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OK, when WHTT Flipped Back in '86, did you tune into Kiss or Zou instead?
- Thread starter Retro
- Start date
Both had excellent DJ staffs, although who can compete against Matty, JJ, Sunny Jo, Lady D, Ed and Uncle Dale? Especially Uncle Dale!!!! Even their second stringers (Jojo Kincaid for example) were entertaining to listen to!
On the other hand, I enjoyed Karen "The Madam" Blake.
The REAL difference between Kiss and Zou (at least in the 1986-88 pre-Sunny Jo at ZOU era), was that WZOU had a very very very TIGHT playlist! They had 30 or 40 songs, and that was it. Oh, they had a good musical selection, but you could only listen for so long, and I think that's what they were going for. And, you didn't get a remixed version of a song, you got EXACTLY the released single. Meanwhile, Kiss108 had a much more loose playlist. WXKS would play what WZOU was playing but then they'd throw in something from David Bowie, or Aerosmith or Beastie Boys. There was NOTHING that was too dangerous for them to throw in. Plus they continued to break out new dance tracks. Kiss 108 NEVER played it safe, and this, I think is how they survived. They simply took more risks, and had better known talent.
Audio was different too! Both stations were heavy on compression, but Kiss always seemed to have just a bit more base, and ZOU had a slightly better signal into Brighton Center and to the west. Unlike WHTT, neither one ever had reverb. Early on, WZOU relied far more on Jingles than Kiss 108 did until later. And if I recall, it was orignally WZOU that used Ernie Anderson for voice-overs.
Both stations also seemed to have tremendous respect for each other (at least during the WZOU years) and I never heard on-air staff at either station bash or even mention each other over the air, (although I understand that that changed when Jam'n came around).
But asking which one I listened to more? That's like asking me to chose between Pepsi and Coke. Both stations were good, they each had different flavors. WZOU was kind of sort of the replacement for WHTT, but not exactly. Kiss 108? That was the one with the black and red bumper-stickers all over town, and how could you skip that?
I liked them both!
On the other hand, I enjoyed Karen "The Madam" Blake.
The REAL difference between Kiss and Zou (at least in the 1986-88 pre-Sunny Jo at ZOU era), was that WZOU had a very very very TIGHT playlist! They had 30 or 40 songs, and that was it. Oh, they had a good musical selection, but you could only listen for so long, and I think that's what they were going for. And, you didn't get a remixed version of a song, you got EXACTLY the released single. Meanwhile, Kiss108 had a much more loose playlist. WXKS would play what WZOU was playing but then they'd throw in something from David Bowie, or Aerosmith or Beastie Boys. There was NOTHING that was too dangerous for them to throw in. Plus they continued to break out new dance tracks. Kiss 108 NEVER played it safe, and this, I think is how they survived. They simply took more risks, and had better known talent.
Audio was different too! Both stations were heavy on compression, but Kiss always seemed to have just a bit more base, and ZOU had a slightly better signal into Brighton Center and to the west. Unlike WHTT, neither one ever had reverb. Early on, WZOU relied far more on Jingles than Kiss 108 did until later. And if I recall, it was orignally WZOU that used Ernie Anderson for voice-overs.
Both stations also seemed to have tremendous respect for each other (at least during the WZOU years) and I never heard on-air staff at either station bash or even mention each other over the air, (although I understand that that changed when Jam'n came around).
But asking which one I listened to more? That's like asking me to chose between Pepsi and Coke. Both stations were good, they each had different flavors. WZOU was kind of sort of the replacement for WHTT, but not exactly. Kiss 108? That was the one with the black and red bumper-stickers all over town, and how could you skip that?
I liked them both!
This could very easily turn into a ZOU/Kiss debate...
I didn't really start paying attention to Zoo until Steve Rivers came on board and spruced up their sound. Both Kiss and Zoo were in a dead heep on who would be #1. Then 1991 happened, Sunny Joe White got fired, Kiss plucked Rivers from Zou and the radio war started.
I didn't really start paying attention to Zoo until Steve Rivers came on board and spruced up their sound. Both Kiss and Zoo were in a dead heep on who would be #1. Then 1991 happened, Sunny Joe White got fired, Kiss plucked Rivers from Zou and the radio war started.
Garrett said:
SPOT ON Garrett... man this thread is taking me back... MEMORIES
Kiss 108 is a much better Top 40 station than sister-station Kiss 95.7 (WKSS-FM Hartford/Meriden) would ever hope to be here! Getting back to Boston, I've always liked WZOU-FM (WJMN-FM) 94.5 better. Maybe because their signal into Metro-West is better? That's the station I always had it on when riding with the family along I-495 heading towards Maine. Today, I honestly think WJMN-FM would be better if they'd cut down on the repetition. Other than that, love their station!
B
BoscoGoldBear
Guest
I was always a Kiss listener because of their dance-heavy playlist and of course the Kiss classics ("There But For The Grace Of God," "Shame," etc.). Needless to say, once Steve Rivers took over Kiss, it basically became WCOZ III ('ZOU, of course, was WCOZ Jr.).
Good God, I hated WCOZ!
Needless to say, I am no longer a Kiss listener since John Ivey destroyed what little was left of the Kiss heritage sound back in 1994. Now Kiss 108's idea of Kiss classics are "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - great disco songs, as Uncle Dale once said of "Stairway To Heaven."
Good God, I hated WCOZ!
Needless to say, I am no longer a Kiss listener since John Ivey destroyed what little was left of the Kiss heritage sound back in 1994. Now Kiss 108's idea of Kiss classics are "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - great disco songs, as Uncle Dale once said of "Stairway To Heaven."
"Even their second stringers (Jojo Kincaid for example) were entertaining to listen to!"
LMAO, Garrett. I'll be sure to pass this opinion along to JoJo. He was the APD and took over Sunny Joe's airshift when he came off 6-9p without missing a beat. Then on to help launch Q-106, San Diego, arguably one of the best CHR stations in history. He was APD there, too. Fast forward to today....who is the ONLY former 'XKS jock working in a top 5 market?
Got anymore of whatever that is you're smokin? I want some.
Duke
LMAO, Garrett. I'll be sure to pass this opinion along to JoJo. He was the APD and took over Sunny Joe's airshift when he came off 6-9p without missing a beat. Then on to help launch Q-106, San Diego, arguably one of the best CHR stations in history. He was APD there, too. Fast forward to today....who is the ONLY former 'XKS jock working in a top 5 market?
Got anymore of whatever that is you're smokin? I want some.
Duke
Are you kidding? I think Jojo Kincaid ROCKS!
I think you misunderstood what I was saying, perhaps. My apologies for the misunderstanding and poor choice of wording.
Jojo is one of my IDOLS, and I've even got an aircheck of him (at airchexx.com if you want to hear it). By second stringer, I meant that I didn't remember him being on the air as often as the others that I mentioned. Of course, when I moved to San Diego in 1988, I recognized that voice RIGHT AWAY! I do know that Jojo has a long history in Boston, inlcuding WVBF, Eagle93.7, and I think Jam'n too?
I finally got to work at Q106 myself, but Jojo was long gone by then! Jojo and Dale Dorman are radio gods in my book!
Yup, Jojo is in San Fran, he just posted recently on the San Diego board. Wish we could get some airchecks!
cbsnomore said:
I think you misunderstood what I was saying, perhaps. My apologies for the misunderstanding and poor choice of wording.
Jojo is one of my IDOLS, and I've even got an aircheck of him (at airchexx.com if you want to hear it). By second stringer, I meant that I didn't remember him being on the air as often as the others that I mentioned. Of course, when I moved to San Diego in 1988, I recognized that voice RIGHT AWAY! I do know that Jojo has a long history in Boston, inlcuding WVBF, Eagle93.7, and I think Jam'n too?
I finally got to work at Q106 myself, but Jojo was long gone by then! Jojo and Dale Dorman are radio gods in my book!
Yup, Jojo is in San Fran, he just posted recently on the San Diego board. Wish we could get some airchecks!
Steve N. said:
I really hated the so-called "fresh paint job" that Steve Rivers did to Kiss! However that is just personal oppinion and the ratings said otherwise. Also, the ratings also said that the masses wanted a straight forward top 40 station, not a Rhythmic leaning pop one.
Ironically when Sunny Jo White programmed ZOU, it had the highest adult numbers in its history! Alan Chartland (I think it was him) wasn't too happy though as he thought the station was moving sideways on him.
Then there was when Sunny Jo was working at WVBF...
Steve N. said:
What does Ivey have to do with TODAY'S playlist??? You Shook Me All Night Long & Pour Some Sugar On Me are two records that test through the roof with W25 - 34, TODAY. So they are played outside of nights...what's wrong with that??
Retro said:
I liked 'em both (I presume you're talking about 'ZOU in their Z-94 days as opposed to their "ZOO"). Playlists were different enough (more rock on 'ZOU, dance on Kiss). Incredible Bob Campbell was the night jock on 'ZOU at the time...thought he was great...whatever happened to him anyway?
'HTT started going downhill for the last 6-8 months, especially when they changed their handle to "Power 103"...they sounded almost AC-ish toward the end.
mistermicrophone said:
The problem is that a "Kiss Classic" should refer to a song that was played when Kiss was a dance station, something they are known for. "Pour some Sugar on Me" is more like a WHTT or WZOU classic. I mean, I know what they mean, but still. They may be "Classics" but not "Kiss Classics."
Retro said:
They shouldn't even call XKS Kiss anymore. O yeah Matty has been there since 6 months into the dance music .
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