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bjohns
Guest
That's the question I was asked at a weekend gathering. I was stumped. Can anyone help?
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Midnight, October 12, 1966! FM Rock and Roll radio came to Boston in the form of WRKO-FM (98.5, now WBMX), with R-KO-matic ("The Shy But Friendly Robot"). "ARKO" was an all automated FM rock station playing a 50/50 mix of oldies and recurrents, and the Top 40 hits of the day in a no-clutter format which helped spur sales of FM radios to unheard of heights. It was very popular with the college crowd and the student nurses in Boston. It was the test to see if someone could make a dent against WMEX/1510 and WBZ/1030 (both somewhat Top 40 based formatted stations at the time). While "ARKO" was not earth-shattering in terms of ratings, it DID put a bug in the ears of WNAC (now WRKO) management. Some six months later, WRKO-FM's sister station WRKO/680 made the BIG step in dumping WNAC's long-time MOR format and went ba**s-to-the-walls Top-40 with plenty of oldies to match. It took the market by storm. 'ARKO-FM also was the harbinger of things to come on the FM side. Soon came WBCN (1968), WHDH-FM (1967) and more, making the turn to Rock and Roll on FM.
I was only 7 when WRKO-FM debuted on 10/12/1966 but I loved it from the get-go! (I was one of the few people in my block to own an FM radio!
"This is R-KO, your automated all music station in Boston!"l
I was only 7 when WRKO-FM debuted on 10/12/1966 but I loved it from the get-go! (I was one of the few people in my block to own an FM radio!
"This is R-KO, your automated all music station in Boston!"l
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rapking
Guest
Late 70's when its was Disco on KISS 108 FM . Its to bad...That this station is now all CRAP . R.I.P. Sunny Joe White . Second...N/T 590 WEEI flip to The Best Sports Station In America ( Now at 850, 103.7,105.5,1440 ) .3rd...SummerJam , MosterJam ,94.5 concerts...Its too Bad , that 94.5 are not as good, as there concerts .
rapking said:
Those aren't Radio Mements though, which was the original question, but I agree with you otherwise.
Unfortunately I'm not old enough to say definatively. However, in my life time, there are some outstanding moments: One when there was husband and wife working at sepearte stations: (Dave Otto?) at WHTT, while his wife worked on the Matty Show (if I remember correctly).
Another memborable moment from I think 1982, was when someone filling in for Gene Burns (or some mid day talker on RKO) was complaining that WBZ was disgusting because they were always claiming to be "Live" and "First" on everything (this is a foggy detail so if anyone else remembers, chime in).
And who could forget when "Fishnet, Black Pantyhose" was skipping, and Uncle Dale cracked the mike to say "what are these guys, singining under water?" This was 84 and 85, (or was it 86?) and Kiss was already starting to use CD's.
Remember the "Beaver Cleaver" commercials, where one of the morning hosts said "nice costume" and the other replied "what costume?" Or also the WROR advertisement with "The Spinners?"
How about Dale Dorman being covered with cash and being thrown in the Kiss Van to promote the "Kiss Cash Call Contest?"
We all remember the "Piece of Cake, Dave?" ads (that were from an ad agency), with the "Incredible" Dave Maynard jumping out of burning buildings, hanging from the Joe Green BZ chopper, and crashing the set of Richard Simmon's show.
And of course, "Magnificent Mouth" commercial on WZLX just a few years ago. So many great memories. What a great radio market Boston has been!
Johny Most trying to light up a cig and setting himself on fire during Celtics post-game on WRKO.
1)The day Oedipus was booted from the P.D. position is second only to the day Oedi was fired
2)John H. Garabedian mashing up ------ Tonk Women & All Right Now
3)Ian Anderson's interview on WNTN
4)a goodbye show from someone I won't mention, nice person who had a drug problem and was on air,
afternoon drive, gurgling until they removed said person and sent them directly to rehab out of state
5)Harvey Wharfield's stick-it-to WZLX goodbye final show
6)T Rex's very first American broadcast or performance, live on WBCN prior to the Orpheum show.
7)Opie & Anthony getting fired from WAAF
8)The WODS d.j. who walked out and left Yoko Ono's "Silence" (a song with no sound whatsoever) playing...and playing...and playing
2)John H. Garabedian mashing up ------ Tonk Women & All Right Now
3)Ian Anderson's interview on WNTN
4)a goodbye show from someone I won't mention, nice person who had a drug problem and was on air,
afternoon drive, gurgling until they removed said person and sent them directly to rehab out of state
5)Harvey Wharfield's stick-it-to WZLX goodbye final show
6)T Rex's very first American broadcast or performance, live on WBCN prior to the Orpheum show.
7)Opie & Anthony getting fired from WAAF
8)The WODS d.j. who walked out and left Yoko Ono's "Silence" (a song with no sound whatsoever) playing...and playing...and playing
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webcastboy
Guest
Y'all have GOT to be [EDIT] me. Hands-down the greatest moment on Boston radio came on October 27 at 11:40 p.m. from Joe Castiglione on WEEI 850AM.
"Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions! For the first time in eighty-six years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship!! Can you believe it?!?"
[EDIT-profanity]
"Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions! For the first time in eighty-six years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship!! Can you believe it?!?"
[EDIT-profanity]
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Neggy
Guest
WHDH Boston..... followed by the now famous flush
For me, it would have to be when WRKO went rock/top 30 - back when the top 30 had some decent music!
Transistor radio pressed to my ear, it fired me up. Used to make "DJ" tapes (on a new-fangled cassette recorder) with my next door neighbor with all of the current songs that we liked at the time. What I wouldn't give to have one of those tapes now! Every week, pick up the latest top 30 list at the local record store in town. Spurred me on to buy my first 45 rpm single.
Rock and roll, baby...!
Transistor radio pressed to my ear, it fired me up. Used to make "DJ" tapes (on a new-fangled cassette recorder) with my next door neighbor with all of the current songs that we liked at the time. What I wouldn't give to have one of those tapes now! Every week, pick up the latest top 30 list at the local record store in town. Spurred me on to buy my first 45 rpm single.
Rock and roll, baby...!
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BoscoGoldBear
Guest
I'll agree on when Gary LaPierre interviewed David Brudnoy for WBZ on his death bed as one of my three greatest moments in Boston radio history. My others (both from Kiss 108 at the beginning of its top 40 history in 1981 - albeit with a heavy R&B/disco prescence):
Uncle Dale on Kiss 108's Top 300 Memorial Weekend Countdown of all time, loudly proclaiming "Great disco song!" at the end of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." (It was in the mid-30s, while "Wishing On A Star," predictibly enough, was #1.)
Another one from Uncle Dale: he had gotten through playing the Stones' now-classic "Start Me Up" when he fired it up again, and was interrupted by the now late Sunny Joe White, who "suspended" Dale on the air, and apologized to the listeners who listened to the "argument." Dale hung out the next day at the Castle Island area in Southie IIRC.
Uncle Dale on Kiss 108's Top 300 Memorial Weekend Countdown of all time, loudly proclaiming "Great disco song!" at the end of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." (It was in the mid-30s, while "Wishing On A Star," predictibly enough, was #1.)
Another one from Uncle Dale: he had gotten through playing the Stones' now-classic "Start Me Up" when he fired it up again, and was interrupted by the now late Sunny Joe White, who "suspended" Dale on the air, and apologized to the listeners who listened to the "argument." Dale hung out the next day at the Castle Island area in Southie IIRC.
Dick Summer's Sunday night "Subway" show on WBZ.
For a little while, even before WBCN changed to fulltime album rock in '68, you were able to hear "Help I'm A Rock" by The Mothers Of Invention, The Blues Project and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band over a 50,000 watt clear-channel AM station. Bob Seger used to listen in Michigan and it changed his life. Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine listened in Florida (they dedicated their first record on the ESP Label to Dick Summer of WBZ). Many others in many far off places heard a lot of this new, wonderous music for the first time via this amazingly freeform show on this giant signal eminating from Boston.
I still can't believe that this program actually existed on WBZ!
For a little while, even before WBCN changed to fulltime album rock in '68, you were able to hear "Help I'm A Rock" by The Mothers Of Invention, The Blues Project and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band over a 50,000 watt clear-channel AM station. Bob Seger used to listen in Michigan and it changed his life. Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine listened in Florida (they dedicated their first record on the ESP Label to Dick Summer of WBZ). Many others in many far off places heard a lot of this new, wonderous music for the first time via this amazingly freeform show on this giant signal eminating from Boston.
I still can't believe that this program actually existed on WBZ!
<<"Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions! For the first time in eighty-six years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship!! Can you believe it?!?">>
While it's difficult to come up with just one (there have been many), this certainly ranks up there.
While it's difficult to come up with just one (there have been many), this certainly ranks up there.
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rapking
Guest
Wishing on a star ( Kiss 108...12 noon Saturdays ) R.I.P. Sunny Joe White .
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