Keener 13

January 16, 1969 – That’s 43 years ago as of this writing – A new rock band burst on the American scene. And the landscape hasn’t been the same since. It’s a group that Rolling Stone to the raw energy and originality of the MC5 and the Stooges, and it evolved into one of the most successful acts of the 1970s.

It all began five months earlier in England when the Yardbirds disbanded. The group hit three times on Keener, with “For Your Love”, “Shapes of Things”, “Over Under Sideways Down” and “Little Things”. But by August 1968, only Guitarist Jimmy Page remained. Obligated to perform additional dates in Scandinavia, Page, enticed bassist John Paul Jones, vocalist Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham to come along. Continue reading “Led Zeppelin 1” →

On January 17, 1964 The Beatles charted the first of their 13 number one hits on the WKNR Music Guide, launching the British invasion and changing rock and roll forever.

By one account, it was written at the behest of manager  Brian Epstein who wanted a song that would appeal to American audiences, although producer George Martin disputes this. In a 1980 Playboy interview, John Lennon said that “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was created side by side as he and Paul McCartney sat at a piano in the basement of Paul’s girlfriend’s house, Continue reading “I Want to Hold Your Hand” →

The success of the Jersey Boys Broadway show has introduced an entire new generation to the life and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. One of my most cherished albums is Vee Jay records “International Battle of the Century“, where the label pitted the Seasons against the Beatles. It was the result of Capitol’s myopic decision to pass on an American release of the first two EMI Beatles singles. Vee Jay bought the rights and shipped “Introducing the Beatles” on October 1, 1964. As the band gained traction in the US demand for the record skyrocketed. In a brilliant piece of marketing, Vee Jay combined “Introducing the Beatles” with “Golden Hits of the Four Seasons”, a two album set, wrapped in the cover you see at left. The package even came with a card where you could vote for your favorite. Continue reading “Classic Tracks from Mix Magazine – Rag Doll” →

First things first. Where have we been? As many of you know, Steve and I maintain this shrine in tribute to our all time favorite radio station in our spare time. Over the last couple of years, there hasn’t been a lot of it.

Steve is fully invested in his live as Director of Michigan Public Media, along with his growing family. I joined the Michigan State University Alumni Association on New Year’s Day, 2010 and have been living a whirlwind ever since. That’s the short version. For the backstory, jump over to ScottWesterman.com.

But enough of that! Back to the music!

Long time Detroit rock journalist Susan Whitall has written a fascinating book about the life of one of the most under-appreciated, yet most influential R&B artists to emerge from the Motor City. Fever: Little Willie John’s Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul, is a terrific read. As the publisher notes, “Willie John lived for a fleeting 30 years, but his dynamic and daring sound left an indelible mark on the history of music. His deep blues, rollicking rock ‘n’ roll and swinging ballads inspired a generation of musicians, forming the basis for what we now know as soul music.” If there ever was a seminal influence for the Motown sound, Willie John was it. Susan tells the tale with her legendary attention to detail, mixed with a page-turner prose that will make this one hard to put down once you start it. Continue reading “Three Book Recommendations for KeenerFans” →

By Scott Westerman – curator@keener13.org
As the Hall of Fame voice of the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell was the soundtrack of Springtime and the Voice of Summer.

When you heard him on the air, it was a sign that a Michigan Winter was truly over. Open your window on a warm Summer evening, and you were likely to hear his voice echoing through the neighborhood, from the radios in countless convertibles, the kitchens in a hundred different fast food restaurants, from garages, living rooms, sailboats, and even during the glorious Summer sunsets on the Lake Michigan beaches. Continue reading “What We Learned from Ernie Harwell” →

By Scott Westerman – curator@keener13.org
I spent the morning with WKNR’s Bob Green today. He is the most revered and most humble of the legendary Keener Key Men. And as the years go by, he’s still surprised at how what he calls “a fleeting moment” still resonates with so many of us.

I was in Houston with MSU and was honored to be with my radio mentor. He took me through the city’s neighborhoods, remarking how the town is much more heterogeneous in both geography and demography than most realize. In what we boomers like to call “late middle age”, Bob looks great and is as sharp as ever. Continue reading “What would Keener be like today?” →

By Scott Westerman – Curator, Keener13.com

I remember exactly where I was when I heard my first JAM Jingle package. I was program director for WATT in Cadillac, Michigan. Our last jingle package was “Shotgun Heaven” and we were only using one cut.

Like JAM founder, Jonathan Wolfert, I was a huge jingle nut. In 1971, I had the great fortune to work at the same station with Ken R. Deutsch, who would become the worlds greatest jingle collector. We swapped probably fifty pounds of Mylar on the seven inch reels that were state of the art for tape recording. Continue reading “35 Years of JAM” →

By Scott Westerman – Curator Keener13.com
He had the job we all wanted, the foot in the door at the greatest radio station in town. In the world that was radio back in the 1960s, the overnight shift was the proving ground, the place where the program director tested new talent, and the assignment from whence stars were often born.

Some loved the lifestyle and made overnights their brand. WJR’s Jay Roberts was one of the most famous, helping us drift off to sleep for over two decades as the captain of “Nightflight 760”.

Jim Jeffries had a different idea. When he came to Detroit from Keener’s Battle Creek sister station, Jim knew that even with WKNR’s highly directional nighttime signal, there were thousands of people out there who depended on the overnight guy to keep them awake and entertained. Continue reading “Jim Jeffries” →

By Scott Westerman – Curator, Keener13.com
As many Keener fans know, 09/09/09 was the date when two big Beatle events took place. The Beatle iteration of the incredibly popular Rock Band video game was released. And the entire Parlophone Beatle catalog was re-released in digitally remastered form.

Those of us who saw the Beatles Love show in Vegas, and bought the associated CD, marveled at the magic that Fab Four producer George Martin, and son Giles Martin, worked. We’ve worked their re-mix of “Get Back” into the rotation.

The same attention to detail has been given to the Beatle catalog we all bought as 45s, LPs and CDs over the years.

The question many have been asking this week is, “Is it worth the money?” With the Beatle re-master box priced north of $200 bucks, is the quality really THAT much better to justify shelling out the bucks again? Continue reading “The Beatles Still Rule” →

By Scott Westerman – Curator Keener13.com
Once upon a time, there was a place where poets and composers gathered to create true magic. If you stepped inside the Brill Building during the Keener era, you were likely to hear a half dozen pianos playing at once. If you were a time traveler from the future, you would instantly recognize artists who would later bloom into the most celebrated performers of the decade. Some, like Niel Sedaka, were already stars. Others, like Carole King, were still writing hit records for others. At it’s height, Brill was home to some of the greatest songwriting teams of the rock era: Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Continue reading “Ellie Greenwich: the magic behind the music” →

By Scott Westerman – Curator, Keener13.com
WKNR was lucky to get Philip Nye. In 1963, the Ohio native already had a strong journalistic track record in his home state. But the allure of the Motor City and Knorr Broadcasting’s commitment to build a first rate news team brought him to Detroit. His eye for talent and his rock solid professionalism made WKNR Contact News the training ground for a generation of broadcast journalists. John Maher, Erik Smith, George Hunter and Bill Bonds are just a few examples.

During his tenure, WKNR won just about every news award in the book. He voiced a series of annual news retrospective albums that were donated to local schools and championed WKNR’s weekly Project Detroit program which took an in-depth look at the plethora of issues facing the Motor City.

From Keener, Nye went on to a stellar broadcast career as a reporter and anchor in Los Angeles, and as News Director for WXYZ-TV. In 1979 he was named Vice President of News for ABC-TV in New York. From there he moved into broadcast management as GM at KGO-TV in San Francisco and later was a founding partner of Burnham Broadcasting which owned television stations in five markets. He retired as President and GM of WVUE-TV in 1995, returning to Detroit five years later.

Ever the visionary, Nye realized that television’s future was tied to hyper local programming and in 2001 he created a local cable news program for Shelby Township. “Shelby This Week” has aired weekly ever since with Nye serving as Executive Producer and Anchor.

Philip Nye joined Bob Green, Scott Regen, Michael Stevens and Pat St. John to help us recreate the WKNR sound during the 2003 Woodward Dream Cruise, providing Keener Contact News summaries of the key events of each year of the WKNR era during the weekend.

Keener fans in Shelby Township can still enjoy his extraordinary work on Comcast Cable Channel 10.

AIR CHECK: Hear Philip Nye on Keener in 1968.

Another sign that we in the Keener generation have put some significant mileage on our tires.

The famous photo shoot for the cover of Abbey Road, one of our favorite Beatle albums, turns 40.

The cover has been endlessly imitated and fans microscopic study of it’s supposed symbolism spurred more rumors of Paul McCartney’s death,