July 2014 – Page 2 – Motor City Radio Flashbacks

47 YEARS AGO: ABC RADIO REPORTS ’67 DETROIT RIOT

ABC NEWS DON HOWE * Tommy McIntyre; WXYZ News * July 26, 1967

**DETROIT FREE PRESS** *Wednesday, July 26, 1967 (click on image 2x for largest view)*

MCRFB COMMERCIALS: JAN & DEAN FOR COKE, 1965!

COCA-COLA * Jan and Dean * Coca-Cola Merchandising Ad; * 1965

CKLW * BIG 30 RECORDS * JULY 24, 1967

EDWIN STARR RECORD DEDICATION TO SCOTT REGEN!

EDWIN STARR 1966 SALUTE TO A DETROIT RADIO BROADCAST LEGEND

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BY SUMMER’S END 1966, “SCOTT’S ON SWINGERS” became reality. It became a recorded single ’45 promo having been written by Charles Edwin Hatcher, who expressed into lyrics a song dedicated especially to WKNR radio deejay Scott Regen in Detroit.

Released on Ed Wingate’s Ric-Tic label (Detroit) and numbered RT-109 X, it has been estimated by several Wingate associates since that only 20 to 50 of these recordings were pressed as singles at the time. And were all issued by the label as a single-sided record 45 disk with a blank flip-side.

When this recording was made in 1966, and just six months after his arrival at WKNR in Detroit from WHB Kansas City, Scott Regen was by then a dominant influential source promoting the ’60s music scene — having connected well with the ‘Detroit sound’ with his Detroit radio audience during his nightly shows on Keener 13. Whether it be Barry Gordy’s Motown, Ed Wingate’s Golden World Records, national or otherwise, Scott Regen immersed himself into the music he played on the radio when he was on.

As it was, it was of no consequence within a short span of several months after his arrival here in June, 1965, Scott Regen was established in 1966 as the No. 1 night-time radio deejay overall here in the Motor City. And to those of us who still remember, 1966 was also the year WKNR’s Scottie Regen would be permanently immortalized in words and in song. “Dedicated To Scott Regen,” it was written, produced and was recorded by a young, aspiring 23-year old R&B recording artist, then, who went by the name of Edwin Starr in Detroit.

Charles Edwin Hatcher (Edwin Starr) passed away in 2003. But he left a most significant lasting tribute to a legendary WKNR radio talent remembered in Detroit — still today — nearly five decades after this recording was made. Thank you again, Scottie Regen, for those special Keener moments you shared with all of us on the radio here in Detroit —

“… Yeah, listen to his show every night, ’cause the records he plays they are outta sight. So if you see Scott Regen, if anybody see Scott Regen, stop him ON SIGHT.”

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**“SCOTT’S ON SWINGERS (S.O.S.)” * Edwin Starr * RIC-TIC Records** (Detroit; 1966)

THE SHY GUYS RECORD DEDICATION TO SCOTT REGEN!

THE SHY GUYS’ 1966 SALUTE TO A DETROIT RADIO BROADCAST LEGEND

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IN DETROIT, BY YEAR’S END 1966, the phrase “Burger” would become synonymous with the name of the Keener deejay who went on to create it while on WKNR, Scott “The Burger” Regen.

Photo: Official WKNR ‘Burger Membership Card’ courtesy/property of Keener13.com

In wake of Regen’s “Burger Club” popularity on his No. 1 show and listener demand for membership to the “Royal Order of Regen Burgers,” a local Detroit high school band, the ‘Shy Guys’ (Oak Park, MI) took to the recording studios later that year to cut this (now extremely) rare 45 vinyl pressing they made in dedication to the “Scott Regen Show on WKNR” (as indicated on the label).

Written, produced and recorded by the four band members, the ‘Shy Guys’ (pictured below) comprised of Ron Nelson (lead vocals; guitar), Marty Lewis (vocals; bass), Stu Howard (vocals; guitar) and Mark Finn (vocals; drums).

The band previously recorded “We Gotta Go,” off the Panik label (No. 5111) and Palmer Records (No. 5008). The Shy Guys “We Gotta Go,” made it’s WKNR debut (No. 28) on May 16, 1966 according to keener13.com.

The song was voted No. 1 for several nights on the “Top 3-Plus 1” voting nightly on the Scott Regen Show — after one week (May 22) on the WKNR guides. Six weeks on the WKNR Music Guides (May 16 through June 20), “We Gotta Go” peaked No. 15 WKNR on June 6, 1966.

“The Burger Song,” on the Burger Records label, was a special “off-shoot” recording (from the original Panik Records label) numbered 5004. “Scott Burger.” So let’s hear it again. One more time. As was recorded and dedicated exclusively — and only — by the ‘Shy Guys’ for WKNR’s Scottie Regen, 1966.

“The Burger Club is growing fast, you gotta join today. All you need is your radio, to swing the ‘Burger’ way . . . ”

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A MCRFB NOTE

The official WKNR Scott Regen “Burger” membership card above, property/courtesy the official Keener13.com website. For more on Scottie Regen revisit the entire Keener experience only at KEENER13.COM!