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Hits That Never Get Played on Radio Any More
- Thread starter Debaser
- Start date
All these tunes were played by the stations on the Niagara Frontier, but not always by every other station in the country.
This region was known as a breakout area. If WKBW went on a song, WBBF would or vice-versa. A lot of Canadian stuff got played, as well because of the presence of CHUM, CFTR, CKLW, etc.
The few songs you hear on the radio today are "safe" songs as judged by program consultants who have tested records. These safe lists are watched over by corporate PDs or syndicated programming types, and there is some variation from list to list, but not a whole lot.
Sadly, stations are judged by what they play. If I hear a station playing a stiff, I naturally think less of them. I know it's wrong from a listener stand point but...
There is an old programming axiom that goes: "You're never hurt by what you don't play." Believe me, if your ratings drop the first thing senior management looks at is what music you are playing and PDs get fired.
I guess the best thing to do is buy an iPod and start downloading. It's all out there.
This region was known as a breakout area. If WKBW went on a song, WBBF would or vice-versa. A lot of Canadian stuff got played, as well because of the presence of CHUM, CFTR, CKLW, etc.
The few songs you hear on the radio today are "safe" songs as judged by program consultants who have tested records. These safe lists are watched over by corporate PDs or syndicated programming types, and there is some variation from list to list, but not a whole lot.
Sadly, stations are judged by what they play. If I hear a station playing a stiff, I naturally think less of them. I know it's wrong from a listener stand point but...
There is an old programming axiom that goes: "You're never hurt by what you don't play." Believe me, if your ratings drop the first thing senior management looks at is what music you are playing and PDs get fired.
I guess the best thing to do is buy an iPod and start downloading. It's all out there.
Re: Hits That Never Get Played on Radio Any More
Dusty, you bring up a point about the Niagara Frontier that I've heard before and it makes sense.
Years ago, my station (in a different market) lost its PD to a then-sister station in Buffalo. I remember him telling me at the time that one of the reasons he looked forward to the move was "people there are much more receptive to new music" than in our market. I immediately remembered how early 'KB had been on many hits back-in-the-day, sometimes months ahead of the rest of the nation.
There are a lot worse things a market could be known for. I should know, my market's known for a lot worse things...
Dusty, you bring up a point about the Niagara Frontier that I've heard before and it makes sense.
Years ago, my station (in a different market) lost its PD to a then-sister station in Buffalo. I remember him telling me at the time that one of the reasons he looked forward to the move was "people there are much more receptive to new music" than in our market. I immediately remembered how early 'KB had been on many hits back-in-the-day, sometimes months ahead of the rest of the nation.
There are a lot worse things a market could be known for. I should know, my market's known for a lot worse things...
I think that it's always been difficult for a new PD to come into Buffalo and get a handle on the market. We've been blessed with a tradition of great programming, the cross-border influence of Canadian radio and music, and a lot of talent that was better than market-size might indicate.
We had a lot of music programmers who used the national charts as "reference", not as a bible. We had a number of guys who had great ears. We also had some local record guys who exerted more than a little influence, and got some worthy artists on the air here when they couldn't break them in NYC or LA. Some of them ended up with regional hits, and some broke nationally out of the Buffalo/Rochester area.
As we slipped out of the top 25 markets, the influence has diminished. The current state of corprorate radio - especially in the wake of the payola scandals a few years ago - has ended Buffalo's role as a breaking market. What's left is a residual of the old days, with those quirky songs that smart programmers include in their testing despite the national "spins".
Another holdover from those days is the number of long versions of songs that people prefer to the radio edits. Buffalo stations played a lot of "album versions", probably because the old WPhD had such influence during its "underground/progressive rock" days. That continued even after Bob Howard bought the joint and gave up those legendary call letters before (unbelievably) reclaiming them a couple of years later.
We had a lot of music programmers who used the national charts as "reference", not as a bible. We had a number of guys who had great ears. We also had some local record guys who exerted more than a little influence, and got some worthy artists on the air here when they couldn't break them in NYC or LA. Some of them ended up with regional hits, and some broke nationally out of the Buffalo/Rochester area.
As we slipped out of the top 25 markets, the influence has diminished. The current state of corprorate radio - especially in the wake of the payola scandals a few years ago - has ended Buffalo's role as a breaking market. What's left is a residual of the old days, with those quirky songs that smart programmers include in their testing despite the national "spins".
Another holdover from those days is the number of long versions of songs that people prefer to the radio edits. Buffalo stations played a lot of "album versions", probably because the old WPhD had such influence during its "underground/progressive rock" days. That continued even after Bob Howard bought the joint and gave up those legendary call letters before (unbelievably) reclaiming them a couple of years later.
It's a cryin' shame to see all those markets along the I-90 Thruway corridor hemorrhage population the way they have. There was some pretty cool radio in Syracuse (then market #58) back in '82 when my wife, a CNY native, and I got married. F'r example, WHEN-AM called themselves "The Entertainer", a Hot AC with truly engaging jocks.
On David Fill's 'KB site there's some newspaper clipping referring to Buffalo as market #14 back in '58. At the same time my native Pittsburgh was #9. (Now we're 25 or 26 depending on who's doing the counting) So many factors have contributed to the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast population drain: from oppressive taxes to the Interstate Highway System and jet travel making it easy to flee for warmer climes.
But I digress...not knowing WPHD's timeline relative to early-70's 'KB, I do remember lots of album cuts played by Berns & Co...including some tracks at night by artists not normally associated with Top 40. I think many stations who realized their listeners had more than half-a-brain would play at least a few album versions. I know this was the case at 13Q/Pittsburgh and for a short time WNBC/NYC. Unfortunately those days seem long gone. I was blessed to work at a couple stations in two formats that specified the album versions as a matter of station policy unless there was a compelling reason (lyric content, hotter mix) to play the single.
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment on a "tradition of great programming". Even though I only get up there a few times a year, I'm usually pleased with the personality and stationality I hear. Definitely better than similar size markets I've heard here and there. I think some of that's reflected in what I read on these boards...as opposed to my market, which more often then not seems stuck in 1962.
I know we're way off the thread now so here's a hit long gone from radio: "That's Where I Went Wrong" by the Poppy Family. (Unless Silkie's heard it lately!
)
On David Fill's 'KB site there's some newspaper clipping referring to Buffalo as market #14 back in '58. At the same time my native Pittsburgh was #9. (Now we're 25 or 26 depending on who's doing the counting) So many factors have contributed to the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast population drain: from oppressive taxes to the Interstate Highway System and jet travel making it easy to flee for warmer climes.
But I digress...not knowing WPHD's timeline relative to early-70's 'KB, I do remember lots of album cuts played by Berns & Co...including some tracks at night by artists not normally associated with Top 40. I think many stations who realized their listeners had more than half-a-brain would play at least a few album versions. I know this was the case at 13Q/Pittsburgh and for a short time WNBC/NYC. Unfortunately those days seem long gone. I was blessed to work at a couple stations in two formats that specified the album versions as a matter of station policy unless there was a compelling reason (lyric content, hotter mix) to play the single.
I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment on a "tradition of great programming". Even though I only get up there a few times a year, I'm usually pleased with the personality and stationality I hear. Definitely better than similar size markets I've heard here and there. I think some of that's reflected in what I read on these boards...as opposed to my market, which more often then not seems stuck in 1962.
I know we're way off the thread now so here's a hit long gone from radio: "That's Where I Went Wrong" by the Poppy Family. (Unless Silkie's heard it lately!
)chas108 said:It's a cryin' shame to see all those markets along the I-90 Thruway corridor hemorrhage population the way they have...
...I know we're way off the thread now so here's a hit long gone from radio: "That's Where I Went Wrong" by the Poppy Family. (Unless Silkie's heard it lately!
I could bring up The Cryin' Shames, but they never really had a hit. The bigger hit by the Poppy Family was "Which Way You Goin', Silkie -er Billy"...
True, WNY doesn't have the influence it used to have. But who really does anymore? Maybe NYC or LA for hip-hop; Seattle, Twin Cities, Boston, Cali for Alternative. Chicago for Urban?
There were a lot of areas in this country where there was a big regional Top 40 station that forced "adds" on the smaller guys within their footprint, but WKBW was unique. It also covered bigger markets than Buffalo and had an audience in those cities among heavy record buyers, at what for the kids was primetime. They influenced Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, DC, Boston, in adition to all those cities along the eastern seaboard. They influenced Toronto and Montreal.
'KB also had guys like Dick Biondi, Tom Shannon, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach and others at night who understood the power they had and really "worked" the music. They had that freedom.
Finally, the record companies reciprocated. Remember that Tom Shannon's song that he wrote"Wild Weekend" received good distribution and promotion. It was a bona fide hit. Gene Pitney's songs broke in Buffalo, despite his being from Hartford. Frankie Valli will admit that Joey broke "Sherry" (thus his theme song) and Bob Crewe's stuff went to 'KB first. "Rats In My Room" might have been a hit were it not for the fact that Danny & Joey were Dan Neaverth & Joey Reynolds.
WKBW truly was one of America's two great stations. Do we know the first?
There were a lot of areas in this country where there was a big regional Top 40 station that forced "adds" on the smaller guys within their footprint, but WKBW was unique. It also covered bigger markets than Buffalo and had an audience in those cities among heavy record buyers, at what for the kids was primetime. They influenced Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, DC, Boston, in adition to all those cities along the eastern seaboard. They influenced Toronto and Montreal.
'KB also had guys like Dick Biondi, Tom Shannon, Joey Reynolds, Sandy Beach and others at night who understood the power they had and really "worked" the music. They had that freedom.
Finally, the record companies reciprocated. Remember that Tom Shannon's song that he wrote"Wild Weekend" received good distribution and promotion. It was a bona fide hit. Gene Pitney's songs broke in Buffalo, despite his being from Hartford. Frankie Valli will admit that Joey broke "Sherry" (thus his theme song) and Bob Crewe's stuff went to 'KB first. "Rats In My Room" might have been a hit were it not for the fact that Danny & Joey were Dan Neaverth & Joey Reynolds.
WKBW truly was one of America's two great stations. Do we know the first?
B
Bob1370
Guest
"WKBW truly was one of America's two great stations. Do we know the first?"
As Jeff Kaye (who launched that tagline while programming KB) once told me, the other great station being referred to was WJR in Detroit, CapCities' other 50 kW flamethrower back 40 years ago before they gobbled up WABC, WLS and all the other ABC O&Os in the '86 merger. Of course WJR never had a top 40 day in its life (it was news, talk, soft tunes, and kindly morning man J.P. McCarthy back in the day)...
As Jeff Kaye (who launched that tagline while programming KB) once told me, the other great station being referred to was WJR in Detroit, CapCities' other 50 kW flamethrower back 40 years ago before they gobbled up WABC, WLS and all the other ABC O&Os in the '86 merger. Of course WJR never had a top 40 day in its life (it was news, talk, soft tunes, and kindly morning man J.P. McCarthy back in the day)...
Last night I heard "Uncle Albert - Admiral Halsey" on air for the first time in ages. That song was played to death for a couple of years. I guess it was a big hit, but do you guys know if the lyrics are about anything in particular? Hearing this song from this distance in time, it seems like a bunch of nonsense non-sequiters. ("...a butter pie...the butter wouldn't melt so we put it in the pie....hands across the water...."????????)
Wings had some great well-deserved hits, but there are a few other excellent McCartney records that didn't get the acclaim they should have. "Mull of Kintyre" and "Another Day" come to mind. Also a great track called "Put It There" from the album "Flowers In The Dirt."
Nick Seneca
Wings had some great well-deserved hits, but there are a few other excellent McCartney records that didn't get the acclaim they should have. "Mull of Kintyre" and "Another Day" come to mind. Also a great track called "Put It There" from the album "Flowers In The Dirt."
Nick Seneca
Dusty Dale Brooks said:
As discussed in another thread, there was no first. The beauty of that slogan was that nobody questioned the fact that KB was ONE of 2 great radio stations...they always wanted to know what the other one was.
(note to Bob: I think your memory may be hazy here; Jeff never ever referred to any other specific station when using that slogan. We have actually had several conversations about it over the years.)
Debaser said:
Also "Athena".
DB, I thought of you yesterday when the latest Ross On Radio column "Ten Great Songs I Learned From Canadian Radio" dropped in my inbox. I figured you'd be familiar with all ten of the titles listed.
http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/html/ror-08172010.html?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=851ed709bf-ROR_08_17_2010&utm_medium=email
My Yankee ears only knew one - Harlequin's "Thinking Of You", thanks to having played "Innocence" back in '82 at a tiny station in Vermont. I got the Love Crimes album a few months later during a trip to Canada.
There indeed is a lot of great music that never made it to the Lower 48.
Your Yankee ears should have known more that just Harlequin (which I've never heard, btw); KB played Crowbar in heavy rotation, and the Doucette song was played by many stations in the US (on Mushroom records, for which Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee Rich Sargent was promo director for a while).
Some of the others got airplay on Canadian top 40 (I worked at KEY 590 for 10 minutes in 1991 so I played a couple of them); most of the rest got played by the heritage album rockers like Q107 and CHUM FM.
Kim Mitchell (Max Webster) has been doing afternoon drive at Q107 for several years now, btw.
Some of the others got airplay on Canadian top 40 (I worked at KEY 590 for 10 minutes in 1991 so I played a couple of them); most of the rest got played by the heritage album rockers like Q107 and CHUM FM.
Kim Mitchell (Max Webster) has been doing afternoon drive at Q107 for several years now, btw.
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