during this era. Mark Deming writes of this transition: [I]n late 1968, Thom Beck left the group, and Lew Irwin followed in early 1969 ... . Joining the Credibility Gap in their absence were Harry Shearer ... and David L. Lander... . By 1970, Len Chandler and John Gilliland had drifted away from the Credibility Gap, and ... Michael McKean, had joined the team, though the troupe's relationship with KRLA had soured and their show had been shrunk from 15 minutes to a mere 180 seconds. However, after Shearer landed a side gig as a disc jockey on an FM "free form" outlet, KPPC, the Credibility Gap found a new home on the station, and the group's satire gained both sharpness and depth. KPPC-FM fired all of its airstaff, including the members of The Credibility Gap, as part of a mass format change in 1971. No longer radio regulars, the group started performing in various clubs and concert venues. They also returned to the studio in 1972 to record a promo-only single for Warner Brothers, a four-and-a-half minute mini mock-rock opera called "Something For Mary". The Credibility Gap followed up this recording with the 1974 album A Great Gift Idea, which mixed satirical sketches with musical parodies. McKean and Shearer played guitar and keyboards, respectively, on the album, augmented by members of the band Little Feat. Beebe left the Gap in 1975. The Credibility Gap continued as an entity through 1979, but after 1976 individual members tended to focus on other projects and the group itself made only sporadic, widely spaced appearances. Beebe remained in radio news; McKean and Lander landed roles on the television series Laverne & Shirley that lasted from 1976 through 1983; and Shearer worked as a consultant for the TV series Fernwood 2-Night, as well as co-writing comedy albums and the 1979 feature film Real Life with Albert Brooks. The Credibility Gap issued a single ("The Day The Lights Stayed On In Pittsburgh") in 1977, and (without Beebe) continued their New Year's Day Rose Parade broadcasts annually through January 1, 1979; highlights of these broadcasts were collected on the 1979 album Floats. As well, selections from their earlier radio material were compiled on 1977's The Bronze Age of Radio. Shearer became a writer/performer on Saturday Night Live in September, 1979. This necessitated Shearer's move to New York and essentially brought The Credibility Gap's activities to a