I was reading a thoroughly disgusting story on the Times’ website about a celebrity sleaze broker who has gotten his mitts on Paris Hilton’s diary — which he plans to sell at auction for $20 million — when I came across a surprising name.
Elliot Mintz is Paris Hilton’s publicist.
When I moved to LA in 1968, there was a great FM “underground” rock station out of Pasadena, KPPC. It was the radio home of the Firesign Theatre and Dr. Demento, who had their shows on Sunday nights. The rest of the week you’d hear DJ’s who, to my 12-year-old ears, sounded like the coolest guys you could ever aspire to be. Elliot Mintz was one of them. I think he was the one who played a bootlegged copy of the Beatles’ “Get Back” album that ultimately was never released. I taped it on my parents’ reel-to-reel and played it for friends, thinking I was now a rock-and-roll insider.
Later, after KPPC met the same fate of all good radio stations and vanished without warning, Mintz went on to appear in other LA media, most notably as a late-night talk jock on KABC who was supposedly in touch with the young, “happening” crowd. The graphic below should fill your lungs with a blast of the silly yet solemn air that suffused the early 1970s.
Later, I became aware that Mintz was the publicist for John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Whenever something strange happened in the world of John and Yoko — who were always stirring up trouble during the 70s — it was Mintz’s sober, judicious voice you’d hear commenting on it. Mintz also spent hours, hundreds of hours, in taped conversation with John, which he edited into an FM radio series after his murder, “The Lost Lennon Tapes.”
Digging around on the Internet, it appears Mintz was or is working for Bob Dylan, too. But that representation didn’t draw as much attention as his work with his first clients, Lennon-Ono, or his most recent ones. Since I normally skip about 98.5 percent of all Paris Hilton stories, I had missed the frequent Mintz quotes.
As he was with John and Yoko, Mintz is a family retainer. When sister Nicky Hilton got married in Las Vegas in 2004, someone must have compared it to Brittany Spears’ 55-hour marriage, which started with a Vegas wedding. It was Mintz who set E! Online straight, “This is a real, serious, meaningful, loving relationship–not spur of the moment. [The wedding] was treated with great sobriety and seriousness.” Mintz has the perfect voice to say things like this. Back in the 70s, rock-and-roll was serious business, just like global night-clubbing is now.
From the Desert to the Sea... 
It figures that you’d be one of the cognosecenti hooked on KPPC during underground FM’s “golden age” – part of the happy few, the band of brothers (and sisters) who fondly remember Les Carter (and his wife Susan, of the sexy nom de radio “Outrageous Nevada”), Jeff Gonzer, the “Obscene Steven Clean (Segal)”, Ted “Cosmo Topper” Alvy, Ted Longmire, Zach Zenor, Mississippi Fats, Sam Copper, the Pierce Family, Joel Siegel’s “Uncle Joel” and “Uncle Noel” old radio programs, Dr. Demento’s early (and still by far the best) weekly radio appearances – and who could forget the second (but superior) incarnation of The Credibility Gap, with Harry Shearer, Richard Beebe, Michael McKean and David L. Lander. Some of us have spent the last 35 years wandering the radio dial in the vain hope of finding a station even half as good as the PP in its prime. And reliving the horror of the air staff massacre when GM Doug Cox fired everyone en masse and replaced them with pod people. Upside: I discovered KPFK, which gave the exiled KPPC air staff a free berth for awhile under the leadership of GM Will Lewis and Progam Director Ruth (Seymour) Hirschmann. I like the idea of KPFK a lot more than the air product, but KPPC will always hold a very special place in my radio heart.
Greetings to all visitors lured here by the King of LA Blogs, Kevin Roderick. Thanks for checking this out. Come for the pop culture, stay for the…politics? PR industry observations? Astronomy? Musician obituaries? Environmental activism? Football complaints? Well, it depends on my mood that day.
Back when I was listening to KPPC (and I’m not surprised Joel Bellman was another fan), I had a chance to play DJ on a low-power station a fellow high school student tried to launch. My moniker was “John, The Eclectic” because I played rock, jazz, soul and classical, all in one set. This was decades before KCRW…and unlike them, I really meant it. Still do.
I look forward to reading comments, if you’ve got any. Fire away!
In ’72, Elliot did a period hosting a syndicated TV show called “Headshop”. The show, recorded at the old KTTV lot at Sunset and Van Ness, was syndicated by videotape through the Kaiser Broadcasting TV stations. Elliot scored some interview that were real classics, including one of the last with Cass Elliott. Sadly, the show’s budget was so tight that Kaiser erased each week’s tape in order to re-use it the following week. In the process, some really classic Rock and Roll history was lost.
I’m sorry to hear that the tapes had to be reused.
Ken Dulin and I have been trying to find any history on our old band the Jonathan Davis group. We played on his show at KTTV in 1971-72.
If anyone can tell me how to research this I sure would be grateful.
Wow!!!!
I was in a band that aired on one of his shows! We were called Buckley / Stocum / Ray and I’ve always wondered if old tapes exist….. now sadly I know they probably don’t.
Enjoyed your comments about KPPC. The format’s last day was quite an event, with visits by well-wishers and a flurry of telegrams and phone calls from distraught fans. I taped the station’s last few hours, right up to the point when the transmitter was shut down “for maintenance.” I remember tuning in the next morning. Different jocks, different sound, and the dj on duty apparently had been overwhelmed by the angry listener calls. He told his audience, “…people who don’t accept change are called reactionaries.”
Thanks for the memories about KPPC. It truly was one of the great radio stations. An amazing journey for a station that started out in the basement, I believe, of Pasadena Presbyterian Church, hence the PPC. I once had a music column at the Pasadena Star-News and got to go out to the station when it was in that old house to interview Johnny Otis. He and Dr. Demento had shows on Sunday night and it was quite the experience seeing one legend and another legend-in-the-making under the same roof. Sad to see the place get consumed like it was. KROQ in its very early days caught some of the KPPC esence but that was snuffed out quickly enough.
I’m tickled that someone has finally written about this forgotten episode of Mintz’s life–KABC. I’d swear that yours is the only mention of the olden days of that station’s attempts at cool in the last 35 years or so.
I am 43, so that should date me–I think I was about 10 or 11 when I was a faithful listener to Mintz’ show(along with Ray Briem’s–well, you have to fall asleep to something, right?); I developed a huge crush on him–Mintz–and actually managed to get on air once. He had a gimmick where he’d guess the sex of pregnant women’s babies if they’d call and hold the phone receiver to their stomachs. Yes, I called in(shaking with nerves–I really did have a thing for the guy–great voice), tried to fake a deep timbre, and he guessed I’d have a girl. When he congratulated me and asked me what names I was thinking of, that threw me, so I panicked and said “ummm…..uhhhhh…Jenny?” I’d already told him my name was Jenny. Damn! Busted! Oh well.
So anyway, of course I too have been noticing the increasingly embarrassing PR Elliot has had to do for la belle Hilton lately…yeesh. A far cry from John and Yoko.
Jen, thanks, this is a hilarious story.
Yesterday, I posted another chapter in Mr. Mintz’s career. He is now speaking on behalf of Janet Jones, wife of Wayne Gretzky, who is now involved in a gambling probe in New Jersey and of the NHL.
My, my, my, you all bring back wonderful memories of KPPC, PCC, The Ice House, and Pasadena as a whole. My ears followed Elliot from KPPC to KABC. I would talk to him often on the phone while he was a DJ, being a newcomer to California, and not having any friends, I made friends with those late night DJ’s like Elliott and J.J. Jackson. Elliot invited me to his home on one occasion. It was at the top of a hill with what seemed like hundreds of wooden stairs to climb just to get to the front door. Once inside we talked for hours, person to person. What I was most surprised at was the number of albums that he had, in fact it was a whole room FILLED with albums. It was a time of change, and either he or I zigged when the other zagged, and lost touch of one another. I was just going through my mind of “I wonder whatever happened to” tonight, and ran across this website Thanks for the memories!!
Well…in talking with an old friend from LA a few minutes ago, it struck me to google The Obscene Steven Clean…and I find all this about Elliot, and a posting from my friend (and aleph gadol) Mitch Waldow!! I remember Headshop, and listening to Elliot on KABC FM late on Sunday nights…and then on to KPFA? at midnight to hear Alan Watts. Too bad the tapes were erased for the TV shows….Yes, and I remember Firesign Theatre on the radio, and Credibility Gap on KRLA (and Bill Cosby had his “Captain Oh-Wow” show on as well).
Anyone have any obscure tapes from any of these programs they might like to share?? Yes, I too was listening to the last minutes of KPFK, and bemoan the lack of radio in LA or in the SF area…I can’t even find a copy of Cricklewood Green anywhere…Peter Bergman of Firesign just finished teaching a drama/theatre class to my 6 yr old nephew in LA, and is still quite the nice guy.
Thanks for the memories!! Those of you out there to whom this resonates, please feel free to write.
I was a brief classmate of Elliot Mintz at the Los Angeles City College Broadcasting department in 1964 or 1963. I remember standing outside the building with him discussing politics, culture, etc.To me, he was an extremely articulate and interesting person even then. One has to make a buck to best way they know how. I cannot think of anything to say that would put Elliott down. I cannot understand all the past so called “hip” people that now rush to discredit Elliot Mintz! In 1968 when Elliott was on KABC,KPPC…I was on the street, street freak and recently discharged Army vet. I also remember listening to the Firesign Theater, Dr. Demento back then. Great listening while stoned!
Oh good gawd…Elliot. I remember when he made that transition from “cool” FM to KABC.
A group of us somehow began calling his show on Saturday nights, taking whatever topic he had and making mincemeat (ok, pun intended) and speaking about our own interests..in my case I was doing a weekly surf report and some flashbacks of a trip I took one year to Europe.
Others related jokes, talked about their pets, everything under the sun. Our Saturday night show became known as the “Irregulars”.
Elliot used to make personal appearances on behalf of sponsors (“Come on down to the House of Sight and Sound this weekend”) and naturally we descended on these. Once all of the callers had each other’s phone numbers, a club was created, newsletters written, etc. This went on for a couple of years.
Elliot used to claim he hated Saturday nights but I suspect he liked it as much as anyone else. I don’t think the KABC demo was ready for interviews with Dylan and Mick and he knew it.
He was the perfect “FM” guy, that voice and attitude. Those times that I met him he never dropped that personna. It gives me a great chuckle whenever I see him these days, still doing his stuff!
I found my way here on reading today that Elliot is now Paris Hilton’s spokesperson. I immediately flashed back to 1960s LA, growing up with KPFK, and thinking that Elliot was the only person in the world who understood me.
Then I remember another career stop of his: He joined the ABC Eyewitness News Team and wore the same costume blazer that the whole news team wore.
It was hilarious.
But KPFK in those days, along with the LA Free Press, were lifelines.
Pingback: From the Desert to the Sea… » Blog Archive » Still Speaking Up for John Lennon
Ah, yes! KPFC with that chant during one money drives in ’74…MARATHON, MARATHON…MARA, MARA, MARATHON! Or Elliot Mintz on a Sunday night on KABC, seemingly chanting some extraterrestrial word,”TESARAK, TESARAK…”, and purposely whispering into the mic (and into my headphones) until a chill went up and down my spine, of course, all serious-like! But I digress! Must get back to my hookah!
I vaguely remember having an English teacher at Charles Evans Hughes Jr High School named Elliot Mintz back in the early 60’s.
It can’t be the same Mr. Mintz….?
Wow – how great to read about the halcyon days of “hip-FM” in Southern California radio. I had nearly forgotten about KPPC and actually had forgotten about Elliot Mintz’s TV show, “Headshop.” What I do remember was a TV interview he did back in the early 70s with Moe Howard of Three Stooges fame. It aired on UHF channel 52 in the L.A. area. If I remember correctly, that station was KBSC and had a broadcast schedule of 5-6 hours each day, beginning in the late afternoon. I made an audio tape of the interview (long ago lost), but I do remember Moe telling Elliot that he was “a fine interviewer with a bright future.” Who knew a Stooge could be so prophetic?
I moved to LA from the East Coast in the mid-70s (73-76), lived in Hollywood and took premed classes at USC. I probably spent as much time in my car as I did in my apartment. KABC talk radio was my constant companion. I remember really loving to listen to Elliot Mintz. Great voice. I’ve followed his career as a publicist over the years. Thanks for the memories.
Are you the same Dr. Rock that did a show on KCRW/FM in the mid ’70’s? Lemme know. at: TICDS@SBCGl9obal.Net
In 1971-72, KBSC (Kaiser Broadcasting Southern California) Channel 52 produced a year or so of Headshop shows for the Kaiser affiliates around the country. Elliot Mintz became the permanent guest host after a few others tried out. One of those was Doug Cox, sometime program director at KRLA who became station manager at KPPC and who terminated the talent there. KBSC tried to entice Ben Fong Torres of Rolling Stone to audition for the host role. He took a look at the contract, suggested some changes, and that was the end of that. The highlight I remember most vividly was an interview with George Jackson’s father prior to Jackson’s death at Soledad. Prophetic television at its best. I was Associate Producer during the summer of ’71.
During the 70’s, i hitched across country to attend the Don Martin School of Broadcasting which was located just off Hollywood Blvd. My classes were in the evening and I knew absolutly no one, but upon returning to my ratty apartment, i always felt great comfort listening to Elliot Mintz.
What a nice voice he had and he seemed to me to be a good person.
And one last thing, besides John and Yoko, Elliot turned me on to Ram Dass, also a frequent guest on his program.
Nice post. Lots of memories!
My best to all you folks.
Peace-
at risk of bumming out this love-in, i found elliot, thru the years, so full of himself, that i’m surprised that he didn’t explode. but, i do have to say, he had a bunch of people on, especially at kpfk, that, his ego aside, were interesting listening. to a previous blogger, i have some broadcasts from those days. an interview with leary, the police riot at the lbj speech at the century plaza etc. anyway, back to the tv.
I discovered Elliot on KPFK. I even subscribed because of him. The night of the invasion of Israel by all the surrounding countries he gave one of the most riveting programs I’d ever heard,so full of disaster and tragedy. Other times his subjects were lighter or completely ad hoc: a few programs on teen-age hookers with live guests, or his trip to a Chinese laundry. One night he was arrested driving to work for outstanding unpaid traffic citations and did a whole show about the experience. He could always turn lemons into lemonade.
He got so controversial that even KPFK took notice. The president of their board of directors sent a message down from on-high (KPFA) ordering him to knock off any criticism of the station itself, which Elliot had never spared. (It was a pretty smug, self-important place.) He mentioned this ban on the air one night and I wrote an impassioned letter to the station stating that Free Radio meant being free even to talk about itself.
A few days later Will Lewis called me and asked if he could read it on the air the following Sunday. I agreed and he did so. He was fired the next day and I never heard of him again.
What I wished I had taped was Mitch Harding’s (GOUM – Good Old Uncle Mitch) annual valedictory address to new graduates. It was a message for all times. Anybody have a copy of that somewhere?
i have a copy of Uncle Mitch’s Commencement address, called “You’ll be what you call a Success, instead.”
i have a copy of Uncle Mitch’s Commencement address, called “You’ll be what you call a Success, instead.”
I am resubmitting this reply b/c I did not check the “Notify me” box on the first reply. Pls reply to this submission, not the first.
Years later, I find this reply to my quest for Mitch Harding’s Commencement address. If you’re still alive and have it, drop me a note. Thanks!
Funny, but just yesterday I was trying to remember the guy I knew at either Pierce College or San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) who was always talking about the celebrities he knew and how we was going to be an entertainment publicist instead of a journalist. No one took him seriously back then. Turns out it was your buddy Elliot.
Pingback: Welcome, Paris Hilton Fans! « From the Desert to the Sea…
Sheldon’s comment above about the Irregulars, the callers to Mintz’s KABC Saturday night show brought back memories. I was one of those annoying callers, and enjoyed a few of the get-togethers, but the most memorable part was that Weird Al Yankovic was also a regular (“irregular,” actually) caller (at the time, he was “Alfred with the Etiquitte Report”).
Of course, Mintz’s regular KABC show talked with typical great seriousness about rock and roll and Eastern mysticism (he ended his shows with “Namaste”), and the fact that he is now known as the flack who has to spin Paris Hilton’s sex tapes, DUI, etc. is too funny.
For more on Elliot, Paris and me, go here.
I remember him from the Old Days, too. Late 60s, when I was at UCI. I’d listen to him now and again, to his talk show on KPFK.
I remember one bit he did: on the air [!], he actually smoked a banana! I think it was the peel. He was mocking the marijuana thing. He described the process step by step (“… now I’m peeling it … now I’m smoking the banana …”), waiting to get arrested….
I never saw the KABC era.
Are there any online recent photos of him? Nothing on Google. I guess the first job of a publicist – especially P. Hilton’s – is to be heard and not seen.
Didn’t Elliot Mintz do a stint at KMET in the early 70’s?
I worked in record promotion from 1970 to 1982 – at first with a small label – Takoma Records – that had artists like Leo Kottke, John Fahey, and Robbie Basho. Then after Chrysalis bought Takoma in 1979, I became head of marketing for Chrysalis working with Billy Idol, Huey Lewis, and Blondie. KPPC and later KROQ were very influential stations that supported alternative music of the time.
In 1972 I got Fahey a spot on Elliot’s TV show, which was a very big deal for us. Fahey was supposed to finger-sync to a recording – and although the show was taped, they ran it as if it was a live show, so they wouldn’t have to edit it.
After a spot with Joan Baez, Elliot introduced Fahey by saying, “Here’s John Fahey to sing his new song…” Fahey went nuts, stopped the taping and bellowed, “This guy doesn’t even know who I am. I DON’T SING!”
They had to reset everything and re-introduce Fahey, but then Fahey wouldn’t even fake the guitar playing. He swung his arms around like Pete Townsend, etc.
On another note, in April 1968 there was a benefit concert at the Kaleidoscope Theater for KPPC. I was there and it was incredible – Canned Heat, Bo Diddley, Traffic, and the Doors. For years I’ve been looking for a poster of the event for my collection. Anyone got any ideas?
Thanks,
Jon
I recall that Elliot used to end the KABC AM broadcasts with “Goodnight” from the White Album. As I recall, he had sort of a weird relationship with Charles Manson & did some phone interviews when Charlie was on trial. He was sort of pro-charlie at the time, before the verdicts. He might have liked the girls or something.
I believe that he met up with Lennon as a result of the KABC program, the Lennons used to listen & started calling in.
John, it’s been a long time since the PV days!
Regards,
John.
Are you sure Elliot Mintz interviewed Charles Manson? Never heard that before.
Interesting post and comments. I see you didn’t mince any words about Elliot. 🙂
I also remember Elliot Mintz doing a stint in the evenings on KMET “The Mighty Met” during the early 70’s.
I have corresponded a bit with Mr. Mintz. I like him. He’s nice.
Hello Mr. Mintz.
I am hoping to be in touch with iether you or Yoko Ono as I work for an anti-gun youth rally in Toronto, Nathan Phillips Square on Nov. 19th.
I feel Ms. Ono would be the ideal public speaker for this charity. Please call me at (6470-438-5205 or e-mail me at TonyinToronto@rogers.com
Would like to extend the invitation to you and Yoko Ono as you are her spokesman. Info@kpyo.net
Kids Play Youth Outlook, Toronto, Canada.
Peace is being given a chance.-Tony
Hello Sheldon and Rich,
I was also a regular irregular. A buddy named Jim and myself used to give “The Phone Report,” involving conference calls with party lines, and odd phone tricks where Elliot would dial some long distance number; and we’d be there at the other end…. so on and so forth. I really do have a life… but I also still have my baby blue “irregulars identification card.”
I started Googling Elliot this evening because a bunch of people I know started talking about Wierd Al’s “White and Nerdy” video. One thing led to another, and I remembered that Jim had contacted me earlier in the year, reminding me that Al with Etiquette Report was really Al Yankovic.
Funny that no matter who comes up in the news or elsewhere, the “six degrees of seperation” rule still holds.
Pleasure to meet you all…
I remember Elliot on KABC radio in the early to mid 70’s. He hated to talk about “the Bermuda Triangle”. On Friday nights he would call a phone booth in the L.A. area and talk to whoever answered the phone. Also he dreaded the fact that he was to turn the age of 30 in 1975. He once had a contest to determine who had the most infectious laugh. The winners would attend a party and laugh at the same time!
Wow, all we need to do now is find the Orange County Alien, the Latvian Radical Bunny Rabbit and the Fast Talking Frequently Negative Hang Up in Your Ear Diana and we’d have a quorom for an American Irregular Guild meeting. Maybe we’d get Eliot Mintz there this time, since I assume he would prefer that to bailing Paris Hilton out.
It is interesting how odd moments like those in your adolescent years remain with you over time. As the father of a teenage son, I wonder what odd memories he is making like these.
I was cleaning out the garage a few months ago and ran across “irregular newsletters” written by
Alfred Yankovic. Myabe they will be valuable some day…ebay maybe?
Rich
in the not to distant future i am hoping to complete a doc. on
kppc..my partner and i brought together steven clean jeff gonzer.
rachel donahue, dr demento, sam kopper, ted longmire, mississippi fats,the firesign theater, amd still searchin for zack,
will be in ny shortly for uncle joel siegel, and NV for doug cox and his response to all the folks he fired and will be interviewing harry, michael and david shortly..& ms outrageous nevada…
whew this has been an amzing ride for me
i would lovve to speak with any of you folks who remember kppc and would like to be interviewed on camera with your memories…i
you can contact me at cass@casspaley.com and let me know your thoughts ..
i have been trying to find and contact elliot but i guess i must have big bucks like the hiltons so i could find him…
anyone who knows how to contact him it would be great l.
i thank you all cass
Pingback: Jazz Radio Stations In Southern California
First I must say Great website.
As far as Kppc 106.7 goes. I was there listening with others.
I Recorded The ThanksGiving Broadcast in 1970.
And I transfered it to Digital Last year. Too big to email but if U would like a cd It would be my pleasure to make it for you 4 cd’s of live broadcast.
Great Radio in those days.
Feel fre to email me for more info.
Dan (Tallman)
PS I also recorded some KMET stuff..
Dan, hey, YES, I would love to get a copy of your tapes. I have several from the same stations & can trade with you. Thank you, Timmy at: TICDS@SBCGlobal.Net
A Litle more..
And Yes I listened to Elliot Mintz,,,Every night and Sunday night.. I remember the closing song. The Beatles.. (Good Night).. anyway would be Great to know he is ok. and remember it never gets old..
Peace….
Dan
I don’t usually read about Paris Hilton but did…then saw Elliot Mintz name and…publicist! I remember him from KPPC and KMET, and think of him in sort of an eastern philosophic context.
I still remember hearing about this new radio format, “FM”, after listening in my preteen years to 93-KHJ and KRLA. As I turned my old radio in my bedroom, (behind the OC curtain) to 106.7 fm, I felt a part of a great conspiracy against the establishment to music like the Doors, Pentangle, Bob Dylan, Cream, with Jeff Gonzer, the Obscene Steven Clean (Segal), Sam Kopper and then the extra additions of Dr. Demento, Firesign Theatre the Credibility Gap (I still think of that when I hear Harry Shearer on the Simpsons) and the Johnny Otis show (where else would we have learned about Robert Johnson and the real Crossroads??)
I listened (and recorded, in some format, 8 track?) in disbelief as KPPC went off the air that night, and then somehow stumbled onto KMET where many of them ended up.
The free form and freedom of FM radio in that birthing period has never been recreated. Ironic that years later I turned back to 106.7 and discovered KROQ and the new wave of the 80’s.
I miss KPPC immensely! That group of DJ’s were as friends to me. They introduced me to music and ideas that remain an important part of who I am.
Don’t forget Elliot on KLAC when it was talk. He use to be on the weekends with BMR and others and was great.
Actually, I don’t recall Elliot so much as a DJ on KPPC as the host of his own Sunday night show; with interviews by Baba Ram Dass, Dr. Timothy Leary (by phone from his refuge – he was wanted by a number of law enforcement types). I was Elliot’s board operator and the chief engineer at KPPC when all this happened. I recall the one night Elliot suggested we all go out and look at a full Moon. So we had 10 minutes of ‘dead air’ ( silence ) while that happened. Elliot is a very magnetic person. and one of the many great people that made the PP what it was. Sigh !
I met Elliott in the broadcasting department at Los Angeles City College. At the time, it was one of the best places to train for a career in radio. Elliott was quite the star of the program. He could take the mike and ad-lib as long as needed. I stayed in touch for a few years and was on his KPFK show. His main client when he started as a publicist was Sal Mineo – who met a tragic end. Elliiott was a great voice for the times. I could never understand why he walked away from his brilliant radio career. The Lost Lennon Tapes series was such a brief return to the air. He’s a great publicist, but still, it seems a waste.
I was a student of the Los Angeles City College Broadcasting Department from 1963-1965. I do not remember your name. I do remember Elliot Mintz because he was my classmate. Both of us used to meet on the steps outside the building, smoking and discussing politics, pop culture and such. I will never forget these meetings. Even back then, I found Elliott to be an engaging conversationalist. IMHO, very intelligent for a guy then being about 20 years old. In my time at LACC Broadcasting Dept., I was the Sports Director, Public Relations Director, and Chief Engineer of the student radio program “Encounter,” heard live daily on a local LA FM station. The format was always two students doing a conversation and music show with sports and news. It was great training! Due to my own problems and the Vietnam war, I never made a name for myself in Broadcasting. I was on Armed Forces Radio for a year, did a few weeks while still a student as an all-night DJ on a San Fernando Valley FM station for $1.25/hour… Will never forget Eliott and LACC. I live now in Gilbert, Arizona…unemployed and looking for any job to save my house from foreclosure.
Peace, always.
Edwin Erickson
We were classmates at LACC and I remember our ill-fated trip to Tijuana. Bless you Ed, and I will include you in my daily thoughts and meditation for an upturn in your fortunes.
JOE REEL
Merry Christmas 🙂
Hi. I enjoyed reading all the comments about KPPC and the ‘golden age’ of freeform FM radio. I’ve got lots of vintage recordings of KPPC-FM from back in the good ol’ days and lots of the old Firesign Theater “dear friends” radioshows from 1970-’71, plus lot of recordings from KSAN-FM, KMET-FM,etc back in the late 1960s and 70s that I’ve transfered onto CD-Rs. If anyone out there has any old tape recordings and would like to trade, please drop me an email. (Mitch Waldow and Dan who posted their comments earlier in 2006 mentioning they had old KPPC and KMET recordings, please drop me an email. Thanks!) here’s my email address: robear572001@yahoo.com
Oh my God! Elliot Mintz flacking for Paris Hilton! How much lower can he sink????
I might call those the “missing years” brain-wise, but I just remember Mintz as sort of an annoying ultra-hip character who came on after Steven Clean. Steven would segue into Mintz’s show with a tape which screamed, “Hey Elliott, want a red?”. I wasn’t particularly surprised to find out he was the mouthpiece for a bunch of celebrities. He always struck me as the lapdog sort.
Dick McKee
i still recall listening to elliot do his trip on kpfk back in 1966,,,,that led me to the sunset strip riots and working with green power’s love-ins at griffith park giving out free food to the freex….also elliot donated his 58 citroen to the cause….
anyway i moved to nyc leaving behind venice beach, the la free press, etc
i joined the yippies and i became the mad pieman…
visit me at http://www.pieman.org
Just a few corrections re: Elliot Mints and his early 70’s KABC-FM days. His show was on Sunday nights from 9pm to Midnight, I never missed it. He DID like to talk about the Bermuda Triangle — he produced a very popular 2 hour (in 2 parts) show called “Stendec” (not Teserak) – I still have it on cassette. He used to do Head Shampoo commercials on the air, shampooing peoples hair (with that great strawberry smell) – BTW it wasn’t all that great a product. I mourned the demise of his show and the change over of KABC-FM to KLOS. I though he sold out when he went over to TV, but now that I’m more grown up (51), I know sometimes you gotta make money.
I remember Elliot from Canters deli on Fairfax when he would often come down late at night with a little hand held tape recorder and interview all us that hung out there on music, and other topics of interest. He had a small white jag, and was always fun to talk to. There was an Old guy from somewhere in Europe called Bob that held like a kings court with all his Royal players (some of us hippies ) Wild man Fischer (to his face, you called him Larry ) was always there, various rock stars, and of course, us local hippies. I really miss those days
I have fond memoried of those days listening to “underground94” on my little radio in my bedroom. That takes me way back, Thanks.
His opening theme on KPPC was the Stones’ Let’s Spend the Night Together. I used to listen on a (vacuum) tube radio. You would turn it on, and it would take a minute or so to warm up before the sound came on. And the quality of that sound was amazing! Elliott Mintz’s radio show in the early 70’s helped me get through some tough times.
Anyone ever listen to KCRW back in the late 60′ and mid 70’s before it was NPR. They had a program called Canticle hosted by Mike Whitehead that played new music months and years ahead of most stations.
Pingback: Elliot Mintz Falls on His Sword, Escapes in Two Pieces « From the Desert to the Sea…
Interesting talk about Elliot Mintz. I have seen his name in the news now and then, and it brings back memories of KPPC and Lennon’s Lost Weekend. I met Lennon and Mintz one night, New Years Eve, when I was a mere teen working as a parking attendant for a private party in the Hollywood Hills, mostly just checking invitations at the door. Heady stuff for a teen back then.
But what really jogged my memory was talk of the TV show Head Shop. I used to watch that every chance I got and truly did see some great rock and roll stuff. Sad to see someone comment that the tapes were recorded over and the shows are gone forever. I would love to have re-watched those shows if they had been preserved. Pity such importance wasn’t given that stuff back then when you can find so much useless video with the wave of a mouse these days.
I love stories like this. Just out of curiosity whose house was it or where was it (was it the house on Oak Place? Who all did you see, paint the scene for us! 🙂
Pingback: calculator car monthly payment
G’day Elliot Mintz, sounds like you have a challanging and demanding client there mate.
Best Regards from down under
Greg Tingle
As a teenager, I listened to Elliot Mintz every Sunday evening on KPPC. I was a huge fan, not only of Mintz’s program, but of the station – religiously washed my hair with station-advertised “Head” shampoo, purchased Apricot wine at station-advertised Nave-Pierson winery in Glendale and smuggled it into my locker at high school, once went to a Dodger’s game to meet DJs ‘Outrageous Nevada’ and ‘The Obscene Steven Clean,’ was thrilled when Dr. Demento himself was brought to my high school to speak to the student out-of-body by Phil Alvin, who later with brother Dave formed L.A. near-cult band ‘The Blasters.’ What a time!
So was thoroughly disappointed to find out he is now Paris Hilton’s on-again, off-again publicist. What a let-down! See my take on this at: http://mediamindshare.wordpress.com/2007/05/09/ah-elliot-mintz-ah-humanity/
KPPC was to FM radio what FM was to AM radio. It was the only place where you could hear The Mothers of Invention and Danny Kaye back to back. The DJs played whatever they wanted, and did nearly everything they wanted.
I remember Steve Segal had an obscene phone call contest for Mother’s Day. The prize was 2 tickets to “Deep Throat”. No one could hear the obscene phone calls, Segal played music during the calls. At one point, he broke into the music, exhorting the audience to “show a little creativity”.
When he announced the winner, he said “We’d like to have you come by the station to pick up your tickets, because frankly, we’d like to know what you look like.”
One thing is apparent from this thread: The Obscene Steven Clean made an impression in LA. He might be the best rock DJ LA’s ever had. But after KPCC’s free-form rock format was pulled from the air, he vanished.
Where is he? Why isn’t he working? If we can still listen to Jim Ladd and Cynthia Fox, if we can still get new music from the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, if we can still be reminded of Elliot Mintz’ existence on a daily basis, where are you Obscene Steven Clean????
A Google search brought me to the website for station KOTO, community radio in Telluride, Colorado, where the Obscene Steven Clean is listed as one of the DJs!
http://www.koto.org/djsched.php
Wow, Denise, good catch. Digging into the website a little, we find:
“Obscene Steven Clean (6 – 9 AM Every other Tuesday) – Plays bluegrass and acoustic music, mixed in with comedy, NPR news and the weather.”
That leaves him a lot of time to do other things. I wonder what they are.
And I wonder what crosses his mind when he sees Elliot Mintz stand up for the honor of Paris Hilton.
Many of the previous postings referenced the TV show Headshop. I was dissapointed to hear that the tapes have been destroyed. I had the opportunity to play on the show, where Elliott would give local bands a shot. It was a hoot for our young band ‘Synopsis’ to record on the Queen Mary with Cam Nelson and Elliott. After the show aired, I got a call from a friend in the Navy in the D.C. area saying he saw us on T.V. there. I did not know the show was syndicated and we were “nationwide”! Yes, KPPC was the best of underground radio in its day.
I remember watching Headshop on channel 52. Many good guests many odd ones (Momma Lion), and with so many commercials, Yet still the best rock show at that time. Then every Sunday night listening to him on KMET. I was sorry when he did his last night, I remember how he said his good byes to LA, Then played Ringo singing Good night. This to me was the day true radio died.
I remember calling into Mintz way back when, too. People mag should do an item on HIM.
EVERY Sunday night I would curl up by my Automatic Radio combination 8-track / fm radio and listen to Elliot Mintz. I fondly remember his Head Shampoo commercials and sadly remember the Beatles ‘Good Night’. It meant another whole week until Elliot Mintz was back.
Wow! What memories…
Pingback: If Sheriff Baca is a Scientologist, Wouldn’t That Be News? « From the Desert to the Sea…
KPPC was a classic! Elliot Mintz’s interviews with Richard Alpert (Baba Ram Das), Alan Watts, Jack Garris, John Lennon, and others, were unforgettable. I taped all of these interviews, but sold my equipment (and tapes). That’s unforgiveable! You have to believe others taped these shows as well. Don’t know about copyright, I believe many would purchase copies of these interviews.
Elliot Mintz creeps me out.
I remember when the Headshop crew came to LA Valley College and filmed my band “The Fools.” In the middle of playing “Baby Driver” I broke a string on my Yamaha FG 180 and the camera zoomed in and showed the startled look on my face. Boy, would I love to have a copy of that tape now…..
The Obscene Steven Clean (Steve Kennedy) on KOTO since 1985 is NOT the KPPC / KMET Obscene Steven Clean (Steven Segal)!
That really is a hoot, Elliot working for Paris. There are so many memories here. I remember KPPC, still listen to KPFK when in the signal area. I remember Elliot as a hip guy who put a lot of crazy ideas into my ears, and I followed up on some of them, and that is a big part of my life experience.
Also I remember the amazing interview with the Iranian hostage takers in the embassy. As I recall, Elliot and Roy Tuckman (KPFK) were discussing this terrible event, wondering what the hostage takers wanted out of it. And they had a crazy idea, what if somebody could call the embassy? Who would answer the phone? So they talked to the telephone operator. A few minutes later — this is all real-time, on-air — Elliot was talking to one of the Iranians who was guarding the hostages. Elliots cool and respectful handling of the interview was much to his credit.
Thanks Elliot, and Roy (of Hollywood) too!
Hello Elliot,
Elliot,
It’s been a long time since we last communicated.
Please contact me.
323.292.6002
MWA
I was on the HeadShop show in the early 70s. I performed with a group called “The Peter Quesada Trio”. On the same show was James Coburn and Billy Joel. I would love to know if anyone has a tape of that show or others. I spoke to one of the directors a few years back but he wouldn’t go through the archives for me. Let me know if there are other tapes available. Thanks, Joseph
What if there were a station such as KPPC, KMET, and even KoME or KSAN, available on the Internet? How many people would tune in regularly?
We have the studios, the massive library, great new and Legendary are talent, all stored in deep freeze since the fall of great rock and roll radio…Like everything else, it takes $$$$…
Any ideas? Any Angels??
-M
I was on Headshop in the 70s. Anyone know of archival tapes I can view? Thanks, Joseph
My parents gave me an amazing birthday present when I turned 15… a reel-to-reel recorder.
I taped pretty relentlessly for a while. I didn’t realize there might be a market for mp3s of those old programs.
I’m not trying to be greedy or violate copyright laws. And I’m not sure how many even remember the Credibility Gap and Elliot Mintz.
I haven’t opened those boxes of tapes in a long time. But I know they contain many Credibility Gap episodes, Mintz’s great “Stendec” examination of the Bermuda Triangle, Baba Ram Das, etc.
Those were pretty cool times and I too was very sad to hear the Beatles song telling me I had to wait another week.
I loaned a tape to the guy who taught me hypnosis and I don’t think he ever gave it back to me… it was the show about using a GSR to explore consciousness. I’m sure that every one of those evenings weren’t stellar, but at their worst they were better than anything on the radio ever since.
high
i am back after a long while, i was a focalizer of the griffith park love-ins helping green power give out the free food…
anyway i noticed someone remembered old bob who was hanging out in front of canter’s…he would greet us with a “whats happening sire” on a friday or saturday night!!! i would catch him as i would exit the free press bookstore….anyway i feel lonesome for those days….please send me pix at pieman@pieman.org or visit me at pieman.org
Can someone on behalf of me, tells to Mr. Mintz that a man who interviewed John Lennon and was friend of him, and now is Paris Hilton’s spokesman, is not doing a good career!
I miss KPPC, and especially Steven Clean’s funny riffing. He was always so outrageous.
Used to LOVE listening to KPPC, with KNAC as 2nd choice, while at Cal State Long Beach 1968-1972
Hello fellow Irregulars ! I was Mike with the Chicken Report who use to tell a chicken joke each week. I got my good friend Al with the Etiquette Report (Weird Al) to also call in . Our big excitement was when we got to be “guest communicator ” where we would take the phone calls. Does anybody have any of those old tapes ? I also remember the “bottle of wine” guy who would sing “bottle of wine, true to the vine..” He sure sounded drunk at the time !
One Saturday afternoon, Steve Siegal told his listeners that he was going to teach them how to count to ten. He said “one domino” and played Van Morrison’s ‘Domino.’ He then said “two dominos” and played Van Morrison’s ‘Domino.’ He then said. . .
By the time we got to “ten dominos,” the concept was still funny.
Hi AJ,
I remember that day. My recollection is that after several playings of “Domino”, I think that Steve Siegal just really loved the song, someone was trying to break down the door, and then the song changed. Wasn’t SS fired because of it?
AJ,
Exactly. Who needed drugs when you had Steven Segal to crack you up every morning before school?
I miss it. Do today’s jocks hit 13-year-olds the same way that guy did me?
Probably far too late in the game for any of the original posters to read this, but Live365 online radio has a show called KPPC.FM Revisited. Sounds like songs from the period paired with Firesign, Credibility Gap & other comedy clips. Not the real deal, but probably a nice trip down memory lane if you’re interested. At first I thought maybe they’d have some actual recordings of the original, but so far I haven’t heard any.
Such memories — with two older siblings exposing me to a lot of “bitchen” stuff — going from AM (kfwb, krla, khj) to FM (KPPC, kpfk, kmet, kyms, knac) — and with KPPC being my first exposure to FM, NOTHING ever compared!
A few of my highlights–
• “I Love A Mystery” & “Lone Ranger” radio serials in the mornings and afternoons;
• hearing “Compared to What” / “Revolution Will Not Be Televised” / The Last Poets –heavy stuff for a mid-class white beach kid;
• Pierce family (with the kids in after school);
• all the DJs, but especially that voice coming from Outrageous Nevada to a 13 year boy (whew!);
• and I still have my “Farewell to Cream / Turn on to 106.7” postcard/handbill — had the Hendrix poster, but alas…
Thanks for the memories, then and now.
black cyber-shot t200 digital still cameraanddigital cameras raw formatand17-22 samsung digital cameraandcamera digital dscp10 sony ukandhow to paint aluminum pool deckandhow to hack a mmoandhow to write a commentaryand
Hi Moon Eagle was the manger of the Johnathon Davis Group , back in 72 he got us on the show, but he must of saved that tape because it was a show with The Rolling Stone’s ,song writer ,he also did there sound for the Stone’s ,on that show also was Joan Bias ,I was the guy that asked her to sign off on the little book Tribute to Joanie , I asked her out to lunch ,but her husband was right be hind me ,so she said that was nice ,but I can’t .that show went to all of the US .
Pingback: Fancy Schmancy People » Blog Archive » Elliot Mintz Beach
Pingback: Fancy Schmancy People » Blog Archive » Elliot Mintz Hair
I to am starving for a tast of the radio that set me free. The live365 kppc fm revisited doesn’t seem to work .
HEY .. Just trying to find anything about Headshop. I went on (in character as a fifties hood and showed some pixelated films) after Squeaky Fromm and some Manson girls. I have an old ampex 1 inch tape somewhere. Gary Austin who founded the Groundlings also was on the tape. Have no idea where to transfer it though…. ( this thread is old… but if anybody has any thoughts.. )
Hey Lance ! I still have the TV guide from when I was on the show 1972 The Jonathon Davis Trio/ Ken Dulin its tattered but still intact .@kendulin
And did talk to Elliot a decade or so ago — when he was managing Don Johnson.