Stone Pony concert celebrates night Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes made radio history

Do you remember rock ‘n’ roll radio?

Deejay Lee Mrowicki sure does, and he remembers his role in the biggest night of Asbury Park rock 'n' roll radio history. The night Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes held their record release show for the “I Don't Want to Go Home” album on May 30, 1976 at the Stone Pony. It was simulcast to cities across the country and it put the Sound of Asbury Park on the map.

In a quirk of circumstances, the Asbury Park-based WJLK (now 94.3-FM the Point) broadcast the show after New York City giant WNEW-FM turned it down. They wanted Bruce Springsteen to sign a contract stating he was going to perform even though it was a Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes show, said Mrowicki.

“They wanted an actual contract,” Mrowicki said. “Everybody knew he was going to be there anyway because he always jumped on stage with Southside back in those days so there was no need for that.”

Mrowicki,  who was attending Monmouth College, was also working part-time at WJLK, which had both an AM and FM signal. The station general manager asked if the station was equipped to broadcast the concert and Mrowicki said yes.

“The biggest problem was WJLK was not in stereo,” Mrowicki said. “It was AM and FM but FM was mono so what actually happened is Epic Records brought some equipment for us to do a simulated stereo broadcast. It was called an Orban Parasound.”

Members of Springsteen's camp, including engineer Bob Clearmountain, helped out with the technical details as wired though the WJLK remote van. The show was simulcast to nine stations across the country by Westwood One, and the the simulcasting of concerts became more common in the industry after the Southside show. Ed Sciaky of WMMR-FM in Philadelphia and Kid Leo of WMMS-FM in Cleveland were the hosts of the national broadcast and Mrowicki hosted the proceeding for WJLK.

Springsteen, Lee Dorsey and Ronnie Spector all performed, in addition to Southside and the Jukes.

“I think the radio show went on at 10, so it went on for only an hour,” Mrowicki said. “Then they took a little break and played a second set and then afterward, because place was open until 5 in the morning, Mad Dog (Vini Lopez) and the Shakes were the last band to go on. They probably didn't go on until 2 in the morning.”

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The city had announced extended last call times for the '76 Memorial  Day weekend from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Listeners on the radio heard first hand of the vibrant Asbury Park music scene. Springsteen's “Born to Run” was released the previous summer and now here was a new star, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes with LaBamba and the Hubcaps, featuring Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg, Mark Pender and Bobby Bandiera, play Saturday, Aug. 31 on the Stone Pony Summer Stage, steps away from where the radio show concert took place inside.

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The show is celebrating the ‘76 broadcast as part of the Pony's 50th anniversary. It was opened in February of 1974 by founding owner Jack Roig.

Mrowicki soon became the house deejay after the Jukes broadcast and he's the man who's rocked the Pony more than Springsteen. He's also a scout for the Chicago Cubs and host of  Radio Jersey, which features classic and new Jersey artists via www.asburymusic.com.

He's set to tell his Pony story -- and he's seen it all -- in the upcoming new book, “Pony Tales.” Mrowicki will be spinning infront of the soundboard on Saturday.

“Come on over and say hello,” Mrowicki said.

Go: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes with LaBamba and the Hubcaps featuring Bobby Bandiera, 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 (Billy Walton Band plays 11 p.m. inside after the show), Stone Pony Summer Stage, 913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park. $50 in advance/$65 at the door. www.stoneponyonline.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Stone Pony concert celebrates night Southside Johnny made radio history