Curator’s Original Notes:
Dan Ingram is up to his typical antics here on an early 70s Summer day in the Big Apple. Listen for lots of full-length commercials with their own theme songs, like Coca-Cola, Canada Dry Ginger Ale “Tastes Like Us”, in fact, this must have been the height of an era when people like Dick Van Dyke were spokespersons for many of the products we take for granted even today! How about these rarities: Ballentine Beer (voiced by Ernie Anderson, we think), Simonize Vista “shines the dulls away”
On this recording, today is survey day, and Big Dan is telling the song positions, but playing the songs out of order, ahead of Cousin’ Bruce Morrow’s show. This is during the “Most Music” era at WABC, and the jingles and slogans reflect that on the air. Listen at 30 minutes in to a WABC Editorial by George H. Williams, President and General Manager at the time. Also, a record by Tom Clay – “What the World Needs Now”, which dealt with the assassination of President Kennedy earlier in the decade, and the issue of segregation. WABC always dealt with the social issues of the day and this is proof of the station’s commitment. We get to hear WABC News Before the Hour with Bob Hardt, followed by ABC Network News and the rest of the Dan Ingram Show.
This is a Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday release. While we don’t have any ‘check of the late Reverend, WABC’s above mentioned commitment to addressing social issues makes this a special aircheck. This aircheck hasn’t seen the light of day anywhere, so you are hearing it EXCLUSIVELY here!
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Dan Ingram is one of the heroes of my childhood and teenage years. He was so funny and witty. I was influenced by him in so many ways. In fact, after listening to about 100 air checks he did I discovered many of the sayings and things I have said for 50 years were his creation. I had no idea but the truth is Dan was the absolute best. I wish I could listen to every one of his broadcasts.
Not sure where I heard this but WNEW FM 102.7 “Where Rock Lives” did a tribute to WABC after the format change to all-talk. Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy were guests with Scott Muni who also worked at WABC. Anyway, WABC could not get enough of Dan Ingram. They started hiring people who SOUNDED like Dan. There wa sthe case of Bob Cruz who worked overnights and was hired because management thought he sounded like Dan Ingram. That’s almost as good as cloning your best jock.
nyradioarchives.com has the WNEW-FM tribute. It’s down the WNEW-FM page in the year 1982. I don’t remember the broadcast per se, but I know it exists in mp3 form. It seems incredible that an Album Rock station would pay tribute to an AM Top 40 station, however, this particular time it really marked the end of an entire era. Scott Muni began on WABC and at that time was on WNEW-FM. There might have been someone else but I don’t think so.
In a totally unrelated issue, absolutely no one paid any attention when WRKO Boston flipped to talk. The ratings had dropped so low that nobody cared anymore. Quite sad. But today there is, at least, a facebook tribute page to WRKO. The Tribute website run by Shel Swartz had to shut down for lack of operating funds.