WLS MUSICRADIO 89
| Here
are your memories of WLS . . .
One of my prized possessions is a recording of WLS Radio signing on the air early one Monday morning after an evening of equipment maintenance. The SUPER SUMMER of 1967 was when I recorded it from my parent's home near the little Michigan village of Augusta.. It was summer alright, cause there was a bit of static from thunderstorms in the area with fading and all that. Still the segment is pretty good. The narrator was Gene Taylor, station manager at the time. Thank You Very Much," Douglas A. Pierce Santee, Ca.. (5/24/2000) "Hey, just wanted you to know I think your WLS page is the best! I've added it to my links on our radio web site, www.ksyz.com Thanks for keeping the memories alive! Pat O'Briant, Grand Island ,Nebraska (5/31/2000) from the WLS Message Board... "What The Big 89 Means To Me... I grew up in Marquette, Michigan ... A rather small town in the upper Penninsula of Michigan. As you all can imagine, in such a rural area, we had no real radio stations there. One, that I can remember, that played top 40, So, as the sun went down on the midwest, I turned to AM and searched for music that was cool at the time. Not Devo's, "Whip It!", but, as WLS was playing, The Door's Jim Morrison crooning out "Touch Me", or perhaps, Jumpin' Jack Flash, by the Stones. I was the envy of the small town dead- end asking for more. I said, hey, that radio has an AM side to it, and at night, you can listen to the likes of real radio stations like WLS, WCFL, and, on occasion, W'ell even accept "Night Flight", which was an all-night jazz program that came to us from 760, WJR. Detroit." ... Caleb Ashby (6.04/2000) "I'm e-mailing you from Davenport, Ia.(Quad Cities), just about 2 1/2 hrs. west of Chicago on I-80. I've listened to WLS from when I was 12 yrs. old(1968) until 1989 when I got a radio gig in Fla.. I have really enjoyed your web site." Jaben ... (6/12/2000) "Hey there, Love your site...it really brought back some memories ... In Gadsden, Alabama in the late 1970s, WGAD-AM was losing its grip as a Top 40 station and beginning to look "wimpy". (Actually it was migrating toward adult contemporary.) No one in his right mind would be caught dead hearing it by then, lest they be thought of as a "geek" (unless there was a ballgame on, as WGAD always carried the Atlanta Braves). That's because WQEN-FM-- "the Beautiful Queen" --dropped its sappy elevator music format to become "the Southern Super Giant, Q-104", and the one everyone listened to for all that stereo. Problem was, those of us getting our first cars, mostly got cars with radios that had AM radio only. FM was still a luxury and it cost an arm and a leg to get an FM radio installed. (I eventually got a converter--remember those?) In the daytime, we were pretty much stuck with WGAD, but at night, when we were cruising the Gadsden Mall, in my '73 Chevy Caprice Classic ... it was WLS all the way. We'd play up the music (it came in especially well where I lived) and the DJ's (I specifically remember Larry Lujack, Kris Erik Stevens and John Records Landecker by name) and -- especially when girls were around--let them hear the call letters. I'd tell some girl that I wanted to listen to a *real* station from a *real* town, and not just the one in our "cowtown" (as I thought of it in those days). Then I'd get into my "I gotta get out of this little town with these dreams" routine ... worked every time ... One more thing ... a friend of mine went even further, writing to WLS and asking for a bumper sticker. He got one back advertising, I think, Uncle Lar and Li'l Tommy's Animal Stories. " Dixon Hayes ... Gadsden, AL (7/13/2000) "Just wanting to contact someone concerning info on Larry Lujack's old show on WLS waaaay back when. I heard about Larry waaaayy back, when I was in college in Indiana in the early 80s. A friend introduced me to Larry -&- Tommy Edwards' "Animal Stories" segments via the "Best of Animal Stories" LPs. Larry was on top at that point, and he and Tommy shared a half hour or so at the end of Larry's program before Tommy took over. That half hour turned into relaying weird stories regarding everything and everyone, mostly animals and the farm industry which is so very prevalent in the midwest. I obtained tapes of the LPs and have listened to them over the years, always bring tears to my eyes with the outrageous jokes and stories. Now, I've got my husband, plus many others, hooked on "Animal Stories," which we listen to on a regular basis. Unfortunately, however, my tapes are wearing out and am looking for the LPs. I've tried a search in local Atlanta used-record stores, but find nothing. Do you know where/how I can get copies of the "Animal Stories" LPs? In the past, I've tried to contact WLS, but they don't acknowledge my letters. I'd appreciate some sort of a reply. Particularly if you can tell me where I can search for these LPs, if not from your location. Thanks, -- JudyT (7/13/2000) Judy, there are always copies of the albums floating around on EBAY. You might also try http:/www.animalstories.com It includes many original stories plus a couple that have never been available on any of the previous 3 albums ... Jeff "WLS Rocked Georgia: To all that remebers WLS when it rocked the U.S. The days of the great am stations are all but gone. I still remeber going to Fla.and have the radio on WLS all the way there! This station is what made radio so great to me as a kid. Im just glad to see a web site for the station. Well now I'm doing the radio thing! I work for a FM station in my home town,but its nothing like WLS WAS!!!. THANKS WLS FOR THE GOOD TIMES! David Knight, Ceadtown, Ga. (7/28/2000) from the Message Board... RE: WLS Number One Timesweep, "where can i find a copy and what is the history of this?" ... Paul Melville (7/31/2000) Answer from Scott Greig "Go to www.reelradio.com and type "WLS" under search. The 1984 edition is archived there. They also have (under WABC) the modification used in the final minutes of station WABC in 1982." "I'm looking for Mort Crowley airchecks from ANYWHERE, any length, scoped or unscoped." ... Truckin Steve Douglas (8/04/2000) If you can help Steve, email me for his info. Jeff "I enjoy the WLS Webpage very much. Grew up listening to it, and during some of my Navy time when my ship was inport San Diego I could copy WLS in the evenings and it was a bit of home. Again thanks" ... Greg (8/08/2000) "I grew up in northern Indiana during the 60's. WLS was the soundtrack of my youth. I'm trying to track down the listings of the Silver Dollar Surveys for the 60's. Do you know of any way to get those?" ... Bradley Fackler (8/08/2000) ... This site is selling old surveys ... http://www.chicagoradiosurveys.com You can also find WLS surveys quite often on http://www.ebay.com ... Jeff "Thanks for the great web site! Yes WLS WAS THE BEST THERE WAS!!!! My love for radio has takin me to my first job as a dj. I work for WTSH FM in Rome Ga.it`s a 50,000 watt country station. thanks again!" ... David Knight (8/10/2000) "This is my first time at this web site. I live in the tri-state area (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut), and I came here because of the music surveys, which I love to look at. I am fortunate to live in an area where radio means so much to so many. I was born in 1973, too young to listen to radio but when I was reading the WLS Memories pages, so many people had mentioned 1973 in their posts, whether it was the year they graduated from high school or first listened to WLS. That makes me feel good inside. That I was born in a year like that, when it seems that everybody was listening to WLS!! I think the WLS surveys are great, and they are almost similar to the WABC surveys!! My parents have cassette tapes of bits-and-pieces of airchecks from a station called 99X (WXLO) in New York. That was a Top-40 station also. I wish I could've been the age I am now (20's) in the 70's, and listening to these stations. If I was in Chicago, it would be WLS, and if I was in New York, defenitely WABC!! The WLS is a great website, neatfully put together, with great photos and surveys. I'll come back again and again ... Sincerely, Robbie " ... (8/13/2000) |
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