NEW YORK — With three albums solid (and chart entries) and what looks like growing teenage acceptance, record companies are moving out of the surf and on to the track. There is a heavy emphasis of rock product that features gunning engines, peculiar jargon and rolling beat of what looks like the next big teenage fad — hot rod music.
One of the first labels to leap from the crest of the surf wave on to the hot rod track was Capitol Records. The firm’s Beach Boys made the transition without grinding gears, roaring from a string of surf hits to their first behind the wheel and engine groove, “Little Deuce Coupe.” The LP has followed the smash single up the chart.
Capitol Records ‘Shutdown’ LP, featuring The Beach Boys, 1963(click image for larger view)
“Shutdown” is another Capitol album that has ridden on the charts for some time, and has given the label an indication what the new swing was about. It contain various artists in hot rod garb. The label also has its West Coast surfing personality, Dick Dale, swinging in on the street rod popularity with his first hot rod LP.
Capitol is pushing hard with promotions behind the hot rod build. The label is supplying disc jockeys with a wide variety of material which includes sweatshirts carrying similar type drawings to those shown on the album covers.
The deejay kits also carry literature about hot rodding, including a pamphlet that explains the jargon and information regarding the organization of the National Hot Rod Association. In addition, deejays are being supplied with copies of the automotive publication, Hot Rod. In New York, the Capitol distributors are working closely with the hot rod club in Hempstead, and also with the Dick Clark Show. Still another part of the kit contains a sampler LP of hot rod music on the label. In addition to these LP’s, Capitol has two albums on the market that features the sounds of actual hot rodders in motion.
Hot Rod Magazine, issued March, 1963(click image for larger view)
Regional breakout listing this week shows that the “Hot Rod City” LP on the Vault record label is coming in for a share of the action. This is another West Coast label making the transition from surf to road without a hitch. Vault is being distributed by Atco Records nationally and plans are in the works for special promotions with disk jockeys. Part of the national promotion being planned is a nationwide contest which would offer hot rod racing gear prizes to winners. These would be worked out with radio deejays on a regional basis.
A flood of singles product on a wide variety of labels has developed over the last month. Del Fi and a few other labels came roaring in with albums featuring the new motor sound. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; November 23, 1963).
The Beach Boys ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ Capitol LP 1963 (b-side)
Addendum: In this MCRFB featured WKNR aircheck, Bob Green is heard promoting WKNR’s 200 Capitol Records ‘Hot Rod Kits’ giveaway at Korvette’s Department Store, located on Telegraph Rd., at W. Chicago. The date was February, 1964. (Click link for 6:05 audio).
KEENER 13 50th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL TO AIR ON WCXI-AM 1160 (FENTON) TODAY
DATELINE DETROIT OCTOBER 31, 1963: WKNR. THE “NEW RADIO 13” IS BORN!
DETROIT (October 27) — An historic Detroit radio milestone. On October 31, 2013, this date will mark 50 years having passed when WKHM became WKNR, “New Radio 13,” here in the Motor City in 1963. 50-years ago. Halloween. October 31. A date to be always remembered in the history of Detroit radio.
Photo courtesy and property of keener13.com(S.Westerman and S. Schram)
In celebration of this event, the “Keener” story will be re-lived, re-told once again on WCXI-AM 1160 on your dial — TODAY — Friday afternoon, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., November 1, 2013. Join former WKNR disc jockey/alumnus Greg Innis and WCXI host Jimmy James and several former-WKNR luminaries for this exclusive WCXI “Keener 13” radio special November 1.
For other details on this special WCXI-AM Detroit radio event go to the keener13.com website (and for everything else WKNR) here. Can’t pick up the station? You can listen to the show — TODAY November 1 — streamed live over the internet by going to WCXI-AM on-line, their link provided here. 50 years later . . . . KEENER STILL LIVES!
ON THIS DATE IN 1963 A DETROIT RADIO LEGEND WAS BORN 50 YEARS AGO
DETROIT (October 31) — October 31, 1963. WKMH becomes the new WKNR, “New Radio 13.”
Did you remember?
WKNR. Detroit. The “Keener Story.” How much more can be said that hasn’t been said about this great Detroit radio legend? In all reality not much more else needs to be said, nor added, of what is well known about the “Keener story.”
And despite many years having passed, this much is known, the “story” is still remembered today. A story about an incredible Dearborn radio station, situated on Michigan Avenue, a story that has been told, re-told time and time again for five decades. The story of a station remembered for its meteoric rise — within weeks — from bottom to No. 1 status, the fastest ever in Detroit radio history.
WKNR. The greatest Detroit radio story that was ever told.
NEW SHOW. NEW NAME. WKNR (click on image 2x for larger PC view).
What took place this day in Detroit, exactly 50-years ago today, would turn a new page in Detroit radio history. It would change Detroit radio forever. (To those who may not know about the “Keener Story,” we have archived and covered the WKNR story here on Motor City Radio Flashbacks. Go to our menu’s ‘Categories’ on the left, scroll down and click WKNR).
Detroit radio history would record whenMrs. Fred Knorr, owner of the Knorr Broadcasting Corporation, early in 1963 hired an independent free-lance radio consultant by the name ofMike Joseph. Joseph, who had successfully “modernized” top 40 radio WGR to No. 1 status in Buffalo, he would devote his winning consulting talents in the same way for Mrs. Knorr’s WKMH.
Within 70-days of it’s launch, WKNR found itself alone on top during the Detroit radio wars, late-1963. By mid-January ’64, WKNR, the “New Radio 13,” would be christened the winner in the four-way battle for the top 40 crown in the Motor City.
The 1963 “Key Men Of Music.” WKNR Music Guide November 14, 1963. [b/side] (click image 2x for larger PC view).But there was more to this amazing Detroit radio story than just the story having been told. Names. Names remembered. Names that would make the “Keener sound” what it was. Names that would become the Keener story. And for every story having been told there was a beginning . . . .
In 1962 Bob Green left Detroit’s WKMH for the legendary WQAM down in Miami. WQAM was the No. 1 top 40 radio station at the time. By early 1963, the Miami station was gifted claiming two of their most popular radio personalities that year. Bob Green and Jerry Goodwin. But Bob would leave WQAM in October, 1963. Jerry Goodwin would leave WQAM shortly thereafter in January, 1964. Both headed north for the new WKNR in Detroit.
Mort Crowley, formerly from St. Louis’ KWK, would become the new morning man on Keener radio. His at-times acerbic wit quickly would endear him with WKNR’s new morning listeners. (Crowley, after just three months with WKNRwould leave the station in February, 1964).Robin Seymour would be the mid-morning man on the new WKNR. Seymour, then a 16-year stalwart in the business held over from the old WKMH days (since 1947), was regarded at the time the most popular personality Detroit radio ever produced.
Gary Stevens would leave top 40 WIL in St. Louis. Having been at WIL since 1961, inevitably Stevens honed his radio skills masterfully there. Stevens caught the attention of WKNR PD Frank Maruca for the early to late afternoon drive. For teens in Detroit, Stevens would become one of the most popular jocks at the station here through March, 1965. (Gary Stevens would leave WKNR for WMCA in New York).
WKNR’s Gary Stevens and Frank ‘Swingin’ Sweeney in the WKNR-AM studio. February, 1965.
Frank ‘Swingin” Sweeney came to WKNR in early 1964. When the time came Mort Crowley was no longer at the station, Sweeney was called in from Youngstown, Ohio, WKBN-AM. Replacing Mort Crowley, Sweeney became Keener’s new morning man, April, 1964. He would become an instant A.M. favorite on the “New Radio 13” here in Detroit through August, 1965.
Jim Sanders. New at WKMH since February 1963, Sanders was production director at the station for the short term. Eventually Jim was selected by Knorr management to fill the 12 noon – 3:00 p.m. mid-day slot for the “New Radio 13.” Sanders, more into the production phase, would leave WKNR shortly thereafter to work for Triad Broadcasting in Milwaukee, January 1964. Jerry Goodwin, Bob Green’s friend and protege from his Miami WQAM days, would become the perfect mid-morning voice on WKNR replacing Sanders immediately thereafter.
And overnights? It would be Bill Phillips doing the all-night shift, 12 Midnight – 5 A.M. on the new WKNR Keener 13.
The die was set. The die was cast. And the rest of this story would become radio history. 50 years later. Without question. WKNR would become the greatest Detroit radio story that would ever be told.
Did you remember? It’s October 31, 2013. Halloween. Happy 50th. WKNR “Keener 13.”
WKNR-AM * Keener 13 Key Men of Music * November, 1964
WKNR Music GuideNovember 7, 1963(first issue)
A MCRFB Note
For everything that is WKNR, go to Scott Westerman and Steve Schram’s splendid WKNR tribute website at Keener13.com.
For more on WKNR on Motor City Radio Flashbacks, go here.
Motor City Radio Flashbacks would like to thank MCRFB contributor James Heddle for providing the (1964) WKNR audio aircheck above. ‘Keener’ LIVES!
Keener 13 “all-nighter” Bill Phillips in the WKNR AM studio, May, 1964.
Detroit Record Distributors Play Down Chart Value in Sound-Alike Market
DETROIT — While local record merchandisers claim that area radio “Top 40 Charts” are highly inaccurate, they say they are able to live with the situation because no one in the Motor City market uses radio charts as a buying guide.
This lack of direct chart influence on record sales, according to dealers, is due to the relatively high number of competing “Big Beat” radio stations in the area — all offering slightly different formats and none having a clearly dominant influence in effect in the Detroit pop market.
WKNR-AM radio survey, Detroit, September, 1966 (click image for larger view)
Sam Press, co-owner of Ross Music Shops in Detroit, said that “There are actually three influential rock stations — WKNR and WXYZ here (Detroit) and one, CKLW, in Windsor, Canada, competing for the kids’ attention, plus two very strong R&B stations, WCHB and WJLB (Detroit). You have to remember that because of Motown, R&B (or Soul music) is a stronger product here than it might be in other markets. So what you have is kids constantly switching dials between all these stations and not being dominate by any of them. A (WKNR) ‘Keener’ chart might have some of the most popular songs in the area on it but it will be invariably late in listing a big English hit which the kids have been hearing on CKLW of Windsor, and will likewise be late in list a hot R&B number that has been exposed by one of the other stations.”
“What this means,” he said, “is that teen-agers choose the best of several stations. For this reason we don’t have to buy according to any one station’s charts. The independent dealers in this town wait until they start getting requests before they will order anything — except something by a very hot artist.”
Asked if his customers would not seek out a competitor who already had the hits in stock, Press said: “The racks are even slower in getting current singles out — we can move faster than our competition.”
NOT USED AS GUIDE
WXYZ-AM radio survey, Detroit, September, 1966 (click image for larger view)
Lou Salesin, a 35-year veteran of the business who owns Munford Music Shop, said he also does not use “radio charts as buying guides. I must ignore WKNR and the other lists; they are inaccurate for a number of reasons. Some of these inaccuracies could be eliminated — and I would like to see that happen, just for the principle of the thing.”
Sol Margolis, owner of the Ross Music Stores, told Billboard: “I only order what I get calls for, plus a minimum of new releases by established artists. To my knowledge, no Detroit dealers uses radio charts as any kind of a buying guide. We know better than to trust what these sheets say.”
Another dealer, who did not wish to be identified, said that “you simply cannot believe what the radio charts list. The problem is there are too many pop records being released. I think the manufacturers are working on some sort of percentage planning. They just keep churning the records out, hoping that 4 per cent or more will make money for them.”
“As far as local charts are concerned,” he added, “we often see a record that hasn’t been shipped already on the sheet. Other times, we see stations keeping numbers on the charts long after they have stopped selling. They do this, apparently because they got on a record too late, and then refuse to admit that their influence hasn’t been able to keep it a hot seller. There are many complicating factors, but the end result is inaccurate charts. All the dealers know this, and they depend on requests and their own experience in the business to tell the how to buy.”
CKLW-AM radio survey, Windsor, October 1966 (click on image for larger view).
Chet Kajeski, of Martin and Snyder, one-stop in Detroit, told Billboard: I find frequent discrepancies on the radio charts. As far as I am concerned, they hurt jukebox operators in the area. By failing to list, and expose on the air, what is a legitimate ‘adult’ hit, they can cut down play on the boxes. This happens when a record sells very well in the area, deserves to be listed on the charts, but doesn’t get listed because such a record does not get the additional push of air play, its life on the jukebox is sometime shortened.
“I don’t believe,” Kajeski added, “that many record dealers are affected by the charts in the Detroit area. By being inaccurate, these charts defeat their own purpose.” END
___
(Information and news source: Billboard; September 3, 1966)
Billboard Hosts Music Programming Seminar; Reps from Six HOT 100 Formatted Stations Attend, Including WKNR’s Frank Maruca
R A D I O S T A T I O N S C A N N O L O N G E R switch torock ‘n’ roll formats and automatically seize humongous audience ratings. But don’t get the idea that radio stations which depend on rock ‘n’ roll music formats are falling by the wayside. The truth is that most are doing better than ever. KYA. San Francisco, is a good example.
KYA president and general manager Clinton D. Churchill not only handle the executive chores of his station, but is deeply involved in the programming. He even picks all of the music on his station because he enjoys doing it. At this time, KYA has the highest audience rating and response it has ever had. But it doesn’t depend strictly on one factor.
“You can’t capture a large share of the market anymore by just offering 40 records and time and temperature,” Churchill said. “You must offer more — strong air personalities, audience participation features, news, contests. You must be involved in the community. One of the most successful thing we’ve ever done is organize a basketball team. All of the profits of these games goes to scholarship funds, charities.
“Through these services, we’ve been able to expand our audience . . . to offer more to a wider range of listeners.” Of course, the music that KYA plays have been changing too. And this has brought even larger audience ratings. “The quality of music being produced today has improved tremendously. An example is ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles. And, as a result of this improvement, the music — and thereby the station — has a much wider appeal to a large segment of the audience than, say, Little Richard did several years ago. It’s true that different fads sometimes take over . . . like the British invasion. But quality prevails in the long run and now only the best British product is making it.
“We’ve enjoyed a record business year and there’s always going to be a place for this kind of station. After all, we’re playing the popular records of the day. The big sellers. And these hit records are always going to attract a major share of the audience.”
WLSGO BY SALES
Gene Taylor, station manager of WLS, Chicago, also feels that Hot 100 format stations are doing better than ever and the trend is up. And the reason is that Hot 100 stations depend on record sales. “We play some records early, the one that are just starting, but later play depends on sales.” WLS is having a record first quarter in business.
As for the future, Taylor feels that audiences are becoming very selective in their listening tastes. “If they like rock ‘n’ roll, they listen to us. If they like another type of music such as R&B or country music, they listen to another station. It has almost become a segmented thing entirely. We’ve given some thought in the past regarding aiming our music toward the audience. I think many stations today modify their sound in the morning hours . . . make it softer. This seems to be a trend . . . a tendency to more softening the sound during the day. The object is to hold what audience the station has naturally and try to gain new listeners.”
As for the music itself, Taylor noticed a “leaning away from some of the English groups. Two years ago everything was British. British groups got automatic airplay. Now only the select ones sell only enough to warrant airplay.”
WMCA ROCK IS ART FORM
Herb Mendelsohn, general manager of WMCA, New York, feels it is misleading to put a label such as “rocker” on a station. “That’s only a part of what we do. If some stations are losing numbers in ratings, it may be because of their over-all format. WMCA is doing fine and I think our audience is increasing. I’m not sure I would or wouldn’t attribute our success solely to the music. We’re trying awfully hard to be successful, though, and music is one of the ingredients along with the ‘Good Guys,’ the editorials, the news, the features we present for our audience.
“Rock ‘n’ roll music,whether applied to a radio station or not, is an art form. It may be in vogue, or out of vogue, but it’s going to be here.
“I don’t apologize in the slightest for the music we play. After all, we play a lot of different kinds of music . . . the Supremes, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits. How can you call all of these artists, rock ‘n’ roll artists?
“As a station, I think we’re pretty good. But I think we can be better. The thing about this business it’s so complicated. No labels imparts the raison d’etre of a radio station. How could it when you’re dealing with so many variables? I consider WMCA a modern radio music station and I think our success is in terms of the empathy we establish with our listeners.”
FORMATS GALORE WABC
Rick Sklar, program director at WABC, New York, offered the theory that all types of formats will continue a successful growth. His reason? The population is expanding at all age levels. And the result will be “room for all.” Hot 100 format stations such as WABC can’t help having a rosy future “because more than half the population is under 25 years old. Look at the recent switch to rock ‘n’ roll by stations such as WCEL, Chicago; WYSL, Buffalo, and KRFC, San Francisco — all major stations in major markets.
“I feel there’s going to be a profusion of of stations in all different kinds of formats. Very few radio stations will be in trouble.” He did think, however, that auto stereo cartridges would limit the growth of FM stereo stations.
No one big change in music was expected by Sklar. Though he’d notice a little less of British product. “Only five tunes at the moment are British songs. We used to have as many as 15. At times, British product was all over the playlist. But now you’ve got tunes like ‘California Dreamin’,’ ‘Ballad Of The Green Berets,’ ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ ‘ — would you call these rock tunes? And ‘Batman,’ what do you call it?
“If you play what the public likes, it doesn’t matter what you call it. Hot 100 stations play whatever the public is buying. Therefore, I can only see a continuous growth for the teen-aimed type of programming.”
WKNR BIG SHARE
WKNR-AM Detroit “Key Men of Music” 1966
The reason is that 25-30 per cent of the daytime market is the potential share of a Hot 100 radio station. The potential market share of a Hot 100 radio station at night is between 35-40 per cent of the audience. People tune in specifically for that type of entertainment, Sklar said.
In spite of the growing popularity of the Easy Listening format around the country, program director Frank Maruca at WKNR,Detroit, felt Hot 100 formats were in no trouble. “Our station is far and away No. 1 here. It’s true that some good music stations are dominant in some markets in the mornings. But this is nothing new; it has been this way for some while.”
WKNR does not soften its morning sound. It maintains the same playlist 24 hours a day, said Maruca. “I do feel, however, that there is probably more of an overlap between rock ‘n’ roll and good music than there has been in many years. We’re playing good music records, but only because they’re selling. We haven’t changed our method of picking records though.”
“What is happening is that good music stations are getting smart to the fact that some of the old bandleaders are not as popular as they were 15 years ago. They’re playing contemporary music now, realizing that a lot of so-called ‘beat’ records are really good music.”
But, as an example of the popularity of Hot 100 formats, WKNR is sold out in most time periods through June (1967). “We’re very successful,” said Maruca. “We’ve now completed new studios and offices.”
Maruca has noticed lately that there is “a maturity to music we’ve not seen in years.” Evidence, as cultural tastes improve, the people are becoming more selective with their music.”
BUFFALO NEW HOT 100 HOTBED
John Barga is the new program director at WYSL, Buffalo, in its new Hot 100 format. The station switched formats because “there was a feeling we could be more successful in both audiences and billings with a Hot 100 format. If rock ‘n’ roll stations are in trouble anywhere in the nation, it’s because that particular market is overloaded with that format. Here, we felt the market could use another Hot 100 station.” WYSL switched to the new format February 27. END.
This article was presentedin conjunction with the Billboard Music Programming Seminar held in Hartford, Conn., earlier in June. The seminar was prepared and moderated by Claude Hall, Radio-TV Editor for Billboard magazine. Participants included radio reps from major radio stations from around the country representing their respective station and format, including Hot 100; Easy Listening; Rhythm and Blues; Country, and Classical.
(Information and news source: Billboard; October 22, 1966).
From the MCRFB news archives: 1963
![WKNR Music Guide, November 14, 1963 [b/side] (click image for larger view)](https://dev.usaradiomuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/WKNR-MUSIC-GUIDE-NOVEMBER-14-1963-BACK.jpg)
