“The All-Request Rock ’n’ Roll Jukebox,” hosted by Mike Saffran, on “99 BBF”/WBBF-FM (98.9), Rochester, N.Y. Originally aired 7 p.m.–Midnight Aug. 21, 1999.
Special note: Audio quality is somewhat lower (slightly “crackly” and hissy compared with tapes of other shows); this might be related to the upgraded studio — being used, by me, for the first time, it seems, during this show. More specifically: Although I cannot recall with certainty, it’s possible I was using something other than the normal “skimmer” (such as, possibly, an old audio boom box) to record the aircheck; another indication (in addition to the lower audio quality): tape occasionally rolls for longer than normal after a mike break (suggesting that I might have been manually starting/stopping recording). Additionally, the tape of this show surprisingly does not include any weather forecasts (which could mean I simply didn’t roll tape for forecasts; or, possibly more likely, they were deleted due to their “two-punch” requirement — for open and close jingles — for which the board might not yet have been configured)
Callers aired and other show highlights:
00:26 First of multiple references to recently updated 99 BBF broadcast studio — including new “board” (on-air broadcast console) and reconfigured PCs and keyboards — leading to the challenge of needing to break old habits and form new “muscle memory.” (Note: The physical location of the studio itself — on the sixth floor of the B. Forman Office Building — remained the same; but equipment was significantly upgraded and physical orientation was changed.)
00:53 “Beatle Brunch” promo plays for longer than normal (on aircheck tape — see note above for possible explanation)
01:21 Jackie (“Knock Three Times” — dedication to brother-in-law) (Note: This first “phoner” of the night airs slightly later than normal — sometime after the first commercial break at around 7:20 p.m.; thus, this call likely aired closer to 7:30 p.m. This, too, potentially is related to getting acclimated to the new studio and equipment — while possibly also dealing with other “bugs”)
02:15 Unidentified male (“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”)
02:44 Reference to having gone to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q (Rochester) before tonight’s show
03:40 Bobby/Irondequoit (“Twistin’ The Night Away”) — and talkin’ pickup trucks!
04:56 Thanks to Matt/Spencerport (screen name: skik2mw) for sending a complimentary email message about the show :-)
05:21 Tom/Canandaigua (“Indian Reservation [The Lament Of The Cherokee]”)
06:35 Mike/Canandaigua (“Last Train To Clarksville”)
07:40 Brian/Working (as anesthesiologist) in Rochester General Hospital operating room (“One Summer Night”)
08:25 Elaine/Canandaigua (“I Got You Babe”)
09:12 Weather forecast (presented less formally than usual — leading me to believe I wasn’t using the regular weather jingles, probably for a technical reason, as described above)
10:10 Rita/Canandaigua (“The Twist”)
10:38 “Thank you, the listener, for making ‘The Jukebox’ number one on Saturday nights … among 25-54 year-olds and 35-64 year-olds — we are number one right here on Saturday nights, playing ’em from ‘The Jukebox’!” :-)
10:56 Chris/Greece (“Spirit In The Sky”) — after the caller offered a good joke!
11:53 Marilyn/Brockport (“Last Kiss”) — including another reference to Pearl Jam’s 1999 cover of the song
12:30 “Count the Music for Free Money” (weekday promotion) plug
12:51 Fletch (“Smiling Faces Sometimes”) — including Kodak (“Big Yellow Box” — where they make “little yellow boxes” of film) reference
13:34 “It’s a song about deceit … and you and I know a lot about deceit, don’t we, Fletch?… I know I do!” (Trust me, this was a true personal sentiment at the time: summer of ’99! ;-)
14:58 Katie/Spencerport (“Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”)
15:15 Note how this mike break begins cold (without a music bed for the first few seconds) — meaning, possibly, either I was fumbling with the new keyboard configuration while trying to load the bed as the preceding song was ending; or, perhaps just as likely, I was simply caught slightly off guard by the end of the song while I was talking with someone on the request line, editing a phone call or otherwise doing something else (there always was a lot going on during the show!). A similar thing (although not quite as noticeable) happened only a few minutes later — when I again referenced (and was laughing about) getting acclimated to the new studio
15:31 “More great oldies here than RG&E has watts!”
15:39 Becky/Spencerport (“Secret Agent Man”)
16:29 “MS 150 Bike Tour” (sponsored by National Multiple Sclerosis Society) and fellow 99 BBF DJ Ellis B. Feaster references
16:44 Snippet of Rochester Senior Fair spot (featuring Karen Bond voiceover :-)
17:12 Bill/Sweden (“Takin’ Care Of Business”)
18:07 Tracy/Irondequoit (“Son-Of-A Preacher Man”) — packing to leave for junior year at St. Lawrence University (where she’s studying for a psychology degree)
19:14 Lou (“Something” — dedication to wife, Mary Ann)
21:04 Cindy (with husband, Jim)/Driving on the State Thruway from Watertown to Virginia (“A Hundred Pounds Of Clay”)
22:10 Melissa (“Oh How Happy”)
22:33 Genny Cream Ale, Honey Brown, Genny Light and Labatt Blue references (along with the Genesee Beer tagline, “Could I go for a Genny, now!” :-)
23:30 Beers of the World radio commercial reference
23:37 “Oldies Night” (with 99 BBF’s Mike Vickers) at Maxwell’s (Irondequoit bar) reference
24:20 Theresa/Springwater (“Ohio”)
25:26 Dennis/Driving home on the State Thruway to Bloomfield (“You’re No Good”)
26:07 Terry/Rochester (“Traces”) — including references to old-time WBBF-AM DJs Joe Deane and Nick Nickson
26:57 “I was just totally honest with somebody and told them I would not play their request!” ;-)
27:48 Chuck/Rochester (“Magic Carpet Ride”)
28:13 Cassette tape ran out :-(
28:30 Pam/Bloomfield (“Rock Me Gently”)
29:17 Unidentified male/Hamlin (“Hold Me Tight”) — including Zweigle’s hot dogs reference
30:17 Joe/Manchester (“Look Through Any Window”)
31:09 Reference to fellow 99 BBF DJ DJ Chuck McCoy
32:01 Howie/Driving home on the State Thruway from Fort Drum (Jefferson County) (“Seasons In The Sun”)
33:09 Debbie/Driving home to Rochester from a flea market in Buffalo (“Come A Little Bit Closer”)
All content (radio aircheck, audio podcast – all components, and show notes): © Michael J. Saffran
