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EULOGY
Born: October 28, 1945, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
After a few reincarnations 1050 CHUM quietly passed away on March 26, 2009
1050 CHUM was a legendary Top 40 powerhouse from the late 1950s through to the early 1980s.
The station had a formula no other station has been able to duplicate.
Through the formative ‘50s, the unforgettable ‘60s and the interesting ‘70s, 1050 CHUM played a major role in shaping the radio landscape in Toronto. Recording acts from Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Guess Who, Elton John, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers and Bob Seger not only graced the airwaves but walked the halls of 1050 CHUM.
The radio station was famous for the CHUM Chart. From 1957 to 1986, 1,512 consecutive weekly charts were published, making it the longest-running chart of its kind in the world.
Also, 1050 CHUM was noteworthy for hosting many famous rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66).
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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
THE YEAR 1967 CHUM'S PLAYLIST INCLUDED...
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1967 TOP 67
1 The Letter Box Tops
2 Somethin' Stupid Frank & Nancy Sinatra
3 Ode To Billy Joe Bobbie Gentry
4 Penny Lane Beatles
5 To Sir With Love/The Boat That I Row Lulu
6 Happy Together Turtles
7 Gaslight Ugly Ducklings
8 Never My Love Association
9 Georgy Girl Seekers
10 Daydream Believer Monkees
11 Green Green Grass Of Home Tom Jones
12 Happy Jack Who
13 There's A Kind Of Hush Herman's Hermits
14 The Rain, Park & Other Things Cowsills
15 A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You Monkees
16 All You Need Is Love Beatles
17 Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron Royal Guardsmen
18 Dedicated To The One I Love Mamas & The Papas
19 I Can See For Miles Who
20 Here Comes My Baby Tremeloes
21 Tell It To The Rain Four Seasons
22 Plesant Valley Sunday Monkees
23 Ruby Tuesday Rolling Stones
24 Incense & Pepperments Strawberry Alarm Clock
25 Release Me Englebert Humperdink
26 Light My Fire Doors
27 The Happening Supremes
28 Him Or Me Paul Revere & The Raiders
29 Cornflakes & Ice Cream Lords Of London
30 I Was Made To Love Her Stevie Wonder
31 Hello Goodbye Beatles
32 Windy Association
33 Groovin' Young Rascals
34 A Whiter Shade Of Pale Procol Harum
35 Reflections Supremes
36 Soul Man Sam & Dave
37 Silence Is Golden Tremeloes
38 San Francisco Scott McKenzie
39 I Think We're Alone Now Tommy James & The Shondells
40 Respect Aretha Franklin
41 Brown Eyed Girl Van Morrison
42 Gimmie A Little Sign Brenton Wood
43 Mirage Tommy James & The Shondells
44 Bowling Green Everly Brothers
45 Sweet Soul Music Arthur Conley
46 Carrie-Ann Hollies
47 Can't Take My Eyes Off You Frankie Vaili
48 I Say A Little Prayer Dionne Warwick
49 Love Is Here & Now Your Gone Supremes
50 Sit Down I Think I Love You Mojo Men
51 This Is My Song Petula Clark
52 You Got What It Takes Dave Clark Five
53 Come Back When You Grow Up Bobby Vee
54 Creeque Ally Mamas & Papas
55 It's The Little Things Sonny & Cher
56 A Girl Like You Rascals
57 Go Go Round Gordon Lightfoot
58 I'm A Man Spencer Davis Group
59 Words Of Love Mamas & Papas
60 I Got Rhythm Happenings
61 The Tracks Of My Tears Johnny Rivers
62 Society's Child Janis Ian
63 On A Carousel Hollies
64 For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield
65 Apples Peaches Pumkin Pie Jay & The Techniques
66 Up, Up & Away Fifth Dimensiom
67 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy Buckinghams
SOURCE: CM SMITH'S YEAR CHARTS BASED ON CHUM AM TOP 100
http://craig.sowny.ca/www/www3.sympatico.ca/craig.smith/chumi.htm
CHUM HISTORY
"1050 CHUM" was a legendary Top 40 powerhouse during the late 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s.
Early history and Top 40 format
CHUM AM was launched as a dawn-to-dusk radio station on October 28, 1945 by Jack Q'Part, an entrepreneur in the business of patent medicines. The station, then operating from studios in the Mutual Street Arena, was taken over in December 1954 by Allan Waters, a salesman from Q'Parts' patent medicine business. Waters' first major move was to secure a license for 24-hour-a-day broadcasting for CHUM, along with a power increase to 5,000 watts. Less than three years after Waters acquired the station, and soon after bringing the new fulltime transmitter online, a major programming change was made. On May 27 1957, Waters switched to a "Top 50" format that had proven itself popular in some U.S. cities; Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" was the first song played. "1050 CHUM" pioneered rock and roll radio in Toronto, and was noteworthy for hosting many noteworthy rock concerts including, among others, visits to Maple Leaf Gardens by Elvis Presley (1957) and The Beatles (1964, '65, and '66). While the station was rising to the top of the popularity ratings in Toronto in the early 1960s, it also built yet another new transmitter in Mississauga, Ontario (a few miles west of the current Toronto city line) along the Lake Ontario shoreline, and raised its power once again to its current 50,000 watts around the clock.
CHUM DJs of the 1960s were zany morning man Al Boliska, who quit in late 1963 to go 'across the street' to CKEY.He was replaced by WKBW, Buffalo radio & TV personality Jay Nelson, popularly known as "Jungle Jay" from his role as host of a children's show on Buffalo's Channel 7 which was also popular among Toronto youngsters. He would be followed by housewives' jock John Spragge; singer/DJ Mike Darow; Pete Nordheimer, replaced in 1961 by witty Bob McAdorey; teen DJ Dave Johnson; and all night maven Bob Laine. Later additions to the CHUM DJ lineup included Duff Roman and Brian Skinner, both of whom came over from CKEY (then owned by Jack Kent Cooke). In the late 1960s, early 1970s, CHUM DJ's included Duke Roberts (also known as Gary Duke for a time), Johnny Mitchell (better known today as Sonny Fox), J. Michael Wilson, Tom Rivers, Scott Carpenter, Jim Van Horne, John Rode, Don Reagan, Terry Steele and Roger Ashby. Among their later mighttime hosts was John D. Roberts, who joined CHUM in 1977 and would eventually become known across North America as White House correspondent for CBS-TV and host of CNN's morning program "American Morning."
CHUM was also well known for its contests, like the 1970s' "I Listen to CHUM" promotion, in which DJs would dial phone numbers at random and award $1,000 to anyone who answered the phone with that phrase.
From gold-based to oldies
By the mid-1980s, CHUM had lost ground in the Toronto ratings to competitor Top 40 station CFTR and FM-based music stations. On June 6, 1986, CHUM dropped its Top 40 format for a heavily gold-based adult contemporary format ("Favourites of Yesterday and Today"). By 1989, CHUM adopted an oldies format, drawing heavily on its previous Top 40 reputation to cater to the fans of that era's music.
Chart #1 - Monday, May 27, 1957 - TOP 50
CHART NUMBER 1 |
Monday, May 27, 1957 |
|
1050 CHUM ORIGINAL AUDIO
John Gilbert "No Charge"
Mike Cooper's April Fools Joke
80's PROMO
Bob Sam Robbie - 1050 CHUM Morning Show - 1992
Tom Rivers 1982