Microphones and Manure 1987

Back in 1987 I was a mild-mannered afternoon disc jockey at WRCO playing the ‘Best Blend of Music’… that was among our radio imaging lines and ‘Something Special-WRCO’. We were playing what was known as Adult Contemporary (soft rock) and cross over country (Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, Dolly Parton etc.). During the spring we were broadcasting girls’ softball for the first time and baseball from Krouskop Park in Richland Center. I was living at home and not quite married yet, though I was engaged (sorry ladies). June claims that my mother laid out my clothes every day until the day I was married. I don’t remember that. I think mom quit the week before. To pay for my room and board I was still helping with chores. Dad would usually leave the good stuff for me after my glamourous shift at WRCO. I would be cleaning hog houses, calf pens, and loading corn and oats in the farm truck to take to the feed mill. My physical condition was much better than. Another chore was to fix things. Once I had to retrieve a wild scratching cat from behind the motor of his lawn tractor. Once I had to drive a tractor up the road in road gear, full throttle, while wearing a snow mobile suit and a ski mask, so that all of the bees nesting in the engine would fly away. Unfortunately, one found a bare spot on my neck! It was almost as if I was a stunt man on the farm. To help keep my mind off the fact that I was standing in cow/pig/chicken manure, I would listen to my Sony cassette Walkman which usually had the latest mix tape of hits. Part of my job at WRCO was to keep track of what the record companies mailed us. What we did not get free I would buy from the Music Shop in Richland Center. This gave me a chance to make some amazing, award-winning recordings, and Mix Tape love letters to my fiancé. Some of the top songs from this weekend in 1987 were Living on a Prayer-Bon Jovi, I Wanna Go Back-Eddie Money, Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now-Starship, Midnight Blue-Lou Gramm, The Final Countdown-Europe, Talk Dirty to Me-Poison, Sign O’ the Times-Prince, and Lean on Me-Club Nouveau. I will be spinning a few of the hits from the spring of 1987 during Saturday night’s Those Were the Days on WRCO FM 100.9, WRCO.com, and the Civic Media app.

It is so great to speak by phone or text to new friends each week and those long-time listeners. Last weekend we were saddened to hear of the passing of Shari Bundts. I have played many requests for her (the ‘Wild Woman of Woodman’). She and her late husband Billy were two of our most loyal listeners ever. They would bring baked goods and even gifts for all us announcers on our birthdays. Shari even kept a diary of our themes and songs on Saturday night. I would like to believe that Shari and Billy are still able to listen to Those Were the Days through the great radio receiver in the sky.

Give me a call or text Saturday night. The phone/text line will be open for fifties through the early ninety’s song requests. Get ready for the trivia games and good clean radio fun during our six hour Those Were the Days radio show.

Phil