Remember Sangoo? That was the nick name we associated with Dave Prince during his reign as the evening ace on WKMH. This 1962 aircheck from the Bob Green Collection gives you a great feel for the pre-Keener sound. Juxtapose it with last week’s Gary Stevens aircheck and take note of the differences. For one, you’ll hear Ernie Harwell’s voice promoting Tiger Baseball. Fred Knorr was part owner in those days and before Keener, WKMH was the broadcast home of the Tigers. You’ll notice that when Keener exploded on the scene, the focus was definitely on the music as opposed to the jingles, which got much shorter. The overall energy of the announcers turned up about three notches and there was a total emphasis on listener involvement in the fun.

Perhaps the biggest revelation is how good Dave sounds. He executes the WKMH format well, is clearly having fun and makes for an entertaining and surprisingly listenable sound. Tighten the playlist, turn the focus on the music, shorten the jingles and Sangoo would fit just fine into the Keener vibe. Dave would continue to shine on the Detroit airwaves at WXYZ and CKLW.