WRCO Blog

Vicki Lawrence will be my special guest this Saturday night!  She will be talking about the release of Seasons 1 and 2 of Mama's Family on DVD and memories of the Carol Burnett Show.  Saturday nights were family nights around our old Curtis Mathes TV set.  Watching all of the CBS programs with our favorite at 9 pm the Carol Burnett Show.  I could relate to 'The Family' sketch especially when they played board games.  Since Those Were The Days is a music show, I will ask Vicki about her number one hit "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" which topped the charts in 1973.

I hope that you will request a song and play trivia with us this Saturday night from 6 pm until Midnight on WRCO FM 100.9.  You could be the winner of a copy of season 2 of Mama's Family! We will again dig out those old pop radio memories from the 50's through the 80's.

Phil

It seems like it is 'old friends' month on WRCOs' Those Were The Days!  Ray Graffia has been our guest a few times over the past 27 years. His group, the New Colony Six,  has even played a couple of shows for us including our 10th Anniversary celebration!  The group was the first Chicago area rock and roll group of the 60's to get radio airplay when a song called I Confess became a hit.  There are legions of fans that love the group for its garage tunes of the mid 60's, and another large group that remember them for the huge radio ballads Things I'd Like To Say and I Will Always Think About You.  Ray Graffia will give us more memories of the band and we will ask him about a show here in Wisconsin coming up!  On Sunday September 29th, the New Colony Six will perform in La Crosse during the October Fest celebration.  The group will play at the Southside Festgrounds on the Bier Halle Main Stage from 5 pm until app: 6:30.  I hope to see some of our Those Were The Days listeners Sept. 29th at the event cheering the group on!

We will also be taking your requests this Saturday night the 22nd of September and playing trivia between 6 p and Midnight.  It is always amazing to hear folks calling in from locations at least one hour away.  That makes being at the station most every Saturday night very rewarding.  Thanks again for listening.

Phil-WRC0

Tommy Roe has been our featured artist a few times over the years.  We will talk about his new album this Saturday night on Those Were The Days.  Tommy has a new single called 'Mempis Me' which we are playing in our Country format.  He is the answer to several trivia questions and he will talk about his 1963 British tour in which the Beatles were his opening act!  When he played at Richland Center High school in 2005, he told me he was retiring.  It is great to hear that he is un-retired and playing for his fans again. 

I will be taking your requests this Saturday night and we will be popping a few trivia questions.  Tune in 100.9 WRCO FM for the best music from the 50's through the 80's.

Phil

Two generous bidders during the recent Walk With G.R.A.C.E. radio and silent auctions will get the chance to play favorite hits this Saturday night.  I will play the hits that were chosen by the first guest programmer starting at 7 pm.  This person wishes to remain anonymous.  They chose some great hits from the 60's and 70's that I know you will enjoy.  The second guest song chooser is Kevin Hauser.  Kevin has weighed in on this blog before about his choice music cuts. Saturday night starting at 10:00 he will get a chance to have his favorite jams played on the radio.  Thanks to all the folks that helped make this years benefit for Greater Richland Area Cancer Elimination a record breaking year.  The grand total raised was $254,322.  Our WRCO radio auction raised $26,085 for the cause. 

We will not be taking your requests this Saturday night.  Here is the schedule of events:

6:06 p                   A look at the new Elvis At Stax cd release and a glance back

                           at the Fall of 1974.

7:00 p                   The winning bidder in our WRCO radio auction picks the hits

                           for me to play.

9:30 p                   The Fall of 1972 hottest hits.

10:00 p                   Silent auction winning bidder Kevin Hauser chooses some of his                             favorite hits and shares memories.

I can't wait for you to hear the show Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9

Phil

Hear songs about the working person and the jobs they do during this Saturday nights Those Were The Days.  It will be a great soundtrack to go along with your weekend cookout, get together, and campfire!  The best of the 50's through the 80's.  We are always adding songs to the playlist.  On the rare occasion that you request a song that we do not have, I go on a mission to find it for a future show.  I will be doing more record digging this week.  Tune in 100.9 FM this Saturday night between 6 and Midnight.

Phil

This Saturday night on Those Were The Days we will feature favorite music from some of the best duos of all time.  The Everly Brothers harmony influenced many groups that have followed and were a direct influence on Simon and Garfunkel a decade later.  The Righteous Brothers, Jan and Dean, and Sonny & Cher had many hits in the 60s.  As pointed out with a trivia question a few weeks ago,  Hall and Oates were the most successful duo of the rock and roll era in terms of chart life and records sold.  A duo known as the Carpenters had great success in the 1970s.  Who can ever forget the great talent of Phil and Ron.  That was some singing that you just could never forget..wait a minute...I must have dreamed that.  Join us for Dynamic Duos this weekend on WRCO FM 100.9.

It will be great to open up my record cases Saturday night after a week off.  The Packers played well, so we will forgive them for blocking us out last weekend.  Give me a call and request a favorite Saturday night between 6 p and Midnight.  Listen for the 'Magic Cowbell' and win a prize this weekend.

Phil 

 This Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9, its Green Bay Packer preseason football.  It will be the Packers second exhibition game and all of us fans hope they have a better showing than the first game!  Those Were The Days will not be heard this Saturday night.  I hope to hear from you on August 24th when we return from break.

The Nee family vacation continues.  We have had a great time.  Hanging out back stage at the Grand Ole Opry was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I have been digging for more old records and actually met Mike Wolfe from American Pickers!  I picked up the new release Elvis At Stax cd set.  He recorded 3 great albums in the 70's at the legendary studio and I have been jamming to them this week. 

Thanks for all of the great requests last Saturday night.  I think it was one of the best shows this Summer,

Phil

This weekend I look forward to spinning our way back to August of 1979.  We will take the 45 Record Changer Time Machine back to the second weekend in August.  There we will find a soon to be sophomore in high school by the name of Phil Nee.  His mom has just bought him new school pants at the Richland Outlet and he has all of these wonderful radio hits in his head.  Songs such as: Don't Bring Me Down by E.L.O., One Way Or Another-Blondie, Let's Go-The Cars,  Bad Case Of Loving You-Robert Palmer,  Lovin Touchin Squeezin-Journey and I Was Made For Loving You by Kiss.  When the hay is made for the day and before milking starts, young Phil might bum a ride with his friend Tom or Larry to the local Dog n' Suds and have one of those awesome coney dogs.  There are some pretty car hops working there.  I am sure they are impressed by the young farm boy!

Join the fun Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9 when we go back to 1979 and take your requests.  We will play our usual trivia games.  From 6 p until Midnight Saturday night.

Phil

It was a record setting Walk With Grace radio auction.  Thanks to a very generous bidder that bid $750 for the right to choose an hour worth of songs during a future Those Were The Days Saturday night show.  They will choose their favorites from the 50's thru the 80's and I will spin them.  It is very rewarding to know that someone would give that much money to the cause.

If you are interested in getting the chance to program one hour of the Saturday night oldies program, come out to Krouskop park on Friday night August 9th.  There will be a silent auction which will also benefit Greater Richland Area Cancer Elimination.  You can bid on your chance to be a Saturday night Program Director! There will be many other items and services to bid on at the park that night.  I hope to see you at this years Walk With Grace!

Phil-WRCO

This Saturday night on WRCOs' Those Were The Days, I will be playing hilites from the soundtrack to the movie American Graffiti.  The film was released August 1st of 1973 during a time when a rock and roll revival was hot.  The movie put 50's and early 60's nostalgia over the top.  TV shows such as Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley owe much to that classic movie.  Future stars such as Cindy Williams,  Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, and many more became household names after they appeared in the film.

It was Wolfman Jack's cameo in the film that made a young farm boy dream even more about being on the radio. I would dream about being the voice on the radio late at night while restless youth were cruising about.  The radio station in the movie looked very similar to the old WRCO building. 

I will be taking your requests, playing trivia, and weaving some American Graffiti tunes on Those Were The Days this Saturday night.  I might even eat some popsicles like Wolfman Jack did!

Phil

On this Saturday nights Those Were The Days radio program we will travel back to the Summer of 1963.  There were many great 45's playing on the radio back than.  Hear some of the great ones and coments from Chubby Checker and Lou Christie who were both having hits that year.  According to Joel Whitburn's Record Research, the top 5 artists that year were: #5. Bobby Vinton  #4. The 4 Seasons #3. Rick Nelson  #2. Dion  #1. The Beach Boys.

We will be taking your requests during this Saturday nights show.  There were some great dedications called in last week.  I love it when someone gives me a 'Wow' factor request and I have to go digging.  My favorite requests from last weekend included: 'My Back Pages' by the Byrds,  'Ride My See-Saw'- the Moody Blues,  Jeepster by T-Rex,  and 'You Know How' by Vilas Craig And The Vicounts.  Keep up the good work!   Listen for trivia this Saturday night when you hear the 'Magic Cow Bell'. 

Phil

Tune in WRCO FM 100.9 for Those Were The Days Saturday night.  Following up the sister of a Beatle is a tough thing to do!  Many of you sent coments this week about the interview on last weeks show with Louise Harrison.  She was a great guest and it was fun to learn more about George and celebrate his legacy.

This Saturday night we will celebrate the music from the Summer of 1972.  It was a magical Summer of songs. Every song on the radio spoke to me.  I remember a trip to LaCrosse with a cousin of mine.  We were singing to every radio hit.  I was especially good at the Donny Osmond tunes! I bought one of the early K-tel albums that year.  It was called 'Believe In Music'.  Even though the songs were all edited to 2 minutes, that album captured the variety of music that Summer.  It is still one of my favorite albums.  I will be in the studio this week taking requests and talking to as many listeners as I can.  I can't wait for Saturday night....

Phil

This Saturday night you will be able hear one of my 'bucket list' interviews.  This week I had the chance to phone Louise Harrison (sister of the famous Beatle George).  It is an interview I have long wished for.  This is the closest I have been to a Beatle!  I have interviewed several artists from the British Invasion who knew them and once I had a chance to chat with Ringo but it never happened.  We will celebrate the music of George Harrison as we share the interview on Those Were The Days this Saturday night. 

Louise and her husband were living in Illinois when George came to visit them in July of 1963.  The Beatles were famous every where else in the World, however, were not known in the states.  He spent time in tiny Benton, Illinois and even played with a local band.  In February of the next year he and his band were watched by a record TV audience on the Ed Sullivan Show.  I will talk to Louise about that July of 50 years ago and about her famed brothers life.

I hope you enjoy our action packed program Saturday night.  I will also go back to one of my favorite music Summers growing up.  The Summer of 1978!

Join us Saturday night for Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 10o.9.

Phil

This Saturday night on WRCOs' Those Were The Days, we will again be taking your requests and playing trivia.  Special guest Greg Kihn will talk by phone about his career and his appearance at Mayo Park in Rochester MN. this weekend.  It is an honor to talk with him.  His Rock Kihn Roll album in the Summer of 1981 is one that I will always remember.  The song "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write Ém )" is one of those songs that I still can get a chill with when it plays.  I bought all of Greg Kihn's 80s albums and have always thought that they were under rated.  Who can ever forget Wierd Al's parody "I Lost On Jeopardy"?  It was a take off on "Jeopardy" which was the Greg Kihn Bands highest charted hit.  Greg even had a cameo role in Wierd Al's video! 

I hope you will use Those Were The Days as a soundtrack to your weekend fun this Saturday night.

Phil-TWTD Host

Last week we counted down the Top 40 Favorite TV Themes.  The list was voted on by the readers of ForgottenHits, the greatest web site ever!  Thanks to Kent Kotal for letting us count them down.  The reponse to the list was great and we even picked up a few suggestions for future countdowns.  Here is the ForgottenHits list that we counted down last week.

40. Where The Action Is

39. S.W.A.T.

38. The Munsters

37. The Dick Van Dyke Show

36. Miami Vice

35. The Dukes Of Hazzard

34. I Love Lucy

33. Green Acres

32. Twilight Zone

31. M*A*S*H

30. The Monkees

29. WKRP In Cincinnati

28. My Three Sons

27. Mr. Ed

26. The Brady Bunch

25. Perry Mason

24. The Jeffersons

23. Welcome Back Kotter

22. Davy Crockett

21. Laverne And Shirley

20. The Flintstones

19. Friends

18. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

17. The Andy Griffith Show

16. Hill Street Blues

15. Happy Days

14. Gilligans Island

13. Cheers

12. The Greatest American Hero

11. American Bandstand

10. Secret Agent Man

09. The Rockford Files

08. Batman

07. The Beverly Hillbillies

06. Dragnet

05. Bonanza

04. The Adams Family

03. Peter Gunn

02. Mission: Impossible

01. Hawaii Five-0

This week on Those Were The Days we will be flying back to this weekend in 1967.  The Summer Of Love was just getting underway.  The underground sound of rock and roll music was crossing over to the Top 40.  The Doors were the first group to have a number one on the FM and AM radio charts at the same time with 'Light My Fire'.  The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts club band was the album to have.  Some of the 60's biggest stars were still cranking out hits including Frankie Valli who was having a solo hit away from the Four Seasons. I hope you enjoy the best of the Summer of '67.  I will be in the studio to take your requests from the 50's through the 80's and will be playing trivia as well.  Give me a call Saturday night!

Phil-TWTD Host

P.S. We have been getting great coments about last weeks Philfest 'live' concert of the mind!  The weather got bad Saturday night, however, luckily we were able to stretch a tarp across the audience and keep everyone dry. 

Listen for a broadcast of great live performances during this weekends Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9.  This concert of the mind is sold out and the only way to hear it is by listening Saturday night.  These are the groups, artists, and the songs that I would most like to hear at an outdoor fest.  The radio cast of the concert will begin around 7:30 pm.  I will be introducing the acts. 

  Here is a list of the performers at the first annual PhilFest in Sextonville.

7:30-8:00 p    Vilas Craig And The Vicounts

                    Tommy James

8:00-9:00 p    Steve Miller Band

                    Neil Young

                    Dave Mason

                    Fats Domino

                    The Grass Roots

                    Bob Seger

                    Kansas

9:00-10:00 p  Sha Na Na

                    The Guess Who

                    The Blues Magoos

                    The Cars

                    BoDeans

                    Kiss

                    Paul Revere & The Raiders

                    Foghat

                    Paul McCartney

10:00-11:00 p Tom Petty

                     Grand Funk

                     AC/DC

                     Billy Joel

                     ZZ Topp

11:00-12:00 a  Fleetwood Mac

                     The Eagles

*****Times are subject to change because of heavy runway traffic in Sextonville.

Join us for the concert of the mind this Saturday night on WRCO.  We will kick off the show with a look at The Forgotten Hits Favorite TV Themes as voted on by Forgotten Hits readers earlier this Spring!  Join us for a great time this weekend.

Phil

The mega successful movie Grease was released 35 years ago this weekend!  For those of us old enough to remember, Grease was the word during the Summer of 1978.  The soundtrack album came out 2 months before the movie and by the time the movie was released, You're The One That I Want by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta had hit number one. The most successful songs from the soundtrack also include: Grease,  Hopelessly Devoted To You,  Summer Nights,  Sandy, and Greased Lightnin.   We will be spinning some of the best loved Grease songs along with your favorite tunes from the 50's through the 80's on this weekends Those Were The Days radio show on WRCO FM 100.9.  Listen for the 'Magic Cow Bell' which can make you a winner during this Saturday nights show and it airs between 6 p and Midnight.

Phil-Host

There were some hot hits this weekend in 1970.  We will take an audio look at some of the radio memories during this Saturday nights Those Were The Days program on WRCO FM 100.9.  One of the top groups was C.C.R., Norman Greenbaum was hitting it big with his only top 40 hit "Spirit In The Sky" and artists that appeared at Woodstock in August of 1969 were enjoying early 1970 radio success. 

Join the campfire gangs of Southwest Wisconsin that use Those Were The Days as a soundtrack to weekend fun.  Saturday nights from 6 until Midnight on WRCO.

Phil

There have been many great songs that rang from tiny radio speakers over the years during the 3 day Memorial weekend.  We will take a look at some of 60's best examples on this Saturdays Those Were The Days radio show on WRCO FM 100.9.

I will also pull out some old Doors music in honor of Ray Manzarek who died this week. The Doors songs are so recognizable and the biggest reason is the key board sound.  Here is some info on the death of this amazingly talent musiciain.