Sam Lawson’s Audio Vault: Larry Lujack – WLS, Chicago, November, 1969
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This was a Saturday afternoon shift about 3 years after Larry left KJR, and a classic example of his irreverent style that’s so much fun to listen to. At one point he penalizes himself 15 yards for making fun of a football score. We also briefly hear Jeffrey Hendrix on news.
Runtime: 11:16
Student engineer at pioneer Nathan Hale radio station KNH 1210 in 1970 (prior to KNHC). Also attended North Seattle Community College and L.H. Bates in Tacoma (KTOY-FM). Sam’s career began as a KJR request line operator in 1970, with his first on-air job at KRKO in 1972. In 1976 he segued to overnights at KTAC as Cory Landon, then weekends at KING. In 1978 he moved to Lewiston, Idaho for afternoons on KOZE and KRLC. Throughout the ‘80s he was an announcer and/or engineer at "the best mix and biggest variety" of Spokane radio stations; including 97KREM, KZUN, KGA, KKER (The Sam & Pam Show), KZZU, PD of KJRB, 98 KISS-FM, and the voice of KAYU-TV. In 1989 he moved to Los Angeles as Assistant Chief Engineer and weekends at KZLA/KLAC. Also engineered for KBIG, KFI, Premiere Radio Networks, CBS Radio, and others. "After avoiding any actual work for nearly 45 years, now happily retired and very appreciatively back in the great Pacific Northwest!" ---Click here for other Sam Lawson articles ---and here for Sam Lawson airchecks
“Tallahassee Lassie, a song nobody remembers, except disc jockeys” and a complaint about how loud the stock car commercial is. But wait, there’s more. Machine gun sarcasm. Lujack at his best.
Oh, pardon monsieur … I remember “Tallahassee Lassie” (#6•’59) quite well … and not as a deejay, but as a teenager on my transistor. As a teen, I was a huge Freddy Cannon (nee: Picariello, Jr.) fan. Other hits included, “Way Down Yonder In New Orleans” (#3•’59) ~ “Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy (’59) ~ “Transistor Sister” (’61) ~ “Palisades Park” (#3•’62) and “Abigail Beecher” (#16•’63)! Now that last one, “Abigail”, I’ll admit few of us (as teens or deejays) remember!
By the way, “Palisades Park” was written by TV’s “The Gong Show” creator and host Chuck Barris.
Barris wrote Palisades Park during an airplane flight. In his later years, Barris went off the deep end. There were stories that he claimed to work for the CIA or some nefarious group.
By the way, when I am not writing for PugetSoundMedia, I am undercover for the FBI. I can’t really talk about it here.
“Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind” was written by Chuck Barris as a “fictional” biography, in which Barris claims to be an assassin for the CIA. Surely we’re all aware, if you’ve ever seen “The Gong Show”, Barris deals in bizarre and twisted humor … this biography was just another weird example. George Clooney directed and starred in the movie version of the book.
My understanding is Barris wrote his tribute to New Jersey’s Palisades Amusement Park one night in the early 60s in Manhattan. He’d already written a song about an amusement park and it was suggested he make the song title the name of an actual amusement park and nearby Palisades Park (which closed down in Sept. 1971) got the nod.
The FBI, you say! I didn’t realize that “Funny Bunnies International” was a secretive organization. Or was that “Freaking Bizarre Individuals”? Maybe … “Factless Based Innuendos”? Exactly which FBI are you talking about?
View Comments
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
“Tallahassee Lassie, a song nobody remembers, except disc jockeys” and a complaint about how loud the stock car commercial is. But wait, there’s more. Machine gun sarcasm. Lujack at his best.
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jay Hamilton says:
Oh, pardon monsieur … I remember “Tallahassee Lassie” (#6•’59) quite well … and not as a deejay, but as a teenager on my transistor. As a teen, I was a huge Freddy Cannon (nee: Picariello, Jr.) fan. Other hits included, “Way Down Yonder In New Orleans” (#3•’59) ~ “Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy (’59) ~ “Transistor Sister” (’61) ~ “Palisades Park” (#3•’62) and “Abigail Beecher” (#16•’63)! Now that last one, “Abigail”, I’ll admit few of us (as teens or deejays) remember!
By the way, “Palisades Park” was written by TV’s “The Gong Show” creator and host Chuck Barris.
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
Barris wrote Palisades Park during an airplane flight. In his later years, Barris went off the deep end. There were stories that he claimed to work for the CIA or some nefarious group.
By the way, when I am not writing for PugetSoundMedia, I am undercover for the FBI. I can’t really talk about it here.
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jay Hamilton says:
“Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind” was written by Chuck Barris as a “fictional” biography, in which Barris claims to be an assassin for the CIA. Surely we’re all aware, if you’ve ever seen “The Gong Show”, Barris deals in bizarre and twisted humor … this biography was just another weird example. George Clooney directed and starred in the movie version of the book.
My understanding is Barris wrote his tribute to New Jersey’s Palisades Amusement Park one night in the early 60s in Manhattan. He’d already written a song about an amusement park and it was suggested he make the song title the name of an actual amusement park and nearby Palisades Park (which closed down in Sept. 1971) got the nod.
The FBI, you say! I didn’t realize that “Funny Bunnies International” was a secretive organization. Or was that “Freaking Bizarre Individuals”? Maybe … “Factless Based Innuendos”? Exactly which FBI are you talking about?
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jason Remington says:
Factless Based Innuendos, lifetime member I will have you know.
February 8, 2021 at QZVX
Jay Hamilton says:
Aha! Know them well. Secret arm of the CIA: Crackpots In Action.