Like so many other recordings of WOR-FM, this one suffers from tape age. Still, it’s good enough to hear Mark Driscoll and the Boss sound of Bill Drake’s handiwork in New York. This was his first try at the “Boss Radio” sound both on the East Coast and on FM. WOR-FM would morph into a more straight ahead, “Q”-type Top 40 format in another year as WXLO “99X”, but at this point its still all Drake Top 40 with the trademarked jingles, et al. Or, perhaps I should say ad-nauseum. There’s a jingle after each element.
Regardless of how much of a fan you were of WOR-FM, it remains an important part of New York radio history. A station that anywhere else would have become a big success, but here, smothered by 77 WABC, as was nearly every other station in the Big Town up till 1979… But that’s another story in and of itself.
MARCUS !!!
THE ONE…THE ONLY ! I REMEMBER LISTENING TO MARK DRISCOLL AT OR-FM…DURING A LITTLE JOURNEY I TOOK TO THE BIG APPLE IN 1972…AND LO & BEHOLD…JUST A FEW YEARS LATER…HE WAS PROGRAMMING AGAINST ME AND ALL OF US AT W A X C IN ROCHESTER, N.Y. HE HAD JUST COME IN FROM PITTSBURGH (?)…AND B B F WAS CHANGED FOREVER ! WE SOON UNDERSTOOD WHY THE “HECK” BBF HAD SO MUCH “ENERGY”…DRISCOLL WAS DOIN’ THE ‘OLE SPLICING TAPE ON THE TURNTABLE CAPSTANS…AND THE RECORDS WERE BEING DUBBED ONTO CART….AT 47 RPM …THE NEW “STEROID SOUND” OF B B F !! ANYWAY…AS TIME’S GONE ON…I RESPECT MARK’S BRILLIANCE SO MUCH ! HOPE WE SEE HIM AT THE ROCHESTER RADIO REUNION ON SEPT. 17TH THIS YEAR !!
Mark Driscoll was previously at WRKO, Boston Before OR/FM, I do believe…and guess what ! He was Only 19 at RKO…and personal Friends of Phil Yarborough…Mr Drake !