Thanks to Wacky jock Ken Gilbert, here’s about 10 minutes of he and Glen “FM” Stevens on one of the northeast’s greatest FM Top 40 outlets ever (in your webmaster’s humble opinion), Wacky 102!
WAQY was about a year away from flipping to AOR, and still using the late-70s era Wacky jingles – of which I can’t figure out who produced them (TM maybe?). Wacky 102 still sounds like the powerhouse Top 40 outlet we remember, with lots of personality, a wide VARIETY playlist (and that’s really what Top 40 was all about), mixing everything from soft pop to hard rock – everything that was a hit got played.
Many years ago, site friend Rick Kelly (Northeastairchecks.com) described the downfall of Wacky 102 this way… (paraphrasing here, because I can’t remember the exact original wording)
…tight rotation, 12 units per hour and a teen demographic did this station in…
That said, my perception of Wacky 102, and specifically, these two jocks from memories of my youth are filtered somewhat from the passage of time, but I remember this very summer, and WAQY being the most awesome-sounding station on the planet. Perhaps it was hard to sell in Springfield… that and an inability to penetrate the Hartford market due to powerhouse WTIC-FM (Mike Josephs “Hot Hits”(tm)) owning the Top 40 market there. Still, this window into the glorious reign of Wacky 102 reminds us that almost 30 years ago, talented jocks could talk in between every record and not chase away an audience.
Take THAT you consultants and knowitall PDs out there. 50 minutes of continuous music with 2 jock breaks to say the same thing every hour stinks… and wouldn’t have stood a chance against a station like this in 1980. So there.
View this aircheck from YouTube – Be sure to subscribe to our official AIRCHEXX CLASSIC RADIO YouTube Channel so you don’t miss any updates!
Really great stuff on this one. Real personality + great music = Real Radio.
Now onto the hard part. Can anyone identify the songs heard on that check.
I know Olivia Newton John “Xanadu”, ELO “Party all over the World”, Christopher Cross “Sailing”, The Who “Baba O’riely”, The Vapors “Tuning Japanese” where all played. Looking for the artist/tiles of the more R&B sounding cuts.
Thanks
I have the names. I’d have to write it down after listen to it again. Need it bad?
Ken
If you wouldn’t mind posting those here, I’d apprciate it.
Thanks
Brady
Hi Brady… REVISED….
I now Know ALL The Songs played
(In Order)GLEN “FM” STEVENS:
Dream On – Aerosmith
Look What You Done To Me – Boz Scaggs
He’s So Shy – Pointer Sisters
Turning Japanese – Vapors
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
My Love – Wings
Lola (Live Version) – The Kinks
Hotel California – Eagles
Take A Little Rhythm – Ali Thompson
KEN “SQUIRT BABY SHOOT” GILBERT:
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
Real Love – Doobie Brothers
You’re The Only Woman – Ambrosia
Baba O’Reilly – The Who(Who’s Next LP ’71)
More Love – Kim Carnes
Jo Jo – Boz Scaggs (1980 Re-current)
All Over the World – ELO (from Xanadu)
Whip It – Devo
She’s Out of My Life – Michael Jackson
You’ll Accompany Me – Bob Seger
Xanadu – Olivia Newton-John/ELO
Hello I Love You – Doors (1968 Oldie)
Sailing – Christopher Cross
-NEWS (with Glen FM Stevens)
Late in the Evening – Paul Simon
THANKS TUNA!!!!! Squirt.
I wish the spots weren’t scoped out,because I can restore the music,but I don’t have the spots to insert.
Brady,
A few I could pick out were:
The Biggest Part Of Me by Ambrosia
More Love by Kim Carnes
Jo Jo Jo (Jo’s Got His Gun) Bozz Scaggs
Hope these few help
Brady,
Some other songs/titles in my buddy’s aircheck, Ken “Squirt Baby Shoot” Gilbert:
Michael Jackson-She’s Out Of My Life (RIP)
Bob Seeger-You’ll Accompany Me
Ali Thompson-Take A Little Rhythm
Paul Simon-Late In The Evening
That should about cover it…
“…..Uh-Oh Spagehittos” and BEER!!!!!
A Great sounding aircheck that Ken told me was right off the Reel to Reel “skimmer” tape.
Mike Allen
Thanks Mike!
Ken Gilbert
wacky was thee best back in the day. there was some competition with providences jb-105 and 92-pro-fm and bostons F-105 and of course tic-fm but wacky ALWAYS won.. we had the rolling boogie machine at our junior high dance and went nute when forieners hot blooded came on. i have a wacky jingle that i use when i burn cds and i use it in between every few songs and i feel like i am back in time when i hear it come on before songs like jethro tulls living in the past or rod stewarts tonights the night. total gold.. wacky also had the biggest ad in the yellow pages. lol thee best and always will be in my home thanks to the “wacky radio-W.A.Q.Y.”JINGLE…
The jingles were by William B. Tanner… the package was called DOUBLE SHOT. I know I dubbed the master way back then in the WAQY production studios, but I’d be hard pressed to put my hands on ’em.
u sure know your jingle packages!
hi queen, another one bites the dust, my love wings, lola by the kinks live….hotel california, eagles, real love by the doobies, bab o’reilly the who sorry about the spelling…..whip it, devo, hello i love you the doors, sailing by chris cross, hope this helps jb
Chris, Tracy sells Jingles. He is a good guy and knows his stuff… He has more tape then we could buy…
Does anyone recognize the commercial jingle that appears briefly at 6:05? It’s very familiar but I can’t place the product.
This was just before I entered Western New England University, nee Western New England College, in September 1980. Coming from Long Island I did not know the stations there so basically learned by listening to what locals were listening too. There was WAQY and WMAS most of the time along with AM’ers WSPR and WHYN. I did though often hear WAAF played a lot and was quite surprised at how far that signal traveled. Worcester is a good distance from Springfield.
NO Wacky 102 Very Bad Not Good I Love The Big 8 CKLW!
Well, Christopher, there’s plenty of CKLW on this webste. Just do a search. More than a few of us kinda like Wacky 102, however, so pardon the few airchecks.