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Post by Max on Apr 20, 2005 7:42:19 GMT -5
After 5 or 6 years of listening to WAKY in the 70's (before being a traitor and hopping to FM ) it is amazing all the singles released during that era. It is also utterly amazing how the majority of the so-called 'oldies' stations play so few of them, or only what they deem as an oldie. I first picked up on this when I was stationed in Norfolk, VA when I listened to their Oldies 95.7. At the time it seemed they only considered an oldie to be from the 60's, despite the 70's approaching 20 years (again, at the time). When I returned home I found local 'oldie' stations from E'town to Louisville doing exactly the same thing. One of the stations (no names mentioned) subscribed at the time to the Jones Radio Network. While they had an enjoyable show in the evenings called Dave's Diner (http://www.davesdiner.com) it was during the day they played the same 30 songs (I'm being generous) over and over again. They were all from the 60's and up through 1971 or MAYBE 1972. Yet they only played certain songs from those years. I can get out my Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits and pick out the songs they would not play. I was listening at work one day and they started to play Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, a song they had never played before. After the first very recognizable 3 seconds they cut it off and the announcer said "sorry, guys" and started playing a moldie on their playlist. Playlists can get to be a problem, because in essence they are a list of what the station wants the listeners to hear. And get this...that same Jones Network would play December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), which was released in 1975 along with Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll"-both out of the station's 'era', the latter being way out, having been released in 1979. Which brings me to another discovery. I had worked one day at one of our stations and a jock at our sister station told me one of the oldies stations in our area operates on some sort of a 'jukebox' system. I forget what he called it exactly. Why can't stations just play all the hits from the 60's and 70's and not just some? Why is it my record, tape & CD collection is much more encompassing than what I am hearing on the radio? Why is it newer stations did not and have not learned what WAKY & WKLO did that made them great and helped them dominate the airwaves? I truly feel sorry for anyone growing up today. We really DID grow up in the right generation. Thanks to John Quincy for helping us all remember that!
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Post by Travis on Apr 20, 2005 19:25:49 GMT -5
Today's oldie stations play only the hottest oldies (based on research) and that's it. You'll hear the same tunes over & over until you puke, and since it's an oldies format there are no new tunes to add, so it's really becoming stagnant with me. Again, it's only the tunes that were super hits that get played. You won't hear such tunes as Shorty Long's 'Here Comes Da Judge' or Ashton, Gardner & d**e's 'The Resurrection Shuffle' (one of Weird Beard's favorite tunes) and there are probably those who would say, "Thank God." By the way, Proboard will not allow me to spell "d**e" but it's the same as in Dick Van d**e (Did it again!) Woo-Hoo! Anyway... In 'WAKY Remembered' (John Quincy's interview with Johnny Randolph) Randolph talks about how WAKY was "all over the place, musically." There was some R&B here, some pop there, a country crossover here and a big track LP cut there. How I would love to hear a format like that today. Even the Duke had an influence on me, musically, because he would bring records from home and play them on his show. I have a copy of Ray Price's 'For The Good Times' as a result of having heard the Duke play it so often. I was a teen, into the typical teeny-bopper hits of that day, and yet that song grew on me because of him. As baby boomers continue to age, oldie stations will endure, but they need to expand a bit and play some of the other stuff from those days. As I listen to airchecks on this site I hear tunes that I haven't heard in years because no oldies station will play them. In the past, stations like WAKY and WKLO were willing to take chances. But, not today.
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Post by Ben Pflederer on Apr 20, 2005 20:18:28 GMT -5
I have found most of the "Oldies" on AM radio like it used to be, only with tamer jingles and no reverb. The station originates out of Chicago with some of the former "Top forty", when radio was radio WLS and WCFL jocks. The station is no 50 Kw Blow-Torch, but can be heard around the world at this site. www.realoldies1690.com Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards seem to have fun, but not as much as we did in the 60's, when "Radio was Radio"
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Post by Max on Apr 20, 2005 22:31:16 GMT -5
Travis hits the nail on the head, again, toward the latter part of his post...I also have the WAKY Remembered CD and in one of the airchecks you hear Tony DeFranco's "Heartbeat-it's a Lovebeat" and riddle me this...when was the last time you heard THAT one on the air. I wasn't necessarily a DeFranco fan...maybe because you already had two big family groups hot at the time, the Osmonds and Jackson 5...but as a 9 year old I thought the song was pretty cool. If you wanna hear at least pieces of hits that no longer get airplay, just check out the above mentioned CD or any of these airchecks, for that matter!
And you also wonder where this 'research' comes from. I've heard several lower top 20-top 30 songs get overplay, but a few select top 10 hits don't. Just ask me and I'll run off a list.
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Post by bruiser on Apr 21, 2005 7:10:56 GMT -5
Where do you hear fifties oldies? Huh? When I listen to an oldies station in the area, it's 103.5. At least, from time to time, they will stray away from the formula oldies and get some fifties stuff on the air as well as tunes that didn't go top 10.
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Post by Max on Apr 21, 2005 7:21:53 GMT -5
103.5 has just recently (finally) started playing a little more stuff from the 70's. It's a start. Every once in a while they'll play something from the 50's, but for the most part they stick to 1964-1969. They'll throw in Boz Scagg's 'Lowdown' from 1975, which I'm ALWAYS game to hear! . Silk Degrees was just an outstanding album. But I digress...I did talk to Michael Marvin a few weeks ago, and he said they were trying to intigrate more stuff from the 70's. Hey, I have even heard them play 'Life in the Fast Lane'! While that may classify as an oldie, it doesn't seem to quite fit the mindset (to me, anyway). He didn't mention anything about 50's, though. Since I had switched to FM around 1977, can anyone tell me what some of the hardest stuff WAKY played around that time? I'm just curious .
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Post by GilHerbigJr on Apr 21, 2005 12:31:40 GMT -5
An oldie that comes to mind that you don't hear (or I haven't heard in years) is Jimmy Castor Bunch's Troglodyte. ;D As far as oldie stations go, I've been listening to 103.5 for several years now. Up until a couple of years ago they were playing some 50's and 60's that I hadn't heard in years. and like Max said they are begining to venture a little more into the 70's.
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Post by GroovyMusicInc on Apr 21, 2005 13:56:10 GMT -5
Recently we have purchased all the old master tapes from Sambo studios in Louisville. We have cuts on all the artists including Gary Burbank and Tom Dooley. We are currently talking to two radio stations and soon will don the cover of the Scene announcing our project. We also have hundreds of old commericals and it appears many jingles from WAKY...while I haven't had time to check it yet...that what it appears to be. Check out our site at www.groovymusicinc.com and see some of the great stuff to come. thanks
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Post by bruiser on Apr 21, 2005 14:12:12 GMT -5
Recently we have purchased all the old master tapes from Sambo studios in Louisville. We have cuts on all the artists including Gary Burbank and Tom Dooley. We are currently talking to two radio stations and soon will don the cover of the Scene announcing our project. We also have hundreds of old commericals and it appears many jingles from WAKY...while I haven't had time to check it yet...that what it appears to be. Check out our site at www.groovymusicinc.com and see some of the great stuff to come. thanks Is this Marvin?
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Post by Max on Jun 8, 2005 22:43:10 GMT -5
Here's some more 'lost oldies', I mean REAL lost oldies you haven't heard in a LONG time since they were on WAKY. Songs like "Shannon" by Henry Gross, "Heartbeat, it's a Lovebeat" by Tony DeFranco and the DeFranco Family, just about anything by ABBA or the Osmonds (even though we may consider them bubblegum), "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian, "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers, "Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead, most of Eric Carmen's stuff except "All By Myself", "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players... What about all the TV series hits, like "Theme from S.W.A.T." by the Rhythm Heritage, "Making our Dreams Come True" by Cyndi Grecco, "Happy Days" by Pratt & McLain (although someone else sings the TV version), "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" (theme from "Baretta") by the Rhythm Heritage, "Rockford Files" by Mike Post... I'm sure some of you can add to the list. One last thing, I heard Michael Marvin play "Tubular Bells" today and called it a lost oldie! I finally agree!!! Although I have two copies of it, I haven't heard it on the radio in 30 years! As Fonzie would say, "Correctamundo!"
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Post by Travis on Jun 11, 2005 7:38:00 GMT -5
Does this Michael Marvin have a deep voice? I knew a Michael Marvin at the U of L campus radio station (WXKE) back in '74. He had an incredible photographic memory. He could look at a record label and memorize everything on it in an instant. We would quiz him on record labels and he could accurately tell us serial numbers, length of song, writers, producers and anything else that was on a given label. My memory has photographic elements, which have played a great deal in writing posts on these websites, but nothing like Marvin's.
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Post by Max on Jun 11, 2005 9:07:46 GMT -5
We may be talking about the same guy, Travis. I called him at 103.5 about 10 years ago to chat and he actually remembered me when we worked at WIEL back in the early 80's. I've been told he has an amazing memory and that's why they call him Mr. Oldies!
And yes, he has a deep voice...a very nice radio voice.
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Post by Travis on Jun 11, 2005 11:00:24 GMT -5
Yup. That may very well be him. However, if he does not remember me he's a fraud. Report him to the authorities, immediately.
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Post by Max on Jun 11, 2005 19:52:23 GMT -5
I don't know, though. For awhile at WIEL, he went by the name Harry Harrison. Don't know if that was when you were in town or not. Think you said you were at Quicksie in 1974. Me, I was listening to WAKY!
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Post by Max on Jun 13, 2005 10:33:52 GMT -5
Well, it seems like either WASE 103.5 has been reading our messageboard or people have been complaining, but this morning I have heard a better mix of 70's in with the 60's in their format. Michael Marvin had told me a month or so ago they were going to integrate more to create more of a balance , that underlined portion being my add.
Anyway, it makes for a more well rounded format.
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RJC
Junior Member
Posts: 84
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Post by RJC on Jun 15, 2005 3:08:50 GMT -5
Here's some more 'lost oldies', I mean REAL lost oldies you haven't heard in a LONG time since they were on WAKY. Songs like "Shannon" by Henry Gross, "Heartbeat, it's a Lovebeat" by Tony DeFranco and the DeFranco Family, just about anything by ABBA or the Osmonds (even though we may consider them bubblegum), "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian, "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers, "Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead, most of Eric Carmen's stuff except "All By Myself", "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players... What about all the TV series hits, like "Theme from S.W.A.T." by the Rhythm Heritage, "Making our Dreams Come True" by Cyndi Grecco, "Happy Days" by Pratt & McLain (although someone else sings the TV version), "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" (theme from "Baretta") by the Rhythm Heritage, "Rockford Files" by Mike Post... I'm sure some of you can add to the list. One last thing, I heard Michael Marvin play "Tubular Bells" today and called it a lost oldie! I finally agree!!! Although I have two copies of it, I haven't heard it on the radio in 30 years! As Fonzie would say, "Correctamundo!" This is why the internet is great, I can find everything you mentioned on the net. It may not be legal, but I have been burned too many times buying an "oldies" CD, only to get home and find out, that it's not the original recording, and only one original band member. That in my opinion is wrong. I apologize for the runon sentance, I guess I just got carried away.
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Post by Max on Jun 17, 2005 12:29:10 GMT -5
Just went out for lunch, where an ever trusty 1975 Rhino tape in my deck reminded me of yet more songs and artists you don't hear on the radio anymore. Like 'Skyhigh' by Jigsaw, or ANYTHING by then big artists like the Captain & Tennille or KC & the Sunshine Band (I know that made some people just barf). It was 30 years ago these artists were hitting the big time. If you didn't buy the records then, you can still catch them, as pointed out on some posts here, on internet radio. Also, as you may well know, Rhino seems to be the compilation kings, if there is such a title. They do everything from producing great compilation discs/tapes to reissuing titles. 3 series I have enjoyed are 'Didn't it Blow Your Mind' (soul/r&b), 'Have a Nice Day' (pop/rock/soul) and the 'Billboard Top Hits' series released by year. And of course you can hear snippets of all these in these airchecks!!!
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Chad
New Member
Keeping Louisville Music Alive with my 45's
Posts: 38
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Post by Chad on Jun 19, 2005 23:42:55 GMT -5
I sent Michael Marvin a few cd's about 5 years ago of Louisville music and songs from my 45's and he played several of them on his "Lost Oldies" that was on Tuesday night at 7pm for a while. Sadly this show got cancelled. He is an excellent DJ and does have a vast knowledge of music. I have chatted with him on the phone several times and have also pestered him to please play more music that was popular here in Louisville. I know his hands are tied by the PD but maybe, just maybe we have had some influence on WASE after all. I gave up on WRKA years ago.
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Post by Max on Jun 28, 2005 10:06:49 GMT -5
I know some (okay, alot of) people are in strong opposition to what I'm about to say. I know, because I hear you in alot of posts. But there are several listeners and probably jocks alike who think disco was the blemish of the 70's. I guess I'm one of the minority that enjoyed alot of this genre of music, as well as southern rock and what was considered THEN hard rock (Boston, Foreigner, Kansas, Foghat, Cheap Trick, Styx). I guess I was at the age where I appreciated (almost) all facets of music made popular in that decade, for disco hit it big about the time I entered junior high and they seemed to have a dance for everything: 7th/8th/9th grade, Beta Club, Band, FHA (yep), FBLA...you name it, they felt they HAD to have a dance, because dance music was HOT and everyone was dancing. Even geeky me went to alot of dances. I couldn't dance, but I liked to think I could and basically went in hopes a 13 or 14 year old babe would dance with me. I only like the slow dance songs, which didn't resemble dancing so much as it did just hanging on each other. I got into the Saturday Night Fever music. I remember the Bee Gees could do no wrong, and hot records were by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band, Heatwave, the Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire (my favorite soul group), the Sylvers, Silver Convention, Maxine Nightingale, Alicia Bridges...some of you know what I'm talking about. Of course some of the music I hated then...Kenny Nolan's " I Like Dreamin', John Travolta's "Let Her In" and everything by Leif Garret and the Bay City Rollers, as well...started to mean something to me as I've grown older. This is because they were ALL a part of my soundtrack growing up and when I hear them now, which is usually not on the radio but on a tape/CD, I reflect on fonder more innocent times when there were no pressures, unless you were a geek trying desperately to get a 13 or 14 year old babe to like you!
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lcook
New Member
Posts: 28
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Post by lcook on Jun 29, 2005 11:41:46 GMT -5
hello to all of my waky radio fanatic friends...i can assure you that the michael marvin on kool 103.5 is the real deal...listen for mr oldie weekdays from noon-7pm...request stuff on the good time oldies cafe from noon-1p and check out his lost 45s at 12:45pm and 2:45pm and his louisville lost 45 at 6:45pm on the 60s at 6...and, yes kool 103.5 has added a bunch of stuff from the 70s...we still play lots of 50s and early 60s stuff too...it is impossable for any radio station to compete with everyones personal cd collection because musical tastes are so diverse...kool 103.5 will continue to play a wide variety of music from the 50s, 60s and 70s...please give a listen and have some fun with us...thanks.
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Post by Max on Jun 29, 2005 12:18:46 GMT -5
Thanks, Les! I mean not only for all you do and what you bring to the station, but for helping include the 'newer' oldies in your mix. I'll admit I was probably one of the biggest critics about your format, and for THAT reason. But I've never stopped listening for that (then) stray 70's cut. Another big reason was, despite my complaints, you all have always had polished programming with a deliberate attack (except for the occasional song that's missing a channel, i.e., 'California Dreaming', 'Daydream Believer'). You also have a good talent in Heidi Sidebottom, who I've worked with. Formerly with lite106.9, she's a real pro. You're right, like not being able to please everyone, it is hard to compete with everyone's music collection, but I was told by a former co-worker, in regards to one of our previous formats, that sometimes a station may tend to play a limited selection because they assume the listeners never stay on one station all day. Actually, that's a pitiful excuse, especially if a particular station touts 'variety'.
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Post by Max on Aug 1, 2005 14:02:53 GMT -5
Arrivaderci (or however you spell it)! I've had it! I just turned off Kool 103.5 for the last time! I have heard Diana Ross & the Supremes for what I hope to be the last time! "Baby love, oh my baby love" Give me a break!!
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Post by Travis on Aug 1, 2005 15:43:22 GMT -5
Hey, Hey, take it easy. I like that song. What was it, again? It's all about the majority, Max. Believe it or not, most people who listen to oldies radio stations want to hear that song. If you listen to syndicated programs such as Dick Bartley's American Gold (one of several such shows) you will hear listeners request the same tunes that your local oldies station is already playing in heavy rotation. If WASE were to record requests and play them over the intros (much as the Weird Beard did on WAKY back in 1971) I'm sure you would hear them asking for... the same old songs. Commercial radio is merely a business and those in charge will do whatever profits the most. When it comes to commercial radio, majority actually rules.
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Post by Mike Griffin on Aug 1, 2005 18:04:50 GMT -5
Somehow I don't like much stuff by the Supremes anymore either.
I also don't believe the majority rules. I do believe in the lowest common denominator.
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Post by Kevin on Aug 1, 2005 20:30:55 GMT -5
I'm with Max on this one. I am so sick of 103.5's and WRKA's rotation. It seems like they play the Supreme's three times and hour.
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Post by groovy on Jun 10, 2006 15:42:42 GMT -5
You can now hear Marvn Maxwell on Thursdays at 8 PM on WFPK 91.9 doing a show called "Louisville's Lost and Found".. you can also hear it live at www.wfpk.org or listen to highlights at www.groovymusicinc.comRecently we have purchased all the old master tapes from Sambo studios in Louisville. We have cuts on all the artists including Gary Burbank and Tom Dooley. We are currently talking to two radio stations and soon will don the cover of the Scene announcing our project. We also have hundreds of old commericals and it appears many jingles from WAKY...while I haven't had time to check it yet...that what it appears to be. Check out our site at www.groovymusicinc.com and see some of the great stuff to come. thanks
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Post by Scott Cason on Jul 3, 2006 21:03:53 GMT -5
Two words for you: "XM Radio". I have driven from LaGrange to Williamsburg (then later back to LaGrange) listening to the 60's (or 70's or 80's) channel and never heard the same song twice. Same things for their oldies country channels, bluegrass, never have I heard the same song played twice in one day.
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Post by radio79junkie on Sept 4, 2008 16:52:41 GMT -5
Apparently this question has been addressed alot over the last couple of years or so, but what I wonder is what in their research tells them to continuously play the same songs and omit others you don't hear that were just as much a part of the music, radio and yes 'oldies' experience? And I'm not just referring to oldies on this one...I notice rock stations will play a select list of songs by a particular band and not the others. Whatever happened to radio? Have they become like 'some' politicians who are always studying 'public opinion' before deciding on a course of action or direction of their campaign?
Whatever happened to radio with 'gnads' like Johnny Randolph used to program?
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Post by bruiser on Sept 5, 2008 8:04:44 GMT -5
You see, there are these people called "consultants"...
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Post by radio79junkie on Sept 5, 2008 16:39:38 GMT -5
Yes, I know that...am very, very aware of them. Again, my question is where and why does their 'research' tell them to stick to a certain set of tunes? Do they call the same people who tell them the same songs are the only ones they want to hear? Yeah. uh-huh...I bet the same select few are the few who ever hear from Nielsen.
Boy how the playlists would surely get shaken up if they surveyed a cross section of America. Better yet, how's about just opening a Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits or look at old surveys and charts or (gasp) actually venture beyond the top 40 and see what actually made the Hot 100?
No gnads, I tells ya...no gnads.
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