Audio clips of classic Chicago radio! (And sometimes, even classic Chicago TV audio...)
Airchecks, funny bits, vintage moments, songs, jingles, rarities, and so much more!
CHECK BACK OFTEN! NEW audio clips will be added at least once or twice each week!
Please note: The audio quality has been improved as much as possible, but overall quality will vary from recording to recording. Some older recordings may contain weaker audio, minor tape hiss or even vinyl record snaps & pops.
Chicagoland Radio & Media makes no ownership or copyright claims on any of the audio recordings below. Recordings are posted here for entertainment, historical and educational purposes only.
Do you have some classic Chicago-related audio that you would like to share with others here? Please let us know!
With today being the start of Black History Month, it seem appropriate to play an interview of former Chicago radio/TV personality and creator/producer/host of "Soul Train" Don Cornelius. Sadly, it is also due to the fact that Don Cornelius passed away shockingly earlier today. This audio clip comes from WBEZ-FM's "Eight Forty-Eight" news magazine-style show from this past August 31st, just days before the City of Chicago honored Cornelius with a giant "Soul Train 40th Anniversary Concert" on Labor Day at Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion and publicly announced the honorary naming of a street after him. The interview, conducted by WBRZ-FM's Richard Steele, covers many aspects of Don Cornelius' incredible career. Also heard on this clip in the beginning and end is show host Alison Cuddy. (Running time: 14:04)
In the very early days of WKQX-DM (now WIQI-FM) when it was known as "Chicago 101," the then-Adult Contemporary music station used a handful of jingles between songs. Here is a collection of full-length jingles for "Chicago 101" from 1979, right after the station flipped from a Rock format to the AC format. (Running time: 8:12)
One year ago this very day, Jonathon Brandmeier made a surprise appearance on the radio, after not being heard from for many months. He turned up as a call-in guest on WSCR-AM's "Danny Mac Show" with hosts Dan McNeil and Matt Spiegel to talk about the then-upcoming Bears/Packers NFC championship game, sports radio, his funny song parodies from WLUP, and much more. Here is that entire guest spot by Johnny B on The Score from last year. (Running time: 10:10)
Chicago radio legend John Records Landecker had his own band that played around Chicagoland for many years, appropriately named Landecker & the Legends. The band primarily did cover songs and parody songs showcasing Landecker's wacky sense of humor. This track is a take off on AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)" and has to do with Mayor Jane Byrne's decision to move into the crime-riddled Cabrini Green project for a short while. Here now is the 1997 updated version of "Cabrini Green (Rent's Dirt Cheap)" by Landecker & the Legends... (Running time: 4:12)
It was on this very day, eight years ago, that Garry Meier did his last ever show for WLS-AM. The "Roe & Garry Show" on WLS-AM enjoyed 8 years of high ratings, but a contract dispute with the station's management had the duo removed from the airwaves right after the end of this particular show. The long-lasting partnership was broken up when Conn later agreed to a contract with WLS without Meier, and Meier moved on. (Garry Meier is now enjoying success on WGN-AM each weekday afternoon as host of his own show.) Here now is that final show for Garry Meier, with commercials, traffic reports, most news breaks, and other incidentals edited out. Since they were unaware they would be taken off the air, there was no mention of the contract issues or tensions with management on the show. (Running time: 2:25:15)
From 28 years ago this very day, this is an aircheck of Chicago radio legend Dick Biondi from his time as morning show host on WBBM-FM in the mid-80s. Also featured is newsman Mike Elston. (Running time: 13:02)
Another rare holiday audio treat... From Christmas Eve 1968, here is legendary Chicago broadcaster Mal Bellairs interviewing the person who wrote the letter to the New York Sun in 1897 asking if Santa Claus really exits. It prompted the world famous "Yes Virginia" response by the paper. From WBBM-AM, here is Mr. Bellairs reading aloud the "Yes Virginia" response in its entirety and speaking with Virginia O'Hanlon. (Running time: 9:29)
Here is another Christmastime treat. Former WGN-AM afternoon star Steve Cochran spoke on the phone with his supposedly 4 year-old pal, "Little Katie" about the holiday and who she thinks Santa Claus is. A fun & funny segment from Christmas Day, 2000. (Running time: 9:06)
With this being the week before Christmas, it is time for some holiday-themed audio clips. This first one is a Holiday jingle used by WIND-AM in 1976 & 1977. (Running time: 0:23)
Mike Rapchak was an overnight host for WGN-AM for many years, working primarily on weekend nights. On December 15th, 1984, Rapchak saluted musical great Glenn Miller on what was the anniversary of Miller's 1944 disappearance and death. He dedicated his entire 4.5 hour show to Glenn Miller this Saturday night/Sunday morning, with plenty of interviews (including with Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme), memories and music. Here is most of that entire program, but with the music trimmed down, news breaks removed and commercial -- mostly from show sponsor Talman Home Federal Savings -- removed. Enjoy the very soothing tones of Mike Rapchak's voice, from this very evening, 27 years ago. (Running time: 2 hours, 39 minutes, 44 seconds)
It was announced earlier this morning that after nearly 27 years on the station, Steve King and Johnnie Putman are exiting WGN-AM. Here is the audio of the very start of the show from today, where the couple made the big announcement, which was followed by a fun conversation with former WGN-AM morning show host, Spike O'Dell. (Running time: 20:57)
With today's big news about Johnny B's return to Chicago radio, here is a musical blast from Brandmeier's past... the 1984 hit song from Johnny & The Leisure Suits, "The Moo-Moo Song." (Running time: 2:48)
This audio clip is an aircheck of WGRT-AM ("W-Great") on AM 950 (now known as WNTD-AM) from late August 1967. It features the DJs John Evans and Tony Quinn, along with news from Bob Alexander and horoscopes from Miss Isadore, not to mention plenty of great 60s R&B and Soul. Additionally, a few of the classic commercials from that time period have been left in this nice, long audio clip. (Running time: 25:50)
With the news yesterday of Kevin Matthews' release from Grand Rapids' WLAV-FM due to cutbacks from the new ownership, it seemed like a good time to post up a classic Kevin Matthews moment from his WLUP-AM days. This audio clip features Kev talking about the Frank Zappa concert from the night before, followed by his interviewing Zappa. It comes from March 4, 1988. (Running time: 16:31)
One of the most recognizable voices in Chicago's rock radio history: Patti Haze. Here is a much-too-quick aircheck from from WMET-FM 95.5 (now WNUA-FM) from November 1980. (Running time: 1:40)
This is an aircheck from June of 1994 from WYSY-FM/Y-107.9 (now known as WLEY-FM). It features midday host & Chicago radio veteran "Danger" Dan Walker doing his all-request "Jukebox Lunch." (Running time: 3:35)
With WLS' historic long-running radio show "National Barn Dance" being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame this Saturday night, here is another rare & classic episode of the show on the CRM Audio Page. This episode is from July 8, 1944 entitled "Dancing Around." (Note: The audio clip cuts off abruptly a just few seconds early at the very end.) (Running Time: 29:36)
WGN-TV's "Creature Features" aired from 1970-1976. It featured openings and closings with creepy whispered words over some eerie music. Here is the opening theme music, but without the scary words whispered by announcers Carl Greyson or Marty McNeely. The music is Henry Mancini's "Experiment In Terror," originally composed by Mancini in 1962 for the movie of the same name. Happy Halloween! (Running time: 2:17)
With Halloween around the corner, Chicagoans often start to think about Svengoolie, the city's top horror movie host. The original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, was also a DJ on WCFL-AM for a few years prior to putting on the TV makeup and Transylvania-esque accent. Right before coming to Chicago radio, when he was a DJ on Cleveland radio in 1966, a young Jerry Ghan (Jerry G. Bishop's true name) recorded a small local hit single called "She's Gone." Billed as "Jerry G & Co.," the song featured Bishop's vocals over an Eastern Soul/Brit Pop musical track by a local Cleveland group, The Statesmen. The song was also played often on WCFL-AM after Bishop arrived here in 1967, making it a small hit in Chicago. While there are no traces of Svengoolie's corny sense of humor, it does showcase Jerry G. Bishop's musical talent, which did appear almost weekly with his Svengoolie character on WFLD-TV's "Screaming Yellow Theatre." Here now is that rare single from Jerry G & Co., "She's Gone." (Running time: 2:50)
This audio is a compilation of the entire line-up of WIND-AM from 35 years ago this very month. The then-music & talk station had a superstar line-up, which can all be heard on this piece. Featured here are Dave Baum, Chuck Benson, Stu Collins, Connie Szerszen (your "Top Rock Girly Jock"), Clark Weber, "Chicago" Ed Schwartz, newsman Jim Gannon, sports reporter Jim Durham, and more. (Audio clip compiled/edited & courtesy of Marty Zivin.) (Running time: 5:38)
