Album recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
NEW! A special THANK YOU to Brad Jankowski, of Wyandotte, MI., for his recent aircheck contribution for the Motor City Radio Flashbacks collection.
Newly restored! This selected audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
NOTE: Despite this recording is 57 years old, it was pretty much dull in sound, inasmuch, it was just “flat.” The audio was also found with excessive background hum in the recording. You may notice the audio track may sound a little dense. This resulted, after I was able to extract the background noise in this aircheck and having cleaned up the audio, as well. For this process, I used the Magix Audio Cleaning Lab software. Here is the final end result. The donor’s contribution is cordially appreciated, always. [J.F.]
Andy Williams Christmas Album is the first Christmas holiday album released by singer Andy Williams and his twelfth studio album overall. It was issued by Columbia Records in 1963, the first of eight Christmas albums released by Williams.
Though it was also the album that introduced Williams’s perennial holiday classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year“, Columbia instead released Williams’s cover of “White Christmas” as the album’s promotional single at the time. This single was on top at number one on the Billboard Christmas Records chart, week-ending, Saturday, December 14, 1963.
Source: Andy Williams Christmas Album, Wikipedia
Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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Columbia Special Products P 14076. A stereo LP. “Music For A Merry Christmas.” Featuring acclaimed Organist, E. Power Biggs, accompanied with the Columbia Chamber Orchestra. Conducted by Zoltan Rozsnyai. Arrangements by Daniel Pinkham. A Columbia House Records Production. Released in 1963.
Album recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
Hot Imperial Artist Starts, Spreads Coast Club Craze
NEW YORK — “Young kids were always coming up to me on my tour and asking, ‘What’s the Whiskey a Go Go like? I’d sure like to go there.’ ”
Imperial Records’ hot Johnny Rivers speaking, and while what he’s saying may or may not be the best sign sociologically, it’s a good indication of how important the a Go Go in general and Johnny in particular have become on the music scene. The a Go Go has certainly played a major role in Johnny Rivers’ go going career, ending 1964 at its highest level.
“That’s where it all started,” Johnny said recently while stopping here at the windup of a 33 -city cross-country tour.
“The Whiskey a Go Go on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Everybody drops in – Natalie Wood, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld. Steve McQueen is there a lot – he’ll host my ‘welcome back’ opening there Dec. 8.”
Steve’s a big booster of Johnny’s, it was learned. He recently took Johnny’s records to a European discotheque, had them played and then took them back when he left the place, it was noted by Lou Adler, head of Dunhill Productions and Johnny’s record producer, who was also visiting New York and sitting in on the interview.
Memphis Tour Highlight
Johnny’s earlier recording of “Memphis” brought him a parade and the key to that city from the mayor during his recent travels, perhaps the high -light of the tour for the slight entertainer looming large in show business.
Just what is the a Go Go sound? (Johnny’s songs have all been recorded before, but he’s given them life.) “Well, it’s hard to say if there is a Go Go sound per se,” Johnny explained. ‘Most of my records, like ‘Memphis’ and ‘Maybelline’ and the albums, ‘At the Whiskey a Go Go’ and ‘Here We a Go Go Again,’ are done live at the Whiskey a Go Go, although the new one, ‘Mountain of Love,’ was cut in a studio, with three girls plus my regular backing, bass player Mickey Jones and drummer Joe Osborne (I play guitar).
“My music has been compared to the Detroit Sound, although I’m told I have a somewhat happier sound.” At which point Adler said: “Johnny has brought the young feeling of dancing — the watusi, the frug, etc., to adults in clubs. They can relate to him musically. He’s blues-oriented, and adults have always been able to relate easier to blues than to rock ‘n’ roll.”
Johnny’s favorite artists are B. B. King, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters – the latter a natural preference for an artist named Johnny Rivers. Among the femmes, he prefers Nancy Wilson. attracted to that particular sound.”
Johnny also believes the British groups will be popular for quite a while yet. “Too many are making it now,” he felt, “and it’ll come down to The Beatles, the best groups, the best material.” His convictions in this area are not influenced by the fact that Brian Epstein (called the fifth Beatle by some, the first by others) handles Johnny’s European engagements.
Johnny, 23, has been recording since he was 15 and now makes his home in California. According to Adler, “Johnny’s finally found his own style and sound. Recording live at the Whiskey a Go Go with just a trio turned the trick, I think. Instead of his complementing the band as he’d been doing for years, they’re complementing him. . . “.
The Hollywood Whiskey a Go Go will get some more publicity when Johnny (along with other cast members) does scenes for his first movie a la maison. “I’ve had some offers for pictures before, but I held out for a really important property. This looks like it. Right now it’s called ‘Community Property,’ and the stars are Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Dean Martin and Ann Margret. It starts shooting in February, with many of the scenes to be locationed at the Whiskey a Go Go, and I’ll have a speaking part plus three or four numbers in it. It’s basically a comedy-the title may be changed to ‘Divorce-American Style’.
(One of the films offered Johnny was Sam Katzman’s “Watusi a Go Go,” which, perhaps when they couldn’t get Johnny, was changed to “The Swingin’ Set” and now has become “Get Yourself a College Girl.”
Johnny has also appeared on TV’s “Shindig,” on Red Skelton’s show (in a skit about the “Skelton a Go Go”) and in a documentary Jack Paar filmed on the craze for a Go-Gos around our country (and, presumably, in France, the actual birthplace of the name if not the nuance).
“The Whiskey a Go Go people on the Coast are looking for a spot in New York to open a new a Go Go,” Johnny confided. Which would make Christmas merrier for “little kids” hereabouts; and, of course, for the countless watusi wacky adults who relate to Johnny’s a Go Go, man, go rhythms and sounds.
Another Christmas gift ouch: Johnny Rivers dolls — you wind them up, and, as Lawrence Welk would say, they ah, go, go, go. END
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Information, credit and news source: Record World, December 5, 1964
Audio digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
In this segment you will hear NBC radio reports by the following correspondents:
Ron Nessen (Washington); Don Doke (White House); Ed Gulf (Mobile Unit); Dave Rush (St. Matthews Cathedral)
The complete coverage of the Low Pontifical Requiem Mass for President Kennedy at St. Matthews Cathedral, as broadcasted on WWJ, Detroit, on the NBC Radio Network. Highlights:
“Hail to the Chief” (JFK casket brought into Cathedral); Commencement of Mass; Entrance Hymn; Reading of the Gospel; Offertory; Consecration; The Lord’s Prayer; Celebrant’s Communion; Communion Missile; Communion Prayer; End of Mass; Words by Reverend Phillip M. Hannon (Auxiliary Catholic Bishop) Washington; Cardinal Richard Cushing; Cardinal and dignitaries exit Cathedral.
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Note: In 1963, WWJ WWJ-FM was owned and operated by The Detroit News. The NBC Detroit affiliate was represented nationally by Peters, Griffins, Woodward, Inc.
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In this segment you will hear the NBC reports of President John F. Kennedy’s State Funeral:
The complete and final coverage of President Kennedy’s Funeral. As broadcasted on WWJ, Detroit, on the NBC Radio Network. Highlights:
JFK’s casket, caisson leaves Cathedral; Ed Gulf, (Mobile Unit) reporting; JFK Funeral procession crossing Potomac; Procession continues; Procession enters Arlington; JFK casket carried to gravesite; Kennedy family approaches grave; National Anthem, Air Force Bag Pipes; The Fly-By; Blessing of the Grave (Richard Cardinal Cushing presides); Military Honor 21 Gun Salute; Oratory Prayers, Church Consecration; Military Honor Guard 3 Gun Salute, Playing Military Taps; Military Honor Guard folds Flag; Cushing officiates Prayers, recites Church Blessings of the Grave; Flag handed to Mrs. Kennedy, commence lighting of the Eternal Flame.
” . . . John F. Kennedy, has been laid to rest.”
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Classical music resumes play over the NBC Radio Network
A special thank you to Bob Pratt, of Farmington Hills, MI., for contributing these historic recordings to the Motor City Radio Flashbacks archive.
In November 1963, Bob Pratt recorded over 20 hours on reeled tapes covering the tragic four days, 60 years ago.
In November 1963, Bob Pratt recorded over 20 hours on reeled tapes covering the tragic four days, 60 years ago. The recordings began at 11:16 a.m. through 3:43 p.m., Monday afternoon, November 25, 1963.
Bob Pratt also shared his own recollections of President Kennedy’s assassination. His personal memories is featured on this website, here.
These historic Detroit radio broadcasts was never available to anyone — anywhere. Motor City Radio Flashbacks featured these historic recordings in their entirety — exclusively here — for the very first time, when this site premiered these broadcasts in November 2018, five years ago.
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Above newspaper images courtesy from the freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2023. Newspapers.com.
The above featured images was ‘clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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All images posted in this featured presentation was re-imaged, re-framed, and was web created for this featured presentation by Jim Feliciano. The selected ‘televised’ image was used (see top frame), having been obtained from the personal collection of the author.
Photos featured: Associated Press