NEW! THE BIG 8 CKLW ON THE RADIO: BRO. BILL GABLE


 

CKLW RECALLED on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

CKLW-AM 800 * 1973 * BILL GABLE

 

 

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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NEW! A special THANK YOU to our latest website contributor, Christopher Bigaoulette, of Norman, Oklahoma, for recently donating this 1973 CKLW aircheck to Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

 

THE CHRISTOPHER BIGAOULETTE COLLECTION

 


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HARWELL. THE VOICE OF SUMMER’S PAST REMEMBERED

 

DETROIT TIGERS V. BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Sunday, September 29, 1963

 

 

 

THE FINAL DETROIT TIGERS GAME of 1963

George Kell and Ernie Harwell

 

WKMH 1310 COMPLETE GAME BROADCAST

57 YEARS AGO TODAY

 

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Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles Box Score September 29, 1963 (courtesy baseballreference.com)

 

 

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GEORGE KELL  ERNIE HARWELL

 

George Kell was hired by the Detroit Tigers in 1959, pairing the new play-by-play announcer with WKMH’s sports veteran Van Patrick. Van Patrick was replaced by Ernie Harwell in 1960, having teamed up with George Kell in the Detroit Tigers broadcasting booth from 1960 through 1963.

This 9/29/1963 game was George Kell’s last broadcast for the Detroit Tigers, after having announced earlier in the year of his impending retirement immediately after the 1963 baseball season.

 

George Kell and Ernie Harwell circa 1960


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THE GAVIN REPORT: WORDS TO THE WISE FOR THE BRASS . . . SEPTEMBER 7, 1963

From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1963

The Bill Gavin Newsletter

September 7, 1963

 

 


 

 

Words to the Wise for the Brass

By BILL GAVIN
Billboard Contributing Editor

 

 

SAN FRANCISCO — “What about national promotion?” asks a local promo man. “You made a lot of sense in your column about distributor promotion, but some of our biggest headaches result from goofs by the big shot brass.” So writes one reader. Others have commented in kind, and some in considerable detail. In this open forum of critiques by qualified observers, I’ve drawn up an “indictment” of national promotion evils.

1. You send advance exclusives to one or two stations in my area. The other stations hold me responsible. Sometimes they refuse to get on your record. Sometimes they even blacklist all my new releases. These exclusives do you more harm than good. They do our distributorship nothing but
harm.

2. You supply new releases to every key station in my area before you send your distributor one single sample. You do this without letting us know that the record is coming. When the stations start calling us about the side, we don’t know anything about it. We don’t even know when stock will be available. This makes us look foolish in the eyes of the radio people. When stock is slow, following first air plays, we can’t supply dealer orders and we lose sales.

3. You start phoning us for reports on how a record is doing before we have even received it. You say you can’t understand why we don’t have it, because you’ve already have re- orders from Atlanta and Detroit. Then you finally realize that you’ve shipped the pressing parts by slow freight. You want us to break a hit all over the country at the same time, but you don’t co-ordinate your release dates for all areas at the some time.

4. You send us advance DJ’s with instructions to take them around to the stations on a certain date and not a minute sooner. Long before that date we start getting calls from the stations asking for the record. They tell us that it has already been released in other cities, and they’ve been getting reports on it. This makes us look bad – as if you considered this market unimportant. If other distributors don’t respect release dates, why should we?

5. You visit our city once or twice a year. You make the lunch and dinner route with all the key people on our list. Then you go hack to your office in New York – or Hollywood – and phone these guys as if they were bosom buddies. When we report that they aren’t playing one of your records, you claim that it’s our fault, because they’ve told you they would play ’em. Remember, we have to work with these people day after day. Don’t cut us down just because you have to prove that you’re a big shot.

6. You book promo tours for your new artists. Sometimes they’re so new, or so unimportant that hardly anybody has ever heard their names – let alone their records. You seem to think that if we take these people around to the stations, all the radio people will fall on their faces at meeting a real live recording “star.” Mister, forget it. They don’t. Most of them couldn’t care less. And if we don’t stand around waiting to take orders from the artist’s managers, you get a hot report on what poor promotion we’re doing.

7. You tell your big name artists that they’re expected to keep their appointments when they’re in our town. We’ve set up interviews and press conferences for some of them, and they never show. Why send them around unless they’ll work and co-operate in their own promotion? And another thing, tell them that if they’re going to be in our area we should at least know about it in advance.

8. You offer special prizes or bonuses if we’ll break a record for you-or even get it picked on a key station. Maybe you expect us to spend some of that loot buttering up a top DJ. Forget it. Our promo expense account is big enough, and it’s legit. Let’s keep it that way.

9. You could do something. Once in a while we might break a big record for you. Or we might do a special job in building up one of our artists. Then it’s nice to hear you give us credit – especially in your reports to the trade press. It’s good to hear a thank you once in a while, after all the other comments we get.

10. You blame us when your records don’t sell in our market. You seem to think that we can tell the local stations what to program. But when you do get the important picks and the hit breakers here, you give all the credit to one of our local deejays. After all, we’re on your side. Let’s work together!

So there you have a complete indictment of national record promoters by their colleagues on the local scene. Not all the complaints apply to any one national man, of course. There are some national men who set fine examples of team work. It’s a difficult job, whose importance is emphasized as much by its shortcomings as by its successes. END

 

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Information and news source: Billboard; September 7, 1963

 

 


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HEAR THE TIGERS WIN ON ZENITH TRANSISTOR RADIOS!

A DETROIT FREE PRESS AD September 18, 1968

 

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS

Wednesday, September 18, 1968

 

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A MCRFB.COM SIDEBAR: A DETROIT FREE PRESS PORTABLE RADIO AD

Zenith Portable Radio (page 16)

 

Above ad is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020. Newspapers.com

 

 

The above newspaper ad feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and was digitally re-imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

 

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NEW! WXYZ RADIO 1270 ON THE RADIO: DICK PURTAN


WXYZ RECALLED on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

WXYZ-AM 1270 * 1972 * DICK PURTAN

DICK PURTAN WXYZ aircheck date: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 02, 1972

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

_______________

NEW! A special THANK YOU to our newest website contributor, Peter Faulkner, of Calgary, Alberta, for recently donating this WXYZ-AM radio aircheck (he personally recorded in 1972) with Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

THE PETER FAULKNER COLLECTION 

DICK PURTAN WXYZ 1270

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NEW! THE BIG 8 CKLW ON THE RADIO: TED RICHARDS


 

CKLW RECALLED on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS

CKLW-AM 800 * 1973 * TED RICHARDS

 

 

 

CKLW aircheck date: FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1973

 

 

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

_______________

NEW! A special THANK YOU to our latest website contributor, Christopher Bigaoulette, of Norman, Oklahoma, for recently donating this 1973 CKLW aircheck with Motor City Radio Flashbacks.

 

THE CHRISTOPHER BIGAOULETTE COLLECTION

 

 

 


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KEENER GOLD! THE TOP 31 KEENER 13 HITS: 09/22/1965

WKNR MUSIC GUIDE September 22, 1965

WKNR MUSIC GUIDE September 22, 1965

 

 

September 22, 1965

 

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55 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

 

The above WKNR music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

_______________

 

NEW! A special THANK YOU to Ray Tessier, of Allen Park, MI., for recently sharing this WKNR music chart with Motor City Radio Flashbacks 🙂

 


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THE BIG D! WDEE RADIO PROMO/SALES ’70 BROCHURE

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (A)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (B)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (C)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (D)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (E)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (F)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (G)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (H)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (I)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (J)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (K)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (L)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (M)

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (N)

 

WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE

 

1970

 

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At midnight on December 26, 1969, WJBK changed to a contemporary country music format and changed its calls to WDEE (many joked at the time that the calls stood for “We’ve Done Everything Else”). Former WJBK personality Marc Avery recalled in 1971, when interviewed for the WDRQ program “The History of Detroit Radio,” that WJBK had been considering switching to country as far back as the early 1960s. At the time, 1340 WEXL was the only full-time country music station in the immediate Detroit market (with Ypsilanti-based WSDS as its only competitor). WDEE distinguished itself with its slick, contemporary (“countrypolitan”) approach to the country format, designed for mass appeal, and was one of the first stations to program country and western music with a Top 40-style presentation. The move paid off with frequent top-five showings in the Detroit ratings during the 1970s.

With only a thousand watts of power, WEXL was unable to compete with 50,000-watt WDEE and left the country format by 1974 for religious programming. WDEE’s midday show, “The Fem Forum”, in which host Tom Dean fielded calls from female listeners sharing their sexual frustrations, was a controversial feature for its time but also quite popular. Other personalities on the station during the 1970s included morning mainstay Deano Day, Hank O’Neil, Mike Scott, Dave Williams, Bob Burchett, Ray Otis, Randy Price, Doug Smith, Don Thompson, Jimmy Bare, Rosalee, Paul Allen, Bob Day, Ron Ferris, Dan Dixon and Rick Church.

In the early 1970s, WDEE was purchased by Combined Communications, who in turn would eventually be purchased by the Gannett Company. (Previous to Combined ownership, WDEE was part of a broadcast chain owned by Globe Broadcasting, owned by the Harlem Globetrotters.) Also during this time, WDEE-FM changed to news/talk as WDRQ-FM; that lasted until 1972, when Charter Broadcasting bought WDRQ and switched to Top 40, using such memorable slogan as “I Q in My Car”. Four decades and several formats later, that station is now playing contemporary country music again, under Cumulus Media ownership as “Nash FM.”

The WDEE calls later had a brief revival as a daytime-only classic-country music station in Reed City, Michigan, coincidentally also at AM 1500. This station has since gone off the air, but the calls survive on its onetime FM sister station, WDEE-FM, which runs an oldies format as “Sunny 97.3.”

 

 

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A MCRFB NOTE: According to the Detroit Free Press (December 26, 1969) the very first song heard after WJBK made the transition to the new WDEE was, “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail” by Buck Owens.

 

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(Source: WDEE; Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

The above WDEE 1970 booklet was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

 

 

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WDEE RADIO 1500 PROMOTIONAL BROCHURE 1970 (O)

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E. J. KORVETTE RECORDS! PARADE OF HITS: 09/11/1966

E. J. KORVETTE PARADE OF HITS September 11, 1966

E. J. KORVETTE PARADE OF HITS September 11, 1966

E. J. KORVETTE PARADE OF HITS September 11, 1966

 

 

E. J. KORVETTE DEPARTMENT STORE

September 11, 1966

 

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PARADE of HITS!

 

E. J. Korvette, the New York based department store chain (with multiple stores scattered throughout six eastern and mid-western states), opened its first two department stores in the Detroit metropolitan area, last month, August, month, 57 years ago.

The store’s grand-opening, opening two locations in Roseville (Gratiot and 12 Mile) and in Southgate, Mi. (Fort and Pennsylvania Rd.) was held on August 15, 1963 (according to The Detroit Free Press).

In the 1960s, the department chain published a weekly ‘Parade of Hits‘ record singles chart (tabulated out of New York). The chart was made available for the retailer’s large in-store record department. The Korvette listing showcased the most popular 40 singles for the week, as was dated, starting every Monday.

By 1974, Detroit had five E. J. Korvette stores on the map. Having expanded to Redford, Southfield and Madison Heights. By that time (and most likely due to retail competitor K-Mart’s growth and dominance in the Detroit market share), the Korvette stores were by then sustaining serious financial and sales decline. By year’s end, 1975, the five stores were no longer in operation in the Detroit area.

Five years later, having declared bankruptcy, the former New York-based department store (having been sold and under new ownership in 1979), officially came to it’s demise on December 24, 1980. What was left of the 17 remaining stores, all were permanently closed.

 

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(Source: E. J. Korvette; Wikipedia, The Detroit Free Press)

 

 

 

The above E. J. Korvette chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

_______________

 

NEW! A special THANK YOU to Ray Tessier, of Allen Park, MI., for recently sharing this rare E. J. Korvette chart with Motor City Radio Flashbacks 🙂

 

 

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WJLB 1965: JACK SURRELL, FEATURED DJ OF THE WEEK

Detroit Free Press September 12, 1965

 

Sunday, September 12, 1965

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: JACK SURRELL

Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2020. Newspapers.com.

____________

 

 

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Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE.

 


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