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10 Years Ago Today, "The Doo-Wop Shop" Has Ended on CBS-FM

D

disney fanatic

Anybody remembers what has happened 10 years ago today? Don K Reed ended its 27-year run as the host of the "Doo-Wop Shop" as heard on CBS-FM. I used to listened to that show right up until the end of its run. The show has been around since 1975 after Norm N Nite left the station to go to WNBC. As of now, you might hear some doo-wop music on other stations elsewhere including WMTR in Morristown where Allan David Stein hosted "Doo-Wop Drive" every Friday night, and then on WKNY in Kingston where Warren Lawrence playing a lot of doo-wop music on Saturday afternoons and also on WVOS-FM, John Manzi is also playing doo-wop and forgotten gems on the "Bop Shop" every Sunday night from 8 PM until midnight.

I also remember that Rick McCaffery hosted the "Solid Gold Jukebox" every Friday night on WBPM's former "Cool 92.9" until 2007 when it moved to WKIP until it ended in 2009, I didn't listen to his show on WKIP due to signal interference at night. And also WGNY's "Fox Oldies" didn't have a doo-wop show at all, because "Fox Oldies" played a little bit of doo-wop music mixed with some (1955-63) pre-Beatles music and lots of 60's and 70's thrown in. The reasons why WGNY never had a doo-wop show, because, it is automated, but only has two specialty shows including "Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits" with Dick Bartley every Saturday night at 8 PM, but I remember that show when it was on WHUD many years ago, and then the "Rock, Roll & Remember" reruns with the late Dick Clark every Sunday afternoon at 2 PM, but no doo-wop show. That is why "Fox Oldies" is lacking a doo-wop show. I hope Rick McCaffery would come out of his retirement to host the "Solid Gold Jukebox" on some nights.

Doo-wop music would never be the same, but that has happened 10 years ago today. Any thoughts?
 
The cancellation of Don K Reed's Doo Wop Shop was the beginning of the end for CBS-FM. About six months later, the Saturday and Sunday countdown shows were dropped. On June 3, 2005, Infinity JACK-ed CBS-FM.

I left for satellite in 2003 and the return of CBS-FM in 2007 didn't bring me back. CBS-FM is doing well, but it's CBS-FM in name only. :)
 
Doo wop sounds so dated on the radio... It doesn't hold up like a lot of later material. Some of the recording quality is terrible too. Although, with Glee and other shows that have renewed an interest in a-Capella type of music, a more contemporary presentation of a doo wop shop might do okay on a Sunday night.

The old version just sounded... old. CBS-FM had to reinvent itself one way or another to continue and survive, that's just the cold hard fact of it. In some ways, the Jack mistake gave them a chance to start fresh and have people glad it was back instead of bitching about time marching on. A song from 1955 is now 57 years old, older than a lot of the music WNEW-AM was playing in 1975 as a pop standards big band station. A song from 1945 in 1975 was only 30 years old. Be happy that CBS still plays songs from 1965.
 
I think WCBS-FM should air a specialty show on Sunday nights playing the music of 1955-1963. I think Harvey Holiday in Philadelphia has such a show on WOGL. I understand the demographic problem, but older people are still affected by advertisements.

Bruce
 
@WNTIRadio: I suppose the "hi-Jacking" and eventual reemergence (which I'm sure wasn't in the cards back in June of 2005) of CBS-FM gives a new meaning to an old classic hit from William DeVaughn...
 
Doo-wop is the equivalent of a big band format 25 years ago. CBS-FM is not going to play doo-wop. They don't need to, the numbers are there already. Why blow off your core audience for music that appeals to mainly 65 (at the absolute lowest) plus?*

*I base this figure on someone being a teenager in the 1950's during the rise of doo-wop. My father would have been 68 this year, and he loved doo-wop. My mom, only 6 years younger, always hated the music as she was 13 when the Beatles stormed America. Most people I've encountered that are her age want nothing to do with doo-wop. There was a seismic shift in music in 1963, and the music that came before doesn't have the longevity of what came after.

Sure there are exceptions, but for the bulk of it, and what was played on the Doo-wop shop, sounds ancient on the radio. Both due to the music structure and also the lack of quality recordings. Sinatra records from the 50's are just as old, yet still sound oddly contemporary due to the cleanliness and modern fidelity of the recordings. The Beatles output is also remarkably modern in the way it was produced... but a lot of the Byrds or Jefferson Airplane albums, for example, sound like garbage.

A good programmer will not only consider the age of the song and how it relates to the target demo, but also how it fits overall in the "sound" of the radio station. A recording, unless it is something that has become iconic in its low fidelity, like "Louie Louie", may not get played because it sticks out against the newer and/or better recorded material. People are used to "no static at all" since CDs have been around for 30+ years...
 
The future of Doo-wop shows on the radio will be as specialized programing similar to the Sunday morning ethnic programs. If someone is so motivated to buy the time from a station and sell the time themselves, then it will work. Don't look for such programs on a major stations, however. The price would be way too high. Another chance would be on a non commercial station. Maybe some grant money could be raised.
 
Like I said, you can find other shows that currently plays doo-wop music. There's "Doo-Wop Drive" with Alan David Stein every Friday night on WMTR, and then, Warren Lawrence plays doo-wop music every Saturday afternoon from 4 until 6 PM on WKNY in Kingston, NY, and finally to round out the weekend with John Manzi hosting the "Bop Shop" every Sunday night from 8 PM until midnight on WVOS-FM in Liberty, NY. John Manzi plays a lot of doo-wop music played on scratchy vinyl along with other songs that you don't hear this much as well as some early roots of doo-wop from the late 40's and early 50's. Remember this song called "If I Didn't Care" by the Ink Spots? It was classic from the 40's and it was the beginning of doo-wop.
 
Also Magic 590 in Albany ny has Cool Bobby B's Doo Wop Stop every Sunday nite from 7pm-10pm. Also Siriusxm 50's on 5 carrys his show sun nites from 9pm-12am.
 
I knew that day, I was not on much!!! doowop, still I like some. I go to shows when I can, but I am finding out more and more, they do not have the originals, of if they do only 1 maybe 2 :-( The groups today, are trying to keep DOOWOP ALIVE, but its slowly going away. The 60's too, We are all getting older, I find myself knowing the new music today also. I like to hear a DOOWOP once in awhile on CBSFM, my hubby wants it like it used to be, Yes I miss our DJ's but the ones today are good too. SiriusXM 5 you will hear many doowop and old stuff, I have that downloaded on my ipod and sometimes get in that mood. I still support like Vito of The Elegants as much as I can. John Kuse of the Excellents, only John is the original but the guys are wonderful. Many others I have met from listening to DON K REED DOO WOP :) WCBSFM is another station now, listen or turn the page. My hubby likes WMTR and 1410am WHTG
 
WNEW WAS NOT a Pop Standards station in 1975. WNEW 1130 in 1975 was an Full Service Adult Contemporary radio station. In fact WNEW was a MOR station inthe 60's playing a mix of standards and soft rock with maybe an occasional big band.

Now as an AC station WNEW played a couple standards per hour and an occasional big band (maybe several a day) but most of WNEW 's music in 1975 was typical contemporary fare heard on mainstream pop stations. They played tons of currents on the station as well. In 1976 WNEW began to evolve to Big Bands and Standards with the Milkman's Matine on overnights, then the Make Believe Ballroom in 1979. It was in the course of 1980 that WNEW began Million dollar weekends playing mostly standards with a few AC cuts mixed in. Their AC format in 1980 was limited to morning and afternoon drive times. Then after New Years in 1981, WNEW became a pure standards station with NO AC music with an occasional exception throughout the 80's.
 
Marckd said:
Then after New Years in 1981, WNEW became a pure standards station with NO AC music with an occasional exception throughout the 80's.
Click to expand...

Not strictly correct. When I joined the staff in 1987, WNEW was fragmented into blocks: standards in morning drive (occasionally veering into AC), Mark Simone and Steve Allen, the Sports Connection in the afternoon, and contemporary jazz at night -- as well as Major League Baseball, Seton Hall and Nets basketball, and Giants football. Some of these elements were abandoned later that year, but at least during my tenure there, WNEW was not at any time a "pure standards station."
 
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