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ROCKOLLECTIONS: WOR-FM, THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FM ROCK STATION PT.6

Alright, with this chapter, Murray the K goes off, after playing a song you will know, that WOR-FM was the first in the country to play, and for a good while it was the only station to play it.
Rosko comes on, doing some scat singing to an instrumental I cannot identify, and he is doing his show live from a club called The Cheetah- I don’t know precisely how long that continued.
Now he was the one we didn’t know from other stations, and he was the biggest surprise,
His real name was William Mercer, often talked about how he had been a men’s room attendant in New Jersey, and went by the name Rosko on air.
He had a very interesting delivery, and did unusual things on his show, some of which I will get to.
For instance, that scat singing to open his very first show here in NYC, and then there was a Lee Michaels song he loved.
He frequently would sing along with it, sometimes in the background other times in the foreground.
I’ll play that song, and I expressed my regret that I didn’t have an actual tape of him singing with it.
So naturally today I found one…ah life, lol!
If you are interested, in this episode I will play THE song that changed my life!
It was Rosko who played it, and I was completely drawn into it.
I don’t know if that has ever happened to you, but it did to me in 1967- and it was when I still didn’t have an FM Radio, still listening to someone else’s, but now…now it was imperative that I get my own!
So after serious thought, I can confirm what I always suspected and play for you the song that changed everything for me.
And was responsible for my deep and abiding love for our Music that continues to this day.
I just hope YOU like it, lol!
It is almost as if I am trapped in this series, I keep getting new ideas and memories and finding more airchecks
I’d like to do just ONE more hour after this one, but to relate the history of the fascinating WOR-FM properly I may need two more.

Mike

Tags: , 1967, FM Radio, lee michaels, Murray the k, NYC, Rosko, The Cheetah, William Mercer

ROCKOLLECTIONS: WOR-FM, THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FM ROCK STATION PT.5

It is such a shame that their call letters no longer even exist, but the celebration of WOR-FM continues with some more Murray The K.
Murray would do what he called “Attitude Blocks”- sets of music with a common thread tying them together.
Something I have taken to an extreme, lol!
But I do sets of music within my…I guess you’d have to call them “Attitude Series”!
Here’s what resident Radio Authority Alan Sniffen had to say:

Murray the K was the guiding light for the first year.  His dedication to breaking new music became a theme for the station.  Murray pushed records that he believed had potential to become hits such as Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High”.  While it never became a U.S. hit (it was a hit in England), WOR-FM’s dedication to playing the song did have an impact on New York record sales.
Murray the K had the highest rated FM show in New York; a 4 share on one ratings survey, a 3 on the next. This was higher than many AM shows and a terrific FM rating for New York. 

It was in late winter or early spring of 1967 that I finally found a friend who had an FM Radio, and soon after, a girl who had one.
I would go over to one of their homes (I could stay later at the guy’s house) and try to be a fun guest, while simultaneously listening to their radio, lol!
One night, I heard Murray or Rosko play the album version of a song I was very familiar with- it was a huge hit on AM Radio.
But I had never heard THIS!
It was more than twice as long as that hit song I knew!
I didn’t even know there WAS a longer version- by the time that song was over, I felt like something was happening here and I was missing out, it blew my mind!
Songs could be more than 3 minutes long?
And still to this day I will not listen to that damn chopped up single that I had once childishly enjoyed.
WOR-FM was presenting a new kind of Rock Music, daring to do so with intelligence, and I was being carried along very willingly.
Some real memory busters in this chapter, hopefully some of those “Oh wow” moments for you!
Do enjoy!

Mike

Tags: AM Radio, Attitude Blocks, England, FM Radio, Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High”, Murray the k, New York, Radio Authority Alan Sniffen, Rock Music, Rosko

ROCKOLLECTIONS: WOR-FM, THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FM ROCK STATION PT.4

Moving on with this celebration of WOR-FM bringing Rock & Roll to Commercial FM Radio 45 years ago on July 30th 1966, I should say why I chose this year to honor it.
I know the 50th Anniversary would have more impact,
But who knows where we will all be 5 years from today…the time to do it is NOW!
This time a look at a guy who many people liked and almost just as many found grating, Murray Kaufman, known famously as Murray The K.
To begin, I’ll play a couple of songs ABOUT Murray The K, one so brutally horrid I wonder why I played it, lol!
Ah well, it is probably the only chance I will ever have to play either of them.
Then some Airchecks, and it is his first day too, that Oct. 8th 1966, and he brings with him all the gimmicks he used on AM, but is noticeably toned-down.
And he states that his aim is to appeal to college students, those in their 20’s as well as their parents with an intelligent presentation of the Music.
Sound familiar, lol?
While this is his first show, as things turned out, and I was surprised by this, Murray was the most innovative and creative of all the DJ’s at WOR-FM.
He truly re-invented himself in the next year, and fought hard to play Album Cuts, Psychedelic Music and Long Songs.
Murray, maybe even more than the other guys, was was taking Rock music seriously and presenting it that way.
He and FM Radio- and our music- would never be the same again!
Enjoy the Swingin” Soiree’ in this Brave New World!

Mike

Tags: 50th Anniversary, Airchecks, Album Cuts, AM Radio, Brave New World, FM Radio, July 30th 1966, Long Songs, Murray Kaufman, Murray the k, Oct. 8th 1966, Psychedelic Music, Rock & Roll, Swingin" Soiree'

ROCKOLLECTIONS: WOR-FM, THE FIRST COMMERCIAL FM ROCK STATION PT.2

As the 45th Anniversary of WOR-FM’s July 30th 1966 going on the air approaches, I’ll continue with some fun old airchecks and music only from 1967 and before.
And I know there are radio freaks like myself who LOVE those old airchecks.
In many cases they bring back happier times better than music does!
The strike was settled, and the DJ’s began on Oct.8th 1966…a Saturday…rather odd!
They were feeling their way around as most of us would starting a new job, but possibly not aware of their iconic status as Firsts.
Scott Muni and Murray the “K” in particular had to re-invent themselves, not be the Top 40 people they were remembered as.
They did so very nicely, and by the time I got an FM radio in ‘67 were almost totally different- much more likable, laidback and friendly.
And they played music AM Radio wouldn’t go near, lol!
Enjoy the memories, or make some new ones!
 
Mike

Tags: 45th Anniversary, Airchecks, AM Radio, July 30th 1966, Murray the k, Oct.8th 1966, Scott Muni, Top 40

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE GHOST OF NEW YORK RADIO PAST

THE GHOST OF NEW YORK RADIO PAST

One last piece of unfinished business in our Salute To Radio.Here is a classic Radio Montage I wish I could say I put together, called The Ghost Of New York Radio Past.

In fact, it was done by WFUV’s Pete Fornatale with help from Don Feergard and Peter Mocover.(That’s Fornatale at the end, when he was a student at Fordham University’s radio station.)

And what a job they did!

It is without a doubt a grand, nostalgic trip down Memory Lane for listeners of New York City radio, but is a priceless piece of history no matter where you are from.

WOR-FM, WNEW-FM, the AM stations, the FM stations, Alan Freed, Murray the K, Cousin Brucie, Scott Muni, Mad Daddy, B. Mitchell Reed, Bobaloo, and just about anybody else you can think of will be represented here.

But of course, you will not hear ME, lol!

No where, no way!

This brilliant time capsule is now at the Museum Of Television & Radio.

Mike

Tags: Alan Freed, B. Mitchell Reed, Bobaloo, Cousin Brucie, Don Feergard, Fordham University, Mad Daddy, Murray the k, Museum Of Television and Radio, Pete Fornatale, Peter Mocover, Scott Muni, the AM stations, the FM stations, WFUV, WNEW-FM, WOR-FM

ROCKOLLECTIONS: THE RONETTES PT.1

We are going back to the early 60’s, to a time when the Girl Groups were very popular.
And the toughest, sexiest girl group was the Ronettes.
I will open with their biggest hit, and go from there.
We’ll have some fun at Billy Joel’s expense very early (you’ll hear why!).
They were DJ Murray the K’s Dancing Girls, backup singers for other artists, and by the time we play our 3rd song here, they had Darlene Love and Cher as THEIR backup singers- with Leon Russell on piano!
In early 1964, they toured with the Rolling Stones and met the Beatles.
Oh, and WHO was the biggest vocal influence on lead singer Ronnie Spector?
Listen, think about it and if you don’t get it, you may be very surprised.
I’ll tell you the answer in Part Two.
This is gonna be fun!

Tags: Beatles, Billy Joel, Cher, Darlene Love, Leon Russell, Murray the k, Phil Spector, Rolling Stones, Ronettes, ronnie Spector