Dr. Johnny Fever (WKRP in Cincinnati) | 3 hour show
The Doctor is In: Stitched from TV Clips, the 3-Hour “WKRP: Johnny Fever Mix”
This audio creates the Ultimate Fictional Radio Broadcast. For fans of the classic television sitcom *WKRP in Cincinnati*, the tragic reality of modern streaming and physical media is the loss of its original soundtrack.
Due to notoriously messy copyright and licensing disputes, standard re-runs and home video releases stripped out the actual 1970s and 1980s rock tracks, replacing them with generic, lifeless elevator music.
However, an incredible fan initiative called **Radio Retrofit** has single-handedly solved that problem.
Created by college and community radio producer Jon Nelson, the **”WKRP: Johnny Fever Mix”** seamlessly edits together a 2-hour and 58-minute live broadcast that lets the legendary Dr. Johnny Fever (played brilliantly by the late Howard Hesseman) host a real radio show once again.
Behind the Recording: How It Was Made
The “Johnny Fever Mix” is a massive feat of audio engineering. Jon Nelson pulled audio from every single radio booth scene and DJ break across the entire four-season run of *WKRP in Cincinnati*.
Instead of letting the clips fade out when a TV scene cut to commercial, Nelson tracked down the original, full-length, unedited album tracks that “The Doctor” introduced on-air. He perfectly matched Hesseman’s voice tracks—including his improvised intros, overlays, and record scratches—right into the actual songs.
To make it feel like a real, uninterrupted radio block, the mix operates under a brilliant narrative concept: Johnny Fever is slogging his way through an exhausting triple-shift during a major Cincinnati snow day.
The broadcast is peppered with classic *WKRP* universe depth, featuring:
* **Fictional news updates** from the bumbling Les Nessman.
* **Station promos and mid-song chatter** from nighttime DJ Venus Flytrap.
* **Hilariously terrible, low-budget local advertising spots** that originally aired during the television show.
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The Playlist: What The Doctor Prescribed
Because the show’s creators allowed Howard Hesseman to choose much of his own music on set, the track-list functions as an incredible time capsule of late ’70s and early ’80s album-oriented rock (AOR), rhythm and blues, and early new wave.
The complete 2-hour and 58-minute mix features over 40 tracks. Built chronologically from every on-air booth break in the series, the playlist mirrors the exact musical progression of *WKRP in Cincinnati*.
The Heavy Rockers & AOR Hits
These are the loud, high-energy album rock tracks that Johnny used to signal that the station’s format had officially changed to rock:
- * **Ted Nugent** – *”Queen of the Forest”* (The historic first rock track played on the show)
* **The Rolling Stones** – *”Shattered”*, *”Beast of Burden”*, and *”Bitch”*
* **Boston** – *”Don’t Look Back”*
* **Creedence Clearwater Revival** – *”It Came Out of the Sky”*
* **Styx** – *”Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)”*
* **The Cars** – *”Just What I Needed”*
* **The Knack** – *”Good Girls Don’t”*
* **Eddie Money** – *”Think I’m In Love”* and *”Shakin'”*
* **Billy Squier** – *”In The Dark”*
* **Def Leppard** – *”Photograph”*
* **ZZ Top** – *”Sharp Dressed Man”*
Rhythm, Blues, & Early Rock ’n’ Roll
Johnny Fever frequently went back to his roots, spinning classic R&B, blues, and early rockabilly records late into his shifts:
- * **Ray Charles** – *”What’d I Say”*
* **Junior Walker and the All Stars** – *”Shotgun”*
* **Martha Reeves & The Vandellas** – *”Nowhere to Run”*
* **Sly & The Family Stone** – *”Remember Who You Are”*
* **Dr. John** – *”Keep That Music Simple John”*
* **Bonnie Raitt** – *”Runaway”*
* **Jerry Lee Lewis** – *”Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee”* and *”Rockin’ My Life Away”*
* **Freddie King** – *”I’m Tore Down”*
* **Chuck Berry** – *”Rock And Roll Music”*
* **Elvis Presley** – *”Jailhouse Rock”*
Deeper Cuts & New Wave
As the series progressed into the early 1980s, the music reflected the emerging sounds of the new decade:
- * **The Police** – *”De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”*
* **The Doors** – *”Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)”* and *”Light My Fire”*
* **Bob Dylan** – *”Gotta Serve Somebody”*
* **The Cure** – *”Boys Don’t Cry”* (Woven in as a real-life period continuity easter egg)
* **Nick Lowe** – *”They Called It Rock”*
* **Huey Lewis and the News** – *”Do You Believe in Love”*
* **Paul McCartney** – *”Take It Away”*
The Finale
- * **Steve Carlisle** – *”WKRP in Cincinnati Main Theme”*
- (The full, long version closes out the broadcast as the triple-shift ends)
> **Note:** You can view the full interactive tracklist breakdown by visiting the official **Aw Phooey Radio Retrofit Archive**.