If you're an upper Midwesterner of my age, you might appreciate this

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I remember this from TV broadcasts of Minnesota Twins games in the early 1960s

 

[PcflEZFlng]

I can think of soooo many TV ads from that era that shout "Minnesota." Here are a couple of jingle/catchphrases you probably remember: "Northwestern National Bank, may we help you today?" "Electricity is penny-cheap from N-S-P today!" (Northern States Power using the Reddy Kilowatt character). And the Schweigert Meat Company, who placed this print ad during the 1965 World Series (though sadly the company only predicted the Twins' appearance, but whiffed on their prediction of winning):

 

[slip]

Yep, brings back memories. Hamms sponsored the Cubs too but I am a White Sox fan.

 

[mentalbreak]

Not quite as old, but sing it with me:
We’re gonna win Twins, we’re gonna score
We’re gonna win Twins, watch that baseball soar
Knock out a home run, shout a hip-hooray
Cheer for the Minnesota Twins to-day!!!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

"Electricity is penny-cheap from N-S-P today!" (Northern States Power using the Reddy Kilowatt character).

My great aunt Minnie worked for NSP for years as a secretary/office clerk. Above the mantle on her fireplace she had a glow-in-the-dark Reddy Kilowatt figure. How cool was that!!!!

 

[PcflEZFlng]

My great aunt Minnie worked for NSP for years as a secretary/office clerk. Above the mantle on her fireplace she had a glow-in-the-dark Reddy Kilowatt figure. How cool was that!!!!

Very cool!!

Remember the Northwestern National Bank weather ball? It would change colors based on the Weather Bureau forecast.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I can think of soooo many TV ads from that era that shout "Minnesota." Here are a couple of jingle/catchphrases you probably remember: "Northwestern National Bank, may we help you today?" "Electricity is penny-cheap from N-S-P today!" (Northern States Power using the Reddy Kilowatt character). And the Schweigert Meat Company, who placed this print ad during the 1965 World Series (though sadly the company only predicted the Twins' appearance, but whiffed on their prediction of winning):

View attachment 41335

Do I remember that 1965 season!!!!

I still remember listening on the radio in Game 7, Koufax pitching for the Dodgers. About the middle of the game, and Zoilo Versailles is up for the Twins with two men on base and the Twins down by a couple. Versailles hits a screamer to 3rd, but Gilliam is playing close to the line and makes a diving stop on what would otherwise be a double, likely tying the game. And that pretty much is the end of the season for the Twins.

The play occurs at about 1:27:40 in the video below. But to get the full flavor of the half-inning, I suggest starting at about 1:15:40. with narrative by the incomparable Vin Scully. And the shots of Koufax during the inning, combined with Scully's narrative, are simply masterful. Looking at this video now I'm struck by how evocative a simple narrative is, Vin Scully's verbal restraint combined with minimal video graphics, is remarkable.

 

[DrQ]

When we would vacation in northern Minnesota in the summer fishing for Walleye and Sauger, we would drink these brands (but don't get caught on the Canadian side of the Lake):

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Remember the Northwestern National Bank weather ball? It would change colors based on the Weather Bureau forecast.

Oh yeah!!!

And Boone and Erickson on WCCO in the morning.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I remember that Grain Belt sign!!!!

 

[PcflEZFlng]

Yup. I remember both Schmidt and Grain Belt beer, and especially Hamm's. (Well, just the signs and the ads, wasn't old enough then to drink it!)

 

[PcflEZFlng]

Oh yeah!!!

And Boone and Erickson on WCCO in the morning.

Being a life-long weather geek (thanks, Minnesota), my favorite weather personality was Bud Kraehling on WCCO Channel 4 (along with Dave Moore for news and Hal Scott for sports).

 

[PcflEZFlng]

And Boone and Erickson on WCCO in the morning.

"Your good neighbor to the Great Northwest, at eight-three-oh, W-C-C-O!"

 

[vikingsholm]

"When you're out of Schmidt, you're out of beer."

Hamms had neon signs hanging in all the bars with sparkling waterfalls in motion coming down into a lake in the forest. Better commercials than Schmidt too.

First color TV I ever watched, as a kid, was when our next door neighbors got a big old console unit for the '65 world series. Unfortunately, Sandy Koufax put an end to the Twins that year.

 

[vikingsholm]

Dave Moore, Pat Miles, Bud Kraehling....names I haven't thought about for decades.

 

[vikingsholm]

"When you're out of Schmidt, you're out of beer."

Hamms had neon signs hanging in all the bars with sparkling waterfalls in motion coming down into a lake in the forest. Better commercials than Schmidt too.

First color TV I ever watched, as a kid, was when our next door neighbors got a big old console unit for the '65 world series. Unfortunately, Sandy Koufax put an end to the Twins that year.

Oops, that was "when you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer". Pretty much the same thing anyway, weak and watery brews.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Being a life-long weather geek (thanks, Minnesota), my favorite weather personality was Bud Kraehling on WCCO Channel 4 (along with Dave Moore for news and Hal Scott for sports).

The sister of one of my childhood best buds (whom I still check in with when I go back to MN) is Barry ZeVan's widow.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I also remember Boone and Erickson doing an improv off of "Walking in my Winter Underwear". If my memory is still intact, in the 1960s the Boone and Erickson morning show on WCCO had an astounding 40% market share.

In mid 1970s, living in SoCal, I listened to Lohman and Barkley on my way to work. I thought they were almost as good as Boone and Erickson. If Boone and Erickson had been working in a major market, such as Los Angeles or New York, they would have been more well-known. But maybe one of the reasons they were so good is because they were so grounded in the Midwest.

I think of them as I think of the WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey Drop episode or the best and most intimate of Garrison Keilllor's Lake Wobegon stories. That kind of stuff can only be done by someone who knows and understands that part of the world.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

"Your good neighbor to the Great Northwest, at eight-three-oh, W-C-C-O!"

That was how I learned about "clear channel" radio. In the Twin Cities, WCCO and WDGY were clear channel stations, which meant they were 50,000 watt channels, 24 hr/day. WDGY was a top 40 hits station, and their competition was KDWB, a 5000 watt station which had to scale back to 500 watts after sundown.

I built a crystal radio from a kit. I hid it under my bed covers and I would scan to see what I could pick up after dark. I could easily pick up WLS out of Chicago, and KMOX out of St. Louis,. If atmospheric conditions were particularly good I could pick up Wolfman Jack out of Tijuana and a station in Hawaii that played a lot of Don Ho.

 

[vacationtime1]

Oops, that was "when you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer". Pretty much the same thing anyway, weak and watery brews.

Thanks for fixing that; you had me doubting my own memory.

In Detroit, where I grew up, it was Stroh's beer.

 

[DrQ]

Thanks for fixing that; you had me doubting my own memory.

In Detroit, where I grew up, it was Stroh's beer.

In Chi'town, our regional brews that were sold:

• Old Style (Lacrosse WI)
• Hamms (St Paul MN)
• Stroh's (Detroit MI)
• Falstaff (St Louis MO)
• Red White & Blue (Milwaukee WI)
• Meister Brau (Chicago IL)
• Pabst Blue Ribbon (Milwaukee WI)

Budweiser, Miller and Schlitz were national brands.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

That was how I learned about "clear channel" radio. In the Twin Cities, WCCO and WDGY were clear channel stations, which meant they were 50,000 watt channels, 24 hr/day. WDGY was a top 40 hits station, and their competition was KDWB, a 5000 watt station which had to scale back to 500 watts after sundown.

I built a crystal radio from a kit. I hid it under my bed covers and I would scan to see what I could pick up after dark. I could easily pick up WLS out of Chicago, and KMOX out of St. Louis,. If atmospheric conditions were particularly good I could pick up Wolfman Jack out of Tijuana and a station in Hawaii that played a lot of Don Ho.

Yup, same here regarding clear channel stations. WCCO could be heard across the Dakotas and out to Montana. WDGY and KDWB were the top 40 stations I listened to, along with WLS Chicago and KAAY Little Rock at night.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

I also remember Boone and Erickson doing an improv off of "Walking in my Winter Underwear". If my memory is still intact, in the 1960s the Boone and Erickson morning show on WCCO had an astounding 40% market share.

In mid 1970s, living in SoCal, I listened to Lohman and Barkley on my way to work. I thought they were almost as good as Boone and Erickson. If Boone and Erickson had been working in a major market, such as Los Angeles or New York, they would have been more well-known. But maybe one of the reasons they were so good is because they were so grounded in the Midwest.

I think of them as I think of the WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey Drop episode or the best and most intimate of Garrison Keilllor's Lake Wobegon stories. That kind of stuff can only be done by someone who knows and understands that part of the world.

My family and I moved to San Diego in the early 1970s, when I was an early teen. So my favorite weather personality shifted to Doug OIiver at KFMB-8 (he was well-loved here, as was Bud Kraehling in the Twin Cities), and my top 40 AM stations became KGB and KCBQ, along with KHJ Los Angeles. Switched to FM stations a year or two later.

 

[MrockStar]

Thanks for fixing that; you had me doubting my own memory.

In Detroit, where I grew up, it was Stroh's beer.

Yes, Stroh's beer fire brewed, while listening to CKLW the big 8. Great times. Also a fan of hams beer Which I still drink. Its a little hard to find here in Detroit.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Yup, same here regarding clear channel stations. WCCO could be heard across the Dakotas and out to Montana. WDGY and KDWB were the top 40 stations I listened to, along with WLS Chicago and KAAY Little Rock at night.

In the 1960s, the WDGY transmitter towers were located on a field next to I-35W at about 94th Street in Bloomington. There were lots of situations of their signal leaking into other audio equipment.

The church that my family attended was located at 92nd and Lyndale, and the signal often came through the speakers. I remembering one time listening to a sermon while the Stones "Let's Spend the Night Together" was clearly audible in the background.