Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of December 6, 2015
Edition #862

Talent: ARNIE "WOO WOO" GINSBURG
Station: WMEX Boston
Date: December 12, 1965
Time: 27:27 (unscoped)

Nobody put the fun into Top 40 like Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg.

The epitome of the frantic and funny '50s and '60s jock, Ginsburg was New England's leading Top 40 personality during his nine years (1958-67) at Boston's WMEX. Everything about him stood out - there was the non-traditional voice that led to Ginsburg calling himself Old Leather Lungs and Old Aching Adenoids. There were sound effects - kazoos, whistles, cowbells, buzzers, oogah, car horns (the "Woo Woo" nickname came from the train whistle he used). There were Ginsburg's memorable live reads for the drive-in fast food restaurant Adventure Car Hop, which featured the Ginsburger in honour of their most vocal advertiser. Even the name itself stood out - Ginsburg used his ethnic-sounding birth name when many jocks at the time opted for on-air monikers - a move that made him seem even more human to his listeners. Toss in Ginsburg's steady stream of corny jokes and you had a winner.

Ginsburg got his radio start in 1956 as an engineer, with occasional fill-in on-air duties, at Boston station WORL. He moved to WBOS later that year where he further developed his on-air skills. In 1958, Ginsburg began his stay at WMEX, appearing on the Night Train show seven nights a week (he taped his Saturday and Sunday night shows). His Friday night sock hops at the Surf Ballroom at Nantasket Beach were the place to be for New England teens for a decade. After leaving WMEX in 1967, Ginsburg moved to WRKO and later jocked at or managed several other Boston stations.

In 1970, Ginsburg appeared on the Cruisin' 1961 album recreating a 1961 WMEX show, part of a series of recreations featuring leading '50s and '60s jocks. The album begins with Ginsburg's famous theme song by the 3Ds ("Gather 'round, everybody; 'cause you're about to hear/the show that's gonna make you/smile from ear to ear/It's Arnie Ginsburg, on the Night Train show.") Below, you can hear a REAL Arnie Ginsburg show, on WMEX in 1965.
 

Enjoy Arnie Ginsburg on WMEX here.

Enjoy Arnie Ginsburg on WMEX here.

 

(The Sam Ward Collection)
 

More 1965 airchecks here!