WRCO Blog

One of my favorite groups from the early 1980's is the Romantics.  I first heard the song 'What I Like About You' in 1980 but I did not hear it often.  While living in Wausau in 1982-83, they came to that Wisconsin city to play a show and the local radio station (WIFC) was playing What I Like About You like it was a current hit.  I went out and found a couple of their albums at the used record store and I have been a fan ever since.  It was a short time later when MTV started playing their song Talking In Your Sleep and it became a large radio hit.   Hear some of their records and comments from group members Mike Skill and Wally Palmer during this Saturdays' Those Were The Days radio show on WRCO FM 100.9 and WRCO.com.

I will be in the studio to take your requests and play trivia.  You could win a 35th anniversary Those Were The Days  t-shirt along with the usual cool prizes.  Give me a call and request a favorite from the fifties through the eighties.  Each week we talk with those who call on a regular basis and first time callers.  Lets get together again and have an old fashioned radio blast Saturday night between six and midnight.

Phil

In the Fall of 1970 I was riding the bus to Loyd school.  There were many hits on the radio as the yellow bus rolled through the autumn colors.  Usually I was sitting right behind the bus driver after my bad behavior.   This helped me hear the AM radio better and there were some great songs coming through the static.  Some of my favorites from that season are:  All Right Now-Free,  Green Eyed Lady-Sugarloaf,  Lola-Kinks,  Out In the Country-Three Dog Night,  25 or 6 to 4-Chicago,  Yellow River-Christie,  Our House-Crosby-Stills-Nash, and I Think I Love You-Partridge Family.  When dad sprang for a UHF antenna, I was able to watch Marcia Brady at 7:00, and Laurie Partridge at 7:30 on  ABC (WKOW Madison) Friday nights.  There were many great shows on tv.  It was a great time to grow up.  Late at night I could scan the dial of my transistor radio and find signals from major cities across the U.S. and Canada.  All of these habits helped me find a career path that I am still on today.  

Saturday night during Those Were The Days, I would love to hear from you.  The hotline number is 608 647-4155.  You can also email me This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Last week we even had a request for a photo from one of our long time,  long distance listeners who was visiting the Richland Center area.  I posed for a picture figuring that they must have a rat problem and they need my photo to scare the rodents from their basement.   Join us for trivia and the best music ever placed on vinyl records from the fifties through the eighties Saturday night between six and midnight on Wrco FM 100.9 and Wrco.com.   We will continue our month long celebration of the 35th anniversary of Those Were The Days on the radio!

Phil

Saturday night on Those Were The Days we will go parking in the Fall of 1983.  That year I knew most every song in the Top 40 because I was a d.j. for hire playing all of the hits.  Favorites at the high school dances that year included:  Burning Down The House-Talkin Heads,  Delirious-Prince,  The Safety Dance-Men Without Hats, and Foolin'-Def Leppard.  MTV was influencing the music on the radio.  Some of my personal faves that Fall include: Don't Cry-Asia,  Big Log-Robert Plant,  Lawyers In Love-Jackson Browne,  Modern Love-David Bowie, The Night-Animals, My Town-Michael Stanley Band,  and Don't Forget To Dance -Kinks. 

Join Those Were The Days on Wrco FM 100.9 and  Wrco.com Saturday night between six and midnight for a radio party.  You don't have to request a song from 1983.  It can be from any of the vinyl years of the fifties through the eighties.  The trivia games will give you a shot at being a winner.  I am told that last weeks questions were difficult to answer!  The challenge is to find questions that can't be easily looked up on line.  I like it when it takes a few songs for someone to come through with the answer!  As we celebrate the 35th year of Those Were The Days radio, you could be the winner of some special prizes.  We debuted on Wrco October, 11th of 1986!  It seems like only yesterday. 

Phil

This Saturday night during the 'Retro-Saturday' programs,  Wrco's Those Were The Days radio show will play a few hits with sole!  There have been many songs about shoes over the years and we will spotlight some of those including:  Blue Suede Shoes-Carl Perkins,  Boogie Shoes-KC and the Sunshine Band,  Tan Shoes and Pink Shoelaces-Dodie Stevens,  High Heel Sneakers-Tommy Tucker,  Betty Lou Got a New Pair Of Shoes-Bobby Freeman,  Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes-Chuck Willis,  Head Over Heals-Go-Go's,  These Shoes-Eagles, Dancin' Shoes-Nigel Olsson, Footloose-Kenny Loggins, and many more.   If you can think of shoe songs, give me a call Saturday night.  I will be accepting requests for any of the fifties through eighties music that we play on Those Were the Days between six and midnight.  Put on your hush puppies, Buster Brown's,  Pro Keds,  penny loafers,  saddle shoes,  Converse,  wing tips,  platforms, or your jelly shoes.  Get ready to dance the night away.

We had a great time last week with our 'One Hit Wonder' show.    A lot of credit goes to the requesters who came up with one hit wonder songs that I had not even thought of.  That is what this show is all about.  We can learn from each other and bring back many memories.  There will be a chance each of the six hours to win prizes and have bragging rights over your family and friends.  Please join the party Saturday night.  I would love to hear from you.

Phil

Saturday September 25th is National One Hit Wonder Day and WRCO FM 100.9 will celebrate by playing some of our favorites.  Join me as I make my return from a weekend celebrating my grandaughters birthday this past Saturday.  You can phone in requests and we will be playing trivia this weekend. We have dedicated entire shows to one hit wonders and this Saturday night you can hear a few of our favorites such as:  Play That Funky Music-Wild Cherry,  In the Year 2525-Zager and Evans,  Venus-Shocking Blue,  Na Na Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye-Steam,  Judy in Disguise-Jon Fred and His Playboy Band,  Get A Job-Silhoetes,  Kung Fu Fighting-Carl Douglas, and Little Bit O'Soul-The Music Explosion.    I have found that through the years, in some cases,  I seem to like the one hit wonders even better than the big name groups and artists.  It has been fun collecting the albums for those fifteen minutes of fame artists.  They are worth practically nothing in collector terms, but fun to listen to as you try to figure out why they just had one big song.  Sometimes it easy to see why! Saturday night after a day of playing at the Ithaca School Fair and broadcasting football, I will be ready to jam with the beat of the fifties through the eighties. 

Phil

P.S.  Last Saturday night we counted down the Those Were The Days and forgottenhits.com favorites from 1971 as voted on by listeners and readers.   We played about forty extras and here are the Top Forty that we counted down!!!!

When all was said and done, 151 songs were nominated and 5286 votes were cast.  Thank you to Kent Kotal for his help in putting this all together.  I really enjoyed the songs and it was fun to go to my archives for choice cuts from the music makers of fifty years ago.

Those Were the Days on Wrco  FM 100.9 and Wrco.com will be teaming with forgottenhits.com for a look back at 1971.  This Saturday night between six and midnight we will go parking in 1971.  Earlier this year I asked listeners to vote on their favorites from that year and Kent Kotal, the writer of forgotten hits, asked his readers to chime in.  With over five thousand votes (there was no fraud)  we have determined the forty favorites.  I will also play many honorable mentions and guilty pleasures from the year of '71.  Kent will join me for a 50th anniversary salute to a memorable time for pop culture.  As my Those Were the Days show marks its 35th year this fall, I am reflecting on the many famous folks that have agreed to be interviewed on the program.  There will be plenty of archived interview segments played back this Saturday nightl.  A few of the artists that had hits in '71 are no longer with us.  It will be good to hear their voices again.  Some of my favorite sound bytes during the special will include:  Jerry Reed,  David Cassidy,  David Gates,  Gayle McCormick (of Smith),  B.J. Thomas,  Pete Rivera (Rare Earth),  Joey Molland (Badfinger) Burton Cummings (Guess Who),  Mark Lindsay,  and Cory Wells and Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night).

We will not be taking your requests during this Saturday nights show. Even though you can't add to the playlist, I sure hope you will tune in and check it out.  There are so many songs from 1971 that are favorites of mine including:  Get It On-Chase,  Joy To the World-Three Dog Night,  Brown Sugar-Rolling Stones,  It Don't Come Easy-Ringo Starr, What Is Life?- George Harrison,  Have You Seen Her-Chi-Lites,  Me and You and a Dog Named Boo-Lobo,  Roll On-New Colony Six,  Sooner Or Later-Grass Roots,  Wont Get Fooled Again-Who,  Walk Away-James Gang,  Love Her Madly-Doors,  Day After Day-Badfinger,  I Just Want To Celebrate-Rare Earth,  Dont Pull Your Love-Hamilton-Joe Frank-and Reynolds,  Do You Know What I Mean-Lee Michaels,  and Signs-Five Man Electrical Band.  Wrco 100.9 and Wrco.com is where the cool kids will gather Saturday night between six and midnight to hear the greatest songs ever put on vinyl.  The forgottenhits.com-Those Were the Days salute to 1971 is going to be a real bash!

Phil

Saturday nights' Those Were The Days radio show will send me back to the Richland County Fair in 1973.  It was a most exciting time for a boy and one of his first times off the family farm.  This was a highlight of my early social life.  This was a chance to perhaps even meet someone from another school district.  The key was to try and look cool and not get beat up.   As Fall approached in 1973, there were so many radio hits that were running through my head that I was dizzy.  I was even more dizzy after riding the Tilt O Whirl. Some of my favorite songs from this week in 1973 include: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown-Jim Croce,  We're An American Band-Grand Funk,  Get Down-Gilbert O'Sullivan,  Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting-Elton John,  China Grove-Doobie Brothers,  Free Ride-Edgar Winter Group,  Ramblin' Man-Allman Brothers,  Jimmy Loves Mary Anne-Looking Glass,  Brother Louie-Stories,  and My Maria-B.W. Stevenson.

I hope you will join me for another Those Were The Days get together which will feature all of our favorites from the fifties through the eighties.  The best music of the vinyl years.  You can win some great prizes including tickets to the September 19th Red Skelton tribute show in Prairie du Chien.  Join the 'cool kids' club and listen to Wrco 100.9 or wrco.com on Saturday night between six and midnight.

Phil

I hope you will join us for the WRCO 'retro Saturday' lineup this weekend.  Saturdays' With Simo will be back for a full show between 12:30 and 5:00 p, Backtrackin will start at 5:30 p,  followed by a full six hour rendition of Those Were The Days between 6:00 p and midnight.  I will be taking requests during this holiday weekend and I hope you will have WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com turned on during your relaxing time.  You can ask for any song from our fifties through the eighties archives.  The guest band Saturday night will be Night Ranger.  Keri Kelli is a member of that group and he will join me to talk about the bands new album and the iconic songs of their playlist.  They are one of my favorite bands of the 1980s.  Here is what wikipedia says about the group....The quintet is perhaps best known for the ballad "Sister Christian," which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1984, along with several other top 40 hit singles in the 1980s, including "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," "When You Close Your Eyes," "Sentimental Street," "Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Any More)," and "Goodbye." 

I still remember seeing their early MTV videos and really liking the album 'Dawn Patrol' when it first came out.  Those Were The Days will feature a few choice cuts from Night Ranger. Join Those Were the Days Saturday night for a holiday weekend salute to the greatest music ever put on vinyl.  Maybe you will be the winner of one of the six trivia challenges!

Phil

As I traveled on the bus toward the first day of school in 1977,  I was full of 8th grade worries.  Will I have to climb the rope in phy-ed class,  will I vomit when I have to run laps during the first day of football practice,  can I get the padlock on my locker open,  will I be able to avoid the principles office?  These were all legit worries for young Phil Nee, however, I always had songs running through my brain.  In the fall of 1977, there were great ones on the radio.   My favorites from that era include:  Whatcha Gonna Do?-Pablo Cruise,  Strawberry Letter 23-Brothers Johnson,  Dont Stop-Fleetwood Mac,  Barracuda-Heart,  Christine 16-Kiss,  So You Win Again-Hot Chocolate,  Jungle Love-Steve Miller Band,  and Rock and Roll Never Forgets-Bob Seger & Silver Bullett.  Those songs gave me a certain pep in my step as I wandered the halls of I.H.S. in my new polyester school pants.

This week on Those Were The Days, I will spin a few from the late summer of 1977.  You will be able to request any of your favorites from the fifties through the eighties during the show on FM 100.9 and wrco.com.  We will have a full show for the first time in 3 weeks.  The Green and Gold play Saturday at 1 pm and their post game show will be done by 6.  Those Were the Days will begin on time. You can hear your favorite trivia games and be prepared for a 6 hour blast on Saturday night.

Phil

After a week off last Saturday, Those Were the Days will hit the airwaves with hits this Saturday night.  Following the Green Bay game, we will be back to take your requests for your favorite music from the fifties through the eighties.  We will stop and park in 1965 with the radio on.  There were many memorable records on the Billboard Top 100 chart this weekend in '65.  Some of my favorites include:  Help-Beatles,  Satisfaction-Rolling Stones,  Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me-Mel Carter,  I'm A Fool-Dino-Desi-Billy,  I Want Candy-Strangeloves,  I Like It Like That-Dave Clark Five,  In The Midnight Hour-Wilson Pickett,  Heart Full Of Soul-Yardbirds,  and All I Really Want To Do-Byrds.   These are songs that I never tire of.  You can request anything you please from the first four decades of rock and roll during Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com this Saturday night.

Remember to listen for us at the end of the Green and Gold preseason game.  They kick off at 3:25 Saturday afternoon.  We will join you when the game ends.  I will be in the studio again this Saturday night and I hope to hear from you.

Phil

The preseason begins for the Green and Gold this Saturday night.  With the pregame, game, and postgame, it is an eight hour broadcast.  As a result, Those Were The Days will be taking the week off from the WRCO FM 100.9/wrco.com lineup.  NFL preseason football will also be heard on August 21st and that means Those Were The Days will start that night at 9:00 pm.  That will be the next time we take those old records off the shelf.  Thank you for your support of the show.  We have lots of great ideas for themes coming up at the end of the month and this Fall.  In September we will dedicate a night to your favorites from 1971.  Forgotten Hits.com collected your votes and we will celebrate that great year.   If you have any ideas for future programs, please leave a note on this blog or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Phil

There have been many songs with telephone themes.  Saturday night during Those Were The Days on FM 100.9 and wrco.com, I will be spinning a few of them.  The rotary dial phone was my social network when I was growing up.  We had one in the house on the desk in the family room.  There was no privacy if you wanted to try and call for a date.  Later we had one installed in the barn.  That made it easier to make private calls to girl friends!  When I got turned down,  I was only humilated in front of the cows.  Back in the party line days, you had to fight for phone time.  There was a time when we had at least 6 families on the same circuit.   Everyone could hear your conversations if they quietly picked up the receiver.   The neighbor girl had to call her friend just after getting off the bus,  my mom needed to call my uncle and get the latest family news,  the farmer down the road had to call the vet.,  two other ladies needed to talk about their favorite soap opera.  It is hard to remember those days today when everyone walks around with a phone in their pocket.  My mom and dad spent the money and got us our own line as soon as it was possible.  My wife, June, had a party line up until the mid '80's.  That is the last one that I remember.

Join me for music, trivia, requests, and fun this Saturday during Those Were the Days.  Perhaps you can remember a song that is centered around the phone such as; 867-5309 (Jenny),  Sylvia's Mother,  Operator,  Memphis,  Chantilly Lace,  Telephone Line,  Call Me,  Beechwood 4-5789, or I Just Called To Say I Love You. 

You can still call and talk to a real person on Saturday nights when we take requests.  WRCOs' Those Were The Days is a retro show, and we like it that way.

Phil

Saturday night during Those Were The Days on WRCO, my special guest will be John Hall.  John is a former U.S. Congressman and founding member of the group Orleans.  We will talk about the big hits on his resume including: Dance With Me,  and Still The One.  John and his then wife Johanna wrote some amazing tunes and their first song, 'Half Moon', was recorded by Janis Joplin on her 'Pearl' album.  John Hall's new album, 'Reclaiming My Time', is out now.  The title is a phrase used in Congress after being interrupted.

I will be taking your requests for fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties music on Saturday night. You can listen for the 'magic cow bell' and take the trivia challenges.  Those Were The Days is a part of WRCOs'  Retro Saturday and airs between six and midnight on WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com.  Alexa users can enable the WRCO FM Alexa skill and then join us by saying..."Alexa, open one hundred point nine WRCO". You can also listen on your Six Transistor Radio if you like!

Phil

This week on Those Were The Days, I will be pulling out some records from the summer of 1975.  There were many good sounding hits that came through my Panasonic portable radio that year.  When I hear these songs now, my mind takes me back to hot days in the hay field,  baling straw,  riding with my dad in the old farm truck,  my mom buying me new school pants, and black cherry double stick popsicles under the shade tree. 

Some of the hot hits this weekend in '75 included: One Of These Nights-Eagles,  Listen To What The Man Said-Paul McCartney,  Ballroom Blitz-Sweet,  Hey You-B.T.O.,  Magic-Pilot,  Feel Like Makin Love-Bad Company,  Saturday Night Special-Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tush-ZZ Top  and Why Can't We Be Friends-War. 

I will be in the studio to take your phone calls and messages Saturday night.  It is very rewarding to hear from folks from all around this part of Wisconsin and througout the nation.  We salute our on line listeners from the Milwaukee area that often check in. This Saturday night  Those Were The Days will not be going head to head with the Bucks (as we were last weekend) and they will hear us again! How about those Bucks??  Between and six and midnight we will feature the best of the fifties through the eighties, trivia, summer of '75 hits, and all sorts of vintage fun Saturday night.

Phil

Here is just a quick note to say thanks for the great response to this past Saturday nights' show.  We had a great time looking back at the year of 1967.  There were many requests.  It seems that I may not be the only one that thinks that was one of the best years ever for popular music.  I want to give a shout out to Kent Kotal of Forgottenhits.com.  He gave us some good plugs and we get many ideas for Those Were The Days from his website.  Check back later this week for details on this Saturday nights program on WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com.

Phil

The music of summer brings back many memories.  Songs can time tunnel you back.  Saturday night we will fly you back to memories of sun, sand, and songs, during Those Were The Days on WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com.  We have had summer specials over the years.  This week we focus on songs that were radio hits during June, July, and August.  We wont just play songs that have themes of the summer months, we will spin tunes that were hits when you were listening to your AM radio at the pool,  having a coney dog with your date,  piling hay,  or cruising the back roads.  We will float through the decades on our inner tubes during the six hour radio tribute.  You will be able to hear a summer time sweep of top tunes from the late fifties through the late eighties.

I will not be taking your requests this Saturday night.  That feature will return during next weeks show.  Join me for the six hour tribute to summers biggest hits from six until midnight.

Phil

We will have a busy Saturday night this weekend.  In addition to your fifties through the eighties requests, we will spotlight some hot records from forty-five years ago when America celebrated its bicentenial.  When I hear those tunes from the summer of 1976, I am transported back to red, white, and blue, fire hydrants, mail boxes, and billboards.  Some of my favorite radio hits from this weekend in '76 include:  Love Is Alive-Gary Wright,  The Boys Are Back In Town-Thin Lizzy,  You're My Best Friend-Queen,  Takin It To The Streets-Doobie Brothers,  Mamma Mia-Abba,  Fool For the City-Foghat, and Say You Love Me-Fleetwood Mac.  We will countdown the top five from this weekend in 1976 during the Backtracking show at 5:30 Saturday afternoon and that will be the pregame show for Those Were The Days Saturday night.

Saturday, July 3rd, will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Jim Morrison in Paris.  His on and offstage antics have become legendary.  For me, the music of the Doors ranks among the best rock and roll music of all time.  I have been a fan since reading the book 'No One Gets Out Of Here Alive' by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugarman in 1980.  The music of the Doors is not like any other group. Light My Fire is still one of my all time faves.  My favorite Doors album, L.A. Woman, celebrates 50 years this year.  Saturday night during our Those Were The Days radio show, I will play a few Doors classics in honor of Mr. Mojo Risin and his legacy.

I look forward to hearing from you on Saturday night.  Feel free to add to the playlist between six and midnight during Those Were The Days.

Phil

This Saturday night on WRCO FM 100.9, we will be taking two and three minute trips.  We could take the Last Train to Clarksville, and the Midnight Train To Georgia.  Perhaps a stop in Memphis, San Francisco, or  Detroit Rock City will be in the cards.  If we Head East we could go to Ohio, Massachusetts, or get back in the New York Groove.  It will be a fun time during our Those Were The Days retro radio program.  You can tell me where to go!  Request a song from the fifties through the eighties and hear special dedications all evening.

Thank you for a memorable night last Saturday night ,  I heard from a couple of listeners that were members of the class of 1968.  They both said that it was their favorite program ever!  Congratulations to our winners of the trivia prizes.  Some listeners felt that last weeks questions were a bit difficult.  It is tough to come up with questions that can't be looked up quickly.  Some of them need to be debated around the campfire.  Listen for the 'magic cow bell' during Saturday nights' Those Were the Days.

Phil

Hey rock n' rollers!  I hope you will join me for Those Were the Days on WRCO FM 100.9 and wrco.com between six and midnight Saturday night.  We will have a great time playing those old records of the fifties through the eighties.  This week we will go back to the Top 40 survey from the third week of June 1968.  Many of the songs on the chart during that time are still very well known today.  These songs remind of the carefree summers of my youth swimming in the Willow Creek.  It was a treat to go to one of the local small grocery stores in Sextonville, Ithaca, or Twin Bluffs.  A cold bottle of Ski, Double Cola, or Hillbilly grape pop from the cooler was a real thrill.  A double stick black cherry popsicle bought from the traveling ice cream man who also brought regular groceries to rural areas.  The family Sunday drives on backroads without a specific destination were much fun.  It seems noone does that anymore.  Some of my favorites from this week in 1968 include:  Think-Aretha Franklin,  Tighten Up-Archie Bell and the Drells,  Reach Out Of the Darkness-Friend and Lover,  Jumpin Jack Flash-Rolling Stones, I Love You-People,  Lady Willpower-Gary Puckett,  Choo Choo Train-Box Tops, Sky Pilot-Eric Burdon, and I Will Always Think About You-New Colony Six.

I hope you join us for radio fun Saturday night.  The action packed night will feature trivia challenges.  We will be giving away some cool stuff.  The party starts with Those Were the Days on WRCO.

Phil

Saturday night on WRCOs' Those Were The Days, we will cruise back to the summer of 1981.  You can request any radio hit from the fifties through 1990 and our featured year will be the second year of the eighties.  When I look at the radio charts for the second weekend of June, I am right back hauling hay,  weeding corn,  tending the hogs, and going on dates.  Most of the time I showered before those night time ventures.  I remember attending the Dane County Junior Fair and seeing Air Supply in concert.  They were one of the top selling groups of the year and their song, The One That You Love, was riding high on the chart in the month of June.  Rick Springfield was one of the top artitsts of that time on radio and television.  Chicago area band Styx had one of the top songs 'Too Much Time On My Hands'.  REO Speedwagon (also from Illinois)  had the must have album of the year (Hi Infidelity).  Other Phil Nee faves that blasted out of the speakers in '81 include:  Stars On 45 (medley)- Stars On 45,  This Little Girl-Gary U.S. Bonds,  You Make My Dreams-Hall & Oates,  The Waiting-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,  Winning-Santana,  Gemini Dream-Moody Blues,  The Stroke-Billy Squier,  and What She Does To Me (The Diana Song)-The Producers.

We will join you with radio hits and trivia between six and midnight Saturday night for the next Those Were The Days show.  I hope you will play along with our trivia games and perhaps you will recall happy thoughts from years gone by.  Congrats to our winner of the Starlite 14 Drive-Inn Encore Live concert giveaway from last weeks show.  We hope that Katie will enjoy the Florida Georgia Line concert and all of the special nights at the local outdoor theater.

Phil