Author: Jim Feliciano
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: TERRY KNIGHT & THE PACK * 1966 * HD HI-FI
1959 ‘FORMULA RADIO’ STIRS FUROR IN DETROIT… MARCH 30, 1959
From the MCRFB news archives:
Veteran DJ Exits Sparks ‘Formula Radio’ Furor; WXYZ Ace Fred Wolf Responds To Backlash
From the MCRFB Aircheck Library, featuring:
WXYZ-AM – Fred Wolf – 1961.mp3
WXYZ-AM – Fred Wolf – Part 2 – 1961 – With Dick Osgood.mp3
DETROIT — The No. 1 topic among record and radio executives continues to be “formula radio,” with the local press, jocks, distributors and broadcasting brass taking aggressive stands — both pro and con — on the subject.
The furor, of course, was sparked by the recent resignations of veteran deejays Ed McKenzie from WXYZ radio here, and Eddie Chase from CKLW radio in Windsor, across from the Detroit river. Both jocks blamed “formula radio” for their departure.
The local newspapers had a field day after the Chase resignation, with CKLW radio making public charges of prevarication on Chase’s part for reasons of his leaving. CKLW president J. E. Campeau issued statements to the Detroit Times that Chase designed his statements “to cash in on the subject of (the) so-called formula broadcasting.”
Campeau added in the Hearst publication story that, “the truth is, we insisted that Chase, whose ratings were sagging badly, return to live broadcasting from the studios…. instead of doing taped shows from the lobby of a local theater…. services such as time signals. weather reports, traffic conditions and other public services he could not provide on a taped show. In six months, his ratings became the highest in Detroit for most of the afternoon time segments.”
The station president claimed that Chase continued to view giving the public added station services as unnecessary. Chase refused to comment on Campeau’s statement and charges until he officially leaves the station.
Fred Wolf, disk-jockey star of WXYZ radio and television, however did not hesitate in an end-of-the-week climax denouncement of opposition to “formula radio” to label it as “”live, live, live!” Castigating “old-timers” for not wanting to move, Wolf explained “formula” as “fast-paced production, station identification, less talk, more music.” Admitting he couldn’t sincerely endorse straight formula, Wolf said identification is the big thing…. “It takes a good man with personality, get-up-and-go and a live program to get away with formula.”
Wolf and station officials’ opinion on “formula” were clearly not shared by some others in the industry here. Decca branch manager John Schlee, Columbia’s Russ Yerge, Mercury and Dot distributors John Kaplan expressed themselves vigorously in the local press against “formula.” They frowned because their sales staff must spend more time with record dealers in order to get their records on the listings which the dealers give the disk jockeys as weekly hit tunes. They also dislike the “wearing-out” of a disk on radio DJ shows because they fear the public may lose some interest in buying their disk product, therefore possibly affecting any potential high volume return in sales. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; March 30, 1959).
FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: AUGUST 8
from the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this day: August 8
1960: Decca Records in England refuses to release Ray Peterson’s latest single, “Tell Laura I Love Her,” going so far as to throwing away 25,000 pressings of the teen-tragedy song, reason being they felt was “too tasteless and vulgar for the English sensibility.” A cover by Rick Valance proves them wrong by going straight to No. 1.
1969: Photographer Iain MacMillan shoots the cover for what would be the Beatles’ last recorded album, Abbey Road, just outside the studios where the band recorded most of their classic songs. The photo, which merely shows the band crossing the street while walking away from the studio, has become iconic in its own right, and provides “Paul is dead” enthusiasts with several erroneous “clues” to his “death,” speculation aroused noting Paul is seen barefooted in the photo. (Supposedly, to some, this shoe-less posturing by Paul represents death, but McCartney doused on the theorists by stating it was a hot day). The shoot, which lasts ten minutes, produces six shots, from which Paul picked the shot for the LP cover.
1970: At Philadelphia’s Mount Lawn Cemetery, Janis Joplin purchases a headstone for her idol, Bessie Smith, the famous African-American blues singer who died from injuries suffered in a 1937 car crash – after being refused in a all-whites only hospital. (Bessie’s widower refused to purchase a head stone for her).
1975: Hank Williams, Jr., falls 500 feet down Ajax Mountain near Missoula, MT, sustaining critical injuries exposing a part of his brain and keeping him in and out of hospitals for the next two years. The resultant facial scars would inspire his trademark look, “hat, beard, and shades.”
1983: Herold Melvin and three members of the Blue Notes are arrested for cocaine, marijuana, and meth possession at Caesars Boardwalk Regency Hotel Casino in Atlanta City.
1986: David Crosby (The Byrds; Crosby, Stills and Nash fame) is released from prison after only serving only eight months of his original five-year sentence for cocaine and firearms possession.
2005: Two jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation trial tell NBC-TV’s Today that they have come to regret their ruling of “not guilty.”
Deaths: Cannonball Adderley; 1975.
Releases: ‘Revolver,’ (LP) Beatles; 1966. “Eleanor Rigby,” The Beatles; 1965. “Looking Out My Back Door,” Creedence Clearwater Revival; 1970.
Recording: “Blue Angel,” Roy Orbison; 1960. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” “The End,” The Beatles; 1969.
Charts: 1953: “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You),” Les Paul and Mary Ford; hits No. 1 on the chart. 1960: “Itsy Bitsy, Teenie Weenie, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” Brian Hyland; hits No. 1 on the chart. 1970: ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears 3,’ (LP) Blood, Sweat & Tears; hits No. 1 on the LP chart.
Certifications: 1974: ‘461 Ocean Boulevard,’ (LP) Eric Clapton; certified gold by the RIAA. 1974: “Feel Like Making Love,” Roberta Flack; certified gold by the RIAA.
And that just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day… 
IN DETROIT IT’S SWINGIN’ TIME CKLW… APRIL 2, 1966
IN DETROIT IT’S SWINGIN’ TIME CKLW… APRIL 2, 1966
Posted February 29, 2012: this exhibit has been updated. Just added: “Swingin’ Time” video (the entire show!) dated September 10, 1966.
— OR FOR MORE —
You can go to ‘CATEGORIES‘ on the left panel and click CKLW.
NEW ‘DETROIT SOUND’ FOR WXYZ . . . OCTOBER 24, 1964
A MCRFB news brief: 1964
WXYZ Debuts ‘Lovable’ Radio
DETROIT — WXYZ Radio, the ABC-owned station in Detroit, has introduced “Lovable Radio” to the Motor City. Promulgating the “love affair” are WXYZ deejays Fred Wolf, Dave Prince, Joel Sebastian, Russ “The Weird Beard” Knight (formerly of KLIF; Dallas) Bob Day and “Big Daddy” Don Zee, who hear themselves as romantics romeos over the Detroit airwaves, anyway. END
Addendum: Anyone still recall hearing those radio spot promos, “The Weird Beard’s Coming!” The Weird Beard’s Coming!” heard over on WXYZ-AM 1270 in 1964?
Amid much radio fanfare, publicity and advertisement dollars invested prior his arrival here from (Gordon McLendon’s) KLIF 1190 in Dallas, WXYZ went on to retain the celebrated arrival of the legendary Russ Knight to Detroit in June 1964.
But what had been great for KLIF in Dallas, Texas, wasn’t all necessarily that good for WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan. In passing, the Weird Beard’s tenure on 1270 would become a short blip in Detroit radio history — was there 5 months — that was it.
By the second week in November 1964 Russ Knight found his way back on the radio in Texas once again. This time, on another Gordon McLendon radio station, KILT 610 AM in Houston.
A side note: Incidentally, Russ Knight held the distinction of having had contact with Jack Ruby, first at Dallas police headquarters, and again at KLIF during that stunning, tragic November weekend in Dallas 1963.
On July 23, 1964, while employed at WXYZ in Detroit, Russ Knight was deposed for information regarding his brushes with Jack Ruby on Saturday, in the early-hours of November 23, by Warren Commission Counsel Burt Griffin at the U.S. Courthouse in Chicago, Illinois.
Knight, during his deposition (see: Testimony of Russell Lee Moore; Knight), stated he first met Ruby at the Cotton Bowling Palace in Dallas, the year prior, sometime during 1962. He went on the official record in having said he met with Ruby about a dozen times since. During further questioning Knight also testified he, accompanied along with his wife, had been at Ruby’s Carousel Club sometime earlier in 1963.
Russ Knight was immortalized in the “Cruisin'” LP series by Ron Jacobs (‘Cruisin ’62’ KLIF) in 1970.
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*** UPDATE ON RUSS KNIGHT: Russ Knight passed away Oct. 12, 2012 ***
R.I.P. Russ ‘The Weird Beard’ Knight, former DFW disc jockey dies at 80
By Robert Philpot
DFW.com | Posted 3:08 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 15, 2012
Russell Lee Moore, better known to radio listeners as Russ “The Weird Beard” Knight, died Friday at age 80.
Knight, a 2003 Texas Radio Hall of Fame inductee, worked at several stations nationwide, including in the early ’60s at then-Top 40 powerhouse KLIF/1190, where, according to his obituary, he proclaimed himself “the savior of Dallas radio.”
The KLIF-era Knight was the featured DJ on Cruisin’ 1962, one of a series of albums that consisted of hits from a particular year interspersed with DJ patter. (There’s much more on Knight and the Cruisin’ series here.)
After Knight left KLIF, he worked at KILT in Houston, where he introduced the Beatles when they came to town. For a lot more about that era, go here. There is also information on some of the later parts of his career here.
Services are Tuesday in Trumbull, Conn. Information is in the obituary link above. Updates are possible here and on the Texas Radio Hall of Fame Facebook page.
(Source: Dallas Ft. Worth.com; October 15, 2012)
(Information and news source: Billboard; October 24, 1964)
FLASHBACK POP MUSIC HISTORY: AUGUST 3
From the MCRFB music calendar:
Events on this date: August 3
1959: Folk group the Kingston Trio are featured on the cover of LIFE magazine.
1963: After nearly 300 shows over two years, the Beatles play their last headlining gig at Liverpool’s popular Cavern Club.
1971: Paul McCartney announces the formation of Wings, his first band since the breakup of the Beatles. It features ex-Moody Blues’ singer Denny Laine and Paul’s wife Linda.
1974: Guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter leaves Steely Dan to join the Doobie Brothers.
1993: Boston Venture, the group to whom Berry Gordy had sold Motown in 1988 for $61 million dollars, sells the label and its holdings (5 years later) to Dutch conglomerate Polygram for a $325 million return.
1999: Country singer legend Patsy Cline is awarded a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Deaths: Arthur Lee (Love); 2006.
Releases: 1963: “Surfer Girl,” The Beach Boys. 1963: “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” Allan Sherman.
Recording: 1966: “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?,” The Rolling Stones.
Charts: 1963: “So Much In Love,” The Tymes; hits No. 1 on the chart. 1968: “Hello, I Love You,” The Doors; hits No. 1 on the chart. 1974: ‘Bad Company,’ (LP) Bad Company; hits No. 1 on the Billboard LP chart.
Certification: 1971: “It Don’t Come Easy,” Ringo Starr; certified gold by the RIAA.
And that’s just a few of the events which took place in pop music history, on this day…. 
NEW “FUN RADIO 8” LEADS PACK IN MOTORTOWN… AUGUST 19, 1967
From the MCRFB news archives:
CKLW PULLING AWAY IN RATINGS; WKNR RANKS THIRD IN NEW RADIO POLL
DETROIT — The latest radio station having a lot of things going right is “the new” CKLW in Detroit. Now under the guiding programming hands of Paul Drew, The June-July Hooper Report showed CKLW with a total rate time period figure of 18.3 share, while WKNR dropped back with a 14.3. Leader was WJR with their Easy Listening format, but it looks like the Drew operation has made a cut into WKNR, long having been a dominating Detroit leader in the market since early 1964.
The other Detroit radio stations doesn’t even resemble coming even close to these three. The latest Hooper tally indicated that the Monday through Friday noon to 6 P.M. period, CKLW leads both WJR and WKNR. The same was reflected in the Saturday daytime hours specified throughout the week. The latest radio ratings for the Detroit market represents an incredible upsurge for CKLW since Drew processed the Bill Drake format earlier this year in March. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; August 19, 1967).
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL * 1969 * HD STEREO
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: THE DOORS * 1969 * HD STEREO