Keener 13

Detroit radio observers are noting another historical footnote this week, Tom Ryan’s departure from WOMC. Some felt it was a decision that should have been made years ago, while others see it as another example of how big radio has lost touch with its audience.

For me, Tom was most enjoyable as Dick Purtan’s sidekick, as Sargent Sacto and as the creative commercial voice of numerous ads (Remember Captain FFO?). Although he had a loyal following, I could never connect with him as a host. Think of the communications magic Bob Green, Tom Shannon and Scott Regen had. Tom Ryan never quite made it to that level.

If the past is any indication, Tom won’t be off the air for long. Detroit loves its media people and there’s already talk that he will resurface over at WMGC.

Perhaps what we are mourning is the death of true personality radio, from the days when we felt we had a relationship with the hosts. Personality today seems to be the demagoguery extremes, people who thrive on anger, conflict and exclusion, the opposite of what the best of the CK and Keener guys were: friendly, seeking common ground and inclusive.

Somewhere along the line, the drive to distill a winning formula and maximize profit made the non-broadcaster owners lost sight of what made great radio really work: The People.

Beyond the haircuts, one of the distinctive visuals associated with the Beatles is the logo that adorned Ringo’s Ludwig drum kit. Brian Epstein was an early believer in the holistic approach to rock n roll branding. The hair, the suits, the boots, the guitars, the drums and the logo all contributed to the total Beatle experience. As a recent Freep slide show details a band’s logo is often instantly recognizable. Throughout the Keener era, you looked for The Brand when you flipped through albums at Harmony House, when you perused the newspaper concert pages and when you made those t-shirt purchases at the live shows. Dean Torrence, famously half of Jan & Dean, made a living in the imaging space crafting logos for the Turtles, Nillson and The Beach Boys. And today, The Brand is becoming more important that the records that were once its foundation. Radiohead and Prince have virtually given away their music in support of concert dates and merchandising. And Madonna recently abandoned Warner for Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, who will try to maximize cash flows through multiple revenue streams, the records are almost secondary.. Frank Maruca had an innate understanding of The Brand in the run-up to Keener’s Halloween night launch 44 years ago, printing matchbooks, bumper stickers?and high school book covers and plastering the station’s distinctive blue logo wherever he could. Even now, seeing it in its various incarnations instantly brings back memories.

Motown royalty gathered in Detroit to celebrate the renaming of a section of Grand Avenue in honor of founder Berry Gordy, Jr. Susan Whitall covers the names and faces who attended.

Contact News reporter Bob Berry says: Even though she grew up in Detroit Aretha Franklin’s most productive years happend during her association with Atlantic Records. Terry Lawson notes that even the rejects from those years are classics. Aretha Franklin: Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul ($19.95) features 35 tracks from the Queen of Soul’s years at Atlantic, 1966-1973.

One of the best things about Detroit television in the 60s was Soupy Sales. Loosely scripted and at least 80% ad libbed, Soupy’s show was aimed at kids, but it connected just as effectively with adults. Every Keenerfan?has his favorite Soupy skit. What’s yours? To help jog your memory, here is a complete Soupy Sales show from 1965 as preserved on YouTube: Part One – Part Two – Part Three. For the more adventurous, Ed Golick recounts the day Soupy had an unexpected visitor.

THE highlight of the recent Emmy Award broadcast was soundtrack from the Soprano’s tribute. The cast of the smash Broadway musical “The Jersey Boys”, performed some flawless interpretations of the music of The Four Seasons. My wife is the award show addict in our family, but I found myself pulled from the computer room, rewinding the DVR to listen again to the incredible Seasons magic. As this NYT article notes, the musical has been a catalyst for another Four Seasons rennaissance. And at the center, the singular talents of Franki Valli. The group charted 15 times on WKNR. Valli had 5 WKNR Music Guide appearances as a solo artist. At the dawn of the British Invasion, VeeJay actually put out a battle of the bands album pitting the Seasons against the Beatles. Here’s how the Four Seasons looked and sounded during a Hullabalo appearance at the height of their fame.

What do you remember about the winter of 1967? In New Orleans, District Attorney Jim Garrison said more than one person was involved in the Kennedy assassination. Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa began an 8 year sentence for jury tempering. And Albert Desalvo received a life sentence for murders committed by The Boston Strangler. Zero in on the month of March. On NBC, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock lose their inhibitions after being exposed to strange plant spores on Omicron Ceti III. Batman and the Monkees are at the height of their television fame. And on Keener, the airwaves are populated by a who’s who of 60s rock n roll acts: Buffalo Springfield, the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Martha & The Vandellas, the Four Tops, the Mama’s & Papa’s, the Royal Guardsmen, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Harpers Bizarre, Leslie Gore, Peaches & Herb, Elvis Presley, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, the Platters and The Turtles. Look at the WKNR Music Guide for the week of March 6th and you’ll see a songbook filled with hits that are still in heavy rotation on oldies stations today. Perhaps the most unlikely group on the survey was lead by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan. The two Westchester high school buddies fronted a band called The Turtles, a group that was teetering on the edge of oblivion.. until a tune, offered to them by strangers, rejuvenated their career. Happy Together rocketed them back to the top of the charts and became a multi-million dollar franchise that is still tapping toes and throwing off revenue today.? Here’s how the Turtles looked and sounded when they appeared on the?Smothers Brothers show in 1967. But what’s the story behind the story of the Turtles’ biggest hit? Mix Magazine occasionally looks back to dissect the magical art that studio recording was in the day. Their classic tracks review of how Happy Together came to be paints a vivid picture of the combination of talent and luck that made hit records happen.

He defined the Stax Records sound. He brought down the house at the Monterey Pop festival. And 40 years after his death, at age 26, Otis Redding‘s energy is still being felt. Here’s CNN’s look at his life and legacy and a YouTube recording of his electrifying live version of Try a Little Tenderness

Radio enthusiasts who grew up listening to the superb execution of 60s rock n rollers like WKNR have a particular affinity for Johnny Rivers‘ Soul City Records. The label was the first to sign Jimmy Webb and spawned the careers of Al Wilson and the Fifth Dimension. Part of Johnny Rivers’ genius was his ability to bake good compositions, talented artists and electrifying arrangements into hit records. Listen to California Soul, Aquarius and Summer Rain and you get a feel for the hit making personality you could expect when you bought a 45 with the Soul City logo on it. One of my favorite Soul City smashes was the October, 1968 debut single from Al Wilson: The Snake. From the opening guitar riff and the Ludwig octoplex tom toms to the verses that build to a climax with key modulation and perfectly layered horns and background vocals, The Snake is a song you can listen to over and over again, finding another Rivers nuance each time. Add to the mix, Johnny’s innate understanding of how to build a mix that sounded just as hot on your Fisher stereo system as it did on your 6 inch car radio speaker and you have an exquisite example of an artist at the peak of his creative powers. Here’s a link to a good stereo rendition of The Snake.. Skip through the wannabe intro who over acts the part of a DJ.. turn your speakers up loud..?and enjoy!

Steve Wonder attracted “a true rainbow coalition who came from city and suburb, of all races and surprisingly, more than just baby boomers.” Susan Whitall covers his return to Detroit and Mitch Albom shares an appreciation that approaches poetry.

When Jim Jeffries left Keener for WQXI, part-timer Steve Robbins assumed the overnight chores. He was at the station for less than a year and had the distinction of writing a music column in one of the interim newspapers that published duing the 1967 newspaper strike. In January, the Monkees were riding high on the WKNR music guide, at number one with I’m a Believer. Their national tour was due to make a stop in Detroit the night after this aircheck was recorded on Friday, January 6th. In the top ten that week was an eclectic mix including Snoopy vs The Red Barron, Georgy Girl, Words of Love, Tell It Like It Is, Karate, Good Thing, Love’s gone Bad, I’m Gonna Miss You and Nashville Cats.

Like him or not, there’s no question that Elvis Presley still is a phenomenon. New generations, born long after he “left the building” are fascinated with his life and career, his recordings still sell at a brisk pace, and Elvis impersonators represent a measurable showbiz segment, wherever gamblers congregate, from the pueblos of New Mexico to the glitter of Las Vegas. August 16th marks 30 years since the King’s death. From the Freep, here is Terry Lawson’s Essential Elvis.