CLAY MASTER GOES TO MOTOWN . . . . JUNE 12,1971

Former Detroit Radio DJ Tom Clay Finds Home For Disk on West Coast Motown Label

**TOM CLAY** 1971 *(Photo credit: Bonnie Dater Jay)*

LOS ANGELES — Tom Clay, veteran radio personality now freelancing in this area, this week turned over his produced master, “Tom Clay’s ‘What the World Needs Now‘,” to Motown Records (MoWest), with Dick Sherman, West Coast sales director for the firm, promising Clay free records so Clay could satisfy a previously-made deal with listeners, who wrote in for free copies. Clay said that he had 17 thousand written requests for freebies disks, when he withdrew the offer June 1.

Clay prepared for his two-week vacation-fill slot over KGBS, local radio station here, by doing an eight -minute production, which he felt expressed his philosophy on the contemporary world situation. The recorded production in- interwove music and news events in Clay’s narration with special emphasis on Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy.

Clay played the record production once on his first day at KGBS on May 22. He was off Sunday but when he returned on May 24, disk jockeys who had been on KGBS over the weekend told him of repeated requests. The deal is one of the label’s rare master purchases.

Dave Bell, Motown West Coast A&R chief, went into the studio June 1 and re-cut the entire production, cutting the time from over 8 minutes to 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Motown is rushing the record for national release.

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Information credit and news source: Billboard; June 12, 1971

THIS WEEK IN AMERICA! BILLBOARD HOT 100: JUNE 13, 1964

— NUMBER ONE SINGLE IN AMERICA —

“CHAPEL OF LOVE” | DIXIE CUPS | RED BIRD 001

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BILLBOARD HOT 100 TABULATED BY RECORDS RETAIL SALES NATIONALLY AND RADIO AIRPLAY

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MAY 31 through JUNE 20, 1964

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“Chapel Of Love” by The Dixie Cups debuted on the Billboard singles charts at # 72, for the week-ending, May 2, 1964. Just six weeks on the charts, the single hits the number one position for the week-ending June 6, 1964, having knocked off The Beatles’ fourth number one single (to date) here in the United States, “Love Me Do”.

Thirteen weeks on the charts, The Dixie Cups single dropped to #32 on its last week on Billboard, week-ending July 25, 1964.

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THIS WEEK, 1964! 57 YEARS AGO: THE HOTTEST HIT IN THE U.S.A.

NUMBER 1 IN AMERICA | MAY 31-JUNE 20, 1964

— NUMBER ONE 1964 —

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THIRTEEN WEEKS overall on the singles chart, “Chapel Of Love” by The Dixie Cups peaked at #1 this month (three weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. Beginning May 31 through week ending, June 20, 1964. (Source: Billboard)

For our previous Billboard 1964 Number One U.S.A. Hits go HERE

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TOM SHANNON. A WMJC REMEMBRANCE. MAY 1, 1986

Tom Shannon Remembered on Motor City Radio Flashbacks

WMJC | DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1986

In Memory of Tom Shannon

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He was a Detroit radio and television broadcasting legend. His voice was heard for over four decades on numerous great Detroit radio stations, such as CKLW, WJBK, WXYZ, WCAR, WMJC, WTWR, CKMR, and WCXI. Tom once had said that he did (to paraphrase his exact words), “three ‘tours of duty’ at CKLW. ’60s, ’70s, and in the ’80s.”

He formally began his illustrious radio career as a news person, while in his teens, in Buffalo in 1955. He left Buffalo’s WKBW for CKLW in Windsor in December 1964, replacing Terry Knight.

After 50 years in radio (and television) and having been in multiple radio markets around the country, Tom Shannon retired from broadcasting radio in 2005. Tom’s last DJ stint was on WHTT-FM, Buffalo. He was 67 at the time.

Surrounded by his loving family, Tom Shannon died of pancreatic cancer while in hospice care, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. He was 82.

Tom Shannon is a member of the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame and Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

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— Tom Shannon Remembered —

See: Susan Whitall’s published Detroit News article on Tom Shannon (May 27, 2021) GO HERE

Also: Tommy Shannon, Legendary Buffalo Broadcaster, Dies at 82 (The Buffalo News; May 27, 2021) GO HERE

Also: DJ Tom Shannon’s Cause of Death Relates to Long-Time Illness (US Day News; May 29, 2021) GO HERE

Also: A 1961 WKBW Tom Shannon aircheck (5 min.) from the Buffalo Broadcasters Association website, listen HERE

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— In Remembrance —

In observance of his passing last week, Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Motor City Radio Flashbacks will present three CKLW and one WMJC Tom Shannon audio memory beginning (Wednesday) June 2, (Thursday) June 3, (Friday) June 4, and today, (Saturday) June 5.

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Motor City Radio Flashbacks Remembers

— A Special Acknowledgement —

A special THANK YOU to MCRFB consultant/contributor Greg Innis of Livonia, Michigan, who personally recorded the featured aircheck in 1986.

The Greg Innis Collection

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The featured WMJC Tom Shannon aircheck was audio enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

TOM SHANNON. A CKLW REMEMBRANCE. AUGUST 31, 1977

Tom Shannon Remembered on Motor City Radio Flashbacks

CKLW | DATE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1977

In Memory of Tom Shannon

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**CKLW** (**Tom Shannon**) TOP 30 RECORDS August 15, 1967

He formally began his illustrious radio career as a news person, while in his teens, in Buffalo in 1955. He left Buffalo’s WKBW for CKLW in Windsor in December 1964, replacing Terry Knight.

Surrounded by his loving family, Tom Shannon died of pancreatic cancer while in hospice care, Wednesday, May 26, 2021. He was 82.

Tom Shannon is a member of the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame and Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

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