The Don Imus people are familiar with on WABC these days really bears no resemblance to a stoned Rock and Roller who went by Imus in the Morning on WNBC in the middle of the Top 40 era at 30 Rock in New York City.
Courtesy of our good friend Matt @ Big Apple Airchecks, we hear Imus on top of his game! Included: complete newscasts from Sam Hall and Charles McCord, several complete stopsets (for the historic commercials, y’know), a few scoped songs for copyright protection, and a subuded, stoned-sounding, southern drawled Don Imus.
Even if you loathe Imus’ show today, You’ll enjoy this. Trust me.
It’s great that there’s a site, somewhere, that has Imus sound from when he was funny. For so many years, I counted Imus the funniest man alive–he once sent me to the emergency ward from an asthma attack, because I was fool enough to drink coffee and listen to Imus at the same time. Bad move. Lately, though, since he was stricken with emphysema, a hideous death sentence for anybody, he hasn’t been funny, and now, alas, his career is over. Let’s never forget how great he was, please.
You are soooo right….I listened to Imus for 20 years…with the mid 80’s being the best ever for the I-man…everything from the jingles to the wit of Don was perfect…including sidekick Charles McCord. I do believe, also, that Don Imus had the greatest radio show that I ever heard in my life during the mid 70’s to the mid 80’s. Love YA Don..
it’s a great check… the stop sets, the news, and Imus having fun. i listened to imus through the static for many years in upstate ny on both wNNNbc and wfan until the show was syndicated and a local station picked it up. the suits and the sponsers made a huge mistake by letting him go. i don’t think they thought this whole thing through because Imus made so much money for the network, the station, and the people he worked with and for. some of the old stuff will be forever in my mind: Geraldo Santana Banana, crazy Bob, and of course, Billy Sol Hargus. long live Imus.
I didn’t begin to listen to the I-man until 1978-79 but this is terrific to hear. Can you find some the bits he used to do with Billy Sol Hargus and some of the stuff in Cleveland that I’ve heard about like asking to rent Mustang in Indianapolis for 500 miles? I need an Imus fix.
I have been an Imus listener for almost 30 years and am bitterly disappointed at his treatment in the media and society in general. While his remark was tasteless, it was not racist and people have overreacted as only people in this country are capable.
It is great to hear the old air checks… to here the old stuff that use to make this former teenage boy crack up. Now as a middle aged man, I marvel at how Mr. Imus had changed his show, but still kept the same quality of program.
I guess I never realized how much he was part of my daily routine until he was gone….
Thanks for this great site and for making these air checks available!
anybody remember his old rex the wonderdog ad?
Yes, that “promo” ran for many years on 66 WNNNBC after Imus returned in September 1979. “Rex the wonder dog, coming soon to the Imus in the Morning program”
I have hundreds of 90 minute casette tapes
that I recorded all during the 80’s and 90’s. Back in those days I drove a tractor-
trailer and made deliverys all over New
England and spent almost every day in an area where I could pick up a radio station
on my portable radio/recorder that had Imus
on from 5:30am.Back in those days Charles
McCord was on at 5:30 and the Iman came on
the air at 6:00. Most of the recordings were recorded when he was on WFAN .I can’t remember what the call letters were before
it became WFAN. I also have some recordings before that time. I just want to let the world know that the Iman has been my hero for many years too.
I’ve been an Imus fan since that December 1971 day he broke into NYC radio. He was always funny, always sending up everyone and everything. Thanks to places like Airchexx, there are days, like today, when listening to an old Imus aircheck is better than the Imus currently on.
I have listened to Imus just about everyday since his first day after he returned in September of 1979. The only thing I would have preferred is that he continued doing the show he was doing with all the characters like moby Worm,Crazy bob, and the right and reverendilly sol Hargus,and all the top 40 hits which is where I felt he did best. THE ONLY DRAWBACK TO THAT IS THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM ON t.v. unless he was set up in a studio where could this type of program. Well when you do decide to retire mornings won’t be mornings without IMUS IN the Morning.
It was fun engineering him. 1973-1976. “Flash” Gourdine had the lion’s share. Dude was crazy as a coot.
Been listening to Imus since he returned to NYC in September 1979 (34-1/2 years). At Andrew Fernandez, yes the “Rex the wonder dog” promos ran for years upon his return. “Rex The Wonder Dog, coming soon to the Imus In The Morning Program on 66 WNNNNBC”
I really miss WNBC. I’ve lived in West Virginia all my life, and I used to call Big jay Sorensen on the overnight “Time Machine”. I told him where I was from, and he’d rib me about being a “hillbilly”. He told me the NYC audience got a kick out of my southern accent.
I really dug the NBC News sounder at 1:37
Starting in 1979 when Don Imus made his second return to WNBC His show was a lot different than that it is now. I don’t know why he changed the format of his program but I think even today, had he stayed as what they call a shock jock he would had been better off. During the early years his problem with alcohol and cocaine addiction could have destroyed not only his career, but his life, if he had not decided to seek help in 1987, when he entered Hanley Hazelton. I am a daily viewer of his show on fox. It is a good thing that he is able to mix entertainment. Had it not for the entertainment, the show would not have survived as long as it has. I have to say it is definitely a pleasure when he includes Carly Shimkus and Lauren Simonetti , because they are both very attractive , and very intelligent in their own way. Imus should definitely go back to being a shock JOCK. Robert Amato
Radio was SO much more entertaining back then than it is now! WNBC was a great station with a great sound in its mid-1970s Top 40 heyday.
I and my husband have been waking each and watching Imus in the Morning about 20 years and are depressed you are going off. As far as I know, no radio station will carry him here in Myrtle Beach. Tell me how I can get his radio show from Texas. My dad died with emphysema 20 years ago, so I am acutely aware of its consequences. Thank you for your wealth of entertainment and contributions to our lives. You are so full of information that no one else knows, I wish you could make tapes of your “stories.”
AS WE ALL HAVE HEARD THE IMUS IN THE MORNING SHOW WILL SOON BECOMING TO AN END AND I GUESS THATS WHEN MORNING RADIO ON WABC WILL CHANGE.AND THATS WHEN WABC RATINGS WILL GO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BUT UNFORTUNATELY PROBABLY NOT FOR THE BETTER BUT FOR THE WORSE AND THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE THE COMPANY THAT HE IS WORKING FOR HAD GONE BANKRUPT AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PAY OUT HIS REMAINING CONTRACT. MayBE THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE BEST FOR THE I MAN SO HE CAN TAKE THE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF HIS HEALTH AND TRY ENJOYING HIS LIFE AND HIS TIME WITH FAMILY WELL BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR RETIREMENT
Robert, from what I gather, Imus hasn’t had decent ratings since leaving WFAN. Indeed, his raspy voice is a mere whisper of what it once was when he was arguably the most popular morning man in America on WNBC. Frankly, he’s essentially irrelevant these days, and often his co-hosts have to pick up the slack for him. Most of the time he’s been doing his show from New Mexico, not even seeing his morning crew. Every legend finds that eventually, it’s time to hang it up. It’s Imus’ turn now.
WABC will do fine without him. Talk radio in general is in decline and it would take a lot more than Don Imus to bring WABC back to the top of the ratings. It likely will never be a giant ratings winner again, not unless Cumulus decides to wipe out 95.5 and simulcast 770… which is about as likely as me taking over for Scott Shannon on CBS-FM.
Oh, and I do have to agree with you about Cumulus and bankruptcy. See, once upon a time, Cumulus was a sound company but like so many others, bit off more than they could chew. This from a onetime Cumulus employee…