"American Top 40" replay question

[KML0224]

I know that XM Channel 8 for the 80s on 8 has a Sunday replay of American Top 40 each Sunday at noon eastern. The December 7 replay gave me a thought. They replayed the episode from the week ending December 13, 1980. Now we all know what happened in the music world that week, unfortunately. I will assume that John Lennon is why that week's show was played. I couldn't catch the whole episode, so I have to ask...was Lennon referenced in any way or was the episode recorded just before the tragedy? (The show would've aired a few days afterwards in most markets.)

 

[Mainedude2007]

If I'm remembering the right week, the only reference I heard was a listener question about artists hitting #1 after their death.

 

[Kent]

No, Lennon's death is not mentioned in that week's AT-40. The story I heard about the AT-40 for December 13, 1980 was that it was actually recorded before he was shot. What I was told was that, in 1980, AT-40 was actually taped roughly 10 days before airtime on Thursdays to make sure stations got the program in time to air. It was shipped to individual stations on Monday mornings. Lennon was shot on a Monday evening while that very AT-40 was on its way to the various radio stations that carried it.

That story, by the way, was told right after AT-40 began airing on XM-8. The 12/13/80 episode was played on the introductory weekend, when both XM-7 and XM-8 played a marathon of AT-40's from their respective decades.

 

[shadough]

To continue w/ this story: AT40 recorded a tribute to Lennon which is fully explained in Rob Durkee's book. The replacement LP was rushed to the stations at the last minute so they could insert IT at #4 in the countdown, instead of the orginal version which made no mention of his death. As I understand it, its a very touching read by Casey.

You can download it here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/cpoqiw