Bob Walker has been a fixture of New Orlean’s drive-time radio for over 30 years. The original New Orleans ‘Oldie King’ now brings us his internet radio series call ‘New Orleans Jukebox Gold’. The tunes are fabulous and the history lesson is something of a wonder. If you ever wanted to know what New Orleans was like in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, listening to these shows are the next best thing to having lived it….
Radio’s “Oldie King” Bob Walker… Retired from terrestiral radio after 38 years on 4/9/03
See Bob’s Radio Shrine for the most comprehensive collection of New Orleans radio memorabilia online…. Also if you’d like to email Bob, send it to bob@walkerpub.com.
This is Bob’s famous quote from 2001 after recording and hearing his show over the internet:
I hope the day comes soon when wireless receivers will be able to play the thousands of independent music programs that are available on the internet. Not the internet broadcasts of existing radio stations, all of which play the same few worn-out consultant-driven titles, regardless of format…but rather the shows produced by music lovers who are sick of being force-fed corporate and consultant radio.
Bob Walker
:: Other Gems of New Orleans Radio History
:: Mr. Bingle Story
Listen To – Mr. Bingle – hear his story and original theme song A real 4 minute Mr. Bingle show…his Christmas Eve show from long ago. Anyone out there remember Mr. Bingle? How ’bout the WDSU TV show theme that went:
“Jingle, Jangle, Jingle, here comes Mr. Bingle…
with another message from Kris Kringle.
Time to launch the Christmas Season,
Maison Blanche makes Christmas pleasin.’
Gifts galore for you to see,
each a gem from… MB.”
Thanks to our own Bob Walker, Jeff Kent and Paul Yacich, you can click on the link above and take a walk through New Orleans’ christmas past. In memory of Oscar Eisentraut, THE Mr Bingle of TV.
:: Leon Kelner Orchestra
Live Radio Broadcast From The Blue Room in New Orleans in 1962. Thanks to Frank Castigliola in memory of his Dad Angelo Castigliola Sr., who played lead trumpet with Leon Kelner’s band at that time.
Also Thanks to “Teen Angel”
:: Morgus the Magnificent introduced the “House of Shock”
On Saturday, January 3, 1959 at 10:30 PM on WWL-TV, a new star was born in New Orleans. Morgus the Magnificent introduced the House of Shock and his weekly experiments (that always went awry), wrapped around a horror movie from the classic Universal Pictures monsters collection from the ’30’s and ’40’s, which were being released for the first time to television. Morgus’ first movie that night was “Frankenstein,” followed in January by “Dracula,” “Werewolf Of London” and “The Invisible Man.” Morgus rode into a lifetime of fame with his program, along with these just-released horror classics.
In those early days New Orleanians couldn’t get enough of Morgus. To help satisfy their hunger, the 45 record “Morgus’ Experiment” was released before Halloween 1959. Here it is in its entirety, including the original theme and narration from the “House of Shock” as a wraparound to the experiment.
:: WTIX Appreciation Night At Pontchartrain Beach
From 1955-1963, WTIX always ended the summer at Pontchartrain Beach with its Appreciation Night. What shows they were! The hottest singing stars and groups all together in a free show each year on the Beach stage. Thousands turned out and cheered, and the stars signed autographs by the circular stairs behind the Beach stage after the show.
Listen now to the actual WTIX radio promos for the great shows:
Where were you in the crowd?
:: The Ballad Of The TIX Tigers
In 1962, inspired by the success of the new CBS-TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies,” WTIX created and recorded “The Ballad Of The TIX Tigers.”
Using the actual TV show theme song “The Ballad Of Jed Clampett” and splicing the banjo on the beginning over and over, a similar fun song was born that spotlighted the WTIX DJ’s of 1962 instead of the Clampett family.
This fun song is still fondly remembered by many today.
The voice on the song is (WTIX DJ) Ed Ripley. The DJ’s he ‘sings’ about are: Ron Martin, David Nebel, Bill Baker, Ed Ripley, Bob Robbin, Ted Green and Gene Phillips.
:: 45 released by WNOE in the summer of 1962
“The Sounds Of The City” and “Audio Autographs” were the two sides of a ’45 released by WNOE in the summer of 1962, probably as an answer to the attention WTIX was getting with their “Ballad Of The TIX Tigers” around that same time.
(1:30) is a perky song in which the lady vocalist sings about the fun and excitement of landmarks and features of New Orleans … and WNOE ! The flip side,
“Audio Autographs” (1:30) begins with most of the WNOE DJ staff at that time mimicking “The Sounds Of The City” as a group, then greeting the listener in their own styles. The only DJ who is referred to as missing because he is “visiting Las Vegas” is Skip Wilkerson. The voices who identify themselves are: Dan Diamond, Jim Stewart, George Hayes, Ken Elliott (“Jack The Cat”), newsman Glen Sims, Bob Neumann, Ken Lee and Larry Dixon.
:: New Orleans Nostalgia
Do you remember listening to AM radio in the 1960’s and hearing those unforgettable jingles of companies and products that were New Orleans institutions?
Pontchartrain Beach, Rex Root Beer, Falstaff beer, Tape City USA, Browns Velvet? Hear those old jingles and classic radio spots from the 1960’s by
