Rochester's Summer Book

[Savage]

I can't think of a specific example right now, but I've heard those "redone" oldies on WLGZ which are done by the original artists - allegedly - but aren't really the original performances. Some of those 50s and 60s artists went into the studio and re-did their original hits, so they could be take advantage of today's swell, noise-free digital recording technology.

And of course, the result more often than not is a flaccid, pale copy, lacking the soul and energy of the original.

This isn't specific to WLGZ. But one of the worst sounding big hits (technically) is Gary "US" Bonds "Quarter To Three" which sounds like it was recorded in a high school football stadium on a Wollensak on a crystal mic. Sure, it could be re-done in crystal-clear digital multitrack digital today. And it would REALLY suck.

 

[Cary Pall]

The reason a lot of songs were "covered" by the original artist was so the original artist could make some money off trhe songs their management stole from them. And, yes, they really sound lousy for the most part.

There are remasters of originals that sound incredible, however. CBS Legacy re-mixed "Hot Fun In The Summertime" by Sly some years back and it is awesome. Motown has done the same with a lot of formerly iffy recordings, too. I just obtained their remaster of "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker. Awesome. Chicago remastered their "Chicago II" album for the SA-CD format in 2004. Instead of sounding like it was recorded on a high quality analog bag phone like the original, it now sounds like a hi-fi stereo recording.

Are you sure WYSL wasn't delisted because of the "dog" factor? Don't they have HDDA diaries in Livingston County?

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

Many Oldies-Classic Hits-Classic Rock stations do their best to import their music from reliable CDs, mastered from the original masters. But every once in a while, a rogue cut emerges.

It's been my experience that CDs and vinyl from Rhino are especially true to form. Rhino takes special care to use the original masters for their compilation CDs, such as Nuggets, Have A Nice Day, History of the British Invasion and Summer Hits catalogues, to name a few. They have a policy of not attempting to turn mono masters into stereo and not re-EQ'ing or "coloring" or enhancing the original master.

On the other hand, songs from the Time-Life collections as well as a few others, have in some cases proven to be less than pristine (it's my intent to be diplomatic.)

Art Laboe's Oldies But Goodies series have offered up some tasty treats that are true to form.

Some CDs have been found to be dubbed from vinyl! I recall a Tommy James Greatest Hits CD that was almost certainly dubbed from vinyl, as witnessed by the scratch (albeit minor) on teo of the tracks.

As to alternate versions of songs, it's mandatory to play the hits as your listeners remember them. Still, there are some interesting anomolies top some of these songs. KB, for a while, played a version of the Association's Cherish that had one extra chorus repeat in the end of the song. The 45 wasn't like that, but the version is the one found on the Greatest Hits CD. Dick Bartley's One Hit Wonders series, Volume 2 offers a similar extra-verse treat on the McCoy's Hang On Sloopy. Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl gets a bad rap (understandably, yet it's one of the best testing songs that crosses over at least three formats, so easy does it) for being overplayed, but there's a great (original) version that I heard a few years ago on a Canadian FM that had an extended bridge and a cold ending. I've yet to find it or hear it elsewhere. Also, there's a splendid version of Bill Withers' Lean On Me that ends cold, vocal out rather than fading out, as did the hit single.

Original Masters series on the original labels occasionally serve up a lemon. There was a Badfinger Greatest hits CD on Apple a few years back that offered an out of phase (nearlu 180 degrees) version No Matter What. Wonder how many other PDs, MDs and jocks audition music in mono before ripping songs into AudioVault, Prophet or Scott?

Many (older) automation systems employ a compression algorhythm that can sometimes have a funky effect on the music. When compounded by over-driven audio processing this can make songs sound grainy and harsh. One oldies consultant (no name) years ago advised his client stations to set everything on the station's Optimod at "10" ("11" if you're using the This Is Spinal Tap standard) so the station could replicate the sound of a 60s AM station. Putrid!

With hard drives being ridiculously inexpensive these days, music (and everything else for that matter) is best ripped into the system in uncompressed WAVs rather than MP2 or MP3 which used to be the standard years ago. Sure, most users of iPods and mp3 players are listening to music ripped into their players at 128k or 256k bit rates and unusually low sampling rates, but for radio airplay, it makes sense to go the full WAV route.

And as I write, I'm listening, on little Optimus speakers, to Van Morrison's Did Ye Get Healed off of his Greatest Hits CD. Very satisfying.

-JPB

 

[fybush]

Are you sure WYSL wasn't delisted because of the "dog" factor? Don't they have HDDA diaries in Livingston County?

Ah, so you've visited the palatial WYSL studio complex, where the latest in a line of English sheepdogs will greet you with wagging tail and lapping tongue as soon as you walk in the front door...

 

[Cary Pall]

Since WYSL's beginning and even before, Scott. In fact, I still have a Broadcasting Yearbook from WYSL's inaugural year, 1986. The promotion director is listed as "D. Frodo".

 

[Savage]

We've had a total of four OES staff members since 1986. The decisions they make are almost always better ones than human management's.

 

[Radknowski]

We've had a total of four OES staff members since 1986. The decisions they make are almost always better ones than human management's.

Hope you don't require the interns from SUNY Brockport to pick up after those EOS staff members. Then again, it may be good training and experience for what lies ahead if they're really serious about getting into the business.

 

[Savage]

"OES wisdom" closely mirrors anyone we could name who works in radio: make a lot of noise, have a lot of enthusiasm, get plenty of sleep, consume mass quantities. Spread the love. Charm everyone in sight. Chase cats, foxes, squirrels out of the transmitter field.

 

[SirRoxalot]

OES vs. DJ

"OES wisdom" closely mirrors anyone we could name who works in radio: make a lot of noise, have a lot of enthusiasm, get plenty of sleep, consume mass quantities. Spread the love. Charm everyone in sight. Chase cats, foxes, squirrels out of the transmitter field.

Sheds. Frequently needs reminders to bathe. Messy eaters. Will consume ANYTHING free that's perceived as food that is not secured, despite age and visible deterioration. Been known to sniff around strangers, particularly females...

 

[qman]

I've been listening on the web and it sounds like they have improved the playlist/music scheduling. I don't hear many odd segues anymore.

I heard the Dean Martin Song "Volare" repeated three times in one five day period.
Now if that's not repetition I don't know what is.
This is a station that has four decades of music to select from, versus a station that plays the current hits for example. You can't tell me that Legends music library is that limited that one song has to be repeated so many times. If that's the case then Legends needs to expand it's music library.

Here we go again! Can somebody tell me which station in this or any market for that matter, other than speciality formats like jazz and classical, DOESN'T REPEAT THEIR PLAYLIST MORE THAN A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK?!! The next time I turn on the Fox and hear "Who Are You" by The Who I'm gonna throw my radio through a window. Legends has come a long way with it's format in the past couple of months. There are more pure oldies and less MOR featured than earlier this year. I can't wait until they do away with all MOR on their playlist.

 

[Element9]

BTW, didn't Bobby Rydell (rather than Dean Martin) have the chart buster hit version of "Volare?" Naturally, if you wanna hear a real Italian song like Volare, ya gotta have a REAL Italian sing it, knowhutImean, Vinnie? Volare (woh-woh!) Meengya! It's gotta be DEAN-oh!

 

[qman]

BTW, didn't Bobby Rydell (rather than Dean Martin) have the chart buster hit version of "Volare?" Naturally, if you wanna hear a real Italian song like Volare, ya gotta have a REAL Italian sing it, knowhutImean, Vinnie? Volare (woh-woh!) Meengya! It's gotta be DEAN-oh!


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You're right. Both Bobby Rydell and Al Martino recorded versions of that song, along with Dino. However, and this may surprise you, but the biggest version of that song went all the way to numberone. It was a recording by Domenico Modugno. It was #1 in 1958.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Re: Bobby Rydell

BTW, "Bobby Rydell" was born Robert Louis Ridarelli - at least as Italian as Dino Paul Crocetti...

 

[justmebuk]

Have been following the many comments about WLGZ from this and other posts on the station. The complaints about the format have been many, yet the numbers say that the listeners are responding.
Couldn't there be something to this station being eclectic and not doing what everyone else is doing?
Reminds me of what David Marsden did when CFNY was in it's heyday. The format was no format. Amd we listened, and enjoyed. No repeat days... who does that now?
It sounds like Legends is giving it's listeners what they want. I wish them the best.

 

[Element9]

It is what it is... until something bigger, better, shineyer and newer-older comes along. And still, we don't know what those 12+ really hold in the 25-54 money demos. So to all who like Legends: enjoy! To all who work there: conngratulations! Just remember, successful radio stations very quickly become targets for predators.

 

[JimMcGrath]

And everybody here still seems to be listening. That a good thing.

 

[Paul Jason]

It is what it is... until something bigger, better, shineyer and newer-older comes along. And still, we don't know what those 12+ really hold in the 25-54 money demos. So to all who like Legends: enjoy! To all who work there: conngratulations! Just remember, successful radio stations very quickly become targets for predators.

Successful Radio Stations may be imitated, but NEVER duplicated. Legends is what it is due to several key factors, not the least of which being good and established air talent. To all of the Voice Track Stations that now inundate this market, take note... Nothing beats a good, LIVE, interactive show with great music. As for any predator stations looking to steal the Legends Thunder, I say BRING IT, but you better bring it hard, and you better be good. The sold out Oldies Concert that we at Legends just sponsored last weekend is proof that the format IS WORKING, and it will continue to thrive in this market as the format is refined even further.

 

[Paul Jason]

Have been following the many comments about WLGZ from this and other posts on the station. The complaints about the format have been many, yet the numbers say that the listeners are responding.
Couldn't there be something to this station being eclectic and not doing what everyone else is doing?
Reminds me of what David Marsden did when CFNY was in it's heyday. The format was no format. Amd we listened, and enjoyed. No repeat days... who does that now?
It sounds like Legends is giving it's listeners what they want. I wish them the best.

This is very well said. Thanks for your continued support of "Legends 102.7FM, WLGZ"

 

[Element9]

Successful Radio Stations may be imitated, but NEVER duplicated. Legends is what it is due to several key factors, not the least of which being good and established air talent. To all of the Voice Track Stations that now inundate this market, take note... Nothing beats a good, LIVE, interactive show with great music. As for any predator stations looking to steal the Legends Thunder, I say BRING IT, but you better bring it hard, and you better be good. The sold out Oldies Concert that we at Legends just sponsored last weekend is proof that the format IS WORKING, and it will continue to thrive in this market as the format is refined even further.

Careful, your hubris is showing. Legends has a 3.5. WBEE has a 9.6. It's Legends' first big book. First time success is easier than maintaining and growing a format. Now the real heavy lifting begins.

Traditionally, the third book is the one that proves the format a success or a flash in the pan. People like to try new restaurants when they open, but at least 50 per cent of those customers go back to their favorite restaurant. One book doesn't mean anything than you're off to a good start... and that you may be food for a bigger fish.

What happens to Legends if the Drive brings back the WVOR call letters, takes a hard left and goes Classic Hits with 50kW to Legends' 6kW? Admittedly this is not likely, given that CC has invested heavily in The Fox. But what happens if Stephens brings back Classic Hits and the WQRV call letters... or the WBBF call letters.

We've seen stations debut new formats to 7 and 8 shares, only to lose 30% of their listeners through the second and third books.

A sold out Oldies concert means nothing more than 36 hundred tickets were bought by P-1 listeners starved for an oldies-classic hits station. They also wanted to have a little fun on a Saturday night. Ninety per cent of those 36 hundred concert goers very likely cume WBEE and WARM, and very likely WCMF and The Fox.

If experience has taught us anything, it's that listeners are not as loyal as we'd like them to be. "Live and local" is a wonderful concept that I very much believe in. But if anybody thinks live and local and an unrefined playlist beat the top 375 well-tested oldies or classic hits combined with great promotion, a better signal and love bodies... well, I hate to break the news, but most people (unlike us who post here) prefer to hear Baby Love, Bad Moon Rising and My Girl rather than Walk In the Black Forest, Bobby's Girl and Volare.

Your station's success is not to be dismissed, but I'd urge caution about placing too much stock your own newspaper clippings or the rave reviews on this board. Still, nice work. Best wishes for continued success.

 

[Mark Giardina]

I noticed that WXXI-AM's summer book showed a huge decline in audience (12+).
They went from a 3.1 to a 1.7 cume.