WJLB DEBUTS NEW SOUND . . . SEPTEMBER 23, 1967

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

Playlist shortened to 40 Top R&B Playlist; New Jingles by Quincy Jones Added; Quick-paced Delivery Will Be Central Theme

DETROIT — WJLB, Booth Broadcasting’s 1,000-watt R&B operation here, has just launched a new programming policy centering around tighter production, faster-pacing transitions, and has added a new set of custom-jingles by Quincy Jones.

**Wash Allen**, former 1967 WJLB program director in 2011.

Wash Allen, who just recently took over WJLB programming director duties after being transferred from Booth’s WABQ in Cleveland, said the Detroit station “would be running with a full-blast, exciting young sound.” Play list will be 40 records, to which he will add as necessity demands. “You can never tell how many good tunes will come out in a good week,” he said.

The aim will be to add consistency in programming, Allen said. He felt that his philosophy was the same as Bill Drake, consultant to RKO General stations, and Paul Drew, program director at CKLW in Detroit. “Certain top tunes must be played consistently and deejays must be consistent on their shows. One deejay can’t make a radio station; it has to be a total operation and this is a new concept in R&B radio. In the old days, one guy could make a radio station; he could make a record. It can no longer be like that today.”

**WJLB 1440 AM** radio deejay lineup; late 1967. *(Click on image for larger view)*

Things are changing so fast in radio, especially in R&B radio, that Allen felt that many older deejays were finding it difficult to grasp what was happening. “To some extent,” Allen said, “it was necessary to teach radio to these people. It wasn’t anybody’s fault that this situation developed. It’s just that times are changing and a radio station has to move with the times.”

Allen begin his radio career with WVOL in Nashville while attending Tennessee State University. He had been with WABQ for about two-and-a-half years before moving to WJLB. He considers himself “a derivative of Ed Wright,” who’s been program director at WABQ prior to joining Liberty Records as head of its Minit label. Allen wrote the lyrics and produced the Quincy Jones jingle custom package. Future plan calls for psychedelic-themed jingles as well.

Station WJLB has brought in new equipment and is building up its news department. In Martha Jean Steinberg and Ernie Durham, Allen felt he had two of the top air personalities of any station in the nation on board. “Now, with the new equipment, we have everything to work with.” END

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(Information and news source: Billboard; September 23, 1967)

PRESS IMAGES FROM DETROIT RADIO’S PAST: ‘JLB 1967

Martha Jean the Queen

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In the early 1950s, Martha Jean, would become one of but a few female broadcasters in the country working radio “on-the-air.” She landed her first DJ stint in broadcast radio when she was hired at Memphis’ WDIA in 1954.

In 1963, Bell Broadcasting in Detroit, WCHB, hired Martha Jean from Memphis’ WDIA. After three years on the radio there, she left WCHB for Detroit’s WJLB on October 24, 1966.

Fifty years ago, during the Detroit riot in July 1967, in her personal attempt to quell the widespread civil disturbance and “calm the citizenry” — Martha Jean convinced WJLB management to cancel all scheduled programming — thus allowing her to remain on the air for an unprecedented 48 consecutive hours.

The legendary soul radio personality Martha Jean, known as “The Queen,” remained a broadcasting staple for over four decades while in the Motor City. During her decades’ reign on the radio airways here she became a formidable voice for Detroit and its inner-city core. In 1982, she purchased her own radio station, thus, becoming its sole manager thereby having divested all prior control of operations for WQBH (formerly Detroit’s WMZK).

She remained there on the air until the day she passed away, January 29, 2000.

**WDIA MARTHA JEAN** *Memphis* *circa 1950s*.

DETROIT ‘CHB-AM 1440: NEWSPAPER 1966 FLASHBACK

Sunday, October 23, 1966

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WCHB-AM ‘That Queen Of ‘Soul,’ Martha Jean’

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WJLB-AM 1400 ERNIE D. SHOW THEME! HAND CLAPPIN’

**WBBC** *(Flint)* – **WJLB** *(Detroit)* **ERNIE DURHAM** *circa 1956*

WBBC/WJLB ERNIE DURHAM SHOW THEME * Hand Clappin’ * RED PRYSOCK * 1955

‘FRANTIC ERNIE’ DURHAM

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Ernie Durham, sometimes referred as ‘Ernie D., but more commonly remembered as ‘Frantic Ernie’ on the radio, began his Detroit radio career as a newscaster and host of a jazz show on WDET, prior 1955. With a desire to get more into mainstream popular music, Ernie landed a DJ stint with WBBC in Flint, in 1955, which was owned by Booth Broadcasting.

Sometime during 1956, Booth Broadcasting, which owned parent-station WJLB, would also hire Durham for their Detroit outlet, eventually splitting his weekly shift between both stations. Mornings on WBBC. Evenings on WJLB. At one time, Ernie Durham commuted daily between the two stations for well over a year. Before year’s end, 1958, Durham would leave Flint’s WBBC to work for WJLB in Detroit.

The popular Detroit soul radio legend would remain there for decades and some years after WJLB 1400 transitioned into WQBH 1400 on the AM dial in 1982. Thereafter, for a brief time, Ernie D. was on WJR. He would return to WDET-FM with a nightly show in 1991, where he was still employed, at time of his death.

Ernie Durham passed away, twenty-five years ago, Wednesday, December 2, 1992.

DETROIT WJLB AM 1400: 1965 NEWSPAPER FLASHBACK!

Sunday, April 18, 1965

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WJLB-AM ‘ “Frantic Ernie,” Who Isn’t ‘

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PRESS IMAGES FROM DETROIT RADIO’S PAST! WJLB, ’67

**WJLB ‘FRANTIC ERNIE’ DURHAM** *1967* (Press Photo)

DETROIT WJLB AM 1400: 1967 NEWSPAPER FLASHBACK!

Sunday, April 9, 1967

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WJLB-AM ‘Ernie Durham First Record-Hop Man’

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WJLB IN NEW PROGRAM POLICY . . . SEPTEMBER 23, 1967

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1967

DETROIT — WJLB, Booth Broadcasting’s 1,000-watt r &b operation here, has just launched a new programming policy centering around tighter production, faster pacing, and a new set of custom jingles by Quincy Jones.

WJLB AIR STAFF August 1967 — **WJLB AIR STAFF** *August 1967 (click image for largest view)*

Wash Allen, who just recently took over WJLB program director duties after being transferred from Booth’s WABQ in Cleveland, said the Detroit station would be “running with a full-blast, exciting young sound.” Playlist will be 40 records, to which he will add as necessity demands. “You can never tell how many good tunes will come out in a good week, but I think the average will be about five new records a week.” he said.

The aim will be to establish consistency in programming, Allen said. He felt his philosophy in programming was the same as Bill Drake, consultant to RKO General stations, and Paul Drew, program director of CKLW in Detroit.

“Certain top tunes must be played consistently and deejays must be consistent in their shows. One deejay can’t make a station; it has to be a total operation and this is a new concept in r &b radio. In the old days, one guy could make a station, he could make a record. It can’t be like that today.”

Things are changing so fast in radio, especially in r &b radio, that Allen felt many older deejays were finding it difficult to grasp what was happening. “To some extent,’ Allen said “it was necessary to teach radio to these Mitch Miller
people. It wasn’t anybody’s fault that this situation developed.

It’s just that times are changing and a radio station has to move with the times.” Allen began his radio career with WVOL in Nashville while attending Tennessee State University. He had been with WABQ about two and a half years before moving to WJLB. He considers himself a “derivative of Ed Wright,” who’d been program director of WABQ prior to joining Liberty Records as head of its Minit label.

Allen wrote lyrics and produced the Jones jingles. Future plans call for psychedelic jingles. Station has brought in new equipment and is building up its
news department. In Martha Jean Steinberg and Ernie Durham, Allen felt he had two of the top air personalities of any station in the nation. “Now, with the new equipment, we have everything to work with.” END

(Information and news source: Billboard; September 23, 1967)

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THE 40 HOTTEST BILLBOARD ’65 R&B SINGLES LAST WEEK

BILLBOARD HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY: July 31, 1965 — **BILLBOARD HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY** *July 31, 1965 (click on chart 2x for largest view)*

**THE NO. 1 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * FOUR TOPS**

**THE NO. 2 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * WILSON PICKETT**

**THE NO. 3 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * SOLOMON BURKE**

**THE NO. 4 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * BILLY STEWART**

**THE NO. 5 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * BARBARA MASON**

WCHB / WJLB ‘TOP 5’ DETROIT

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The ‘Top 5’ soul records also were the most popular radio plays heard on Detroit’s two R&B stations 1440 WCHB and 1400 WJLB on the AM dial at the time, as well as other record selections off this chart, as tabulated nationally, week-ending 07/24/65.

THE 40 HOTTEST BILLBOARD ’66 R&B SINGLES LAST WEEK

BILLBOARD HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY: April 30, 1966 (click on image 2x for largest detailed view) — **BILLBOARD** **HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY**: *April 30, 1966 (click on image 2x for largest detailed view)*

**THE NO. 1 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA * The Temptations**

**THE NO. 2 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA * Joe Tex**

**THE NO. 3 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA * Wilson Pickett**

**THE NO. 4 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA * The Poets**

**THE NO. 5 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA * Otis Redding**

DETROIT ‘TOP 5’ WJLB WCHB

Many of these records were the most popular radio plays heard on Detroit’s two R&B stations on the AM dial at the time, WCHB 1440 and WJLB 1400, week-ending 04/23/66.

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30