A special THANK YOU to Greg Innis for recently contributing this WCHB December 15, 1969 ‘Soul’ chart with Motor City Radio Flashbacks
— The Greg Innis Collection —
This WCHB chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake THE TOP 40 STORY (1977)
RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake THETOP 40 STORY (1977)
RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake THE TOP 40 STORY (1977)
RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake THE TOP 40 STORY (1977)
RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake THE TOP 40 STORY (1977)
— BILL DRAKE —
The Top 40 Story
In this special edition we have interviewed the key programmers that helped shape the direction of the format to its present state. Our sincere thanks to Gordon McLendon, respected as the most creative radio programmer in history. Almost every format heard on the radio today has been influenced by this man. We are also indebted to Rick Sklar, VP ABC Radio, who has guided the ABC stations to dominant market positions,
Bill Drake, who had the most dramatic effect on the format and is still today the most successful programmer with over 200 stations currently under his guidance.
Paul Drew, who until recently was VP Programming for RKO, and Kent Burkhart, a man who has been taught by the best and has since added quite a bit to the format himself.
If it were not for these people and the many others involved in the creation of this publication, taking the time to share their knowledge, the opportunity to learn from history might still not exist.
RADIO & RECORDS
BILL DRAKE
Bill Drake (January 14, 1937 – November 29, 2008), born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.
It was later at KYNO in Fresno, California that he met Gene Chenault, who became his business partner. Together, the pair developed highly influential radio programming strategies and tactics, as well as working with future “Boss Jocks” (their new name for on-air radio talent).
Drake-Chenault perfected theTop 40radio format, which had been created byTodd Storz, Gordon McLendonand other radio programmers in the late 1950s, which took a set list of popular songs and repeated them all day long, ensuring the widest possible audience for the station’s music.Jingles, news updates, traffic, and other features were designed to make Top 40 radio particularly attractive to car listeners. By early 1964, the era of the British Invasion, Top 40 radio had become the dominant radio format for North American listeners and quickly swept much of the Western world.
(Source: WiKipedia)
RADIO & RECORDS Bill Drake TOP 40 1977
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WXYZ RADIO 1270 Detroit Sound Survey DECEMBER 12, 1966
THE DETROIT SOUND SURVEY
— DECEMBER 12, 1966 —
*****
This list is selected each week by WXYZ Radio from reports of record sales gathered from leading record outlets inthe Detroit area and other sources available to WXYZ.
— The Jim Heddle Collection —
This WXYZ chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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. . . By 1967, the band was traveling to performances in Redding’s Beechcraft H18 airplane. On December 9, 1967, they appeared on the Upbeat television show produced in Cleveland. They played three concerts in two nights at a club called Leo’s Casino. After a phone call with his wife and children, Redding’s next stop was Madison, Wisconsin; the next day, Sunday, December 10, they were to play at the Factory nightclub, near the University of Wisconsin.
Otis Redding, The Barkays, 1967
Although the weather was poor, with heavy rain and fog, and despite warnings, the plane took off. Four miles (6.4 km) from their destination at Truax Field in Madison, the pilot radioed for permission to land. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashed into Lake Monona. Bar-Kays member Ben Cauley, the accident’s only survivor, was sleeping shortly before the accident. He woke just before impact to see bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and exclaim, “Oh, no!” Cauley said the last thing he remembered before the crash was unbuckling his seat belt. He then found himself in frigid water, grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat. As a non-swimmer, he was unable to rescue the others. The cause of the crash was never determined. James Brown claimed in his autobiography The Godfather of Soul that he had warned Redding not to fly in the plane.
The other victims of the crash were four members of the Bar-Kays—guitarist Jimmy King, tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones, organist Ronnie Caldwell, and drummer Carl Cunningham; their valet, Matthew Kelly; and the pilot, Richard Fraser.
Redding’s body was recovered the next day when the lake was searched. The family postponed the funeral from December 15 to 18 so that more could attend. The service took place at the City Auditorium in Macon. More than 4,500 people came to the funeral, overflowing the 3,000-seat hall. Redding was entombed at his ranch in Round Oak, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Macon. Jerry Wexler delivered the eulogy. Redding died just three days after re-recording “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” He was survived by Zelma and four children, Otis III, Dexter, Demetria, and Karla. On November 8, 1997, a memorial plaque was placed on the lakeside deck of the Madison convention center, Monona Terrace.
(Source: Wikipedia)
THE DETROIT FREE PRESS
—Tuesday, December 12, 1967—
___
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2019. Newspapers.com.
The above newspaper feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and was digitally imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
Otis Redding photographed standing before his personal plane, 1967. (Photo credit: Zelma Redding)
Otis Redding’s personal plane rests on a barge after having been pulled up from lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin. December 1967
Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2019. Newspapers.com.
The above CKLW newspaper feature was ‘clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks.
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Missed any of our previous ‘Detroit Radio Back-Pages‘ features? GO HERE.
Home shopping for a stereo unit or for a portable radio? Shopping for a gift, perhaps? Check out these prices! This once famous Detroit appliance store (now defunct) had a clearance going in time for the holidays. As advertised this very Monday, exactly 56 years ago. 🙂
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WDRQ-FM Top 23 singles for the week ending December 3-9, 1974. WDRQ jock Joey Ryan is featured on the cover.
The above WDRQ music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
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— In MemoryofGeorge Griggs —
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
___
Above WDRQ music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate
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The above WKNR music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
—THE BEACH BOYS COMES TO DETROIT! —
WKNR promoted the Beach Boys very first concert appearance in Detroit, at the Olympia Stadium, Saturday, November 28, 1964.
Just one month earlier, the Beach Boys also completed their first feature film appearance on the T.A.M.I. Show. A concert hosted by Jan & Dean covering two-nights in October before a live crowd at the Santa Monica Civic Center, featuring top stars Lesley Gore, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Supremes, Marvin Gaye and more.
The T.A.M.I. Show, featuring the Beach Boys, made its ‘Electrovision’ debut on the big silver screen in New York City, November 21, 1964, the Saturday prior the west coast band’s first concert in Detroit.
— In MemoryofGeorge Griggs —
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
___
Above WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate
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The above WKNR music chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
— SIGN UP TO WIN A BRAND NEW 1966 GTO! —
A 1966 Pontiac GTO contest giveaway! This was the second of three Pontiac GTOs WKNR would give away in the 1960s. The station gave away their first Pontiac GTO in March 1965, and their third (and last) Pontiac GTO was given away in December 1966, a brand new 1967 GTO!
The above photograph, showcasing the special Tom McAn 1966 Pontiac GTO, also captured a euphoric leap of Keener deejays — pictured here all wearing Tom McAn ‘GTO’ shoes, likewise, advancing promotion as well the shoemaker’s ‘GTO’ brand for their latest footwear to go with the special car giveaway (exclusively through WKNR) in December 1965.
The photograph ultimately would find its way on the cover of the WKNR ‘Oldies But Goodies’ album, Volume II, which WKNR released, early-1966.
(Photo L-R: Jerry Goodwin, Dick Purtan, Scott Regen, Jim Jeffries, Bob Green, J. Michael Wilson, Paul Cannon, Ted Clark)
— In MemoryofGeorge Griggs —
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
___
Above WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate
