ON THE BEAT: THREE STARS REMEMBERED . . . FEBRUARY 9, 1959

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1959

Condolences Extended To Families Of 3 Rock ‘n’ Roll Stars Killed In Plane Crash

O N T H E B E A T

b y R e n G r e v a t t | B i l l b o a r d F e b r u a r y 9 , 1 9 5 9

T H I S C O L U M N extends its condolences to the families and friends of Buddy Holly, J. P. (Big Bopper) Richardson and Ritchie Valens, whose deaths occurred in a tragic plane crash earlier this week. All three left a distinct mark on the pop record scene and all three will be sorely missed by not only those who were close to them, but by many, many young record buyers who felt close to them in another way, as well.

Valens, a 17 year-old Californian, was experiencing his first big surge of popularity with his Del-Fi disk of “Donna,” which at the time of his death was the number three record in the nation. Earlier, Valens had scored with “Come On, Let’s Go.” Richardson, a Texas disc jockey with some eight years’ radio experience behind him, was a cleffer of some distinction and recently had made it big with “Chantilly Lace,” on Mercury Records. The hit disk, oddly enough, was the flip side of the “Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor,” the original plug-side of the record.

Holly had been on the scene longest of all. A discovery of music man Norman Petty of Clovis, New Mexico, Holly had much to do with popularizing the so-called “Tex-Mex” rockabilly sound, with a number of smash hit records like “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Oh Boy,” “Maybe Baby,” “Rave On” and “Early In The Morning.” His latest coupling, his first effort for a with a big string backing, was “It’s Raining In My Heart,” and in a way the ironical title, “It Really Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” But for many, it does matter, and Holly, Valens and Richardson will be not be forgotten. In fact, Coral Records is rushing out an album of Holly’s biggest hits, under the title, “The Buddy Holly Story.” END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; February 9, 1959)

A MCRFB Note: This column was Billboard’s first immediate reference on the deaths of Holly, Valens and Richardson. This column initially was published six days after the tragedy.

For more on February 3, 1959 on the web: Go to the Des Moines Register online and see that paper’s exclusive tribute to Holly, Valens and Richardson, observing “50 Winters Ago” from 2009. You can literally spend hours here — it is loaded with a time-line, interviews, videos, photographs, documents and other special features commemorating 50 years since the tragic 1959 event. And this from the Lubbock-Avalanche Journal online (2009), “Iowans Remember Buddy Holly Performance” (click on the BACK-NEXT button as you go). Especially read the very last eyewitness account . . . Last, see Scott Westerman’s splendid take on”American Pie Deciphered” (broadcast on XM-Sirius in 2010) here on Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

F E B R U A R Y 3 , 1 9 5 9 : T O D A Y I N M U S I C H I S T O R Y

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1959: WITHIN MINUTES OF TAKEOFF FROM the Mason City, Iowa Airport, at around 1:00 AM CST, the chartered Beech-Craft Bonanza airplane No. N3794N containing Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (Big Bopper) crashes into the Iowa countryside, killing all three, in addition to pilot Roger Peterson. The plane, headed for the next “Winter Dance Party” tour stop in Fargo, North Dakota, had been chartered by Holly in order for the band members to travel in heated comfort and to arrive early for their next gig.

When he learns that band member Waylon Jennings, who would eventually become a country star in his own right, has decided to take the freezing bus instead, Holly jokes, “Well, I hope your old bus freezes up.” Jennings jokes back, “Well, I hope your plane crashes.” Another Holly band member, Tommy Allsup, flips Valens for the last available seat, losing the coin toss. Valens exclaims, “That’s the first time I’ve won anything in my life!”

Pilot Peterson, not having been informed of worsening weather conditions, decides to fly “on instruments,” meaning without visual confirmation of the horizon, which leads to the crash. The tragedy was later immortalized as “The Day The Music Died” by Don McLean in his famous song “American Pie.”

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This Day In Pop Music History: February 3, 1959

**FEBRUARY 3, 1959** *Mason City Globe-Gazette*

VETERAN DJ ED MCKENZIE QUITS ON WXYZ . . . MARCH 16, 1959

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1959

McKENZIE BOWS OUT IN ‘FORMULA RADIO’ PROTEST

Capitol jazz artist Nat King Cole with Detroit radio personality Ed McKenzie on WXYZ radio, earlier in 1954. (Click image for larger view). — **Capitol jazz artist** *Nat King Cole* with Detroit radio personality *Ed McKenzie* on WXYZ radio, earlier in 1954. *(Click image for larger view)*

DETROIT — Veteran deejay Ed McKenzie resigned from station WXYZ here last week in protest of the station’s “formula radio” programming policy.

Rallying to his side was his long-time competitor and another Detroit veteran spinner, Robin Seymour, of WKMH, who came out strongly last week for McKenzie and against “formula radio.” Seymour stated that, “It’s a crime and a shame when one of the true deejays – one of the men who made the jockey a major factor in broadcasting – has to bow to the dictates of a program director.”

Although Seymour and McKenzie – two of Detroit’s key deejays – have vied for audience ratings for the past eleven years (they occupied the same afternoon time slot) Seymour said they remained friends – their friendship dating back to the time McKenzie gave Seymour his first radio job at WJBK here.

Seymour had asked McKenzie to appear on his WKMH show to discuss the whole formula radio situation and his reasons for leaving WXYZ. Seymour said they will explore the jockey’s need for freedom of programming and will discuss further on whether the advent of “formula radio” has anything to do with the fact that no new name deejay (other than Dick Clark) has come up from the ranks in recent years.

WKMH deejay Robin Seymour — **WKMH** deejay *Robin Seymour*

Seymour said his station, WKMH, is now the only major Detroit station operating on a non-formula programming policy. The outlet did adopt a non-rock and roll format last year, but Seymour said the management dropped the policy last January, and put record programming back in the deejay’s hands. As a result, the jock said WKMH’s ratings are already showing a small rating climb – the first rating increase for the station in some time.

The WXYZ “formula” (featuring the Top 40 singles was adopted by the station about a years ago, and WXYZ vice-president in charge of radio, Hal Neal, opined “Our interpretation of radio is that it is a step moving forward.”

WXYZ's Ed McKenzie interviews jazz great Anita O'Day on his WXYZ radio show in the mid-1950s — WXYZ’s *Ed McKenzie* interviews jazz great *Anita O’Day* on his WXYZ radio show sometime in the mid-1950s *(click image for larger view)*

McKenzie on the other hand expressed his opinion that this “formula” did not jibe with his interpretation of radio as “being intimate and friendly.” He stated that his ratings were dropping since the “formula” policy had gone into effect and that he would sooner “dig ditches or sell hot dogs” than go back to formula radio “because I can’t do something I don’t believe in.”

The radio station disagreed with use of McKenzie’s bird calls on the air and his “on the air” comments on office typing and the programming. The station also found themselves in disagreement with McKenzie about their new policy to boost the station on his programs, which the jockey termed “unnecessary.”

McKenzie’s 3 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. spot is being taken over by Mickey Shorr, who will have another replacement for his own Night Train program. Reportedly making between $60,000 and $80,000 a year in his 29th year with radio, McKenzie was Jack The Bellboy at WJBK before he changed to WXYZ radio in 1952. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; March 16, 1959)

WXYZ's Ed McKenzie with his friend, WKMH's Robin Seymour in the late 1950s. — WXYZ’s *Ed McKenzie* with his friend, WKMH’s *Robin Seymour* in the late 1950s.

QUEEN OF SOUL CORONATED DAY IN DETROIT . . . MARCH 3, 1968

A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1968

Aretha Sets Concert Mark in the Motor City

DETROIT — Aretha Franklin’s “homecoming” concert at Cobo Hall here, Friday, February 16 set a record for a single concert event, a record set for the auditorium. The concert hit a $60,000 gross playing to an audience of 12,000.

February 16 was named “Aretha Franklin Day” by the mayor of Detroit, Jerome P. Cavanaugh, to mark the Atlantic record artist first concert in Detroit in over a year. Following the concert, Jay-Kay Distributors and Atlantic Records held a party for the singer at the Pontchartrain Hotel attended by local disk jockeys, dealers and friends, family members were seen in attendance as well of Miss Franklin. END

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Information and news source: Billboard; March 3, 1968

February 16, 1968: Detroit Declares “Aretha Franklin Day”

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Aretha (Click image for larger view) — **Aretha** *(Click image for larger view)*

By February 1968, Aretha Franklin had established herself as among the world’s premier recording artists, her genre-spanning recordings achieving commercial and critical acclaim, and appealing to mixed-race audiences around the world. The previous year had seen the release of “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You),” her triumphant Atlantic Records debut produced by Jerry Wexler and recorded with an ace backing band at Rick Hall’s Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The landmark soul recording included Franklin’s righteous re-working of Otis Redding‘s “Respect,” which rose to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100, and the inspired candor and groove of the album’s title track. That same year, Wexler and engineer Tom Dowd worked with Franklin on her sophomore effort for Atlantic, ‘Aretha Arrives,’ which included the hit single “Baby I Love You,” peaking at Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100. Less than a year later, in January 1968, ‘Lady Soul’ arrived, featuring “Chain of Fools” and “A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like),” the latter written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Both singles charted in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10. It was in 1968 that legendary deejay Pervis Spann, “The Blues Man,” ceremoniously placed a crown atop Franklin’s head during a performance at Chicago’s Regal Theater, announcing her as the “Queen of Soul” – a moniker that remains undisputed. Her success and the subsequent adoration of a growing legion of fans set the stage for a momentous homecoming performance.

On February 16, 1968, Franklin led a stellar performance at Detroit’s Cobo Hall. At the show, Detroit Mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh declared the date as “Aretha Franklin Day,” while local disc jockey Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg – who helped host the event – proclaimed Franklin “everybody’s soul sister.” The evening also included the presentation of plaques and certificates from representatives of music-trade publications, to wit Billboard, Cash Box and Record World, who all recognized Franklin for her contributions and success in 1967. The packed crowd of more than 12,000 people loudly cheered for their Queen, and were treated to a lively 90-minute set from Franklin, who moved between her piano and charismatically owning the stage in a sleek, lime-green dress, her collar and hips wrapped in fanciful feather adornments, while sporting dangling globe earrings and a stylish hair up-do. The Sweet Inspirations, which included vocalist Cissy Houston, backed Franklin that evening, delighting the crowd with soaring versions of “Natural Woman,” “Respect” and many more from Franklin’s impressive catalog.

Among the evening’s many highlights was the appearance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had flown to Detroit to attend the concert and recognize Franklin with a special award from the Southern Christian Leadership Council. Franklin’s father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, was active in the SCLC, as well as a fiery, in-demand preacher famous for his impassioned sermons and singing voice. King and Franklin’s father were friends and shared a mutual admiration fostered during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, making King’s presentation to Aretha both personal and declarative, recognizing the female performer’s role in defining African-American identity. Although he had laryngitis and could not speak, King’s presence caused a stir. Rita Griffin of the Michigan Chronicle recalled of the moment Franklin and King shared on stage: “[King] never said a word, because he couldn’t. But you could just feel the impact his presence had – just him being there… All 12,000 people in that room cared for him – you could feel it.” Almost seven week later, Dr. King was killed in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968.

In the immediate years that followed, Franklin would release a remarkable body of material. Between 1970 and 1972 alone, she released five albums – ‘Spirit In The Dark,’ ‘This Girl’s In Love With You,’ ‘Live At Filmore West,’ ‘Young, Gifted And Black,’ and ‘Amazing Grace’ –that provided illuminating, poignant commentary on American life and culture – past, present and future. (source: rockhall.com).

*****

(Information from web sources: Wikipedia, Bio, Rock Hall Fame, NPR, and All Music)

Addendum: Below: An actual video clip of Lady Soul from the “Aretha Franklin Day” event held at Cobo Hall, in Detroit, February 16, 1968.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L4Bonnw484

NINE DAYS AFTER RELEASE ‘RUBBER SOUL’ MILLION SELLER . . . JANUARY 1, 1966

A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1966

‘RUBBER SOUL’ A WHOPPER FOR BEATLES

NEW YORK – The Beatles have topped themselves – again – their latest Capitol album sold 1,200,000 copies in its first nine days on the market. This, according to Capitol Records, breaks every sales record previously held by the Beatles.

Capitol reports that the album has been selling at a clip of about 140,000 copies a day ever since its release on December 6, 1965. The new Beatles LP picked up its heaviest sales in the New York area, selling over 200,000 copies in nine days. In at least four other areas, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, sales figures total well over 100,000 for the same period.

Capitol initial allocation on “Rubber Soul” of two million units is also its largest ever, on any album. As of mid-month (December figures), 60 per cent of that allocation sold.

The album was formally certified by the RIAA as a million seller last week. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 1, 1966)

MCRFB Addendum

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From the MCRFB aircheck library listen here when WKNR’s Bob Green debuted also, for the very first time on his show a track from the newly-released ‘Rubber Soul’ LP on Keener 13 in December, 1965 . . . “. . . And this one is showing up on the Top 3 plus 1 voting nightly on the Scott Regen Show.”

THIS DAY: PHILIPS SIGN ‘FOUR SEASONS’ TO LABEL . . . JANUARY 18, 1964

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

GROUP EXITS VEE-JAY LABEL; CREWE TO CONTINUE PRODUCTION REIGN WITH GROUP AT PHILIPS

CHICAGO — The Four Seasons have been signed by Philips Records. The group has enjoyed a half-dozen singles smashes in the last 16 months, three were No. 1 entries previously held on the Billboard charts. All of their hits, as well as five of the group’s albums, were introduced on the Vee-Jay label.

Under the terms of the new deal, Philips will release recordings by the group throughout the world through its overseas affiliate. Their initial single, “Dawn,” is due out at once. Disks by the group will continue to be produced by Bob Crewe.

The original Vee-Jay deal involved an agreement between Crew’s production firm from the label, with the masters leased to Vee-Jay. A Crew spokesman stated that they terminated this arrangement last year because of what they called “breaches” and violations in the agreement found with Vee-Jay Records. Since that time, the group has been without a recording contract.

Among the Four Seasons principal hits were “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Ain’t That A Shame,” “Candy Girl” and “New Mexican Rose.” END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 18, 1964)

TEMPTATIONS’ MOTOWN ACT ENTHRALLS COPA CROWD. . . APRIL 19, 1969

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1969

Temptations a Polished Music-Making Machine

**THE TEMPTATIONS** with Dennis Edwards, who replaced lead David Ruffin, July 1968. *(Click on image for largest view).*

NEW YORK — The pleasure, pride and drama of steamrolling into the Copacabana last Thursday, April 10, with their million-sellers yielding to their million-sellers and hit albums crowding the current chart tops now belongs to Detroit’s own Motown Temptations, that relentless soul-to-gold hit machine, whose polish can be witnessed in person or can be researched in sneakers anytime on their fine album, “The Temptations Live At The Copa.”

Flashing their synchronized soul bursts, the quintet collaged their greatest hits into a picture of perpetual motions, striking the heights of excitement with “I Could Never Love Another,” “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” and “I’m Losing You.” The crunching soul snarl of Dennis Edwards, melting into the sensitive notes and high cries of Eddie Kendricks, fluently eased into the chords given off by Paul Williams with his rendition of “For Once In My Life.”

The electrifying acts’ finality became even more crowd enthralled when Mel Franklin took the microphone by complimenting the staged event with his moving bass reading of “Old Man River.” The song had been previously entwined in the group’s indelible trademark ever since Motown released the Tempts Detroit Roostertail “live” performance LP in 1967.

The versatility and timeless popularity of the Temps has made them music makers as big as the music they have shaped themselves, a brand of music which is without question, still on top pulsating the rhythmic heartbeat of a nation dancing to Detroit’s Motown soul today. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; April 19, 1969)

**DENNIS EDWARDS** and the Temptations, late-1968.

ARETHA RISES FROM CHURCH PEWS TO ‘LADY SOUL’ STARDOM . . . JULY 13, 1968

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1968

Miss Franklin Riding Big Wave In ’68 On New Found R&B Success

Detroit’s beautiful soul sensation *Aretha Franklin* from a *Vogue* spread 1968

NEW YORK — Before soul music moved “downtown” into the money, Aretha spent her Sundays singing in her father’s Baptist church in Detroit. Then, eight years ago, Aretha jumped off the gospel train, arrived in New York and kicked off a career that so far has netted her riches, five gold records, including one for an album, and a Billboard citation as the top female vocalist in 1967. But it wasn’t until last year, when “Lady Soul” met Lady Luck dressed up at Atlantic Records did Aretha move into the real money.

“I wanted to have a gold record,” remembers Aretha. “I wanted one so bad — to sell a million of something.” Jerry Wexler, Atlantic’s dean of soul, brought Aretha from Columbia, where her talent sputtered in their “pop inclined” climate, and gave her complete freedom to further expand more of her abilities and talents. But along with her artistic freedom, Wexler also supplied the tools to form her own free expression into self-discovery; tuned-in musicians from Memphis, a full hopper of materials to pick from, and plenty of gold records lining the walls for inspiration. “Atlantic came up with the same sound that I was feeling at the same time,” said Aretha. What Wexler did was allow the singer to grow at her own pace, into her own style.

Aretha Franklin on Time magazine cover, June 28, 1968 — Aretha Franklin makes Time *June 28, 1968* *(Click on image for larger view)*.

In 1968, Miss Franklin will earn more than $750,000. Atlantic Records will reap a portion of Aretha’s record harvest in return for a million-dollar contract payable over the next several years. On the strength of her soaring stock, Time magazine toasted Miss Franklin with a front cover and, with a five-page story in the June 28 issue, marking her official coronation as “Lady Soul.” Miss Franklin will only talk in public about the cover, but not about what’s inside. The length of the article, she says wryly, is “something to speak about.” Privately, she thinks Time “could have stayed a little closer to the fact” concerning her personal life.

Husband as Manager

In addition to her Atlantic contract, Aretha has signed up with her husband, Ted White, for personal manager. “We haven’t had any real trouble so far,” said Aretha about the boss-husband twist, “but it is difficult having your husband as manager. You never know what side he’s coming from — from the husband side or manager side.” But when the bookings are in and they can retreat to their 12-room colonial home in Detroit as a couple and not as partnership, Aretha’s business demons dissolve with the immediate pleasure of her family. “All I want to do,” Aretha muses, “is to be able to function as a simple, honest and true citizen as a human being.”

On stage, Aretha blends earthly humor with the dignity of a Sunday sermon. She will talk about her stiff piano stool back, the sting of new shoes pinching at her heels and, the next moment, belt out “Think” or “Baby, I Love You” with brilliant bursts of gospel power, back-porch blues or rhythm and blues. She toured Europe in the spring and plans to do it again. “It was the greatest,” she said. In Holland, the audience threw flowers — bouquets of flowers and roses — and in Stockholm, the Crown Prince and Princess sat in the audience.”

But despite the gold already won and new gold on the way for albums Aretha: Lady Soul and Aretha Now, she shuns the refinement of pop royalty. “I by about 20 pounds of chitlings every two weeks,” says the young soul singer. Ray Charles called her “one of the greatest I’ve heard any time.”

Miss Franklin will follow up her recent Madison Square Garden appearance for the Martin Luther King fund with a special solo concert at Newport in August. On August 20, she will be featured on an ABC-TV special and, later this summer, she will perform in Caracas, Venezuela. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; July 13, 1968)

Atlantic Records studio producer Jerry Wexler and Aretha Franklin strikes gold in 1967.

THE GREAT VOICE OF THE GREAT LAKES — LEAVING DETROIT? . . . JANUARY 5, 1985

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1985

Motor City Outcry Changes WJR/WHYT Moving Plans

Fisher Building, home of 'The Voice of the Great Lakes WJR. — The Fisher Building. WJR “The Great Voice of the Great Lakes” almost left the building and Detroit back in 1985. *(Click on image for larger view).*

DETROIT — WJR/WHYT are staying put, to the great delight of the Motor City. Public outcry following the stations’ announcement last spring that they would be moving to nearby Troy after 62 years in Detroit was so great, according to WJR/WHYT president and general manager Ron Pancrantz that “management decided the station won’t relocate.”

The announcement came (recently last) December 5, the same day the Detroit City Council passed a unanimous resolution urging the Detroit radio landmark to stay in the city, says WJR promotion director Diane Taylor.

According to Taylor, the 50,000 watt clear channel station has been broadcasting from the art deco Fisher Building since May 4, 1922. Capitol Cities Broadcasting of New York bought the AM/FM combo in 1964 for $21 million and has remained as owner ever since.

Last spring, WJR management announced that the station would be moving 10 miles north to suburban Troy, sometime in 1985. The strong public reaction against the proposed move, coupled with the FCC’s initial rejection of their application — due to too much distance between headquarters and transmitter — caused the station to reconsider.

According to general manager Pancrantz, the FCC’s preliminary ruling against the move “was not a major factor in the decision. Our attorneys had told us we could convince the FCC to approve our move. But it is the outpouring of the public and Detroit city officials that convinced us we should respond to the city’s invitation to explore other locations.”

The lack of needed space for station headquarters has not changed, says station promotion director Taylor, but a new location is now being sought within Detroit city limits. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 5, 1985)

GAVIN REPORT: ‘TOP 40 RECORD PLAYLIST FOR BETTER RATINGS?’ . . . FEBRUARY 29, 1964

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

TIGHT PLAYLIST AND RATINGS RIDING WITH WLS CHICAGO, WKNR DETROIT AND WABC NEW YORK EARLY STAGE

From the Desk of Bill Gavin Billboard Contributing Editor

F O R T H E P A S T Y E A R O R S O , Top 40 station managers have been taking second looks at their playlists. More specifically, they’ve been asking themselves if the playlist should be shortened. Most of the answers have been, “Well — maybe — but let’s not change things until the experimenters have made out.” The experimenters, of course, were those few brave souls who chopped their playlist to fewer than 50 records.

The record of the short playlist is good, but it is far from conclusive at this point. Let’s look at several cities in which the tight playlist have been tested.

Cincinnati offers the most successful example of the tight list policy. For several years, WSAI has dominated this market, with a share of audience rating from 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Station policy has been to play nothing but to top 40, plus established national hits. Station WCIN, featuring mostly R&B records, has introduced much of the new material that sells in the area. Recently, station WCPO has adopted a progressive program policy which incorporates some of the strongest new material. Latest listeners surveys show WCPO’s position in that market to be improving, but not as yet a proved winner.

T H E S T O R Y O F W L S I N C H I C A G O is well known. With a tight playlist policy, introduced a couple of years ago, WLS made phenomenal rating gains and soon became the controlling influence in record sales in a wide area around Chicago. Even so, the WLS ratings are not clearly No. 1. Rating leadership is shared with WIND (and several other stations) whose policy is non-rock singles plus a few selected albums. The ABC ownership decided to give the same music policy a try in its New York station, WABC. After a false start or two, it began to produce substatial ratings gains, and is still doing well with a policy of trying to be very sure about every record added to the list. However, the amazing resurgence of WMCA has stolen most of the glory in New York. The station now heads the rating parade with a policy oriented toward being first to break the new hits.

In San Francisco last year, new ownership at KYA switched from a liberal policy (top 60 plus 30 or 40 more) to a conservative policy of top 30 plus from 10 to 20. Ratings nose-dived during the first few months, but the station has made a powerful gain recently and is generally second only to good music leader KSFO. Top 40 competition in the area has come from KEWB, a Crowell-Collier property, whose policy playing new material is considerably more liberal than KYA’s. As between KYA and KEWB, the former considerably spends more money in contests, prizes and promotions, which may have some bearing on ratings. The top advantage enjoyed by KYA is the ability to stimulate the sales of the records it plays, even though KEWB may have, and usually does, start the sales rolling in the market.

WKNR - November 7, 1963 - Front — **WKNR Keener 13** Music Guide, first issue, on this date, November 7 in 1963 *(click on image for larger view).*

T H E M O S T R E C E N T S U C C E S S F U L convert to a tight playlist has been WKNR, in Dearborn, Michigan. Here the music policy is a top 30 plus 1. With the rapid rise and fall of hits in the Detroit market, there are about five or six new items on each week’s playlist, all but one of which had to be broken in the market by CKLW, WJBK, WXYZ or the R&B station, WJLB. Rating gains at WKNR has been phenomenal. Unofficial reports credit the station with the No. 1 position from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. In spite of such a success story, conservative managers elsewhere are asking: Will it last? Is it the music policy? Or is it something else that they’re doing better at WKNR?

While there is as yet no compelling proof that the tight playlist is a winner, there is no denying the fact that it has produced certain rating advantages in most cities where it is being tried. The fact that that it has failed to achieve a No. 1 position like cities in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco indicates that it is not infallible.

Picking and breaking new hits is one of radio’s exciting adventures. It is at present an open question as to how important this activity may be in attracting listeners. Considerable prestige attaches to the station that is first with the hot new releases. One wonders, however, if much of that prestige is not limited to the professional world of radio and records, with very little luster being perceived by listeners.

Programming popular records is, I think, largely a question of finding the proper balance between the familiar and the new. It’s a question of how interested listeners are really in hearing new records, and how many new offerings they will accept.

Concentrated play of the top hits is a proved formula. The greater the variety, the greater the skill needed to bring home a winner. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; February 29, 1964)

‘T.A.M.I’ ELECTRONOVISION’S LATEST GETS N.Y. SHOWING . . . NOVEMBER 21, 1964

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964

MEDIA, PRESS, TEENERS GETS BIG EYEFUL PREVIEW

NEW YORK — Electronovision debuted its second theater film presentation and the first specifically for teen audiences at a special press preview Wednesday, November 11. It provided a stirring emotional experience, presenting 12 top record acts for one hour and 40 minutes.

The First Annual T.A.M.I Show 1964. — **THE 1964** *T.A.M.I Show* theater wall poster (click on image for larger view).

The Electronovision process was first used to capture Richard Burton’s Broadway performance of “Hamlet,” which was later shown in theaters during a special two-day period. The process utilizes cameras, up to ten at a time, that looks like TV cameras. The images received are fed into a master control room where a director chooses the image he selects to edit on a master tape. From this tape, a commercial motion picture film is produced and prints of the film is marketed for general theater view.

The latest production is called “The T.A.M.I Show” and features Jan and Dean, who will host the show with performances by Chuck Berry, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, the Beach Boys, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Supremes, the Barbarians, James Brown and the Flames, and, the Rolling Stones.

Chuck Berry performing on the TAMI Show, filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1964. — **CHUCK BERRY** performed on the *T.A.M.I Show* at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, filmed in *“Electronovision”* for theatrical release in late 1964

The Beach Boys on stage during the TAMI Show in Santa Monica, California in 1964. — **THE BEACH BOYS** on stage before a live audience for the *T.A.M.I Show,* filmed October 28 and 29, 1964. The best footage (or acts) of these two concert dates were edited into the film, which was released nationally on December 29, 1964. (Wikipedia)

TAMI stands for Teen-Age Music International, an international non-profit organization set up “to understand teen-agers, to recognize their needs, their wants, their attitudes and their principles . . . to help them establish a position of respect in their communities, and in our total society.” TAMI proposes to accomplish these goals through almost the universal teen-age interest in music. This show indicates that the people involved clearly have their finger on the pulse of the teenager.

The film opens at a wild pace with five minutes of fast-moving action showing the performers en route to the Santa Monica, Calif., Civic Auditorium. The acts are in buses, taxis, trucks, motor scooters and even on sidewalk skate boards. Film credit appears over the action.

The pace never slackens and the crowds of teen-agers in the audience rarely let up with their din of adulatory cacophony. It adds aural impact and spurs performers to give frenetic performances. James Brown stands out with a fabulous performance that will enhance his position as an artist and open new vistas of opportunity. The press applauded at the end of his stint.

Lesley Gore, seen here on T.A.M.I, headlined the show in 1964. — **LESLEY GORE** on *T.A.M.I,* headlined the show in 1964 *(click on image for larger view)*

Lesley Gore came across in a warm, sincere manner. Teen-agers obviously adore her as an artist and it looks as though though this gal can bridge the gap to the adult market, if her performance serves as any criteria.

Record dealers in cities where the T.A.M.I show will be screened should experience record sales by the dozen artists highlighting the film. Many excellent tie-ins should be advantageous as well between the dealers and the theater owners.Both could stand to gain. The only showings to be made, except the premiere, will be during the holidays, December 19 through January 3, 1965.

At least 1,000 prints of the film will be in circulation in the U. S. during the holiday season, with some “bicycled” between showing from one theater to another. World-wide distribution, showing will require another additional 1,200 prints.

**JAMES BROWN** electrified the T.A.M.I. audience with his live performance during filming at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in ’64. *(click on image for larger view)*

Los Angeles was slated to have the world premiere of the film on Saturday, November 14, in 33 theaters. The premiere comes 16 days after theater filming in Santa Monica. The print shown to the press came only 13 days after the live performance, giving an indication of how the Electronovision process can be utilized to capture people and events (such as this film process suggests) in more present timeline fashion. William Sargent, Jr., president of Electronovision, Inc., plans a feature every month, beginning in early 1965. The process is so good and so was the direction by Steven Binder, credit musical direction by Jack Nitsche and David Winters was behind the choreography behind the film. Al Ham of Joy Records served as music consultant and his deft touches are apparent in the film’s score.

Sargent told Billboard that his firm is presently in contact with record companies to whom the artists are under contract, relative to securing approval for a soundtrack album to be released by his firm. He is not interested in singles. “The album could be bigger than the picture, couldn’t it?” he commented. END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; November 21, 1964)

Addendum: For more information on the 1964 filming, production, and the bio/story behind ‘The TAMI Show,’ go here.

In 2009, the much sought-after film ‘The TAMI Show,’ was finally released on DVD. The 2009 DVD edition was entirely remastered in HD sound and picture quality. For more info and current availability of this 2009 ShoutFactory DVD release, go here to Amazon.com.

For more sensational ‘TAMI Show’ videos on YouTube go here.

Also, check out this USA Today article Concert film ‘TAMI Show’ captures rock in its 1964 glory (dated March 19, 2010) on the TAMI Show Collector’s Edition DVD release.