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Baby DJ Lee Chambers at WPGC, 1979
Baby DJ Lee Chambers
at WPGC, 1979

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Large Lee, Mid '90's
Large Lee
Star 98.7, Mid '90's

Large Lee, Late '90's
Large Lee
Coast to Coast on the Westwood One Network, Late '90's

The Lee Chambers Collection

Large Lee" Chambers considers himself one of the lucky ones to have grown up in New York during the peak of the Top 40 phenomenon. He listened to WABC religiously, never dreaming that, one day, he'd be doing for a living what he heard his radio idols do.

Lee has spent over three decades playin' the hits in Oldies / Classic Hits, CHR, Country, and Adult Contemporary at 66 WNBC / New York, KLAC and STAR 98.7 / Los Angeles, WPGC, WMZQ and Q107 / Washington, B104 / Baltimore, and throughout Southern California at KWIZ / Santa Ana, KEZY / Anaheim and KOLA / San Bernardino where he's hosted Sunday afternoons for nearly a decade.

"El Double E" is also a veteran of national satellite radio, having at one time been heard coast to coast on the Unistar and Westwood One syndicated 24 hour formats in Los Angeles on the Oldies Channel, the '70's Channel, and 'Groovin' Oldies'. His other network experience includes time at the Premiere Radio Networks in Los Angeles as well as Radio Marti at the Voice of America in Washington, DC.

For a period of five years, Lee was the New Media Director and Interactive PD for the ABC cluster of stations in Los Angeles, overseeing the web sites and streaming for KABC, KLOS, KSPN, and KDIS.

Lee's teaching credentials included Digital Media instructor at the CSB School of Broadcasting in Universal City and Pomona. CA.

In 2009, "Lee with a C" is the the Production guru in Los Angeles for Bonneville's 100.3 The Sound, KSWD.

The Repository thanks Lee Chambers for sharing!

[Descriptions by Lee Chambers]

G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 20.7 Kbps (10 Khz)
Jack Alix, WPGC Washington, D.C. January 1, 1967 (9:52)

Jack Alix, 1966
Good Guy
Jack Alix,
circa 1966
. . . Do it to it whoa whoa whoop it on me . . .

[Description by Lee Chambers]

In this brief excerpt, 'JA the DJ' (Good Guy Jack Alix) can be heard counting down the top nine songs of 1966 on January 1, 1967. Jack had been the night guy at crosstown competitor WEAM in Arlington before coming over to WPGC in 1966.

This aircheck was most likely recorded off the air from the FM (which was 100% simulcast with the AM). At the end of the tape as the AM (daytimer) sign off occurs, you'll hear Jack urge listeners to 'switch over now' to the FM. Years later, DC would become the first FM dominant market in the country, due in no small measure to WPGC's longtime effort to convert cume over to the FM.

Other things to listen for:

  • The "Good Guys" New Year's Greeting (Harv Moore, "Tiger" Bob Raleigh (Bill Miller), Cousin Duffy, Jack Alix & newsguy Marv Brooks).

    Good Guys Top 100 Records of 1966

  • Jack repeatedly refers to the Top 100 list that listeners can mail for.

  • Jingles heard throughout are mainly from PAMS, but some were from a package called "Funtastic" by Spot Productions of Dallas. Jack's Bat-jingle was from a package called "Thatman" from the same company.

  • The March of Dimes teaser promo, voiced by then night guy Bob Raleigh (Bill Miller), touts PM driver & PD "Cousin Duffy" walking from Dulles airport in the Virginia suburbs to downtown DC. The event coincided with a major blizzard but went off anyway.

  • Morning man Harv Moore ("the boy next door") is the voice on the Free State Cycle spot.

  • Jack's weekly gig at a local club featured the English Setters, a local band of renown in the metro area. His promo coincided with a New Year's night dance there.

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G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 32.0 Kbps (16 Khz)
Davy Jones, WPGC Washington, D.C. December 31, 1968 (21:27)

. . . Love Those Good Guys . . .
Davy Jones, about 1968
Davy Jones
circa 1968

[Description by Lee Chambers]

"Good Guy" Davy Jones joined WPGC (from WBZ/Boston) in May of 1967. In this excerpt from New Years Eve, December 31, 1968, Jones is counting down the "1968 Super Greats" of the Top 100 of 1968.

The "Jones boy on the move" ("sockin' the solid sounds to ya") did nights at WPGC for nearly five years before departing for crosstown WMAL-FM in early 1971.

Other things to listen for in this aircheck:

    - The FM Legal ID, voiced by newsguy Bob Raleigh. The AM, a daytimer was already off the air during this aircheck.

    - As evidenced by the wow at the start of certain records, the station was still playing songs off turntables!

    - Agency spots for Miller Beer, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pepsi (featuring The Turtles).

    - A "Soundoff" featuring Mr. Soundoff (General Manager Bob Howard) complaining about missed dentist appointments.

    - A Davy Jones newscast mentioning a planned parade for the Apollo 8 crew who had just circled the dark side of the moon days earlier.

    - A station promo for the "Christmas Tie Exchange".

    - Morning man Harv Moore and a school salute to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland.

    - A "Gold Digger" promo voiced by Bob Raleigh touting lots of "Good Guy Gold" on Harv Moore's morning show.

    - Harv Moore"s promo for WPGC's short-lived "Magic Carpet Ride" show of "underground" music from 11p - midnight.

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Compliments of WPGC NOW PLAYING UNSCOPED (but partially edited) - the entire WPGC TOP 100 of 1976, in low-bandwidth STEREO, featuring Tim Kelly, Big Ron O'Brien and Dino Del Gallo.

Our thanks to Lee Chambers and The WPGC Tribute Site!

The program was originally broadcast on the afternoon of January 1, 1977. The total length is 6 hours, 18 minutes and 32 seconds. It was streamed live as a Holiday Special on Friday, January 2, 2004. (Scoped version below.)

G2/5.0 compatible STEREO TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (10 Khz STEREO)
Tim Kelly, Ron O'Brien, Dino Del Gallo,
WPGC Top 100 of 1976 - January 1 1977
(53:44)

. . . I hate countdowns - but the job must go on . . .

[Contributed by Lee Chambers]
[Description by Uncle Ricky]

Neither Tim Kelly nor Ron O'Brien seem particularly happy about presenting the WPGC/Washington, D.C. Top 100 of 1976, but along with Dino Del Gallo they get it done in fine style! Actually, for all their expressed discontent, these seasoned pros are in top shape for this 'scoped, narrowband STEREO recording from Saturday, January 1, 1977. WPGC sounded very polished at this time (excusing the original flutter on The Star Is Born spot.) The reverb is still on both AM & FM and it sounds great, just like a decade earlier, with first-class production elements and jingles.

Especially unusual - legendary performers Kelly and O'Brien "talk" the news, complete with their own editorial observations. This is a very interesting approach that I don't remember hearing previously on any other Top 40 station of this era. There's no formal introduction, these guys just start talking some news. Was this a regular format item, was the news department on vacation, or terminated?

O'Brien's segment is very entertaining. He sings Eighty Nine (for the 89th hit) like the WLS logo, and quips Echo Radio at one point. He even (allegedly) breaks format, playing a song that's not on the Top 100 of 1976 because "I can't take one more hit of 1976". Sadly, Ron O'Brien passed away on April 27, 2008.

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G2/5.0 compatible STEREO TOP STREAM 64 Kbps (12 Khz STEREO)
Michael Jackson Gone Too Soon, by Lee Chambers (03:19)

. . . We will never see his likes again . . .

[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Lee Chambers]

Lee Chambers is an old-school radio guy who honors the tradition of topicality on the radio, and sound that evokes emotion.

Lee says he lost count of the number of stations that broadcast this short, effective tribute to The King of Pop, Michael Jackson (d. June 25, 2009.)

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More to Come from The Lee Chambers Collection!

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