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Ker-plop!
We were lucky to grow up in the days of live, local radio. People remember more about tiny stations of 40 years ago than they do about what today's biggest stations were playing just an hour ago. Perhaps the most underrated station ever in the Cincinnati area was WCLU when it was top 40. This small AM daytimer was my favorite station when I was in middle school. And that was even after we got a car with an FM radio.
I think small stations gave their DJ's more freedom to come up with catchphrases, funny characters, and jokes. Small stations seemed to have bigger playlists as well, perhaps because they couldn't afford to hire consultants to tell them which records to play. On the other hand, they probably didn't get as many free promo records from the labels, and had to buy music from a regular record store. I know WCLU did air some of its music from promo 45's though, since I remember them playing versions of some songs that were only on the promo single. For example, they originally played the promo version of "Dress You Up" by Madonna, which started with a rumbling sound. This prompted a DJ to declare, "Ew, Madonna, that was gross!" We were in the parking lot at the Highland Heights Shopping Center when we heard this, and I thought I'd bust a gut laughing!
Not long after, Stevie Wonder gave us the tender ballad "Overjoyed." The record was noted for its interesting production elements, which the album's liner notes called "environmental percussion." The sound of a pebble splashing into a puddle was heard throughout the song. This gave rise to a WCLUism that is remembered to this day. Every time WCLU played this record, they called it "The Ker-Plop-Plop Song."
I double-check these entries before posting them, because not everything that was talked about on local pop radio in the '80s fits today's environment in which finding things to get offended about has become America's leading cash crop. When I was looking this over, I stumbled on some items on my hard drive that weren't even that old but would never fly today. I probably have stuff that's brand new that wouldn't fly today, but nobody has to give a reason anymore why something is offensive. But, as far as I can recall, even the fusty FCC didn't go after most of our local DJ's 40 years ago.
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