"Dr. Don Rose" KFRC
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Have You Ever Listened to a Station for the Jock?
- Thread starter AM-FM-DXer
- Start date
Rick Dees when he was in Memphis at WMPS and later WHBQ in the 70's before he went to LA.
Hell YES! When in Puerto Rico in the later 70's I paid to get airchecks of him and I'd listen in the morning as I did my workout.
What he did was not teachable. There was no way I could get someone who "didn't already have it" to imitate that style. Dr. Don could take a stupid one-liner and make it funny as heck with the combination of his voice, style and pacing. "Unique" is an over-used term, but I think he was indeed unique.
And don't forget all the drop-ins and sound effects his engineer would add in to enhance the performance.
Do you remember his show after John Lennon died? I heard it was one of the only times he was really serious on air.
Never got a tape of that. I was in NYC that evening, just 6 or 7 blocks away when it happened. It was one of those things you just do not believe to be possible.
There’s an aircheck of it I’ve seen listed on some sites in the past, but I’ve never heard it. Wow, how did you find out? Were you part of the vigils/fan gatherings or anything that night or the next morning?
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
You mean, when Don wasn't laughing at his own jokes.
He was the only on-air talent I ever heard who could get away with that and not sound self-serving.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
For the longest time, I followed Charlie Tuna from station to station here in L.A. Eventually, he and I became acquainted professionally, which was one of the highlights of my own career.
Murphy in the Morning at 61 Big WAYS in Charlotte. With help from Larry Sprinkle had segments such as PTL club (Pass the Loot) , "Not to be confused with Jim and Tammy Faye's PTL club in Charlotte". Mr Kodgers neighborhood, a spoof of Mr. Rogers neighborhood that encouraged children to do crazy things to mess with their parents, I remember Mr. Rogers speaking about the show and how much he didn't appreciate it. I still have an LP of Murphy's bits. The show was simulcast on sister FM WROQ FM, which was AOR at the time, but during morning drive played the Top 40 Big Ways music.
Yep, Dan Ingram on 770 WABC, NYC (2-6PM), Dan was to me the ultimate DJ.
When I grew up in Northen NJ in the 60's, left NJ in 1970 so after that point I just got occasional airchecks from friends in the NYC area, sent to me.
Dan would intro songs in funny ways (talk over the beginning instrumental part, right up to the vocal - perfect).
It would "tick off " my friends who felt he was messing up the song - I thought it was great! They preferred 570 WMCA!
Dan mentioned everytime there was a lightning storm going over Lodi, NJ, where WABC's transmitter site was . . . saying it's a myth that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice . . . because WABC xmtr would trip off each time their tower got hit . . . just for a sec.
Think because the SWR went up for that moment.
WABC jocks would tell you if they were only at 10,000 watts, when they had a problem and could not make 50,000 watts. This often - happened Monday mornings on The Herb Oscar Anderson Show (6AM-10AM), they would have a problem from overnight / early morning Monday xmtr maintenance . . . so sign on was just 10kw until they got things back to normal.
If something happened in the studio, you'd know about it with most of the WABC DJ's, especially Dan Ingram. Got a broken cart machine, Dan would talk about it! Song doesn't sound right - he'd talk to his board op on the air about it.
So yes, I listen to WABC for just the jock, when Dan Ingram was on.
Just to point out too - 770 WABC NYC was the perfect "radio nerd" place . . . plus they played good RnR & RnR oldies and the big thing they had going for themselves was that 50,000 watts signal.
They were loud with great audio on AM.
When I grew up in Northen NJ in the 60's, left NJ in 1970 so after that point I just got occasional airchecks from friends in the NYC area, sent to me.
Dan would intro songs in funny ways (talk over the beginning instrumental part, right up to the vocal - perfect).
It would "tick off " my friends who felt he was messing up the song - I thought it was great! They preferred 570 WMCA!
Dan mentioned everytime there was a lightning storm going over Lodi, NJ, where WABC's transmitter site was . . . saying it's a myth that lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice . . . because WABC xmtr would trip off each time their tower got hit . . . just for a sec.
Think because the SWR went up for that moment.
WABC jocks would tell you if they were only at 10,000 watts, when they had a problem and could not make 50,000 watts. This often - happened Monday mornings on The Herb Oscar Anderson Show (6AM-10AM), they would have a problem from overnight / early morning Monday xmtr maintenance . . . so sign on was just 10kw until they got things back to normal.
If something happened in the studio, you'd know about it with most of the WABC DJ's, especially Dan Ingram. Got a broken cart machine, Dan would talk about it! Song doesn't sound right - he'd talk to his board op on the air about it.
So yes, I listen to WABC for just the jock, when Dan Ingram was on.
Just to point out too - 770 WABC NYC was the perfect "radio nerd" place . . . plus they played good RnR & RnR oldies and the big thing they had going for themselves was that 50,000 watts signal.
They were loud with great audio on AM.
When I was in NJ in the early 70s, I used to listen to the late Jackson Armstrong on 1520 WKBW out of Buffalo after sunset. Now there was a guy who could talk fast!
I remember Dan in the 70s playing the Beatles "Hey Jude" as an oldie, and there was a slight scratch on the record that made it onto the recorded cart. Dan: "A mulitmillion dollar company like ABC, and they can't afford a new copy of Hey Jude!"
Another one for me: John Records Landecker on WLS in the 70's.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
John "Records truly is my middle name" Landecker was indeed great on WLS. He even duplicated his schtick for a JAM jingle demo at one point.
Many years ago (2007!), during a "WLS Rewind" where they dropped the talk format for a weekend and recreated the top-40 format, I sent JRL an e-mail which he saw fit to read on the air ... and he tells me he still remembers that. (It's on this page at my website.)
He inscribed my copy of his autobiography "M" truly is your middle initial! Priceless.
Al Casey on WMPS in Memphis, it was like he was one of my regular friends..... tuned in whenever he was on. Got to meet him once I got in radio, very cool person, just like on the air. Same for Art Roberts, Kris Stevens, Chuck Buell , Ron Riley, and Chuck Knapp on WLS/Chicago.
We had a DJ on WONA/Winona, who used to get drunk on the air, so I tried not to miss that one!!!
We had a DJ on WONA/Winona, who used to get drunk on the air, so I tried not to miss that one!!!
I'm thinking I'd like to listen to some of this. I never cared for the music and didn't think I would like the DJs, but then Chuck Boozer came along and he was quite entertaining. WEZC was more my style.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I think I need to find a way to defy the laws of physics, build a time machine, and send you back to an era where radio better suited your personal tastes, Chimp.
To be clear, Chuck Boozer was on WEZC. You would think soft AC wouldn't have entertaining DJs.
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