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The above Broadcasting September 1964 WKNR ad was digitally re-imaged and was entirely restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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This article/advertisement courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2024. Newspapers.com
Originally printed in black and white, the featured Detroit Free Press ad was digitally re-imaged, colorized, and was entirely restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE
MCRFB Note: Special THANKS to our friend, John Bartony (a.k.a. Jukebox John) St. Clair Shores, Michigan, for providing the above Detroit Free Press WCHB 1440 ad (April 1964) for this site, as featured today.
A special thank you to senior MCRFB consultant Greg Innis, of Livonia, MI., for contributing the Newspapers.com archives (Detroit radio related) articles, ads, and images we have provide for this site since 2016.
Thank you, Greg Innis, for making these historic Detroit radio features possible. 🙂
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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.
The above WXYZ 04/26/1965 chart survey was digitally restored completely in its entirety by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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By mid-January 1965, the Detroit Sound Survey charts was no longer printed for the public in general. The WXYZ charts, as featured above, were instead published solely for Detroit record retailers, music outlets, one-stop jobbers, and distributors only.
These Radio 1270 top 40 charts was the largest of the WXYZ Detroit Sound Survey charts ever printed, having measured 17.5″ W x 22 L” inches in size. These charts were primarily used for weekly record rank based by popularity, position, retail sales, and were used for record retail rack displays as well.
For the very first time, Motor City Radio Flashbacks will be featuring a dozen or so — as chart dated — of these extremely rare WXYZ 1965 surveys throughout the year.
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Lee Alan, a native of Detroit, was born in 1934 and grew up in the city. His passion for broadcasting sparked at the age of 14 while he was an avid fan of WXYZ’s serial, “The Lone Ranger.” After graduating from Cooley High School, he pursued his interest in broadcasting by enrolling at Wayne State University.
His journey in radio began at WCAR, located in Pontiac, followed by a stint at WJLB. Despite a brief period of service in the Army, Alan returned to WJLB for a short time, handling the overnight shift. In 1959, he secured the all-night slot at WJBK, occasionally filling in elsewhere. However, in December of that year, he parted ways with WJBK due to what management described as “simple economics.”
Alan then joined WKMH, where he hosted two shows. In 1962, he departed Detroit for Cincinnati. Shortly after arriving there, Alan received an unexpected call from WXYZ, offering him a new broadcasting opportunity back in Detroit. At one point, he juggled roles in both television and radio, serving as the host of “Club 1270” in 1963 and later transitioning to “The Swingin’ Kind” in 1966, both on WXYZ-TV. Lee Alan concluded his radio career and retired in 1970. For decades thereafter, after opening his own ad agency, his voice was heard on countless car dealership commercials on radio and television in Detroit and around the country.
Today we are presenting Lee Alan’s WXYZ show-opening theme. From 1958 – ZING! WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART – by Les Elgart & Orchestra. One of the best remembered, if not the best, themes heard on Detroit radio in the past 60 years.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
NEW! A special THANK YOU to our friend, Jim Nuznoff, of Port Charlotte, Florida, for this recent contribution for our Motor City Radio Flashbacks airchecks repository.
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At 7:54 a.m., Tuesday morning, April 25, 1972, ‘Stereo Island’ WKNR-FM morning personality Jim Cutler stated without explanation that it was “an important day in the Motor City” and, with that, moments later said a final goodbye and closed a chapter in Detroit radio history with a final song, “Poem For My Little Lady,” by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.
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Jim writes (January 9, 2024) — “On the date noted on this aircheck, WKNR FM transitioned to WNIC-FM. I did simultaneously had recorded as well, the WKNR-AM to WNIC-AM at the approximate time when the transition took place. But, unfortunately, it was ruined by someone at the studio who threw the wrong switch. That action resulted in several seconds of dead air. Insofar as the AM side, I no longer have that ‘WKNR to WNIC’ tape today.” –Jim Neznoff
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Newly restored! This selected audio recording was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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Ernie Durham, an alumnus of New York University with a journalism major, secured his initial radio position as a newscaster on WDET in Detroit during the early 1950s. During his tenure there, he also commenced hosting a jazz program. In 1955, upon joining WJLB, Durham found himself broadcasting in two different cities during his formative years in the industry. His schedule involved hosting a 3-6 p.m. show on Flint’s WBBC (formerly a Booth station, later transitioning to WTRX), followed by an immediate transition to Detroit for his nightly 8 p.m. slot on WJLB (the flagship station of Booth Broadcasting). Today, he is esteemed as one of Detroit’s broadcasting icons. After leaving WQBH, Durham returned to WDET prior to his passing in December 1992.
Today we are presenting Ernie Durham’s WJLB show-opening theme. This one from 1955 – HAND CLAPPIN’ – by Red Prystock.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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By the close of 1963, Don Zee had garnered significant popularity among teenage radio listeners with his “All-Night Satellite Show,” broadcast overnight on WXYZ. However, by the conclusion of 1964, his presence on the airwaves had shifted primarily to weekends, airing on both Saturdays and Sundays. By July 1965, Don Zee had departed from WXYZ altogether. Nonetheless, his resonant voice continued to captivate audiences as he resumed his overnight show, now transmitted from across the river at CKLW Radio 8-0 in Windsor, Ontario.
Today we are presenting Don Zee’s CKLW show-opening theme. This one from 1960 – TARANTULA – by The Tarantulas (which incidentally, Don also played opening his overnight shows when he was at WXYZ).
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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Tom Clay began his radio career in Buffalo at WWOL in late 1954. After almost two years there, he eventually pursued a move for Cincinnati’s WSAI. Unfortunately, Clay’s time at WSAI was cut very short due to a format change. He was hosting the 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. nightly shift. Next stop, Detroit. Hired by WJBK, it was those same hours he occupied as “Jack the Bellboy” during the two years he was on Radio 1500 from 1957 to November of 1959.
Today we are presenting Tom Clay’s own WJBK show-opening theme. This one was from 1952 – CURTAIN TIME – by Tony Acquaviva and the New York Symphony Orchestra.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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Having tapped early-on radio aspirations during his high school days, Dave Shafer left Dover, Delaware for Detroit in 1961. He landed his first radio job, here, as music librarian at WJBK. Shafer eventually found his way behind the microphone – in studio – as the new “Jack the Bellboy” by the following year in 1962. And thus began Dave’s storied, three-decade broadcasting career in Detroit radio. Including stops at WCAR, WOMC, WCZY, along with a 11-year run at CKLW radio in Windsor, Ontario, in the 1960s and 1970s.
Today we are presenting Dave Shafer’s own WJBK show-opening theme. This one was from 1960 – THE HONEYDRIPPER – by the Kirby Stone Four.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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Introduced to radio in 1961 during his college days at Alma College, Terry Knight was an aspiring 19-year old disc jockey at WTAC when he left the Flint station for WJBK in 1963. Hired for the vacated slot left open when Dave Shafer left the station (in June) for CKLW in Windsor, Knight was immediately awarded the station’s moniker “Jack the Bellboy” during the short span he was there.
Today we are presenting Terry Knight’s show-opening theme. This one is from 1962 – WILD TWIST – by the Roller Coasters. The instrumental, which he personally selected, was heard nightly at 7:00 p.m. sharp on Radio 1500.
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Audio digitally remastered by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
