November 1, 2007

Cousin Brucie and The Four Seasons

November 1st, 2007

Cousin Brucie Fan Club 45 record

The Daily Record has an interesting update on longtime American radio personality “Cousin Brucie” Morrow, who is the author of a new book, “Doo Wop: The Music, the Times, the Era” (Sterling Publishing Co., $24.95).

The 1960s was Morrow’s era on radio. His fans grew up with his nightly 7-to-11-p.m. show on powerhouse Top 40 station WABC.

The Four Seasons, currently back in fashion thanks to the Broadway show Jersey Boys, were always Cousin Brucie fans. They even recorded a theme song for him, which appears on their recent Jersey Beat box set.

“They gave me a gift back in the ’60s,” Morrow said. “Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli brought me up a reel-to-reel tape. They gave me this theme. I played it right away. It became so successful that it became almost as successful as one of their songs. This theme has followed me with everything I do.”

David Cace says Cousin Bruce is right–the 4 Seasons Cousin Brucie “Go Go” theme song became very popular in 1964. Because of its popularity, WABC Radio put put out on a flimsy yellow 45 rpm record and offered it to its radio audience if one became a member of the “Cousin Brucie Fan Club.” Although David was more of a Murray The K guy than a Cousin Brucie guy, he says he would have joined the Boston Red Sox Fan Club to get the record!

Thank you to David for sharing this photo of the Seasons’ “Go Go” theme song record!

Here’s a sample of The Four Seasons’ Cousin Brucie theme song:

Please note: Users of Internet Explorer 7 may receive a security warning. Fear not–click “OK”–it is safe to listen.

13 Comments »

  1. One of the treasures of the new Rhino Box set is the inclusion of the Cousin Brucie theme. I was not lucky enough to get it in 1964, never had the chance to tape it, so this inclusion makes the set extra special.

    Comment by JIm Hicks — November 3, 2007 @ 5:11 am

  2. The Cousin Brucie Go Go Theme was also on the Rarities Volume 1 on Rhino released in 1990.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — November 3, 2007 @ 7:03 pm

  3. Murray Kaufman, AKA Murray The K, had a more understated air personality than Cousin Brucie. I was too young to remember Alan Freed on the radio but my understanding is that Murray The K was more or less a direct disciple of Alan Freed. This is understandable since 1010 WINS, now the all news station in NY, hired Alan Freed in 1954 and WINS also later had Murray The K and Cousin Brucie before he went to WABC. Actually, when Alan Freed left WINS, Cousin Brucie took over Alan Freed’s coveted 7-11 time slot and Murray The K had the time slot after Cousin Brucie.

    I am not a radio DJ historian by any stretch, but it is fairly common knowledge that there was some bad blood between Cousin Brucie and Murray The K. Eventually Murray The K took over the 7-11 time slot on WINS from Cousin Brucie and Cousin Brucie then found himself in Florida before getting a call from WABC who was languising in the ratings in the late 50s and decided to make a big push in 1960 and hired Herb Oscar Anderson in the AM, and Dan Ingram in the afternoon, and Scott Muni from 7-10 and Cousin Brucie from 10-12. Scott Muni, ever the rebel, had some trouble with WABC management and Cousin Bruce eventually took over the 7-10 time slot in 1964 I believe and stayed there for 5 years or so and was No. 1 in his time slot for many years. I recall reading that Cousin Brucie’s Saturday night show had 25% of the NY radio audience for a few years.

    To his credit, Cousin Brucie was not involved in any of the “payola” scandals of the late 50s and early 60s unlike Alan Freed and Murray The K, who eventually “copped a plea.” Of course, I never knew anything about that as a 12-13 year old kid in 62 and 63. I was just impressed with “Murrayzah The Keeazay” (phoentic spelling) and his “Ahhh Bay! Unh! Ahhh Bay! Unh! Koo EE Sowa Sowa” (again phoentically spelled). I don’t know what that meant, if it meant anything at all, other than an attempt to sound cool.

    How did Bruce Morrow become “Cousin Brucie”? The story I have heard was that in the late 50s one could go to the radio station and see the DJs do their shows in the sound proof booth. One night between records, an elderly African American woman asked Bruce if he believed that all people were really all related to which Bruce responded “Yes.” The woman said something like thank you “cousin.”
    Bruce never forgot that and a few days or weeks later he changed his on air name to “Cousin Brucie.”

    Hopefully some of the more knowledgeable rock and roll historians can add to my meager understanding of this.

    Comment by David Cace — November 11, 2007 @ 9:31 am

  4. David, you’re the best; thanks for the info. I too was a huge Cousin Brucie fan (born Bruce Meyerowitz, of course), not only from the radio, but because my Aunt Bella (who died in 1995) went to the same beauty parlor on Avenue X in Brooklyn as Bruce’s mom…I met her once as a teenager and can’t recall her first name (and neither can my cousin–Bella’s daughter– whom I just called). Any Brooklynites out there remember the Meyerowitz family?

    Comment by Howard Tucker — November 11, 2007 @ 12:27 pm

  5. Hi there
    I am trying to find outr where in the NY /NJ area
    we can go to hear music of the fifties/sixties ,
    I heard this music with cousin Brucie and PJ Levinsky and I loved it anyone out there know where they hold this concerts?? I hope to hear from anyone this music rocks!!!!!!!! Shiela

    Comment by Shiela Liotard — April 18, 2008 @ 5:46 pm

  6. Shiela

    Use the search capabilities on your computer – but some quick references for you are richardnader.com, and Dick Fox. They are producers who put on Oldies shows. Also check out Planotones.com or Kenny Vance. Most of the other groups still performing have web sites too like the Duprees, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge, Lou Christie etc.

    Comment by David Cace — April 19, 2008 @ 10:04 am

  7. This discussion brings to mind a personal memory of the time I met Murray the K when he was hosting some event I attended in probably the mid- to late-seventies (I don’t even remember what it was). I got to go onstage with him to claim my prize – a 45 of “Oh How Happy” which he then autographed for me on the label. I won it by being the first to call out the answer to his challenge to name the one-hit-wonder artists who recorded that song.

    And in this group I know I don’t even need to tell you the answer. I used to think I know a lot about the music of this era, but I see that here, I’m high school while Howard, David, Ted, Len, and Charles are the graduate course.

    Comment by stubbleyou — April 20, 2008 @ 5:18 am

  8. Thanks for the praise, stubbleyou. You’re a fast learner. You’ll have your Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Ph.D. in no time.

    Meanwhile, is there a thread on Joey Reynolds and the Four Seasons? I’ll have to look in case I missed it. Joey was at the opening show on Broadway and of course, also had the “Big Girls Don’t Cry” adaptation as his theme song.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — April 20, 2008 @ 12:57 pm

  9. “You’re a fast learner. You’ll have your Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Ph.D. in no time.”

    Thanks, Ted. I could be wrong, but I get the impression the rest o’youse got a few years on me. I just need a little – you know – guidance ;-) .

    Comment by stubbleyou — April 22, 2008 @ 1:02 am

  10. Some corrections to comments by David Cace:>>”–Bruce eventually took over the 7-10 time slot in 1964 I believe and stayed there for 5 years or so”

    Comment by NLeibo — June 9, 2008 @ 3:58 pm

  11. Here we have a one of a kind telethon set, autographed by the legendary radio disc jockey, “Cousin Brucie”. This telethon equipment has been used over the years to raise millions of dollars for Variety the Children’s Charity of New York, a non-profit organization that has granted millions of dollars to more than 50 organizations and programs who serve disadvantaged children in the tri-state area. “Cousin Brucie” is a long term friend and serves as Chairman of the Board of Variety the Children’s Charity. All of the money raised from the sale of this set will go directly to the children that we serve. This set can be easily re-designed to meet your specific needs.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320319075924&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

    Comment by VarietyNewYork — November 24, 2008 @ 10:51 am

  12. Hi is there any way one can buy cd’s of the 50′s and 60′s music we hear on the serious radio I really love the music and grew up with it I’am 62 years young. Also can I buy The Jersey Boys on DVD.

    Comment by sarah — September 14, 2009 @ 9:19 pm

  13. Even though I lived in Columbus, OH, I was a BIG Cousin Brucie fan. I wanted to join the Cousin Brucie Fan Club and get a copy of the Cousin Brucie Go Go. I was REALLY upset that I had to go to a business in New York City to join the club and I had no way to get there. 50,000 watts reaches a lot farther than New York City!

    Comment by Dave W. — November 2, 2012 @ 8:56 pm

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