Police Called On Special Duty; Beatle Antics Causes Headaches
HOLLYWOOD — The Beatles may be idols of teenage girls and the love of top 40 stations, but to California police, airport officials and hotel managers they spell trouble.
When the mop-topped British band arrived here last week for concerts at the San Francisco Cow Palace and Hollywood Bowl, they found their reservations at the Fairmont and Ambassador Hotel canceled because of management fears about what screaming hordes of teenagers would do to their property, stayed guests and jovial the quartet itself.
The group was scheduled to land at Lockheed Airport in Lockheed, California, for their concert Sunday (August 23) at the Bowl, but officials nixed the idea, stating they didn’t want teenagers ruining their facilities.
“Beatlemania” frenzy displayed in full force during the 1964 Beatles concert performance in San Francisco.
The quartet arrived with accustomed hysteria and confusion at Los Angeles International Airport Tuesday, August 18, en route to San Francisco. Over 500 screaming girls flocked to the Pan American terminal when word was leaked that the Beatles was passing through L. A. Extra police were called in to supplement the regular airport security force. The Beatles touched down at 4:15 p.m. and were airborne at 5:45 p.m., appearing at a hastily arraigned press conference which accomplished nothing.
Forty-five minutes later, when they arrived in San Francisco, a howling mob of 5,000 hysterical teenage girls were there to greet them. More than 100 San Mateo County sheriffs and police officers fought back the hysterical youngsters.
The four were taken to the Hilton Hotel, one of the few places willing to rent them rooms.
To secure maximum protection for the Bowl concert, which Capitol planned recording, producers Bob Eubanks, Reb Foster (both of KRLA) and night club owners Michael Brown and Bill Uttley obtained the services of 149 Los Angeles policemen, with the city picking up the tab for the coverage because the Bowl is county property. When events are held in private facilities, police are often hired by the producers.
San Francisco producer Paul Catalana paid the salaries for 100 policemen, hired especially for the concert at the Cow Palace, but San Mateo County faced an estimated $4,000 tab for additional protection at the airport. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; August 29, 1964)
Police security in high-action during the Beatles performance at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. The date was August 19, 1964.Fast-forward: September 14, 1964. The Cleveland police were heavily present posing as a security barrier from screaming female fans during the Beatles concert in Cleveland, sponsored by Top 40 WHK.
Hopkins Sell WJBK For 550 G; Price Was $3,000 In 1930
DETROIT — August 31. Sale of 250-watt WJBK here for $550,000 to Fort Industry Corporation was confirmed by James F.Hopkins, for 16 years the owner. Deal brings back to Detroit George Storer, who formerly owned WGHP and CKOK (now CKLW) of Windsor, which is virtually a Detroit station in coverage. Fort Industry Corporation operates operates a string of seven stations; WSPD, Toledo; WMVA, Wheeling, W. Va.; WGBS, Miami; WAGA, Atlanta; WMMN, Fairmont, Pa.; WLOK, Lima, Ohio; and WHIZ; Zanesville.
Hopkins pointed out that the sale is subject to FCC approval, and that no action would be expected for some months, at least. Price of sale for the station, which is nearly tops for this power, is under the $700,000 deal for the same station discussed a couple of years ago when the United Automobile Workers considered buying it.
Permit for a 10 KW, FM station also goes with a the WJBK deal. Increase in value by the properties is shown by the fact that Hopkins bought WJBK back in 1930 for $3,000. END.
Billboard cover; September 7, 1946
(Information and news source: Billboard; SEPTEMBER 7, 1946).
DETROIT — WXYZ here is using a special record to showcase — for local clients as well as the Madison Avenue crowd — both its AM and FM sounds. One side of the 331/3 single heralds the Easy Listening music and the personalities — including Michelle and her sultry voice — on the FM stereo side. The flip side of the record showcase the personalities and the AM sound. Joe Bacarella, the station’s program director, describes “the sound of the good life” on WXYZ on the AM band.
The record, and a full-color brochure, is being hand-delivered to clients and potential advertising clients.
“Sound ideas sell,” is the first line in the brochure; it tells how the station tailored its identity jingles. Another section describes the “personality plus” side of the AM operation with photographs of the deejays, including a painting of the Martin and Howard duo deejay team newly on board, formerly out of Cleveland’s WKYC.
The FM side is promoted with a disclaimer as “entertainment with a flair” in the brochure. . . . the greatest names in entertainment will be heard on WXYZ: Sinatra, Belafonte, Peggy Lee, Les Elgart, Count Basie, Mancini, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Roger Miller.” END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; May 6, 1967).
DETROIT — Close contact with record promotion men has been a contributing factor in CKLW’s surge to the top in a July-August Hooper audience rating survey, according to program director Paul Drew. The Hot 100 format edged out easy-listening station WJR-AM 20 to 19.9 in total rated time periods. WKNR, once the leading rock ‘n’ roll outlet, had a 13. 6 in the Detroit market. WJR does best in the morning hours, losing out 25.2 to 12.3 in the noon to 6 p.m. slot Monday through Friday. WKNR also tops WJR in the afternoon period.
A “feel” of the market is necessary in order to program a radio station successfully, said Drew. This involves “going where the people go. . . . not watching TV or going where you want to go.”
Promotion men can be a valuable aid in learning what’s on CKLW on March 3. The 50,000-watt station had never before enjoyed good ratings. . . . going on in a market, Drew says. The 50,000-watt station beaming out of Canada into Detroit and beyond had never before enjoyed good ratings. . . . going on in a market, Drew said. CKLW set aside two days each week so promotion men can see the music librarian, he said, “and I try to see them when I can.” Last Monday, for example, Drew took time to talk to Sammy Kaplan, an independent man ” who’s don’t very well and has given us some good information”; Harvey Cooper, RCA-Victor Records; Cliff Goroff, Dot Records; and Russ Yerges, Columbia Records. In addition, Drew tries to take or return every telephone call from all the record men connected with the recording industry for the benefit of where the station has been going both in popularity and market rank.
Team Effort
Paul Drew with Petula Clark in 1967. Photo property of Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. (Click on image for larger view)
Drew, formerly music director at WQXI in Atlanta, took over as program director at CKLW earlier this year, which at the time was certainly not benefiting the high ratings it hold now. Drew felt that the achievement was a team effort of the people at the station; though he did bring in some deejays, such as Gary Mitchell, Mike Rivers and Jim Edwards, he did not do the “cleaning house” (Tom Shannon, Dave Schafer remains) that many program directors do. Playlist varies, but centers around a group of 30 records, plus eight or nine “hitbound” selections added each week, plus a few album cuts. Last week, the station was playing one cut from Aretha Franklin’s “Aretha Arrives” LP, “If I Were A Carpenter” from the new Four Tops album “Reach Out,” and a track from Dionne Warwick’s “Window Of The World” LP.
Watches Playlist
CKLW PD Paul Drew with Cher. Photo property of Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. (Click on image for larger view)
A tight playlist doesn’t necessarily mean that a new product won’t get played, he said. Last week, the station went on J. J. Barnes new “Now That I Got You” on Groovesville Records and was also playing the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s “Incense And Peppermints.” A new record by an unknown artist will have trouble making the station’s playlist, he said. . . . “It’s a rare thing, unless it’s a smash in another market.” The station watches closely current radio playlists in Flint and Lansing. At night, CKLW’s signal reaches 18 States, Drew said.
Drew started in radio in 1955 at WHLS in Port Huron, Michigan, after attending Wayne State University in Detroit where he majored in speech and psychology. He was a deejay for four years at WGST in Atlanta, doing a nightly rock ‘n’ roll show for the good music station, there since 1963. It was about this time that Phil Yarbrough, now known as Bill Drake, talked him into joining WAKE in Atlanta, where Drake was program director. Drake went to KYA, San Francisco, and Drew went to WQXI in Atlanta for three years. While there he served as deejay, then program director, then music director for the popular top 40 radio station. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; September 30, 1967)
MCRFB Note: The Jim Davis YouTube interview featured below took place in 2002. For more on Jim Davis (Big Jim Edwards) today, gohere.
WKNR Flashback: WKNR Music Guide December 24, 1964(click on image for larger view)
DETROIT— The impact of the newly formed WKNR (formerly WKMH) is being felt in the Detroit market with the station less than two months into its new Top 30 fare.
The station–long associated with soft instrumental music–was reformatted and reorganized to a Top 30 plus-one sound by consultantMike Joseph (newly-appointed vice-president, NBC-owned stations)and is staffed by Sam Holman (formerly of WABC), Mort Crowley (a KHJ, Hollywood alumnus), Robin Seymour, (veteran Detroit radio stalwart) and Gary Stevens, among others.
The station, which was in 9th or 10th place in the market several months ago, is now reporting that its morning ratings have doubled while the afternoon number have tripled. It was also revealed by WKNR that it is now tied for third place in the market during weekdays and has moved into second place on Saturdays.
Detroit is perhaps the only city in the country where there is a four-way battle among pop-music formatted stations in the market. Leading giants of the area are Storer-owned WJBK (Radio 1500); ABC-owned WXYZ (Radio 1270), and RKO’s 50,000-watter CKLW (Radio 800), located just across the border in Windsor, Ontario.
WKNR Flashback: WKNR Music Guide December 31, 1964 (click on image for larger view)
WKNR has launched a major promotional campaign in conjunction with its new programming. One hundred and five thousand two-color school book jackets are being distributed through local drive in restaurant and doughnut shop chains. A (WKNR) pop music list entitled, “Music Guide,” is being handled by 130 retailers of phonograph records (majority record shops) with 50,000 surveys printed each week. Ninety-seven Cunningham Drug Stores are distributing two and a half million serialized match books which are tied in with a WKNR on-the-air contest which has a basic $13 jackpot with $1 being added each hour the prize is not claimed. The station also effected a link with the 77 Kroger food markets in the area for a forthcoming giveaway of Top Value Stamps.
On January 31, the station will co-sponsor with the Ford Motor Company, the 17th annual March of Dimes to take place at the Light Guard Armory, located on 4400 E. Eight Mile in Detroit. Ford will be displaying several of their custom and experimental car products during the two-day benefit event ending Feb., 1st. END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; January 11, 1964)
A MCRFB Note
During the two-day WKNR March Of Dimes event at The Eight Mile Armory, dance and entertainment was also provided by WKNR and Ford Motor Company, attended by some of the top record acts of that time, hit-makers and recognized popular artists both on the national and local level here in 1963 – 1964.
On the billing during the two Keener 13 March Of Dimes dates: Johnny Nash; The Riveras; Santo and Johnny; Jamie Coe and the Gigolos; Eddie Holland; Timmy Shaw; Tony Clarke; Gino Washington; Tommy Frontera; The Coronados; Timmy Shaw; The Adorables; Dee Edwards; Chris Peterson and more . . . to be there, what a memorable event that must have been! — MCRFB.COM
A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1964
Mort Crowley Laments Quitting WKNR In 1964
WKNR-AM * Mort Crowley Quits Keener 13 * FEBRUARY 1964
CHICAGO — Detroit’s “Bad Boy” Mort Crowley who hit the front pages by quitting on the air at WKNR has since become the model of deportment. Mort joined Storz-owned WDGY, Minneapolis, in July 1964 and moved to St. Louis with Storz’s KXOG last January (1965). Mort told Billboard by phone he hopes to regain the ground he lost by his mistake and noted: “Thank God, I have an opportunity to do it.”END
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(Information and news source: Billboard; July 17, 1965)
Addendum: Here’s the WKNR “Key Men of Music” line-up for January, 1964: Mort Crowley, 5 AM – 9 AM; Robin Seymour, 9 AM – 12 Noon; Jerry Goodwin, Noon – 3 PM; Gary Stevens, 3 PM – 7 PM; Bob Green, 7 PM – 12 Midnight; Bill Phillips, 12 Midnight – 5 AM.
Frank (Swingin’) Sweeney, formerly program director and air personality at WKBN, Youngstown, Ohio, replaced Mort Crowley for the morning-drive at WKNR in February, 1964. Besides doing mornings on Keener 13, Sweeney was music director at WKNR from August, 1964 through August, 1965, terminated when he abruptly quit on WKNR — as did Crowley — whom he replaced. When Sweeney left in August of ’65, Dick Purtan immediately became the new morning rise on Keener 13 through December, 1967. Purtan left WKNR in January, 1968 for WBAL-AM in Baltimore. Just two months later he would return back to Detroit radio on WXYZ-AM, March, 1968.
Mort Crowley — According to an obit-article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dated April 2, 1995, Mort Crowley passed away at his home in Miquon, Wisconsin, Thursday, March 30, 1995. He died after a lengthy bout battling prostate cancer. Mort Crowley was 63.
From the MCRFB NEWS archive: 1964
