Curator’s Original Notes: 103.5 WAPP Lake Success, Logo circa early 1980sOne recording we didn’t post when Matt over at Big Apple Airchecks sent us a bunch in ’07 was this aircheck of AOR station WAPP. Now, WAPP, for a time, was a great rock station after having changed formats from WTFM Beautiful Music sometime in 1982. By 1983 it was time for a change, and while this is essentially still a hard rock station in January of that year, it would flip to CHR a few months later. Darryl Hall & John Oates sounds conspicuously out of place sandwiched in between Jethro Tull and Journey, but it’s certainly a sign of things to come – Best example of this kind of change might have been 94.5 WCOZ Boston, which after ditching the “Kick Ass Rock n Roll” hard Rock format from John Sebastian, found itself lost in a world of some hard rock, New Wave and even soft rock. 1983 was a year of change in the AOR format, which essentially split into two new formats at the time: early Alternative/Punk and Classic Rock. There are very few Album Oriented Rock stations anywhere these days, and 1983 is the year it essentially came to an end.
The jock is listed as ‘unknown’, but to your webmaster’s ears, this sounds like Pat. St. John. It’s probably not, but one can’t help but wonder since his voice is so unique. Somebody out there knows. Meanwhile, enjoy a few dead segues and two jock breaks in a Two minute, six second recording of “The Apple” – 103.5 WAPP!
Steve West is a 41 year veteran of broadcasting. His air work as a Jock and News Anchor includes six radio markets and over two-dozen radio stations. Steve is the founder of Airchexx.com and Hitoldies.net - All the BIG Hits!
Thanks so much for posting this. It’s very hard to figure out who the DJ is because he says almost nothing. It doesn’t sound like Pat St. John to me, but who knows. WAPP was kind of a station without a country in early 1983. When they flipped to AOR in the Summer of 1982, they kicked it off with a commercial free Summer, and they did quite well in the ratings as I remember. I know myself that WAPP was about the only station I listened to all Summer in 1982. the problem was that, once they started playing commercials, the audience, myself included, didn’t stick around. to be honest, I’m not really sure why they lost the rock audience because, as evidenced by this aircheck, they were still playing some great tunes in early 1983. I highly doubt that any other rock station in NYC was playing “Heaven and Hell” by black Sabbath.
I’m almost certain that the jock in question was Chip Hobart. Pat St. John never worked at WAPP although his brother did. WAPP remained an AOR station until October ’84.
Al it was Chip Hobart I remember you do you remember me Joe Montanti I was the staff photographer. Do you remember those apple nights it is a White blur to me
The song they used to play CONSTANTLY was “American Woman” by the Guess Who. I remember that Sumer and they would play that song almost every hour. We would be on the beach, back in the day everybody had the radio on, and we would here that song all the time. I will never forget that song because of WAPP!
Thanks so much for posting this. It’s very hard to figure out who the DJ is because he says almost nothing. It doesn’t sound like Pat St. John to me, but who knows. WAPP was kind of a station without a country in early 1983. When they flipped to AOR in the Summer of 1982, they kicked it off with a commercial free Summer, and they did quite well in the ratings as I remember. I know myself that WAPP was about the only station I listened to all Summer in 1982. the problem was that, once they started playing commercials, the audience, myself included, didn’t stick around. to be honest, I’m not really sure why they lost the rock audience because, as evidenced by this aircheck, they were still playing some great tunes in early 1983. I highly doubt that any other rock station in NYC was playing “Heaven and Hell” by black Sabbath.
I’m almost certain that the jock in question was Chip Hobart. Pat St. John never worked at WAPP although his brother did. WAPP remained an AOR station until October ’84.
Al Vertucci here. 10p-2a 1983-1984. It’s definitely Chip.
Al it was Chip Hobart I remember you do you remember me Joe Montanti I was the staff photographer. Do you remember those apple nights it is a White blur to me
TM Singers: RockRadio! Jon Bon Jovi: New York’s Apple! TM Singers: WAPP!
Hi,
Does anone have a playlist from that first summer? There’s a song they used to play over and over that I’m trying to recall.
American Woman by the Guess Who. They played it every hour!
The song they used to play CONSTANTLY was “American Woman” by the Guess Who. I remember that Sumer and they would play that song almost every hour. We would be on the beach, back in the day everybody had the radio on, and we would here that song all the time. I will never forget that song because of WAPP!
The song I remember was “Heat of the moment” by Asia.
The song they played over and over. – Martin Briley… (you ain’t worth) The Salt in My Tears