Bob Pantano's "The Saturday Night Dance Party" turns 30

[Jul]

On Saturday evening, February 17, 2007, Bob Pantano, celebrates his 30th Anniversary on FM radio. [EDIT] from 7 PM until 2 AM ET at Benny The Bums at the Holiday Inn in South Philadelphia at 10th and Packer. more info: http://www.bobpantano.com/ and http://www.wogl.com . [EDIT] On behalf of everyone on this board, Congratulations Bob.


[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyprotected. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is in violation of Radio-Info's TOS.]

 

[Jul]

Thoughts on Bob Pantano and his long running show? Can anyone tell me the list of Philly radio stations that has aired this broadcast in the 30 year history and how long they aired it?

 

[csp-1]

too bad , julius , i did not have my tape deck running last night .... bob mentioned all of the places , and most of the stations he aired his show on ... one he did not say , which i will attest to , is that his show was on on wioq 102.1 , when it was an adult oriented album rock station .. it had a very interesting theme .... roughly , the year or two or three that 'ioq simulcasted his show was around 1981 to 1983 ... also , wcau 98.1 fm , when they were "fascinatin' rhthym" , simulcasted his show around 1977 or 1978 ....

 

[Those RRRRs]

Thoughts on Bob Pantano and his long running show?

30 years in Philadelphia is certainly an accomplished feat. Unfortunately, this topic has been posted for a week and the only "thoughts" thus far have been, Cricket Cricket, Cricket Cricket.

Does this mean Bob's show has gone unnoticed by RI members? Does this mean that no one here ever noticed (at one time) a great set of songs not heard elsewhere anymore all played back to back while driving to his/her Saturday night destination?

Does this mean that no one ever picked up on great Philly favorites like "Boo Ga Loo - Tom & Jerrio," "Wait A Minute- Tim Tam & The Turn Ons" "Bahama Mama - Jamo Thomas," Groovy Baby - Billy Abbott & The Jewels," and "Hot Dog - Four Shells"

followed by "You Lost The Sweetest Boy - Mary Wells," "I Got A Feeling - Four Tops" "Shake Sherry" "Just A Little Misunderstanding - both by The Contours"

into "Babalu's Wedding Day - Billy & Essentials" "Here I Am Broken-Hearted - Four Jays" "This Is My Wedding Day - Fantastics" "There Goes My Love - also by the Fantastics" "Dream Girl - Norman Fox & The Rob Roys"

topped off with "I'm So Young" by The Students?

The answer to these questions is no. But that's the difference between what active minds and active listeners will tune into versus what the sheeple (a term I've given to describe the kind of listeners the consultants have created) will tolerate because they don't know any better.

The reason you haven't seen any congratulatory posts on 30 years is because the real listeners with active minds and active tastes have been gone for a long time from that show and have probably forgotten that they used to listen to it. All that's left are the sheeple who only listen because there is nothing else to listen to, or because they haven't noticed that they haven't heard Danny and The Juniors for the last ten years.

There may be one or two people who actually like what they hear on the show now, but they haven't seen this post because they are too busy talking on their cell phone while driving 40 mph in the left lane.

 

[ixnay]

I heard Pantano on 'OGL a few times in the late '90s, before WOGL began to get lame. I thought he wasn't half bad. You mean he's no longer at the Coral Reef in Runnemede??? Did not the Coral Reef meet his demands at contract time??? How long has he been at the Packer Holiday Inn?*

Those RRRRs, I think you forgot "House Party" by the Showstoppers.

"We're at a young cool stage, and we're living in a rock and roll age" - Julius or anybody, what song was that from?

ixnay

*Formerly the Hilton, back in 1978-81 when my mother and (eventual) stepfather had Eagles season tix. They'd occasionally eat after games at that Hilton. She always called it "the Packer Hilton", which is why I did the same, which is why I now call it "the Packer Holiday Inn."

 

[Those RRRRs]

"We're at a young cool stage, and we're living in a rock and roll age"

That's called "Rock & Roll Age - Four Jays"

It's available on "Philly Favorites Volume 1," and I think that's the only CD that the song is on. You won't find it at Tower or any of those places. Memory Lane Records in Horsham has it.

Memory Lane Records - 215-674-8864

 

[crmc]

Hard to believe the same show that had over two thousand people show up enjoying themselves last Saturday ( and really every Saturday night) is the same show you describe.The valet parking literally had to shut down the place was so packed.
Oh, and by the way, ever read a ratings book? Bob Pantano's SNDP is HUGE,....in ratings for WOGL and in person for Benny The Bums. Check your facts before you shoot off your mouth.
And...he's one of nicest people in the business,a gentleman all the way.

 

[Those RRRRs]

Bob Pantano's SNDP is HUGE,....in ratings for WOGL. Check your facts before you shoot off your mouth.

FACT CHECK 1:

I wasn't talking about ratings. Pay attention. Nobody said the show and/or the station lacked ratings. It's in forth place in the city. How is that for a fact check? I can name the source if you'd like, but since you based your response on hysterical and emotional opinion rather than inductive and deductive reasoning, it's a moot point.

FACT CHECK 2:

The show is not huge ON THIS FORUM, or it would have been rated higher and responded to many more times than it has been. As it stands now, this topic has been here about 10 days and has only been read about 400 times. If you had read what I posted and not what you think I wrote, you would have deduced that the lack of congratulatory posts was because of the lack of interest ON THIS FORUM. NOT, because of meaningless 12+ numbers.

Obviously the show has ratings, and it's not surprising that over 2000 people showed up. If I were in the neighborhood, I probably would have shown up too...as many others here probably would have as well.

FACT CHECK 3:

Judging from past posts HERE, there seem to be many more posts about the days of "real oldies" than there are about disco duck discussion and the current state of Woggle.

Before you go shooting off YOUR mouth, check FACT CHECK 4:

If you go back a couple of years and FACT CHECK the pages and pages of WPEN posts during that year they played real oldies, you will see how popular that station was ON THIS FORUM. In this particular case, we witness the OPPOSITE trend than that of WOGL. Very little 12+ numbers on WPEN, but hot discussion topic ON THIS FORUM.

FACT CHECK 5: Here is more evidence to support my claim (Since you are a FACT CHECK CHECKER UPPER.)

Check the Jersey board and scroll through the pages of discussions about WVLT and "real oldies." You won't find disco duck discussion on that page either. ON THIS FORUM, discussions about oldies and oldies radio almost always are about the first generation of rock and roll. Again, that was the point of my post and the reason that The SNDP generates very little interest HERE.

The "active minds and active listeners" piece was my way of paying homage to Radio-Info members. RI members typically discuss topics with more substance than what a 200 song playlist has to offer.

As far as my use of the term "sheeple," I don't think that you will get too many arguments from people ON THIS FORUM that that term very well describes many listeners who can tolerate the same 200 songs everyday.

And the "one or two people who actually like it...cell phone" bit, that was obviously meant to be sarcastic. But for your own benefit, ask those 2000 people at the party how many of them listen to their Captain and Tenille albums everyday versus how many of them are there to get away from their wives and/or to suck down some cold booze and check up on the scenery.

 

[crmc]

So are you saying, then,that to be popular on this forum, you can't be mass appeal?

Isn't the term Broadcasting indicative of mass appeal? How about we determine success by ratings? That's how the real world does it. WPEN as 50's oldies was destined to fail because the 35-64 year olds that support an advertising driven commercial radio station in this day and age were too few to make that station work. Then if it makes it without ratings it needs tremendous ad community support. Without ratings or revenue, it's the one-two punch.

You write well. You are entitled to your opinion. But high ratings, legions of dedicated fans, and 30+ years on the radio in a tough radio town speak enough for themselves.Many Radio folks believe that Bob Pantano's formula for success on his Saturday Night Dance Party radio remote is the most successful in the country. Fans love it, Clubs filled with loyal followers,a great sounding broadcast, a packed dance floor, high ratings, and revenues for the advertiser and the radio station.

 

[Those RRRRs]

So are you saying, then,that to be popular on this forum, you can't be mass appeal?

No. I'm not saying that, but it doesn't hurt. This forum is rarely mass appeal. It's usually a forum devoted to discussion of the business, playlists (which many people don't even know exist), the use of terms such as MOR, CHR, AAA, etc..., rumors of format and/or personnel changes, wattage/power, antenna sites, etc.

That mass appeal audience to which you refer isn't here. Can you imagine if it were? The topics here would include Britney's hair up for auction on Q102, 50 Cent releases new single to be played on Wired and how dare those WASPS (White Anglo Saxon Protestants) not like it?, Anna Nicole Smith's baby may have been fathered by Julius May, etc...

Those "mass appeal" topics rarely, if ever, appear on this forum.

How about we determine success by ratings? That's how the real world does it.

The real world? Have you read some of the topics posted on this forum? I think MTV's "The Real World" is more indicative of the real world than many of the topics I've seen gain pages and pages of response right here. This isn't the real world. In many cases, this is the "Let's beat this dead horse topic into the NEXT millenium world." And that's fine with me. It keeps many fine folks like you and me coming back.

WPEN as 50's oldies was destined to fail because the 35-64 year olds that support an advertising driven commercial radio station in this day and age were too few to make that station work.

Speaking of "Let's beat this dead horse topic into the NEXT millenium world." But you won't get any arguments from me on that one. I liked the station. So did many people here. There's that man vs. nature, Radio-Info versus The Real World example again.

You write well.

Thanks. You aren't so shabby yourself. But I can't hold a candle stick to Mr. Homer Jay.

Fans love it, Clubs filled with loyal followers,a great sounding broadcast, a packed dance floor, high ratings, and revenues for the advertiser and the radio station.

Sounds like fans really do love it. But those fans aren't on this forum. And that was my point. 10 days of this post and you are the first person who has written anything even remotely congratulatory on Pantano's 30 years. For crying out loud. Look at us. Instead of congratulating Pantano on his accomplishment, look at how we carry on here. It's absurd. But again, it keeps us coming back. Maybe we SHOULD look a little more into how the real world does things. Nonetheless, I'm glad you did. A congratulations deserved to be implied, if not said.

Can I get a hoo ha ya like apples for Pantano? Anybody?

 

[imhomerjay]

Anyone who packs 'em in after 30 years and still sounds like he's having fun doing it deserves some serious props.

I remember many moons ago when the Saturday Night Dance Party was always tuned in at the Delaware County ice cream parlor where I worked in my junior year of high school. The rest of the time, the radio was either on Kiss 100 (when the father of the father-son ownership team was on duty) or WMMR/Eagle 106 (when his son was around)....but come Saturday nights, it was always Pantano's show. It definitely livened up the place (and made spending a Saturday night bussing tables...and especially mopping the floors after closing...a tad more enjoyable).

Ah, memories. Suddenly I feel like an ice cream sundae.....

 

[csp-1]

I heard Pantano on 'OGL a few times in the late '90s, before WOGL began to get lame. I thought he wasn't half bad. You mean he's no longer at the Coral Reef in Runnemede??? Did not the Coral Reef meet his demands at contract time??? How long has he been at the Packer Holiday Inn?*

Those RRRRs, I think you forgot "House Party" by the Showstoppers.

"We're at a young cool stage, and we're living in a rock and roll age" - Julius or anybody, what song was that from?

ixnay

*Formerly the Hilton, back in 1978-81 when my mother and (eventual) stepfather had Eagles season tix. They'd occasionally eat after games at that Hilton. She always called it "the Packer Hilton", which is why I did the same, which is why I now call it "the Packer Holiday Inn."

i think the coral reef , "the reef" , burnt out a few years back ....

 

[Jul]

Inquirer Article about Bob Pantano

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/magazine/daily/16849697.htm

 

[csp-1]

julius ... talk about perfect timing for the newspaper to put an article up !!!!! thanks for the link !!!!! freakin' fantastic reading !!!!!!!