1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
It was always a real treat when radio stations I listened to wound up putting out their own musical collections. Q107 did some originals, of course, with their Homegrown albums that were a major highlight and highly promotable in the 70s.
(Courtesy: Discogs)
But my favourites - and they didn't happen that often - were the ones offered by CHUM and CFTR at the height of their rivalry. I'm not entirely sure of the year, but when 1050 switched to an all oldies format, they put out a kind of "best of" CD that encompassed some of the big hits they were playing from the 50s, 60s and 70s. It even included interior liner notes, which wasn't something you often saw in a CD in those days. 
Not to be outdone, CFTR countered with its own 60's album - although being on vinyl, I suspect this one actually came out first. 
This LP also contained some tiny fine print.
With music now so easily available on the web, I'm guessing those promotional days are done. Many stations throughout North America used to do them. Now, like the music that's on them, they've become oldies themselves.
- Forward Power
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
The CFTR '60s Album looks pretty much identical to the one my parents had from Montreal's CKGM, back when it was still at 980 on the dial.
Changing formats now, in the '90s, we had copies of two CDs released by Barrie's CHAY-FM, as part of their "Project Easy" Canadian Talent Development initiative... one was titled "Blue Mountain Blue", and the other "Bright Lights From Huronia", on which my musician uncle (who recently moved back to the Collingwood area) played in a few songs, notably covers of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" and Don Henley's "The End Of The Innocence". Discogs.com has that latter CD listed here.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
It was as far from rock as you could get, but CHFI had a series of "Candlelight & Wine" LPs, based on the old Don Parrish show.
[img]():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2826723-1302805896.jpeg.jpg[/img]
- •
Thread Starter- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
I know CHUM had its own record label at one point. Was it called Hutchum? (They were always making anagrams of the word "CHUM," which is where the "Much" in MuchMusic came from. But I'm not 100% sure that was the name of the label.)
This is from 1970.
- •
Thread Starter
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
Never knew CFNY got into the record game. What was on the LP? Was it, if you'll pardon the expression for CFNY, "favourite hits" or original material?
- •
Thread Starter- Lorne
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
RadioActive wrote:
I know CHUM had its own record label at one point. Was it called Hutchum? (They were always making anagrams of the word "CHUM," which is where the "Much" in MuchMusic came from. But I'm not 100% sure that was the name of the label.)
It was called "much", and it was shown on the record labels in the same style that "chum" was shown on the CHUM Chart.
- kosmo
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
NY put out a number of CDs including a collection called "Hardest Hits" which are now some collectors holy grail.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
I know CHUM had its own record label at one point. Was it called Hutchum? (They were always making anagrams of the word "CHUM," which is where the "Much" in MuchMusic came from. But I'm not 100% sure that was the name of the label.)
It was called "much", and it was shown on the record labels in the same style that "chum" was shown on the CHUM Chart.
Hmm. Outside of a few Pagliaro and Copper Penny releases, I don't see any hits there. Is that what sunk the label? Despite its name, that list doesn't show it had "Much" success.
- •
Thread Starter
- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
I know CHUM had its own record label at one point. Was it called Hutchum? (They were always making anagrams of the word "CHUM," which is where the "Much" in MuchMusic came from. But I'm not 100% sure that was the name of the label.)
It was called "much", and it was shown on the record labels in the same style that "chum" was shown on the CHUM Chart.
CHUM also owned a few sub labels of the much brand, Sweet Plum, much international, and french label Fleur. They closed the record labels and publishing companies in early 1975. Much records and Much Productions were based out of Montreal. Much Productions released the first three or four April Wine albums but under the Aquarius label which was owned by Donald K. Donald.
CHUM did continue with the compilation albums as seen above and the very successful Much Music albums and CD's. Many of these were multi platinum and a few sold over 1 million copies in Canada with the fairly rare diamond recognition.
Last edited by paterson1 (May 22, 2023 10:21 am)
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
It's not just Toronto. A lot of radio stations used to put out their own LPs in the glory days of AM Top 40 and FM.
[img]()%3Aformat(jpeg)%3Amode_rgb()%3Aquality(90)%2Fdiscogs-images%2FR-3510823-1489140965-6440.jpeg.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=92698875a23eb2b8e3f73c1a77fc04999a9f71ffe1325f9e2d6fc4fb1818571b&ipo=images[/img]
- •
Thread Starter- Marsden
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
RadioActive - the pic on the right is the other side of the album. It shows you some of the tracks that were on that album. As far as I remember we only did it once......I think they may have released a cassette at some point after I left the building. :-)
Last edited by Marsden (May 23, 2023 1:10 am)
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
Another offshoot of this category - DJs who were big enough stars to get their own theme songs, often by famous groups. The Four Seasons were responsible for two of the best. One for Cousin Brucie at WABC, the other for Joey Reynolds at WKBW. Reynolds used this for most of the rest of his career. (Although the latter is mostly instrumental past the opening lyrics, where Joey would talk over it and do some shtick.)
And then there were the Rockin' Rebels, whose "Wild Weekend" was originally an intro for Tommy Shannon's show on WKBW, but became a nationwide hit. Not sure if anyone else ever did that with a DJ theme song.
- •
Thread Starter- markow202
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
Ive seen quite a few of the Q107 records and CHFI candlelight series records at record stores/antique markets. I have a LP that Boom 97.3 put out back in approx 2015.
- boom boy
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
You can still buy the boom LP!
- Forward Power
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
Some others I'd seen in the flesh, both released by CHUM, were a "BOB FM" compilation in the early to mid 2000s (I own a copy of that disc), and in the late '80s or early '90s, a "Homegrown" album by Peterborough's 1420 CKPT... once spotted a copy of it in Music World at Peterborough Square, where CKPT and sister CKQM then had their studios in the mall's office tower.
- ckg927
- Member
Offline
Re: When Local Rock Radio Stations Put Out Their Own LPs/CDs
At my alma mater(Buffalo State), their radio station(WBNY-FM)put out album of local music in 1988 titled We Killed McKinley. The most notable artist on the 12-track album? The Goo Goo Dolls.
If you do a search for that album, you'll find a site that is selling vinyl copies of it. Don't ask me how good the condition of said album is.
Last edited by ckg927 (May 23, 2023 6:13 pm)