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Who were there jocks when they were Top 40 and how late could they stay on in summer? Who did the evening shift when they were on after sundown in Chicago?
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Ernie Simon was sign on til 9 (sign on was sometimes in the 4am hour in Summer - protecting Salt Lake City). He was fabulously funny.
There was Jim Lounsbury and Del Clark. Stan Major signed the place off during much of the rocdk and roll yearsa when it was a daytimer - sign off was Salt Lakee City sunset PLUS 2 hours so roughly 10pm in Summer 6pm + in Winter.
Google and you'll see alot of this;
Th01/12/59 — WJJD 1160 AM ( Chicago, Illinois )
WJJD - RADIO CHICAGO
1160 ON YOUR RADIO DIAL
FORTY TOP TUNES OF GREATER CHICAGO
WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 1959
TW LW ARTIST TITLE WKS NOTES
1 2 Platters Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
2 9 Lloyd Price Stagger Lee
3 8 Ray Anthony Peter Gunn
4 7 Crests 16 Candles
5 3 Connie Francis My Happiness
6 4 Fats Domino Whole Lotta Lovin'
7 1 Chipmunks Chipmunk Song
8 11 Jack Scott Goodbye Baby
9 13 Andy Williams Hawaiian Wedding Song
10 22 Ritchie Valens Donna
11 17 Jackie Wilson Lonely Teardrops
12 20 Reg Owen Manhattan Spiritual
13 28 Jesse Lee Turner Little Space Girl
14 6 Ricky Nelson Lonesome Town
15 5 Eric Jay Little Drummer Boy
15 5 Harry Simeone Little Drummer Boy
16 10 Billy & Lillie Lucky Ladybug
17 -- Mark IV I Got A Wife
18 23 Paul Anka My Heart Sings
19 37 Mitch Miller Children's Marching Song
19 37 Sauter-Finegan This Old Man He Played One
19 37 Cyril Stapleton Children's Marching Song
20 12 Eddie Cochran C'mon Everybody
21 18 Clyde McPhatter Lover's Question
22 27 Bill Parsons All American Boy
23 39 Annette Tall Paul
24 32 Frankie Sardo Fake Out
25 29 Fabian I'm A Man
26 15 Kingston Trio Tom Dooley
27 21 Cadillacs Peek-A-Boo
28 14 Elvis Presley I Got Stung
29 40 Wade Flemons Here I Stand
30 16 Jimmie Rodgers Bimbombey
31 19 Everly Brothers Problems
32 38 McGuire Sisters May You Always
33 33 Quaker City Boys Teasin'
34 26 Johnny Mathis You Are Beautiful
35 -- Dion & Belmonts Don't Pity Me
36 -- Billy Vaughn Blue Hawaii
37 -- Harvey I Want Somebody
38 -- Duane Eddy Lonely One
39 -- Morgan Brothers Nola
40 -- Wild Cats Gazachstahagen
HB Gaylords Again
HB Peggy Lee Alright Okay You Win
HB Linda Laurie Ambrose (Part Five)
HB Bobby Christian Boola
HB Humphrey Lyttleton Bodega
HB Art Mooney Bye Bye Blackbird
HB Rogues Cha Cha Louise
HB Earl Grant Evening Rain
HB Cathy Carr First Anniversary
HB Georgia Gibbs Hucklebuck
HB Lavern Baker I Cried A Tear
HB Joe Fuller In The Beginning
HB Brook Benton It's Just A Matter Of Time
HB Bell Notes I've Had It
HB Flamingos Lovers Never Say Goodbye
HB Chris Barber Petite Fleur
HB Applejacks Rock-A-Conga
HB Matys Bros Rummy Polka
HB Patti Page Trust In Me
HB Pat Boone With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
NEW RECORDS TO WATCH
Again - Gaylords
Alright Okay You Win - Peggy Lee
Ambrose Pt. 5 - Linda Laurie
Boola - Bobby Christian
Bodega - Humphrey Lyttleton
Bye Bye Blackbird - Art Mooney
Cha Cha Louise - Rogues
Evening Rain - Earl Grant
First Anniversary - Cathy Carr
Hucklebuck - Georgia Gibbs
I Cried A Tear - Lavern Baker
In The Beginning - Joe Fuller
It's Just A Matter Of Time - Brook Benton
I've Had It - Bell Notes
Lovers Never Say Goodbye - Flamingos
Petite Fleur - Chris Barber
Rock-A-Conga - Applejacks
Rummy Polka - Matys Bros
Trust In Me - Patti Page
With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair - Pat Boone
DJ'S:
Cy Nelson 4-6am, 9-10am
Dick Elliot 6-9am, 12-2pm
Sid Roberts 10-12 noon, 2-3pm
Carmen Anthony 3-6 pm
Carl Warner News Editor
There was Jim Lounsbury and Del Clark. Stan Major signed the place off during much of the rocdk and roll yearsa when it was a daytimer - sign off was Salt Lakee City sunset PLUS 2 hours so roughly 10pm in Summer 6pm + in Winter.
Google and you'll see alot of this;
Th01/12/59 — WJJD 1160 AM ( Chicago, Illinois )
WJJD - RADIO CHICAGO
1160 ON YOUR RADIO DIAL
FORTY TOP TUNES OF GREATER CHICAGO
WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 1959
TW LW ARTIST TITLE WKS NOTES
1 2 Platters Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
2 9 Lloyd Price Stagger Lee
3 8 Ray Anthony Peter Gunn
4 7 Crests 16 Candles
5 3 Connie Francis My Happiness
6 4 Fats Domino Whole Lotta Lovin'
7 1 Chipmunks Chipmunk Song
8 11 Jack Scott Goodbye Baby
9 13 Andy Williams Hawaiian Wedding Song
10 22 Ritchie Valens Donna
11 17 Jackie Wilson Lonely Teardrops
12 20 Reg Owen Manhattan Spiritual
13 28 Jesse Lee Turner Little Space Girl
14 6 Ricky Nelson Lonesome Town
15 5 Eric Jay Little Drummer Boy
15 5 Harry Simeone Little Drummer Boy
16 10 Billy & Lillie Lucky Ladybug
17 -- Mark IV I Got A Wife
18 23 Paul Anka My Heart Sings
19 37 Mitch Miller Children's Marching Song
19 37 Sauter-Finegan This Old Man He Played One
19 37 Cyril Stapleton Children's Marching Song
20 12 Eddie Cochran C'mon Everybody
21 18 Clyde McPhatter Lover's Question
22 27 Bill Parsons All American Boy
23 39 Annette Tall Paul
24 32 Frankie Sardo Fake Out
25 29 Fabian I'm A Man
26 15 Kingston Trio Tom Dooley
27 21 Cadillacs Peek-A-Boo
28 14 Elvis Presley I Got Stung
29 40 Wade Flemons Here I Stand
30 16 Jimmie Rodgers Bimbombey
31 19 Everly Brothers Problems
32 38 McGuire Sisters May You Always
33 33 Quaker City Boys Teasin'
34 26 Johnny Mathis You Are Beautiful
35 -- Dion & Belmonts Don't Pity Me
36 -- Billy Vaughn Blue Hawaii
37 -- Harvey I Want Somebody
38 -- Duane Eddy Lonely One
39 -- Morgan Brothers Nola
40 -- Wild Cats Gazachstahagen
HB Gaylords Again
HB Peggy Lee Alright Okay You Win
HB Linda Laurie Ambrose (Part Five)
HB Bobby Christian Boola
HB Humphrey Lyttleton Bodega
HB Art Mooney Bye Bye Blackbird
HB Rogues Cha Cha Louise
HB Earl Grant Evening Rain
HB Cathy Carr First Anniversary
HB Georgia Gibbs Hucklebuck
HB Lavern Baker I Cried A Tear
HB Joe Fuller In The Beginning
HB Brook Benton It's Just A Matter Of Time
HB Bell Notes I've Had It
HB Flamingos Lovers Never Say Goodbye
HB Chris Barber Petite Fleur
HB Applejacks Rock-A-Conga
HB Matys Bros Rummy Polka
HB Patti Page Trust In Me
HB Pat Boone With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
NEW RECORDS TO WATCH
Again - Gaylords
Alright Okay You Win - Peggy Lee
Ambrose Pt. 5 - Linda Laurie
Boola - Bobby Christian
Bodega - Humphrey Lyttleton
Bye Bye Blackbird - Art Mooney
Cha Cha Louise - Rogues
Evening Rain - Earl Grant
First Anniversary - Cathy Carr
Hucklebuck - Georgia Gibbs
I Cried A Tear - Lavern Baker
In The Beginning - Joe Fuller
It's Just A Matter Of Time - Brook Benton
I've Had It - Bell Notes
Lovers Never Say Goodbye - Flamingos
Petite Fleur - Chris Barber
Rock-A-Conga - Applejacks
Rummy Polka - Matys Bros
Trust In Me - Patti Page
With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair - Pat Boone
DJ'S:
Cy Nelson 4-6am, 9-10am
Dick Elliot 6-9am, 12-2pm
Sid Roberts 10-12 noon, 2-3pm
Carmen Anthony 3-6 pm
Carl Warner News Editor
Prais said:
What years was Jim Lounsberry on WJJD & what shift did he host? I have a few WJJD surveys from 58 & 59, but he is not listed during those years.
Lounsbury has 1 R.
Jim was probably there in the mid-50's, about the same time he was on WGN. Use Google. You'll get lots of treasures like this;
The most unpleasant memories of my radio career are from WJJD — the exception being that I enjoyed working with Jack Spector, with whom I did some hops. Jack did afternoon drive. At the time of this air check the studios were in the Union Carbide building at 230 N. Michigan Avenue. The main broadcast studio was suspended so the vibrations from the underground rail would not be a problem. It must have been built in the '30s or early '40s as the studio was large enough to accommodate an orchestra and studio audience. I don't think it had ever been repainted. The colors were drab to begin with and the lighting was poor. The announcer's desk was in the center of the studio and way over in the left corner were the turntables, records and transcriptions (commercials).
At this time, the musician's union still provided the musician to operate the turntables. My guy hated top 40 music and would show his displeasure with grimaces and by actually plugging his fingers in his ears. The (older) engineer who controlled the mike and volume levels was up in the control room several yards away, and was smoking his pipe and reading the morning paper. Plus, after signing on at 4:00 or 5:00 AM (I've forgotten which); we signed off for 15 minutes at 7:00 AM to allow some station out West to sign on. This tape begins after we've signed back on.
My charge was to do a light and happy show under these conditions. Embarrassing as these early air checks are, they are part of my Top 40 radio history. By the way, the "image" voice was the newest PD, Stan Major, heard on all the promos and intros. The short period that I was there was too long. I was later able to introduce newsman Cy Nelson, who was incredulous with those news stagings, to a job with Bartell at WOKY in Milwaukee. He was a quality
Then this about Lounsbury from Wikipedia;
Jim Lounsbury (February 24, 1923 in Colo, Iowa – January 8, 2006 in Tucson, Arizona) was an early pioneer in rock and roll music, hosting many of the first rock and roll radio programs (WIND, WJJD, Chicago, WOR, New York) and later many rock and roll television shows, including Jim Lounsbury's Sock Hop, "Bandstand Matinee"', and The Record Hop (WGN and WBKB, Chicago), as well as hosting many local record hops in the Chicago area in the 1950s and '60s, and occasionally guest-hosting for Dick Clark on American Bandstand. He also hosted one of the last shows with Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, in Kenosha, Wisconsin on January 24, 1959, on the Winter Dance Party tour. Later in his career, he was well known as a radio news journalist and ended his career as the national news anchor for UPI Radio News.
Lounsbury retired to Tucson, Arizona in the early 1980s. He and Helen Mason, whom he described as his "biggest fan", traveled around the Southwest in Jim's Cessna 182 airplane which he piloted. Jim occasionally wrote for Southwest Aviator magazine about his flying experiences. He also occasionally did voice-over work from his home. Jim died on January 8, 2006 in Tucson, Arizona.
For more information about the beginning of rock 'n' roll read his book Hey, Look - I'm on TV. Jim has one son from his first marriage. His son is an attorney in the Northwest.
Jim was probably there in the mid-50's, about the same time he was on WGN. Use Google. You'll get lots of treasures like this;
The most unpleasant memories of my radio career are from WJJD — the exception being that I enjoyed working with Jack Spector, with whom I did some hops. Jack did afternoon drive. At the time of this air check the studios were in the Union Carbide building at 230 N. Michigan Avenue. The main broadcast studio was suspended so the vibrations from the underground rail would not be a problem. It must have been built in the '30s or early '40s as the studio was large enough to accommodate an orchestra and studio audience. I don't think it had ever been repainted. The colors were drab to begin with and the lighting was poor. The announcer's desk was in the center of the studio and way over in the left corner were the turntables, records and transcriptions (commercials).
At this time, the musician's union still provided the musician to operate the turntables. My guy hated top 40 music and would show his displeasure with grimaces and by actually plugging his fingers in his ears. The (older) engineer who controlled the mike and volume levels was up in the control room several yards away, and was smoking his pipe and reading the morning paper. Plus, after signing on at 4:00 or 5:00 AM (I've forgotten which); we signed off for 15 minutes at 7:00 AM to allow some station out West to sign on. This tape begins after we've signed back on.
My charge was to do a light and happy show under these conditions. Embarrassing as these early air checks are, they are part of my Top 40 radio history. By the way, the "image" voice was the newest PD, Stan Major, heard on all the promos and intros. The short period that I was there was too long. I was later able to introduce newsman Cy Nelson, who was incredulous with those news stagings, to a job with Bartell at WOKY in Milwaukee. He was a quality
Then this about Lounsbury from Wikipedia;
Jim Lounsbury (February 24, 1923 in Colo, Iowa – January 8, 2006 in Tucson, Arizona) was an early pioneer in rock and roll music, hosting many of the first rock and roll radio programs (WIND, WJJD, Chicago, WOR, New York) and later many rock and roll television shows, including Jim Lounsbury's Sock Hop, "Bandstand Matinee"', and The Record Hop (WGN and WBKB, Chicago), as well as hosting many local record hops in the Chicago area in the 1950s and '60s, and occasionally guest-hosting for Dick Clark on American Bandstand. He also hosted one of the last shows with Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, in Kenosha, Wisconsin on January 24, 1959, on the Winter Dance Party tour. Later in his career, he was well known as a radio news journalist and ended his career as the national news anchor for UPI Radio News.
Lounsbury retired to Tucson, Arizona in the early 1980s. He and Helen Mason, whom he described as his "biggest fan", traveled around the Southwest in Jim's Cessna 182 airplane which he piloted. Jim occasionally wrote for Southwest Aviator magazine about his flying experiences. He also occasionally did voice-over work from his home. Jim died on January 8, 2006 in Tucson, Arizona.
For more information about the beginning of rock 'n' roll read his book Hey, Look - I'm on TV. Jim has one son from his first marriage. His son is an attorney in the Northwest.
we signed off for 15 minutes at 7:00 AM to allow some station out West to sign on.
Fascinating history, but why sign off to allow a station out West to sign on? The dominate Class A was KSL with its 50-gallons. I understand about "critical hours" but don't understand why WJJD would have to sign off for 15 minutes for a sign on a time zone away. A pattern change only takes seconds and doesn't affect much after sunrise in your time zone. Just curious. I worked at a station with a half dozen pattern changes a day, but never signed off. I remember power changes, too, but haven't heard of this.
Fascinating history, but why sign off to allow a station out West to sign on? The dominate Class A was KSL with its 50-gallons. I understand about "critical hours" but don't understand why WJJD would have to sign off for 15 minutes for a sign on a time zone away. A pattern change only takes seconds and doesn't affect much after sunrise in your time zone. Just curious. I worked at a station with a half dozen pattern changes a day, but never signed off. I remember power changes, too, but haven't heard of this.
Prais said:
I would love to hear a copy of this aircheck. Is there a way you can post it to a website or I would be glad to trade or buy a copy from you. This is Chicago radio history. I'd love to hear this.
oaktree said:
According to White's Radio log the only stations in the US operating on 1160 in the 50s & early 60s were KSL and WJJD.
WJJD was a later addition. KSL "owned the freq." After Salt Lake sunrise, and before Salt Lake sunset, it was ok for wjjd to operate.
re; the aircheck - go to http://www.440.com/index.html and join up.
I'm not sure if critical hours and directional changes were invented when this was going on in the 50's.
re; the aircheck - go to http://www.440.com/index.html and join up.
I'm not sure if critical hours and directional changes were invented when this was going on in the 50's.
Prais said:
I'm aware that KSL was the dominant station and WJJD had to signoff for them. All I was saying was that there wasn't any other stations besides KSL or JJD operating on 1160. So if WJJD had to signoff again at 7AM than it must have had something to do with KSL.
Prais said:
How do I signup to hear that 50s WJJD aircheck? All I see is the 440 website. Nothing about any airchecks.
Is there a link directly to the aircheck? Thanks!
I think he meant Reel Top 40 Radio Repository,radioman148 said:
www.reelradio.com
You do need to make a contribution when you join, and if you search WJJD you will find a Sam Hale scoped and un-scoped air check from the “studio” days.
Me, I think it is well worth it to join and listen to the hunderds of air checks.
Icangelp said:
Thanks!
>>The most unpleasant memories of my radio career are from WJJD — the exception being that I enjoyed working with Jack Spector>>
Is that the same Jack Spector who worked at WMCA in NYC?
Is that the same Jack Spector who worked at WMCA in NYC?
Prais said:
My take on the early sign ons, off for 15 min. at 7:00am, and sign off at SLC sunset,
from reviewing the monthly sunrise/sunset times for both WYLL 1160 Chicago and
KSL 1160 Salt Lake City in the FCC AM Query:
Back in the era in question, while Chicago was on CDT from late April-late October,
Salt Lake City was on MST year-round.
Also at that time, I believe KSL signed off from 12:00am-6:00am local time (MST).
I also recall hearing about some caveat that if other stations on the same freq.
didn't object, your station could power up--or in this case, sign-on, at 4:00am
local time. Since KSL was off the air, I guess they couldn't object.
That sort of makes me wonder, since WJJD was a "limited time" station (L-KSL),
why they just didn't come back on the air at 1:00am CST/2:00am CDT, after
KSL signed off for the overnight.
In December and January, Chicago sunrise is at 7:15 CST. This would explain why
WJJD had to sign off at 7:00 CST/6:00 MST for :15 as that is when KSL signed on.
In all other months Chicago sunrise is before 6:00 MST, so WJJD could legally be on
when KSL came on at 6.
As for sign-offs, the monthly times show that, in terms of local standard time, SLC
sunset is either 30 or 45 minutes later (on the clock) than Chicago sunset depending
on the month. This is based on lat/lon--both lats are similar, but SLC lon is almost at
the western edge of its time zone while CHI lon is a bit east of center.
Since WJJD could stay on until Salt Lake City sunset, that was either 1:30 or 1:45
after Chicago sunset (not two hours after, but somewhat close).
The original references to sign-offs at 6:00 in winter and 10:00 in summer were
correct. SLC December sunset was 5:00 MST, or 6:00 CST for WJJD; in June SLC
sunset was 8:00 MST, or 10:00 CDT in CHI.
Didn't we do a similar KSL/WJJD thread about a year ago?
Thanks for the history and explanation. I'm still confused why there was a :15 "window" between CST and MST "sign on" and since WJJD was directional (I believe) with 2 towers pushing north day and 6 towers going north and east prior to sunset, what the purpose of the 15 minutes at Salt Lake sunrise was for to "allow KSL to sign-on." I remember hearing limited time stations or shared frequency stations (like in Dallas) but this one baffles me. If 'JJD was already on the air, against a dominate non-directional Class A at the same 50 kw, I don't understand why Chicago had to leave the air for a quarter hour, then sign-on again after 15 minutes. For what purpose?
I could understand if it wasn't allowed to sign-on until 15 minutes AFTER MST sunrise (meaning, of course, an hour later CST) unless it had permission from KSL to sign on "early" (since they were allowed to be on 24 hours ... but Herb Jepko hadn't been invented yet all night.) Or, if there was a "critical hours" power level lower than 'JJD's power of 50 kw. Maybe they had a lower power of 5000 watts in critical pre-sunrise (CST) hours before kicking in with 50 kw AFTER Salt Lake sunrise. But, still, that 15 minutes baffles me, unless the sunrise time was "approximate" and 'JJD had to stay at lower power until KSL had signed on, but why?
Now, I did just find a resource that had WJJD at 1130 with 2000 watts local sunrise in Chicago in 1933. Interestinger and interestinger.
I won't sleep now for a week and I have pattern maps spread out all over the floor. I love this board. Thanks ... an interesting discussion here as we turn back the "Wayback Machine."
I could understand if it wasn't allowed to sign-on until 15 minutes AFTER MST sunrise (meaning, of course, an hour later CST) unless it had permission from KSL to sign on "early" (since they were allowed to be on 24 hours ... but Herb Jepko hadn't been invented yet all night.) Or, if there was a "critical hours" power level lower than 'JJD's power of 50 kw. Maybe they had a lower power of 5000 watts in critical pre-sunrise (CST) hours before kicking in with 50 kw AFTER Salt Lake sunrise. But, still, that 15 minutes baffles me, unless the sunrise time was "approximate" and 'JJD had to stay at lower power until KSL had signed on, but why?
Now, I did just find a resource that had WJJD at 1130 with 2000 watts local sunrise in Chicago in 1933. Interestinger and interestinger.
I won't sleep now for a week and I have pattern maps spread out all over the floor. I love this board. Thanks ... an interesting discussion here as we turn back the "Wayback Machine."
oaktree said:
I just checked a few '50s/'60s yearbooks in the Old Gringo's stash and all, going back
to 1955, show WJJD as 1160 kc(kHz), 50 kw, DA-1, L-KSL. So whatever the pattern,
it was used whenever the station was on the air.
As to the 15-minute sign-off at 7:00am...
Assuming this was mandated in December and January per my earlier reply, even though
WJJD came on at 4:00am (since KSL was off the air overnights), in those winter months
the Chicago sunrise was not until 7:15 CST/6:15 MST. Since dominant station KSL
signed on at 7:00 CST/6:00 MST, WJJD could not be on the air in the morning while KSL
was--until the monthly Chicago sunrise time. Hence the 15-minute period where WJJD
had to sign off temporarily, from 7:00-7:15 CST/6:00-6:15 MST (KSL on, and not yet
"daytime" in Chicago).
I'd break out all the charts and graphs, but without emoticons I'd be lost. <wink>
oaktree said:
I stand to be corrected, but I believe what the deal was that KSL was off for a couple of pre-dawn hours instead of being a 24-hour station. 'JJD came on when KSL signed off....then had to briefly go off again when KSL signed on. Weird and it sounded ridiculous....I remember it. Lots of fulltime stations....even a few big ones....didn't stay on 24/7 in the sixties. Sunday night/early Monday signoffs were particularly common.
Odiesfan 6479 is correct as best I recall. WJJD was on until around 10pm in the summer....6pm or thereabouts in the winter.
cyberdad said:
I listened to WJJD regularly in the late 50s for my Rock & Roll fix and the 10PM signoff in June is correct.
The 7--7:15AM thing seems ridiculous, but so be it.
One more question, was WJJD's towers in the same location on Ballard Road in the 50s and was their daytime pattern the same as 1160 is today? I'm assuming they had only 2 towers then since there was no nighttime operation.
Ballard road transmitter site in the 50's is correct. I visited shortly after wjjd changed from top 40 to beautiful music. It was in a house -with the xmtr in the basement.
They also had a office/studio downtown as well (see prior post) during the top 40 years.
By the time they switched to country, it all came from Ballard.
Prior transmitter site was at "Moosehart", sw of Chicago in Dupage County, where I believe wjjd had lower power and played "hillbilly" (not country) music starting in the morning with Randy Blake.
They also had a office/studio downtown as well (see prior post) during the top 40 years.
By the time they switched to country, it all came from Ballard.
Prior transmitter site was at "Moosehart", sw of Chicago in Dupage County, where I believe wjjd had lower power and played "hillbilly" (not country) music starting in the morning with Randy Blake.
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