WXYZ ‘JAM’ Jingle Pak on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS
WXYZ-AM * 1980 * TALK TO ME
CLASSIC JAM ‘TALK TO ME’ WXYZ JINGLES
_______________
Within one year after the introduction of this JAM jingle sampler and WXYZ radio’s emergence in the “Talk-to-Me” radio format (beginning three years earlier), the station became the fastest growing adult station in the Motor City with an astounding 80 per cent audience growth, up 5.4 in ratings, and tied for third (with all-news WWJ), by October 1981.
According to the Detroit Free Press (October 13, 1981), the station’s talk format was “carefully blended with the news-sports-traffic-weather package.”
In the fall of 1981, the WXYZ line-up comprised of talkers Mike Miller and Dan Streeter, Pat Broderick (mornings), Mark Scott, Paul Harvey (syndication), Jacqui (psychic), Dr. Sonya Friedman, David Newman, Kevin Joyce, followed by all-nighter, national syndicated broadcaster, Larry King (Midnight-5:30 a.m.).
Conceived, created and produced by Jonathan Wolfert of JAM Productions, 1980. All rights reserved. For more on JAM Creative, Dallas, visit www.jingles.com/
Albert Andrus: Jim, still can’t read the comments.
2020/09/01 at 9:58 pm
In reply to Albert Andrus —
Jim Feliciano: Albert, this is through no fault of our own. The site, through WordPress, automatically updated the site to WordPress 5.5 and guess what? While the comments are there and archived, can’t see any of them for the time being. Another glitch on their part, not ours. So, we have to wait for the next WordPress upgrade (5.6), as I was told, and that may solve the problem. Hopefully so! 🙁
Albert Andrus: These are really great Jim. I’m especially enjoying the 12 hour CKLW one. Only problem with this one, Mac Owens, he kinda looks like Trump . . . 🙂
James C. Cerano: Who remembers this man . . . Taught me about Ella, Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Billy Holiday . . . Bessie Smith . . . Mel Torme’, Rockwell and records after midnight. I’m a glum one . . . It’s explainable . . .
2020/09/05 at 8:24 pm
_______________
AIRCHECK LIBRARY
Vasilios J. Mousadakos: What happened to the Airchecks Section? Can you look into it? Thanks
2020/09/06 at 6:23 pm
In reply to Vasilios J. Mousadakos —
Jim Feliciano: Vasilios, my apologies, unfortunately, as of now it looks as though the site may have to go to a restore point to get the site’s Aircheck Library up as it was, prior this afternoon. The Level 2 techs from WordPress will work on restoring the site (as of Sept 6) in the next 24 to 48 hours (if required).
2020/09/06 at 9:10 pm
Jim Feliciano: Vasilios, all was fixed – we are back up! 🙂
George Rummler: The HISTORY OF ROCK N ROLL Is the best story and music of rock n roll—GREAT!
2020/09/20 at 1:15 am
_______________
WELCOME
Brenda McGee: Hello, I would like to ask how I can contact two gentleman who have contributed images to this site, for a copy or contact info to Jim Feliciano for a copy of the E. J. Korvette Parade of Hits record list, posted here on Septer 18, 2020. Also, I would like to contact M. J. Rosenbluth, or associate, for info on the WMCA AM 570 original transmitter building image, located in NJ. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
York Bruce: Cruised and listen for hours. Great times in Detroit. Cruising Woodward meeting great people and we also listened to WKNR, CKLW and of course WXYZ!
2020/09/22 at 3:02 pm
_______________
MORE DJ PIC
Daryl Peguese: Thank you for such a great archive of Detroit’s musical legacy. I was looking for any recordings of Gene Elsey programs. Any suggestions on where I can find some material?
Lynn O’Brien Bigica: Thank you for this . . . my Dad was Richard O’Brien. It was so great to hear his voice again as he reported on the scene at Woodstock all those years ago. Would be nice to see the video, too. I remember I was in my senior year of high school and wanted to go to Woodstock with my friends. My Dad and his camera man had been dropped by helicopter into the middle of it all. He witnessed kids half naked, rolling in the mud caused by the rain…needless to say, his answer was “Absolutely not!” As I think back, I believe they had closed the NY Thruway by then, anyway! Whoever thought it would become a grand, historical moment in pop culture! He would be surprised and delighted to know people can still listen to his live reporting 51 years later.
Sharon Powell: Where could I find some videos of Mickey Schorr’s Dance Party from Detroit. My husband used to dance on the show every Saturday. Would love to surprise him!
2020/09/29 at 7:02 pm
_______________
AIRCHECK LIBRARY
Rick J. Barrett: Wonderful website. Graduated in 1969 from Detroit area and these soundchecks bring back great memories. Thanks for resurrecting the memories!
Albert Andrus: These are the BEST Jim! Keep ’em comin’ . . . .
2020/09/30 at 7:32 pm
— ABOUT YOUR COMMENTS —
_______________
With all due apology, as of this writing, it appears there will be no resolution at all to repair the WordPress 5.0 upgrade after having removed all of your comments — through a technical glitch after the new upgrade — off the pages of this website.
They are still added automatically to our comments section on the site — once approved they are all archived — just no longer visible as before, through no fault of our own, unfortunately.
For my previous comments having posted regarding the above GO HERE.
We appreciate and welcome your comments. Keep them coming. If all else, They will be read. For the moment, I will feature them in a separate post, every month.
Your comments for September 2020 are featured today on Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Thanks again . . . always enjoy hearing from every one of you! 🙂
Debuted at #90 on September 19, 1970. Four weeks playing the Billboard Singles chart, “God, Love, And Rock & Roll” climbs to #41, this week, October 4-10, 1970.
The Undisputed Truth was an American Motown recording act, assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield as a means for being able to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques. Joe “Pep” Harris served as main lead singer, with Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans on additional leads and background vocals.
They were introduced to Motown by singer Bobby Taylor, and, when The Delicates broke up in 1970, two of the members of that group, Billie Calvin and Brenda Evans began providing background vocals for artists around Motown.[1] They sang backing on the hits “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” for Diana Ross and “Still Water (Love)” for The Four Tops. Joe Harris had been part of a Detroit soul group called The Fabulous Peps.
Formed in 1962, the group were renowned for their energetic stage performances, and they cut a handful of singles for various different labels before their dissolution in 1968. Harris also became a member of The Ohio Untouchables (later The Ohio Players). In 1970, Motown producer Norman Whitfield – partly as a response to criticism from Temptations fans that he was using the group as his personal plaything – put together Joe Harris, Billie Calvin and Brenda Evans to create his own recording act, The Undisputed Truth.
The group’s music and unusual costuming (large Afros and white makeup) typified the then-popular trend of “psychedelic soul” which Whitfield had inaugurated. A number of their singles became minor hits, and many of them were also songs for Whitfield’s main act, The Temptations, among them 1971’s “You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth” and “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone“. Their single Top 40 hit in the United States was the ominous “Smiling Faces Sometimes,” originally recorded by The Temptations, which hit #3 on the US Pop Charts in mid-1971.
Although they could never recreate the success of “Smiling Faces” they continued to make chart appearances throughout the early 1970s. They found some success with songs like “What It Is” (1972) and “Law of the Land” (1973) becoming modest hits on the US R&B Charts.
Founding member Billie Calvin died on June 23, 2007, at the age of 58, in Mureitta, California, USA, of heart disease. Tyrone “Lil Ty” Barkley died on February 14, 2017, at the age of 70, in Arizona.
_______________
—PAPA WAS A ROLLIN’ STONE—
“Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” is a song performed by Motown recording act The Undisputed Truth. It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1971, and released as a single in May 1972. It peaked at number 63 on the Pop Charts and number 24 on the R&B Charts. The song was included on the Undisputed Truth’s album Law of the Land (1973).
In 1972, Whitfield took “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and remade it as a 12-minute track for the Temptations, included on their 1972 album All Directions. The shorter 7″ single release of this Temptations version was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1973.
While the original Undisputed Truth version of the song has been largely forgotten, the Temptations’ versions of the song have been enduring and influential soul classics.
The full-length album version was ranked number 169 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, one of the group’s three songs on the list. In retrospect, the Temptations’ Otis Williams considers “Papa” to be the last real classic the group recorded (it would be the Temptations’ last number one hit and would win them their second and final Grammy Award in a competitive category).
_______________
Source: The Undisputed Truth; Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone; Wikipedia
ZENITH Home Stereo Console AD (LIFE) November 7, 1960
— AN AMERICAN HOME ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCT ADfrom 1960 —
** A MCRFB VIEWING TIP **
ON YOUR PC? You can read the above fine print — the entire ad ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above 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.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over image. Open to second window. “Stretch” across your device screen to magnify for larger print view.
Above 1960 ZENITH ad digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles Box Score September 29, 1963 (courtesy baseballreference.com)
* A MCRFB VIEWING TIP *
ON YOUR PC?You can read this entire September 29, 1963 BOX SCORE — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above 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.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
GEORGE KELL ERNIE HARWELL
George Kell was hired by the Detroit Tigers in 1959, pairing the new play-by-play announcer with WKMH’s sports veteran Van Patrick. Van Patrick was replaced by Ernie Harwell in 1960, having teamed up with George Kell in the Detroit Tigers broadcasting booth from 1960 through 1963.
This 9/29/1963 game was George Kell’s last broadcast for the Detroit Tigers, after having announced earlier in the year of his impending retirement immediately after the 1963 baseball season.
A MCRFB.COM SIDEBAR: A DETROIT FREE PRESS PORTABLE RADIO AD
Zenith Portable Radio (page 16)
Above ad is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020. Newspapers.com
The above newspaper ad feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and was digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
* A MCRFB VIEWING TIP *
ON YOUR PC?You can read this entire ad — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above 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.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
At midnight on December 26, 1969, WJBK changed to a contemporary country music format and changed its calls to WDEE (many joked at the time that the calls stood for “We’ve Done Everything Else”). Former WJBK personality Marc Avery recalled in 1971, when interviewed for the WDRQ program “The History of Detroit Radio,” that WJBK had been considering switching to country as far back as the early 1960s. At the time, 1340 WEXL was the only full-time country music station in the immediate Detroit market (with Ypsilanti-based WSDS as its only competitor). WDEE distinguished itself with its slick, contemporary (“countrypolitan”) approach to the country format, designed for mass appeal, and was one of the first stations to program country and western music with a Top 40-style presentation. The move paid off with frequent top-five showings in the Detroit ratings during the 1970s.
With only a thousand watts of power, WEXL was unable to compete with 50,000-watt WDEE and left the country format by 1974 for religious programming. WDEE’s midday show, “The Fem Forum”, in which host Tom Dean fielded calls from female listeners sharing their sexual frustrations, was a controversial feature for its time but also quite popular. Other personalities on the station during the 1970s included morning mainstay Deano Day, Hank O’Neil, Mike Scott, Dave Williams, Bob Burchett, Ray Otis, Randy Price, Doug Smith, Don Thompson, Jimmy Bare, Rosalee, Paul Allen, Bob Day, Ron Ferris, Dan Dixon and Rick Church.
In the early 1970s, WDEE was purchased by Combined Communications, who in turn would eventually be purchased by the Gannett Company. (Previous to Combined ownership, WDEE was part of a broadcast chain owned by Globe Broadcasting, owned by the Harlem Globetrotters.) Also during this time, WDEE-FM changed to news/talk as WDRQ-FM; that lasted until 1972, when Charter Broadcasting bought WDRQ and switched to Top 40, using such memorable slogan as “I Q in My Car”. Four decades and several formats later, that station is now playing contemporary country music again, under Cumulus Media ownership as “Nash FM.”
The WDEE calls later had a brief revival as a daytime-only classic-country music station in Reed City, Michigan, coincidentally also at AM 1500. This station has since gone off the air, but the calls survive on its onetime FM sister station, WDEE-FM, which runs an oldies format as “Sunny 97.3.”
_______________
A MCRFB NOTE: According to the Detroit Free Press (December 26, 1969) the very first song heard after WJBK made the transition to the new WDEE was, “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail” by Buck Owens.
_______________
(Source: WDEE; Wikipedia)
The above WDEE 1970 booklet was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
* A MCRFB VIEWING TIP *
ON YOUR PC?You can read this entire WDEE 1970 brochure — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above 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.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on brochure image(s). Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
Above ad is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020. Newspapers.com
The above WJLB newspaper ad feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and was digitally imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
* A MCRFB VIEWING TIP *
ON YOUR PC?You can read this entire WJLB ad — the fine print — ENLARGED. For a larger detailed view click above 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.COM home page.
ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE?Tap on newsprint image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE.
JIM HAMPTON PRODUCTIONS * September 14, 2019 * WXYZ REMEMBERED
BOB GREEN PRODUCTIONS * September 14, 2019 * WKNR REMEMBERED
JIM HAMPTON PRODUCTIONS * September 14, 2019 * CKLW REMEMBERED
Pat St. John, Lee Alan, Shotgun Tom Kelly (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Lee Alan, Robin Seymour (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Pat St. John, Max Kinkel ‘Super Max’, Jim Edwards (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Pat St. John, Jim Edwards (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Jerry Goodwin, Paul Cannon (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Robin Seymour (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Robin Seymour and daughter, Deborah Seymour Young (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Robin Seymour (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Robin Seymour (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Bob Green, Jerry Goodwin, Lee Alan (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Bob Green (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Charlie O’Brien, Robin Seymour, Scott Morgan (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Jo Jo Shutty-MacGregor, Johnny Williams, Charlie O’Brien, Bill Hennes, Pat St. John, Jim Edwards, Super Max (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Bill Hennes, Jo Jo MacGregor, Johnny Williams (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Paul Cannon, Jerry Goodwin (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Joey Reynolds (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Jo Jo Shutty MacGregor, Dick Purtan (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Jo Jo (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Johnny Williams, Michael Stevens, Pat St. John (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Robin Seymour, Jack Scott (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Art Vuolo, Phlash Phelps, Robin Seymour (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
Lee Alan, Eric Smith (Photo credit: Chris Auger; Copyright 2019)
THE LAST DETROIT RADIO REUNION
—September 14, 2019—
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
_______________
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
JIM HAMPTON
A special ‘thank you’ to Jim Hampton (Greenhouse Productions), of Cathedral City, California, for producing the WXYZ and CKLW visuals he created — and was presented on screen — for the Last Detroit Radio Reunion.
Both audio portions of Jim Hampton’s special video presentations is featured in its entirety, here.
_______________
BOB GREEN
A special ‘thank you’ to Bob Green(Bob Green Productions), of Houston, Texas, for creating and producing the WKNR visual which was presented — on screen — at the Last Detroit Radio Reunion.
The audio portion of Bob Green’s special video presentation is featured in its entirety, here.
_______________
CHRIS AUGER
A special ‘thank you’ to Chris Auger. All photographs presented here, having been marked, is the sole property of the photographer named, with all due credit. All images copyrighted 2019.
_______________
LEE ALAN
Last, a sincere ‘thank you’ to Lee Alan. Many months were devoted by him into the planning and putting together this Last Reunion event, and ultimately, the reality it became.
Thank you, Lee Alan
Jack Scott passed away in December 2019. Johnny Williams and Robin Seymour passed away in April 2020
_______________
THE LAST DETROIT RADIO REUNION 2019
For more images of the Last Detroit Radio Reunion on Motor City Radio Flashbacks, posted last September 16 (featuring the photographs of Charlie O’Brien), goHERE
While I had attended the Last Reunion event last September as well, I will now share, here, this very special moment of mine. Yours truly, curator of this website, photographed at the Motown Museum with the Detroit broadcasting legend. Thursday, September 12, 2019
