OK, let’s set the Way-Back Machine, way back. Many people became aware of The Stever after Disco Demolition. Here, we have a series of airchecks from the week before DD. Garry is new on the scene and working on his side-kick status and still doing news.
Here is a 15+ minute aircheck from Friday, July 6, 1979 as broadcast on WLUP-FM. Mostly banter between Steve and Garry and a visit from Tyrone.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Enjoy!!!
(A BIG thanks to blogfan David for providing this audio)
This week in April of 1982, Steve & Garry were on vacation. Last week I told you we would have some surprises…
A big Stever fan (don’t say it) and a friend of this site started a conversation with me that involved me receiving about 40 hours of audio cassettes of Steve & Garry. But this is not the best part…later, I received this email:
I found these in my pile of pictures box.
Here’s the story-
I had an “in” with Greg Solk (who was the show producer) and got seats for the Steve Dahl Breakfast Club. Dahl got the idea from the long-running Don McNeil Breakfast Club which broadcast from The Tip Top Tap at the summit of the Allerton Hotel. Steve and Garry got the same space, and there was even a left-over radio production booth still in the room. It is visible in the attached pictures. It smelled stale and a little funky up there… it might have been the radio people. Entering the ground floor I was waved to the service elevator, probably because I was wearing a LOOP FM satin jacket. I rode that elevator to the top floor with a group of guys who turned out were the “Teenage Radiation” band!
I brought my camera…
I don’t think photos like these have ever been seen. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Thank you DP!!
Steve, Dale Giantomasso on bass and Roman Sawzcak in the background
The Stever on the keyboards
On the air
Steve Dahl and Teenage Radiation
I messaged Roman via Facebook and he sent me this response regarding the above photo…
Wow Wow Wow !!! This was the original Teenage Radiation. We had a band called Cartune when we met Steve and these are some of the guys. Left to right was Jack Rafaj the drummer, Art Guilleromo the keyboard player, and Dale Giantomasso the bass player. And of course the lovely Allerton Hotel, the first Breakfast Clubs before we moved to the Carnegie Theater on Rush St.
This is a quick follow up to our last post. I thought I would put together a little compilation of moments from Steve Dahl’s tenure at WLUP-FM. This is far from a “Best of” (that can’t be done in 14 minutes) just a snippet in time.
Enjoy!!!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
WLUP-FM was the launching pad for Steve Dahl’s rise to fame. February 6 will mark the 30th anniversary of Steve’s firing from WLUP-FM in 1981.
Steve started at WLUP in March of 1979 after leaving WDAI in December of 1978 due to the station’s format change to disco. His “Steve Dahl & Company – Rude Awakening” show that began on ‘DAI in 1978 earned him media attention but never drew big ratings.
Here is a short clip from one of SD’s first shows on WLUP-FM.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Steve brought the entire “& Company” with him to The Loop but soon met, then named, Matthew Meier, the overnight/morning news man. Over time the two would team up.
Here is a short song of who “& Company” is…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The rest turned out to be radio history. A lot happened during SD’s 23 month run at The Loop. Disco Demolition, Calls to Iran, the exposure of a religious quack, network syndication to Milwaukee and Detroit and so much more.
Shortly after their trip to Indiana (see last link above), on Friday, February 6, 1981, Steve was fired from WLUP-FM. Loop management citied “continued assaults on community standards”.
Where were you that day? Do you remember it?
Here is a clip of two news stories that ran that day on two local TV stations and includes an interview with The Stever.
Three weeks later, Steve & Garry (not the official name yet) would begin their renewal of “assaults on community standards” on WLS-FM.
So while everyone is celebrating the Superbowl this Sunday, I will raise my beer glass at least once in thanks for the effort. Well done Steve!!!
Happy New Year!! This is Part 5 (11:19). Scroll down for Part 1.
Steve & Garry are live from the 92nd Annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. This was broadcast locally on WLUP-FM on January 1, 1981.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Happy New Year!! This is Part 4 (11:05). Scroll down for Part 1.
Steve & Garry are live from the 92nd Annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. This was broadcast locally on WLUP-FM on January 1, 1981.
News with a hungover Buzz Kilman.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Happy New Year!! This is Part 3 (11:02). Scroll down for Part 1.
Steve & Garry are live from the 92nd Annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. This was broadcast locally on WLUP-FM on January 1, 1981.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Happy New Year!! This is Part 2 (10:44). Scroll down for Part 1.
Steve & Garry are live from the 92nd Annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. This was broadcast locally on WLUP-FM on January 1, 1981.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[edit] I turned on the TV and there was the Rose Parade. It reminded me that I had this from last year… Happy New Year everyone!!!
In this 5-parter, Steve & Garry are live from the 92nd Annual Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. This was broadcast locally on WLUP-FM on January 1, 1981.
Steve still has the network and this show is live on 5 stations: WLUP-FM (Chicago), WQFM (Milwaukee), WABX (Detroit), KPAS (El Paso), KROQ (Los Angeles). He is trying to simulcast the video from the local TV feeds. If Steve & Garry did the audio from the Rose parade every year, I would have probably watched.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I am in the middle of some projects and have a little less time than I thought I would so I will just throw these up there for your listening pleasure. I’m not sure too many people careread my opinions anyway.
So here is an aircheck broadcast August 27, 1980 of Steve & Garry when they were on WLUP-FM. It is presented below in 3 parts. The movie The Blues Brothers was released earlier in the summer and is currently a heavy influence on the show in both the background music and show content.
Enjoy!!
Part 1 - (11:42) features the reading of a local police blotter.
Part 2 – (10:47)
Highlights include:
More Police Blotter
News with Garry
Looking for an intern for the show
Talk with a radio station in Florida and do an Acid Flashback
Eating on the air
Part 3 – (15:43)
Highlights include:
Steve talks about his education
News w/ Buzz
“We’re Back”
We can say “turd”
Bending the microphone
DJ Joke sheet (audio problem – humming 4:39 – 7:39)
But this is not the best part…later, I received this email:
Happy New Year!! This is Part 5 (11:19). Scroll down for 
[edit] I turned on the TV and there was the Rose Parade. It reminded me that I had this from last year… Happy New Year everyone!!!
