Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Keith Knudsen - Phone Interview March 1, 1976

Earlier this year, drummer, singer and songwriter Keith Knudsen was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doobie Brothers.   

Born in Le Mars, Iowa, Knudsen's family moved to Princeton, Illinois when Keith was in his early teens.  While a student at Princeton High School, Knudsen began his musical career playing in area bands such as the Sir-Vays and the Coachmen.

 

After high school Knudsen moved to California, performing with several different groups before joining the Doobie Brothers in 1974.

In early 1976, just prior to the release of the Doobie Brothers' album Takin' It To The Streets, Knudsen was back in Princeton visiting his parents and "the old home town."  The local newspaper, the News Tribune, ran the following article:

This led to the following phone interview with local radio personality Don Zukowski on March 1, 1976:


Knudsen remained with the Doobie Brothers until they disbanded in 1982.  Afterwards he formed the country rock band Southern Pacific with fellow Doobie John McFee.     

Knudsen is credited with organizing a one-off Doobies' reunion in 1987 to raise money for the National Veterans Foundation which ultimately led to the group reforming.  Knudsen rejoined the group on a full time basis in 1993.

Knudsen died from pneumonia in 2005 at the age of 56.  He is buried in Princeton, Illinois.

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Show #48: Holiday Edition 2020



ARTISTTRACKLABELYEARTOWN / CITY
Jim Easter & The ArtisticsWhere Is Santa ClausCap1962Mattoon / Charleston
Bonnie LouIt's Christmas-Time AgainCandee1958Towanda / Carlock
Tex WilliamsThe Winter SongCapitol1949Ramsey
Lyle MayfieldWinter Wonderland - no label -2008Greenville
June ChristyThe Christmas Song ?1949Decatur
Red Norvo & His OrchestraI've Got My Love To Keep Me WarmBrunswick1937Beardstown
Smiley BurnetteRudolph The Red Nosed ReindeerCapitol1952Summum
Miles DavisBlue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)Columbia1962Alton / East St. Louis
Jim Easter & The ArtisticsWhite ChristmasCap1962Mattoon / Charleston
Carl TrentJingle Bell TruckerGolden Voice?Peoria
Burl IvesWhat A Lucky Boy Am IColumbia1968Hunt City
Marty RobertsLet's Give Santa Claus A ChristmasDome1951Chenoa
Joe DowellChristmas In Ann ArborJourney1973Bloomington
Emil "Farmer" BillChristmas In A BarnGolden Voice1969Peoria
Peetie WheatstrawSanta Claus BluesDecca1935East St. Louis



Saturday, December 5, 2020

The Best of Downstate Illinois Garage Rock 1965-1968

Culled from various past shows, we present downstate Illinois' best garage rock from 1965-1968 all in one program. 50 bands. Two hours of mind blowing, fuzzed-out teenage angst from the second half of the sixties.


ARTISTTRACKLABELYEARTOWN / CITY
Meat DeptThis Weeks ChildrenPolar Bear1967Decatur
The War LordsReal Fine LadyThor1966Bloomington
One-Eyed JacksDie TodayLakeside1966Champaign
The VectorsWhat In The WorldAnalysis1965Macomb
The Raindear ArmySubterranean SunsetLedger1967Springfield
The IntrudersShe's MineIT1966Pittsfield
The Mod 4Open Up Your Mind[Fredlo]1968Aledo
The FurnitureI Love It BabyStature1967Peoria
The CobblestonesI'll Hide My Head In The SandMobie1967Bloomington
Fugitive Five(I Ain't Gonna Give Up) My Way Of LifeCell1966Decatur
Barry Ebling & The InvadersI Can Make It Without YouNorman1967Granite City
The BacardisDon't Sell YourselfMidgard1966Rantoul
Kookie CookWorking ManBig Beat1966Danville
Inner SanctumCan't Make It Without YouThunder1968Virden
Third BoothSound Inc. (I Need Love)Thunder1968Canton
The Four A WhileLow Class ManBig Beat1966Charleston
The JadesYou Have To WalkClark1967Herrin
The Warner BrothersLonely IDunwich1966Peoria
Nickel BagThe WoodsRembrandt1966Carbondale
Dean CarterRebel WomanMilky Way1967Danville
Beggars Opera CoGone From MeGolden Voice1968Farmington
The CliquesSo HardCustom1967Champaign
The VanguardsWhat's Wrong With You- no label -1966Mendota
The CamarosI Need You No MoreCustom1968Petersburg
Dave & The SquiresThe Girl Of My DreamsRadex1965Lena
Lee RustTry, Try To Leave MeRofran1966Bloomington / Springfield
The IntrudersBringin' Me DownClaremont1966Rockford
The ExplorersBlue Flavored LollipopSandy's1968Quincy
The Wylde HeardStop It GirlPhillips1967Peoria
Five Of A KindeGoodbye GirlGarric1967Quad Cities
The Night PeopleAin't Gonna HappenTuggie1967Olney
Suburban 9 To 5Walk AwayLedger1967Peoria
The RavinsAndySyndicate1967Gibson City
Livin' EndBut I'll LiveKB1968Breese
Kracker-Barrel KomplexDifferent Than MePage1968LaSalle-Peru
The PaegansI Can Only Give You EverythingRampro1967Rockford
The MaraudersWarningHeads1966Granite City
The KomonsCaught In The TrapFeature1966Rockford
The CoachmenDon't Want To Lose HerLedger1967Peoria
The Seeds of ReasonI'm Your True LoveLakeside1966Rockford
Rod & The SatalitesShe CaresIrish1965Quincy
The RegimentMy Soap Won't FloatG & G1967Champaign
The Del-RaysLollipop LadyArch1968Mascoutah
North Bridge CompanyCrying All AloneSand "G"1968Peoria
The StarlitesWait For MeZap1965Danville
The InspirationsBaby Please Come HomeFeature1966Rock Falls / Sterling
The Coming GenerationDown To The CitySummit1968Dwight
Mystery MeatGive Me Your LoveDirector1968Carlinville
The UnknownsModern EraMarlo1966Belleville
The NomaddsDon't Cheat On MeRadex1965Freeport


Thursday, November 19, 2020

Show #47: Blytham Ltd & Beyond! The Champaign-Urbana Music Scene 1966-1971


ARTISTTRACKLABELYEARNOTES
The One-Eyed JacksLoveWhite Cliffs1967
The BacardisDon't Sell YourselfMidgard1966later known as The Light Brigade
Al IerardiDureenRoFran1967
Lothar & The Hand PeopleCan't Get Enough Of Your Love-1967*see below for more info
Shades Of BlueNot The Way Love Should BeShades1967from Danville, IL
The ProdigiesI Want To Do ItRoFran1966
$1,000,000 War BabiesArtificial Reality-1967
The CliquesSo HardCustom1967
The EsquiresPretty Little Blue GirlFeature1966from Belvidere, IL
Steve Melshenker(I've Got) Time On My HandsOrlyn1966
The RegimentMy Soap Won't FloatG & G1967
The One-Eyed JacksGetting In A GrooveRoulette1969
The GuildThe Sun Shines For YouTwinight1969from Mascoutah, IL
The Spoils of WarRit Yellow Of The SunShadoks1969released on S/T compilation
The Finchley BoysHellfire and BrimestoneAnazitisi1971recorded at "In Stitches" , released on Lost Tributes compilation
REO SpeedwagonBe A Big Man Someday-1971recorded at WSIU in Carbondale
Somebody GroovyWe'll Meet Again-1966

*  This song was used with special permission by the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  More info at:  Sousa Archives
(See the previous post for more info on Lothar & The Hand People)


 
Bob Nutt and Irving Azoff (photo by Jim Cole)

Blytham Ltd : "Exclusively Handling Every Major Downstate Band"

1967

  

1968

Extras