Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Cool ... And NOT So Cool ... Radio Snippets

re:  CUSTOM INTROS:
>>>At the same time as "Sooner Or Later," another ABC Dunhill act had a custom version on WLS. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds' "Don't Pull Your Love" sang (very quickly) "WLS Chicago" before the opening line.  (Ron Smith)
>>>OK, we've got to get copies of these!!!  Clark Besch, are you listening?!?!?  (kk)
Kent -
I have a WLS demo from PAMS for these things that PAMS called "Pop Tops" but it included only WLS intros for "I Am I Said" and "If" as I remember.  Not sure where the tape is.  It was just a demo sent to other stations.
Clark Besch
Well, if you can FIND it, we'll run it!!!  Would love to hear these.  Thanks, Clark!  (kk)
 
>>>The custom intros were produced by the Joey Reynolds organization. In Nashville, we have custom intros for "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Peace Train", "One Fine Morning", "Do You Know What Time It Is?", and of course "Sooner or Later."  (David Lewis)
I was reading the stuff contributed about the “Sooner Or Later” custom intro on your blog recently.
Wanted to tell you that my very good friend and associate Joey Reynolds indeed recorded many intros like that one for many stations in the early to mid-70s.  He actually called the company MINGLES for a while. I don’t know all of the history (perhaps I’ll ask him next time we speak) but both WFIL and WIBG the two top-40 giants in Philly used them (or an imitator) on that song. The idea of the MINGLES is to forever remember that intro when you hear the song. Joey became station manager at a little day-timer AM station in Lakewood, NJ called WHLW. He renamed the station after the frequency 1170, simply calling it 11-7 Radio … or 11-7 Jersey Shore. He had some very VERY good “mingles” produced for the station to many of the records that were out then (circa ’73-4). I still sing them out loud today when I hear the records. One memorable one was for “Season’s In The Sun” by Terry Jacks. He had a singer do “11-7 Jersey Shore” just before Terry sang “good bye to you … ” It sounded JUST like Terry did it. Same thing for “Hollywood Swinging” by Kool & The Gang … where the group sang HEY HEY HEY, he inserted a shouted 11-7 … then they continued singing “what ya got to say … ” I STILL hear it. There were dozens.. Some were not that good, but overall, they were great. The purpose was to make you THINK of a particular station when you heard the song even WITHOUT the mingle on other stations. Brilliant. I’m surprised it isn’t still done today. Maybe it is done somewhere, but I’m telling you, it was sheer brilliance. If I can remember the name of a station from 37 years ago EVERY time I hear a song, that’s genius. I still sing W—I---B---G Sooner Or Later, just before Rob Grill sings the line. I am NOT sure if WLS’s version was done by Joey. I can tell you that if my memory serves correctly, that WIBG’s version was done by MALE singers … making it sound better than the FEMALE-based WLS version you posted on your newsletter.  
Great topic actually for me!
I’m still doing part-time work at WCBS-FM in NYC. I’m working more lately for some reason. I guess they like me, and that’s good.
Keep up the great work.
BE BIG!
Jay Sorensen Record Pig
Hey Jay, good to hear from you!  Hope all is well on your end of the world.  (Heard you finished up the Top 1001 Labor Day Weekend Countdown last week and gave you a plug!)  If you're still in touch with Joey Reynolds, have him drop us a line ... I'd love to get the inside scoop on these jingle packages ... where they aired ... how they were recorded ... if any of the record companies or artists objected, etc, etc, etc ... plus it'd be REALLY cool to feature a few more of these on the site.  (Better yet, forward him a copy of this email with BOTH of us praising this ingenious marketing technique!!!)  I think he'd enjoy Forgotten Hits anyway ... and think of the stories he could share!!!  (kk)
 
re:  9-11:
Hi Kent,
I guess I must have missed this 10 years ago, but you probably didn't.  Seems rather ridiculous to me, but then I have my own gripe against Clear Channel. <grin>
Bill
http://www.americanrockscene.com:80/2011/09/11/lest-we-forget-the-list-clear-channels-infamous-911-banned-song-list/
I do vaguely remember this ... but had honestly forgotten all about it (probably just due to the pure ridiculousness of it all!)  Thanks for refreshing our memories!  (kk)

re:  AND, SPEAKING OF COOL RADIO:
And have you checked out the WCFL / Ken Draper interview yet?  Here's the link again from yesterday's Robert Feder column!

re:  TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT:
Kent,
Excellent choice today for the FH by Haley Mills. My first impression when I saw it was "BY (johnny) JINGO, I haven't heard that record in years"!  That is one of those records which seemed to be CASTAWAYed and definitely forgotten through the years.
Larry
Hey, we're just doing OUR part to try and keep oldies radio interesting!!!  (Any of the jocks on the list dare to play this one this week???)  kk