We re-post this today on the occasion of Larry Lujack’s passing on December 18, 2013 after a lengthy battle with cancer. You can read his obituary from the Chicago Tribune online Newspaper HERE, or the ABC 7 story HERE
Perhaps one of the greatest jocks to ever come out of the AM Top 40 era, Here’s a pristine aircheck of the late Larry Lujack which sounds very much like it came right out of the studio skimmer.
Discovered in this box of cassettes which the donor asked to be called annonymous several years ago, this is a great look at Mr. Lujack’s morning show in 1970. Includes a few commercials and “The Jeffrey Hendricks Report” from WLS News! Hearing Hendricks and that delivery style – WOW! That was news!
wls was a abc affilate sure don’t sond like it at all. Sounds dead and lifeless, definitely not Musicradio 77, no wonder 77 had top ratings across the country there was nothing else like it. This aircheck from 1970 Larry Lujack is horrible he should have been paying the people to listen to him. God bless that 77 came along.
At least WLS 89 I will say by listening to the aircheck seemed to give away better prizes a car, color tv etc. 77 was so dam cheap to say to least. Listen to the 1975 Ron Lundy aircheck the prize was an 18.75 dollar can opener/knife sharpener LOL and in other years albums etc.
WLS was the midwest equivalent of WABC- which was big on the east coast. It did not have “top ratings across the country.” And WLS stayed CHR long after WABC went talk. WABC. So there.
Uhmm I disagree with the above post. Yes WLS was an ABC O&O and yes they had huge ratings across the country.I grew up in north Alabama and listened to the “Big 89” from the 60’s through the 80’s till they went all news.WLS did rock the nation!And no they did not sound like WABC.
I grew up with Larry Lujack and LOVED his sense of humor! He had us laughing non-stop. Listening to Uncle Lar’s audio clips brings back great memories. (And yes, some of us DO remember the 70’s.)
I rate this aircheck 5+ stars. I grew up in Chicago and it was great to listen to Lujack especially in the early 70s. WLS was a supreme sounding giant and had very good personalities. It was great to hear Hendricks, an equivalent to a Lyle Dean. Again, great aircheck.
WLS was aon ABC O&O and yes it was very different fom WABC. At this time is was programmed by Mike McCormick. This was just a few months before it became The Rock of Chicago. It used a PAMS grid package at this point. Lujack is an acquired taste but was beloved in Chicago.
Are you sure this was September of 1970?
I’ve lived in Chicago all my life and grew up with WLS and WCFL and I was in 8th grade in 1970 and Larry Lujack was on afternoons on WLS in 1970 because I would listen to him when I got home from school.
As a kid in Pensacola, Florida, I listened to WLS late at night. I listened to Chuck Buell and Kris Erik Stevens and thought they were consummate professionals.
I’ve heard another aircheck with Lujack in the morning drive slot, and Lyle Dean doing the news at 8:45 or 8:55, then going back to more music on “The Larry Lujack Show,” according to Dean, and it was listed as October’70. The music matched the date, so I’m guessing it’s correct. Lujack did afternoon drive for a couple of years when he first arrived in the Windy City from KJR/Seattle, supposedly in late ’66, where he did evening shift, according to the record of Cruisin ’66, which featured Pat O’Day at 95/KJR. I understand Uncle Lar hails from Idaho, so Seattle was probably his first “big city gig.”. I always enjoyed him, especially so when he and “Li’l Tommy” Edwards did “Animal Stories,” as well as dry humor and cutting sarcasm. A favorite of mine from Chicago radio, along with the late Big Ron O’Brien when he was at “Super’CFL,” Connie Szerszen at WIND, and Jeff Davis, “the voice” at WLS, and Chuck Buell when I could listen, ca. Fall’69.
A Dean Martin oldie–amazing–and I think that’s Barry Manilow on the Frontier Airlines jingle. Pretty sure this is October 1970, given the reference to the end of Daylight Saving Time “this coming weekend,” which ended in late October that year. and the political spot. This is from about the time I started listening to the radio as a 10-year-old kid, so it’s a transmission from the dawn of time.