Who Bought the First Ford Mustang?-- Part 4: What Was It Like in the Spring 1964?

The world was far different, and seemingly more quaint, in the spring of 1964.

As Gail Brown drove away from Johnson Ford, she could press the button on the car's AM-only radio to WLS 890 to hear the Beatles snare the top two songs with "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Twist and Shout.  The Fab Four also had "Do You Want to Know a Secret" at No. 5  and "She Loves You" at No. 8. 

Remember, we were in the depths of Beatlemania at the time.

If she switched to 720 she could hear WGN-Radio's Cubs broadcast with Jack Quinlan and Lou Boudreau.  She could hear the play-by-play of right fielder Lou Brock who was starting his third season for the Cubs (and before that disastrous trade to the Cardinals).

Tooling around Chicago she would pass many corner newstands selling  four daily newspapers (for ten cents each).  

Do you remember the four newspapers?

Morning:  Tribune and Sun-Times.  Evening: American and Daily News.

--Cooter

DeKalb's Radio Station WLBK, 100 Years Ago

Same source as the last two posts.

1923, 100 years ago.

"Know  Your DeKalb Today presents 'Station WLBK, the Friendly Voice of Northern Illinois.' 

"That's the salutation and signoff for DeKalb's newest medium of entertainment, education and information.  It's a month old now, having first gone on the air December 8, and the novelty has somewhat worn off.

"It is beginning to get that comfortable, settled feeling of 'belonging,' of being a part of DeKalb."

It is still around.  WLBK, AM 1360 and FM 98.9.

--GreGen

'A Christmas Story's' Indiana Connection-- Part 7: WJOB

WJOB RADIO STATION

6405 Olcott Avenue, Hammond

In 2023, WJOB will celebrate a century of being on the air's birthday.  Jean Shepherd began his broadcast career there before heading to to Cleveland, Cincinnati, and ultimately, New York City at WOR to earn acclaim.

The 1,000 watt transmitter and 400-foot tower behind the studio built in 1956 make the WJOB station easy to spot.

The original station studios were in Downtown Hammond at 402 Fayette Street at the intersection of Hohman Avenue.  Later, the studio moved to 449 State Street, where the young radio hopeful, Shepherd, gained experience doing sports broadcasts before the station and tower finally settled at the Olcott Avenue location.

--CootBBGun

Forty Things from the 1970s You Probably Won't Find in Today's Homes-- Part 3: Oh That Typewriter

21.  Radios*   I also have a bunch of boom boxes with radios.

22.  Funky lights  (colored lights)   Do Christmas lights I leave up in the bar year round count?

23.  Pod chairs  (ball or egg chairs)

24.  Popular pottery*  (Some of our lamps are pottery)

25.  Chrome finishes

26.  Typewriters*   Even though I haven't seen it in years, I know we have an electric one somewhere.)

27.  Pyrex dishes   (with color)

28.  Record players   (Hey, we still have three of them.

29.  Dark tones  (red, gold & avacado)  Our first home had an orange countertop in the kitchen.

30.  Exposed brick

Stuck in the 70s.  --Cooter

Black History: Mr. A and Herb Kent 'The Cool Gent'

While on the subject of black deejays, here are two of my favorites whom I listened to a whole lot back in the day.

Mr. A broadcast a night show on Chicago's WNIB, a classic music station, and played some of the best blues and R&B you could ever want to hear.  If I woke up in the wee hours, I would pop a cassette in the recorder and record his show and listen to it later.

Herb Kent, the "Cool Gent" deejayed on Chicago's WVON from 1963 to his death in 2016.  Loved his Dusties and Old School music.

Two of the greatest.

Black History: Harold Baron 'Hal' Jackson, Disc Jockey and Radio Personality

HAROLD BARON "HAL" JACKSON (1915-2012)

American disc jockey and radio personality who broke a number of color barriers in radio broadcasting.

He began his radio career as the first black radio sports announcing, broadcasting Howard University home baseball games and local Negro League baseball games.

In 1939, he became the first black host at WINX Washington with the bronze Review, a nightly interview program.  He moved to New York in 1954 and became the first radio personality to broadcast three daily radio shows on three different New York stations.

Four million listeners tuned in nightly to hear Jackson's mix of music and conversations with jazz artists and celebrities.

Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery-- Part 3: The Cubs Treestone Marker

 One couple have shown their own design to show their never-ending support for the Cubs in a style  found throughout the cemetery's grounds.  The tree-stump gravestone, or treestone, is made from limestone, which is easy to carve and can feature a variety of symbols.

In this example, which is the first one installed at the cemetery in  more than 70 years, there are branches from two trees barely touching, forming the shape of a heart.  According to its sculptor, Walter S. Arnold, this treestone features a transistor radio -- which is tuned to WGN AM 720 -- because the husband, who was blind, loved to listen to the play-by-play while attending Cubs games.

There's a crack through the name of his wife, who survives him, symbolizing her broken heart.  At the bottom are symbols of then things they enjoyed together.

(N)opening Day-- Part 4: Now for You Cub Fans, the Chicago White Stockings & WGN

Cubs Season Openers:

APRIL 25, 1876--  The Cubs were then known as the Chicago White Stockings and were one of he eight charter members of the National League.  In their first game, they defeated host Louisville Grays 4-0 behind pitcher/manager Al Spalding.  They went on to finish 52-14 and won the league by six games and hit a league-best .337.

*************************

APRIL 14, 1925--  Quinn Ryan called the first game for WGN radio, beginning a 90-year relationship.  Cubs score six runs in the 7th capped by Gabby Hartnett's three-run homer.  The game lasted just 1 hour and 38 minutes.

Well. that to has changed as WGN is not televising any Cub games this year as per owner Ricketts.

--RoadCub

Top Bears Radio Announcers-- Part 3: Brickhouse, Joniak, McConnell, Thayer and Larrivee

Continued from November 9, 2019.  To see the first two, click on announcers in the labels section below.

5.  JACK BRICKHOUSE  (1953-1976)

There is a deep affection for Jack Brickhouse among Chicago fans of any sport because of his longevity, but, football was not his forte.  But, the upbeat charm he brought didn't make up for mistakes in football announcing.

4.  JEFF JONIAK  (2001-PRESENT)

He came to the Bears with no experience, but he has worked hard to become a solid play-by-play man.

3.  JOE McCONNELL  (1977-1984)

When the Bears moved from WGN-AM  to WBBM-AM, general manager Jim Finks pushed hard for him to replace Brickhouse.  He had been doing Minnesota Vikings broadcasts.  He might have stayed with the Bears had WGN-AM not gotten the Bears back.

2.  TOM THAYER (1997-PRESENT)

Old No. 57 from the Bears Super Bowl XX Champs.  He knows his stuff and calls games with both his brains and heart.

1.  WAYNE LARRIVEE  (1985-1998)

Announced Chiefs games before coming to the Bears and then lefty to fulfill a life-long dream to call the Packers.  He was the voice of those Super Bowl XX Bears.  We still tune in the Packers on radio (we live right on the Illinois-Wisconsin border) just to hear that wonderful voice.

And, to think he left the Bears in a Big Marker area to go to the Packers in a small market area.  He's gotta love Da Pack.

--CootVee

Top Chicago Bear Announcers-- Part 2: Former Bears Fencik, Hampton and Butkus

10.  HUB ARKUSH  (1988-2002)

His exit marked the end of trying to use there announcers.  Sometimes had a hard time being heard over the other two.

9.  GARY FENCIK  (1990-1993)

If three announcers are too much, then four are way too many.  He became the fourth when Butkus returned.

8.  BRAD PALMER  (1977-1984)

Brought a reporter's eye to the booth.   Dubbed "The Professor."

7.  DAN HAMPTON  (1995-1996)

Pretty good at predicting opponent plays.  One of those '85 Bears.

6.  DICK BUTKUS   (1985-1987)  (1992-1994)

One of The Greatest Bears.  But, too much of a fan.

--Cooter

Top Chicago Bears Radio Announcers-- Part 1: Kupcinet, Bender and Hart

From the Nov. 3, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Phil Rosenthal.

I don't know about you, but given a choice between listening to TV and radio commentators, I'll take radio anytime.  TV commentators are more general and non-fan than their counterparts.  Ideal football watching to me involves watching the game on TV, but listening to the radio announcers.  Sadly, TV stations have figured that out and delay what their feeds so that the play and words about it don't go in sync.

And, my all-time favorite Bears announcer was the voice of those great Bears teams of the 1980s, but is now with the Packers.  But, we live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border and get him doing the Packer games  Wonder who he is and where Phil will rank him?

Anyway, Phil Rosenthal takes his shot at listing the 13 Bears announcers who have done Bear play-by-play in the last 66 years and even took a stab at ranking them.

#13  IRV KUPCINET  (1953-1976)

  Long-time Chicago Sun-Times columnist and one-time NFL qb and referee.    "Dat's right, Jack."

#12  GARY BENDER   (1999-2000)

Two forgettable seasons of play-by-play and for sad Bears teams with combined records of 11-21.

#11  JIM HART  (1985-1989)

Long-time Cardinals qb, but overshadowed by Dick Butkus and Wayne Larrivee.

Top Ten Next.  --CootBall

Fox Lake-Grant Township Hist. Soc. Meeting Today: Old Time Radio

The General Meeting will take place today at the Grant Hall Museum at 411 Washington Street, Ingleside, Illinois, at 9:30 a.m..

The agenda today includes election of officers followed by a recreation of an old radio program by the Radio Players of Lake County.  If  you wonder how they used to make the old radio programs like Ralphie listened to ("Little Orphan Annie") on "A Christmas Story" you will see it done live.

See You There.  --Cooter

12 Fascinating Facts About "WKRP"-- Part 3: Herb's Volkswagen Seat Cover Suit

7.  Herb Tarlek actually did wear a suit made from Volkswagen seat covers.  Of course, those suits Herb wore?

8.  Venus Flytrap was the inspiration for SNL's Ladies Man.  He was SO SMOOTH.

9.  The show was inspired by Harry Chapin's "WOLD" song.

10.  Series creator Hugh Wilson wrote the lyrics to the them,e song.    The show's second theme is at the end and is really just a bunch of spoken gibberish.

11.  An extended version of the theme song became a hit in its own right.  In 1979, Steve Carlisle released it and in 1981 it hit #65 on the Billboard Top 100.

12.  Almost everyone returned for at least a cameo ten years later on "The New WKRP in Cincinnati" in 1991..  Rejoining the cast were Gordon Jump (Mr. Carlson), Richard Sanders (Les Nesman), Howard Hesseman (Dr. Johnny Fever) and Frank Bonner (Herb Tarlek).

Tim Reid (Venus Flytrap) and Lori Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe) made cameos.  Garry Sandy (Andy Travis) and Jan Smithers (Bailey Quarters) did not.

One Really Funny Show.  --Cooter

Best Four Chicago Sports Broadcasters-- Part 5: Lloyd Pettit

My heart wants to put Pat Foley here, but my head says even Foley would defer to Pettit.  He called Blackhawk games on WGN-TV from 1961 to '75., in addition to Cubs and White Sox games.

By all accounts, he was an outstanding broadcaster, and he had a big influence on Foley.

Pettit's trademark "A shot and a goal!" was akin to Brickhouse's "Hey, Hey!" and Caray's "Holy Cow!"  In fact, it became part of the lyrics to "Here Come the Hawks."  Some say his best work was calling Hawk home games on the radio, where he painted a picture in the minds of listeners and stirred their emotions with the tone of his voice.

I remember listening to him call Hawks games on the radio and could see the action just as if it was on TV.

"A Shot and a GOAL!!"  --Cooter

Chicago's Best Four Sportscasters-- Part 2: Jack Brickhouse

Continued from August 10, 2018.

He doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves.  The "Hey, Hey" signs on the Wrigley Field foul poles and his bust in front of the Tribune Tower don't do him justice.

The man deserves his own wing in a museum for all the broadcasting he did.

For WGN-TV he called Cubs games from 1948 -- when Channel 9 went on the air -- to 1981, and White Sox games from 1948 to 1967.  He called Bulls games from 1966 to 1973.  He was also the voice of the Chicago Bears on WGN Radio from 1953 to 1977.

In addition, he called boxing, wrestling and college sports.

Brickhouse was a pioneer in every way.

He's my pick for best announcer.

Hey!  Hey!  --Cooter

World War I and Ethnic Chicago-- Part 1: Doughboys To the Trenches

From the April 8, 2018, Chicago Tribune by Ron Grossman.

It is spring 1918 and now American troops were fully deployed in France, just in time to help the exhausted British and French forces as Germany was preparing a last ditch offensive.

The United States had entered the Great War, as it was then called, the previous year on April 6, 1917.

There was no commercial radio at the time so people turned to newspapers to keep up with what was going on.  On March 24, 1918, the Chicago Tribune was besieged with callers who wanted to know if the "Doughboys" (as our soldiers were often called, were gong to be tested in battle.

The answer was that American troops were now in the trenches on the Front Lines.

--DaCoot

White Sox Announcers Over the Years-- Part 3: Bob Elson

Three people, each with his own distinct personalities, have defined the history of White Sox announcers:  Bob Elson, Harry Caray and the "Hawk" Harrelson.

Beginning in 1929, Bob Elson became the team's signature play-by-play radio man and had a 40-year run that stretched from the careers of Babe Ruth to Mickey Mantle.  Known as "The Commander" for his World War II service in the Navy, Elson had a dignified, if not laid-back, style of calling a game.

His voice was the sound of many summer nights in Chicago during those years.

But, after the 1970 season his style of play calling was going out of style and something was done to liven up the calls.

A guy by the name of Harry Caray was brought in.

Yep, That Harry, Holy Cow.  --DaCoot

White Sox Announcers Over the Years-- Part 1: Ken Harrelson

From the March 23, 2018, Chicago Tribune  "33 seasons: You can put it on the board" by Ed Sherman.

"Bob Elson was a study in coolness and restraint.  Harry Caray was a crowd-pleasing provocateur.  Ken Harrelson mixes passion with playfulness."

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson will be returning for his 33rd year and is scheduled to call 20 Sox games this year before becoming a White Sox ambassador.  This will include Sunday afternoon home games, the Sox home opener on April 5 and the September 21-23 Cubs-White Sox series at Comiskey Park.

Harrelson started with the Sox in 1981, when Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn purchased the team and put Don Drysdale (play-by-play) and the "Hawk" (analyst) in the broadcast booth for their  SportsVision cable network.  Harrelson then went to the Yankees for a short time and returned to the Sox in 1990 wher he was lead play-by-play and paired with Tom Paciorek.

--CootSnort

Gone But Not Forgotten in 2016: Give It a Listen

Tomorrow, Bob Stroud will devote his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV 97.1 FM from 7 to 10 a.m. CST to those musicians we lost this past year.

And, if you have been following the last several entries on this blog, there sure were a lot of them.

It streams on www.wdrv.com.

A fitting Farewell.  --Cooter

Fox Lake Historical Society Hears Old Time Radio Group-- Part 2

This is the second time we've seen the Those Were the Days Radio Players and they are quite the talented group, regular stage performers if you will, only they get to read the scripts.  Their show is complete with sound effects and involves lots of crowd participation, even if we don't really need the applause or laugh cards to do our part.

And, they make sure their skits are humorous.

They began with an old radio show called "Life With Luigi" where Luigo Vasco writes his mama in Italy about what is going on in Chicago where he lives.  A recurring person is 300 pound Rosa, who her dad Pasquador is trying to marry off as a great catch.

The show itself started in 1948 on CBS Radio and ran until 1953.  It was even on TV in 1952, but never caught on.

Friend Pasquelli set up :uigi for a "dance date" in this episode

They also did "The Magnificent Montague"  about a Shakespearean actor now forced to act in a soap opera starring Monty Woodie.

--DaCoot