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Brew... Maybe I'm alone here...

K

kevinkelly

But the Brew plays:

"Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
"Winning" by Santana
"Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
"Closer to the Heart" by Rush
"Magic Power" by Triumph
"Just Between You and Me" by April Wine

Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just my opinion.
 
> But the Brew plays:
>
> "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> "Winning" by Santana
> "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> "Magic Power" by Triumph
> "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
>
> Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are
> songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just my
> opinion.
>
No, you're not alone. While I'm personally less than enthusiastic about a couple of the tunes you mentioned, I think your observations are on the mark, including the comment about Ted at 99.7. But I sure wouldn't hold my breath for THAT logical move, an opinion cemented by the arrival of the Blitz's new morning show.<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>
 
> > But the Brew plays:
> >
> > "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> > "Winning" by Santana
> > "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> > "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> > "Magic Power" by Triumph
> > "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
> >
> > Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are
>
> > songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just
> my
> > opinion.
> >
> No, you're not alone. While I'm personally less than
> enthusiastic about a couple of the tunes you mentioned, I
> think your observations are on the mark, including the
> comment about Ted at 99.7. But I sure wouldn't hold my
> breath for THAT logical move, an opinion cemented by the
> arrival of the Blitz's new morning show.
>
Mr. Ru is probably correct. They won't put Ted on 99.7 the Blitz has a defined niche in the market, the new morning show is an indicator.
Also, Ted plays almost all those songs, they play everything. You'd have to listen 24 hours a day for days on end to hear them all. IMO all those songs suck (except Closer to the heart by Rush).
Don't people complain about Ted's sometimes soft AC lean?
 
> Don't people complain about Ted's sometimes soft AC lean?

Fortunately they seem to have ditched the really sappy stuff. I think Ted-FM's currently executing the hybrid Classic Hits/Hot AC format really well (when you can hear it). Some would question the inclusion of occasional late 60's including Beatles and CCR, etc. They may be right, but I personally think it adds a nice dimension to the mix and fits in well with the Classic Hits side of the equation.<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>
 
> > Don't people complain about Ted's sometimes soft AC lean?
>
> Fortunately they seem to have ditched the really sappy
> stuff. I think Ted-FM's currently executing the hybrid
> Classic Hits/Hot AC format really well (when you can hear
> it). Some would question the inclusion of occasional late
> 60's including Beatles and CCR, etc. They may be right, but
> I personally think it adds a nice dimension to the mix and
> fits in well with the Classic Hits side of the equation.
>

I was listening to Ted on my way home and they played "Back in the USSR" by the Beatles following "Shine" by Collective Soul... Sounded great to me!

Why does every radio station have to be super-niched? For all the novelty of hearing a bunch of early 80's WLS-era songs on the Brew, they are still hyper-niched... But Ted does resemble a Top 40 AM of years gone by... playing some currents and recurrents, but still going back and dusting off lots of oldies... Not every station in the market has to be programmed to one person.
 
> But the Brew plays:
>
> "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> "Winning" by Santana
> "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> "Magic Power" by Triumph
> "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
>
> Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are
> songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just my
> opinion.
>

Oh my God you're right! Growing up on WLS you are right they are playing stuff like WLS played back in the day. I sure do miss the old WLS!
 
You're more than likely speaking about the early 80s when WLS was more of a "rock 40" with very little rhythmic. <P ID="signature">______________
Greetings from Ohio-where the governor wants everyone to know he's sorry.</P>
 
> You're more than likely speaking about the early 80s when
> WLS was more of a "rock 40" with very little rhythmic.
>
Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
 
> Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?

Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don Wade, and the gang! Great times and great radio!
 
> But the Brew plays:
>
> "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> "Winning" by Santana
> "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> "Magic Power" by Triumph
> "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
>
> Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are
> songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just my
> opinion.
>
Sounds more like early 80s 96KX Pittsburgh to me...and if Crenshaw did work on this playlist, I'm betting that's what was playing in his Pittsburgh-raised head as he developed it.
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
>
> Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don Wade,
> and the gang! Great times and great radio!
>
Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the mornings, (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night... Anybody who grew up listening to that station learned the lessons of what a radio station should sound like.
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> >
> > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don Wade,
> > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> >
> Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the mornings,
> (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
> afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night... Anybody
> who grew up listening to that station learned the lessons of
> what a radio station should sound like.
>

And since I grew up listening to WLS during that time, I wish I had the chance to program a station like that in today's world. Too bad I don't have any programming experience to get that chance! =( Anyone out there willing to give me that chance?
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> >
> > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don Wade,
> > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> >
> Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the mornings,
> (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
> afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night... Anybody
> who grew up listening to that station learned the lessons of
> what a radio station should sound like.
>
I wouldn't really call it Rock 40. They just avoided rhythmic records and had a slight rock lean, and played a fair numbet of rock or pop/rock hit oldies -- as many Top 40's did back then. In fact, rhythmic music just started getting more popular in the early 80's. In Chicago "Hot Hits" FM B-96 (WBBM-FM) debuted just about the time rhythmic was taking off in the early 80's (especially in larger markets), and really ate WLS's lunch. CKLW in Detroit was my favorite of the powerhouse Top 40's in the Midwest, but WLS was also great to listen to.<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> > >
> > > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don
> Wade,
> > > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> > >
> > Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> > called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the
> mornings,
> > (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
> > afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night... Anybody
>
> > who grew up listening to that station learned the lessons
> of
> > what a radio station should sound like.
> >
>
> And since I grew up listening to WLS during that time, I
> wish I had the chance to program a station like that in
> today's world. Too bad I don't have any programming
> experience to get that chance! =( Anyone out there willing
> to give me that chance?
>
This reminds me of when Dave Robbins was offered the opportunity to give up the WNCI PD job to work for WLS owner ABC in Chicago. But he said he would take the offer only under the condition that ABC allowed him to flip their FM back to WLS, as a Top 40. (By this time AM 89 was Talk, I believe.) They refused so he stayed at NCI. Incidentally, in the early 80's he was one of the initial stable of air talent at Chicago's B-96, the station that knocked off WLS (as I mentioned in another post in this thread).<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>
 
> > But the Brew plays:
> >
> > "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> > "Winning" by Santana
> > "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> > "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> > "Magic Power" by Triumph
> > "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
> >
> > Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those are
>
> > songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7! Just
> my
> > opinion.
> >
> Sounds more like early 80s 96KX Pittsburgh to me...and if
> Crenshaw did work on this playlist, I'm betting that's what
> was playing in his Pittsburgh-raised head as he developed
> it.
>
Was 96KX a Top 40? AM or FM? (I'm guessing FM from the moniker and music) The first FM Top 40 I recall in Pittsburgh was WPZZ (or something like that). I also remember when Nationwide spent a fortune trying to create a dominant AM Top 40 there (I believe it was 13Q), and it didn't last too long.
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> > >
> > > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don
> Wade,
> > > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> > >
> > Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> > called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the
> mornings,
> > (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
> > afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night... Anybody
>
> > who grew up listening to that station learned the lessons
> of
> > what a radio station should sound like.
> >
> I wouldn't really call it Rock 40. They just avoided
> rhythmic records and had a slight rock lean, and played a
> fair numbet of rock or pop/rock hit oldies -- as many Top
> 40's did back then. In fact, rhythmic music just started
> getting more popular in the early 80's. In Chicago "Hot
> Hits" FM B-96 (WBBM-FM) debuted just about the time rhythmic
> was taking off in the early 80's (especially in larger
> markets), and really ate WLS's lunch. CKLW in Detroit was
> my favorite of the powerhouse Top 40's in the Midwest, but
> WLS was also great to listen to.
>
Don't even get me started on CKLW. Yes, I'm glad I'm old enough to remember that station, WLS, WABC, WCFL, 13Q, WLAC(Nashville) and a host of other great stations while I DXed at night on AM. For me, reception was better in the daylight for CKLW. I could listen from sunup to sundown. I primarily listened to afternoon drive after school. During the summer I listened from mid-day to dusk. It was fun listening. And even though CKLW repeated songs every two hours, they were the same GREAT songs every two hours. I liked some of the Canadian stuff they had to play, like Randy Bachman & Trooper, the Johnson Family, etc. They also played some R&B titles you didn't hear on traditional Top 40's, like "I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody's Got A Thing" and other little-remembered titles by Funkadelic. Other titles they played VERY early, like "Fame" by David Bowie. They were playing it in May/June 1975 but it didn't break nationally until mid-July. So in May/June it sounded pretty interesting. After it broke it started to sound like a "normal" song. But in May/June you were saying, "Wow...what is THIS?" Uh, like I said, don't get me started on CKLW!
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

> > > > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> > > >
> > > > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don
> > Wade,
> > > > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> > > >
> > > Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> > > called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the
> > mornings,
> > > (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
>
> > > afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night...
> Anybody
> >
> > > who grew up listening to that station learned the
> lessons
> > of
> > > what a radio station should sound like.
> > >
> > I wouldn't really call it Rock 40. They just avoided
> > rhythmic records and had a slight rock lean, and played a
> > fair numbet of rock or pop/rock hit oldies -- as many Top
> > 40's did back then. In fact, rhythmic music just started
> > getting more popular in the early 80's. In Chicago "Hot
> > Hits" FM B-96 (WBBM-FM) debuted just about the time
> rhythmic
> > was taking off in the early 80's (especially in larger
> > markets), and really ate WLS's lunch. CKLW in Detroit was
>
> > my favorite of the powerhouse Top 40's in the Midwest, but
>
> > WLS was also great to listen to.
> >
> Don't even get me started on CKLW. Yes, I'm glad I'm old
> enough to remember that station, WLS, WABC, WCFL, 13Q,
> WLAC(Nashville) and a host of other great stations while I
> DXed at night on AM. For me, reception was better in the
> daylight for CKLW. I could listen from sunup to sundown. I
> primarily listened to afternoon drive after school. During
> the summer I listened from mid-day to dusk. It was fun
> listening. And even though CKLW repeated songs every two
> hours, they were the same GREAT songs every two hours. I
> liked some of the Canadian stuff they had to play, like
> Randy Bachman & Trooper, the Johnson Family, etc. They also
> played some R&B titles you didn't hear on traditional Top
> 40's, like "I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody's Got
> A Thing" and other little-remembered titles by Funkadelic.
> Other titles they played VERY early, like "Fame" by David
> Bowie. They were playing it in May/June 1975 but it didn't
> break nationally until mid-July. So in May/June it sounded
> pretty interesting. After it broke it started to sound like
> a "normal" song. But in May/June you were saying,
> "Wow...what is THIS?" Uh, like I said, don't get me started
> on CKLW!
>

Sorry about getting you started, but I'm glad I did because you helped me relive some CKLW memories. For me, being able to be deep in "Big 8" land was actually one of best things about attending "that school up north". (Although most of my friends preferred the then-new AOR WRIF, programmed by young Lee Abrams who soon used some his 'RIF concepts to create the Superstars format that WLVQ & a ton of other AOR's debuted with. I liked 'RIF a lot too, but had a special thing for the Big 8.)

I loved CKLW's tasty R&B nuggets. Even the booming 20/20 newscasts were exciting.

I liked a lot of the CanCon too, but to put things in perspective I also have to recall them giving us some, ahem, all-time "great" Canadian acts like "Terry Jacks & The Poppy Family featuring Susan Jacks". Ahhh...who could ever forget those classic lyrics: "We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun, but the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time." I wish I COULD forget them!

But don't want to end on a down note here! CKLW was a radio gem -- and I just found a website dedicated to it!

http://www.thebig8.net/
<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>
 
Re: yes, the Big 89 WLS...

CKLW was great, no doubt. As for repetition, on a trip to Cedar Point I clocked them at an hour and a half. Loved the R&B, some of the Canadian was OK, some wasn't. <P ID="signature">______________
Greetings from Ohio-where the governor wants everyone to know he's sorry.</P>
 
> > > But the Brew plays:
> > >
> > > "Sweetheart" by Frankie and the Knockouts
> > > "Winning" by Santana
> > > "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" by Sammy Hagar
> > > "Closer to the Heart" by Rush
> > > "Magic Power" by Triumph
> > > "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
> > >
> > > Sounds like WLS back in the day... I like 'em... those
> are
> >
> > > songs that Ted should already be playing... on 99.7!
> Just
> > my
> > > opinion.
> > >
> > Sounds more like early 80s 96KX Pittsburgh to me...and if
> > Crenshaw did work on this playlist, I'm betting that's
> what
> > was playing in his Pittsburgh-raised head as he developed
> > it.
> >
> Was 96KX a Top 40? AM or FM? (I'm guessing FM from the
> moniker and music) The first FM Top 40 I recall in
> Pittsburgh was WPZZ (or something like that). I also
> remember when Nationwide spent a fortune trying to create a
> dominant AM Top 40 there (I believe it was 13Q), and it
> didn't last too long.

Pittsburgh history lesson for you, my friend...in the 60s (until 1966 anyway) there were two Top 40 AMs...KDKA and KQV. KQV, at 1410 with simulcast on 102.5, was the underdog in this war until Group W moved all of their stations away from Top 40 in the mid 60s. After KDKA moved away from Top 40, WIXZ 1360 McKeesport cloned the format at sister station WIXY Cleveland and had a several year run as a Top 40. By this time, KQV-FM had separated and eventually would become album rock WDVE. KQV and WIXZ divided the market at night, as KQV's signal covered the south hills and west side, while WIXZ covered the east side. KQV had some big talent in those days; it was a launching pad for Fred Winston, Rush Limbaugh (as Jeff Christie) and Jim Quinn; John Rook programmed it until moving to sister WLS.

In 1973, Cecil Heftel, a congressman from Hawaii, expanded his broadcast holdings (he owned the famous KGMB Honolulu) and purchased WHYI in Miami and started Y-100 with programmer Buzz Bennett. With the success of that under their belts, he then picked up WJAS AM&FM from NBC, who was beginning its selloff of O&O's. Bennett was brought in, and they cloned the successful Y-100 on WJAS, changing its callsign to WKPQ (later WKTQ) and naming it 13-Q. In their first rating book, they actually beat KDKA (as an AM-FM simulcast; they had a waiver from the FCC at the time). 13Q's numbers dropped in every book afterward until 1978, during Nationwide's attempt to revive it. In the process, though, 13Q put KQV and WIXZ out of business. KQV eventually flipped to all-news, and WIXZ to country, then talk.

In 1974, 94.5 became WPEZ and took a run right at 13Q, knocking its numbers in half. Eventually, this station returned to its WWSW-FM calls and went AC, then oldies. Late in 1976, Hearst took WTAE-FM, which had been an automated AC, and changed its callsign to WXKX, mimicking a successful FM in Denver at the time, KXKX (they hired KXKX's PD, too). 96KX started as a very teen-leaning Top 40, playing a lot of bubblegum type stuff (they were tainted as the Leif Garrett/Shaun Cassidy station for years). In 1980, they followed the trend of "Rock 40" FMs started by Doubleday's KWK St.Louis and WLLZ Detroit, and adjusted their list to a "rock hits" format...which sounded much like that list of songs heard on The Brew. The Brew in Columbus, essentially, is a rebirth of the Rock 40 stations of the early 80s... tight list, melodic rock-based songs.

In 1982, their PD tried to take KX to full-blown album rock, which destroyed it. At that point, 93.7 had become Top 40 as B-94 and put them out of business. Hearst flipped it to what we now call hot AC as WHTX, which made a dent for a while (I was their PD in 1983-84), then they burned through a variety of unsuccessful formats until CCU made it a Kiss clone about three years ago.

13Q finally faded out in 1979, changing to an AC as 1320 WKTQ, then finally to Music Of Your Life in 1981, returning to its original WJAS calls. Their current PD, Mike McGann, was the APD and midday jock at 96KX in the early 80s.
 
that station COULD exist in today's world...

> > > > > Are you guys refering to WLS-AM in Chicago?
> > > >
> > > > Yes the "Musicradio 89 WLS" with Larry Loujack, Don
> > Wade,
> > > > and the gang! Great times and great radio!
> > > >
> > > Yes the early 80's rock 40 (faux AOR I've also heard it
> > > called) days of "the Big 89"... Larry Lujak in the
> > mornings,
> > > (couldn't hear them in middays), Little Tommy Edwards in
>
> > > afternoons, and John Records Landecker at night...
> Anybody
> >
> > > who grew up listening to that station learned the
> lessons
> > of
> > > what a radio station should sound like.
> > >
> >
> > And since I grew up listening to WLS during that time, I
> > wish I had the chance to program a station like that in
> > today's world. Too bad I don't have any programming
> > experience to get that chance! =( Anyone out there willing
>
> > to give me that chance?
> >
> This reminds me of when Dave Robbins was offered the
> opportunity to give up the WNCI PD job to work for WLS owner
> ABC in Chicago. But he said he would take the offer only
> under the condition that ABC allowed him to flip their FM
> back to WLS, as a Top 40. (By this time AM 89 was Talk, I
> believe.) They refused so he stayed at NCI. Incidentally,
> in the early 80's he was one of the initial stable of air
> talent at Chicago's B-96, the station that knocked off WLS
> (as I mentioned in another post in this thread).
>

CC has Uncle Lar' and Lil' Tommy wasting away on 1690 WRLL .... somebody needs to get some brains in that organization in that market...
 
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