Vik Venus
Encyclopedia
Jack Spector was an American
radio
disc jockey
.
Spector began his career in 1955 and in 1961 became one of the original WMCA
Good Guys. He was working as a DJ
in New York when he released a single
in 1969 on Buddah Records
as "Vik Venus, Alias: Your Main Moon Man". The single was called "Moonflight", and it was a novelty
"break-in" record
in the style of Dickie Goodman
, whereas a reporter asks the astronauts questions about a fictional "Achilles moon flight
", with the responses taken from snippets of popular song
s of the day. All response fragments used for this record are from previous hits on Buddah. The record peaked at #38 on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
chart
.
After WMCA moved to a talk format, Spector went to WHN
, then a vocal-based easy listening station. He remained for a while after WHN became a Country music station in 1973. In 1974, Jack Spector left WHN to go to WCBS-FM
where he hosted a 1955-1964 based Oldies show called "The Saturday Night Sock Hop" and another regular weekend shift. He was also a full-time swing host there, filling in for various airstaffers over the years. In 1983, Cousin Brucie began doing every third Saturday night of the month. Spector remained at WCBS-FM until the Spring of 1985.
In 1985, Spector was at WNBC
as the original host of "Sports Night", eventually replaced by Dave Sims
. He went then to WPIX-FM, which was playing an adult contemporary format. Upon their flip to NAC
and soon after to smooth jazz
, he became one of the first air personailties on CD 101.9
. Spector also worked as an optician
when he was not on the air.
Late in 1988, Spector left WQCD and joined the staff of WHLI
on Long Island, NY playing an Adult Standards
format. That station began mixing in more rock and roll oldies by the early 90's. After a few Radio Greats Weekends at WCBS-FM, Jack Spector returned as a part-time swing announcer there in 1993 while woring full-time at WHLI. On March 8, 1994, shortly after starting a recording of Louis Prima
's "I'm In The Mood For Love
", he suffered an apparent heart attack
and collapsed to the floor. Following a long silence after the song had finished, radio station employees ran into the studio and found Spector on the floor. Attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was 65. He is buried at Beth Moses Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
.
Spector began his career in 1955 and in 1961 became one of the original WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
Good Guys. He was working as a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in New York when he released a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1969 on Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
as "Vik Venus, Alias: Your Main Moon Man". The single was called "Moonflight", and it was a novelty
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
"break-in" record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
in the style of Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, whereas a reporter asks the astronauts questions about a fictional "Achilles moon flight
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
", with the responses taken from snippets of popular song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s of the day. All response fragments used for this record are from previous hits on Buddah. The record peaked at #38 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
After WMCA moved to a talk format, Spector went to WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
, then a vocal-based easy listening station. He remained for a while after WHN became a Country music station in 1973. In 1974, Jack Spector left WHN to go to WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM
WCBS-FM is a CBS-owned radio station in New York City. The station's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in Manhattan, and its transmitter is located on the Empire State Building....
where he hosted a 1955-1964 based Oldies show called "The Saturday Night Sock Hop" and another regular weekend shift. He was also a full-time swing host there, filling in for various airstaffers over the years. In 1983, Cousin Brucie began doing every third Saturday night of the month. Spector remained at WCBS-FM until the Spring of 1985.
In 1985, Spector was at WNBC
WNBC (AM)
WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
as the original host of "Sports Night", eventually replaced by Dave Sims
Dave Sims
Dave Sims is an American sportscaster. He currently is the television play-by-play commentator for the Seattle Mariners, the radio play-by-play man for Sunday Night Football on Westwood One, and the host of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K on Sirius XM Satellite Radio...
. He went then to WPIX-FM, which was playing an adult contemporary format. Upon their flip to NAC
NAC
NAC may refer to:* Natural Area Code, a proprietary geocode system for identifying an area anywhere on the Earth* National Agency Check, part of a National Agency Check with Local Agency Check and Credit Check for a U.S. Security Clearance...
and soon after to smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
, he became one of the first air personailties on CD 101.9
WQCD
WEMP , known on-air as FM News 101.9, is an all-news radio station located in New York City. WEMP is owned by Merlin Media LLC, and has studios located in New York's West Village neighborhood. WEMP's transmitter is located at the Empire State Building...
. Spector also worked as an optician
Optician
An optician is a person who is trained to fill prescriptions for eye correction in the field of medicine, also known as a dispensing optician or optician, dispensing...
when he was not on the air.
Late in 1988, Spector left WQCD and joined the staff of WHLI
WHLI
WHLI is a radio station located at 1100 AM broadcasting a standards format. Licensed to Hempstead, New York, the station has its studios in Farmingdale, New York and is owned by the Long Island Radio Group, itself a subsidiary of Barnstable Broadcasting....
on Long Island, NY playing an Adult Standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format. That station began mixing in more rock and roll oldies by the early 90's. After a few Radio Greats Weekends at WCBS-FM, Jack Spector returned as a part-time swing announcer there in 1993 while woring full-time at WHLI. On March 8, 1994, shortly after starting a recording of Louis Prima
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
's "I'm In The Mood For Love
I'm in the Mood for Love
"I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular song. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was published in 1935. It was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie Every Night at Eight released that year...
", he suffered an apparent heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and collapsed to the floor. Following a long silence after the song had finished, radio station employees ran into the studio and found Spector on the floor. Attempts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was 65. He is buried at Beth Moses Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
.
Sources
- Joel WhitburnJoel WhitburnJoel Carver Whitburn is an American author and music historian.Whitburn founded Record Research Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1970, and put together a team of researchers to examine in detail all of Billboards music and video charts...
, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th edn, 2000