get you ten' by Z.Z. Hill.
Billy Preston - I sat next to him in the school choir at Dorsey High. He bought 'Everybody needs somebody to love' by Solomon Burke
Mike Love - I was in the choir with Him also. Can't remember what he bought, all I remember was the '63 Sting Ray he drove away in.
Elliot Shavers - Leader of the house band at The 5-4 Ballroom.
Andy Belvin - Godfrey Kerr's best friend, and recorded "Travelin; mood" for Godfrey's Flashback label.
Round Robin - I'm told he went to Jr. High with me under his real name
Paul Gayten - Use to come in to see Daisy all the time. Always dressed to the nines (in his Rolls Royce). He gave Daisy a 100 box of 4 biggies on Anna.(Barrett Strong, Johnny & Jackie, Ty Hunter & Paul Gayten)."
More from John in an upcoming blog.
Do you have a comment about this history? Let John and me know, by checking the comment box and filling out your...well, comment.
# posted by Steve Propes @ 11:56 AM 
