|
"This
meeting of the "Swingin'
Soiree"is now in
session." |
| |
|
As
the host of the
"Swingin'
Soiree,"
which began in mid-1958, and aired at first in the overnight spot on WINS
following Alan Freed, Murray Kaufman built a large following that
was already tuning in earlier
every day. Then Murray
assumed Freed's primetime slot when Freed was fired later that year from WINS
shortly before the payola scandals of 1959 caused his
total fall from grace. Murray came out OK.
Kaufman was the creative
genius who invented both the
"blast from the past"
and
"submarine race
watching." He
was a true showman, with more gimmicks than all other jocks
combined, and he pioneered the radio jingle, some of which can be heard
on this page. |
|
"Oh
you're never too old, and you're never too young,
to watch the submarine races on the run.
|
 |
|
|
"Just keep your dial on the Kaufman show, and you make a lotta
lovin', and
you go-go-go. Grand Kook! Grand Kook! Ten Ten WINS! Grand Kook! Grand Kook! Ten Ten
WINS!"
(Click to hear the submarine race watchers'
chant, "A-a-ah-Bey.") |
|
|
|
|
Lots of DJs did
'round-the-clock "radio-thons" as publicity stunts and to raise money for philanthropic causes
(most notably, WMGM's "Curly Headed Kid in the 3rd Row," Peter Tripp,
who stayed awake on the air for a then record-breaking 201 hours in 1959). Grabbing an hour's sleep only once every 24 hours, Murray the K
did one for WINS, also in 1959, in a New York subway. |
 |
|
Although he
played mostly rock 'n' roll for us kids, Kaufman broadened
his appeal (and his audience) by playing a wide variety of
musical styles, for example, he opened every show with Frank
Sinatra, whom he dubbed the "Chairman of the Board."
Once, he played only Sinatra records nonstop until Frank
called in personally to ask him to stop.
After Freed
was through, and until 1965 (when WINS was sold, and it
switched to the all news format it still has today),
Murray
the K
was clearly the undisputed king of the New York City radio
airwaves. Enjoying most of his success and popularity
throughout the '60s, Murray was still going strong until
cancer took his life
on February 21, 1982,
at the age of 60. He was honored posthumously by induction
in the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997. |
|
|
 |
|
A mid-1960s' holiday show at
the Brooklyn Fox |
|
For more about Murray Kaufman, go to
http://www.murraythek.com.
|
 |
Alan
Freed,
the "Father of
Rock 'n' Roll,"
and his
"Rock 'n' Roll Party" |
|
|
Jocko and his
"Rocket Ship Show
"
─ "the hottest show on the radio" |
Copyright
© 2001-2012 by Howard B. Levy and
1960 Sailors Association Inc.
All rights reserved.
|