Contributor Glen Rappolt gives us a great sample of the great “Wacky 102”, a Top 40 station that most people in Southern New England over 45 remember very well. The station boasted a fun airstaff which included Jim “The Big Tuna” Kaye, Ken Gilbert, our contributor Glen “FM” Stevens, WRKO Boston star Mike Addams and more! This station truly was under-rated, as it seemed that Wacky 102 was everywhere! Broadcasting at nearly all the local events, Riverside Park, auto racing and more!
Wacky played ALL the hit songs, all the Rock, R&B, Disco, Country Crossovers and bubblegum Pop. It all came to an end in August, 1981. We have the aircheck of the final Top 40 show featuring Jim Kaye right here.
FM said something about the temperatures being cold, but I can’t see where 55 was all that cold for Massachusetts in March.
This was six months before I started attending Western New England College (now Western New England University) in Springfield. I recall this station was blasted from just about every other dorm room that was not playing WAAF!
As a UK listener – one aspect of US formatics that’s always puzzled me. We hear Glen playing a song for ‘Hartford’ on the request lines – no listener name, just a town. I’ve heard this on a number of airchecks from the same era. Presumably some consultant dreamed up the idea to add some localisation – but it does sound odd to British ears.
This aircheck was actually from October of 1980. Many of the songs heard were all hits in the Fall of ’80 including “A Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by Hall and Oates. Plus there are commercials mentioning October.