SOCK HOP SATURDAY NIGHT with Mark Edwards

TRIVIA, FACTS AND LITTLE THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT SOCK HOP SATURDAY NIGHT

Since the show began back in 1994, there has never been a guest host to do the show in Mark's absence. During vacations Mark either ran a pre-recorded show or an "encore performance" of a previously aired program. (Carl Sicinski sat in as a guest CO-host in 2006.)
The first song played on Show #1 was Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets.
During a department head meeting on the Monday following the first show, his former program director claimed the program would never last because the music "was weak".
Another show attempted to cash in on the success of Sock Hop when WDRC-FM in Hartford launched "The Sunday Night Sock Hop with Mark Andrews." The show has since been canceled.
When Mark won second place in both "Best DJ" and "Best Radio Personality" in the annual Fairfield County Weekly's Best Of contest, his former program director chastised him saying he "wasn't entitled to win."
Only four recording artist interviews have aired on the program.
Mark once staged a "walk-out" during a show in the mid 90's causing the station requests lines to become flooded for nearly an hour, even after announcing it was all a joke. (Dean Mercier assisted.)
During the first 7 years of the show, Mark used to drag his entire record collection into the studio for a show, plus a full computer setup. Everything then had to be setup during a five minute news broadcast before the start of the program.
When the show was first launched, Mark's record collection totaled approx. 2,500 songs (the current number is over 10x that).
Chubby Checker once recorded an interview for the show but Mark decided at the last minute not to air it since Chubby's body of musical worked turned towards hip-hop.
The show ran for 13 years without a direct sponsor.
The show was simulcast on WFAS-AM in Westchester for a short time. When the show was abruptly canceled there, Mark was the last to find out, only hearing the news the following day from his NY board operator.
When Mark was the subject of an interview he was asked if he really hated his former program director. In typical quick-witted Mark Edwards style, he shot back "only his guts", causing the live audience to howl with laughter.
When the show aired from April 2 1994 - April 1, 2000 it was five hours in length. When it returned in 2001, it was shortened to the current four hours.
Mark's insider's slang for the constant negative comments from his former program director is "Curtisizms".
Fred Loulis created the current Sock Hop Saturday Night database program for the record collection.
Larry O'Neill created the programs that run the request inputs against the database, as well as the exclusive "browsable and searchable database" used on this website.
During the first 10 years at WICC, Mark hosted one exclusive remote broadcast of his show.
During the current 4 year run at WLNG, Mark has hosted at least 6 remote broadcasts.
The record number for requests played in a single night is 101 (during a five-hour program).
During the first 8 months of the show, the official closing theme song was Les Elgart's Bandstand Boogie.
The very first Sock Hop Saturday Night website was designed and created by Joy Miller of Fall River, MA.
Mark was reportedly the first on Connecticut radio to broadcast the news that Princess Diana died from the injuries suffered in the Paris car crash. His announcement came with 8 seconds of the newsflash appearing on the studio printer.
The greatest distance reported for a request from the air signal came from a listener driving a car on the Mass Pike.
Mark once threatened to cancel a free Las Vegas vacation when he learned that his former Program Director has secretly contacted a part timer to host the show in his absence rather than air his pre-recorded program. The PD withdrew the plans and Mark indeed went to Vegas.
On the program following the 9/11 attacks, Mark felt compelled to open the show with something befitting the moment and read a syndicated newspaper piece called "An open letter to the terrorists" that originated in Florida. It stated America's resolve to stand together and bring those responsible to justice, and denounced the atrocity of the acts that killed thousands. The following Monday his former PD reprimanded him for reading the article, asking how dare HE read something that poignant and not save it for the morning host. Mark almost quit that day.
Nearly 2 years later on September 11, 2003 Mark was released from the employ of his AM station because he "didn't look happy."
Mark appeared on the front page of the Connecticut Post in August of 1997 in connection with the 20th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. No other station air personality has since graced that front page.
If the WLNG programming schedule remains intact for the next 6 years, the 1000th Sock Hop show will air on August 2, 2014. There are (penciled in) plans to retire the show that day.
Although he now denies having a single specific favorite, Mark had mentioned several times that his all time favorite song was Jackie Wilson's Reet Petite (1957).