SIXTEEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” by the Righteous Brothers peaked No. 1 (2 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100, weeks of January 31, 1964 through February 13, 1965. (source: Billboard).
MCRFB Link: For the previous No. 1 record in the U.S.A. 1965 GO HERE.
MCRFB LINKS: For more on Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J. P. Richardson (“Big Bopper”) previously posted on Motor City Radio Flashbacks, you may go here, here, and here.
From the MCRFB radio notebook: 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986
WCZY-FM
DETROIT (August 1, 1981) — Bill Garcia has been hired away from WDRQ-FM Detroit to be program director at WOMC-FM. Garcia had been moving the Hot 100 formatted WDRQ into a more adult contemporary mode and into direct competition with Metromedia’s WOMC. Charter Broadcasting has WDRQ on the block. Garcia succeeds Dave Shafer, who’s moved over to WCZY-FM, which is running the syndicated Schulke II vocal-oriented Beautiful music format. END
DETROIT (January 22, 1983) — Dick Purtan is about to make one of radio’s more expensive walk across town, leaving CKLW to join Gannett’s WCZY Detroit. Not only does he have the biggest contract in WCZY’s history, topping the $200,000 paid him by CKLW, but he will also be featured on Gannett’s new U.S.A. Today Radio Network.
His current contract with CKLW expires March 1, but he’s already off the air there and it’s likely he’ll start before that at WCZY. Whatever the date, WCZY promises the biggest promotion blitz to ever hit Detroit radio. As for mornings at the Big 8, CKLW is planning to team up Tom Delisle of WDIV-TV Detroit with Purtan’s former morning partner, Tom Ryan, who will assume a larger role on the morning show. END
OPERATION GRADUATION 1985
DETROIT (June 1, 1985) — Furthering the efforts of the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and SADD (students Against Drunk Driving) WCZY-FM has come up with a promotional blitz targeting the various “prom nights” celebrations that occur annually at this time and often the cause of fatalities associated with drunk driving.
In a campaign known as “Operation Graduation 1985,” the station is seeking further to educate the youth in the Detroit area about the real dangers of drinking and driving. To get the point across, the station has enlisted the support of well-known musicians/artists Kim Carnes and the Beach Boys’ Bruce Johnston, as well as local celebrities and station personalities, who have recorded urging listeners to have fun but warning, “If you’re going to drink, don’t drive.”
Rather than attempt to dissuade kids from drinking, or attempt to have them drink less, the campaign is non-judgmental in this regard. The issue is not drinking, but drinking and driving. In that spirit, a “Parent/Student Agreement” is also being made available, and kids and parents are urged to read and sign it. Basically, the student promises not to drive with someone who has been drinking. Nor attempt to drive if he or she has been drinking. The student also pledges, “If I need a ride, I will call home for one.”
On the parent’s part, the order is a bit taller, stating, “”I promise to offer a ride to my child if she/he would need it . . . with no questions asked.” END
DETROIT (August 3, 1985) — Lee Douglas takes on additional duties at Gennett-owned pop outlet WCZY-AM-FM Detroit. He’ll continue programming the FM, as he has for the past two years, while moving into the vice president/operations post. Having taken the FM head-to-head with competitor WHYT in the latest Arbitron, Douglas oversaw the station’s switch to pop in June, and the combo is now broadcasting 24-hour simulcast. END
HOT 100 SINGLE SPOTLIGHT
DETROIT (April 5, 1986) — It’s great a record shows renewed strength and regain it’s bullet. Three records rebulleted this week. The first one, “Your Smile,” by Angela & Renee (Mercury) at No. 73, pulled in strong sales reports, and the record has now gone Top 5 at WCZY-FM in Detroit. END
– (Information and news source: Billboard Magazine. All excerpts culled as was first published from the dated editions as noted above).
From the MCRFB news archive: 1966
LONDON — Motown’s Four Tops took London by storm, Sunday, January 13, with a memorable one-night-only performance at Brian Epstein’s Saville Theater.
The group gave two sold-out concerts before an audience that included John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Donovan, Jane Asher, Eric Burdon, Georgie Fame, and EMI chief Sir Joseph Lockwood.
The fantastic reception the Four Tops were accorded should assure Epstein of boom box-office takings when the group undertakes a nationwide tour of Britain for him in January.
As the group’s stage debut marked the launching of the Saville — previously a legit theater — as a London showcase for pop talent. Following unsuccessful stage venues including Ron Moody’s musical “Joey, Joey,” Epstein has announced that he will concentrate on staging the world’s top pop talents at his West End venue.
In the words of Decca’s promoter Tony Hall, who hosted Sunday’s show, Epstein plans to turn it into the Apollo of Shaftesbury Avenue. Little Richard is expected to give a one-nighter there later this year, and Epstein has scheduled a Christmas show starring Georgie Fame and Julie Felex.
The concert acclaim for the Tops sets the seal on their British chart success with “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” which has climax a magnificent 1966 for Tamla-Motown here during time it has had up to six and seven acts simultaneously in the top 50 — a fantastic achievement for a U.S. label.
The Four Tops included three good renditions of non-Motown songs in their act, the Beatles’ “Michelle,” Tom Jones’ hit, “It’s Not Unusual,” and a great workout set on stage with “If I Had A Hammer.” They ran a number associated with their sound, “Baby, I Need Your Lovin,” and had to give two performances of “Reach Out.” They left their audience clapping, singing, and very happy — shouting, demanding more.
The quartet was backed by Bob Miller’s big pop band. Also on the bill was one of Epstein’s most professional acts, Cliff Beznett and the Rebel Rousers, whose strong act included their Beatles-penned British hit, “Got To Get You Into My Life,” and an Australian group called the Easybeats, currently scoring here with “Friday On My Mind.” END
(Information and news source: Billboard; November 26, 1966).
From the MCRFB radio scrapbook: 1943
‘MANPOWER PAINS GROW’
Detroit Swings To “Ingenious Substitutes” For Solutions In Wartime WWJ, WJBK, CKLW
DETROIT (May 29) — Despite the fact that the Motor City usually figures as the No. 1 manpower headache in the country, local radio stations are not too badly off in connection with announcing, sales and technical personnel. Several have resorted to ingenious substitutes or policies to meet the situation.
In the background is the fact that Detroit attracts labor in all fields, and this goes for radio stations as well, by its glamour as an alleged high-standard learning center. There has never been a surplus of station jobs available, jobs so far has not exceeded demand.
Generally typical is the set-up at WWJ, NBC station, and the only one to turn to female announcers — they now have two femme gabbers and one girl newscaster. Reaction from the public has been favorable, according to Edwin K. Wheeler, assistant manager. However, the station is not committed to femmes unless they have to — they hired two more male announcers in the past two weeks. It is figured that the leaving of ladies on the staff will help if and when the femmes take over all the way. This may happen in a few months with the drafts of fathers, into which class most of the announcers now fall.
Fertile Sources Closed
The commercial staff of WWJ has not been touched by the draft yet, but has only three men, since most of the selling is done by the net anyway. They expect to lose two of the three, by August 1, and will probably get along with the remaining salesmen.
On the engineering side, WWJ has been able to meet the loss of men without difficulty so far, by drawing in skilled men from other fields. One source, now closed, was the smallest station, but with WMC rulings on job freezes particularly effective in this “essential” industry and especially in the Detroit labor region, this avenue appears about closed without extraordinary special exemptions in an emergency case.
WWJ got one good technical man who was formerly a radio serviceman, despite the shortage of serviceman in this city. Another replacement was formerly a radio “ham” operating his own station. These sources are about exhausted now.
WJBK, typical of the smaller stations, has lost two salesmen and three announcers, with another set to go in a week. They are having their salesmen double-up, and are getting by in the commercial department. So far, enough new announcers have been forthcoming to meet the situation, but the station is using five woman as monitors on foreign-language programs, covering 13 different languages.
Draft Free Breaks
The technical staff has not been touched at WJBK. Although there has been no deliberate policy, N. W. Hopkins commented that “We never figured that a handicap should be discriminated against if a man has the technical ability.” The result is a large proportion of F-4 men and the willingness now to employ any more they can get. In addition, WJBK has some technical men with pre-Pearl Harbor dependents, who has so far been draft exempt.
At CKLW, the situation is peculiar in that the station has studios in Detroit, but has its transmitter and other studios in Windsor, Ontario, and comes under Canadian regulations. The technical staff has been little affected as yet, according to Richard E. Jones, sales promotions manager, who said that “Canadian regulations have evidently given considerable thought to the requirements of the broadcast industry. It looks as though they were a little more liberal in granting deferments where an industry is of public importance.”
The station has lost two salesmen, four engineers and four announcers. The sales situation is being met by older men, and Jones commented that “We will probably have to expect a trend toward the employment of older men than has been usual in radio.”
Public Against Gals
On announcers, sentiment at CKLW appears to be rather against the use of women announcers. This is based on a study of public reactions to the use of females at other stations, Jones said, though it may, in part, be due to unfamiliarity. CKLW, meanwhile, will try to get by with present announcers doubling up on duties.
Up until the past few weeks, local stations were able to attract staffmen from other cities, both small and large, with good scales of pay in effect here. A new type of difficulty recently became critical when one station lost an announcer from Chicago who preferred to go back to free-lancing there, when he was unable to get rooms to house his wife and family in Detroit after six months of trying. END
(Information and news source: Billboard; June 5, 1943).
JANUARY 20, 1962 HOT 100 — There are no less than nine “twist” titled songs which charted on this Billboard survey on this date in 1962.
See “twist” songs: No. 01, 02, 26, 31, 58, 68, 82, 94, and No. 99!
A MCRFB VIEWING TIP: To fully appreciate this Billboard Hot 100 January 20, 1962 chart feature — click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size. (Click your server’s back button to return to MCRFB home page).
“UPTIGHT (EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT) ” (INSTRUMENTAL) * Stevie Wonder * 1966
WJR-AM February 3, 1964 – George Kimball, Frank Tomlinson, a very young Jim Harper, William Harris, George Collins, David White, Richard C. Hottelet, Douglas Edwards, Lowell Thomas and Allan Jackson
Credit: WJR ad courtesy vintagetoledotv.squarespace.com/
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)