The Pete Battistini Collection

[Description by Pete Battistini]

Here’s a ten-minute demo, along with the unscoped version, of the last hour of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 program dated January 20, 1973. The demo was recorded from the original 7-inch reel that was sent to me by Watermark’s Tom Rounds when I was a high school student at an educational radio station outside of Chicago in Gary, Indiana. I either called or wrote to him after WCFL dropped Casey a few weeks earlier. According to an accompanying letter from Tom, Watermark charged educational radio stations $28 a week for AT40. I’ve kept the tape and the demo materials, including the cover letter, all these years.A few other items are worth noting. First, with the materials from Watermark was a promotional marketing flyer proclaiming “Soon……Stereo.” From it’s debut in July 1970 until February 1973, AT40 was produced and distributed to stations in mono. But it was just a matter of time before they made the program more attractive to the growing number of FM stations with a Top 40 format.

Also, the third hour of the 1/20/73 program captured what may be the only time where Casey gives a record’s incorrect chart position number, and then immediately corrects himself. When I first heard the demo, I thought it was a special recording different from the actual show. But that’s the way it was on the program. Finally, at that point in the history of AT40, there was no attempt made to sell the program to national sponsors. And because the two offerings here are from the demo and the actual program LPs, there are no commercials.

Larry Lujack‘s first day on WCFL, ‘scoped, rough in a few spots. I did not record this but obtained it in a trade 20+ years ago. I do not recall who recorded it, but it needs to be on REELRADIO, right?

This somewhat generously ‘scoped aircheck of Super CFL and Superjock Larry Lujack from April 11, 1973 turns out to be one of the funniest we’ve heard, though it takes a while to get there. It includes selected segments from 3 until nearly 6PM, and it’s obvious why Big Ron O’Brien saved this one. Lujack is excellent, even when you think he’s finished being good, he gets better. Big Ron saved several Lujack airchecks. The others couldn’t possibly be as good as this one, could they?

[Description by Uncle Ricky] This exhibit opens with a short news report from WBBM radio. And then, Steve Dahl and Garry Meier are heard in the first hour of the WLUP-FM (“The Loop”) morning show on (Friday) July 13, 1979 — the morning after their widely-reported Disco Demolition promotion. Dahl was right: this made big news in the contemporary music and radio press. For many of our visitors, this will be the first chance you’ve had to hear Coho Commander Dahl explain, in his very own hoarse words, exactly what happened. Hey, some maniac Cohos lost control of their buzz and went down on the field. At least, that was their story, and they stuck to it.

[Description by Uncle Ricky] This aircheck of Chicago’s WLS features Larry Lujack on St. Patrick’s Day, 1983, and includes Little Tommy Edwards (with Animal Stories). Jeffrey Hendrix and Katherine Johns are heard with news. Superjock also goes to press with his Cheap, Trashy Show Biz Report. Most of this 79 minutes is Larry, News and spots. There are a few musical selections, but the most interesting is Li’l Howlin’ Wolf, played during the last six minutes.

[Description by Uncle Ricky] Larry Lujack welcomes FM co-workers Gary Meier and Steve Dahl. Part One of this ‘scoped exhibit includes segments from 5:30 – 8:21 AM on Mayoral Primary Day, February 22, 1983. There are some truly classic lines from Superjock here. On the difference between the coverage area of WLS-AM and WLS-FM, “the AM’s like your first wife, you can pick her up almost anywhere”. On why Steve and Gary should be on Larry’s show, “it’s a program here at WLS to force everyone to like each other.” Larry offers a review of Eating Raoul, and there’s an extensive discussion of ABC exec John Gehron, his wife, and other managers and employees of the radio station. There’s no question that these are three of the most successful voices in the history of Chicago radio, and at the time, all doing very well and tolerating the proximity of each other. [ALL REELRADIO exhibits are copyrighted by REELRADIO, Inc. on the date of publication and are provided for real-time streaming, only. DO NOT DUPLICATE, TRADE, OR SELL THIS COPYRIGHTED RECORDING.]

[Description by Uncle Ricky] Steve Dahl dominates Part 2 of the WLS morning show with Larry Lujack and Gary Meier from February 22, 1983. Within the first few minutes, we hear from an “irate phone caller” who takes Dahl to task for what she considers to be inflammatory remarks, and Dahl upsets the engineer by not pausing long enough to get a clean break for an AM/FM commercial split. The cut of his pants becomes a topic of conversation when Fred Winston stops in to pull his oldies for the shift that follows. Lujack makes reference to a lawsuit against the station and Dahl in which Dahl and Winston had the same lawyer. Dahl suggests that WLS salesmen don’t have toilets at home, since the first thing they do every morning is get newspapers and go to the bathroom. Portions of this exhibit are just plain laugh-out-loud funny, and Uncle Lar mostly maintains his composure, despite Dahl’s bawdy behavior. [ALL REELRADIO exhibits are copyrighted by REELRADIO, Inc. on the date of publication and are provided for real-time streaming, only. DO NOT DUPLICATE, TRADE, OR SELL THIS COPYRIGHTED RECORDING.]

Back in the early 70s, Watermark produced a one-hour American Top 40 program for AFRTS affiliates every week. They took the “meat” of the last hour and added a special AFRTS beginning and ending and, between the split logos, mixed in commercials voiced by Casey Kasem and designed exclusively for servicemen.

This exhibit is one of a handful of reel-to-reel tapes of the American Top 40 radio program containing these broadcasts. (Overall, they are in excellent condition.) I believe that these reels originated directly from Watermark and were recorded from the master tapes. (With the exception of the master, I don’t think you can improve on audio quality.) Among the tapes, and within the embers of the Vietnam war, there was more than one for the program dated May 19, 1973. I am donating one of these AFRTS-version reels to REELRADIO.

[Description by Uncle Ricky for contributor Pete Battistini]

Recorded by contributor and American Top 40 expert Pete Battistini on September 2, 1972, here’s an aircheck of Casey Kasem on WCFL, Chicago.

According to Pete’s book, “American Top 40 With Casey Kasem (The 1970’s)”, this segment is from the 114th AT40 show (Program #723-10). Also included: One of those great multi-voiced WCFL newscasts.