Tuesday, October 9, 2012

WFDF's All Hit Music Survey for May 22, 1972.


WFDF 910 AM's All Hit Music survey for May 22, 1972. Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, "Troglodyte" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch is at the top of the chart. At #4 is Bobby Womack's "Woman's Gotta Have It", a song that didn't even get into the top 50 on Billboard. "Jubilation" by Paul Anka is #10. Under Giant 91 LPs:  J.J. Cale, Procol Harum, Four Tops.





7 comments:

  1. Radio Historian ApproximatelyOctober 9, 2012 at 4:53 PM

    This era at WFDF, The Giant 91, was when they were being consulted by CJ Jones. CJ was his actual name. He also was consulting WCAR Detroit, The Giant 1130, and WJIM 1240 Lansing. The hardest Rock only lasted a couple of years, when it became what we would call Adult CHR or Hot AC today.

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  2. Radio Historian ApproximatelyOctober 9, 2012 at 7:56 PM

    Customized "Pop Tops", where the introductions of songs were rerecorded with some words or phrases identifying the station, were used during this period. Pop Tops were originally introduced at WKBW Buffalo by nationally famous DJ and Talk Show host Joey Reynolds, who spent a short time at WTRX in 1963. The first Pop Top on WFDF was for "Nathan Jones" by The Supremes in 1971.

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  3. This brings back good memories. I remember Jimmy Castor's hit Troglodyte very well as I was a student at MSU when it hit the charts. It was a bit on campus. The guy was way ahead of his time; paving the way for "Baby Got Back" (I like big butts and I cannot lie), the "Thong Song", and many others.

    As for that era of WFDF, I suspect the founder, Frank D Fallain, was rolling over in his grave.

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  4. OMG - I remember this song... we used to call my cousin Bertha Butt... I had no idea who did that song. Too funny. :)

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  5. Radio Historian ApproximatelyOctober 10, 2012 at 10:11 PM

    The format was a combination of R & B and Top 40, and the chart positions during this period (Evenings in 1970 and most dayparts in 1971 and 1972) reflected the highest position on either chart. They were trying to capture some of the audience when WAMM signed off the air at sunset. That audience had been listening to WTRX until early 1968 when they dropped Top 40. WWCK (Top 40) and WWWS (R & B) began to attract more listeners on FM, leading to the short duration of WFDF as a true Top 40 Format. They did do a Hot Hits type format later in the decade, but it was never really Hard Rock. People used to call it "Chicken Rock" for that reason.

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  6. Radio Historian ApproximatelyOctober 10, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    Frank Fallain passed away in 1968, but had held no position at the station after the 1950s. I think it had to do with the managers and sales staff that they resisted Rock and Roll.

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  7. I think Frank Fallain would be pleased that WFDF is now 50000 watts, but sad that it moved to Farmington Hills, has a Radio Disney satellite format, and has such a fading signal at night in Flint now. It actually reaches certain areas near Fenton, Argentine, and Gaines better though, from it's transmitter in Carleton, than it did from Burton. Comes in great at night in the Mackinac Bridge area also.

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