Tom Konard’s “Aircheck Factory” Presents: Wolfman Jack, 1090 XERB Rosarito Beach, Mexico | December 12, 1966

Date of Recording: 12.12.1966
Station: 1090 XERB (XERB/XEPRS) Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico (Studios in Chula Vista, California)
Format at time of recording: Leased Time Brokered (Pre-Recorded material)
Featured Air Personality: Wolfman Jack (Robert Weston Smith) b. 1938 d. 1995 (WYOU/KCIJ/XERF/XERB/KDAY/AFRTS/WNBC/WXTR)
Contributor: Anonymous (Per request)
Airchexx Entry: 1,485

…Tobacco Road on the Wolfman Jack Show from the Big X over in Los Angeles, The Mighty 1090 spot on your radio dial…

Comments:

In doing the audio editing for this presentation, we had a choice: Adaptive Noise Reduction or none. Given the already somewhat distorted nature of the original recording, we chose to leave that feature off and so while you’ll hear that annoying tape hiss, it’s better than completely flat audio bias.

In true-to-American Graffiti-form, Wolfman Jack howls, growls and gurgles out noises of exclamation before, during and after the hit records (and some not-so-hit records), while selling lots of pimple cream… and perhaps, anything else he could get his show sponsors to sell. There’s much written about Wolfman, his persona and the Mexican ‘Border Blasters’ – in this case, 1090 XERB was running 150,000 watts and was heard every night west of the Rocky Mountains – even East of the Rockies on some nights, despite there being other 50kw signals on 1090. The signal was rumored to even have made it to Europe and even the Soviet Union! Thus, XERB became the vehicle wherein Wolfman turned himself into a household name.

Here’s another personality whose credits require more space than we can (or should) devote, considering that there are other worthy sites which dedicate substantial space and resources documenting one of America’s most well-known disc jockeys.

Wolfman Died of a massive heart attack on July 1, 1995. He had just finished what ended up being his final “The Hard Rock Cafe” show on WXTR “Extra 104” Washington DC, drove home to North Carolina, and in the words of Lonnie Napier, vice president of Wolfman Jack Entertainment,

That night he said, “I can’t wait to get home and give Lou a hug, I haven’t missed her this much in years,” referring to the concluded promotional tour for his new autobiography. “He walked up the driveway, went in to hug his wife and then just fell over,”