All about the airchecks

[panamag8or]

I've really been into listening to airchecks lately. They really bring back some memories. I mostly listen to Top 40 jocks from the mid-70's. It's neat to hear what radio was like during that time (again).

To listen to some, go here:
Mr. Aircheck Radio

Here is another great site, but you need to "donate" before you can listen. They have a huge, searchable database, and many recordings from the 50's.

http://www.reelradio.com

 

[Flivver]

For me, airchecks are like a time machine back to my high school days in the late 60s. I was a real enthusiast of AM radio. It wasn't about the music (even then, I preferred music from the 1920s and 30s), it was about the clever banter of the DJs, news from distant places, and the jingles.

My best friend and I were "DX-hounds"...that is we enjoyed tuning in distant stations. We both had maps of the U.S. on our bedroom walls where we wrote in the call letters of each station received. I put up a long wire antenna and scoured the Salvation Army store for sensitive and selective 1930s radios. During the daytime, we listened to "local" stations like WBZ in Boston, or WABC in New York. But after dark, when skywave reception became possible, we listened to WKBW in Buffalo, CKLW in Windsor/Detroit, and all the great stations in Chicago.

My friend was a fan of Chicago's very professional sounding, ABC-owned WLS. But I preferred the upstart Chicago top 40 station, WCFL, owned by The Chicago Federation of Labor. WCFL was one of the most innovative stations of the era, and they knew their teen age audience well. When listening to airchecks of all those old favorite stations today, I still get chills up my spine when I hear something like:
THIS is WCFL...
The voice of labor...
It's nine o'clock Chicago!

 

[panamag8or]

For me, airchecks are like a time machine back to my high school days in the late 60s. I was a real enthusiast of AM radio. It wasn't about the music (even then, I preferred music from the 1920s and 30s), it was about the clever banter of the DJs, news from distant places, and the jingles.

My best friend and I were "DX-hounds"...that is we enjoyed tuning in distant stations. We both had maps of the U.S. on our bedroom walls where we wrote in the call letters of each station received. I put up a long wire antenna and scoured the Salvation Army store for sensitive and selective 1930s radios. During the daytime, we listened to "local" stations like WBZ in Boston, or WABC in New York. But after dark, when skywave reception became possible, we listened to WKBW in Buffalo, CKLW in Windsor/Detroit, and all the great stations in Chicago.

My friend was a fan of Chicago's very professional sounding, ABC-owned WLS. But I preferred the upstart Chicago top 40 station, WCFL, owned by The Chicago Federation of Labor. WCFL was one of the most innovative stations of the era, and they knew their teen age audience well. When listening to airchecks of all those old favorite stations today, I still get chills up my spine when I hear something like:
THIS is WCFL...
The voice of labor...
It's nine o'clock Chicago!

I listened to the final shifts of both WCFL and WABC before they switched from a top 40 format. Pretty cool stuff.

 

[Rafter]

I listened to the final shifts of both WCFL and WABC before they switched from a top 40 format. Pretty cool stuff.

MusicRadio 77WABC, was The Greatest Top Forty Music Radio Station of All Time!!

If you want to hear a blast from the past, check out the "Airchecks" on this site:
http://www.musicradio77.com/

The present WABC radio has an oldies music show that airs every Saturday Night. It features the music of the Top 40 radio era as well as some airchecks and, of course, some of those great jingles!

 

[imported_the_librarian]

Please pardon any dupes and I know he is a bit later than most, but if you love the mid fifties, hard to forget the Wolfman!

http://www.wolfmanjack.org/wolfman1.htm

Go to the audio booth! Classic airchecks and recorded shows......

 

[Tomasso]

the great stations in Chicago.!

The best, IMHO.

But I preferred the upstart Chicago top 40 station, WCFL....... one of the most innovative stations of the era.

Me too. CFL had some great jocks:Larry Lujack, Art Roberts, Ron Britain, Clark Weber, Fred Winston, Dick Biondi, etc......:eusa_clap

 

[panamag8or]

my all-time favorite jock has to be the Greaseman, since I could listen to him when he was in Jacksonville. It didn't hurt that I was in my formative pre-teen years when farts were funny. Well, they still are, so that is a bad example, but his slightly off-color humor was exactly what my mom didn't want me listening to.lol

http://www.greaseman.org/

There is a bit vault with lots of good stuff.

 

[Flivver]

The best, IMHO.

Me too. CFL had some great jocks:Larry Lujack, Art Roberts, Ron Britain, Clark Weber, Fred Winston, Dick Biondi, etc......:eusa_clap

Here's a frequently used quote from WCFL's Barney Pip:

"TURN INTO PEANUTBUTTER!"

For me, though, the best part of WCFL circa 1966-67 were those wonderful Chuck Blore jingles. I collect radio jingles from this era and in my opinion, no other jingles, before or since, came close to matching those from WCFL.

Never was your radio so radiant...

Never has your set had so much soul...

But we afford your ear as irresistable...

Pretty songs to rock and roll...

You can tell...

CFL...

W-C-F-L !