KFXM Tiger Radio & K/MEN 129 in Doug's Stuff Room

[Alan Ford]

Ever since Colin posted a link to Doug Calgaro's blog a week or two
ago, I have been going through it looking for references to John, and
comparing information in it with the version of events in Margrave Of
The Marshes (MOTM). Unfortunately this is a period that was not
written about by John himself, but by Sheila.

According to MOTM, John and his then wife Shirley Anne Milburn moved
from Dallas, Texas, to San Bernardino, California, where John joined
local radio station K/MEN "for the 18 months between the autumn of
1965 and the spring of 1967" [Pg 217].
And I'm sure you're all aware that John underwent a dramatic name
change when he joined K/MEN; He went from Ravenscroft to Ravencroft.

When John joined K/MEN they were producing a weekly newsletter, a
four-page folder called The K/MENtertainer. This, and the newspaper
which later replaced it, is what forms the basis of Doug's blog.

Contrary to MOTM, John's arrival at K/MEN is alluded to on 4th Feb
1966 where the K/MENtertainer states
"England Swings. Listen to K/MEN every morning 6 to 9 am".
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/10/kmen-february-1966.html

[John was to replace someone known as Huckleberry (Chuck
Clemens/Clemans), who was the first DJ on K/MEN, in 1962.
[This is the previous week's edition with Chuck's last appearance
[http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/10/kmentertainer-january-28-1966.html
[And here's possibly the first ever edition
[http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2010/03/it-was-48-years-ago-todaywhen.html

The next issue, 11th Feb 1966, names John Ravencroft as the new man
for the 6 to 9am slot, and features a full-length photo of John
looking dapper in a suit. The other DJs are represented by cartoon
caricatures but, as Doug says, John never did get his own caricature.
Presumably John's 6-9am show was just Mon - Fri
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/10/kmentertainer-february-11-1966.html

MOTM: "KMEN itself was located in the middle of a field filled with
cattle. The rival pop station - K-something else - had its offices and
studios in a corner of the local Holiday Inn, so KMEN was immediately
considered cooler by its target audience of high-school students,
inland surfers, hot-rodders, citrus-fruit growers and honey-skinned
blondes, all of whom warmed to a playlist that accomodated Canned
Heat, Love and The Doors. Because it was only a small station, John
was allowed to play whatever he liked" [Pg 218].

The following week, 18th Feb 1966, features a photo of all the DJs
standing by the K/men Batmobile (which looks a hearse with 'Batmobile'
written on the side).
There is also a British Top 10 - 'Featured Saturday afternoons by John
Ravencroft'.
So as well as his early morning shows, John also has a Saturday afternoon show.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/10/kmentertainer-february-18-1966.html

MOTM: "[John] persuaded his bosses to let him initiate a British
chart. They thought it was a great idea, though of course this
so-called hit parade was nothing of the sort: John would simply choose
whichever records caught his fancy that week, and afford them random
placings in his rundown. 'The Nazz Are Blue' by The Yardbirds lingered
in his British top five for an unfeasibly long time, despite having
never been released as a single anywhere on earth" [Pg 218].

I have not yet seen The Nazz Are Blue in any of these charts.

Next week, 25th Feb 1966, has a head-shot photo for all the DJ's, and
there's a plug for an up-coming basketball match between the DJs and
the Mareno Valley High School all-girls team.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/11/kmentertainer-february-25-1966.html

The following week, 4th Mar 1966, there's a photo of the victorious
basketball team in their kit ('and we only cheated just a little').
MOTM: "This rather baffled John, who was ready to swear on oath that
he had never played basketball in his life" [Pg 223]*.
There are also miniaturised photos of all the DJs superimposed on the
'Batmobile'.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/11/kmentertainer-march-4-1966.html

The next issue, 11th Mar 1966, features a full-page article: "After 2
months these are the thoughts of John Ravencroft".
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/11/kmentertainer-march-111966.html

Then there's a jump to 8th April 1966, which has a repeat of the
basketball team photo ('5 wins, NO LOSSES!')
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/12/kmentertainer-april-8-1966.html

The following week, 15th Apr 1966, has a pic of John wrestling with
several phones - 'taking a few of the many requests that are phoned in
every morning'.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/12/kmentertainer-april-15-1966.html
This is reproduced in MOTM between pages 84 and 85, and mentioned on page 223.

For several weeks there is just a head-shot photo, the British Pop Top Ten,
and a mention of the Saturday Afternoon show
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/12/kmentertainer-april-22-1966.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-may-6-1966.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-may-13-1966.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-may-20-1966.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/02/kmentertainer-may-27-1966.html


"In 1965 K/MEN put out the K/MEN rebound book. The one you see here
has a green cover. The original had a red cover and came out in 1965.
This one although stating 1965 on the cover came out in 1966 with
added pages of all the charted hits on K/MEN from 1966. The best part
was the pictures of the DJ lineup as of May 1966 [John still 6 - 9am].
Last week I posted the front cover of the book [See below]. Today the
jocks and the back cover."
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/07/kmen-rebound-book-continues.html
John: "I like Soccer and girls, dancing and girls, sports car racing
and girls and girls and girls".

Dancing ??

[The cover of the not-1965-but-1966-really Rebound book
[http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/07/kfxm-kmen-stuff.html

Then there's a big jump to 2nd Dec 1966
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/06/last-kmen-small-folder.html
This is the last edition of the small folder. John has moved from
6-9am to 6-9pm, and his Saturday show has moved from afternoons to
evenings.
[Has anyone heard Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On A Saturday Night?]

The following week, 10th Dec 1966, the simple 4-page folder has been
replaced by a newspaper which features a full-front-page article by
"John Ravencroft, Editor", another full-page article on The British Scene,
a half-page article about a competition on John's show called
'Brockton Arcade Jackpot',
and a page-and-a-bit article by John on a group called The Bush.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/06/kmen-newspaper-2nd-edition.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/06/kmen-newspaper-2nd-edition-continued.html
[Whatever happened to The Bush?]

[Here are some unattributed articles on Dylan, Donovan, Paul Revere, and The 4
[Seasons, from "the end of 1966".
[As the newspaper started on 10th Dec 1966, these must be from 10th,
[17th, 24th and/or 31st, and may or may not have been written by John.
[http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/03/kmen-articles.html

The next date featured is 7th Jan 1967, still with John as The
Publication Editor, and which includes 'humorous' predictions for the
forthcoming year:
"John Ravencroft will remove his squire and assume the aristocratic
air of Argentine Rocca, former
Heavyweight Wrestling Champion of the World".
And there's another full-page on The British Scene, including the line
"Continued enthusiastic response to The Misunderstood's I Can Take You
To The Sun ... one of the best records I've ever heard".
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-january-7-1967.html
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-january-7-1967-continued_07.html
MOTM discusses John's discovery of The Misunderstood and how he gave
them regular plugs on KMEN, "much to the annoyance of other bands". He
also "arranged for them to record in Gold Star studios in Hollywood,
in order to produce something that he could play on KMEN" [Pgs 219 -
222].

The following week's edition, 14th Jan 1967, says "Stories by .. John
Ravencroft, .." across the top of the front page, but Doug doesn't include them
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-january-14-1967.html

The 21st Jan 1967 edition has a jokey feature by John on new DJ
'Midnight Ron Christian', and confirms that John is still the
Publication Editor
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-january-21-1967.html

The 28th Jan 1967 edition has another "British Scene" page by John.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/01/kmentertainer-january-28-1967.html

The next week is billed by Doug as 4th Feb 1966, but this is obviously 1967.
There is a photo of John with the top of his head missing ('Topless').
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/02/kmentertainer-february-4-1966.html

The 11th Feb 1967 edition has photos of John entering and leaving 'the
K/MEN Time Tunnel', with no further explanation.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/02/kmentertainer-february-11-1967.html

"During 1967 there were a lot of changes in the K/MEN roster. By the
middle of April John Ravencroft would be gone with T. Michael Jordan
coming in".
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2006/06/kmen-in-1967.html

This has undated articles by John on The Misunderstood and The Ban.
http://kfxm-kmen-radio.blogspot.com/2007/03/kmentertainer-local-groups.html


MOTM: "John's recollections of his life at KMEN were scattered, to say
the least. He remembered that the station was regularly visited by
whichever it was of Jan and Dean who hadn't been in an accident, and
that his best mate was fellow DJ Johnny Darin. Johnny Darin wasn't
really called Johnny Darin. In fact John never found out what his real
name was, as DJs tended to have names waiting for them when they
arrived at the station, names that would be discarded when they moved
on - hence the difficulty encountered by John in his numerous attempts
to contact his old US DJ pals, a difficulty that the hardiest of 'This
Is Your Life' researchers found similarly insurmountable" [Pg 224].
"It was during John's 18 months in San Bernadino that he attended a
gig that .. changed his life .. at the Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood,
where Van Morrison's Them were supported by Captain Beefheart and his
Magic Band. He compared it to hearing Elvis for the first time" [Pgs
224-226].

"When he left San Bernardino in March 1967 for London, where he hoped
to continue working as a DJ, he brought Shirley with him" [Pg 229].

John's own summary of the period is on Pg 400 of MOTM:
"Removal to San Bernardino, California. Eighteen months on KMEN.
Further deterioration of marriage. Trips to LA to see Capt. Beefheart
and a range of other trendy bands. .. Sent Misunderstood to live with
Mother in London. Mother's displeasure. Involvement of sherriff's dept
in continuing deterioration of marriage. Left California. Arrival
Home."

The involvement of the sherriff's dept in John and Shirley's sudden
departure is discussed further in Colin's excellent article here:
http://peel.wikia.com/wiki/KMEN

See also
http://www.440int.com/namesr.html#_jraven
http://www.440int.com/ca2.html#kmen

Cheers

Alan