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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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RECENT POSTS
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
CHUM CHARTS TOP 100 1964
1964 Memory Music Top 100
craig.smith/alltime
http://craig.sowny.ca/www/www3.sympatico.ca/craig.smith/alltime.htm
MORE CHUM .. The All Time Lists HERE
The 1964 countdown was presented on CHUM starting June 27th and was published in the July 6th CHUM Chart.
No. Title Artist
1 Johnny Angel Shelly Fabares
2 Donna Ritchie Valens
3 Sherry Four Seasons
4 Summer Holiday Cliff Richard
5 Runaway Del Shannon
6 It's My Party Lesley Gore
7 She Loves You Beatles
8 Surfin U.S.A. Beach Boys
9 Sealed With A Kiss Brian Hyland
10 Roses Are Red Bobby Vinton
11 Soldier Boy Shirelles
12 Palisades Park Freddie Cannon
13 Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley
14 He's A Rebel The Crystals
15 Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Neil Sedaka
16 Return To Sender Elvis Presley
17 Sheila Tommy Roe
18 The Young Ones Cliff Richard
19 Bachelor Boy Cliff Richard
20 I Will Follow Him Little Peggy March
21 Martian Hop The Ran-Dells
22 Judy's Turn To Cry Leslie Gore
23 Johnny Get Angry Joannie Sommers
24 Tell Laura I Love Her Ray Peterson
25 Sugar Shack Jimmy Gilmer
26 My Dad Paul Peterson
27 Devil In Disguse Elvis Presley
28 Diana Paul Anka
29 Rhythm Of The Rain Cascades
30 Just One Look Doris Troy
31 Indian Giver Bobby Curtola
32 My Boyfriends Back Angels
33 Bobby's Girl Marcie Blaine
34 Loco-Motion Little Eva
35 It's All In The Game Cliff Richard
36 Mockingbird Inez Foxx
37 Big Girls Don't Cry Four Seasons
38 Charlena Ritchie Knight
39 Fortune Teller Bobby Curtola
40 Telstar Tornados
41 Blue Velvet Bobby Vinton
42 Three Rows Over Bobby Curtola
43 Monster Mash Bobby "Boris" Pickett
44 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence Gene Pitney
45 Venus In Blue Jeans Jimmy Clanton
46 Sink The Bismark Johnny Horton
47 Hats Off To Larry Del Shannon
48 Needles & Pins Jackie De Shannon
49 I Want To Hold Your Hand Beatles
50 He's So Fine Chiffons
51 Venus Frankie Avalon
52 I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door Eddie Hodges
53 Do You Love Me The Contours
54 End Of The World Skeeter Davis
55 Girls Girls Girls Eddie Hodges
56 Surfer Girl Beach Boys
57 She Can't Find Her Keys Paul Peterson
58 Wonderful To Be Young Cliff Richard
59 Lemon Tree Peter Paul & Mary
60 All Shook Up Elvis Presley
61 Shout Shout Ernie Maresca
62 The Twist Chubby Checker
63 Surf City Jan & Dean
64 Mecca Gene Pitney
65 Hey Paula Paul & Paula
66 The Lion Sleeps Tonight Tokens
67 She's A Fool Leslie Gore
68 Town Without Pity Gene Pitney
69 Ring Of Fire Johnny Cash
70 Are You Lonesome Elvis Presley
71 Half Heaven-Half Heartache Ernie Maresca
72 Blue On Blue Bobby Vinton
73 Till Then The Classics
74 Moon River Henry Mancini
75 Be My Baby The Ronnettes
76 Peanuts Four Seasons
77 Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh Allan Sherman
78 Hound Dog Elvis Presley
79 Battle Of New Orleans Johnny Horton
80 Sally Go Round The Roses The Jaynettes
81 Teen Angel Dion
82 My Boomerang Won't Come Back Charlie Drake
83 She Wears My Ring Jimmy Bell
84 Runaround Sue Dion
85 Deep Purple Nino Temple & April Stevens
86 Apache Jorgen Ingmann
87 Little Deuce Coupe Beach Boys
88 Who Put The Bomp Barry Mann
89 ... Yellow Polkadot Bikini Brian Hyland
90 To Love Him Is To Love Him Teddybears
91 Roll Over Beethoven Beatles
92 Rubber Ball Bobby Vee
93 Duke Of Earl Gene Chandler
94 Willie & The And Jive Johnny Otis
95 The Night Has A Thousand Eyes Bobby Vee
96 Hit The Road Jack Ray Charles
97 Calender Girl Neil Sedaka
98 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley
99 Blue Moon Marcells
100 Only The Lonley Roy Orbison
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