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The cast of "Babes in WARMland". From left, front row: Logan James, Noah Wijaya, Paul Trombetta, Kiera James and Matt Weaver. Second row: Cecelia Deininger, Kayla James, India Arter, Emalina Deininger, Joseph James and Brianna Rivero. Third row: Mariah Leidel, Jessica James, Scott Padden, Dominque Trombetta, Brandi Doyle, Colin Doyle, Trynity Ventura, Angel Marrero, Julie James and Alicia Leidel. Fourth row: Allesandro Oliveri, Kathy Carmadella and Camillo Oliveri.
"BABES IN WARMLAND,” THE MUSICAL
WARM the musical? A little far fetched? Not realy, look at the success of “The Jersey Boys” which was an adaptation of the career of the 4 Seasons. “Babes in WARMland” is not a musical about WARM Radio. You won’t see stage reincarnations of Harry West or Len Woloson, but “Babes in WARMland was a play that centered on the changes rock and roll radio brought to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area. WARM radio became synonymous with a culture, a feeling. Northeastern Pennsylvania’s land mass became “WARMland”. Now, more than fifty years later., a play with the grandchildren of those first WARM listeners still have that moniker proudly attached.
The Puritan Players presented “Babes in WARMLAND,” an original musical comedy by Paul L. Williams, recently at the Puritan Congregational Church in Scranton. The play, with a cast of over 40 children and 12 adults, concerns the early days of television in the Electric City when Scranton’s leading stations were WEJL-AM Radio, WARM Radio and the precursor to WNEP TV, WARM-TV. It was a time when rock and roll was sending shock waves throughout the area’s staid establishments. With elaborate dance numbers by future rock stars, “Babes in WARMLAND” will feature such golden oldies as “At the Hop,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Rock around the Clock,” and “Mr. Sandman.”
All proceeds went to the Puritan’s Children Fund.
WARM RADIO'S HARRY WEST GETTING CUFFED BY LOCAL POLICE AUTHORITIES AS PART OF WARM'S "BAIL" PROMOTION. THAT GUY NEVER STOPPED SMILING, DID HE?
WARM JOCKS JAILED!!!
Given the corruption that is going on in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties, I hesitated to put this on the WARM blog. I was concerned that people would get the wrong idea about the Mighty 590 and their staff. In the 70s and 80s, WARM had a promotion with various agencies that raised money for charities. WARM jocks would be jailed for a few hours in a fake, but very public cell. They would not be released until bail was received. Naturally the money went to charity. WARM personalities like the pictured Harry West, Steve St. John, Vince Sweeney, Pete Gabriel, Jim Drucker, Terry McNulty, John David Wells, John Hancock, the late Melaine Apple, Kelly Reed, and many more I can’t even mention were behind bars for a few hours to raise the dough and get themselves home for dinner that night with the respective families. Given what has happened around WARMland lately, I don’t think a promotion like this would fly today. But way back when, it was a winner for WARM and the charities that got the bail money.
EDITOR'S NOTE: THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS AND PARTIAL CONTENT OF THIS STORY CAME FROM FORMER WARM GREAT BOBBY DAY'S FACEBOOK PAGE.
Bobby Day was broadcasting the G.A.R. at Meyers basketball game in 1986. Greg Skrepenak was playing for G.A.R. and Rocket Ismail was playing for Meyers. Joe Paterno came to the game and sat at the table where Bob was broadcasting. Bob interviewed him live at halftime...Bob asked him why was he here.....He said he just stopped in to see a good basketball game. He could not mention either player due to recruiting laws. Obviously he got neither one. He was very gracious to Bob and some of the fans who were asking for his autograph. A real gentleman! L-R: Bob, , Ron Van Why (Bob's scorekeeper scorekeeper & Super PSU Fan), Charlie Fick (G.A.R. Football Coach), and Joe Paterno.
March 1970. UNICO event at The Paramount (now Kirby Center). L-R: Bobby Day, Joe Paterno, Vince LaPorte-WAZL, comedian Pat Cooper.
PATERNO, PENN STATE & WARM
For many years WARM Radio broadcast Penn State Football. During the late 70s, 80s and 90s, the place for Penn State football was the Mighty 590. WARM sports commentators like Ron Allen and Pete Erickson made the trips down to Happy Valley. Allen always had a bead on new Penn State recruits from the area and WARM did various promotions throughout the year highlighting the Blue & White. One of the WARM staffers that had access to the late Joe Paterno over the years was Bobby Day. Bobby was for many years the swing man on WARM Radio for the Sensational 7 and other personalities. You knew the night of the WARM Christmas party in the 60s when you heard Bobby Day on the air at night. Bobby also worked in the WARM News department and then finished his career at WBRE TV as the Eyewitness News Assignment Editor. Bob was also the voice of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins Hockey team at the Arena.
Bobby recently posted the a few Paterno photos on his Facebook page. They are listed above in the Photo Index.
When Joe Paterno passed away, many members of the local press reiterated their associations with the late coach and the Nittany Lion program. But none was more important and longer lasting than Penn State, Paterno and the Mighty 590.
PHOTO INDEX: 1971 BALLOT.
CAST A VOTE
When WARM radio entered the decade of the 70s, the station sought to get more input from its listeners for the end of the year top songs. Here is a sample ballot that WARM put out at the end of 1971. Unfortunately I only have this ballot but not the results that followed. If anyone has it, let me know. But this is just another example of WARM's constant attempts to keep its listeners involved in the Mighty 590.
PHOTO INDEX: Blog editor with the late Bob Crawford.“I’M BOB CRAWFORD”If you were a listener to WARM Radio in the 70s and were going out for a Sunday drive, chances are you’d hear a deep voice intone these words at the end of every newscast: “I’m Bob Crawford”. Bob Crawford came to work at WARM as the Sunday news man. This was when radio stations actually took weekend news seriously and had news on the hour and half hour. Crawford went about his business in a no nonsense manner that belied the incredible sense of humor he had. Later Crawford did some public affairs programming and news for WMJW Radio. I was actually interviewed by Bob for a social service program that I was working for in 1980. (Thus the photo). Bob was a school teacher in the Wilkes Barre area school district for many years. He was a popular teacher and adviser. Many people I’ve spoken to over the years remember “Mr. Crawford” for his long reach into their formative years as students. But just as many people who were WARM listeners remembered him as the weekend news guy on the Mighty 590. Bob passed away a few years back but he is still fondly regarded and is one of the mighty memories of WARM.
PHOTO INDEX: WARM GREATEST HITS ALBUM RELEASED IN THE EARLY 70s. JOCKS FEATURED ON THE ALBUM, LENNY WOLOSON, JOEY SHAVER, PETE GABRIEL, JIM DRUCKER AND TONY MURPHY.
WARM AND THEIR LP
For years WARM was known as the great promoter and purveyor of 45 RPM records. But as the 70s dawned, WARM introduced a long play album promoting the station. Other top 40 giants in the country had done it before, most notably WFIL in Philadelpia and WIBG. In Buffalo WKBW had one as well as the Canadian rocker CKLW. This WARM effort featured big photos of the WARM Good Guys on it. Absent was Program Director George Gilbert. The songs were recent hits from the WARM playlist like “Sweet Talking Guy” and “Judy in Disguise” on side one. Side two had “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Cherry Cherry” by Neil Diamond. The album was on sale at various department stores ranging from $1.99 to $3.50 (depending where you went) and was given away during station promotions on and off the air.
PHOTO INDEX: TV AND RADIO.
WARM AND TV
Once upon a time there was a WARM TV. That was when WARM was owned by the Scranton family. After WARM was bought by Susquehanna, WARM stood alone as the radio ratings leader in northeastern Pennsylvania. But WARM personalities and staff made their way onto the big screen.
Two WARM disc jockeys, Tom Woods and Bob Woody had a stint as host of the Komotion Show on Channel 16, WNEP TV. Woody also hosted a Saturday night program aired at 7PM called “Comedy Classics” where “The Woody Guy” introduced Three Stooges shorts and displayed a lot of his own zany wit and humor.
Public TV took full advantage of the popularity of WARM personalities. After Bill Kelly matriculated from Avoca to Pittston as Vice President of Development in the mid 70s, he invited WARM personalities like Harry West, Tim Karlson and others to pitch for funds on Action Auction 44. Later former news director of WARM Jerry Heller joined the WVIA TV staff. Karlson later became sports director of WNEP TV.
The TV newsrooms were populated by former WARM staffers Mike Stevens, Andy Palumbo, Vince Sweeney, and of course Kevin Jordan.
Kitch Loftus, one of the first pioneering female reporters in the area has been producing documentaries with her husband Anthony Mussari for years.
So while WARM made careers in sound, many of those personalities who passed through those doors made their way on to TV with predictably successful results.
