December 2022 - Motor City Radio Flashbacks

WDRQ SPECIAL PRESENTATION: THE LEE ALAN NEW YEAR’S EVE COUNTDOWN, 1977!

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This WDRQ recording was recently donated to our Detroit radio aircheck collection. Lee Alan’s New Year’s Eve Countdown, on WDRQ, December 31, 1977. This was to be his second, and last, on WDRQ. (Lee Alan hosted one other New Year’s Eve broadcast on WDRQ in 1976). In closing out the year, this exclusive posting is our special featured presentation on Motor City Radio Flashbacks on this last day of 2022.

In this recording, the tape begins - timewise - at the 9:59 p.m. hour (Detroit time) with Lee Alan’s presentation of Chuck Berry performing live at the Walled Lake Casino, sometime in early-1964. Five years ago, we lost Chuck Berry in March 2017. Also in the broadcast you will hear Lee Alan paying a short tribute to Elvis Presley, who passed away four months earlier, August 16, 1977.

*(Click on 2x or tap over this image for largest detailed view.)*

The broadcast was taped by our friend, Greg Innis. Greg has kept this tape in his personal Detroit radio airchecks collection for the past 45 years. And as always, this site is indebted to him for having shared this holiday memory. It is presented here for the very first time, today.

You will note this two hour recording highlights listener call-in’s and recollections, stories and sounds. And minutes before the end of the recording you will hear The Horn counting down the seconds to 1978 . . . as was heard on New Year’s Eve night, December 31, 1977.

Enjoy. Lee Alan’s WDRQ New Year’s Eve Countdown . . . . Happy New Year!

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Audio recording digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

A special THANK YOU to senior site contributor Greg Innis of Livonia, MI., for having provided this featured WDRQ audio memory for our Motor City Radio Flashbacks aircheck repository.

CKLW MOTOR CITY BIG 30 RECORDS: THIS WEEK! DECEMBER 26, 1967

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“The listing of records herein is the opinion of CKLW based on its survey of record sales, listener requests and CKLW’s judgement of the record’s appeal.”

The featured CKLW chart was digitally restored in its entirety by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over CKLW chart images. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.

ON YOUR PC? Click on all chart images 2x for largest print view.

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A sincere thank you Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.

Above CKLW music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.

WXYZ RADIO 1270: DETROIT SOUND OFFICIAL HIT SURVEY! DECEMBER 22, 1964

**WXYZ DETROIT SOUND** *Official Hit Survey* December 22, 1964

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This list is selected each week by WXYZ Radio reports of records sales gathered from leading record outlets in the Detroit area and other sources available to WXYZ.

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A special THANK YOU to Larry Good, of Saline, MI., for generously contributing this featured WXYZ chart — December 22, 1964 — to Motor City Radio Flashbacks

The above WXYZ chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

Merry Christmas! From Motor City Radio Flashbacks

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In 1963, Nat Cole’s 1960 album The Magic of Christmas was re-issued under the title The Christmas Song, with that recording added to the track in place of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, with new cover art added. Music arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael.

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Album recording audio remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS . . . ‘FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN’

Program recording audio remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

Conceived, created, produced, and narrated by Bob Pratt

HOLIDAY JOY . . . THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMASES PAST, DECEMBER, 1961

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Decca Records Stereo LP. “The Coming of Christ” The Original Story and Music of the Award Winning NBC ‘Project 20’ Television Program. Music by: Robert Russell Bennett. Written by: Richard Hanser. Narrator: Alexander Scourby. Produced and Directed by Donald B. Hyatt. Released, 1961

Album recording audio remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

A WJR HOLIDAY TRADITION: BEGINS TODAY! AN ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS . . . HOSTED BY JIM HAMPTON

Begins 6:00 p.m. EST., today! Listen ‘live’ to ‘An Original Christmas’ HERE

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

HOLIDAY JOY . . . THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMASES PAST, DECEMBER, 1967

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Released in the United States on the Philips Records label. Twelve holiday instrumentals as selected by the famed French orchestra conductor, Paul Mauriat. Selections includes, White Christmas, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, O’ Holy Night, and eight others. Released, 1967

Album recording audio remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks