#4M FREEBIE week Rick Dees with encouraging #Sparks & #BoTB results

I invite you to plug-in with the “Sparks” community hosted by my good pal, Annie at McGuffy’s Reader where you can energize your soul and make the world a little better with sparks of encouragement. Let’s make the world a better place, one person at a time beginning with #1! 😉

Howdy, Kittens & Dawg! It’s great seeing you on the dance floor but before we begin boogieing, let me recap last week’s BoTB and if you missed it then you can click on Angel in…Venus in… & Forever in… Blue Jean song showdown to catch up.  After listening to all three songs for myself, I decided to go with Angel in Blue Jeans making the final tally…

Angel (Train) – 5
Venus (Barry Mann) – 4
Forever (Jason Castro) -2

I thought it was going to be a stall with no winner until the vote was broken on Friday between Train and Mann. So, Thank you, Michele!

Congratulations go to Train in the 2018 BoTB Round 2 victory! Here’s another angel themed song title by the winner, Calling All Angels.

Alrighty, now let’s slip on our blue suede shoes for “freebie” week on Monday’s Mewsic Moves Me. That’s right, it’s your choice, so have fun!

Please read….This is a weekly hop for mewsic enthusiasts regardless if you follow our weekly theme if you have tunes to share then we’re ready to dance with you. Otherwise, I ask that you do not link non-related posts below to boost traffic to your site. You’re welcome to leave your URL in comments with a brief description inviting me (and others) to check it out. Thank you!

Now, I invite you step on the floor with my dance partners:  XmasDolly, Stacy, & Colette!

Warning! Warning! This is gonna be a long one. So, unwind and enjoy! The last time we had freebie week, I shared 1975-1976 #1 One-Hit Wonders. You may recall, Disco Duck, was on that list and if not, then now you know the source of my inspiration.

#1 US pop charts for 10-weeks in 1976; also appeared in Saturday Night Fever movie and soundtrack (1977) as did Dr. Disco.

I vividly remember it and whoever said if you remember the 70s you weren’t really there is just crazy because I was definitely there! Last year, I started the Whatever Happened to series and I intended doing a feature on Rick Dees, so this sat in draft for days…weeks…and months. So, now is the time to dust this piece off and put it out there for y’all to enjoy.

Ricky Dees is a radio personality raised in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel HIll where he got a B.A. in motion pictures, television, and radio.  He started his radio career in Memphis, Tennessee at WMPS in 1968.

It’s funny during the height of the Disco Duck no one in Memphis played Dees song for fearing of prompting his station WMPS and they didn’t play it, either. Dees announced while on air that his song was almost #1 and his station wouldn’t allow him to play it. He got fired over his on-the-air comment. They said Dees song was a conflict of interest for the station and that’s  why they wouldn’t allow him to play it. Maybe it was a conflict of interest for Dees but I think it would’ve helped WMPS a lot.  Could not another DJ at the station played it?  Disco Duck is a fun novelty song that got me to the dance floor when I was a teen and it brings a huge smile to my face every. time. I hear it.

Other Dees’ songs to chart include: Dis-gorilla (1977) at #54,  Bigfoot, (1979)  ranked #110, Get Nekked (1984) charted #104, and  Eat My Shorts (1984) hit #75.

In 1979, Dees wrote and performed the title song for the movie, Meatballs, (listen below) but we didn’t see the film until years later so this was fascinating to learn.

More tunes cataloged… the only one available on YouTube is Hurt Me Baby Make Me Write Bad Checks (1983) and the others I found available for purchase The Put It Where the Moon Don’t Shine (1984) – Discogs , I’m Not Crazy (1985) –  Discogs, Rick Dees’ Greatest Hit (The White Album) – Discogs, and Spousal Arousal (1996) – Ebay. I wish I could’ve found an internet file for each to share with you but at best you can buy these from the various sources mentioned.

Dees took to the open road on a short concert tour billed as Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots from Disney World to New York. After Dees’ WMPS non-compete clause satisfied, he picked up another gig at another station in Memphis RKO Radio to do the morning spot on WHBQ AM 560.  Pruitt moved away before Disco Duck exploded and didn’t go on tour. Instead, Dees used Michael Chesney, a guy who did earlier comic voices for him on his radio show. The stuff that builds careers followed Dees after the tour. The success of Dees radio presence in Memphis, TV guest appearances, and hit music motivated the owner of RKO to offer him the morning show at 93KHJ AM in Los Angeles. Dees boosted ratings for the new station but by this time FM radio broadcasting pushed AM radio out the door.

In 1981, Dees took another morning spot with KIIS-FM turning it into a #1 revenue generating radio station in America, with an asset value approaching half a billion dollars. Dees garnered many accolades, including Billboard Radio Personality of the Year for ten years in a row.

Dees has a bit of history in front of the camera. On the boob tube, he hosted his own ABC late-night show, Into the Night Starring Rick Dees, in the early 90s which got cancelled after one season because of low ratings. He made guest appearances on Roseanne, Married with Children, Cheers, and Diagnosis: Murder to name just a few but what I remember him mostly for is his host spot one Solid Gold.  What I didn’t know was he did some animated character voice overs for The Flintstones (Rock Dees) and Jetsons: The Movie (Rocket Rick). On the big screen, he had a small role in LaBamba as LA DJ, Ted Quillin.

Rick Dees kicked off his current radio gig with the Weekly Top 40 Countdown in 1983, a syndicated program heard in more than 200 cities worldwide and the Armed Forces Network. Don’t ya just love a patriotic guy? Did you know DH was DJ for a summer? True, true. The girls loved him. He even had one gal invite him away for the weekend. He was only 17 at the time. lol

Anywho, Dees is a very interesting person and I stumbled on famouspeople.com to learn these facts about his life away from radio.

  • Businessman & entrepreneur. Fine Living Network (lifestyle cable/TV network) co-founder, as well as founder of The Dees Digital Network (DDN).
  • He raises crops and cattle in central Kentucky. He loves water skiing and golf. Plus, he knows his way around a kitchen with a fetish for chocolate pastries. No, not as a connoisseur but a chef. Now, that’s what I’m talking about!
  • Dees serves in the Christian organization, Young Life, and is a Boy Scouts of America member earning his Eagle Scout rank when he was 15. He was actually honored by the Scouts with The Americanism Award, and the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award last month. Cool, right?
  • Lives in LA with wife, Julie McWhirter, a comedienne/impressionist. They have a son, Kevin, co-host of the Weekly Top 40 show with pops.

I don’t have the radio tuned in unless in the car even then I just let DH put it where ever he wants it. It’s been years since I’ve listened to Rick on the radio, so I thought I’d share his December 10th YouTube show with you I found on YouTube. Well…I had a video on here until it got yanked and I got a ‘BROKEN LINK” warning which left me with removing it because it didn’t work. I looked for an alternative to slip in its place but I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, so…I’m sorry ’bout that!

I hope you liked (re)discovering Rick Dees with me. You can find him on Facebook and Twitter. If you’d like to listen to more Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 archives on the TopTracker YouTube channel.

Having a rockin’ good day. I hope you’ll return tomorrow for more fun with another issue of “Get to Know Me 2018” with Cathy Chats!

X💋X💋, Cathy

  

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32 comments

  2. Close battles are always the most fun. And I picked the winner, too. 🙂 I remember Rick Dees and that awful (in my opinion, anyway – not a fan of the genre) Disco Duck song. LOL Interesting to learn he had other songs and was so active on TV as well.

    1. Debbie,

      It seems people either like or hate “Disco Duck”. True, it’s a silly song but then again I’m a silly person. I guess that’s why I like it. lol I love a close battle just as long that it doesn’t end in a tie. Thanks for stopping by to learn the results, my friend!

  3. Thank you, Cathy. Just for being a Spark everyday. You rock, my friend. Truly. Thank you.

    1. Annie,

      What a sweet compliment to be called a “Spark”! You’re way too kind. 🙂 Thanks for visiting and fun with your new WordPress blog, dearie!

  4. The “rest” of the Disco Duck story. Shared this with my hubbie. Yes, this is quite a story. (and, true confession, I love disco, and I like Disco Duck!)

    1. Stephen,

      A tight battle is fun but it drives me a bit crazy because I don’t want a tie. I did find peace when I thought it would do just that, though. I’m glad Michele gave us a winner with her vote. 🙂

  8. Hey Cathy!
    Awesome post! First of all, thanks for the mention. 🙂 I’m very happy I was able to break the tie…and my choice won too! Yay! Love that song by Train.

    Second, Wow, wow, wow: how cool: a post on Rick Dees! I hadn’t thought of him in ages. I really enjoyed learning more about him and his career history. I was always very familiar with him, having worked in radio myself. I worked in radio back in the mid 80s through mid 90s at Classic Rock WCXR in Washington, DC and Z102 Classic Rock in Austin ,,, and a short stint at a CHR station in Austin as well (in sales, not on-air but we were all family and the departments worked closely together…and I hung out with several of the DJs socially. They are a wild and crazy bunch!) The on-air business is a very fickle business: it’s tricky: one day you’re on top and the next day you’re nobody. It’s crazy!
    Thanks for sharing Rick Dees’ story. What an illustrious career! And thanks for featuring Disco Duck! That’s such a fun song.

    I like the “What ever happened to…” concept! Very cool.
    You rock Girl!
    Have a great week.

    Michele at Angels Bark

    1. Michele,

      I was happy to tell everyone that your vote sealed the deal for Train. 🙂 I know what you mean about Rick Dees. I was the same way and I can’t remember now but something stirred my thinking one day, no doubt it was a 4M theme, and I went looking for info on Dees. I, too like the “Whatever happened to…” series line and maybe I’ll bring it back but for now I’m looking for ways to bring back an older blogging style. How cool you worked in radio! That must have been interesting work. Thanks for dancing with me!

  9. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things. It was a week ago when my mom passed away and I am now feeling that strong sense of sadness. It made me smile to see you speak about Disco Duck. I liked that song when it came out because I thought it was so bad it was good and even bought a record with all the hits of that year

    1. Birgit,

      No rush, dearie! Perhaps blogging about your mother will be therapeutic. I know when my brother passed I found it helpful to talk about him; sharing memories with family and friends was a way to celebrate his life. It gave me a lot of comfort. It made my heart smile while allowing me to grieve at the same time. It’s a bittersweet process to say goodbye to someone you no matter the age or the circumstances. I’m glad Rick Dees and his funky “Disco Duck” sparked a little cheer for you. You’re in my thoughts and prayers. God bless and thanks for visiting, sweet friend!

  11. Risk Dees was out of work for only a matter of hours. Memphis rival station WHBQ hired him, put him straight into the same drive time slot, and WMPS was never heard from again, in the realm of commercial radio.

    I was there, living in Memphis, for all of this. Before Rick Dees came to town, we had Scott Shannon, doing week nights, from 7:00 until midnight. How cool is that?

    1. Myke,

      That’s very cool! Rick Dees seems like an interesting fellow and I learned a lot of neat things about him. Thanks for sharing your experience of Dee’s Memphis career in Memphis. Have a good day!

  12. Leave it to my Cathy to ROCK THE HOUSE! Disco Duck oh my gosh I haven’t heard that in years. I didn’t know there were other versions! hahahaha I’ve got the flu and leave it to my dear friend to put a smile on my face… You’re the best girlfriend!!! BIG HUGS….

    1. Marie,

      How are you feeling? I’m sorry you have the flu. I hope you’re well again soon. I heard the flu is horrible this year. Just take it easy. The important thing is to get you all better! Sending hugs to you, my friend!

    1. John,

      Yeah, Annie sent me word that she moved but I forgot to update her link. I’ll do that momentarily. I love the idea of my “Whatever Happened to…” series and I hope to bring it back again in the near future. Thanks for stopping in for a visit and spin on the dance floor, my friend.

  17. One of my older brothers had a record with disco duck on it and I used to love putting it on just to hear that track, so this post has transported me back in time in a big way.
    Love your spark – I shared that same quote on facebook recently as it’s what I hope for all of us this year.
    Have a great week Cathy.

    1. Pamela,

      “Disco Duck” is a silly song and I found people either love it or hate. I like it, too. It’s just a fun tune and boy, do I remember loving to dance to it! Thanks for visiting!

  18. Great post, Cathy!

    I have always secretly liked Disco Duck as well. I learned so many new and interesting things about Mr Dees today. Thanks so much for sharing the information, and grooving to the music with us!

    ~Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle

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