O’Donnell: When ‘Go, Cubs, Go’ was nearly lost to the Beach Boys
ONE MORNING IN THE WINTER OF 1986-87, Dan Fabian was overflowing with excitement as he dialed the sports media desk of The Daily Herald.
At the time, Fabian was one of the hottest radio programmers in America.
His WGN-AM (720) was an imposing market leader in Chicago and one of the top billing stations in America. He had just helped steer the delicate morning-drive transition from the mythic Wally Phillips to Bob Collins.
ON THE SPORTS SIDE, he assisted in WGN's reacquisition of Bears' play-by-play after eight seasons in exile lost among the time, temperature and traffic on the 8's of WBBM-AM (780).
To cap that coup, he wired together the imaginative booth of incoming Wayne Larrivee, fresh NFL retiree Jim Hart (Niles West High '62) and grunt-and-growl Dick Butkus — the fan surrogate - in time for the historic 1985 Super Bowl season.
BUT ON THIS MORNING, Fabian — who died unexpectedly over the weekend at age 81 - was focused on a more musical sports score.
“I've got the Beach Boys,” he proudly beamed.
Really, for what?
“For our new Cubs theme song. Want to hear the concept?”
Well, sure.
With his nasal Indiana twang trying very hard to stay on key, to the tune of “Barbara Ann,” he sang:
“Cubs, Cubs, Cubs … Cubs are gonna win
“Cubs, Cubs, Cubs … Cubs are gonna win.”
And on he went. The Insouciant finally asked, “You've got the song or you've got the Beach Boys?”
“Both,” Fabian replied. “Carl Wilson is the point man. But Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston are also going to be involved. It's the first time they've ever licensed a song out for something like this. 'Cubs Are Gonna Win' is our new game-day theme song.”
BUT WHAT ABOUT “Go, Cubs, Go!”?
“Oh, we'll still play that too. But we've got the Beach Boys — America's ultimate summer band. Everything that you think about when you think of Cubs baseball — blue skies, Lake Michigan, pretty girls, excitement.”
But Dan, the Beach Boys — hot rods, California girls, “Fun, Fun, Fun,” Brian Wilson's sandbox. And what about the organic rise of “Go, Cubs, Go!” since the 1984 Rick Sutcliffe playoff season?
“This will be even bigger,” he said. “We'll still play the Steve Goodman song. But this is the one that's going to mark the new spirit of the Cubs.”
BUT IT WASN'T to be. Less than three years later, “Go, Cubs, Go!” once again ruled the sound waves around Wrigley Field, where it's monosyllabic field-hollerin' still reigns.
(Fabian's tune — later retailored as “Here Come the Cubs” - can still be heard by YouTubing “cubs beach boys.” The flip side is “Cubby Safari,” with a much more identifiable lead vocal by Love.)
IT WAS A RARE MISS by Fabian, who had a remarkable 31-year run at WGN-AM (1965-96). He rose from intern to his platinum years as program director to vice president & general manager.
“Dan Fabian was one of the few true geniuses I've ever met in broadcasting,” Larrivee, the voice of the Green Bay Packers since 1999, told The Daily Herald. “He was quirky. He was eclectic. But he also had a great feel for people. That especially extended to the WGN of his time and the sort of day-to-day and sports talent he needed to have in place to consistently engage such a large radio audience.
“He was masterful.”
SON DAN FABIAN — who bills himself as “The Younger” - is senior director of baseball operations for the White Sox.
His father was a radio genius.
And for a brief time - with rhyme - his WGN and the Cubs even had the Beach Boys.
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Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.