“DRINKING WOUNDS” * Earl Pitts (Gary Burbank; ex-CKLW) * WAKE UP UHMERIKA!
Author: Jim Feliciano
THIS WEEK 50 YEARS AGO: THE HOTTEST HIT IN THE USA!
NUMBER 1 IN AMERICA ’65 * The Beatles * WEEK OF JANUARY 09, 1965
ELEVEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “I Feel Fine,” by the Beatles peaked No. 1 (3 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100, week of December 20, 1964 through week of January 09, 1965. (source: Billboard)
THE CLASSIC ‘ULLMAN’ JINGLES: HEARD ON WKNR!
WKNR ‘RICHARD ULLMAN’ ’63 SERIES ON MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS
WKNR-AM 1310 * “One-derful Keenerland” * 1963-1964
SNAPSHOT: A DETROIT BROADCAST LEGEND ON WXYZ!
DICK PURTAN, WXYZ RADIO, 1971
The legendary Detroit radio morning man was on WXYZ 1270 from 1968 through 1978. After 45-years of broadcasting radio in the Motor City, Purtan retired in March, 2010. Today you can still listen to him “on the air,” on his website anytime at dickpurtan.com.
EXTRA! A CLASSIC DICKPURTAN.COM PODCAST!
PODCAST No. 50 * “Reflecting On Keener 13” * DICKPURTAN.COM 7/12/12
WXYZ-AM BACK ON THE RADIO WITH: DICK PURTAN!
WXYZ HEARD HERE 24/7 ON MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS
From the MCRFB aircheck archives featuring: WXYZ-AM (’71) w/ DICK PURTAN
IN LOSING A FRIEND. REMEMBERING GEORGE GRIGGS
Remembering the Loss of Our Friend, George L. Griggs (1949-2014) Founder, Motor City Radio Flashbacks
A Final Thought in Closing Out 2014
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DETROIT (December 31) — Since November 6, 2013, when we first began tabulating the number of hits here, this website has experienced the successes you’ve enjoyed by your visits and stays at Motor City Radio Flashbacks. Just shy under an amazing three million website pages hits. Thank you.
On that note I am pleased to inform you we’ve experienced a most extraordinary year — a year soon having passed in the next 24-hours — by your recurring stops here on Motor City Radio Flashbacks throughout this past year.
But on a sad note it has been a difficult 2014 year, here, as well. Sadly, and with much regret it was announced here when we lost our dear friend. The one man who, in part, was responsible for creating and bringing this website to us here today, it’s founder, George Griggs.
Many of you did not know. Within three months into the new year, 2014, and much to my dismay then in learning the sudden, bad news, I recall my stunned reaction when George personally informed me he had prostate cancer.
While some may or may not have noticed, it was during a stretch George was for the most part visibly absent here. During those days he was undergoing medical treatments to eradicate the cancer. That was sometime beginning in March, through June, earlier in the year. After having gone through 8-10-weeks of medical treatments to kill the disease, we were both elated, relieved with the final good news the outcome was a clean success.
But shortly sometime in the ensuing weeks thereafter, after some time having passed, I noticed George was not participating much on the website again.
I last saw George in mid-August, having met at a restaurant engagement planned with our other longtime friend, our other “Detroit radio” friend, Greg Innis. While I thought he looked well at the time, he confined in us he hasn’t been feeling well for several weeks, then. He later needlessly apologized in an email he sent me for “not having felt too well” as he related later on, that he had “other things going on in his mind,” as he stated, during our lunch meet that one afternoon.
Sometime later George would email me this message, dated, September 4. As quoted in part, below —
Hey Jim, not good news. Well I had a CT scan done the other day and it’s not good. I have a mass tumor in my lung that is cancer. Don’t know any more now. I am having a PET Scan done on Saturday morning. So here it goes….
I need plenty of prayers Jim…. But I need to deal with it.
Will not know anything more until Monday…. I am not much to talk to. I hope I will be soon!
Take care Jim
Understandably in having to deal with any dreaded disease such as this it then becomes a personal and private family matter. Days turned into weeks. During which time we were not able to obtain further word on George’s medical condition. Respecting the family’s privacy, we just didn’t really know how bad it really had become.
Having becoming too ill and no longer able to contribute to the website, he posted his last feature on September 29, 2014.
Surrounded by his immediate family, his wife, Patty, his son, Scott, and daughter, Gina, George Griggs peacefully passed away in his home while in hospice care, Tuesday morning, October 28, 2014.
In wake of his recent passing a void is felt in our lives today.
On a more personal side, I am grateful to have known him as a true friend. A friend I found to be humorous. A friend I found to be gracious, caring, and loving. First and foremost towards his family, likewise, towards friends. The same George I’ve come to know throughout the past nineteen years.
As Art Vuolo succinctly termed it well, George Griggs is the “Keeper Of The Radio Flame.”
It has been 63 days now. George Griggs is invisible as he is silent. But he remains vibrant here on this site, in our hearts and in our thoughts with every passing day. He may be gone. But he is not forgotten.
In closing, we knew about his established love for Detroit radio and its history will live on. Here on his website. We shall carry on.
Farewell George, rest in peace. To our good friend, farewell . . . .
Jim Feliciano
Wednesday, December 31, 2014 12:10 a.m.
A LOOK BACK: ‘U.S. ROCKS AND REELS FROM BEATLES’ INVASION’ . . . FEBRUARY 15, 1964
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
‘NEW YORK CITY CRAWLING WITH BEATLEMANIA’
NEW YORK — In the New York City and Jersey areas record dealers and one-stops are reporting sales in large numbers on the Beatles.
New York’s Colony Records store reports that the Beatles sales are “real big” on the Capitol, Swan and Vee-Jay versions. The store also noted increasing sales on these records throughout the weeks.
Stedman 1-Stop, Mount Vernon, New Jersey, said that sales on the Beatles’ started out as an explosion, then settled down to consistent and steady sales.” The outlet is expecting “another big blast” this week as a result of the group’s New York visit and appearance on CBS-TV “The Ed Sullivan Show” Sunday night (February 9).
The Capitol and Swan diskings have been selling “almost in equal volume” at the Mount Vernon outlet, with little or no sales on the Vee-Jay or M-G-M disks.
E. J. Korvette in downtown Manhattan completely sold out all of its Beatles’ product by the end of last week. The large discount store is gearing for a rush on Monday as a result of activities over the weekend (in New York City).
The Al Levin Record store in New York City reports the Beatles’ offering on Swan as the leading seller with the Capitol version trailing not far behind. The store reports no sales for the group on Vee-Jay or MGM.
A somewhat different picture is painted by the Record Shack here, which describes the sales of Beatles’ records steady here throughout the weeks with the Capitol Record “far in the lead” and followed by the Swan release. The outlet also reported no sales response to the Vee-Jay and MGM waxings. The store is also preparing for an onslaught of Beatles record buyers this week as a direct result of the Beatles’ appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
WWDC radio has proclaimed February 11 as “Beatles Day” in the nation’s capitol, and in honor of the special occasion deejay Carroll James will do his afternoon show from the site of the Beatles first “live” appearance in the United States — The Washington Coliseum.
When the now-famous Beatles arrive in Washington, an unusual “art” exhibit demonstrating a facet of U.S. culture will greet the British vocal group. The station, believing the Beatles have had a profound influence on our culture, has asked its listeners to send any pictures from magazines, newspapers or whatever, with a Beatle haircut drawn on the subject.
The grand winner, the entrant judged to be the most “original,” will receive $100.00, with all others judged unusual enough to display, will be awarded $12.60 each. WWDC will display the “winners” art at the Coliseum tomorrow night, (February 11), the night of the concert.
New York’s WNIS is pulsating with Beatlemania. The station reports that for the first time Beatles’ recording occupy first, second, and third place on their musical playlist. In first place is their Capitol recording of “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” followed closely by “She Loves You” on Swan, and finally, the Vee-Jay waxing, “Please, Please Me.”
The Group W station has upstaged CBS-TV by taping exclusive Beatles which were aired once an hour Thursday (February 6) and Friday (February 7). On Sunday, at 7 p.m., one hour before their scheduled debut on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the Beatles were heard on WINS in a 30-minute special.
The in-person interviews were obtained for WINS through the actions of their European correspondents Rod MacLeish and Jim Anderson in London and Bernard Redmont in Paris. The bureau also provided its it’s New York outlet with Beatles wigs which have been awarded to listeners via an on-air contest. Also awarded were tickets to the Beatles February 12 Carnegie Hall concert.
Brad Philips revived his old 1956 “Battle Of The Baritones,” Sunday (February 9) from 8 a.m. to p.m. on WINS. This time, however, Philips is labeling the action “Battle Of The Groups.” The winners, to be determined by votes sent in by listeners, will battle it out again next Sunday and in ensuing weeks.
WMCA, New York, has been running a Beatles wig contest. The “Good Guys” are seeking listeners to take photos of their friends or from newspapers and paint Beatles wigs on them. The station is awarding $57 to the first two most original entries, with another 998 winners receiving a 45 r.p.m. disk featuring photos of the group and the “Good Guys” on specially made record jackets. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; February 15, 1964)
“A TASTE OF BEATLEMANIA ’64” * WCBS Radio NYC * February, 1964
50TH! LOOKING BACK: THE FAB FOUR ON VEE-JAY ’64!
‘HEAR THE BEATLES TELL ALL’ * The Beatles * Vee-Jay Records (1964)
A LOOK BACK: CHICAGO FLIPS WIG; BEATLES AND OTHERWISE . . . FEBRUARY 15, 1964
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
‘U.S. Rocks and Reels From Beatles’ Invasion’
CHICAGO — The usually staid and conservative Midwest has virtually flipped its wig over the mop-headed Beatles from Liverpool.
Dealers describe Beatlemania as the most virulent form of record fever since the heyday of such artists as Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers.
Even then, neither Presley nor the Everlys had more than one record going for them at one time. Currently, the Beatles have no less than four singles and three albums.
Record store are filled with different forms of Beatles promotion material than often defy the imagination. Even the discount houses, traditionally slow to use point of sale material from any ony one diskery, even they have gotten on the bandwagon.
Radio Promotion
Radio likewise are running radio promotions, and in all cases, playing the records like mad.
WLS, the big singles-selling powerhouse, has had a pair of promos by its two evening deejays, Art Roberts and Ron Reilly, and is in the throes in starting a Beatles’ fan club.
WYNR, the big McLendon Corporation rocker, has been pushing Beatles’ records despite a recent station policy switch to an otherwise R&B format.
Even WIND, the MOR Westinghouse outlet, last Friday (February 7) decided to add a Beatles’ record to its playlist (“She Love You” on Swan).
The university radio station at nearby Notre Dame played “I Want To Hold Your Hand” for one hour straight last week and students responded by storming the studio en masse (though whether in approval or protest, no one was able to confirm otherwise).
Jim Lounsberry, king of the teenage hop-specialists here, planned a Beatles Dance for his Sunday hop in Elgin, Illinois, and was placing television sets around the hall so the kids could see the Beatles during their history-making appearance on CBS’ Ed Sullivan show.
Only the so-called “good music” stations were turning a deaf ear to the Four Charmers from England but with the way Beatles’ records were selling, nobody really seemed to care.
Capitol branch manager Tom Beckwith said he had moved over 100,000 Beatles’ LP’s and over 150,000 Beatles singles. He said in the ten years he’s been in the record business, the Beatles are the hottest recording artist he’s ever seen. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; February 15, 1964)
50TH! FAB (FOUR) SONGS THAT DEFINED BEATLEMANIA
MEET THE BEATLES (No. 1) * The Beatles * ALL MY LOVING * (January 20, 1964)
“Meet The Beatles” was released in the U.S. by Capitol Records, January 20, 1964 (Click on image 2x for largest detailed view).
