John Records Landecker

John Records Landecker (born March 28, 1947) is a Top40/Oldies disc jockey best known for creating "Boogie Check," "Americana Panorama," and satirical songs and bits based on current events such as "Make a Date with the Watergate," and "Press My Conference." He currently hosts a TKO Radio Networks syndicated weekend radio program called Into the Seventies which he has hosted since July 2007.

"Boogie Check" was a hilarious feature, the last thing Landecker did each night for about two minutes. A string of brief telephone calls was put on the air in rapid succession.

Biography

Landecker began his radio career while in high school at a station in Ann Arbor, Michigan (WOIA-FM/WOIB-AM, now respectively WWWW-FM and WLBY). He attended Michigan State University, working at stations in Lansing (WILS) and Philadelphia (WIBG, now WNTP) before becoming the evening jock on the 50,000 watt WLS 890 which broadcast from Chicago, Illinois in 1972 [1]. The powerful WLS clear channel signal reached across 38 states after sundown, giving Landecker ratings that are unheard of in this day. In 1981 Landecker left Chicago for a stint on CFTR 680 in Toronto, Ontario. Landecker returned to Chicago radio in 1984 on rocker WLUP 97.9 and WAGO (now WCFS-FM) 105.9. Landecker returned to WLS in 1985 and remained there until WLS switched to an all-talk format in 1989. After spending time in Cleveland at WPHR, 107.9 (now WENZ), he returned to Chicago in 1993, beginning a ten year run on Oldies 104.3 WJMK where he was the morning drive D.J. until 2003. While on WJMK, his show received the Achievement in Radio award of "Best Morning Show in Chicago" in 1997, and Radio and Records Award of "Best Oldies Morning Show in America" in 2001 and 2002. In 2006 Landecker started on True Oldies 94.7 WZZN (now WLS-FM) in Chicago where he was the weekday afternoon D.J. from 3-7pm until October 10, 2007. Landecker is working on a joint venture with former WLS colleague Turi Ryder for newstalk radio. In his spare time John enjoys rebuilding Swiss clocks and smoking his own pancetta. [2] John also does the afternoon show from 3 pm to 6 pm central with Paula Griffin on 1420 WIMS AM in Michigan City Indiana. Questioned throughout his career about the origin of his middle name, it was not, as most assumed, a stage name. His mother's maiden name was Records and was given to him at birth. "Records truly is my middle name" was a saying Landecker frequently used on the air.

Facts

• During his time in Toronto, John did a funny two-minute bit called 'Trudeau Talks Cute' in which he would ask set-up questions that would be followed by a tape recording of Canada's then-Prime Minister, the very popular Pierre Trudeau. The initialism of 'Trudeau Talks Cute' was TTC, which was also used to play up the often-unpopular Toronto Transit Commission.
• When at WILS Radio (Lansing, MI), John would intro his show using a megaphone to simulate an old-time barker's voice. Called the "Radio Leviathan," John talked over openings in the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
• While doing the morning show at WJMK, he would start the "5:30 club" by having co-host Richard Cantu begin his normal newscast, then interrupt him by saying "This is Anarchy! This is Rebellion!" and stating he was tearing up the list of scheduled songs and would play listener's requests instead. He abandoned this feature soon after 9/11.
• As of October 16, 2009, John Landecker announced he was leaving WIMS 1420 AM in Michigan City, Indiana, for a new job. Landecker hinted it was a "colder place" than Indiana and was moving. Fargo turned out to be a disaster and Landecker returned to WIMS 1420 AM in Michigan City with 2 weeks and currently (as of 3/10) is on the air from 3 PM until 6 PM along with Paula Griffin, a Michigan City radio legend.
• Father of actress Amy Landecker.

External links

• WLS Big 89 Rewind, 2008
• WLS Big 89 Rewind, Memorial Day 2007
• John Records Landecker Gets Gross on You Tube (WJMK, Chicago and Nude Hippo TV)
• John Records Landecker Diet Coke Volcano on You Tube (WIBC, Indianapolis)
• REELRADIO Top 40 Radio Repository (for Landecker airchecks from the 70's and 80's, type WLS or Landecker into site's search option)
• Scott Childers' History of WLS Radio
• Jeff Roteman's WLS website
• WLS Radio Timeline
• John Records Landecker aircheck (WLS, Chicago, January 1972)
• John Records Landecker aircheck (WLS, Chicago, August 1975)
• John Records Landecker aircheck (WLS, Chicago, January 1986)
• Amy Landecker bio
• WIMS AM 1420 The Talk of the South Shore