In 1964, Tom Clay, the widely-popular radio personality heard on CKLW in Detroit, used to recite his composition, “What Ever Happened To,” heard more than occasionally during his evening shows while on the air, some 57-years ago.
Adapted from the 1962 motion picture soundtrack album, Mondo Cane, the background instrumental track Tom played, was titled, “More,” heard softly in the background while he recited his self-authored piece, “Whatever Happened . . .” to his large radio teen audience in the Motor City in 1963 and in 1964.
The legendary (and controversial) Detroit radio star was also heard on WJBK (’50s), WQTE (1960) and on WWWW FM (1970). Tom Clay passed away at the age of 66 from lung cancer in Los Angeles, California on November 22, 1995.
Soundtrack music conducted by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero
WQTE ‘PAMS’ Jingle Pak on MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS
WQTE-AM * Series 14 *1960-1961
PAMS #14 “DRAMATIC SIGNATURES” SERIES
—1960—
A NOTE ON THESE WQTE JINGLES
A Fred Vobbe profile sketch (featured on his Facebook page)
While Motor City Radio Flashbacks had this WQTE package (unmarked) in the collection for years now, we didn’t know with any degree of certainly what year and what series this jingles package was initially numbered when it was created by PAMS, 60 years ago.
A special THANK YOU to website contributor Frederick Vobbe for providing the proper numbered PAMS series originally tagged with this classic WQTE jingle package.
Frederick R. Vobbe was the former engineer at Greater Media WHNE/WHND/WMJC in Birmingham, MI., late-70s through the 1980s.
Today he resides in Lima, Ohio, where he is chief engineer for radio and television in that market.
The featured WQTE jingle package has been digitally enhanced in sound by Motor City Radio Flashback
NEW!BOB HEYDEN WHND aircheck date SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 1991
*****
— WHNE FM ‘HONEYRADIO’ WHND AM —
In August 1973, Detroit oldies station WHFI 94.7 FM became the former when the station changed its call letters to WHNE. WHNE, better known as ‘Honeyradio’ since its beginning, promoted and increased their own “All-Oldies” brand (1955-1970) on “FM 95” under the direction of FM automation programmers Bill Drake and Lester Chenault, owners of Drake/Chenault Enterprises.
By April 1976, Greater Media, owners of WHNE 95 and WQTE 560, dropped the oldies format on the FM side and changed formats to adult contemporary, playing soft-rock favorites on the new WMJC “Magic 95”.
WQTE (at time playing “Beautiful Music”)became the new WHND in April 1976, retaining the FM automated ‘All-Oldies’ banner on AM after having made its mark as “Honeyradio” on 94.7 FM. Four years later, the automation was dropped on WHND for live in-studio disk Jockeys, latter-1980.
By 1991, WHND was billed to be the oldest, all oldies radio station in the nation still on the dial. The station notched its place on 560 AM having played the biggest hits from the rock ‘n’ roll era for over 18 incredible years in the Motor City.
WHND’s amazing run came to an end on November 25, 1994, when, just before sundown, Fred “Boogie” Brian closed out ‘Honeyradio’ with a farewell and final song, “I’ll Remember You,” by Elvis Presley.
The above featured aircheck was audio enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
NEW!J. P. McCARTHY WJR aircheck date: unknown FEBRUARY 1991
__________________
BYRON MacGREGOR
___________________
In this brief interview, J. P. speaks with Byron about the current 1991 resurgence of his 1974 patriotic hit, “The Americans”.
NOTE: This WJR interview was conducted some days before the Gulf War came to a rapid close, ending this country’sdirect U.S. military involvement in the liberation of Kuwait. A military cease fire was declared by President George Herbert Walker Bush, formally ending the conflict on February 28, 1991.
Four years after this 1991 interview – 25 years ago – J. P. McCarthy passed away on August 16. Eight months and two weeks after we lost Byron MacGregor on January 3, 1995.
Released August 19, “Don’t You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby” peaked at #27 (charted 6 total weeks R&B overall) on the Billboard R&B chart in 1967. B-side: “I Want Her Love”
“A new FM station will make its Detroit bow Sunday. WDTM at 106.7 megacycles on the FM dial, is located in the Cadillac Tower in downtown Detroit. The broadcast schedule will include talk and good music. They will carry broadcast concerts of the Philadelphia, Hartford and New York Philharmonic Orchestra exclusively in the Detroit area.”
(Note: In this 1960 WDTM aircheck, you will also hear statements from Detroit Mayor Louis Miriani and Governor G. Mennen Williams).
— The Detroit Free Press Sunday, October 16 (pg. 21)
— ACKNOWLEDGEMENT —
NEW! A special THANK YOU to Bob Pratt, of Farmington Hills, MI, for donating his personally recorded WDTM-FM aircheck to Motor City Radio Flashbacks!
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* THE BOB PRATT COLLECTION *
The Detroit Free Press Wednesday, January 31, 1962
Earl Pitts is a fictional character performed by Gary Burbank, a radio personality from Cincinnati, Ohio in 1968.
Pitts, who is almost always referred to as “Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun” (as in “American”) is a stereotype of a redneck from the Southern United States. As such, Pitts presents a daily “editorial,” which always begins with a bugle call of “Assembly”, and the words, “Ya’ know what makes me sick?” followed by another line like, “You know what makes me so angry, ah just want to soak mah butt in a bucket of toxic waste?” Pitts then goes off on a rant, either about some cultural topic of the day as seen from a redneck point of view, or an anecdote about his home life or his job at the local tavern.
His signature ending lines are “Wake Up, Uhmerika!” and “Ah’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun. Pitts off!” while The Washington Post march plays in the background.
Burbank says that Pitts is the second-longest running syndicated comedy program ever behind Paul Harvey News and Comment.
(Side note: Gary Burbank was formerly a jock at CKLW in the 1970s.)
Earl Pitts is a fictional character performed by Gary Burbank, a radio personality from Cincinnati, Ohio in 1968.
Pitts, who is almost always referred to as “Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun” (as in “American”) is a stereotype of a redneck from the Southern United States. As such, Pitts presents a daily “editorial,” which always begins with a bugle call of “Assembly”, and the words, “Ya’ know what makes me sick?” followed by another line like, “You know what makes me so angry, ah just want to soak mah butt in a bucket of toxic waste?” Pitts then goes off on a rant, either about some cultural topic of the day as seen from a redneck point of view, or an anecdote about his home life or his job at the local tavern.
His signature ending lines are “Wake Up, Uhmerika!” and “Ah’m Earl Pitts, Uhmerikun. Pitts off!” while The Washington Post march plays in the background.
Burbank says that Pitts is the second-longest running syndicated comedy program ever behind Paul Harvey News and Comment.
(Side note: Gary Burbank was formerly a jock at CKLW in the 1970s.)
REAL MEN OF GENIUS *Mr. Footlong Hot Dog Inventor* BUD LIGHT
—BUD LIGHT PRESENTS—
“Mr. Footlong Hot Dog Inventor”
REAL MEN OF GENIUS
Real Men of Genius is a series of advertisements, primarily 60-second American radio spots, for Bud Light beer. The campaign began in 1998 under the title Real American Heroes with 12 radio spots.
The singing was done by Dave Bickler, the lead singer of the band Survivor, known for such songs as “Eye of the Tiger” from the 1980s. The humorous, yet seriously spoken, commentary was done by voice actor Peter Stacker.
While never officially canceled, funding for the ads was cut in June 2008.
In 1964, Tom Clay, the widely-popular radio personality heard on CKLW in Detroit, used to recite his composition, “What Ever Happened To,” heard more than occasionally during his evening shows while on the air, some 57-years ago. 
