Logo for CKLW AM Windsor. By CKLW – http://www.am800cklw.com/UserFiles/Image/am800_off_full.jpg, Public Domain, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18018137

CKLW (800 AM) is a commercial radio station in Windsor, Ontario, serving Southwestern Ontario and Metro Detroit. It is now owned by Bell Media and has a news/talk radio format. This blog is discussing CKLW when it was under previous ownership – back in the day 😉

Windsor is the fourth largest border city media market in Canada. In the 60’s and early ‘70s, prior to Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) Canadian content requirements, Windsor’s CKLW was known as “The Big 8” and was the #1 radio station in Detroit and Windsor. CKLW’s 50,000 watt signal covered Southwestern Ontario in Canada and Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania in the USA. In the early 1970s, the station had one of the largest cumulative audiences in North America until the CRTC mandated that radio stations follow Canadian Content rules.

To learn more about CKLW back in the day and the Rise and Fall of the Big 8 visit:

Visit Internet Archive for a link to: Jim Edwards, Ed Mitchell, CKLW (Top 100 Of 1968) Windsor/Detroit, December 31, 1968 (Unscoped)

by CKLW Airchecks – The Big Eight

The top 45 on the 100 playlist: 1 Beatles – Hey Jude 2 Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine 3 Bobby Goldsboro – Honey 4 Human Beinz – Nobody But Me 5 Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue

6 Herb Alpert – This Guy’s In Love With You 7 Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson

8 Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. 9 Johnny Nash – Hold Me Tight 10 The Doors – Hello I Love You 11 Hugh Masekela – Grazing In The Grass 12 Irish Rovers – The Unicorn 13 Johnnie Taylor – Who’s Making Love 14 Richard Harris – MacArthur Park

15 Tommy James & The Shondells – Mony, Mony16 Aretha Franklin – Since You’ve Been Gone 17 Jose Feliciano – Light My Fire 18 1910 Fruitgum Co. – 1 2 3 Red Light

19 Temptations – I Wish It Would Rain 20 Mason Williams – Classical Gas 21 Small Faces – Itchycoo Park 22 Amboy Dukes – Journey To The Center Of The Mind

23 Dionne Warwick – Theme From Valley Of The Dolls 24 Bob Seger – Ramblin’ Gamblin Man 25 Hugo Montenegro – The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly 26 The Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love 27 O.C. Smith – Little Green Apples 28 Mary Hopkin – Those Were The Days 29 The Foundations – Baby Now That I Found You 30 Gary Lewis – Sealed With A Kiss 31 The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown Fire 32 Dion – Abraham, Martin & John

33 Archie Bell & The Drells – Tighten Up 34 Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine 35 Otis Redding – Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay 36 Carl Carlton – Competition Ain’t Nothin 37 The Delfonics – La La Means I Love You 38 Friend And Lover – Reach Out Of The Darkness 39 O’Kaysions – Girl Watcher 40 Detroit Emeralds – Show Time 41 Buena Vistas – Here Come Da Judge 42 Simon & Garfunkel – Scarborough Fair 43 O.C. Smith – The Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp 44 The Fireballs – Bottle Of Wine 45 The Intruders – Cowboys To Girls

To listen to the playlist visit Internet Archive:

https://archive.org/details/jim-edwards-ed-mitchell-cklw-top-100-of-1968-windsor-detroit-december-31-1968-unscoped

Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8 by MarkhamStreetFilms Published on Feb 19, 2009

We couldn’t talk about Windsor’s glory days without discussing CKLW, “The Big 8”, and the legendary Rosalie Tremblay CKLW Music Director – “The Girl with the Golden Ear” and renown as the “Queen of the Top Forty Charts”. Windsor’s powerful signal helped artist on either side of the border reach a larger audience and gain the exposure they required to achieve success.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s CKLW was an internationally known radio station ranked in the Top 40 station.

To follow is the dedication of Rosalie Trombley’s Commemorative Statue by the City of Windsor:

Zenith Royal 750 All Transistor Long Distance Portable Radio This Zenith Royal 750 upgrade version of the Royal 700 Series was the popular choice for wealthier individuals in 1957. They referred to them as “Lunchbox Radios” because of their compact size 9 inches wide. The 750 upgrade has 8 transistors. Back in the day these deluxe long distance portable radios sold for 79.95 which would be between 500 and 600 U.S. Dollars today.

Here is a tribute to Rosalie Tremblay on Youtube:

Another tribute to Rosalie Tremblay:

ROSALIE TREMBLAY (1939-2021):

Rosalie Tremblay, was the Canadian music director of CKLW AM when it was a “Top 40” radio station CKLW, also known as “The Big 8”. Tremblay started out as a switchboard operated and rose to become one of the greatest and most influencial program directors of all time. Rosalie worked at CKLW from 1968 to 1984.

Thanks to Rosalie numerous artists and bands, such as Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Bob Segar, Skylark, and The Foundations gained greater recognition. Many hit singles were spun by CKLW after being chosen by the music ear of Rosalie, who helped countless artists get discovered and/or become chart toppers.

Bob Seger even wrote and recorded a song about Rosalie Tremblay entitled “Rosalie:”. It wasn’t aired on the Big 8 during her time there. The song later was covered and made famous by THIN LIZZY an Irish rock band that was formed in Dublin in 1969.

Here’s a list of some of the great singles spun by CKLW thanks to Rosalie’s musical ear:

Bob Seger: The single ‘Ramlin Gamblin’ Man’ by The Bob Seger System was a number one hit on the CKLW chart in February 1969. Other chart toppers by Seger: Get out of Denver, Ivory, Katmandu. Lucifer, Looking Back, Night Moves, Nutbush City Limits, You’ll Accomp’ny Me.

Elton John: Sir Elton Hercules John, British singer, songwriter and pianist. Apparently Elton wanted Rosalie to spin “Candle in the Wind” but she chose ‘Benny and the Jets’. Elton performed the song live on “Soul Train” an american musical variety television show with live performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The show was recorded in Chicago, aired on a Detroit TV channel and was very popular with Windsorites back in the day.

Marvin Gaye: Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. One of his singles that made the CHUM Charts was an all time great song, ‘I heard it through the Grape Vine’ and who doesn’t lose their mind when they hear that tune.

The Foundations: A British soul band, out of the United Kingdom. They were the first multi-racial group to have a number one hit in the UK in the 1960s. They were all experienced and talented professional musicians. They successfully imitated the motown sound. Some of their popular hits were ‘Back on My Feet Again’ and ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’.

The O’Jays: An American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958. They made the CHUM top 100 with their singles: ‘Backstabbers’ and ‘Love Train’.

Skylark: A Canadian pop and rock band active from 1971 to 1973 out of Vancouver, BC. ‘Wildflower’ is their biggest hit. It was written by a rookie police man in Victoria, BC for his girlfriend. The song writer gave it to his friend David Foster who along with his associate Doug Edwards set it to music. It is one of the most performed Canadian sons of all time.

Dick Purtan – Radio Hall of fame

Dick Purtan an American radio personality and host who worked at CKLW/Detroit-Windsor and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. Purtan is remembered by many Windsorites and morning drive listeners who started their mornings with laughter thanks to Dick Purtan’s live radio call pranks:

CKLW Big 8 Break of The Day – Episode #25 – The Dick Purtan Show