Pop-Tops/Mingles
An innovative concept was born in the early '70s - jingles sung over the intro of the record that sounded like they were part of the song. Several major stations, including WKBW, WLS, KFRC, WRKO and WFIL, carried these little gems.
These "jingles" were called Pop-Tops - they were also known as "Mingles" and "Song-Overs"- but first, former 'KB jock Don Berns tells Rock Radio Scrapbook the story behind Pop-Tops...
"Joey Reynolds had the idea and maybe did it first at the station in Philly that he programmed (WFIL). Jeff Kaye took it one step further (of course). He went to Dallas and spent a week hanging out in clubs, looking for sound-alikes for the popular artists of the day, whom he then brought into the PAMS (TM?) studio to record the first ones for KB. When they proved to be as successful as he had hoped he called in record promo guy/studio owner Jerry Meyers, plus the managers of all the local artists we played at KB (Weekend, The Road, John Culliton Mahoney, The Pincushions, Big Wheelie and The Hubcaps, Paula Milligan and dozens more - we played a LOT of local artists) and asked them to get their bands to participate, which was a no-brainer.
After the project took off, Jeff turned it
over to me; I wrote, co-produced and/or sang on about 1/2 of the pop tops we
did. Writing them was a group effort - as I remember. Jerry Meyers was quite
good at getting what we needed from the artists."
And now, the Rock
Radio Scrapbook Pop-Top/Mingles
Collection!
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song Pop-Top (Old-Fashioned Love Song - Three Dog Night)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
(Contributor: Don Shuttleworth)
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Baby I'm-A Want You - Bread)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
(Contributor: Don Shuttleworth)
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (I've Found Someone of My Own - Free Movement)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
(Contributor: Don Shuttleworth)
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves - Cher)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
(Note: Yes, that's Jack Armstrong on this one!)
(Contributor: Don Shuttleworth)
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Whatcha See is Whatcha Get - Dramatics)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Brand New Key - Melanie)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Day After Day - Badfinger)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Smiling Faces Sometimes - Undisputed Truth)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top
(That's All Right, I Don't Mind - Alzo)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Son of My Father - Georgio)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Mac and Katie Kissoon)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top
(Wild Night - Van Morrison)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top
(You Are Everything - Stylistics)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Do You Know What I Mean - Lee Michaels)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top
(Precious and Few - Climax)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Without You - Nilsson)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (In The Rain - Dramatics)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Sylvia's Mother - Dr. Hook)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Bad, Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Heart of Gold - Neil Young)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Way of Love - Cher)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Right Place, Wrong Time - Dr. John)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (I'm Doing Fine Now - New York City)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Free Electric Band - Albert Hammond)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (It Sure Took a Long, Long Time - Lobo)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Drinking Wine Spo-Dee O'Dee - Jerry Lee Lewis)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Diamond Girl - Seals & Crofts)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Brandy - Scott English)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Rockin' Robin - Jackson 5)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Horse With No Name - America)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Letter - Box Tops)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Give Me Love - George Harrison)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Morning After - Maureen McGovern)
Year: 1973
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top
(Teenage Lament '74 - Alice Cooper)
Year: 1974
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks)
Year: 1974
Hear it here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong - Bullet)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Love is Strange - Wings)
Year: 1971
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Sugar, Sugar - Archies)
Year: 1969
Hear it here.
Note: Don Berns sings bass ('KB, 'KB) on this Pop-Top.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Sunshine On My Shoulders - John Denver)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Jet - Paul McCartney & Wings)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Rock On - David Essex)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Show Must Go On - Three Dog Night)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Come and Get Your Love - Redbone)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Bennie and The Jets - Elton John)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Stay With Me - Rod Stewart)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Could Have Been A Lady - April Wine)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
Station: WKBW Buffalo, New York
Song: Pop-Top (Hang on Sloopy - McCoys)
Year: 1965
Hear it
here.
Station: KMOX St. Louis
Song: Pop-Top (I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren)
Year: 1974
Hear it
here.
Station: KSD St. Louis
Song: Pop-Top (Wake Up Little Susie - Everly Bros.)
Year: 1957
Hear it
here.
Station: KSD St. Louis
Song: Pop-Top (Chain Gang - Sam Cooke)
Year: 1964
Hear it
here.
Station: KRLA Los Angeles
Description: Pop-Top
(Love Her Madly - Doors)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WLS Chicago
Song: Pop-Top (If - Bread)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WLS Chicago
Song: Pop-Top (Reach Out I'll Be There - Diana Ross)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WLS Chicago
Song: Pop-Top (Put Your Hand in the Hand - Ocean)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WLS Chicago
Song: Pop-Top (Sweet and Innocent - Donnie Osmond)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WLS Chicago
Song: Pop-Top (Never Can Say Goodbye - Jackson 5)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KGB San Diego
Song: Pop-Top (Me and You and a Dog Named Boo - Lobo)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KFRC San Francisco
Song: Pop-Top (Indian Reservation - Raiders)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KFRC San Francisco
Song: Pop-Top (The Drum - Bobby Sherman)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: CHAM Hamilton, Ontario
Song: Pop-Top (Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: CHAM Hamilton, Ontario
Song: Pop-Top (Baby Blue - Badfinger)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: CKVL Montreal (Laval)
Song: Pop-Top (Sooner or Later - Grass Roots) *this Pop-Top is in French
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WGBF Evansville, Illinois
Song: Pop-Top (Still the One - Orleans)
Year: 1976
Hear it here.
Station: WICC Bridgeport, Connecticut
Song: Pop-Top (The Groove Line - Heatwave)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WICC Bridgeport, Connecticut
Song: Pop-Top (On Broadway - George Benson)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WICC Bridgeport, Connecticut
Song: Pop-Top (You Belong To Me - Carly Simon)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WICC Bridgeport, Connecticut
Song: Pop-Top (Papa Was a Rolling Stone - Temptations)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WICC Bridgeport, Connecticut
Song: Pop-Top (Rosanna - Toto)
Year: 1982
Hear it here.
Station: KCBQ San Diego
Song: Pop-Top (Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves - Cher)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KCBQ San Diego
Song: Pop-Top (A Cowboy's Work is Never Done - Cher)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: KCBQ San Diego
Song: Pop-Top (No One to Depend On - Santana)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KCBQ San Diego
Song: Pop-Top (Puppy Love - Donnie Osmond)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WMYQ Miami
Song: Pop-Top (Everybody's Everything - Santana)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WMYQ Miami
Song: Pop-Top (Got To Be There - Jackson 5)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: KFAB Omaha
Song: Pop-Top (Stick Up - Honeycone)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WNEW-AM New York
Song: Pop-Top (The Way of Love - Cher)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WRIT Milwaukee
Song: Pop-Top (Rainy Jane - Davy Jones)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WFIL Philadelphia
Song: Pop-Top (Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WFIL Philadelphia
Song: Pop-Top (You've Got a Friend - James Taylor)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WFIL Philadelphia
Song: Pop-Top (Double Lovin' - Osmonds)
Year: 1971
Hear it
here.
Station: WPGC Washington, D.C.
Song: Pop-Top (She's a Lady - Tom Jones)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WPGC Washington, D.C.
Song: Pop-Top (Life is a Rock - Reunion)
Year: 1974
Hear it here.
Station: WPGC Washington, D.C.
Song: Pop-Top (Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through - Jim Steinman)
Year: 1981
Hear it here.
Station: WPGC Washington, D.C.
Song: Pop-Top (Fire - Pointer Sisters)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WCAO Baltimore
Song: Pop-Top (Fire - Pointer Sisters)
Year: 1979
Hear it here.
(Note: These are the actual Pointer Sisters)
Station: WZYQ Frederick, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Fire - Pointer Sisters)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WZYQ Frederick, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top
(Alive Again - Chicago)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WZYQ Frederick, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (September - Earth, Wind and Fire)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: KQID Alexandria, Louisiana
Song: Pop-Top (The Last Train - David Gates)
Year: 1978
Hear it here.
Station: WQAM Miami
Song: Pop-Top (For All We Know - Carpenters)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (It's Going To Take Some Time - Carpenters)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
(Contributor: Doug Thompson)
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond)
Year: 1972
Hear it
here.
(Contributor: Doug Thompson)
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Sunny Days - Lighthouse)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Dialogue (Pt. I & II) - Chicago)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
(Note: This rare Pop-Top is at the end of the record)
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Thunder and Lightning - Chi Coltrane)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WYRE Annapolis, Maryland
Song: Pop-Top (Crazy Horses - Osmonds)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WPRO Providence, Rhode Island
Song: Pop-Top
(Last Night I Didn't Get To Sleep at All - Fifth Dimension)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKMI Kalamazoo, Michigan
Song: Pop-Top
(Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKMI Kalamazoo, Michigan
Song: Pop-Top (Everything I Own - Bread)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKMI Kalamazoo, Michigan
Song: Pop-Top (Family of Man - Three Dog Night)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: WKMI Kalamazoo, Michigan
Song: Pop-Top (Horse With No Name - America)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Doctor's Orders - Carol Douglas)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Have You Never Been Mellow - Olivia Newton-John)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (The Morning Side of the Mountain - Donnie & Marie Osmond)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Old Days - Chicago)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Shame, Shame, Shame - Shirley & Company)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Hello Dolly - Louis Armstrong)
Year: 1964
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Good Vibrations - Beach Boys)
Year: 1966
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Pop-Top (The No No Song - Ringo Starr)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Pop-Top (Best of My Love - Eagles)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Pop-Top (I'll Play For You - Seals & Crofts)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Only Women - Alice Cooper)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (The Hustle - Van McCoy)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: KQV Pittsburgh
Song: Mingle (Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: 11-7 Radio (unidentified)
Song: Pop-Top (You're No Good - Linda Ronstadt)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: 11-7 Radio (unidentified)
Song: Pop-Top (Don't Call Us - Sugarloaf)
Year: 1975
Hear it
here.
Station: AM 62 (location unknown)
Song: Pop-Top (Everything I Own - Bread)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: I-107 (location unknown)
Song: Pop-Top (Feelings - Morris Albert)
Year: 1975
Hear it here.
Station: WJET Erie, Pennsylvania
Song: Pop-Top (Cradle of Love - Billy Idol)
Year: 1990
Hear it here.
Station: WMAK Nashville
Song: Pop-Top - Sooner or Later - Grass Roots
Year:
1971
Hear it
here.
Station: KLASSY 100 Las Vegas, Nevada
Song: Mingle (Little St. Nick - Beach Boys)
Year: 1987
Hear it here.
Station: WGAR Cleveland
Song: Pop-Top (I Am I Said - Neil Diamond)
Year: 1971
Hear it here.
Station: Armed Forces Radio (AFRTS)
Song: Pop-Top (Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon)
Year: 1972
Hear it here.
Station: Armed Forces Radio (AFRTS)
Song: Pop-Top (Sounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel)
Year: 1966
Hear it
here.
Station: Armed Forces Radio (AFRTS)
Song: Pop-Top (Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert)
Year: 1962
Hear it
here.
Station: Armed Forces Radio (AFRTS)
Song: Pop-Top (Theme From a Summer Place)
Year: 1960
Hear it
here.