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Stations still doing 'traditional' Oldies

Thank You for saving me the trouble of certifying you as a Looney. You have already proved the case.

Yes I had to look at the Whitburn because my memory isn't as good as yours :)
But FEW people want to hear stiffs. Can you prove otherwise?? I don't think so.

Since you are such a supreme source of knowledge, just what in hell do you think RichBroRadio plays?? I can tell you I have yet to hear them play burned out songs like My Girl, Unchained Melody, Suspicious Minds, and I Can't Help Myself.

But I have heard Grass Roots - Where Were You When I Needed You; Surfer Girl-Beach Boys; Brown Arms in Houston-Orpheus (not a big hit and probably considered to be a stiff, but I remember it and like it); Guy Mitchell - Heartaches By The Number; It Ain't Me Babe-The Turtles; Soul Survivors - Expressway To Your Heart; Blame It on the BossaNova-Eydie Gorme; Girl of My Best Friend-Ral Donner; Tymes - So Much In Love; Boogaloo Down Broadway-Fantastic Johnny C; Diana- Paul Anka; Crispian St. Peters - Changes [a true stiff which did not even crack the Top 40 from a one-hit wonder]; Walkin' After Midnight-Patsy Cline; Pretty Ballerina-Left Banke; Echo Park-Keith Barbour. I think we both can agree that this station does not specialize in burned beyond recognition hits.

Radio Paradise.com is a AAA/Americana/World Music hybrid station - I threw that in because I knew it would be over your head.

I don't understand your statement about me being the only one listening. You are wet behind the ears. RichBroRadio plays its share of stiffs. But please don't compare an Internet station like this with the thousands of Internet oldies stations on Live365 which are here today and gone tomorrow. (BTW RadioParadise.com has been in operation for over 7 years depending strictly upon listeners' support.)


"You are writing me on a computer, you program your station on a computer, you stream on a computer, you can't buy a cup of coffee without a computer, and you tell me that no one listens on the internet."

I did not say NO ONE listens, do you have a reading comprehension deficit?
BTW I have no problem buying a cup of coffee at Starbuck without the aid of a computer. Where in the Wide World of Sports did that statement come from?


"And thanks for cutting me some slack, anytime you want to "go green" on this board without a book in front of you"

Go green? I haven't the foggiest notion what you mean by this statement. ???
If you want to play Rock'n'Roll trivia, though, I'm game. I grew up listening to Elvis and then the Beatles and the Stones, then Springsteen.

BTW, Al, I wouldn't be proudly trumpeting a nickname with the word "Ayatollah" in it. :p
 
Reading this thread makes me glad I never tried to program an Oldies station [even one of my own] – I’d surly have taken a spankin’ in the Arbi-Trauma! Here’s proof: I can’t imagine hitting “seek” at the start of “Boogaloo Down Broadway” unless it resurfaced as often as “My Girl”; “Expressway...” was a must-hear for me in the Fall of ’67 – but so was “Let Love Come Between Us” [James and Bobby Purify] and “Beg, Borrow, and Steal” [Ohio Express]; and I’ll go ‘ya a pair-better than The Turtles’ “It Ain’t Me Babe” [a favorite of mine, but so was “You Baby” which just eked-into the Top-20] and The Grassroots’ “Where Were You When I Needed You” [“Lovin’ Things” was a better listen for me and didn’t crack the Top-40 at all]!

Oh I’m fine with “Brown-Eyed Girl”, Sugar-Pie-Honeybunch, and “Like a Rock”; but I need more than just a sprinkle of spice in my Chili... ‘Like “Wild Night” [Van], “Something About You” [The Tops], and S&G’s “Fakin’ It” [a delightful double-entendre given this biz – and from a HUGE Boomer LP featuring FIVE chart hits]. And don’t you just revere those “traditional oldies” stations that get frisky and step into the 70s with treats such as “Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes [Nothing Grows Where the Dog Goes]” and “Tears of a Clown”—charred beyond recognition by the corporate Proctor-Silex station ::) Might we try to expand some minds [and maybe some memories] with the likes of Jimmy Cliff’s “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”, and temporarily-curtail the one-hit-wonder status of The Shocking Blue and sneak-in “Mighty Joe”? ...OH RIGHT—a “stiff”! May I remind you that a stiff usually-comes from the ears of those who seldom behold - or have missed the opportunity to visit the Woolworth’s that particular week long-ago. I had to visit my little local record joint three times before I could buy Motherlode’s “When I Die” in 1969... I was even happier when I finally-found a quality copy on CD a few years back!

Corporate Oldies Radio [or what’s left of it] claims they’re giving “the folks” what they want. Is that why this group now-clamors to acquire, and has figured-out the operation of their shiny-new iPod in numbers that otherwise would be shocking IF they were but ten years younger? Why is the lowest common denominator a source of paramount inspiration for these tenders of the radio jukebox? Could it be the “data” from that exciting Saturday-morning social rendezvous at the Holiday Inn featuring bad coffee, stale donuts, and seven-second snips of seldom-played songs? ...Or the infamous Arbitron and its struggle to motivate the cooperation of diary-keepers with “a life”, or recruit a worthy sample of those wishing to imitate criminal home-detention for a week and strap-on the PPM meter?

I’d much rather get excited about finally-finding The Outsiders’ “Respectable”, Cross Country [aka The Tokens’] “In the Midnight Hour”, and former-Papa—John Phillips’ “Mississippi” on CD! Granted, that makes me a more-fitting “collector” than an Oldies PD! But what talents are these “programmers” really called-upon to exhibit? Is it an appreciation for music and its audience – or merely an understanding of the methodology that allows them to circumvent the almighty ARB?

Somewhere between Carlos’ 3000-song science-fair project at Live365 and The Cat’s “Good-Times and 300 Great Oldies” – there has to be a gratifying middle-ground – and it’s likely to avoid a rated market. My vote goes to Steve Eberhart’s 1650—Oldies Radio where they proudly admit to playing “songs that don’t test well”; but EVERY TITLE I have mentioned in this post plays there. Another delightful station [barely-terrestrial at 250-watts day/5-watts night] is SuperOldies 1580. This one has to work for a living, but manages a treasure-trove that traverses three decades – and please don’t let me hear screams of “train-wreck” from the constipated corporate peanut gallery! This little gem comes complete with the essentials and LOTS of “wow”. Bottom line: there is NO large-market Oldies station I even attempt to tune anymore – let alone accumulate any TSL with. Like many of you; the internet, my 360-gig portable USB hard-drive, and iPod have become my music source... But I highly-doubt [and have accepted] that corporate radio doesn’t even care :'(
 
semoochie said:
I heard "Mississippi" just the other day on K-Hits Portland.
Click to expand...
Now THAT was a good song--- I have the original John Phillips LP it was on

And to hippo, I must have been lucky to get my copy of "When I Die" - another great song!! 'OR-FM played it often!
 
Well Mr Superadiofan ........... I misunderstood that RichBroradio was an internet station, I checked them out and they were indeed pretty good. Which leads me to believe that at least you are trying to learn something, to improve your 1800, 180, 18 song knowledge. Obviously my analogies about the computer, were way way over your head. There are over 10,000 stations on Live365 alone,mush less the entire net , just cause you discovered a good one and you throw it out there, you think it's over my head. And as far as needing Whitburn Book because of your memory, "whose talking out of their behind now" (you have used that analogy on a previous reply). FYI "So Much In Love" , It ain't Me Babe" Ooooooooo "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" I'm so impressed. are all part of the burned out songs. Here is the way an internet automated station works. A 24 hr clock is set up with various pools of music and a couple of pools feature the burned -out song to keep the listeners tuned in , it's the opposite of Commercial radio format.

As far as going green, well you understood perfectly what I was saying "to go head on about oldies Music Trivia", but when I Heard that cosmic epiphany , "I grew up listening to Elvis and the Beatles" Oooh I'm shaking in my boots" After a couple replies from you I realize it's a waste of my time. People like you have to blow smoke, quote useless ratings and trend predictions, which never materialize, to make up for their lack of knowledge.

The Ayatollah of Rock n" Rollah is so bad, thank you for pointing that out, I worked with a guy at a radio station that has just as narrow knowledge of oldies and the man has been in radio for 25 years, and he knows less than you, hard to believe huh. but I couldn't get him to understand what is not PC on radio. Maybe he'll read this. He talked exactly like you do, and he ruined the station I programmed, after I left. This is my last reply to you, and my last visit to to this section, I don't care what you call me on the board, you are a waste of my time.

Pal Al Wannabe
 
WACV-AM 1170 in Montgomery, Alabama was doing oldies until today (October 1, 2007).

Montgomery -- at around 300,000 people in the market area -- doesn't seem to want to support an oldies station anymore. WQLD Cool 104.3 died in the summer of 2004 before the calls changed and the format became urban contemporary gospel. Before that, WBAM Oldies 98 transitioned into top 40 before eventually settling on country.

WACV-AM 1170 has been a talk station its whole life, except for the past three years when oldies were attempted during certain dayparts. Although I do talk on there, I often played tunes from our oldies library, but it's gone as of today. And that's probably a good thing, ratings-wise, since talk does better than oldies on AM (at least here in central Alabama).

The types of oldies that were played varied from the AM Gold 1964-1971 variety.. we had a lot of regional hits programmed in there, too -- the Stax/Volt stuff, for example. One would think that somebody somewhere would want to hear these songs!

Perhaps oldies will make a comeback somewhere down the dial over the next few years. I am too young to have actually lived through the 1950s and 1960s, BUT I have always appreciated the legendary music of those eras and listen to it (on my iPod these days).
 
mleach said:
Oldies Cat said:
mikenike1988 said:
One of my favorites is WCDG Cool 92.1 from Norfolk, VA. They have a great mix of 60's and 70's.www.cool921.com
Click to expand...

And they're #17 in the market.
Click to expand...

One big factor why WCDG ranks so low is their signal. I don't think they can be heard in all of the Norfolk/Virginia Beach market. Hampton Roads ( Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, etc..) while they are not the biggest metro area in terms of population ( not quite 2 million ) but they more than make it up in terms of area. I used to vacation quite a bit in Virginia Beach for many years and even in that city, some of the more stronger, powerful stations in terms of signals like WNVZ ( Z104 ), WGH-FM and WWDE ( 2WD ), its not uncommon to hear even them fade out for a brief time at certain intersections near the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a C3, from North Carolina! And tropo is killer along the coast there. Once was in a hotel room in Virginia Beach hearing all of the Atlantic City FM stations loud and clear!
 
hipporadio said:
Reading this thread makes me glad I never tried to program an Oldies station [even one of my own] – I’d surly have taken a spankin’ in the Arbi-Trauma! Here’s proof: I can’t imagine hitting “seek” at the start of “Boogaloo Down Broadway” unless it resurfaced as often as “My Girl”; “Expressway...” was a must-hear for me in the Fall of ’67 – but so was “Let Love Come Between Us” [James and Bobby Purify] and “Beg, Borrow, and Steal” [Ohio Express]; and I’ll go ‘ya a pair-better than The Turtles’ “It Ain’t Me Babe” [a favorite of mine, but so was “You Baby” which just eked-into the Top-20] and The Grassroots’ “Where Were You When I Needed You” [“Lovin’ Things” was a better listen for me and didn’t crack the Top-40 at all]!

Oh I’m fine with “Brown-Eyed Girl”, Sugar-Pie-Honeybunch, and “Like a Rock”; but I need more than just a sprinkle of spice in my Chili... ‘Like “Wild Night” [Van], “Something About You” [The Tops], and S&G’s “Fakin’ It” [a delightful double-entendre given this biz – and from a HUGE Boomer LP featuring FIVE chart hits]. And don’t you just revere those “traditional oldies” stations that get frisky and step into the 70s with treats such as “Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes [Nothing Grows Where the Dog Goes]” and “Tears of a Clown”—charred beyond recognition by the corporate Proctor-Silex station ::) Might we try to expand some minds [and maybe some memories] with the likes of Jimmy Cliff’s “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”, and temporarily-curtail the one-hit-wonder status of The Shocking Blue and sneak-in “Mighty Joe”? ...OH RIGHT—a “stiff”! May I remind you that a stiff usually-comes from the ears of those who seldom behold - or have missed the opportunity to visit the Woolworth’s that particular week long-ago. I had to visit my little local record joint three times before I could buy Motherlode’s “When I Die” in 1969... I was even happier when I finally-found a quality copy on CD a few years back!

Corporate Oldies Radio [or what’s left of it] claims they’re giving “the folks” what they want. Is that why this group now-clamors to acquire, and has figured-out the operation of their shiny-new iPod in numbers that otherwise would be shocking IF they were but ten years younger? Why is the lowest common denominator a source of paramount inspiration for these tenders of the radio jukebox? Could it be the “data” from that exciting Saturday-morning social rendezvous at the Holiday Inn featuring bad coffee, stale donuts, and seven-second snips of seldom-played songs? ...Or the infamous Arbitron and its struggle to motivate the cooperation of diary-keepers with “a life”, or recruit a worthy sample of those wishing to imitate criminal home-detention for a week and strap-on the PPM meter?

I’d much rather get excited about finally-finding The Outsiders’ “Respectable”, Cross Country [aka The Tokens’] “In the Midnight Hour”, and former-Papa—John Phillips’ “Mississippi” on CD! Granted, that makes me a more-fitting “collector” than an Oldies PD! But what talents are these “programmers” really called-upon to exhibit? Is it an appreciation for music and its audience – or merely an understanding of the methodology that allows them to circumvent the almighty ARB?

Somewhere between Carlos’ 3000-song science-fair project at Live365 and The Cat’s “Good-Times and 300 Great Oldies” – there has to be a gratifying middle-ground – and it’s likely to avoid a rated market. My vote goes to Steve Eberhart’s 1650—Oldies Radio where they proudly admit to playing “songs that don’t test well”; but EVERY TITLE I have mentioned in this post plays there. Another delightful station [barely-terrestrial at 250-watts day/5-watts night] is SuperOldies 1580. This one has to work for a living, but manages a treasure-trove that traverses three decades – and please don’t let me hear screams of “train-wreck” from the constipated corporate peanut gallery! This little gem comes complete with the essentials and LOTS of “wow”. Bottom line: there is NO large-market Oldies station I even attempt to tune anymore – let alone accumulate any TSL with. Like many of you; the internet, my 360-gig portable USB hard-drive, and iPod have become my music source... But I highly-doubt [and have accepted] that corporate radio doesn’t even care :'(
Click to expand...

I don't think I could have stated it any better. And "When I Die" by Motherlode is a personal favorite I haven't heard on any terrestrial radio station in 10 years. The small market stations, in my experience, do better with oldies than the big cities. I live between NYC and Philly. WOGL in Philly is Eduardo's/Oldies Cat's idea of a great oldies (I mean classic hits) station. They fry every song of their 100 or so rotation to a crisp. The revived WCBS-FM in NYC is a real surprise...lots of 60's cuts played there, but they do throw in the 80's now, some of which fits the format, much not. Doesn't matter much to me. At home, it's nearly all Internet listening for me now. Terrestrial doesn't program to my tastes, and they seemingly don't care to, which is fine. It's called capitalism. I'll listen to other people's ads, and spend my money appropriately.
 
semoochie said:
WOR-FM, for anyone who didn't listen for the 6 months they made Rock history in late 1966!
Click to expand...

'Twas a bit longer than that. Still on in late 70/early 71, doing the Drake top 40 thing. I moved from the area in early 72, so don't remember the segue into 99X, but assume 74 or so.
 
Don said:
semoochie said:
WOR-FM, for anyone who didn't listen for the 6 months they made Rock history in late 1966!
Click to expand...

'Twas a bit longer than that. Still on in late 70/early 71, doing the Drake top 40 thing. I moved from the area in early 72, so don't remember the segue into 99X, but assume 74 or so.
Click to expand...

Having lived through that era, Don, and also having been an avid listener to WOR-FM I can tell you he's talking about WOR-FM before the Drake invasion. The time period was around July 1966 (no DJs at the beginning because of a strike- yike!) through late 1967 (maybe around November). When the format got turned over to Drake, WNEW-FM took up the reins IMO. So in a way 'OR-FM did make rock history in the sense that they may have been the first Top 40/pop/rock station to be on the FM only side.
 
WGAD gadsden alabama oldies and going strong but moved from 1350 to 930 whan dave hedrick got WJBY this spring
 
Also wgad 930 gadsden alabama, ckdo 1580/ 10.7 ckdo.com
 
According to current and former employees, including KYW-TV's Tom Lamaine, the first Top 40 FM was Atlantic City's WOSJ-FM. It was sister to WOND. It was playing Top 40 in 1962 as part of a live, full service format. It was not a simulcast, although it did simulcast at times (public affairs/overnights).

It had several lives as ROCK 104, Sunny 104, and Classic Rock 103.7 The SHARK.

WOSJ is now WMGM-FM.

I can say I listened to ROCK 104 on a Grundig tube set when in High School in the early 70's some 100+ miles away in neighboring Pennsylvania...before Docket 80-90.
 
Reminds me of the old WRIT-FM in the early and mid-60s. (102.9-Milwaukee) On the one hand, it was a simulcast. On the other, it had a bigger signal than WRIT-AM on the 1340 "graveyard" channel. I remember being stunned by how clear and how good top 40 sounded on "the other band" compared to AM.
 
amfmsw said:
According to current and former employees, including KYW-TV's Tom Lamaine, the first Top 40 FM was Atlantic City's WOSJ-FM. It was sister to WOND. It was playing Top 40 in 1962 as part of a live, full service format. It was not a simulcast, although it did simulcast at times (public affairs/overnights).

It had several lives as ROCK 104, Sunny 104, and Classic Rock 103.7 The SHARK.

WOSJ is now WMGM-FM.

I can say I listened to ROCK 104 on a Grundig tube set when in High School in the early 70's some 100+ miles away in neighboring Pennsylvania...before Docket 80-90.
Click to expand...

I remember ROCK 104. Used to hear in in Pennsauken, NJ, in the late 70's, usually during tropo. Not that it couldn't be had OTA most of the time, but I was in a basement room using a dipole. Remember turning it on before bed after a night of beer and fun...."here is a brief summary of news from WMGM Atlantic City...Rock 104". Speaking of vacuum tubes, this was on a Zenith AM/FM console, I'm guessing circa 1962 or so. That sucker had the BEST FM tuner I've ever owned.

Do you remember the automated "Wim-Gim" format they ran in the late 60's?
 
Yes. Tom McNally can fill in the wholes. He's the one who got it to full Class B, and on a decent tower (it WAS on the side of WOND-AM's 200' stick) burning 50Kw into the Atlantic City Expressway Swamp. It's a miracle we got it at all. Now at 385' approx.

The racks of wimgim automation equipment, cart carousels and all, were mercifully removed from storage about 5 years ago after the owners passing. Pretty well canibalized for parts, even the indicator lamps. I think they may be part of your new Buick or Maytag Washer/Dryer now!

www.hylit.com plays the jingles in their rotation.
 
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