Rock Radio Scrapbook

Airchecks: 1961

Talent: AL MELTZER
Station: WEBR Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: January 6, 1961
Time: 9:07

Imagine a time before morning "zoos," before wake-up teams, before all-day traffic.

That was morning radio in 1961. In the case of WEBR Buffalo, N.Y., it was one deejay, one newsman who also doubled on sports, and what then was a groundbreaking innovation, a traffic reporter in a helicopter.

No raunchy humour here, and in this case no rock 'n' roll either. While this is a rock radio site, now and then it's interesting to see what non-rock radio stations were doing way back when. This aircheck is a true period piece and is fascinating from both a radio and historical perspective.

Featured on this aircheck is pioneering helicopter traffic reporter Jack Sharpe, a member of the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. The aircheck begins with the conclusion of Jim Curtis's 8 a.m. newscast.

The program host is Al Meltzer. Hear him on WEBR in 1961 here.

(Scrapbook archives)

Talent: ALAN FREDERICKS
Station: WADO New York
Date: February 13, 1961
Time: 16:56

Let's take a ride on the Night Train!

Alan Fredericks was a true rock radio legend, a deejay who played the "New York sound" of doo-wop music in the 1950s and '60s on his "Night Train" show on New York and area stations WGBB, WHOM and WADO. Former WCBS-FM program director Joe McCoy told David Hinckley of the New York Daily News, "he was the guy who championed the group sound after it was basically dead on the radio."

Fredericks left radio in 1966, moving to "Travel Weekly," where he became one of the most respected travel editors in the U.S. But he was able to revive the "Night Train" in the '80s and '90s, when he filled in for Don K. Reed on "The Doo-Wop Shop" on WCBS-FM, and also made appearances on that station's Radio Greats Reunions. He died July 31, 2005, at the age of 70.

In 1961, Fredericks was playing doo-wop records from 11-midnight every Saturday night at WADO. The show was sponsored by "Times Square Records," then one of New York's most popular record shops. The following aircheck has survived through the years and we are happy to present it on Rock Radio Scrapbook.

Hear Alan Fredericks on WADO here.

(Scrapbook archives)

Talent: CARL DeSUZE
Station: WBZ Boston
Date: April 13, 1961
Time: 15:40/12:16

It's hard to imagine Boston radio without Carl DeSuze. This urbane announcer ruled as WBZ's morning host for some four decades, waking up folks along the North American eastern seaboard through nine U.S. presidents from Roosevelt to Reagan.

DeSuze arrived at WBZ in April, 1942 after graduating from Bowdoin College and stints at several Maine stations, including WGAN Portland. For 43 years, the man known as "New England's Alarm Clock" entertained with a unique brand of personality radio long-since vanished from the commercial airwaves. He commanded high ratings even after 'BZ's switch to Top 40 in the 1960s. Widely-travelled, and a lover of all things European, DeSuze interviewed many celebrities, lectured, and wrote for publications like Atlantic Monthly, Yankee Magazine and the Boston Globe.

DeSuze retired from WBZ in 1985. He died April 30, 1998, less than two years after participating in WBZ's 75th anniversary celebration in September, 1996. He was 83.

Enjoy Carl DeSuze, Part One, here. (15:40)

Enjoy Carl DeSuze, Part Two, here. (12:16)

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

Talent: TERRY MANN
Station: WNDR Syracuse, N.Y.
Date: April 14, 1961
Time: 20:26

Known in its early days as "The Wonder Station" - and Syracuse's leading Top 40 station during the 1960s - WNDR had a lot of wonderful talent pass through its doors.

Among those to grace the WNDR microphone were Joey Reynolds, Bud Ballou, Dusty Rhodes, Peter C. Cavanaugh, Dan Leonard, Bobby Ryan, Russ Syracuse, Don Bayley, Jim O'Brien, Don Bombard (later known as Bob Shannon) and Joe Galuski.

Also at WNDR was Terry Mann, who would go on to later success at CHUM, CKFH and WKBW - the only jock to work at all three. He passed away in 1973 of diabetes-related complications at the young age of 36.

Enjoy Terry Mann on WNDR here.

Talent: RAY STARR
Station: CKEY Toronto
Date: May or June, 1961
Time: 8:38

(Logo courtesy Bill Dulmage)

1050 CHUM ruled the roost in Toronto Top 40 radio for years, but it was not for lack of competition. In the '70s and '80s there was CFTR, in the late '60s into the mid-'70s there was CKFH. But before all that there was CKEY, a Top 40 outlet from the late '50s to 1965. More than a few leading Toronto radio deejays appeared there including Al Boliska, Duff Roman, Glenn Walters and J.P. Finnegan. Also on the air at 'EY was Ray Starr, who held down the early evening slot in the early '60s. Few airchecks survive from that period, however, but this one of Starr does.

CKEY eventually moved to a full-service MOR format in 1965, returning to rock 'n' roll in 1984 when it went to oldies first as Solid Gold CKEY then as the KEY 590. That ended in 1991 with a switch to country and a call-letter change to CKYC. But CKEY's early years as a Top 40 station will not soon be forgotten.

To hear Ray Starr, click here.

(The Russ Horton Collection)

A ROCK RADIO SCRAPBOOK
SPECIAL PRESENTATION

24 HOURS OF 'KB

Subject: 24 HOURS OF 'KB
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: July 24-25, 1961
Times: Various

Our 24 Hours of 'KB Page can be found here.

(The Russ Horton and Sam Ward Collections)

Originally recorded by Paul Carlson

Talent: TOM SHANNON
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: July 24, 1961
Time: 46:08

"From New York to L.A." was a big hit for Patsy Gallant in the 1970s. But Tom Shannon's theme song might be entitled "From Buffalo to Detroit."

Shannon shuffled between Buffalo and Detroit throughout much of his radio career, with a few stops in other locales. His Buffalo addresses have included WKBW, WGR and Oldies 104 (WHTT-FM). He has appeared in Detroit on CKLW among other stations.

Shannon - who shares his deep knowledge of Top 40 music with his listeners in a compelling style - returned to Buffalo at Oldies 104 in 1997. He did his last show there in 2005.

In 1961, Shannon was at WKBW in the 6-9 p.m. spot.

Enjoy him here.

(The Russ Horton Collection)

Talent: JAY NELSON
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: July 25, 1961
Time: 9:51

Ask most people to name just one CHUM personality from its illustrious history, chances are they'll say Jay Nelson. And for good reason, too. For 17 years, beginning in 1963, Nelson was the highly-rated morning man during CHUM's glory years of the '60s and '70s. But the fact is, he left another highly-rated and successful station to come to CHUM.

From 1961 to 1963, Nelson was morning man at WKBW, which was establishing itself as one of the greatest Top 40 stations of all time. The Scranton, Pa., native, whose real name was Frank Coxe, was almost rejected from the CHUM job because he "sounded too American." Nelson replied "well, I am American."

Nelson died February 18, 1994.

Hear Jay Nelson here.

(Man from Mars Productions)

Talent: SANDY HOYT
Station: CJCH Halifax
Date: July 25, 1961
Time: 5:43

Most Torontonians remember Sandy Hoyt from his days as an easy listening announcer on MOR-formatted CHFI-FM. But did you know that he was once a Top 40 jock?

In 1961, Hoyt held down the evening shift at CJCH Halifax - one of the Atlantic region's more prominent Top 40 stations. It's hard to believe this Sandy Hoyt is the same person entertained folks in a more-laid back style for years in Toronto.

Rock Radio Scrapbook presents Sandy Hoyt here.

(The Don Shuttleworth and Russ Horton Collections)

Talent: DAN INGRAM
Station: WABC New York
Date: November 11, 1961
Time: 17:46

"Big Dan here, laughin' and scratchin'"

Dan Ingram used words like a musician uses notes. For nearly a half-century, the Oceanside, N.Y., native weaved double entendres, satire and wit and into a fast-paced Top 40 radio patter unmatched in the industry. When he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2007, it was a long overdue honour for one of the giants of the industry.

Daniel Trombley Ingram was born September 7, 1934 in Oceanside, N.Y. Both of his parents were musicians, and he was inspired to go into radio after attending music sessions with his father. With Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins and Alan Freed as his influences, Ingram began his broadcasting career at WHCH at Hofstra College in Hempstead, N.Y. Early professional stops were WNRC New Rochelle, N.Y., and WALK Patchogue, N.Y. By 1958, he was on WNHC New Haven, Conn., under his real name and also at WICC Bridgeport, Conn. as Rae Taylor.

Ingram got his first major market big at KBOX Dallas in 1959, and helped that station dramatically improve its competitive position against rival KLIF. He moved to WIL St. Louis in 1960 where he increased ratings in his morning time slot from a zero to a 48 share, and also met his lifelong friend Ron Lundy. By 1961 he had left radio briefly to work at a company that created promos for radio stations. After turning down an offer to do afternoon drive at WMCA, Ingram applied at WABC and started there in the summer of 1961.

Except for a short stint in morning drive in 1979-80, Ingram held down the coveted afternoon drive spot at WABC for 21 years. It was at WABC Ingram uttered many of the patented lines, like "Hi Kemosabe", "Roll your bod", "You're in the honour group of the day", "On the Ingram Flingram" and "Zay gezunt", a Yiddish expression meaning "be well." When WABC switched to a talk format, it was Ingram who along with long-time friend and long-time WABC midday jock Ron Ingram who signed off the music era on May 10, 1982.

In 1984 and 1985, Ingram did CBS Radio's Top 40 Satellite Survey, while also holding down a regular shift at WKTU New York. From October 1991 to June 2003, Ingram joined many other legendary New York jocks at WCBS-FM, where he did early afternoon weekend shifts. He continued as one of North America's leading voice-over personalities well into the 2000s.

Enjoy an early WABC show with Dan Ingram here.

(The Bill Dulmage Collection)

Talent: MIKE DAROW
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: December 21, 1961
Time: 8:53

Memories, fading ones at that, are all we have to go by.

Even though it is recognized as one of North America's pioneer Top 40 stations, much of CHUM's early audio history seems to have simply vanished.

Relatively few CHUM airchecks from the pre-1970 period are in active circulation. While some may be in private collections, that isn't much good to the masses of us who want to hear them. Bob Laine and Doug Thompson have been finding plenty of CHUM airchecks in that station's archives and sending them to us, but we'd also like to uncover some of the ones listeners may have recorded.

A collector in Michigan named Tom Sanders sent us an aircheck of afternoon drive host Mike Darow at CHUM in 1961. This is one of only two airchecks of Darow that we know about and one of only a handful from the early days of CHUM. Not even a single aircheck of Al Boliska's CHUM morning show is known to exist. But we believe someone, somewhere, must have tapes of those early CHUM shows. Can you help?

Rock Radio Scrapbook presents Mike Darow here.

(The Tom Sanders Collection)

For more classic CHUM airchecks, visit The CHUM Archives

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