In the 60s there was a pop record that sent
the singers voice to England to capture that effect and there was a very haunting flow to that record. This is how we heard the country music of those times. There was a whole culture of faraway radio stations that were listened to.

Some famous ones I used to watch for were: WJJD in Chicago; KMOX in St Louis; WOAI in San Antonio; WWVA in Wheeling and WRVA in Richmond; WCKY in Cincinatti and of course, WSM in Nashville. Once I was leaving Nashville for St Louis and as the Opry started to fade out, I tweeked my radio tuning. I heard a strange echoed version of the program and it took awhile to figure out what was going on. WSM is on 650kHz and WMAQ Chicago was on 670kHz. I had fined tuned onto 660 and since WMAQ was taking an NBC feed to the show and transmitting it as well, I was receiving a blend of both stations. Since the distance traveled in each case was different, I had my first experience with echo/reverb.

Early one morning on the way to work, I heard Ralph Emory bidding farewell to a fellow DJ in Dallas, Charlie and I've forgotten his last name. I tuned to the Dallas Ft Worth station and heard Charlie and then back to 650 and listended to Ralph. You could do that with AM but not nowadays with FM. It just seemed like a more personable time with the music and DJs on the AM stations of those times.

You got a good sense of personal identity from this listening method. You could feel the geography as well as the music. You got a little of history as well because the first station was KDKA Pittsburg, east of the Mississippi which later became the line for asssigning call letters to the new radio stations. East were Ws and west were Ks. But
there are still a few exceptions to this such as KYW in Philadelphia and WOAI in San Antonio.

I do remember tunning into WSM early in the wee hours of the morning. I was in the service,stationed many miles and countrys from my hometown of Nashville. It was a part of my way of staying in touch with home,the wife(as she would often dedicate a song to me) and Country Music.

Many of you proberly don't remember that station WLAC (at that time-frame) also was a very strong Country Music station. It,like WSM was a "Clear Channel" station. Could be heard all over the world.

OH Paul my dear man, you just made 50 yrs of my life go back. Wow. I listend to WJJD in Chicago with Randy Blake (and "The Supper Time Frolic"), the DJ for 4 years from '46 thru '49. Wow! What memories.

Randy was one of radio's pioneer "hard selling" type of DJ's. And NO recordings at all, except for the records which were mighty scarce . He did it all by himself! I used to get so frustrated with his doing a commercial I could scream.

One time I actually timed him doing a commercial for 27 minutes between to 3 minute records. Never wanted to choke someone to death as a kid as him. Course it was not him. But I did not know it at the time

He was an Eddy Arnold feind and I was a Little Roy Wiggins feind, so I would sit for hours thru those abominable commercials to here Little Roy Wiggins with Eddy's accompanyment

I would try my best to figure out how Roy did all he did.

Gee Paul I have not thought about that in years and years.

Thank you man. I too could not get the Grand Ole Opry in Chicago because of WMAQ. But I had listened to it in the early 40's when we lived in Tampa. Nowadays, there is a powerful Cuban station that just about wipes it out down there, I understand. Cuba does not honor the US "clear channel" laws I am told.

Speaking of "skip" in the ionosphere. It is indeed remarkable how one can hear a radio signal 1000's of miles away so LOUD and CLEAR when the skip is just right. And when it's not right you could not pull it in if you had all the tea in china

God bless ya Paul,

(I too go back to WCKY and WJJD, along with WWVA Wheeling Jamboree and the WRVA Richmond Jamboree. WSM is still going but it's not the same since, as Blake noted, they did away with the clear channels.

Then I thought; Janice will say it's too technical....

Then I thought: What would Bobbe do ??

Regards, Paul

(Paul judging by other threads in this area, this is the most appropriate place - Jack)

[This message was edited by Jack Stoner on 25 May 2001 at 03:37 AM.]

Gotta agree with you on which category to initiate certain threads.

Now for you "clear channel buffs". Here is a trivia question for you.

When the FCC setup the "clear channel AM stations back in the 30's, HOW many did they allocate and how many can you name?

Of course the greatest of all was WSM. But what about the rest?

Anybody?

I'm shy on what constitutes a clear channel. At one time it was no other station on that frequency and then it became no other station on the frequency at night. Like WJJD had to sign off in the early evening because there was another 50kw station located in Salt Lake City, Utah also on 1160kHz. Even 650kHz (WSM) had a small 500 watt, daytime only located near Houston.

Based on what I can recall there were only a hand full of single station Clear Channels but I will have to defer to your expertise on this one unless I can find that little book I bought at the Technical Book Store, Scott Air Force Base, IL in 1950.

I've worked, down here, with Billy Tarr, who was on the staff band at Wheeling and was Hawkshaw's road fiddle player and used to winter down here in Leesburg. He's been having health problems and didn't make it down this winter. I've also worked with a lead player down here (don't remember his name, just "Skeets" - C.R.S.) that was on the staff band at Wheeling for about 3 years.

Speaking of Hawkshaw, his old steel player from Wheeling - Jiggs Lemley (Spelling?) lives in Ft Myers, Fl. Last I heard he's not in too good health - old age catches up with us all.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Jack: Those parks in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania; were they only in that area or did they have places like that throughout the country ? If memory serves me correctly, I recall one just across the border (?) in Maryland.

Closer to home, Robesonia PA, we had a park
called Himmelreiches (spelling?) Grove. The band there was called Uncle Jack and Mary Lou. And near Reading PA there was a park run by Shorty Long who had a sort of hit one time with a song called Crying Steel Guitar Waltz. Had Herby Johnson on steel back then.

At Carl's Atlanta show, I went up to talk to Leonard T Zinn because there was something
familiar about him. When he mentioned York PA and the 101 Ranchboys, it all came back to me. I'd seen him when I was kid going around to weekend carnivals and these parks.
I also remember seeing Bill Haley and His Comets in that circuit as well. He had a steel guitar with him and I thought, at the time, that his music was, shall I say more upbeat that the other groups I was familiar with ?

I should have put an LOL in that Forum Location comment. Wouldn't want to be known as an SA. Best Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 25 May 2001 at 07:31 AM.]

I can remember the blowtorch out of Del Rio Texas with transmitters in Mexico. Wolfman Jack was the DJ, but I was young and his voice actually scared me a bit. I didn't like to listen to the station. Can't remember the call letters.

What I remember most about the Opry broadcast was Minnie Pearl and the 'Duke of Paducah'.

Oklahoma City had a clear channel station and it had a poetic promo they would do at nightfall. Something like "as the sun fades in the west, we stretch our sound across the nation...blah blah." Something like that.

[This message was edited by David Weaver on 25 May 2001 at 07:49 AM.]

They played Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant's stuff as theme songs for the various segments. And would play lots of instrumentals - Tommy Jackson, new Speedy West releases, Chet Atkins. Most of the DJ's knew the musicians on each record they played.

They played lots of Eddy Arnold with Roy Wiggins at the time. Hank was just making his mark, Red Foley, Ernest Tubb, all those good cats.

What seems funny now is that I used to listen to this station on a radio that had what was probably a 3" cardboard speaker and couldn't believe the tone Jerry Byrd, Roy Wiggins and Speedy West was getting. Seems to defy the laws of physics.

They had live, local country bands on Saturday mornings. Once I rode the streetcar downtown with my double-neck National, walked to the studio, and the band let me sit in live that Saturday morning. What a thrill.

I've played at both of those parks back in the mid 60's. They would hire one or two local bands and then bring in either a Nashville or Wheeling act. They didn't call it "opening for ....", just the local band(s) went on first.

Wished I was born back then,,,must have been a great time,,,but dont you think this "new country" is better? really happening,,,

Boy would have loved to listen to those shows from Wheeling W.Va & Sunshine Sue over WRVA,,,but cant seem to recall.

RC must be an "old cat" to remember all those
people,,,wow....I think all of you guys are really old....Jack Stoner and Craig must be about 85 years old....I thought they were young ,,,,,shows to go ya....PS Paul do you remember a musician from Hagerstown Md by the
name of Bud Messner??? some old guy asked me to ask you,,,,he remembers Shorty Long too,,,
also the "Coffee Drinkin" nighthawk who always played that tune "The cat came back the very next day,,,,

Im moving this thread to the "OLD GUYS SPOT"
Sorry I dont have my pic to attach,,,"but I can "GRRRRRRR Growl like the "Big Guy" cu you
Ydoj spell it backwards ,,,see ya Laup...spell that backwards.....

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 25 May 2001 at 08:32 PM.]

Yes I recall Bud Messner but what has happened now is you have mentioned Rosalie Allen and if I'm correct in my memory banks, she used to yodel, right ? You do recall what yodeling is, don't you ? They don't do that anymore either, do they ?

There was a guy who had a record of the longest yodel in the world and I think his name was Kenny Roberts. I feel like I know more about him but I can't seem to focus on it. Seems to me they all were in the same neighborhood and I'll bet a used Seymore Hat that you know about them.

Gene was talking about KOMA and I remember that one as well as WKY in OK City because it was one of those exceptions to the east- west rule. Also it was an inversion of one Jim Cohen's stations in Philly, KYW. I hope that is "acceptable" as well !! These little compliments, including your Hat thing, add a lot of color and inside smiling to these discussions.

And don't forget; it was you who reminded us: "The Cat (Ydoj) Came Back !"

Regards, Paul

[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 26 May 2001 at 08:22 AM.]

P.S.
Paul,hope this helps. www.getmusic.com/artists/amg/Artist/681/191681.html
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  ~ ~
  ©¿©          ars longa,
  mm         vita brevis 
-=�sr€=-

[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 26 May 2001 at 08:55 AM.]

Paul: yes Rosalie did yodel and really a talented gal as well as a looker,,,here I go "braggin again" did 5 nites aweek with her on live TV on WPIX in NY back in the 50's
& played steel on most of Rosalie's and Elton
Britt's RCA records. As for Kenny Roberts his biggie was "Il never see Maggie alone"

And yes Don Larkin was the big DJ back then ,,,,called himself "Barkin with Larkin"

As Gene Jones & Smiley told me ,,,if I dont brag on myself ,,,,,who will??? right guys?

But there are many out there in Forumland that dont beleive me,,,,thats not my problem
It is theirs....Jack No more "meatballs" they are all gone,,,next time I will get ya some.... Bob ,,,didn't mean to ignore you ,,Don Larkin was popular back then,,,he was also getting into to publishing etc was co writer on a few tunes,,,,like "Goodbye Maria Im Off To Korea" recorded by Jimmy Dale & his prides of the prairie

Also if memory serves me ,,,co wrote "SideTracked" recorded by Tex Williams
Western Caravan I lost track of him ,,,I got sidetracked too,,,,all you guys ,,,be well.....Like that old tune that Red Foley ^& Ernie Tubb did on Decca "Dont Be Ashamed Of Your Age" ...so keep em coming,,,,Im movin
this to the "Old Guys Topic" "the only people with a memory" Grrrrrrrrr woof woof

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 26 May 2001 at 09:53 AM.]

I used to think I was just a dumb ole country boy who fell into the steel guitar world. Now look at where I am. Friends from everywhere that I never knew I had. It seems as if all of them have shared the same joys in growing up and living life in the USA, that I once did. I think that is really great. Sitting on top of that mountain in Korea, I felt pretty alone when I heard Hank Williams had just died. Now I know there were literally hundreds of us. But I didn't feel that way back then. I suppose it is something we get to help us bear the burden of growing old.

Well isn't that what families are all about ?
I've got a brand new family here on the Forum and I think we were all born in those Oldtime Radio Days.

Smiley: Jody answered my question about a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere. Elton Britt ?

Let me know,,,,who said you were a plain ole "country boy" Jimmie Dickens beat you to that one.....you really started soemthing here...Wonder how many realize how you did those Fretts articles for Fender all those years??....for ,,,dont underestimate yourself
many on the Forum "overestimate" themselves
but it gets them "nowhere" you have the material to back it up,,,,

This is a fun thing to be invloved with but sometimes ,,,,Mmmmmm I dont really know.....
why dont they do a suggestion topic,,, I have a few suggestions......Star Spangled Banner of course Elton,,,who else....on steel
Andy Sanella,,,Tony Gottuso on guitar, Roy Horton on bass,,,Bill Horan on trumpet....no I wasn't on that one...I was only a baby then

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 26 May 2001 at 12:27 PM.]

Back when we were criss-crossing the nation via Route 66, East Coast to West Coast in '52 Plymouths, trying to figure out what we wanted to be when we grew up .... we knew we were in the Fabled West when we heard the Wolfman's howl long about sundown, when the radio waves really started traveling.

Not country, but mighty fine blues came out of XERB, transmitted, I believe, from Mexicali.

Later, in the early 70s, I finally met the Wolfman--Bob Smith--when I was doing a folk music festival in Ketchum Idaho. Nice guy.

Thanks for the memories, y'all.

Chris

WJR was on my listen to list as was a search for WWJ which was among the very first to be
granted a license. I never got the station you cited but I like the idea of Steel Guitar Rag for a background theme. That must have been a novel approach and steel guitar music was the theme music for a lot of shows, maybe even the majority and that also says volumes about our instrument.

I recall "Oklahoma Stomp" being used on several stations but can't recall which. In fact I may even be a little fuzzy on the title as well.