The Cruisin series is a collection of records with music from various years. The series not only includes the original songs by the original artists from a particular year but also includes a Disk Jockey (D. J.) from a particular radio station all across North America. Included with the music is original radio advertisements (commercials), some public service announcements, radio station jingles, D. J. banter and numerous other goings on to make the record sound like it was recorded right from a live studio broadcast. This series was originally released on 33 1/3rd r.p.m. record albums in 1972 beginning with the year 1955. Some sources indicate they were released in 1993 and others mention several other different years. After further investigation I have determined that the 1972 release date is in fact correct but that the series was released again several different times and that accounts for the varying dates of release.
I have also determined that there were changes made from the original releases that shortened the total length of the re-releases by eliminating/removing a few songs off of each years records. The cassettes besides having all the same information off the front cover of the album also have this below each year as well A History of Rock & Roll Radio. Also every album, CD and cassette front cover had a colorful drawing of 2 kids wearing clothes from that period. The 2 young kids in this continuing story line were Peggy a pretty blonde girl who has a crush on Eddie who was a red head who mostly dreams about fast cars. One or both would have a balloon above them with what they were either saying or thinking. As the years continued you would see them get a little older, their clothes style would change and things around them would also move along with the times.
On the very first in the series Cruisin& 1955 the two kids are checking out some books from the public library. Eddie is looking out the window as his hot red convertible sportscar as Peggy is looking at him. In this picture Peggy has the balloon above her head as she is thinking to herself, Gee, I wonder if hell ever look at me like that?
The second album in the series Cruisin 1956 with the continuing story on the front cover is with Peggy leaning up against the rear of a 1956 car (hard to tell make or model) with rear tail fins. Eddie is leaning on the side of the car against the door with his right elbow on the roof holding a cigarette in his right hand with a Band-Aid on his left hand. You see a building in the background that has Central High on it, an American Flag flying proudly in the wind and an airplane flying overhead. Peggy says to Eddie There was a rumble at the drive-in last night wasnt there? Eddie replies Why ask me?
The 3rd record in the series Cruisin 1957 continues on the front cover with Peggy standing in her house doorway looking at Eddie who is standing on her front porch with his car behind him you see its nighttime and see a full moon. Peggy says Eddie! I thought you were grounded! Howja get off?. Eddie is standing with his hands in his pockets and says No sweat, Hey! They think Im working!
The 4th record in this series Cruisin 1958 has Peggy sitting in a convertible looking at Eddie who is in a dark green uniform working at a Gas Station. He is washing her car windshield and in the background you see some gas pumps and a sign with the prices on it of $19.9 for Regular gas and $22.9 for Ethyl gas. (Comment: Those prices are really unbelievable, was gas really that cheap in 1958? Holy, Cowabunga Batman!) Peggy asks Listen Eddie, are we going steady or arent we? and Eddie responds Jeez, Peg, lay off! Im lucky to have a job this summer!
The 5th record in the series Crusin 1959 shows Eddie driving down the street with Peggy next to him in the car. There is a huge pair of fuzzy dice hanging from his rear view mirror. Eddie says: It was my Draft Notice hows that grab you?. Peggy replies with: Oh, no, Eddie! Not at a time like this!
The 6th record in the series Cruisin 1960 takes place at a Drive In theater. So we see a sign outside a fence surrounding the parking area that indicates: Psycho and The Time Machine, & Dollar-A-Car-Night. (WOW those were the days when you piled 6 or more inside the car and snuck in a few more in the trunk to see 2 movies for a Buck! We have a Drive-In theater here in Jacksonville and its $4.00 a person for 2 movies on Friday or Saturday nights. My wife and I do go there from time to time on Saturday nights.) We see Peggy sitting in the front seat of a convertible and a strange boy has his arm around her neck. She is glancing back and spots Eddie in an Army uniform in the front seat of a car with his arm around the neck of a strange girl. Peggy looks like she is about to cry and says Its Eddie!
The 7th record in the series Crusin 1961 takes place in a soda/malt shop. Both Peggy and Eddie are at the counter. Eddie has a malt in his hand and Peggy has a cola in front of her with a straw in it. In the back is an old Wurletzer jukebox to the right of it is a stand with newspapers on it. The headlines on the newspaper can be partially seen as Bay of Pigs and below the paper it reads Herald Express 5 cents. (Note: the Bay of Pigs was a failed invasion of Cuba 1961 during the time that John F. Kennedy was president. It was a US supported attack by Cuban exiles in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro.) Now back to our story in the soda shop, Eddie and Peggy. On the counter are 2 books that have Olympic Junior College on them and outside the shop window you see a parked 1961 Oldsmobile.
Peggy is facing Eddie to his side and says: Its not just us Eddie! Its the entire world Eddie replies with I dunno, Peg .
This 8th record in the series Crusin' 1962 takes place outside. Eddie now has a very small mustache and is carrying 4 books in his hand that can only be partially seen so I cannot make out the titles of any of them. Next to him is what appears to be a beatnik, with a beard, mustache and a button on his shirt that reads "We Shall Over Come" and he is carrying a guitar strung over his right shoulder. They seem to be walking slowly down a busy street with cars in the background. You can see Peggy in the background walking in a different direction carrying a small transistor radio that is turned on as indicated by notes in the air. Eddie says: "I've Got Things To Do!" Peggy's response to him is: "Eddie, you're getting to be a drag!"
The host D. J. for this record is Russ Knight from KLIF 1190 AM radio in Dallas, Texas. Russ was born Russell Lee Moore and his nickname was Weird Beard or The Weird Beard and on this record he is identified as Russ Weird Beard Knight. In 1962 Russ after graduating from SMU with a Masters degree in Drama and Journalism he began as a nighttime DJ on KLIF radio working the 7PM to midnight shift. While working at KLIF he deemed himself the Savior of Dallas Radio and almost everything he said came out in a rhyme. In 1964 he went to KILT radio in Houston and became their nighttime DJ. In the summer of 1966 the new nighttime jock at KLIF Bob McCord decided he wanted to go work at KILT radio so Russ returned to KLIF. It was almost like a major Baseball trade in those days and very unheard of for 2 jocks on the same shift in the same state to just up and trade jobs.
Russ began what would be a long trek across the country hitting many different radio stations mostly in the northeast. Some of the many different stations he worked at included KBOX 1490 AM radio in San Antonio, Texas. He was also on WRR 101.1 FM radio the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area of Texas. He also worked at KLZ 560 AM radio in Denver, Colorado. He was on WXYT 1270 AM Sports radio in Detroit, Michigan. From 1979 to 1984 he was the program director of WNEW radio in New York City. Russ came to host a talk show on WICC 600 AM radio located in Bridgeport, Connecticut in the mid 1990's called "In The Heat Of The Night."
Russ co-hosted a music variety radio show with singer Perry Como for 8 years. He finished up his radio career a few years ago on a Talk Radio station in Washington D.C. then retired to Poplar Bluff, Missouri. In the 1970s Russ had to testify before the Warren Commission because his phone numbers were found in the possession of Jack Ruby a Dallas nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Russ played himself in the 1971 Drama film Dusty and Sweets McGee. He is one of the original 90 members to be voted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. In 2003 he was inducted into the Dallas radio Hall of Fame.
Cruisin 1962 begins with KLIF news headlines followed by The Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee & The Starliters. This song made its national chart debut on 20 November 1961 and in 1962 it peaked at #1 where it stayed for 3 weeks and sold over a million copies. Joey was born Joseph DiNicola on 11 June 1940 in Passaic, New Jersey. In September 1960 Joey and his group became the house band for one of the hottest spots in New York City called The Peppermint Lounge. In 1961 actor Joe Pesci sat in and played guitar with the band for a short time. Jim Hendrix was a guitarist for this group from 1965 to 1966. Three other band members for a short time would later form the group The Young Rascals. The Starliters had 9 songs on the pop chart from 1961 to 1963 with their second biggest hit being their version of Shout that peaked at #6 for them.
When this song finishes it goes right into Soldier Boy by the all-girl group The Shirelles. This song debuted on the charts on 24 March 1962, went to #1 where it stayed for 3 weeks and became their only song to sell over a million copies. This R&B group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1958 and is considered the first female group to cross over to the Rock & Pop genre with great success. From 1958 to 1967 they had 26 songs on the pop chart with the second biggest hit being Will You Love Me Tomorrow that stayed at #1 for 2 weeks in 1960. Once this song finishes we hear a commercial for the KLIF summer spectacular, music variety show.
This commercial is followed by I Need Your Loving by the R&B vocal duo Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford. This song debuted on the charts on 2 June 1962 and later peaked at #20. They had only 3 songs on the pop charts all in 1962 which included Glory Of Love that peaked at #75 for them but it was a #1 hit for Benny Goodman & His Orchestra in 1935. This song is followed by a quick jingle for this Knights Bullseye (play on words for the Hit of the night), Hey! Baby by R&B soloist Bruce Channel. This was his debut single that made its national pop chart debut on 27 January 1962, peaked at #1 where it stayed for 3 weeks and sold over 1 million copies. Bruce was born on 28 November 1940 in Jacksonville, Texas. From 1962 to 1967 Bruce had 5 singles on the top 100 pop charts.
Following this song we hear a news bulletin from KLIF Master Control that starts with Now hear this! We then hear a newsman talk about a daring bank holdup in downtown Dallas giving the description of the getaway car. Then we hear the R&B vocal group from Philadelphia The Sensations singing Let Me In. This song made its chart debut in January 1962 peaking at #4 on the pop chart and peaking at #2 on the R&B chart. This group first formed in 1954 as the Cavaliers in quickly changed their name scoring their first hit on the R&B chart in 1956 with Please Mr. Disc Jockey. They had only 2 other hits on the pop chart in 1961 with Music, Music, Music and in 1962 with Thats My Desire.
A Skyland Chrysler commercial is next advertising their all-new 1962 automobile models. This advertisement is followed by one of the top 20 hits of the entire year for 1962 Johnny Angel song by the beautiful Shelley Fabares. This song was her debut single release that appeared on the pop chart on 3 March 1962 and later peaked at #1 where it stayed for 2 weeks. She was born Michele Marie Fabares on 19 January 1944 in Santa Monica, California, the niece of actress Nanette Fabares. She only had 4 singles on the charts in 1962 and 1963 with only her 2nd release Johnny Loves Me also making the Top 40 when it peaked at #21. Shelley along with Lulu, Petula Clark and Nancy Sinatra who I thought were all hot were my favorite female singers of the 1960s. Shelley over the years beginning in 1955 as a child star appeared in many TV shows and Movies and in the last few years has become a very successful producer and voice over artist. Next up we hear a quick KLIF station ID and side 1 ends.
Side 2 begins with Duke Of Earl by Gene Chandler. This song made its national chart debut on 13 January 1962, it was his debut single and went to #1 where it stayed for 3 weeks becoming the 7th biggest hit of the year and selling over a million copies. This soulful R&B crooner was born Eugene Dixon on 6 July 1937 in Chicago, Illinois. His last name was taken from his favorite movie star Jeff Chandler and in 1955 he joined the group The Gaytones at Englewood, High School. The following year he joined a neighborhood group called The Dukays. He was in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960 then after his discharge from the service he rejoined The Dukays.
This group had 3 records make the charts from 1961 to 1962. The 2nd and 3rd record titled Nite Owl were the same identical record but on 2 different labels the first was released on Nat records on 20 January 1962 peaking at #73 on the pop chart. The song was re-released a second time 2 months later on the Vee Jay record label and peaked at #88 on the pop chart. At the same session the day the group recorded this song Gene also recorded his first solo single which was Duke Of Earl. Because this song became such a huge success he decided to leave the group and stay a solo artist. From 1962 to 1979 he had 25 songs make the pop chart with his second biggest seller being his only other million selling single in 1970 with Groovy Situation that peaked at #12.
This song ends and goes right into the next one which is Youll Lose A Good Thing by Barbara Lynn. This single made its debut on the pop chart on 16 June 1962, it was her debut single, it peaked at #8 on the chart and went all the way to #1 on the R&B chart. This very soulful singer, songwriter and guitarist was born in Beaumont, Texas on 16 January 1942. From 1962 to 1968 she had numerous big hits on the R&B chart but only 9 of them made the pop chart and her debut single was the only one to make it higher than #60. Following this song we had an award winning classic Gillette razor blade commercial followed by The Wanderer sung by Dion.
This single debuted nationally on 4 December 1961 peaking at #2 in 1962. He was born Dion DiMucci on 18 July 1939 in the Bronx, New York City. He formed his first vocal group called Dion and the Timberlanes in 1957. The following year he formed Dion and the Belmonts and they released their debut single in May of 1958 titled I Wonder Why that peaked at #22. From 1958 to 1989 Dion had 33 songs on the pop chart either as a solo artist or with a group. His 2 biggest selling singles were Runaround Sue in 1961 and Abraham, Martin And John in 1968 that both sold over 1 million copies.
This song is followed by a KLIF E.S.P. promo and then by Goodbye Cruel World by James Darren. This song debuted on the pop chart on 16 October 1961 later peaked at #3 and would be his biggest selling single. He was born James William Ercolani on 3 October 1936 in Philadelphia but some sources indicate he was born on 8 June 1936. Jim began his career as a professional actor studying drama in New York City then moving to Hollywood in 1955. His first acting appearance was playing the character Jimmy Smigelski in the Drama film Rumble on the Docks in 1956. In 1959 he co-starred with actress and model Sandra Dee in the comedy hit movie Gidget. He recorded the title song for the movie and it was released as his debut single on 27 April 1959 that peaked at #41 on the pop chart. From 1959 to 1977 he had 10 singles on the pop chart and he may be best remembered playing the character Dr. Tony Newman on the 1966 Sci-Fi TV series The Time Tunnel.
This song is followed by a crazy promo called Flying High In The Dallas Sky with weird sound effects and echoes that provides the intro. into the next song which is Sealed With A Kiss by Brian Hyland. Brian was born in Queens, New York City on 12 November 1943 and at the age of 12 he joined his first singing group The Delphis. His debut solo single was released in 1960 titled Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Pokadot Bikini that became his only number 1 hit and his first of 2 million selling singles. He had 22 charting hits from 1960 through 1971 with his 2nd biggest hit being his 2nd million selling single in Gypsy Woman in 1970.
Next we hear about a KLIF DJ trading card promotion and then the final song on the album is Loco-Motion by Little Eva. This was her debut single that made its chart debut on 30 June 1962 later peaking at #1 on both the pop and R&B charts and was her only million seller. She was born Eva Narcissus Boyd on 29 June 1943 in Belhaven, North Carolina. Eva was discovered by singer and composer Carole King and her husband, composer and producer Gerry Goffin while she was baby-sitting their daughter Louise Goffin. They decided to compose this song just for Eva and Carole also added backing vocals to the song. She had 4 other songs on the pop chart with her second release Keep Your Hands Off My Baby her second biggest single peaking at #12 on the pop chart and at #6 on the R&B chart.
Now for some oddities, omissions, etc. The cassette and the album re-releases did not have Peppermint Twist, Johnny Angel, Goodbye Cruel World or Loco-Motion on them. Songs on the re-releases that were not on the original album were Whats Your Name? by Don & Juan and I Know (You Dont Love Me No More) by Barbara George.
Full original album track listings and my rating of each song follows below
Side 1 (A)
KLIF News Headlines
Peppermint Twist -- Joey Dee & The Starliters (1:54) - 5
Soldier Boy -- The Shirelles (2:40) - 5
KLIF Summer Spectacular
I Need Your Lovin' -- Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford (2:57) - 3
This Knight's Bullseye
Hey Baby! -- Bruce Channel (2:14) - 3
KLIF Master Control
Let Me In -- The Sensations (2:53) - 4
Skyland Chrysler commercial
Johnny Angel -- Shelley Fabares (2:05) - 5
KLIF station ID
Side 2 (B)
Duke of Earl -- Gene Chandler (2:13) - 5
You'll Lose a Good Thing -- Barbara Lynn (2:25) - 4
Gillette commercial
The Wanderer -- Dion (2:40) - 5
KLIF E.S.P. promo
Goodbye Cruel World -- James Darren (2:19) - 5
Flying High in the Dallas Sky
Sealed With A Kiss -- Brian Hyland (2:38) - 5
KLIF DJ Trading Stamp promo
Locomotion -- Little Eva (2:12) - 5
TOTAL POINTS: 54 POINTS DIVIDED BY 12 SONGS = 4.50 or 4 1/2 STARS
Rating Key:
5 - Great
4 - Very Good
3 - Good
2 - Fair
1 - Poor
0 - This song does not belong on this record
JAGUARDOG'S FINAL THOUGHTS
Even though I gave this album 4.5 stars it was not one of top 5 best in the series, possibly a little higher than the middle of the pack so to speak. There are some more great albums coming up in this collection as I continue covering all the years which includes a few more perfect 5 Star rating albums yet to come. I hope you are enjoying this series and will continue to return and read many more to come? Cruisin 1963 is up next with another great song selection on is one of the top 3 or 4 albums in the entire series. Here is a little hint of some of the great songs upcoming on the 1963 record, all of which are 5 star hits:
Baby, Its You The Shirelles
Denise Randy & The Rainbows
Hes So Fine The Chiffons
Hey Paula Paul & Paula
Its My Party Leslie Gore
and much, much, more
I am including a list of all the years in this series so everyone can see the radio stations that were included and the D. J. that was used for each year.
1955 - KSAN - San Francisco, CA - Jumpin' George Oxford (4.25 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_334404947588
1956 - WKMH - Detroit, MI - Robin Seymour (4.50 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_337839361668
1957 - WIBG - Philadelphia, PA - Joe The Rockin Bird Niagara (Also known as Wibbage radio) (4.66 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_341351829124
1958 - WIL - St. Louis, MO - Jack Carney (5.00 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_344663166596
1959 - KGFJ - Los Angeles, CA - Hunter Hancock (Also called "Huntin' with Hunter") (4.50 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_347926204036
1960 - WKBW - Buffalo, NY - Dick Biondi (4.33 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_351168138884
1961 - WMEX - Boston, MA - Arnie 'Woo Woo' Ginsberg (4.75 Stars)
http://www.epinions.com/content_360678592132
1962 - KLIF - Dallas, TX - Russ 'Weird Beard' Knight (4.50 Stars)
1963 - WMCA - New York City, NY - B. Mitchell Reed (Also known as the WMCA 'Good Guys')
1964 - WHK - Cleveland, OH - Johnny Holiday (Also known as 'The Joy Boys')
1965 - KHJ - Los Angeles, CA - Robert W. Morgan (Also called Boss Angeles) - 1st city used twice
1966 - KJR - Seattle, WA - Pat O'Day
1967 - WQXI - Atlanta, GA - Dr. Don Rose (Also known is Quixie in Dixie)
1968 - WCAO - Baltimore, MD - Johnny Dark
1969 - WPGC - Washington, D.C. - Harv Moore, The Boy Next Door
1970 - WLS - Chicago, IL - Kris Erik Stevens
Cruisin' with Porky Chedwick - WAMO - Pittsburgh, PA
The Cruisin' Years (Best Of) - Compilation of songs, ads, jingles, etc. from 1955 to 1963
BONUS Section for 1962:
Billboard's Top 30 Pop Hits of 1962
1. I Can't Stop Loving You / Born To Lose - Ray Charles 5 weeks at #1
2. Big Girls Don't Cry Four Seasons 5 weeks at #1
3. Sherry Four Seasons 5 weeks at #1
4. Roses Are Red (My Love) Bobby Vinton 4 weeks at #4
5. Peppermint Twist Joey Dee & The Starliters 3 weeks at #1
6. Telstar The Tornadoes 3 weeks at #1
7. Duke Of Earl Gene Chandler 3 weeks at #1
8. Hey Baby! Bruce Channel 3 weeks at #1
9. Soldier Boy The Shirelles 3 weeks at #1
10. The Twist / Twistin U.S.A. Chubby Checker 2 weeks at #1
11. Hes A Rebel The Crystals 2 weeks at #1
12. Johnny Angel Shelley Fabares 2 weeks at #1
13. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Neil Sedaka 2 weeks at #1
14. Monster Mash Bobby Boris Pickett 2 weeks at #1
15. Sheila Tommy Roe 2 weeks at #1
16. Good Luck Charm / Anything Thats Part Of You Elvis Presley 2 weeks at #1
17. Stranger On The Shore Mr. Acker Bilk 1 week at #1
18. The Stripper David Rose & His Orchestra 1 week at #1
19. The Loco-Motion Little Eva 1 week at #1
20. Dont Break The Heart That Loves You Connie Francis 1 week at #1
21. Return To Sender / Where Do You Come From Elvis Presley 5 weeks at #2
22. Limbo Rock / Popeye The Hitchhiker Chubby Checker 2 weeks at #2
23. Mashed Potato Time Dee Dee Sharp 2 weeks at #2
24. Ramblin Rose Nat King Cole 2 weeks at #2
25. The Wah Watusi The Orlons 2 weeks at #2
26. The Wanderer Dion 1 week at #2
27. Cant Help Falling In Love / Rock-A-Hula Baby Elvis Presley 1 week at #2
28. Only Love Can Break A Heart Gene Pitney 1 week at #2
29. Midnight In Moscow Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen 1 week at #2
30. You Dont Know Me / Careless Love Ray Charles 1 week at #2
Top 10 TV shows of 1962
1. The Beverly Hillbillies CBS
2. Candid Camera CBS
3. The Red Skelton Show CBS
4. Bonanza - NBC
5. The Lucy Show CBS
6. The Andy Griffith Show CBS
7. Ben Casey ABC
8. The Danny Thomas Show CBS
9. The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS
10. Gunsmoke - CBS
Top 5 Films of 1962
1. West Side Story
2. Spartacus
3. El Cid
4. Lover Come Back
5. That Touch Of Mink
Other Facts & Figures from 1962:
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson
Life expectancy 70.1 years old
US Population 186,537,737
Minimum Hourly wage - $1.25
Cost of a new home: $15,000.00
Cost of a new car: $2,500.00
Cost of a Transistor radio: $40.00 (There was no stereo or FM stations in 1962)
Cost of a Doctors Office visit: $5.00
Cost of a new pair of Tennis shoes: $5.00
Cost of a vinyl record album (33 1/3 rpm): $3.00
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.54
Cost of a movie ticket: $0.50
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $0.49
Cost of 1 pound of ground beef: $0.35
Cost of 1 gallon of regular gasoline: $0.31
Cost of a loaf of bread: $0.20
Cost of a Hamburger: $0.20
Cost of popcorn at a movie: $0.20
Cost of a weekday newspaper: $0.10
Cost of a soda/soft drink: $0.10
Cost of a candy bar: $0.05
Cost of a 5-piece pack of chewing gum: $0.05
Cost of a first-class postage stamp: $0.04
Best selling books of 1962
Fiction:
Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
A Shade of Difference by Allen Drury
Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel
Non Fiction:
Calories Don't Count by Herman Taller
The Rothchilds by Frederic Morton
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Best Broadway Play of 1962
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
Best Musical of 1962
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Well that about wraps up this time travel back to 1962, now its time to return to the present! Thanks for dropping by to read and rate and please feel free to leave any comments or just a quick note on what radio station or DJ from yesteryear not on the above list you can vividly remember? As always I hope everyone has a Safe and Wonderful Weekend and God Bless, Ron.
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