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Strolling Down On Memory Lane (WVVX 103.1)

stormy01 said:
That's correct about 103.1 not being in Stereo. 103.1 was one of the last frequencies in the area to go Stereo. Why? We'll probably never know. I don't think it would've costed that much to add a Stereo generator to the transmitter, and a Stereo console at the studio. I know that 103.1 was Stereo by the time it went full time Spanish/Mexican. Could 103.1 have been Stereo for "The Eighties Channel?"
Click to expand...

My guess...and it's just a guess...is that Bill Paar probably figured there was no need. The brokered stuff was mono, as were most of the oldies. I'm not sure when they finally did go stereo, but it was pretty late in the game.

Then there's CBC Radio One in Canada which held out in mono until well into the current century!
 
I remember listening to the oldies on WVVX in beautiful mono. Not only were they in mono, but the records that they played were often quite scratchy.
I enjoyed it though because at the time nobody in the Chicago area was playing all oldies.
 
radioman148 said:
I remember listening to the oldies on WVVX in beautiful mono. Not only were they in mono, but the records that they played were often quite scratchy.
I enjoyed it though because at the time nobody in the Chicago area was playing all oldies.
Click to expand...

In 77 to 81 or so, the only other signal available in Chicago area that played any oldies was WISN 1130.
I recall that about this time 550 AM in both Cinncinati and St Louis had oldies but these were not usable
in Hobart In, about 7 miles from WIND 560.


I forget just what happened to WFYR 103.5 and the "Fyr station" on Saturday nights, but it must have
died of disco fever or its effects in the late 70s.

I will start making some CDs of my WVVX checks for you, Rm148.
 
Tom Wells said:
radioman148 said:
I remember listening to the oldies on WVVX in beautiful mono. Not only were they in mono, but the records that they played were often quite scratchy.
I enjoyed it though because at the time nobody in the Chicago area was playing all oldies.
Click to expand...

In 77 to 81 or so, the only other signal available in Chicago area that played any oldies was WISN 1130.
I recall that about this time 550 AM in both Cinncinati and St Louis had oldies but these were not usable
in Hobart In, about 7 miles from WIND 560.


I forget just what happened to WFYR 103.5 and the "Fyr station" on Saturday nights, but it must have
died of disco fever or its effects in the late 70s.

I will start making some CDs of my WVVX checks for you, Rm148.
Click to expand...

WFYR started with their oldies in April of 73 when RKO bought out the old WKFM. They went AC with a gold based mix around 1977. WFYR added DJs then, one of them being Fred Winston in the morning. I also have an aircheck of WVVX which I'll be glad to give you.
 
Tom Wells said:
The oldies format was definitely late 70's and early 80's when the airchecks I recorded were for use in my 1st car, a '66 Plymouth, which I still have. Since WVVX was playing a much deeper list, I was hooked.
I remember for sure one of the all-night guys going by "Jack Slack".

They even had jingles..

( to the tune (lead-in) of "I wonder" why by Dion )
Nim- Nim Nim , Ne-neh neh-neh nim ,,etc Double -U, Vee, Vee, ex, One-oh-three point one, classic gold."

And to tune of "Don't be Cruel" by an Elvis impersonator.
"...Rock and Roll is back, on WVVX, Classic Gold...... In Higland Park".

I heard some great songs on WVVX I'd never heard before or since, and that's for me why they are still memorable.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy this! Short, but exactly what you were referring to. My buddy just posted this, among some other interesting radio tidbits he has online. Enjoy these WVVX Classic Gold Jingles!
http://youtu.be/mA3Zn96B7ZE
 
Great stuff! I remember both of these....and I especially liked (and still like) the "Elvis" one.

Thanks!
 
ChicagoJK said:
Tom Wells said:
The oldies format was definitely late 70's and early 80's when the airchecks I recorded were for use in my 1st car, a '66 Plymouth, which I still have. Since WVVX was playing a much deeper list, I was hooked.
I remember for sure one of the all-night guys going by "Jack Slack".

They even had jingles..

( to the tune (lead-in) of "I wonder" why by Dion )
Nim- Nim Nim , Ne-neh neh-neh nim ,,etc Double -U, Vee, Vee, ex, One-oh-three point one, classic gold."

And to tune of "Don't be Cruel" by an Elvis impersonator.
"...Rock and Roll is back, on WVVX, Classic Gold...... In Higland Park".

I heard some great songs on WVVX I'd never heard before or since, and that's for me why they are still memorable.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm sure you'll enjoy this! Short, but exactly what you were referring to. My buddy just posted this, among some other interesting radio tidbits he has online. Enjoy these WVVX Classic Gold Jingles!
http://youtu.be/mA3Zn96B7ZE
Click to expand...

Great stuff. Somewhere I have some airchecks of WVVX from the late 70s. Thanks for posting.
 
I have these on my airchex, too. I suppose I should really put up some of them on Youtube.
Glad they were in mono, it made a difference for me, being 50 miles away at the south tip of Lake Michigan.
I note the tape flutter was the same as I heard. What the heck were they recording those on?
 
When I saw this topic, I thought to myself, "Gee, I wasn't the only one listening to WVVX 103.1 Oldies back in the late 70s!" and when I saw that this thread was resurrected once already after a three year hiatus, I figured, "what the heck, it's only been a year this time since the last post". So this is my first post in Radio Discussions. I have to say, it's uncanny how similar my musical tastes and circumstances were to many who've posted here. Like Tom Wells, I, too, used to record airchecks from WVVX for the music to play on my under-the-dash tape deck of my 1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88 convertible....that I still have, too, 35 years later! I used to drive down to Marvelous Marv's Midwest Rare Records in Highland Park for old 45s and albums...also, that I still have and convert to digital for MP3 use, now. I even met one of the 'VVX DJs there one time; can't remember who, though. I also discovered the jingles that are now on YouTube....boy, did THAT bring back memories hearing those for the first time in over 30 years!

I tell you, the digital age has been really great for bringing back memories. About four years ago, I digitized a song that I recorded off WVVX around 1979, but I didn't get it from the beginning...maybe a second into it. At the ending, the DJ didn't identify the song or the artist; I remember taking the tape version down with me to a visit to Beverly Records...waaay down south one time (early 80s?) to see if they could identify this song or artist...they couldn't; so once I digitized it in 2009, I sent it off to Scott Shannon and Joel Whitburn and believe it or not....I stumped both of them, too! Joel thought it might have been a local artist, but really had no idea. IT's got an upbeat 1957ish sound and the singer is begging his dad for the car keys to pick up his girl.

I wanted to attach it here to see if any old WVVXers from the Oldies format listening days might have an idea about it, but for some reason, file attachment has been deleted from my Additional Options list. I tried e-mailing for help, but I haven't heard back. It's in a .wav format so I would think it would play if I had the chance to attach it....

Well anyway, I just wanted to chime in about a great old Oldies radio station that didn't play the grooves off of the usual oldies that we hear way too much! -Gordon
 
gbt216 said:
When I saw this topic, I thought to myself, "Gee, I wasn't the only one listening to WVVX 103.1 Oldies back in the late 70s!" and when I saw that this thread was resurrected once already after a three year hiatus, I figured, "what the heck, it's only been a year this time since the last post". So this is my first post in Radio Discussions. I have to say, it's uncanny how similar my musical tastes and circumstances were to many who've posted here. Like Tom Wells, I, too, used to record airchecks from WVVX for the music to play on my under-the-dash tape deck of my 1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88 convertible....that I still have, too, 35 years later! I used to drive down to Marvelous Marv's Midwest Rare Records in Highland Park for old 45s and albums...also, that I still have and convert to digital for MP3 use, now. I even met one of the 'VVX DJs there one time; can't remember who, though. I also discovered the jingles that are now on YouTube....boy, did THAT bring back memories hearing those for the first time in over 30 years!

I tell you, the digital age has been really great for bringing back memories. About four years ago, I digitized a song that I recorded off WVVX around 1979, but I didn't get it from the beginning...maybe a second into it. At the ending, the DJ didn't identify the song or the artist; I remember taking the tape version down with me to a visit to Beverly Records...waaay down south one time (early 80s?) to see if they could identify this song or artist...they couldn't; so once I digitized it in 2009, I sent it off to Scott Shannon and Joel Whitburn and believe it or not....I stumped both of them, too! Joel thought it might have been a local artist, but really had no idea. IT's got an upbeat 1957ish sound and the singer is begging his dad for the car keys to pick up his girl.

I wanted to attach it here to see if any old WVVXers from the Oldies format listening days might have an idea about it, but for some reason, file attachment has been deleted from my Additional Options list. I tried e-mailing for help, but I haven't heard back. It's in a .wav format so I would think it would play if I had the chance to attach it....

Well anyway, I just wanted to chime in about a great old Oldies radio station that didn't play the grooves off of the usual oldies that we hear way too much! -Gordon
Click to expand...

If you could post that song to mediafire or one of the other free posting websites, we could download it & listen & help you ID it.

http://www.mediafire.com/index.php
 
Welcome ChicagoJK.
Glad others have kept their 1966 convertibles 35 years.
Some day I'll get my WVVX airchecks fully digitzed and share 'em.
 
Thanks for the replies and welcome! I did receive a note from the Managing Board Editor that suggested what you did about using a free posting website. I'll have to do that at my home computer later, since we've got very restrictive security here at work. Hopefully someone will remember the mystery artist and song I have! Thanks!
 
Shazam says it's Carl Perkins "Pop Let Me Have the Car."

69 cents on I-tunes....and there are two other cover versions.!
 
Wish I'd have had a chance on unknown song, but my equipment and patience wore thin trying to download server to hear song. WVVX was a great source of 50's/60's music when there was no other. I remember taking an FM radio in car as I commuted to Chicago from suburb near transmitter in Highland Pk. I remember it faded around Devon Ave or a bit before. Wayne W. Bryman and Bucky Albright were 2 of the disc jockeys. The format brought little ad revenue and station became brokered until later format change.
 
317C50KW,

UNBELIEVABLE! I can't believe how quickly this was solved! I've searched the internet myself (though I never search with POP in the title; I've tried Papa, but not Pop; and also "let me borrow the car" not "let me HAVE the car") I've sent a .wav file to Joel Whtburn and Scott Shannon to listen to about 4 years ago...they honestly said they were stumped! Thirty + years ago the guys at Beverly Records couldn't come up with Carl Perkins, either! And you have put the mystery to rest merely two hours after I posted the link! I an just dumbfounded with an infinite amount of THANKS to YOU!!!!

I was so stunned, I went to YouTube and found it myself and listened.....the EXACT version I recorded off of WVVX! And only 69 cents on iTunes!? I didn't knw anything was still 69 cents there! I'll be downloading that! Plus it'll be easier, now, to track down another song they used to play with a similar sound (now knowing it was Carl Perkins!).

I'm also going to track down the cover versions for a listen!

Thanks again SOOOOOO MUCH! -Gordon

p.s. howardm, I'm sorry you weren't able to download my song....but that's not necessary now because you can find it (the whole song) on YouTube as "Pop Let Me Have the Car by Carl Perkins". And you brought up two names that resonate with my memories of WVVX, as well: Wayne W. Bryman and Bucky Albright; in fact, I think Wayne was the DJ I mentioned earlier that I met at Marvelous Marv's! Thanks for your reply!
 
There was another DJ at WVVX named Herb Hallberg. In fact I have a tape or two with him on it. Maybe I'll post it sometime if there is interest.
Anybody remember that name?
 
Yes Bryman hung out a collectors vinyl store I believe called Marvelous Marvs in Glenview I believe. I think I heard Albright on a Milwaukee station and I believe Bryman was on a west suburban station. Why not try vinyl night at Firkin in Libertyville, it's on Facebook under name Black Vinyl Mondays. Excellent sound system. Is Marv still dealing records on net?. Things have changed since Amazon & EBay plus downloads. But prices on top value vinyl holding good. I believe Bill Paar was mgr of WVVX at that time, studios on Skokie Rd, in Highland Pk, transmitter still there. It was the last FM station to convert to stereo in Chgo area. Thanks for the memories.
 
Yes, I stand corrected on Marvelous Marv's; it was Glenview not Highland Park....boy, I filled in a lot of my 50s and 60s vinyl from there....even a "Sing Along With The Chipmunks" album (I remember liking "Alvin's Orchestra" (one of the cuts on this album) on The Alvin Show when I was a child in the 60s).

Hey, I've been to Firkin's before....been several years, however; just down Milwaukee Avenue a few miles from us (though the intersection at Buckley Road on the way down there is a mess!). Black Vinyl Mondays, eh? Too bad it's not Saturdays since we're meeting friends down the block at Mickey Finn's...might have been able to persuade everyone over to Firkin's for a change!

I can't place the name Herb Hallberg, radioman, though I may recognize his voice.....
 
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