 June 4, 2009 Reported By Freelance Journalist David Simons (the story appears here with the author's permission)
 On June 1, 1979, radio host Toby Leboutillier settled in behind the studio microphone and introduced a new music program, entitled "Down Memory Lane." An avid record collector, Leboutillier based his show on the chart listings compiled by noted historian and archivist Joel Whitburn, taken from Billboard magazine’s weekly music surveys. “It was meant to be a filler program to run immediately following the Boston Symphony Orchestra broadcasts,” says Leboutillier, “and initially it only covered the hits from 1940 through 1955, before the birth of Billboard’s ‘Hot 100.’” The show’s immediate popularity, however, prompted the launch of a companion program in 1980, Wind Up the Victrola, Toby, featuring music from the early part of the century.
But it was with his third show, Those Oldies But Goodies, which focused on hits from the early rock era and beyond, that Leboutillier found his groove. “On one particular program I just happened to play the songs that had entered the chart for the first time on that week, 20 years earlier,” recalls Leboutillier. “So there it was—and from then on, I locked in on that theme.”
A fixture on MPBN for years to come, the two-hour Those Oldies But Goodies sported the weekly “newcomers” to the “Hot 100” as they appeared on the broadcast date (from the highest charting to the lowest), covering the years 1956 through 1972 in five-year increments. It was an incredibly entertaining format. For every song that became a major hit—say, Wilbert Harrison’s “Kansas City,” which reached No. 1 for two weeks in mid-May 1959—there were always a handful of others that died a quick death (like Doris Day’s scandalous “Love Me In the Daytime,” which peaked at No. 100 that same week—and departed a week later). Not surprisingly, it was those discs that usually provided the show with its most interesting moments.
In 1999, the ‘30s-‘40s "Down Memory Lane" joined forces with Those Oldies But Goodies; today, all three of Leboutillier’s original programs have been combined into a single broadcast under the "Down Memory Lane" moniker, aired on Friday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. (MPBN also streams the shows live online and archives past installments, making DML accessible anywhere at anytime.)
Though he could save himself hours of prep time by digitizing, the Bangor-based Leboutillier—who is about as old school as they come—still prefers to do the job live in the studio, airing the material from old vinyl, cassettes, even reel-to-reel tape. Leboutillier’s characteristic voice (think Reverend Lovejoy from The Simpsons), off-the-cuff commentary, as well his reading of headlines from the Bangor Daily News as a preface to each musical segment, are as enjoyable as the music itself.
“I think it’s a very successful way of covering the eras, in a format that appeals to everyone,” says Leboutillier, who retired several years ago and continues to do the show on a volunteer basis. Still going strong after 30 years, Leboutillier’s broadcast speaks volumes for MPBN’s diverse listening audience—as well as the endlessly fascinating appeal of those oldies but goodies.
New England–based writer Dave Simons has been a regular contributor to "Musician," "Guitar One," "Acoustic Guitar" and other publications. He is the author of "Studio Stories: How the Great New York Records Were Made" and "Albums: 50 Years of Great Recordings."
Listen to Toby's 30th Anniversary show:
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