South and Central Jersey Radio of the 70's

[Classic Puker]

Large Axle:

Yes, yes she is a Pygmy [tm]. And no, she should not be slumming with us Radio Slime who, if you are what you eat, are 88% Wendy's triple cheeses, from coupons stolen outta prize vans.

(p.s... Ixnay on the amela-tay amico-day afia-may references. Her family was in town for that concert, and they looked awfully, um, comfortable.)


And now an open letter to the crappy Radio Business...


Dear Crappy Radio Business (note to censor-bot: a "crappy" is a type of fish, pronounced with the Boston 'A'!):

FOR GOSH SAKES (oy, this is getting ridiculous... is Mrs. F a charter member of the 700 Club or something? I'M SICK OF THIS!! YER GOIN' DOWN IN NOVEMBER! THE WHOLE MIGHTY LOT O'Y'UNS!!... ahem...), will somebody please throw a cushy gig at Big Jay? I had to up my prescription (lenses, not anti-psychotic meds! But that's coming!), because his posts are actually meant to be long-winded radio tirades... NOT printed word! There's a lot of things I could do, if I wanted to go blind, and this ain't one of them! So pleeeeeeze..!!!



(And while you're at it, dear Radio Fairy, get me off the "Hair Dryer"... you know, the one with 4 towers and the null toward Newark! 8) )

 

[HarrytheK1]

BTW, Jay, just to keep the record straight, you are right. It was not you who committed that dastardly Burger King deed on Hal Murray. I waited a while to confirm that because I was waiting to see if the guilty part(ies)y would come forward. But, alas, he(she)(they) has(have) not, and I will not reveal the identity of the perpetrator(s). Who do you think I am? Big ***** Bompensiero?...and did they ever explain why he was called Big *****? Was it a compliment or an insult?

You're also right that it would have been a better story if they did it to George Benson. Not only would George have stuck around for more burgers, he probably would've hidden in the men's room until the morning so that he would have some food handy in case he got hungry in the middle of the night. More than once we'd be on our way to lunch when George would make me stop at the 7-11 so he could get something to eat...while on the way to lunch! RIP Benson Burner

As a matter of fact, I think the fact that George and too many other classic 11-7 personalitites (Bob, Hal, Seymour) are gone is one reason that a documentary about 11-7 would not be feasible or work. There's no video of 11-7 (although I do know it was a radio station) and probably precious little audio either, and, even to those in the industry, talking heads pontificating about the good old days can be pretty dull. It's true that 11-7 had more than the average number of wild, wacky, weird and wonderful people and situations, but, when you think about TV shows or movies about radio (WKRP in Cincinnati, News Radio, FM, etc.), they all featured wild, wacky, weird and wonderful people and situations (Dr. Johnny Fever, Les Nessman, Bill McNeal, imaginary office walls, etc.) Although 11-7 did do things that nobody else did, I'm not sure how much interest there would be in those things after the radio-interested public has already seen a radio station drop turkeys from airplanes.

Regardless, for those of us who were there, we have a lot of good memories and good friends. Of course, nobody there ever made any good money, which definitely would have beat the hell out of this memories and friends bullbleep

 

[dtandler]

Can somebody please translate Big Jay & Famous Amos's posts into English, please? Kidding, I second Amos's emotion, somebody give Jay a job, please, before we run out of space here!

 

[Big Jay]

Don.
I can't speak for the Classic Puker, but I will curtail my stream of consiousness for this board, as it's over the heads of many casual readers who are indeed bored by my historical disertations about dead radio stations. I've been told privately by many people that they enjoy the history lessons and didn't KNOW about a lot of this stuff..but I'll stop. I guess it's more important to do posts about "So which station comes in best in Little Egg Harbor on cloudy days when the wind is Southerly at 25 knots." Let's start a thread. I suppose this isn't the forum for the kind of information that I have to share. So I'll just stop. I just thought that with a market of over 1 million people SOME radio fans might want to know about their favorite stations and personalities. So many wonder "whatever happened to....." that I felt compelled. But I guess I was barking up the wrong tower.

The only reason I've done that at ALL is to show that there IS a very cool history about local radio in New Jersey that deserves to be told. I guess a message board targeting New Jersey radio is the wrong place to talk about radio in New Jersey. Maybe I'll do it on the New Mexico board.

IF I do post anymore, it'll be short, sweet and only an answer to a specific question that someone may have. I'll go back to hibrination now growing weaker...and weaker by the moment with my Rip Van Winkle beard intact.. I'll be like McArthur...I'll just fade away....bye now kemosabes..
Remain BIG.

 

[dtandler]

Jay,
I really was kidding, my friend. Keep making these long posts. They're entertaining. Unfortunately, it's your only outlet right now, but that's gotta change soon.

 

[Big Jay]

Donny Boy.
Of COURSE I knew you were kidding. My reply was so tongue-in-cheek, I bit off a piece and it's still bleeding due to the warfarin I take. But I was also advised by a good friend that some may find my LENGTH an issue. Funny, I've never been told THAT before. But you are correct Don my faithful friend (even when it ain't politically correct for you to BE my pal), my fate will be changing soon...for the better. Bank on it.
BE BIG

 

[tom]

Jay -

I also look forward to your long messages. They are certainly a lot more
interesting than the other stuff posted on this board lately.

I remember when 11-7 came on the air and it came in great in the Atlantic City
area. I remember taking a ride up to see where the studios were back
when I was 17. A couple of friends and I listened to it all day (not at night though)

... tom

 

[HarrytheK1]

There's been a good deal of discussion on this board about the free-form format Joey Reynolds' installed on the old 11-7 radio, which many remember very fondly.

Joey did reach his goal when Taft Broadcasting picked up both Joey and the format for KQV radio in major-market Pittsburgh. However, as posted earlier, Joey and the format lasted only 3 or 4 months at KQV!!! Even by radio standards, that's a crash-and-burn lack of longevity. When a format doesn't work, it's never just because of one (or even two or three) causes. It's always a combination and culmination of reasons. Does anybody have any knowledge or insight as to why this visionary format came to such a screeching end? (At least, we know it wasn't because of shaker bars, multiple tattoos and nipple rings.)

By the way, Jay, in response to your question, I believe Marcia Knicely's were real. I heard that from a guy who says he was "in a position" to know.




.

 

[Big Jay]

In response to both Tom and Harry...
I know that 11-7's brash and refreshing format was a radio guy's DREAM. Do what you WANT? Play what you WANT? Have a shif that was as short at 1 1/2 hour? Actually TALK between records on AM RADIO?? Oh my. The signal on 1170 WAS pretty good heading south..as I remember driving over to LBI during a summer afternoon and it booming in on Rt. 72. And I DO remember hearing it down to just about A.C. But being daytime only was a killer. I keep seeing an ad for someone to buy a Daytimer with 50,000 watts down in Richmond. Wonder why no takers? Because people's lives don't end at sundown. Maybe Gordon Lightfoot's, but you know what I mean Lee Michaels? Anyway. I was NOT part of the KQV debacle. I remember they had either the current mayor or former mayor on as Morning Man..and they did a lot of stunts like we did at 11-7..but I think TAFT was at the end of their rope with the station ANYWAY, with or without Joey, and just moved on. I don't know. Jerry Kristafer at WDRC may be able to shed light on that. See if anyone can contact him there. ALSO..why not just ask JOEY? He'll talk about ANYTHING on the air..and he does that 5 hours a night on the WOR network.
It's NICE to know that Marsha's WERE real. Holy cow...pardon the pun. I couldn't believe it when she got the all night job at WNBC..just like many couldn't believe I did years later. But she was there quite a while. I also think that Joey's grand plan was to syndicate the idea of that kind of radio, and without a big flagship station like KQV it just didn't have the legs. Strangely, look at how many really cool stations were kinda LIKE that...including...ahem...101.5, REAL RADIO WTKS in Orlando when Howard did mornings..they had HUGE shares there. I think other broadcasters however are so afraid to think out of the box. They forget that radio is theater of the mind and radio is a lot of people's BEST FRIEND. I've always tried to use that approach. I know I ain't everyone's cup of tea, but I give it my all everytime the mic goes on. Ask ANYone who's ever worked with me. I have never "phoned-in" a show like SO many other folks do. It would be like a singing star who has 50 hits just kinda blowing through the catalog with no spark or even LIKING them anymore. THAT'S why people PAY the money to SEE you..or, in radio's case come back to LISTEN to you. It's a relationship that sometimes takes 2 years or more to develop..but companies want instant results. Hey..we ain't pudding or Cream of Wheat. Well I did look like Farina once when I had a perm. But that's another great Joey story for when I start talking about WNBC.
I've taken up too much of Don Tandler's time talking about this stuff. It's MUCH more important to know what number "What Kind Of Fool" by the Tams made it to on the Good Guy survey. What a Great Freakin' Record though, huh Donny boy?
BE BIG
www.reelradio.com

 

[dtandler]

Peaked at #4 on the Good Guy Survey, #6 on the All American Survey, #9 nationally. Great song, king of record pigs. Oh wow! Closest you or I are gettin' to the "Time Machine" these days.....

 

[Big Jay]

I heard it FIRST on Fabulous 57 in mid December of '63..I think I was listening to B. Mitchell Reed..and I loved it the first time I heard it. I was a pretty hip 10 year old. I was the blackest white kid in Lakewood. Ya know, even though they were from Atlanta, The Tams sure had a NY sound to my ears...especially today.
Leave it to you Mr. Vinyl Handler to nail the chart positions. I have the ORIGINAL 45 OF COURSE, their first on ABC-Paramount. They had a PHILLY connection as they first recorded for Frank Slay's label SWAN with a song called "Untie Me"..which is quite kinky if you're into that kind of thing. Why do I know such stupid stuff. I still can't remember which day the recyling truck comes around here. Oh and remember to be BIG and (Don't Drop Out!) By the way, MY copy of the ABC-Paramount release was cut REALLY loud..to jump out of those little record players we all had then, AND on WWRL and WMID because they had less wattage than a Max For Me hairdryer!
Famous "Classic Puker" Amos gets credit for that line by the way**. The opinions expressed are not those of Famous Amos, Anita Bonita their advertisers, family or any other friends other than ME.
You may now all carry on talking about inane radio things like: Who's the best overnight voice-tracker in New Jersey on long holijay weekends?
BE BIG!
www.reelradio.com Look for Big Jay Sorensen on an archive nearest yours. Right.

 

[abonita]

Can somebody please translate Big Jay & Famous Amos's posts into English, please? Kidding, I second Amos's emotion, somebody give Jay a job, please, before we run out of space here!

I've been translating both the Large One and El Famoso into English for several years now. It's the one thing for which a BA in Linguistics comes in handy. :

And I'll third the Record Handler's emotion. If you need proof, and you've got two-and-a-half hours to sit in front of your computer: http://www.bigjayandanita.com/scope.m3u. And that's with his voice tied behind his back.

Anita

 

[HarrytheK1]

deff leppard...I mean comedy jam...Uhhh...Make that junction,

Man, you floored me by bringing up the names Larry Keene and Ellen Hudson. That's why it's taken me a while to respond. At our age, when you hit the floor, it's not all that easy to get right back up!

I worked weekends at WSLT-FM over 35 years ago. Larry and Ellen were my bosses, but having been there on weekends and only for a short while, I don't remember them all that well.

I think Larry was a short, round guy who, in earlier days, may have been a popular jock at some shore stations. In addition to being the GM, he may also have had a piece of WSLT, but I'm not sure of that. I do remember he had a great set of pipes.

Ellen was the PD. She was very pretty with a balcony you could do Shakespeare off of (credit for that line goes to the Classy Puker) and was a chain smoker. (Are there still any chain smokers out there? In today's anti-smoking environment, which doesn't allow smoking in the workplace, bars, airlplanes, etc., where can a chain smoker chain smoke? They can't stand outside the office building ALL day or even go to the bathroom to smoke. Is the chain smoker a dying breed? - Get it?)

I kind of remember hearing that she became the manager of an apartment building.

deff, do you, or does anybody else, know whatever became of these two veterans of Jersey Shore radio?

 

[tom]

Larry Keene supposedly still holds the all time ratings record for his shift
on WMID at night back in the 60's. I first ran into him when he was the
managing partner of WWOC, 94.3 Avalon. The station went on the air
in 1976 and made a ton of money. When Larry sold out, he became
a salesman for the CBSI Traffic System (now Wicks / Marketron)

He currently runs an organization (from California) called something
like "The Traffic Directors of America" I get mass emails from them
all the time.

He actually has a very high voice, which he pulls way down when
the mike opens.

 

[deff junction]

Harry and Tom
Do you remember a guy named Bill Bauer? His air name was Bill Jeffries. He worked at WSLT,WMGM and WMID .

 

[tom]

Do you remember a guy named Bill Bauer? His air name was Bill Jeffries. He worked at WSLT,WMGM and WMID .

No one by that name worked at WMGM when I was PD, or
when I was there from 72 to 87. Any details ?
The only Bill I remember was on WOND in the 80's and
used "Bill Lewis" on the air ... I don't remember his real name.

 

[deff junction]

How about Red Carr or Jeff Ranz?

 

[tom]

Red Karr (Norm Karlock) did overnights at WOND while holding
down a full time day job at the Welfare Office in Atlantic City.
He used to record the first hour of his show and play it back
later and take a nap. I think my first shift on the air was
filling in for him. He later worked at WSLT and WLQE I think.
He passed away in 2001 or 2002. Norm Karlock Jr worked
for me at WMGM and later at WMID-FM.

Jeff Ranz was at WMGM in the early 70's doing middays.
I think he lived in Bayville. I remember he had a cool
little Opel Kadett.

 

[amfmsw]

Yes. Norm "Red Carr" moved from WOND to the newly born "Lucky 99" WLQE (WGRF) in '84 ('83?). He worked 7p-12m. I followed at 12 till 5 on 99.3 then 5-6a on WMID. (Loved those Dynaco Monitors hanging in the corners...and the STEREO Microphones...bring 'em back!) They moved me to that shift from morning drive but gave me a very nice raise (including a tank of gas a week at Gunther's Mobil) so there was an engineer on duty nearly 'round the clock to help "Neat Nate" Rosenthal, a great teacher with infinite patience.

I had repalced Andy Volvo who left for WOND. The Griffin Group was trying to develop their FM's, Andy thought it was a demotion to be moved from WMID to WGRF, and bolted.

Mrs. Griffin won the stations (WPOP and others) in their divorce settlement. When she sold WMID just to piss-off Merv, Red was Harry Sparks first hire as GM after the takeover. HOLY CRAP! That was almost a quarter century ago!

 

[HarrytheK1]

I just checked out the link to the site about Hal Murray's career that Jay had provided on an earlier post.

If I have this right, Hal went to KQV in Pittsburgh in 1964 as the morning man replacing...Jim Gearhart.

I presume that's the same Jim Gearhart who has been the morning man on WKXW-FM for many years.

I hadn't realized Jim has been around that long. I don't hear him frequently, but whenever I do catch his show, he is sharp, incredibly well-informed, and the consummate pro when it comes to engaging his audience. It's quite impressive to find someone who has been good as he is for this long a period of time.

Are there currently any other on-air people in the northeast or mid-atlantic regions that have been on the air in these markets as long as Jim has? I don't think even Imus or Bob Grant have been on-air that long...at least not in markets in this area. If I remember correctly, they didn't come east until the late '60's/early 70's.