590 MIGHTY MEMORY #286

WARM AND THE  MUSIC OF FEBRUARY

WARM Radio was still dominating the top of the radio heap in February of 1969. Check out this survey sheet that included what I thought was the most overrated song in the world "Build Me Up Buttercup". I have been a fan of The Foundations but I hated that song.
Instead we'll feature one from a group called The First Edition featuring a guy named Kenny Rogers charting at #12.
 
Then there was the Pick Hit  of the week from Glen Campbell called "Galveston". The Campbell video of the song was disabled on You Tube so we have to settle for this video.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #287

WARM IN THE TEENAGE SKIN GAME

WARM Radio started out as a radio station that was meant to attract teens. The first generation of WARM teens were no different than the teens that succeeded it in the late 60s and 70s.
WARM was a big proponent of advertising skin cleansers for its core audience knowing full well that the scourge of acne could inhibit many of its younger citizens.
Here are two ads from products of the era. PhisoHex which I used and was developed in hospitals. Phisohex, brand of hexachlorophene detergent cleanser, is an antibacterial sudsing emulsion for topical administration. Phisohex is indicated for use as a surgical scrub and a bacteriostatic skin cleanser. 
The next one was Tackle which my friends tell me was just as aggressive as its name. If you notice the ad below, an early 1960s ad directed the product toward men. But in the WARM survey ad, you saw both a boy and a girl with the assurance that girls could use it too.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #288

MUSICAL PEACE THROUGH THE TURMOIL OF 1968

No one can dispute the tumult of the year 1968 in our history. The Tet Offensive in January, the protests in France and America against the war in Vietnam were just a preview of the year ahead.
The music ws getting progressively harder in bite as well as having an edge.
However during 4 weeks during the time, the number one song in WARMland was "Love Is Blue", an instrumental from the Paul Mauriat Orchestra. Mauriat was the conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. 
“Love Is Blue” was the first instrumental to hit number 1 on the Billboard charts since the Tornados hit with “Telstar” in 1962 and the only American number-one single to be recorded in France. The success of the song and the album on which it appeared, Blooming Hits, established Mauriat as an international recording star.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #289

WARM AND THE MUSIC OF FEBRUARY 

The winter months might not have had the allure of a summertime night in WARMland but the Mighty 590 was cracking out the hits. On this survey sheet Joey Shaver is featured on the week that the Cowsills followed up their '67 hit, "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" with "We Can Fly".

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #290

BIG HAPPENINGS IN SCRANTON FOR WARM IN 1968

WARM Radio promoted a few big acts during February 1968 with three national bands at The What's Happening A Go Go. No less than The Fantastic Johnny C who had a hit called "Boogaloo" Down Broadway" stopped by in February.
Then the Strawberry Alarm Clock followed with the month wrapping up with Jon Fed and the Playboy Band. The Strawberry Alarm Clock hit big with "Incense and Peppermint"  
while John Fred was riding high with the hit "Judy In Disguise".
Local bands like The Mel Wynn trend and Freddie and The reflections also were featured.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #291

WARM'S BIG PROMO 

When WARM put a little guessing game on their survey sheets, it usually meant something big was coming promotion wise. 
On this sheet from the end of January 1972, WARM touted February as a big month. 
The station had a 14 day contest for Valentine's Day where the grand prize was a Caribbean vacation.
It also had a promotion for with local grocers (Affiliated Food stores) for Ash Wednesday and Lent. 
Plus there was also a President's Day promotion. This was big because the Uniform Holiday Act of 1971 which made February 21st, 1972 the first President's Day according to the new law. Previously Lincoln's Birthday was celebrated on the 12th and Washington's on the 22nd of February. 
WARM telegraphed things way in advance for the fun and excitement of its audience.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #292

GAMBLING MEN OF WARM 

Rob Neyhard, Kevin Lynn and Greg Foster (Photo: 590 Forever archives) 

During the late 90s WARM Radio was News talk Radio, WARM. WARM was in its third ownership in just under three years and the Citadel Corporation was big on Non traditional Revenue. Meaning more special events to increase revenue. 
At the time I was in sales at WARM and Rob Neyhard was doing News and Sports Talk after Imus In the Morning,  and Kevin Lynn had an afternoon drive time show on 590. Greg Foster, the gentleman on the right was the Program Director. The three are seen here at a Casino Night that had various clients playing those games of chance. 
Currently Rob is retired from teaching but heard frequently on WILK Radio filling in for the local hosts as well as broadcasting local sports on Cable TV. Kevin Lynn is a spokesperson for an energy company and Greg Foster is Program Director at KOA Radio in Colorado. 
However on this night about 18 years ago they were gambling men and looking good for their station, 590 WARM.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #293

THE GREAT YO YO CONTEST ON WARM  RADIO

Radio had a very unique contest in the 1980s involving The Smothers Brothers, the FM Kirby Center and yo yos. Yes, yo yos. The Brothers were going to be at the Theatre for a live show and WARM ran a promotion asking for entrants who were handy with yo yos. The main prize was the opportunity to be on stage with Tommy Smothers as he sang his famous “Yo Yo” song. 
One of the entrants was a lifelong neighbor of mine from Pittston Junction Charles “Chuck” Simalchik. Chuck was a youngster then and his parents, Charlie and Rita were big fans of WARM and urged him to enter the contest. Recently he told me that he showed his stuff but was not the grand prize winner. 
When we discussed the contest, Chuck remembered it fondly. There are many people who are now grown ups living in and out of WARMland that had chances to win prizes, from cars to pools to concert ticket and yes to even be part of a concert. 
The WARM/Smothers Brothers Yo Yo contest was just one of many through the years that touched the lives of people who entered and listened.

590 MIGHTY MEMORY #294

WHEN TOMMY MET TIMMY 

Hall of Famer Tim Raines.

 WARM's Tommy Woods.

Recently Major League baseball writers elected Tim Raines into the storied Hall of Fame. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos. He is regarded as one of the best lead off hitters and base runners in baseball history. In 2013, Raines began working in the Toronto Blue Jays organization as a roving outfield and base running instructor. 
Raines was the 1986 NL batting champion, a seven-time All-Star, and four-time stolen base champion. 
Raines had some issues with cocaine and has been in recovery. But during the 80s Tim met up with WARM legend Tom Woods. Woods in the 80s did many voice overs for local non profits and was the introduction voice for WBRE TV News. Woods also volunteered at the Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services Agency headed by Carmen Ambrosino. Raines shared with Woods his effort to concentrate on his game and efforts to get better, which by the way he did.
The Montreal Superstar, now Hall of Famer was just one of the many sports figures Tommy Woods met along the way before, during and after his days at the Mighty 590.