Not quite 3 decades ago Frank Kingston Smith left radio via WODS to start a new life in AZ. The scope of his last Sunday shift Is one of the fastest and most fun 4 hour shifts you’ve heard. Great songs, parting shots, political views, and enough “other” call letters to make a PD cringe. I’d fill the weekly shift for many years starting the following week.

WODS/Boston-Frank Kingston Smith FINAL - 8/8/93

Here’s a bit of WBZ from Sept 10 of 1965; apparently the tail end of Bruce Bradley’s show into the bulk of Dick Summer’s Friday “Nightlight” first hour. Commercials and promos are left in. Brownie points if you know the owner of the impersonated female voice.

WBZ - Dick Summer "Nightlight" 9/10/65 - HOUR 1

I was in LA in June 0f 1985 to see a Greater Media colleague at my (then) sister station, KRLA/LA, who were debuting an oldies format like us. While there, Dave Newfell and I used a boombox to record as much radio as we could, even while driving (hence signal drift). The drive time choices in LA were legendary (with 3 Boston alumni). Here are snippets from the week of 6/3/85; Charlie Tuna/KHTZ, Robert W Morgan/KMGG, MG Kelly/KOST, Rick Dees/KIIS, Lohman and Barkley/KFI, and Jack Armstrong/KKHR. What about WMEX 1150/Boston’s sister, KRLA? That’s for another posting.

L.A. DRIVE TIME - JUNE 1985

On 2 occasions (1973 and 1974) I was fortunate to record WMEX/Boston jingle cartridges from the air board and dub them to a reel. Obviously, all the cuts in each package aren't here. But, news intros, breakers jock IDs and legal IDs are.

WMEX/Boston - Studio Jingle Carts 1973/1974

Going back a half century....it’s radio that’s been parodied but raised a generation, and it’s far from Top 40. From that November 1st evening 50 years ago it’s one of the early legendary staff of WBCN, Ol’ Saxophone Joe (Norm Winer). Time piece commercials that fit and didn’t fit the format are left intact.

WBCN/Boston 11/1/1973 - Ol' Saxophone Joe

December 26, 1989 Beautiful Music WLKW 101.5FM/Providence became B101.5 (Oldies WWBB). B101.5 Jingles were sung. According to inaugural PD John Morgan, within 2 weeks jingles, billboards and TV ads were all saying B101. Expenses times 2. Here’s each main jingle, in both versions.

WWBB/Providence JAM Positron Q Jingles - Original & Resings

Following the recent post of the inaugural jingle package, here’s the next set in line from a year later (Jan '91) from JAM Productions. The main cuts are featured in this montage.

WWBB/Providence - JAM Right on Q Jingles Montage - January 1991

I’ve posted the first 2 series of jingles for WWBB/Providence (Oldies B101), and from February 1992, here’s the 3rd from TM Studios; The main reel and several re-sing reels narrowed down to a 3 minute montage.

WWBB/Providence - TM CBS LA Jingles / February 1992

Here's a Quincy, MA distance recording from 1975. Dick Summer is overnighting with the 1975 playlist and some "Lovin' Touch" as well, for which he is famous on the late 66 WNBC/New York.

WNBC/NY - Dick Summer - October 1975

To compliment the prior posts, here are the 3rd and 4th jingle packages for WWBB (B101) in Providence, separated by cue tones. It marks the 34th anniversary of the 12/26/89 launching of their Oldies (now marketed as “classic”) format. The packages were too short for individual posts. These are JAM ‘Hi-Qume” (4/93) and “Do It Again” (12/94) jingles, respectively.

WWBB/Providence - JAM ‘Hi-Qume” (4/93) and “Do It Again” (12/94) Jingles

This Boston Radio personality was a true “character” and name dropper. Bill Marlowe’s dedication to Jazz and Swing plus his loathing for Pop cost him several jobs in short order. Here’s one of his most active Boston periods cut down from almost 2 hours down to just 20 minutes.  Here’s WILD (1090) from 1959, a short blip from WBZ (1961), and his handling of both beautiful music AND Swing on WNAC (680 - now WRKO) in 1962. It concludes with one of his Boston “agency” spots from 1963. Vintage commercials (his and others) remain.

Bill Marlowe - Boston Radio Montage 1959-1963

Before RKO General switched 68WNAC/Boston to top 40 as WRKO they programmed automated Top 40 on WRKO-FM/98.5, and played up the automation aspect, unlike stations today. Here are the first jingles, followed by a quick sample 1967 aircheck featuring some of the voices of 68/WRKO’s launch; J.J. Jeffrey and Chuck Knapp.

WRKO-FM/Boston - 1967 - Jingles & Aircheck Sample

Here's a TOH ID from B101/Providence on 5/3/2003 (Sat). I was music director and we were doing a specialty weekend.

(B101) WWBB/Providence TOH (Steve Valentine) May 3, 2003

Here’s curated audio from reels, carts, and scraps of tape…jingles, promos, gags, and beds…Boston’s WNAC, WRKO-FM, WRKO…all gathered over time during the early 70s from the Boston RKO General Radio Production rooms. Cut by cut editing was quite a chore but it tries to be true to chronology. I only know what’s here. Why it is or isn’t, I have no idea. Enjoy.

From the RKO Gen Radio/Boston PROD ROOM (60s-early 70s)

Early 1997 WWBB (Oldies B101)/Providence jingles from JAM (Composite series). 18:00 of cuts consisted mostly of alt versions, when eliminated result in less than 1 ½ minutes of product.

WWBB Providence - JAM Composite JX - March 1997

Boston – January 7, 1965. A new governor, old promises. Jay Dunn on mid-days at WBZ with talk host Bob Kennedy doubling on (edited) news. The perfect nondescript daytime radio host spent almost all the Top 40 years there. Here’s his last half hour (edited to a few minutes). Notable bits of history are left in. It was recorded at distance, and I tried to compensate for drift.

WBZ/Boston - Jay Dunn - January 7, 1965

Here are last WODS jingles of the 1990s, JAM Productions’ “Do It Again” package…..including a few for BOTH morning shows during the period. My WODS colleague and late production whiz Dick Durante kindly copied these for me in 1999.

WODS Boston - JAM "Do It Again" Jingles/Late 1990s

This is a very short collection of extra miscellaneous jingle and shout sessions for Oldies 103 (WODS/Boston), with separate sets of jingles and shouts. Rick Hunter's name suggests 1988 as a start year and possibly the first shout set. Rarely blessed part-timers (including yours truly) are featured.

WODS/Boston - Added Oldies 103 Shouts/JX - 1988-90s

This is morning radio we could use now. From 56 years ago, here’s Jess Cain’s talents on full display at WHDH/Boston on Friday 3/15/68 (8-9AM – edited). He’s celebrating St. Patrick’s day…. WHDH’s owners WERE named Clancy, after all. Notable historical news (gold standard, RFK) is left in, as are commercials of note. WHDH TV’s “Atlantic Service Station Weatherman” Ray Walker fills in for Leo Egan on news. Kevin O’Keefe in the traffic copter.

WHDH/Boston (850) - Jess Cain - 8-9am - 3/15/68

Between 1970 and 1975, these hilarious radio commercials for clients like New England Music City/Cheap Thrills, The Real Paper, and others by WBCN alum Michael Fremer were on Boston radio. Here’s Part 1 (of 2) of these examples from his 1976 LP from the cutout bin at the late Jason’s in Quincy Square. Subjects, references, and jokes will hit the person from that era dead center. Nothing is sacred. Not sure they’d fly today. Part 2 coming.

Boston Radio Spots 1970-75 by Michael Fremer (PART 1)

PART 2/2 – Here’s the  continuation of the previous post…between 1970 and 1975, these hilarious commercials for clients like New England Music City/Cheap Thrills, The Real Paper, and others by WBCN alum Michael Fremer were on Boston radio. Here’s Part 2 (of 2) of these examples from his 1976 LP from the cutout bin at the late Jason’s in Quincy Square. Subjects, references, and jokes will hit the person from that era dead center. Nothing is sacred. Enjoy.

Boston Radio Spots 1970-75 by Michael Fremer (PART 2/2)

Here’s the always reliable Mike Osborne (WPRO FM/WVBF/WODS, etc.) on one of the many incarnations of 105.7 WVBF.  It’s a June night in 1977, and here’s an edited 11pm-12;30am show (edited to 14;00). Editing this was surreal….back up the dial at 97.7 (WCAV/Brockton). At this exact same hour I was on air with the same music, and sounding nowhere as good as Mike does here.

WVBF/Boston 6-7-77 Mike Osborne

The request was heard from alumni. WOCB elements (jingles, commercial, promos) are here from the station skimmer during my shifts there in the Summer of 1976. The original intent was for demo material (I’ll mercifully spare you). Since that was the purpose, not all the elements here are in their whole form but fun to hear. I’d love one more chance to do this kind of radio….in glorious mono. This took quite a few hours. Enjoy.

Aircheck Bits of WOCB A-F/W. Yarmouth, MA - Summer 1976

Here's a copy of this WODS package as it was passed on to me, with all 14 cuts from April 2002. Compare to the great Oldies 103 jingles of years prior, it takes a bit of getting used to. Drake did a better job of identification to passive listeners IMHO.

WODS/Boston (Oldies 103.3) - Grooveworx Jingles / April 2002

For the “young urban professional” … a rare example of the Clark Smidt “Softrock” phase of 103.3 WEEI-FM (remember “Joni without the baloney”?). Here’s AM drive with the well-traveled Bill Smith and Jim Spellmeyer with news on a busy Friday 4/10/81. The NASA Space Shuttle liftoff is delayed, but would lift off by Noon. Here’s  the 6:30-8:00 am segment compressed to 20 minutes.

WEEI-FM 103.3/Boston - Bill Smith - 4/10/81 (scope) 6:30-8a

After I joined the staff of WWBB/Providence in December of 2000, we had Tony Griffin tailor his Super Hits Oldies jingle package for B101 in April 2001. Here's the main cuts (plus the WX jingle re-cut).

WWBB(B101)/Providence - Tony Griffin "Super Hits" jingles/April 2001

It has now been 50 years since "contemporary music" was introduced on WPRO-FM/Providence (4/29/74). Listeners to the previous "beautiful music" format heard this promo regularly leading up to the change, with kindly advice included.

WPRO-FM Format Change Promo - April 1974

Howard Stern was making his way to Boston via 104.1. So, after being a fixture for decades on WBCN, Charles took the Big Mattress to sister WZLX. Here's a slice of the show from the first week.

WZLX/Boston - Charles Laquidara - 6/4/96

Here’s 2 short gems upon Dick Summer’s passing. He gave these to me some years ago; “Mouth vs. Ear” on WYNY in 1979. Comic Pat Cooper is playing in studio, and calling in to try is Barry Manilow. It’s followed by Dick’s contribution to the waning days of NBC’s Monitor on July 6, 1974.

DICK SUMMER - WYNY/NY 1979 & NBC Monitor 5/6/74

All the Red Sox Radio Games on WHDH in the early-mid 1960s started with this theme.

WHDH Radio Sox Intro (Pre 1966)

Broadcaster of almost 50 years. Currently in AM Drive in an 80s/90s format. Also, Business/Traffic Manager for the Providence, RI NPR affiliate. Past Major Market personality and programmer. Broadcast and Commercial and Pop Culture archivist.

TSJ56

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