MCRFB Back On The Radio - Motor City Radio Flashbacks

TOM RYAN REMEMBERED. WKNR BACK ON THE RADIO: ‘THE KEENER SOUND’! 1964-1967

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The late Tom Ryan held one of the largest collection of Detroit radio recordings he personally taped during the 1960s, the golden era of Detroit Top 40 radio.

Our featured aircheck today is Tom Ryan’s. The love and depth he held for everything Detroit radio — notably WKNR (including the records of that period he collected as well) was commonly known without question — Detroit radio (of the 1960s) was what he enjoyed listening to and grew to love all the more.

We lost Tom Ryan on April 12, 2020.

While we did not acquire the above recording from him personally, Tom did share this (recorded) WKNR compilation on-air while working as a program producer at Honey Radio, some days after WHND officially signed off the air on November 25, 1994.

Taped off Honey Radio nearly three decades ago, this site has kept the featured Ryan audio presentation, since.

Recently edited and condensed, the taped airchecks were also joined to run concurrent, as one aircheck. Motor City Radio Flashbacks presents several of Tom’s WKNR recordings, here, today.

The Keener Sound recalled.

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Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

142 total views, 2 views today

WXYZ 1270: BACK ON THE RADIO! FRED WOLF, DECEMBER 1964

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to David Carson for his WXYZ Fred Wolf audio contribution!

David is the renowned historian and noted authority on Detroit radio. He authored the quintessential book on the subject ever published, ‘Rockin’ Down the Dial: The Detroit Sound of Radio’.

“A must for any fan of Detroit radio. ‘Rockin’ Down the Dial’ is an easy read and for people like me, there are lots of pictures.” -Dick Purtan, WOMC

His book was published by Momentum Books, Ltd., Troy, MI., in the year 2000. While his book is out-of-print, it is listed on eBay and on Amazon. David Carson resides today in Tennessee. Thanks again, David! 🙂

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Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

227 total views

WMJC FM: BACK ON THE RADIO! JEFF and JER’, SEPTEMBER 1983

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Robert Zerwekh. From the Robert Zerwekh Collection

Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

418 total views, 1 views today

WCZY 95.5 FM: BACK ON THE RADIO! DICK PURTAN, SEPTEMBER 1983

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to Robert Zerwekh. From the Robert Zerwekh Collection.

Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

478 total views, 1 views today

WCSX ‘CLASSIC ROCK’ BACK ON THE RADIO: CARL COFFEY, JUNE 1992

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Carl Coffey. Over five decades in the radio broadcasting business. We lost the long-time, legendary (WRIF and WCSX) Detroit ‘Classic Rock’ veteran, on September 24, 2022. He was 73.

In his memory, you can send a Sympathy Card or sign the Guest Book, online. You can read Carl Coffey’s obituary, here.

NEW! A special THANK YOU to Robert Zerwekh. From the Robert Zerwekh Collection.

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WCSX Carl Coffey with Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad).

225 total views

WKNR FM: ‘WHERE IS PAUL?’ JOHN SMALL PHONES JOHN LENNON, OCTOBER 1969

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It was the proverbial question raised by John Small, which he posed to John Lennon (via telephone), who was in London at the time. It was October of 1969. Three days after Russ Gibb fueled the rumor when WKNR FM aired his controversial two hour program, The Beatle Plot’ in his Sunday show, October 19, 1969.

In this radio interview with John Small, Lennon said that the rumor was “insane” but good publicity for Abbey Road (he further explains in the interview).

Last Friday (October 28) Motor City Radio Flashbacks featured an extension of the extremely rare and controversial WKNR program, ‘The Beatle Plot’. John Small, in collaboration with Russ Gibb and Dan Carlysle, shared their perspective, clues, and insights from their own ‘investigation’ they collective shared of the very question they raised on the night of October 19, Is Paul McCartney Dead?

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NOTE: In the event you may have missed our featured presentation — ‘Is Paul McCartney Dead? The Beatle Plot’ — you can find it HERE.

174 total views

WKNR BACK ON THE RADIO: JOHN SMALL, OCTOBER 1969

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This WKNR recording was donated to the Motor City Radio Flashbacks archive, some years back. Accordingly, it was given to this site by the contributor who personally recorded the program on reeled tape, in October 1969. Since then, the recording had been converted into a digitized file for audio preservation.

A Sunday evening presentation, it appears the program may have aired on WKNR AM and, most likely was simulcast on WKNR FM. You will note the recording sounds as though it may have been recorded off the AM band instead, hence the static heard throughout the program.

Also, without any degree of certainty, not clear whether this was the original WKNR broadcast which initially launched the ‘Is Paul Dead?’ controversy. The nameless donor, in sharing this recording expressed complete anonymity. He resides elsewhere outside the State of Michigan today.

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