Thursday, February 23, 2006

KYYX--Part III

There is a certain sense of bonding when you work in overnight radio, not only was I talking to Rosemary Smith upstairs, but I would talk for long hours with Connie Cole at KZOK and Janice Caine who was also at KZOK. Janice and I went out to breakfast at 13 Coins and Connie invited me sight unseen to her wedding which I accepted. I played Old Gold at KXA, not my favorite music at the time but a learning experience (I can tell the group of almost any pop hit, like Build Me Up Buttercup by "The Foundations"). I was not terribly anxious to get on at the FM quite yet, the KYYX after all played a very safe light top 40 targeted at mostly women and ultra yuppie men. Sort of like Seattle's warm 106.5.
Things would soon change as Randi Thomas came on board. The same Randi that had an excellent career later on at KLSY, playing songs in the night. Randi at the time also had a gig at KJUN, a country station out of Puyallup. She started at KXA, but soon got a shift at KYYX, I started to get restless. Especially since KYYX made a radical format change to say the least.
They began playing Rock Of The 80s. This new wave music for the last 18 months of it's existence would define the station forever. I nudged and poked Elvin in the ribs to get time with KYYX and finally around New Years got to work the big FM.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's funny...20 + years later and my time @ KYYX seems fresher than the radio stuff I've done within the last year.

It's great to read your recollections of that time.

Mike "Beaver" Bell

ryannygard said...

My Mother was Randi Thomas aka Janette Veer. You seem educated on her career and I appreciated your small blog on her. Thank you

Mike Barer said...

Thank you for reading! What is up with Janette?