Phil Nee

It has been about twenty years since I had the chance to interview Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Ben E. King.   Sadly Ben passed away on April 30th. This week I dug back in the archives and found that old interview.  You can hear portions of my talk with Ben E. King and a few of his solo hits and songs from when he led the Drifters during this weeks Those Were The Days Saturday night between 6 p and Midnight.  Thanks for all of the great requests this past Saturday night.  It was great to be back in the studio for a live show.  Some of our avid listeners in the Lone Rock area even had a 'welcome back Phil' party.  They grilled food and listened to Those Were The Days.  It is the season for campfires, camping out, and hopefully 100.9 WRCO FM on the radio.  I will be in the studio this week to take your requests and we will be playing our hourly trivia game during the best of fifties through the eighties rock and roll hits.

Phil

Hey Rock n' Rollers!  I look forward to being back live in the studio this Saturday night for Those Were The Days.  On this weekends WRCO FM 100.9 show, we will feed you with some fun food songs.  You could have a 'Cheeseburger In Paradise', 'Jambalaya', 'Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie', and other delicious song treats!  I hope you are 'Hungry', for 'Bread And Butter'.  It will be 'Yummy, Yummy, Yummy'. The request line will be open for those of you who want to contribute a song choice.  Maybe you will be the one that wins the trivia challenge and a prize from our grab bag of goodies. 

Last weekends It Really Should Have Been A Top Ten Hit was great fun to put together.  Here is a list of the Top Ten in case you missed them....

10.  Things I'd Like To Say-The New Colony Six   1969

 9.   Born To Run-Bruce Springsteen    1975

 8.   Mr. Dieingly Sad-The Critters  1966

 7.   Morning Girl-The Neon Philharmonic  1969

 6.   Pretty Ballerina-The Left Banke  1967

 5.   God Only Knows-The Beach Boys  1966

 4.   Shame Shame-The Magic Lanterns  1968

 3.   Will You Be Staying After Sunday?-The Peppermint Rainbow  1969

 2.   Nothing But A Heartache-The Flirtations  1969

 1.   Can't Find The Time-Orpheus    1968

I will be ready to rock and roll with you again this Saturday night.

Phil

Another tax filing deadline has passed.  It hurt me this year when April 15th rolled around, however, helping in my recovery is the great music we play on Saturday nights during Those Were The Days.  Once again this year we will teaming with our oldies friend Rich Appel from Rewound Radio for the 'It Really Should Have Been A Top 10 Hit' countdown.  Join me for the Top Forty-Five 45's that should have been bigger.  There was a record number of music lovers that filed an I.R.S. vote in 2015.   We have been featuring the countdown each year since 2009 and I feel that this years list of songs may be the strongest yet!  You will hear songs from such artists as ABBA, The New Colony Six, Neil Diamond, Three Dog Night, The Raspberries, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, and Bruce Springsteen.  One hit wonders will include:  Spiral Staircase, Diesel, Gunhill Road, Easybeats, Sniff 'N The Tears, Flirtations,  Christie, and Neon Philharmonic.  I know that you will enjoy this years countdown.  We will not be taking your requests this week.  There are five Saturday nights in the month of May.  I will be opening the request line for four of the five Saturday evenings.  It would make me very happy to have someone request one of the 'It Really Should Have Been' songs during a future Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9. 

Phil

The pop duo known as England Dan and John Ford Coley,  from Austin Texas,  had four top ten hits from 1976 through 1979 and two other top twenty-five hits.  Hear insight about them from John Ford Coley this Saturday night on Those Were The Days.   Their big hit 'Love Is The Answer', which came out in the Spring of 1979, was the prom theme at Ithaca High School that year.  I didn't have a date (of course), however, I did get my nerve up to ask someone to dance!  I am sure that she doesn't remember.   Join me for radio memories from the fifties through the eighties on WRCO FM 100.9 this Saturday night.  I will be in the studio ready to answer the phone and talk with you about the greatest music of all time.  We are one of the few stations left that still take phone calls not only during the day light hours but weekend nights.  Beau mans the phone on Sunday nights for the station.  I hope to hear from you Saturday night during Those Were The Days.

Phil

Hey Rock And Rollers!  This Saturday night on Those Were The Days I will be spinning a few 45's from this week in 1961.  Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, and The Marcels were all having huge hit records on the Billboard chart.  The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will welcome more artists this weekend.  Once again I did not get my invite so I will stay in Richland Center and play a few songs from the 2015 class.  Ringo Starr is a member of the hall as a Beatle, however, he will be honored for his solo work this Saturday in New York.  The other new inductees include:  Green Day, Bill Withers, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joan Jett, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and The Five Royales.  I can't argue with the selection of most of these.  It still is a mystery to me why they keep inducting younger acts all of the time and overlook some classics.  The groups and artists I would most like to see in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame include:  Neil Sedaka, The Moody Blues, Todd Rundgren, Chicago, The Guess Who, The Cars, Doobie Brothers, Cheap Trick, Journey, Love, Tommy James, The Spinners, and the Monkees. There are many more that I could add to my list.  They are not in for a variety of reasons.  I stopped my subscriptions to a couple of well know music magazines many years ago.  It seemed that they looked down their nose at you if you happened to like a song by The Monkees, or Tommy Roe.  My feeling has always been that if a song is catchy and sounds good on the radio I don't care who recorded it.  It does not have to have deep meaning to be a valuable or influential song.  I will take anything by The Guess Who or The Raspberries over the music of many artists currently in the Hall Of Fame!   That is why we don't analyze requests on Saturday night.  If it fits the format of a pop radio classic from the fifties through the eighties and I can find it, I will play it.  We also play popular album cuts and local artists that never hit the National surveys.  I feel that this makes Those Were The Days unique. 

Saturday is National Record Store Day.  If I can sneak a few dollars out of June's purse, I may come back from Mad Town with some new vinyl.  You may hear a couple of those Saturday night.  Call me and request a song and play trivia with WRCO FM 100.9 this weekend.

Phil

This Saturday night on WRCOs' Those Were The Days the featured group will be The Band.  They were Bob Dylan's back up group before becoming famous with some amazing albums.  I only knew the group through a couple songs until I got the concert movie 'The Last Waltz' as a gift many years ago.  I could not believe how talented the group was.  The movie has become one of my top ten of all time and I watch it every few months.  Some years ago Barney Hoskins wrote a book called 'Across The Great Divide-The Band In America'.  Hear some insight into the group from him this week with Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  I will be taking your requests and we will ring the trivia bell a few times Saturday night!  Take the show to your family functions, camp fires, Tupperware parties, or whatever you have planned this Spring.

Philip

Hey Rock n' Rollers!  I hope you will join our Those Were The Days party on Saturday night.  Hop in the Ford Maverick with me and travel through the time tunnel to this weekend in 1970.  With the news breaking that the Beatles were breaking up, fans were enjoying the song 'Let It Be' which was number two on the Billboard survery this weekend.  John Lennon's 'Instant Karma (We All Shine On)' was at number 3.  There were many memorable records getting radio play from artists such as: Bobby Sherman,  Badfinger, Three Dog Night, Guess Who, Santana, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.  These songs were playing on the radio as I was pumping up the tires on my Huffy bike and discovering a wonderful Spring. With fresh playing cards in the spokes, I was ready to ride a mile to Aubrey Corners and get the mail.  One of the goofiest songs on the Billboard Hot 100 came from the dou of Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan.  The 'Tennessee Birdwalk' was a country hit that made its way to the pop charts.  Norman Greenbaum was having his only hit.  'Spirit In The Sky' was in the Top Ten this weekend in 1970.  I will dig back in the archives and play for you portions of a rare interview I recorded with Norman some years ago. He was recently in the news as he was hurt in a traffic accident while a passenger in a car.  Get well wishes and prayers go out to him.  Those Were The Days will be heard on WRCO FM 100.9 this Saturday night between 6 p and Midnight.  I will be in the studio to talk with you live and I hope that you will call.

Philip James Nee 

On Saturday nights Those Were The Days I will be spinning some of the top hits from the Spring of 1966.  What a great time for Top Forty radio!  There were so many two minute melodies on the radio waves.  This Saturday nights chart will come from one of my favorite radio stations when I was a 'Wee Nee'.  WISM 1480 AM out of Madison Wisconsin played so many regional and national records that weren't always big hits across the nation.  Find out what the top hits were in the Mad city during the Spring of 1966 during WRCOs' Those Were The Days.  My special guest will be Ray Graffia of the great Chicago group The New Colony Six.  The Colony was enjoying its first radio hits in 1966 including the often requested 'I Confess'.  Ray will talk about a special benefit show that the group will be at in April.  Here are the details.

SUNDAY APRIL 19th 2015 - At the "Arcadia Theatre" in St. Charles, IL. The NC6 in CONCERT- Their 50th Rock n Roll Anniversary. Benefitting the "Rhythmic Arts Project" W/Guests Chet Coppock- Cadillac Casanovas & Denny Diamond and others! ..DOORS OPEN at 4:00PM  105 E. Main St  Saint Charles,Il.60174   630-962-7000  /Need tickets ? CALL or go to  (oshows.com)       

I will be in the studio and ready to answer the phone Saturday night.  Maybe you will win a prize and amaze your friends.  Request a song from the fifties through the eighties between 6 and Midnight on WRCO FM 100.9.

Phil

Hey Rock n' Rollers!  This Saturday night during Those Were The Days I will be dusting off your favorite requests from the fifties through the eighties.  Join me for Pop radio memories and trivia.  On this weekends show we will go parking in 1973 with the radio on.  I was just completing my first year of collecting vinyl music (a habit that I still can't shake).  My favorite songs included:  Last Song by Edward Bear,  I'm Just A Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) by the Moody Blues, Dancing In The Moonlight from King Harvest, Stuck In the Middle With You-Stealers Wheel, and Little Willie-The Sweet.  This was one of the best years of the 1970's for Top Forty radio stations.  Elton John had the number one album (Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player).  It was the second of seven albums in three short years to reach number one in America for Elton.  Pink Floyd released the classic Dark Side Of The Moon album in March of 1973.   Join me for these memories and more Saturday night on FM 100.9.

Phil

I will be back in the air chair for this Saturday nights Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  I hope you enjoyed our time sweep that was featured on last weeks show.  The show was obviously pre-recorded so I could go out on the town with my best girl friend.  June likes to go on a date with me once in a while.  This Saturday night all of the regular features return.  We will be traveling back to this weekend in 1985.  While I was driving the Ford Maverick to see Beverly Hills Cop (which was the number one movie for March of 1985), I was jamming to Only The Young by Journey, High On You-Survivor, Naughty Naughty-John Parr, and Turn Up The Radio-Autograph.  It cost me $1.09 for a gallon of gas to go pick up June in Neptune and head to the big city of Richland Center. 

This Saturday night we will spin some hits from the '85 chart, play your requests,  and we will play trivia.  You could win a ticket to see Vic Ferrari Symphony On The Rocks during this Saturday nights fifties through the eighties rock and roll party.  Rock On!

Philip

This Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9 we will go 'old school' once again on Those Were The Days.  This time we will feature a time sweep.  We will play the top hits of the weekend starting in 1957 and than we will jump ahead to 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, and 1987.  These were some of the best years for Top 40 rock and roll.  See what I mean this weekend between 6 p and Midnight.  I love the variety of songs that we play each week.  That is the way pop radio used to be.  It was like a K-tel record of original hits/original stars.  It was the K-tel company that fueled the fire for me.  I was a radio listener before that, however, when I bought the album 'Believe In Music' in 1972 it made me want to go out and find more of my favorite music on black vinyl and play it on my Airline model stereo at home.  You would get everything from Eric Clapton, Slade, Bobby Vinton, and Donny Osmond on one long playing album! K-tel went on to produce many albums of greatest hits.  Those Were The Days on WRCO is a lot like those great albums from back in the day.  We will not be taking your requests this week.  Stay tuned for a special show with many memorable tracks that we don't often get a chance to play.        Phil

Here is a track listing for my favorite K-tel album 'Believe In Music' from 1972.

This Saturday night Those Were The Days will slip on a few 45's from 1977 in between high school sports coverage of wrestling and basketball.  Join us for musical interludes from 1977 and your rock and roll requests.   This weekend back in '77 Manfred Mann's Earth Band was 'Blinded By The Light', The Jackson's were encouraging you to 'Enjoy Yourself', Rose Royce was taking everyone to the 'Car Wash'.  One of my favorite Kiss songs was 'Hard Luck Woman' was on the airwaves.  It was written with Rod Stewart in mind.  Peter Criss had sung the groups biggest hit 'Beth' the year before and he sang 'Hard Luck Woman' a year later with his signiture raspy voice.   Kansas had one of the hottest songs on the radio with 'Carry On Wayward Son'.  It was a good time for music.  The old barn radio had finally faded to silence and a new one included the FM band.  That allowed me to fine tune stations like D-93 out of Dubuque (now Kat-FM). They played many of the previously mentioned hits and they programmed a few lesser known songs and album tracks. It helped me get the chores finished faster.  I hope you will go back to 1977 with me on Saturday night.  Join me in between sports coverage for another edition of Those Were The Days.

Philip

The World lost another great singer this week. Lesley Gore lost her battle with cancer.  Ever since my young days I have always loved her records.  Many remember 'It's My Party' which was her first hit.  Her songs got better with each release.  'The Look Of Love' is one of my faves.  Just a couple of weeks ago I was t.v. channel flipping and I came across the 1967 episode of Batman in which Lesley Gore played one of Catwoman's helpers and sang 'California Nights'.  What a great moment from the '60s!  I have always felt that Ms. Gore stole the show in the concert movie The T.A.M.I. Show. from 1964.  Even though she was just a teen, her stage presence was simply amazing.   You can hear some of Lesley Gore's finest hits during this Saturday nights Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  Request a song from the fifties through the eighties this weekend.  I will be hosting the weekly trivia game as well.  Let's have some fun this Saturday night with Those Were The Days.

Phil

Tune in 100.9 WRCO FM on Saturday night for Those Were The Days.  Perhaps you can request a song for your sweetheart!  We will celebrate Valentines Day with some of the best love songs of all time from the fifties through the eighties.  Instead of requesting "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do",  you should request "Happy Together".  "Love Stinks" would not be a great choice for your loved one, however, "You're Still The One" by Orleans would be a better request.  Play trivia and have some fun with your radio this Saturday night between Six and Midnight.  Happy Valentines Day from WRCO!

Philip

There were so many songs about magic from the first thirty years of rock and roll.  This Saturday night on Those Were The Days I will spin a few of those.  It will be a 'Magical Mystery Tour',  'Magic Carpet Ride', 'Grand Illusion', 'Magic Moment'.  We may mix up 'Love Potion Number Nine' for some 'Strange Magic'.  'Hocus Pocus', 'Abracadabra'...Saturday night will be here before we know it!  Join me for great fun with Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  I will be taking your requests and playing trivia.  It is very rewarding to hear from you.  It is like a family gathering when we all get together.  I would also like to thank all of our sponsors.  Jones Chevrolet-Buick, Town And Country TV And Appliance,  Chets Feed And Seed, and Dairy Queen of Richland Center have been in our sponsor family since the early days of the show.  Thank them for me!

Phil

I heard many wonderful songs that I still love today on the radio in the barn.  The fact that it had tubes that needed to warm up meant that you would turn it on in the morning and guess the volume while you walked to the other end of the barn.  When it warmed up sometimes it was very loud, once in a while off the station, and sometimes the sound was not loud enough to be heard over the various barn noises.   When you got the station tuned correctly and the sound so that you could hear, the radio was on all day until the milking was done that night.  WRCO AM 1450 was the station that was loud enough to never fail.  Once in a while when dad wasn't paying attention I would turn the dial slightly to 1480 AM and get WISM Madison which was a great Top Forty station

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WRCO FM 100.9 will play great hits from the fifties through the eighties on Those Were The Days Saturday night. We will stop for a time and park in January of 1975.  The chart was full of such comeback artists as Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka, and Frankie Valli.  Stevie Wonder, Grand Funk, The Eagles, and The Doobie Brothers were all in the top twenty. Put on your elevator shoes and your plaid pants this Saturday night.  We are going to have a party and your requests will be welcome.  Play trivia and be the first on your block to win a prize.  It will be a really cool, neat, dyn-no-mite,  radio show Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9.

Phil

This Saturday night on WRCO FM our Those Were The Days radio show will feature coments from Madison area musician Richard Wiegel.  He has a new cd called  'Wiegel Room' which features some awesome guitar work. It has 17 tracks of original instrumental tracks and the lead cut is called 'Buddy Holly'.  We will look back at Richards earlier work in memorable bands including:  The Bowery Boys,  Baby Grand, and Clicker.  I remember hearing 'Keep On Trying' from the first Clicker album on WISM in Madison.  I had no idea at the time that they were a local group.  It was later I learned of their roots in Southwestern and Southern Wisconsin and they hailed from such towns as Belmont and Darlington.  Cubby Tracy, who was the drummer for the group, joined us on Those Were The Days live in the studio way back in 1993.  Richard Wiegel will soon be celebrating fifty years in music!   I look forward to hearing from you this Saturday night.  The request line will be open for all six hours of the program and we will have a trivia stumper each hour.  We will keep it rocking for you this Saturday night from six until Midnight.

Philip

I went to the D.M.V. in January of 1980.  A stern man by the name of Ray Schroeder stepped forward to ride with me and determine whether or not I was worthy of driving freedom.  Somehow I was able to secure a piece of paper that declared my legal driver status.  The first time I drove solo (off the farm) Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd was playing on the radio.  I was driving a 1970 rusty Chevrolet farm truck which had a three on the tree transmission and an AM radio.  On special occasions I could borrow my parents 1978 Impala.  I remember hearing Smokey Robinson singing Cruisin as I drove through the night after dropping my date at her front gate.  The Eagles album The Long Run featured some great music including the title song which was a big hit in January of 1980. Some of my other faves included:  Jane by Jefferson Starship, Head Games from Foreigner, and Romeos Tune by Steve Forbert.  There is still no such thing as a time machine, however, music is the closest thing that I have found.   I hope you will climb in the cab of our old yellow pickup and take a trip back to 1980 this weekend.  I will be playing all of your favorite requests from the fifties through the eighties during this weeks Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.

Phil-Mr. January 1980

During our Those Were The Days Saturday night old rock and roll party we will pay tribute to Elvis Presley.  The 'King Of Rock And Roll' would have been eighty this week.  He is forever young on the old TV clips and movies that still are shown often.  I have many favorite Elvis songs.  He sang so many different genres of music and it is hard to pick his best song ever.  You can request your favorite 'E'  song Saturday night.  You can also ask me to play anything else from the fifties through the eighties pop radio charts.   We will be playing trivia each hour of the 6 hour program this Saturday night.

I remember watching Elvis movies as a kid on the CBS Late Movie.  My aunt Joyce was babysitting me (I think I was a Senior in High School...no... just kidding) and they would often show an old movie that featured my hero.  Favorites included:  Jailhouse Rock, Tickle Me,  Live A Little Love A Little,  Change Of Habit, and Speedway.  In 1973 there was an offer on television where you could send in money and receive a two record set of some of the best Elvis tunes.  I gathered up my 6 bucks and sent the money away.  I am sure there were some quarters and dimes in the envelope.  In a few weeks I had my first Elvis collection.  I used to try to act and sing like him working my lip moves in front of the mirror and later I would impress my sisters friends with my Elvis act.  My teacher Mrs. Varana used to encourage me to sing 'Hound Dog' in front of the class.  It gave me my 15 minutes of fame at the Ithaca elementary and even some of the girls tolerated me.  

Many of his songs have meant a great deal to me.  'The Wonder Of You' was the song I chose to sing to my bride, June,  as she walked towards me down the aisle.  I hope to hear from you Saturday night.  Thanks for listening to WRCO FM 100.9.

Philvis

This Saturday night we will welcome in the new year with another old year.  Join me for Those Were The Days when we play for you some of the big hits from this weekend in 1965.  It is a fun chart to recap because there are several great records from the original wave of the British Invasion.  Some fine 45s from the Beatles, Dave Clark Five, The Rolling Stones, and Manfred Mann.  I will be back and propped up in the studio this Saturday night between 6 and Midnight to take requests for your faves from the fifties through the eighties.  Join me for trivia and all of the regular stuff on WRCO FM 100.9.  Happy New Year!

Phil