Crusin' a look at radio "yesteryear"

[Tape Splicer]

After finding the "K=Tell" album relating to "Radio Caroline" on "youTube" -
(see link: viewtopic.php?p=12817881#p12817881 ) I thought of the "Crusin'" series of records that featured Disc Jockeys from across the US from 1955 - 1970. Hearing the individual styles of presentation and the music brings back memories of the way radio was. (I wonder if any similar albums were produced featuring Canadian DeeJays?)

The link below is to a "Crusin" web page which features each album's cover art and a list of what is on each disc; A profile of the DeeJay and other historical information.
http://leemichaelwithers.tripod.com/cruisin.htm

All but the 1962 album can be found on "youTube" on this page:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... xBqvO9KZQk

[jon]

The originator of the Cruisin' series, Ron Jacobs, is a member of this board, though I'm not sure that he has checked in for several years.

In fairness to him, the CD versions of the series are mostly "hack jobs" by engineers trying to please their masters: a record company that shall remain nameless that didn't want to pay for the music rights for many of the songs originally on the LP series. It goes so far as to make Pat O'Day sound like an idiot on KJR Seattle when he introduces a famous Righteous Bros. hit that has been replaced by an obscure number that even fans of the group had never heard.

There were also two or three editions added to the CD series that never existed on LP. Kris Stevens on WLS (which sounds nothing like the way he sounded when he was there, as I recorded him off air myself at the time) and Porky Chedwick come to mind immediately as recorded in recent years.

Still, if you don't have the originals, the CDs are still great to hear.

Ron has worked with Reelradio to make the original LP versions available on-line:
http://reelradio.com/rj/cruisin/index.html
A small subscription price is required to access the audio, because the site refuses to display advertising.

All that said, what is your favourite year's Cruisin' album?

Mine in Johnny Holliday on WHK. Most people I know would name Robert W. Morgan on KHJ.

I should also ask the question: have you ever heard one aired? A friend phoned me one night shortly after the series was released and told me to tune into CKNW. There it was, a late 1950s edition. Played in its entirety.

Red Robinson also would air snippets on his CISL Morning Show in the late 1990s.

[Tape Splicer]

Jon; When I first heard one of these records it was on the radio - I think it was the Pat O'Day recording.
At the time I was under the impression that it was an actual "Air Check" not a re-creation of an "on air" shift.
I believe it was Jack Cullen who played these records occasionally during his "Owl Prowl" shows.
Personally I liked the Pat O'Day re-creation, (perhaps because I listened to his show on a semi-regular basis when he was at KJR.
It will be interesting to listening to each of these re-creations and get a feel for Top 40/50 radio as it was.

[radiofan]

I still have my original set of vinyl Cruisin' LPs. The first CD I picked up was the Canadian release on Attic and I remember wondering about the missing portions.

We used to play sides of the LPS on The saturday Night Oldies Party on CFMI in the EARLY 1980S.

Pat O'Day and Robert W Morgan were my faves, they were released about a year after the original batch. From the originals I liked Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsberg from WMEX in Boston and Russ "Wierd Beard"
Knight from KLIF in Dallas.

Still a great collection of old jingles and commercials from the day.

[Tape Splicer]

I found the "YouTube link for Cruisin' 1962 - However when the link is opened, even with a US public proxy; there is a message that the item can't be displayed in "Your Area" and gives a short reason why. The "Youtube" browser than jumps to the next Cruisin video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-rsM8 ... plpp_video

[Eldon-Mr.CFAY]

Hi Everyone,
Ah yes the Cruisin Series on vinyl!!!! What a fantastic selection of old radio top 40 shows. Yes RadioFan I would have to say I like the KJR one with Pat O'Day the best too. However Russ the Weird Beard Knight is pretty great too!!! I would have to say that my choice would be the vinyl record albums of the Cruisin Series not the CD set that came out later. You are right Jon it just does not do justice to the original vinyl collection with a hack job here and there!!!

By the way I do have quite a few of the vinyl record albums of the Cruisin Series including at least a couple copies here. Out in Langley I have more but quite a few years back I foolishly sold some of them so my vinyl collection is no longer complete. Definitely would like to complete it and perhaps I can find copies at some of the many collector vinyl record stores in Southern Ontario while I am here! By the way as a record collector of vinyl 45s and albums I collect radio station albums and have quite a few in my collection including a lot of the different Candllight and Wine easy listening radio station lps. CHQM 1320 Vancouver was especially famous for them, remember that Jon? Did they happen to put any out when you worked for QM, I am thinking they did but not sure. CHFI 680 Toronto had several which I have here at this Ontario address. CHFI 680 later became Top 40 rocker CFTR and today of course its all-news 680. I also have quite a few USA radio station albums FMlike KYYX FM Seattle and one from a Lubbock, Texas station as well. Also there was the HomeGrown Series of albums that Q107 Toronto put out too.

As far as I know Tape Splicer there were no vinyl radio station series for Canadian djs like the Cruisin Series for USA jocks. I wish there was. There may be on some Canadian radio station albums some intros. for certain local bands etc. but thats about it as far as I know on vinyl albums. I think there were a couple of 45 rpm vinyl records that may have had more info. about certain stations if I can remember like perhaps CJAT Trail.

This is an interesting topic and would be interested in more feedback on your favorite Cruisin album.

Does anyone know what the collectors value of the whole Cruisin Series on vinyl would be now???

Take care everyone, have a great August in the summer of 2012! Eldon

[jon]

Looking at auctions that have ended on eBay.com, it would appear that there is still a glut on the market of Cruisin' LPs. No bids on decent copies priced below $5.

CHQM had stopped (temporarily, it would turn out) producing LPs well before I arrived in June 1971. They didn't return until Bill Bellman had left. I was there during the beginning of the period that ended with CHQM-AM playing what we called "Chicken Rock" back then. They began playing the Fifth Dimension on both AM and FM while I was still there. And CHQM-AM was the first station in Vancouver to play Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard".

By the way, they did have copies of the LPs and even their little magazine, just one copy of each, in an area I judged to be a historical display, rather than something I could take home. Some of it was from CJQM in Winnipeg. But, then again, so was the automation machine that was used for much of CHQM-FM's broadcast day.