Airchexx.com » Chicago

WLS 25th Anniversary Broadcast | April 08, 1985

Steve West — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:10:28 +0000

Available in parts elsewhere, the complete, unedited broadcast as heard on WLS 890 Chicago as recorded by new contributor Michael J. DeLaRosa. He writes:

Hope you are able to use this. I cannot believe we are coming up on the 25th of the 25th. I recorded this as it aired at 6:00pm April 8, 1985. I have heard similar pieces voiced by Jeff Davis and played at various WLS parties…but this is the original voiced by Tommy Edwards.

Running over an hour in length, this then history of MusicRadio 89 WLS is well chronicled, from the jocks, to the music, the promotions, commercials and more!

WLS 25th Anniversary Broadcast | April 08, 1985 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Jay Johnson, WVON Chicago | 1972

Steve West — Sat, 02 May 2009 04:10:58 +0000

Contributor Leo Knott sends in this studio quality ‘check of a great Chicago Soul station…

One of my favorite jocks of all-time. I don’t know all the stations he worked at but he did work the San Antonio market at one time. I heard Jay on Chicago’s WGRT (Later to be WJPC)… he was Orange Juice Jay in the morning. He was wooed away to WVON – the urban music giant at the time.

WVON had great personalities from Joe Cobb (the voice of Soul Train… at least at the beginning, Herb Kent “The Cool Gent”, Bill “Butterball” Crane, E. Rodney Jones, Cecil Hale, Richard Pegue, Pervis Spahn and others.

After WVON, he ventured to WTLC in Indianapolis to serve as PD and on air duties. He was Super Jay in his twilight at WVON and carried over into the Indianapolis market

Jay Johnson, WVON Chicago | 1972 is a post from: Airchexx.com

QuickCheck: John "Records" Landecker, WLS Chicago | August, 1975

Steve West — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:10:59 +0000

Another too short listen to Landecker, finds him reading off the names of people who will be going to eat dinner with the Osmonds and then see them in concert. Hard to believe Donny & Marie were ever a big deal (if today’s oldies stations are any guage), but JRL sure talks it up.

Listen for a great promo for the WLS Monster Bonanza as Bob Sirott produces this piece that shows WLS giving away a Mazda!

We have a similar aircheck here most likely from the same night. How’d that happen?

QuickCheck: John “Records” Landecker, WLS Chicago | August, 1975 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Captain Whammo, WMET Chicago | April 1978

Steve West — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:20:07 +0000

Jim Channel, aka “Capt. Whammo” is heard here on 95 1/2 WMET. Note the disco music and the WCFL-style jingle package in use at the time which kinda sounds out of place considering the year. They sound good at this point, but I’m at a loss as to why WMET had some of the worst jingles ever heard prior to ‘78… low budget, maybe? And, in your humble webmaster’s opinion, the imaging voice is and was horrible, but that’s made up for the fact that the format itself slams, and Whammo is in top form on this aircheck… lively and energetic.

This is a good quality recording, one you’ll enjoy as an alternative to samples of WLS around the same timeframe.

Captain Whammo, WMET Chicago | April 1978 is a post from: Airchexx.com

Smokin' Joe Dawson on B-96 WBBM-FM Chicago | September 2, 1986

Steve West — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:10:36 +0000

Labor Day weekend 1986… not particularly memorable except perhaps if you were lamenting the fact that Summer vacation was over. Smokin’ Joe Dawson sent this in himself and explains that at this period in time, B-96 had no jingles!

This was about a month before I left to go to Seattle to burn off a no compete before coming back to Chicago at WFYR. The powers that be had B96 sounding like a cross between ‘GCI and Q101 in their Hot AC days.

More original audio from the site that brings radio back to LIFE!

Smokin’ Joe Dawson on B-96 WBBM-FM Chicago | September 2, 1986 is a post from: Airchexx.com

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind '08: 1-2PM Fred Winston

Steve West — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:00:07 +0000

Hour two of the Fred Winston show is much like the first hour (12-1Pm) and features Catherine Johns with news, and by this time we’re all starting to get irritated with Les Grobstein’s sportscasts. What is it about this guy that grates on our nerves? There was a bit of negative reaction (based upon what we’ve read on the message boards) to Les’ sportscasts, which ran longer in many cases than the actual news itself.

Listen for the first appearance of Lyle Dean and a promo for “Choose your news” – a longtime feature of the old Fred Winston morning show back in the 70s and 80s.

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 1-2PM Fred Winston is a post from: Airchexx.com

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind '08: 12 - 1PM - Fred Winston

Steve West — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:01:15 +0000

And now, the real fun begins! Rewind, for the first 7 hours, was (IMHO), kinda boring unless you really loved hearing jocks just talk. Winston here is STILL funny, and able to quip a one-liner over a song intro just as good as the old days. And that voice is still as deep as ever, if not a bit gravely these days.

We still get hourly news, clips of the old WLS, and of course, steady reminders that this IS TODAY, Chicago’s Talk Station – 890 AM WLS!

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 12 – 1PM – Fred Winston is a post from: Airchexx.com

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind '08: 10:30 - 12 Noon Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards

Steve West — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:03:33 +0000

Here’s the final part of the Larry Lujack / Tommy Edwards show… more sarcasm wrapping up with another installment of “Animal Stories”. Oh, and more of Les Grobstein’s incredibly long sports reports injected and infused with enough editorial to fill a full newspaper page!

What we haven’t described for you is Jeff Davis’ incredible production efforts in putting together sweepers, intros, outros, Top of Hour IDs and pulling in all the great jingles from the musicradio era. They are heard all throughout Big 89 Rewind and this certainly would be far less an event without Jeff’s undying efforts.

In the next segment, it’s Fred Winston’s turn to sit in the big air chair. Trust me, the formatics alone are good enough to spend another hour with your computer!

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 10:30 – 12 Noon Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards is a post from: Airchexx.com

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind '08: 9:30-10:30 AM Larry Lujack & Tommy Edwards

Steve West — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:02:36 +0000

Lujack & Edwards make a great pair… were it not for retirement maybe we could get these two in syndication, no?

Listen for “Celebrity Worship”, Lujack’s “Commencement Address to America’s Youth”, news from Linda Marshall and Sports – including a long RANT about syndication in Sports Radio (taking direct aim at crosstown WMVP and ESPN) by Les Grobstein. This is another MUST LISTEN segment!

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08: 9:30-10:30 AM Larry Lujack & Tommy Edwards is a post from: Airchexx.com

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind '08 | May 26, 2008: 8-9:30 AM CST Chuck Knapp / Larry Lujack & Tommy Edwards

Steve West — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:01:41 +0000

Its the last hour of the Chuck Knapp show featuring a touching tribute to fallen soldiers in Iraq, and out-of-format songs by Toby Keith & Carrie Underwood. Reading about this on the ‘chicagolandradioandmedia.com message board, there were many complaints from listeners who, apparently didn’t understand that, while this is a tribute to WLS’s musicradio legacy, its just as much a tribute to the PEOPLE who were on the air, and their skill as communicators. The Knapper did just as a WLS jock would have done in the Musicradio years, buck the format and communicate a relevant topic to his audience. After all, Memorial day IS the day we remember those who served and still serve our great nation.

It’s on to news, traffic and weather, then Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards’ first half hour – and they’re “just as lousy as the last time they were on the air”, at least jokingly according to one caller. Remember, after all those years (okay, ONE year since they returned in 07 for the first BIG 89 REWIND), these two were ‘Back in the Saddle Again…”.

WLS Chicago: Big 89 Rewind ‘08 | May 26, 2008: 8-9:30 AM CST Chuck Knapp / Larry Lujack & Tommy Edwards is a post from: Airchexx.com