re: ON THE RADIO:
Kent,
First let me say I enjoyed your participation today on the "1 hit
wonders show at 1" on station
WRNJ. I heard what you had to say about the song FRIDAY ON MY MIND.
It seems to me that I do hear on
the TOC every Friday BANG ON THE DRUMS at various
times during the day. I don't remember hearing it this past Friday,
however.
Most of the songs by Jon and Robin were hits here in the OKC area
as opposed to what they did on a
national level. The song by Emitt Rhodes was one I haven't heard in a year of
Sundays (time wise that's more
than a month of Sundays). Mitch Ryder's WHAT NOW MY LOVE was mentioned.
I haven't heard that one on the
radio again in years as well as his song JOY which also did well here in OKC.
In the column talking about Don
Kirshner and his playing of Fats Domino's I'M GONNA BE A WHEEL SOMEDAY during sessions with his writers,
about a year and a half earlier as I remember Bobby Mitchell's version (again on
Imperial) was also a hit here in
the OKC area.
Finally in your Sound advice column, you mentioned it was heart stopping going into a business and hearing a song over the intercom that you weren't expecting to hear. This happened to me twice last year. I went into a Buy For Less store here in the city. It is a grocery store and to be honest with you , I don't know if they are any in your part of the country or not. When I went in one of the songs which came out over the building was
RED HOT, the original I believe by singer Billy 'the kid' Emerson out of 1955 on Sun records. I couldn't believe what I was hearing or the reason it was being played. Sam the Sham and his Pharoahs recorded it ten years later in 1965.
Again, I enjoyed your comments on the WRNJ show today.
Larry
Finally in your Sound advice column, you mentioned it was heart stopping going into a business and hearing a song over the intercom that you weren't expecting to hear. This happened to me twice last year. I went into a Buy For Less store here in the city. It is a grocery store and to be honest with you , I don't know if they are any in your part of the country or not. When I went in one of the songs which came out over the building was
RED HOT, the original I believe by singer Billy 'the kid' Emerson out of 1955 on Sun records. I couldn't believe what I was hearing or the reason it was being played. Sam the Sham and his Pharoahs recorded it ten years later in 1965.
Again, I enjoyed your comments on the WRNJ show today.
Larry
Thanks, Larry
... it's fun to do these shows once in a while ... and I've really got to hand
it to Rich Appel, who gave me the whole hour to play some of my all-time
favorite One Hit Wonders. Sounds like the show went over pretty well ... so
maybe he'll even ask me back again some day! (kk)
Check the Oldies Your Way schedule
on our website and learn about all the fine Dee jays and programs that we offer.
Our fearless leader Tony has created a really nice place to visit. Please do so
often ...
Hi Everybody!!!!!
It's time for "The Pop Shoppe".
It is on every Friday night from
7 PM till 3:01 AM (eastern).
My warm up program is from 6:30 to
7:00. Tune in!!!!!!
The Official Start of my
show.
7:00 / 8:30: Music from the 50's
and 60's with a touch of other years (both earlier and later).
8:30 / 9:00: It's ED RAMBEAU TIME
again! He is now doing program #42 and my listeners never get tired of
him. This Friday's program will feature Love Songs. You'll be swooning before
he finishes. I am proud that this talented entertainer is part of my show every
2 weeks.
9:00 / 12:00: Here I offer you 3
more hours of memories mainly from the 50's and 60's but again you might hear
earlier or later years included.
12:00 / 1:30: It's Midnight
Country! 90 minutes of the country music that todays country stations don't
even remember. I've got many memories for you.
1:30 / 3:01 AM: We end the night
with another 90 minutes or so of anything and everything.
My email address is: djstu43@verizon.net
Looking forward to seeing you
Friday night.
Tune in for The Greatest Songs That
Ever Lived.
Remember you must be here because I
don't want to be alone.
I am
Sincerely yours,
Stuart
Weiss
DJ STU
Use the link below to tune into our
station:
(click here): OldiesYour Way
When you go to this site you will be directed to select the player of your
choice.
This Sunday will be 4 years since
the passing of Ronnie I.
Tomorrow night at 10 PM I will be
doing a tribute to Ronnie.
He should never be
forgotton.
Sunday night on my Doo Wop Party
will be an additional tribute to Ronnie I.
Be there and don't miss these
specials.
Besides "The Pop Shoppe" I'd like
to remind you that I am also here Sunday evenings from 11 PM till 2:01 AM
with my Sunday Night Doo Wop Party. Just before my Sunday night show Frank
Iovino and DJ Sheila are here at 9 PM with their Vocal Harmony Program. It is a
great show for Doo Wop fans and leads right into my show.
Hey KK;
Greetings from Radio Free
Nashville, where The FLip Side Radio Show plays 45s every Tuesday night and
Sunday night! I'm having a blast playing 2-sided hits from your Sound Advice
suggestions. This week I'm playing Neil Diamond's "Stones", with the B-side
"Crunchy Granola Suite." How many times do you hear that on the radio these
days? I call this segment "The ForgottenHits.com Spotlight Record," and I play
it during the first 30 minutes of the show every time. (I even use some intro
music from the Beatles' "HELP!" album to introduce the segment).
Thanks for plugging my show on your
website!
Mr.
C.
COOL! Great to see it dedicated to
the Real Don Steele too! Did
you know that the Coachmen's "Tyme Won't Change" charted on KISN?
You can click on right and expand
the actual chart copy.
While I'm at it, a new KOMA chart
from 1961 has been added just yesterday!
http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=25350&lidx=0<tl=24&lcnt=20&srt1=tsc_psv
DESC&vqry=koma
Clark Besch
Hi Kent,
I'm a faithful reader of Forgotten Hits but have never written before. I thought you might be interested in knowing the locally legendary KISN Radio in Portland, Oregon, has just been resurrected on line at www.goodguyradio.com. It uses the original KISN jingles plus other cool imaging, and a deep playlist of 50s, 60s, and 70s. One of the KISN jocks from the 70s is behind the effort, and a handful of the other original KISN Good Guys are contributing voice tracks. It's well worth a listen!
Thanks for all you do! It's great reading!
Scott
I'm a faithful reader of Forgotten Hits but have never written before. I thought you might be interested in knowing the locally legendary KISN Radio in Portland, Oregon, has just been resurrected on line at www.goodguyradio.com. It uses the original KISN jingles plus other cool imaging, and a deep playlist of 50s, 60s, and 70s. One of the KISN jocks from the 70s is behind the effort, and a handful of the other original KISN Good Guys are contributing voice tracks. It's well worth a listen!
Thanks for all you do! It's great reading!
Scott
Ironically, I
was just there last night! Clark Besch's email above included a link so I went
and checked it out ... very cool stuff ... and I hope they put more of their
weekly surveys up on the site! Happy to help spread the word!
(kk)
Something I find truly remarkable
is the fact that despite the fact that WCBS-FM is #1 in the #1 radio radio
market on the planet (with a potential audience of more than 15 1/2 million), no
other radio station in that market is playing oldies. There are loads of other
stations duplicating and triplicating each other with similar formats,
but WCBS-FM is all alone in the category of music they've chosen to earn their
success. If THEY are that successful, why isn't there ANOTHER station in the
New York market willing to tackle oldies in a big way and compete with
them? After all, the core oldies demo happens to not only be the largest and
fastest-growing but the one which not only possesses the lion's share of
disposable income but SPENDS IT. It would not be all that difficult for a
competing station to develop an alternative way of showcasing oldies --
including many timeless classics WCBS-FM no longer plays. I did it as a radio
programmer in L.A. -- pitting KRLA against KRTH and boosting KRLA's ratings one
third in the first book alone while expanding it's demographic reach. Is there
any station in the New York market willing to cash in on the tri-state area's
most popular kind of music programming?
Gary Theroux
We've got three radio stations here in Chicago
devoted to oldies right now and it makes for some interesting variety. In
addition, there are at least another half dozen spots on the dial where you're
likely to hear a "vintage" tune now and again. It seems like CBS took the "safe
road" here in Chicago when they launched K-Hits ... you won't hear ANY surprises
on this station!!! Hits of the '60's, '70's and '80's (with heavy emphasis on
the '80's) seems to be the mode of operation here. (kk)
Meanwhile K-Hits shook up their line-up recently
... Afternoon Host Bo Reynolds is gone ... Gary Spears has taken over his spot
... and Chicago Radio Veteran Tommy Edwards is back full-time in his old
mid-days spot! Here's the way Chicagoland
Media Columnist Rob Feder tells the story:
In the 40 years since he first came
to Chicago, the legendary Tommy Edwards has excelled in a wide range of radio roles
on and off the air. But none fit his talent or temperament more perfectly than
his long run as midday personality on WLS-AM (890).
That’s why hearing him Monday work the 10 am - to -2 pm shift on CBS Radio’s classic hits WJMK-FM (104.3) made all the sense in the world.
“This is my time of the day,” Edwards told me. “I’ve done all kinds of different shows — mornings and afternoons and all that — but midday shows are the ones that I’ve had the most success with and the ones I liked most. I feel very good about it.”
After 11 months of weekend and fill-in work at K-Hits, the Chicago radio veteran was called up to midday duty this week following Bo Reynolds’ ouster as afternoon host and Gary Spears’ shift from middays to afternoons. If program director Todd Cavanah likes what he hears, the arrangement could become permanent.
“Tommy brings a lot of knowledge and credibility to our format, and I am excited to see how he sounds on a daily basis instead of just weekends,” Cavanah said.
It’s hard to imagine a better fit in middays for a station that bills itself as The Greatest Hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. “The music’s my music,” Edwards said of the K-Hits format. “It’s what I played at ’LS. I certainly know it. One of the things that Todd mentioned to me is that he appreciates when I offer my insight or give details about some of the songs or the artists I play. That’s the kind of stuff I love to do.”
That’s why hearing him Monday work the 10 am - to -2 pm shift on CBS Radio’s classic hits WJMK-FM (104.3) made all the sense in the world.
“This is my time of the day,” Edwards told me. “I’ve done all kinds of different shows — mornings and afternoons and all that — but midday shows are the ones that I’ve had the most success with and the ones I liked most. I feel very good about it.”
After 11 months of weekend and fill-in work at K-Hits, the Chicago radio veteran was called up to midday duty this week following Bo Reynolds’ ouster as afternoon host and Gary Spears’ shift from middays to afternoons. If program director Todd Cavanah likes what he hears, the arrangement could become permanent.
“Tommy brings a lot of knowledge and credibility to our format, and I am excited to see how he sounds on a daily basis instead of just weekends,” Cavanah said.
It’s hard to imagine a better fit in middays for a station that bills itself as The Greatest Hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. “The music’s my music,” Edwards said of the K-Hits format. “It’s what I played at ’LS. I certainly know it. One of the things that Todd mentioned to me is that he appreciates when I offer my insight or give details about some of the songs or the artists I play. That’s the kind of stuff I love to do.”
And kudos to Scott Shannon ... who's now part of
the Nominating Committee for The Hit Parade Hall Of
Fame!!!
Welcome Scott Shannon!
Legendary radio programmer Scott Shannon has accepted an invitation to join the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In making the announcement, project creator John Rook said, "Scott's appreciation of recording artists lives through his "True Oldies," a nationally syndicated stage where the music of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame is heard round the clock. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our group."
Legendary radio programmer Scott Shannon has accepted an invitation to join the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. In making the announcement, project creator John Rook said, "Scott's appreciation of recording artists lives through his "True Oldies," a nationally syndicated stage where the music of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame is heard round the clock. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our group."
Scott Shannon is a celebrated radio personality
and programmer. Named the “Most Influential Programmer of the Past 20 Years” in
a survey of his peers by Radio &
Records, he’s also been honored five times as “Programmer of the Year” by Billboard Magazine. Scott has been
inducted into the National Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in Washington D.C., the
National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago and is also in the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame in Cleveland. Since 1991, Scott has been Program Director and morning
co-host at WPLJ-FM in New York City.
He is also heard across the U.S. on the syndicated Scott Shannon’s True Oldies Channel, for
which he won a Marconi Award as “Syndicated Personality of the Year” in 2010.
Prior to his time at ‘PLJ, Scott developed the “Morning Zoo” format in Tampa,
built New York’s Z-100 into a Top 40 powerhouse and launched Pirate Radio in Los
Angeles. He is also an acknowledged authority on music from early rock ‘n roll
to today’s hits.
Rook also tells us this Dick Biondi
story from long ago ...
Kent,
"Why did I let Dick Biondi go when
I consulted WCFL" you ask. I've been asked that many times and only recently
realized I had offered some insight into my Biondi experience a few years ago upon witting the KFI
chapter of "Passing Thru"
where it tells of the lesson I
learned from Biondi and how I had hoped it wouldn't repeat itself at KFI with
LA's legendary "Sweet Dick Whittington".
I'd been a giant fan of Dick Biondi
ever since I first heard him on WLS in the early 60's.
In hiring Larry Lujack from WLS, I
envisioned Dick Biondi once again becoming the nation's night time pied piper he once was on WLS.
Following Super Jock Lujack in afternoon drive, Biondi would have started off
with a huge audience and built even more
on it was my plan for SuperCFL.
Instead, I was fortunate having Big Ron O'Brien at KTLK in Denver ready for the
big time of Chicago, where he soared in the ratings before doing the
same thing in Los Angeles and
Philadelphia. But I never got over not meeting Dick Biondi and at least letting
him know what I fan I am.
John Rook
From "Passing
Thru":
I had never met Sweet Dick
Whittington but had been a fan of his since I first heard him years earlier on a
small valley radio station, KGIL. It didn’t surprise me when he moved up to KFI.
Within my first day or two, virtually all of the station’s talent, Hilly Rose,
Ron McCoy, Larry Van Nuys, Morgan Williams, Bruce Wayne, Lohman and Barkley,
came by my office to introduce themselves.
Everyone that is -
except Sweet Dick.
He ignored my requests
for a simple introduction, a sad reminiscent of an earlier experience with
Dick Biondi, who bolted from WCFL without even meeting me upon
learning I had hired Larry LuJack from rival WLS. Remembering that
experience, I took the time to write a note to Whittington letting him know how
much I looked forward to meeting and working with him. But there was still no
response from my afternoon star. By the end of a week, I left a final note explaining I would
appreciate it if he could drop by for a quick hello before his show. I waited
for a response or perhaps a phone call suggesting a more convenient time. I
nervously glanced at the clock and noticed it was ticking down to just a few
minutes before Sweet Dick’s airtime. Biggie stuck his head in my door asking,
“no sweet dick yet?” “Unfortunately not”, I said, rising from behind my desk. I
decided the time had come to meet my evasive charge at the studio door. Luckily
Bob Shannon was standing by to fill in for a few minutes as I positioned
myself at the studio door to greet Dick.
At the last second,
bounding up the steps to the studio came Sweet Dick as he looked up to see me
offering my hand to shake in introduction. “I don’t have time now,” he said
reaching for the studio door.
“Sure you do Dick,” I
said explaining Shannon would be covering his opening minutes on the air. Like a
volcano he stormed out of the station vowing never to return as long as I was
program director.
Almost a dozen years
passed before Sweet Dick and I actually met again at KABC where we buried
the hatchet from earlier days in the ashes of the past.
-- John
Rook
Yikes!!! The massive egos of the
glory hey-days of Top 40 Radio!!! (Today most of these guys would KILL for the
chance to be back on the air!!!) Just showed you what you could get away with
during the days when radio truly WAS king!!! Thanks, John! (kk)
