Seals & Crofts are in concert on May 28, The Beach Boys have a new album out, and Teddy Bear Richards counts down the bottom five songs on the CKLW all-time top 500!
CKLW today is has a News/Talk format which is programmed entirely for the Canadian audience in Windsor, Ontario. However, in 1974, the hits were aimed straight for the other side of the international border. After all, “Motown” wasn’t just a genre of pop music or a record label, it was everything that encompassed (and what still does) Detroit, Michigan!
Since it’s May, and there are still so many fans of The Big 8 and Teddy Bear Richards on both sides of the border, lets have a quick slice of history!
%20Windsor%20|%20May%201974){kind=link}
I hired Ted Richards nearly ten years ago for mornings on Jones Radio Networks’ “Good Time Oldies” format. He’s still with us and he still sounds as great as ever!
One of the best rock jocks I’ve ever heard. Loved him on the Big 8.
T-Truckin Bear is da man! I thank the radio gods that I grew up in Cleveland, hearing CKLW, WGAR with Imus & Phil Gardner (the whole staff was morning shows 24-7)and WIXY…oh gosh and WLYT TOO!!! ok maybe not LYT, but the first 3.
T-Bear is undoubtedly one of the best. Consistently a great delivery, always connecting with his audience. They don’t make any better than Ted Richards.
I remember “Your Brother Teddy Bear” when He was at WAPE Jacksonville , THE BIG APE, MIGHTY 690 in the 70’s … could not get enogh of his shows … he was there with Larry Dixon,and Jay Thomas
Used to listen to Teddy, the “Truckin’ Bear” on the BIG 8! Actually met him up there and he gave us an aircheck tape of his. Later he was on 93.5 WRQN Toledo in the early 90s. A real class act and he still sounds like he did 40 years ago. He’s from Tennessee originally and can produce that southern twang talking with him one on one, although one would never know he’s a southern gentlemen (listening to him) on the air!
The year of this aircheck was actually 1975, as the songs played were late ’74. Also, Bear said Wednesday, May 14, and May 14 was Wednesday in ’75, just as it is this year. Interesting little factoid: 1975 and 2014 match up day-for-day.
Where Is March 1973 Is CKLW MIke Kelly Unscoped Versions
It was a shame when CKLW was forced to change due to Canadian content laws. They used to blast into Long Island at night. I cannot imagine though what they would sound like now as I find myself listening to what are now called oldies most of the time.