50th! WKNR 13: THE SCOTT REGEN SKATEBOARD SONG

NORMA TRACEY AND THE CINDERELLA KIDS * Skate Board Song * The “Official” WKNR Scott Regen Skateboard Song (1965)

___

WKNR MAY 1965

In May, 1965, with the exit earlier in the year of Keener jocks Robin Seymour, Gary Stevens and later Bill Phillips, Dick Purtan, formerly (Paul Purtan) WSAI, Cincinnati, signed on filling one of three voids in the Keener jock lineup. But most notably — WKNR — created much fanfare promoting the arrival of Scott Regen to Detroit from Kansas City’s WHB.

Up until Scott Regen’s arrival to the station, especially the last few days in May, 1965, WKNR would give its listeners daily “travel updates” on Keener 13, as Scott Regen loomed closer and closer to his scheduled arrival here, slated for Tuesday, June 1st, 1965.

It was also during that time, the “Skate Board Song” became the “official” WKNR song record the station had tied in as well, in promoting further Scott Regen’s anticipated arrival here — mind you, traveling on skateboard only! — Kansas City to Detroit.

Listen as well when Dick Purtan made much ado of the “Scott Regen Skateboard Song,” Monday night, May 31, 1965. Purtan signed on WKNR, May 24, 1965. You can listen to Purtan’s shtick that evening in the WKNR-AM BACK ON THE RADIO WITH: DICK PURTAN! aircheck featured today on Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

50TH! WKNR 13: SCOTT REGEN SKATE BOARD REPORTS!

WKNR SCOTT REGEN SKATEBOARD REPORTS * WKNR Scott Regen Promos * WKNR 5/1965

CLASSIC ‘PAMS’ RADIO JINGLES AS HEARD ON: WKNR!

**WKNR ‘PAMS’ CUSTOMS ‘Jody Lyons’ ON MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS**

**From the MCRFB JINGLES archive: WKNR-AM 1310 * “The Lively One!” * 1965-1966**

TONIGHT! WKNR PRESENTS: BEACH BOYS IN CONCERT!

WKNR PROMO * “Keener 13 – Now You Know What We’ve Got” * Beach Boys ’65

(Special thanks to John Freist for providing this WKNR audio source!)

MCRFB Note: Taken from a WKNR Bob Green aircheck — you’ll note, obviously, Bob Green voicing over on air with “open mike” in this classic, Beach Boys produced WKNR station promo from fifty years ago — 1965!

WKNR DETROIT TOP 31 KEENER HITS: THIS WEEK IN 1968!

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER * The Doors * WKNR (No. 05) 05/23/68

2 + 2 = * Bob Seger * WKNR (No. 12) 05/23/68

HERE COMES DA JUDGE * Buena Vistas * WKNR (No. 13) 05/23/68

I LOVE YOU * People * WKNR (No. 30) 05/23/68

(The May 23, 1968 WKNR Music Guide courtesy the John Freist Collection)

NEARING THE END OF WKNR ERA: WEEK OF 03/13/1972

HEART OF GOLD * Neil Young * WKNR (No. 03) 03/13/72

DAY DREAMING * Aretha Franklin * WKNR (No. 09) 03/13/72

EVERYTHING GOOD IS BAD * 100 Proof (Aged In Soul) * WKNR (Hit Preview) 03/13/72

(WKNR Survey Guide courtesy the John Freist Collection)

A WKNR FOOTNOTE: Today, April 25, marks 43 years having passed since WKNR consigned itself to Detroit radio history. In the 1972 WKNR music guides, you’ll note the top 31 was no longer standard station play. Cut in half, the new WKNR playlist rotation, as this March 13 music survey indicates, would focus primarily on the top 15 singles listed for the week.

The WKNR playlist was also leaning more heavily into album oriented tracks as well. While listing their bottom 15 as “hit previews,” several of these song titles confirmed WKNR was also promoting selections from their top 10 ‘WKNR Albums,’ as listed on the back-side of the survey. Notice as well the moniker “Keener 13,” the station’s famous ID staple, was noticeably stricken from the WKNR vocabulary, likewise, in 1972.

By then priding itself as “Detroit’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Station,” this WKNR March 13, 1972 issue was published the week before the station’s very last music guide would go to print, the week of March 20, 1972. A month later WKNR signed-off the air, April 25, 1972.