REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY
 John with Wolfman Jack...
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John Long was a preacher's kid who went to high school in LaGrange, Georgia. As a boy, he'd make trips to radio stations with his dad; while his father preached on the air, John gaped at the massive cabinets filled with glowing tubes. After high school, he got his first job in LaGrange at WLAG, and he entered LaGrange College. A chance meeting with a Brit who had a rare Beatles album created an opportunity for John to visit Paul Drew at WQXI in Atlanta, and in 1964 he quit college and moved to Atlanta to take a job as a promotion man for Mercury records. John joined WQXI as a part-time jock in 1965. He first became a program director at KLWW in Cedar Rapids in 1969, and in a radio career that spans more than three decades, made stops at WROR-FM, Boston, XEROK, Juarez/El Paso, KRUX in Phoenix, WAPE in Jacksonville, and WHBQ in Memphis, among others. In the 80's, John was Operations Manager for KULF in Houston, and WCCO-FM in Minneapolis, in addition to consulting radio stations and hosting programming seminars. John's titles have included General Manager, Sales Manager, and in 2007, co-founder, with Sam Hale, of The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. John also serves as curator for the Georgia Radio Museum located in St. Marys, Georgia. John retired to the Georgia coast in 2004. He also founded the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. The Repository thanks John for sharing! |
[Descriptions by John Long unless otherwise indicated]
 
Bob Chase, WQXI Atlanta GA March 2 1962
(32:04)
. . . to the saddest story ever told, Tiger Radio awards a genuine paddle - so you won't be up the creek without a paddle . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky] Contributor John Long credits this selection to an Aircheck Club LP. This wonderfully rare hour of Bob Chase with newscaster Bob Mann and sportscaster Bob Mack(?) may be the first known example of the All-Bob format. This is HOT Cold-War Top 40, with WQXI Hotline - Inside Information from Atlanta, Washington D.C., New Delhi - it was "Instant Information - Any hour, any minute." It ends with the 8AM lead story: JFK is expected to announce the resumption of nuclear tests 'in the atmosphere', but that is preceded by the Radio Moscow feature! It is VERY 1962. It is delightfully Atlanta and Southeastern U.S. as well. The #1 record is played TWICE in the 7-8 AM hour. (It only took five minutes to drive to work then, so the listening times were much shorter!) The total treasures and individual "format" elements contained in an inventory of this exhibit are staggering: in addition to a full five minute newscast (plus an edited half hour teaser) and sponsor tags, you'll get Wendy the Weather Girl, WQXI News Cruiser, and an "Auditorial" by then GM Kent Burkhart, regarding the merits of Top 40 Radio. Also: The Dixie Piano Company, Atlanta Dairy Perfect Flavor Milk, Dixie Transmission Service, York Imperial-Size Cigarettes, and 666 Cold Preparation. (Obviously, the Devil's Decongestant..) Jingles! Some PAMS 18 and other and also, very unknown custom song and station jings for Hey Baby and Duke of Earl; verbose "Good Morning" gag. Spots! The Birth of Busch-Bavarian Beer, VIP (Edie Adams!), Phil Silvers for Ford, A&P and ... the 62 cent shrimp basket (with slaw and buttered rolls...) This one could claim the REELRADIO AWARD for Most Stuff In an Hour, 1962. |
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
WAVZ, New Haven Connecticut, 1972-1973
(17:30)
. . . prizes, and prizes, and prizes, and more prizes than you can imagine . . . This one begins with promos for the Don't Say Hello contest at WAVZ, New Haven, in the fall of 1972. ("I Like The New WAVZ!") Bobby Rich was the voice and producer. The promos are followed by a composite of WAVZ in the Spring of 1973, and once again, Bobby Rich did the promo production. This sample includes Rich, Ca$h $un$hine, me (John Long), Tom Britton, Mason Lee Dixon, Brian Phoenix and Buzzy Hart. We gave away about $25,000 in cash and prizes in the "Everything You Always Wanted To Win" contest. |
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
XEROK (X-ROCK 80) Juarez, El Paso TX, 1974
(04:41)
. . . the Sun City Streaker . . . XEROK was 150,000 watts and licensed to Juarez, Mexico, and leased by investors in El Paso, Texas. (I guess this was the forerunner to LMA's.) The only live programming was when El Presidente de Mexico wanted to speak to the people. (That was whenever the mood hit him.) All other programming was taped 24 hours before airing. No news, obviously - no time checks, either. Nothing but The Hits. We had postcards and letters from as far away as San Francisco and New Orleans. Somewhere in the midwest, the signals of XEROK and CKLW cancelled one another out. Included: John Long, Eric Chase, Bill Stevens, Randy Hames, and Christopher Haze. |
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KRUX Phoenix, AZ Composite 1975
(10:49)
. . . Operator, would you help me place this call? . . . My tenure as PD and challenge to perennial Top 40 market favorite KRIZ was short-lived. After about 90 days, Howard Kalminson, owner, decided to go "All News" and signed on with the ill-fated NBC NIS service. KRUX was fun while it lasted. I always thought the sonovox kruuuxxxx sounded like a belch! [Featured: Paul Lee, Dr. John (Long) Winston, Christopher Haze, Daniel, and Bob Randall. Not heard on this composite (and we don't know why) is Richard Ruiz. He was later hired back as PD when NIS All News failed and he took KRUX back to Top 40.] |
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The Greaseman Cometh, WAPE Jacksonville, FL 1975
(6:56)
. . . I can't start working on an empty stomach, that's for sure . . . This was how we introduced The Greaseman (Doug Tracht) to Jacksonville. WAPE shot to a 13 share in the 1976 Spring Book. The guy who "cusses" before Grease's audition is Jay Thomas. The Stan Kappleburger voice was done by Larry Sprinkle, one of Jay's cast of characters at WAYS in Charlotte. |
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TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20Khz)
KJR Seattle, Composite, 1976
(6:21)
. . . The nickname for Jimmy Carter and Senator Mondale? Grits and Fritz . . .
Program Director Steve West introduces this short composite featured on American Airchexx Magazine in September of 1976 (the Sonic Seattle issue). Morning Man Charlie Brown, Gary Lockwood, Tracy Mitchell, Mark Jeffries, Don Patrick and a couple of news guys are featured. The station sounds fabulous. The opening production concert promo production composite is very impressive. I wish we had more good-fidelity recordings of KJR, particularly from the 60's. Always heard how great this station was, but the airchecks available to our Repository are few and far between. Thanks to contributor John Long for this one. | ||
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| ORIGINALLY ENCODED IN RA3, MAY 16, 1999 RE-ENCODED RA8 STEREO MAY 11, 2003  TOP STREAM 64.1Kbps (16 Khz Stereo)
Air Wars, RMR Convention, Atlanta, 1977
(13:18)
. . . this is the story of a small band of radio people who dared to attempt to conquer the audience . . .
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ORIGINALLY ENCODED IN RA3, MAY 16, 1999RE-ENCODED G2 MAY 11, 2003 TOP STREAM 44.1Kbps (20 Khz)
The Winners: Radio Music Report Convention, Atlanta, 1977
(19:53)
. . . Meet ya in the bar, thanks, R-M-R . . . [Description by contributor John Long] TM Productions produced a couple of jingles for use at the 1977 Radio Music Report Convention. The first one introduced the awards portion of the big evening, and the second was the grand finale. Both are featured here, before and after the Awards of Excellence winners. This exhibit is built from the elements of show audio used for the presentation. The "shouts" (preceded by drum rolls) were used to introduce award recipients. There are lots of airchecks of stations that won Awards of Excellence that year:
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The Big Ape Returns, WAPE-FM Jacksonville 1986
(29:23)
. . . what it must be like to strap on a gun, put on a badge and become a lawman . . . [Description by contributor John Long] In February of 1986, the "new" Big Ape debuted on FM as Power 95. Mark Driscoll was the PD. It was a Saturday morning and I was there with Jay Thomas. We had a ball. This portion of the aircheck includes three Greaseman bits. It was nuts! [Uncle Ricky notes: Also includes Hoyle Dempsey, Mike Mitchell, Cadillac Jack, The World Famous Tom Murphy, Banana?, Ellen?, Allan Moore, others?] |
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TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20 Khz)
KFRC San Francisco Composite, 1978
(18:11)
. . . KFRC - Winner of Billboard Magazine's Station of the Year Award in 1975, '76, and '77 - explodes into 1978 . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky] This composite of KFRC San Francisco from 1978 includes Dr. Don Rose, Paul Fredricks, Big Tom Parker, Bob Anthony, John Mack Flannagan, Don Sainte Johnn, Beverly Fox, Rick Shaw, Jo Interrante, Robert McCormick, Connie Gordon, and Marvelous Mark.
In addition, the KFRC TM "You" jingle is performed by The Doobie Brothers,
The Bee Gees, Steve Miller, George Benson, Hall & Oates,
England Dan & John Ford Coley and The Carpenters.
A portion of Les Garland's Close Encounters promo (voiced by |
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TOP STREAM 20.7 Kbps (14.5Khz)
Charles Osgood: See You on the Radio
(03:00)
. . . we can whisper in the listener's ear, and take him anywhere . . . [Description by contributor John Long] Charles Osgood wrote a poem called See You On The Radio. Osgood has had a life-long love affair with "the theatre of the mind". Here, he answers criticism to his famous sign off. Don't have a date for this one. |
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TOP STREAM 64 Kbps (15Khz)
Bill Drake Presents The History of Rock & Roll TimeSweep, 1981
(49:52)
. . . a retrospective collage of number one songs beginning in November, 1955 . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky] Bill Drake provides narration for the opening, closing, and each of the segments created for The History of Rock & Roll Time Sweep, produced for Hour 52 of the last release of Drake-Chenault's History of Rock & Roll. The time sweep ends in February 1981, because that's when they decided to sell the show one more time. This is high-fidelity stereo, and quite revealing. The production quality, from Perry Como to Eddie Rabbitt is outstanding. In late 2010, for most "baby-boomers", this is still powerful, at one point or another. |
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TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20Khz)
Drake-Chenault Jones Goldies Demo, 1990
(05:57)
. . . It's the format you grew up with, but never, never outgrew . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky] Within a large box of diverse cassettes from contributor John Long, I found this 1990 demo for Drake-Chenault's GOLDIES from Drake-Chenault/Jones Satellite Services. They definitely "got it" in 1990, because this demo begins with a collection of short airchecks from WRKO and Jerry Butler, KHJ and Robert W. Morgan, KGB, Charlie Van Dyke on KFRC - and a smokin' sample of CKLW. As this demo plays out, we learn that Drake-Chenault/Jones Satellite Services is conducting a nationwide search for air talent to deliver that adult audience that we want. As of the posting date of this exhibit (December 30, 2001) the phone number given on the tape "can not be completed as dialed." Ouch. But don't worry, in 2002, you can hear this "oldies format" on any one of a number of digitally-delivered radio stations around the country (even if someone else is doing it.) FABULOUS production on the Oldies montage, which follows the opening airchecks and is used as background for pitches on "the money demo" and the "ongoing national music research". Regardless of the history of this particular venture, this demo rocks!
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TOP STREAM 64 Kbps (11 Khz)
Jake Diamond: The Case Of The Missing "P" In Radio
(10:29)
I got all my tunes loaded on my iPhone . . . 
In a world where there are no longer phone booths, video rental stores, or mom and pop radio stations, Jake Diamond, former disc jockey, disco DJ and now private eye, sits in his office, twisting the dial on his old radio...
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