My school bus driver listened religiously every morning . Always quiet on the bus during animal stories because everyone wanted to hear it . Takes me way back.
I was too young to fully understand Larry Lujack and these Animal Stories; I used to listen to our bus driver playing this in the morning on the way to school. Man these are HILARIOUS!!!!!!
Gods, I loved Animal Stories. Larry was a magnificent beast of a human, and I loved his show. I even loved the feud with Steve Dahl and Garry Meier. Those were some entertaining times, before anyone heard of a personal computer, and people thought an Internet was a safety device for high-wire acts and trapeze artists.
My Summer construction jobs were halted at 9:40 instead of 10:00 so we men could hunker over the radio and laugh our asses off listening to WLS and uncle Lar and Lil’ Tommy!
Used to listen to these stories early mornings in 1984 while living in St. Louis. While in the U.S. Navy in Spain (1985-87), I ad a friend who let me record two of the "Animal Stories" albums.
Tommy's laugh was a big part of why it was so funny - his laugh is contagious as all get out, the perfect counterpoint to Larry's sarcastic, deadpan delivery. Check out Vol 3 Side 2 at the very end, the "Situation Adaptability" bit...perfect example. This was pure talent at work. RIP Superjock - you are sorely missed.
I remember Uncle Lar & little Tommy doing Animal Stories with a live call to Disney World. They had a live interview with Micky Mouse. Little Tommy asks Micky Mouse "Why doesn't Donald (duck) wear any pants?" Mickey Mouse --- long pause --- and then says in a normal voice "We can't answer those kind of questions". ROTFLMAO. Uncle Lar & Little Tommy LTFAO. Fortunately I recorded that one. Have to dig it up :) Great stuff!!!
WLS 89 AM Chicago is a 50,000 watt all clear radio station. When the sun goes down, the signal can be heard nationwide. I used to listen to WLS when I lived in Mesquite, TX.. John Records Landecker was the DJ. I have read his autobiography "Records is truly my middle name." Records is not a stage name or fictitious name. His mother's maiden name was "Records." The acronym "W-L-S" is an acronym for "world's largest store." The Sears tower in Chicago, renamed "Willis Towers" was even taller than the twin towers in NYC. I remember 911 too well. I was working at Taco Bueno #3092 on Montfort. Rigo Castro was our GM. His sister in law, Deysi Escalante worked there also. We didn't sell any tacos that day. We kept the radio on ALL DAY LONG. WLS was a music radio station that played top 40 when Landecker was on. I used to listen to his "Boogie checks" every night. Today it's an ABC radio all talk radio station. Just like ABC ch. 7 in Chicago. In Dallas, the ABC station has been the Belo WFAA 570 AM station ch. 8 for a few days now. 50 years ! David S.
I LOVED Animal Stories. I was lucky enough to meet Uncle Lar and Little Tommy back in the dark ages when I was in highschool. They were 2 if the nicest guys I ever met.
we'd listen to this at work, and my co-worker and I would be slapping the desk, holding in the snorting, and be clenching our stomachs, bent over in pain. Horse & motorcycle rider at the RR crossing was the best. You made Beer-town better!! ( I wonder how they ever rehearsed this or even got through the production meeting.)
i'll always remember their bit when ferdinand marcos was ousted. and all the listeners called in with stories. "ferdinand marcos was a champion of scientific research. he was trying to develop a burnless cigarette. sadly he wasn't having much luck. but he was determined to keep testing."
The best part, of course, is where Little Tommy keeps pulling Uncle Lar back into the hornet story. Tommy, who's accustomed to being Uncle Lair's compliant listener. Asking, "yeah, tell us again about that part where you were a worthless chicken shit...didn't you want to add anything to that?" "...that part about where you pussed out...you surely didn't just COMPLETELY puss out, right? right?"
Boogie Check Boogie Check Ooh Aah, Boogie Boogie Check Ooh Aah! Animal Stories. Americana Panarama. Shiny new dimes. Uncle Lar. Lil snot nosed Tommy. A golden era for radio, and for living in the "Chicagoland area"... summers in a small town, radio on with Old Uncle Lar and his side kick Little Snot Nosed Tommy Edwards, Brant Miller, Jeff Davis, John Records Landecker, Bob Sirott, Yvonne Daniels, Les Grobstein... wake up, turn on the radio with the whole summer day in front of you, listen the DJs, songs & commercials because it felt like a community... in those days you would hear Bobby Darin's Mack the Knife then Springsteen's Born To Run, then Styx' Babe, then Off Broadway's Stay in Time, then Nicolette Larson's Lotta Love or KC & the Sunshine Band or Zeppelin or Olivia Newton John... you heard it ALL then you listened to commercial spots for Fayva Shoes or a jingle like "Truuuuuuue Value hardware is more than just a name, its a way of doing business that means Truuuuuue Valuuuuuuooooh". Always got a small laugh at Uncle Lar's insistence at finishing every sentence with "Lil Tommy"... "Says here that the Chinchilla had constipation Lil Tommy..." Its all part of one great memory... now back to Animal Storrrrrrrrieeees lil Tommy
I clicked like on your comment JUST because you made so many memories flood back with "Boogie Check Boogie Check Ooh Aah!" Then I read the rest of your post and now you can just consider this a "double like". Thanks for the post HF.
Great album! used to have 'til the racoons pissed on the box I had in storage with my albums in it. lost 40 of 'em.... some collectors, dammit! What happened to Vol. 1 Side 2?
Unfortunately, side 2 is not on this recording (or anywhere to be found right now). Volume 1 side 2 actually contains (per the vinyl release): 1. Dog on the Dashboard 2. Wild Hog 3. Snorting Frogs 4. Donkey Droppings/Frozen Turkey 5. Dairy Cows 6. Martina's Dog 7. Earthquake Pig 8. Sacrificial Pigs/Killer Groundhog 9. Heroic Hen 10. The Schnoodle 11. The Sewer Rat 12. Mice in Home Ec 13. Mike the Headless Rooster As of this posting, vol 1 side 2 seems to be nowhere on RU-vid.
Being in high school in Chicago from 1975 -1979, this show was popular with all the students. Than WLS WAS A ROCK AND ROLL STATION WITH THIS ROLLING ON ? IN THE AFTERNOON. Fantastic unlike post 85 when it dropped rock and roll. Later, post 1999 no music and far right crazy conservative. Now they pump real lies . Stupider than Lujack's , but not as fun .
