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ANOTHER |
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"This
meeting of the "Swingin'
Soiree"is now in
session." |
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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 the other jocks
combined, and he pioneered the radio jingle, some of which can be heard
on this page. |
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"Oh
you're never too old, and you're never too young,
to watch the submarine races on the run.
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"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.") |
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Lots of DJs did
'round-the-clock "radio-thons" to raise money for philanthropic causes
(most notably, Peter Tripp) and, of course, as publicity
stunts. Grabbing an hour's sleep only once every 24 hours, Murray the K
did this one for WINS in 1959 in a New York subway. |
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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.
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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. |
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For more about Murray Kaufman, go to
http://www.murraythek.com.
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Alan
Freed,
the "Father of
Rock 'n' Roll,"
and his
"Rock 'n' Roll Party" |
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Jocko and his
"Rocket Ship Show ,"
"... the hottest show on the radio" |
Copyright
© 2001-2006 by Howard B. Levy and
1960 Sailors Association Inc.
All rights reserved.
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