WWW.REELRADIO.COM

WEGO, 1966
Screaming Richard,
WEGO, 1966
("Uncle Ricky" is Richard Irwin,
the founder of the Reel Top 40 Radio Repository)

I was born as Richard Warren Irwin in Flushing, N.Y. in 1951, and my family moved to Concord, North Carolina when I was 5. I showed an early interest in radio, and got my first radio job when I was 14. Before I finished high school, I had already worked at four radio stations and one TV station: WPEG-FM and WEGO in Concord, WCTU-TV (Channel 36) in Charlotte, WMAP and WIXE in Monroe, where I first learned about the magic of Top 40 from "Brother" Dave Hedrick. I liked radio much better than TV. At that time, the size of TV broadcast gear required a "crew" to do much of anything, but a creative radio guy could do everything by himself.

GREAT 98 WYCL
After a year at East Carolina University (where we had a great AM Top 40 college station), I got my First Class Radiotelephone License, and went to work at WYCL (Top 40) in York, South Carolina, where I became PD. During the early 70's, I did one weekend overnight shift at WAYS in Charlotte,
920 WJAR
and was fortunate to meet Tom McMurray at WBT in Charlotte. I followed Hedrick and McMurray to Rhode Island in 1972, and was Production Manager for WJAR, (Oldies, A/C, 920, 5kw) Providence.

14FEC
In 1974, Gary Burns (WGNG, WFEC, KAFY, WHAM, others) asked me to move to Pennsylvania. I was PM drive and PD at WFEC (Top 40) in Harrisburg, followed by a few months doing PM drive on WNOW (country) and PD at WQXA-FM (automated Top 40) in York.

KAFY MUSIC BUYER'S GUIDE
In 1976, I moved to California as PD at KAFY (Top 40) in Bakersfield. At the time, KAFY was consulted by John Rook, who was programming KFI in Los Angeles.

On Halloween, 1978, I was hired as PD and morning guy for KROI-FM in Sacramento (96.9), sister station of the legendary 1240 KROY. Interestingly, the people that hired me all disappeared shortly after I started work; KROY and KROI-FM had just been purchased by Jonsson Communications Corporation. They presented long-term plans for a giant media group, including a station in San Francisco.

KROY logo, 1979
I believed I had fallen into a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of what would become a serious media corporation. I was 28. My new boss pulled me off the air and gave me a bigger desk and a better office.
ALL HITS - NO ERRORS
A small example of large dollars spent on imaging that was perceived as attractive, but had nothing to do with the format, whatever it was.
That was fine with me, and with promises of profit-sharing, regular salary increases and great expectations, I remained with JCC for most of the next 16 years as Operations Manager. During that time the company built beautiful new studios, (Neumann mics and Pacific Recorders consoles were standard in all production and control rooms), and a 24-track recording studio (the walls were three layers thick; the floor didn't touch the walls, etc.). JCC also owned five stations in California and Nevada, and published two full-color monthly magazines. It was first-class, all the way, ratings or revenue, or not. In many ways, it was a wonderful opportunity for unlimited access to grand facilities and great people. My boss wanted to be the PD, so I never got the chance to really program the stations, but I had job security. There, I said it.

Gary Burns & Associates I took a 9 month unscheduled "vacation" from JCC in 1983 and became an "Associate" with (old friend) Gary Burns & Associates. My music systems and technical recommendations became part of WPXY in Rochester and WNYS-FM in Buffalo, NY, KXZL-FM in San Antonio and KRIX-FM in McAllen-Brownsville, TX. The stations did well, Gary went on to other things and I went back to JCC in a role where my programming skills were only solicited at the very end, when only a single 1KW AM was left.

MUSICMINDER

By 1984, I had decided I wanted to learn how to write computer programs to schedule music. I could not afford an IBM Personal Computer at the time, so I taught myself assembly language for an inexpensive computer. From 1984 through 1988, I sold MUSICMINDER music scheduling software. It ran on the Commodore 128, which stations could trade at TOYS R US. MUSICMINDER scheduled complex daily playlists for KROY-FM in Sacramento (after its sale to Commonwealth Broadcasting), KFYE in Fresno, and WPGC in Washington, D.C., among others.
1983 PYROMUSICAL SPECTACULAR
Over 50,000 spectators watch synchronized laser and pyrotechnics displays at the 1983 KROY July 4th Pyromusical Spectactular.

1240 SPORTS KSAC
My last radio station, 1994.

Uncle Ricky, 1992
"Uncle Ricky", 1992

Of all the "related" things I did in radio, I loved the July 4th Shows the best! Between 1982 and 1992, I wrote and directed a July 4th Pyromusical Spectacular, mostly in Sacramento, (for KROY, KENZ, KSAC, KSFM, KHYL) but once in Anaheim, for KEZY-FM (1991).

In all, I probably did as much engineering in my "career" as I did programming. I never enjoyed going to the transmitter on weekends, but I never much cared for finding a replacement for the sick overnight guy, either. What I always did enjoy was planning and building. It didn't matter if it was a new production room or a new format.

"30 years in radio, and all I got was a website..."

When Jonsson's last Sacramento station (1240 AM) was sold to former RKO President Dwight Case in October of 1994, I was excited about the chance to ask this industry icon for his recommendations for my radio career. He advised me to seek a job in Cable TV. I was disappointed beyond words; I had hoped a man with his history would have more hope for radio.

I received about 25% of my annual salary in severance, and wandered out into the real world, unknown to a entire generation of broadcasters who changed jobs every 2 years. (Everyone was terminated; we were told the station would be "Spanish". Case sold it a year later to another group of South of the Border broadcasters.)

Maybe if I had moved around a lot more, instead of staying with one company for 16 years, I'd have a better shot at making a decent living in radio. I worked with some brilliant consultants and wonderful talent. I really do love radio — that's why this site is here.

Captus Networks logo For six years after I left radio, I designed web sites for dozens of commercial and government clients. I left web design behind and from January 2, 2001 through March 22, 2004, I was a Software Engineer with Captus Networks, a tech start-up in Woodland, CA.

I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the "radio business". The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here.

Note: Richard passed away on June 6, 2018, leaving behind this radio treasure. He was not married and had no children.

REPOSITORY MAIN MENU

Descriptions by Uncle Ricky


PLAY Alan Freed "The Moondog", WJW, 1954 (5:46)

. . .Boy that stuff is really here!

Opening narration on this aircheck from Programmer's Digest (Vol 2 Issue 10), is by Wayne Hiller, listed at the time as Program Director for KQWB in Fargo, North Dakota. The description provided by PD reads:

"Alan Freed: This show from WJW in Cleveland was before Alan's New York City days, arrest for anarchism, payola, integrated shows, etc. To the best of our knowledge, Freed conducted the first integrated rock show netting him no small amount of grief from the establishment. Anyway, appreciate your heritage and enjoy this touch of history."
I remember reading once that Freed would play along with the records, pounding a telephone book to accentuate the beat of his "blues and rhythm" records. Devastated by the dire consequences of the "Payola Scandal", Freed passed away at the age of 43, in 1965. He was inducted into the Emerson Radio Hall of Fame in 1968. Although the quality of this 'check is marginal (it was 1954, after all), "The Moondog" is the very beginning of what became Top 40 radio.

Return to the Repository


5.0/G2 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY  WFUN Fundamental News with Britt Huey, 1961 (5:40)

Cuban Embargo Pending!

This is (I think) a fairly rare clip. I first heard this in 1968. The clip begins with the ending of "Bonanza" by Al Caiola (got to #19 on Billboards HOT 100 in 1961). The newscaster is "Britt Huey". Britt bumps the mic stand at least once during this unbelievably noisy newscast. No wonder - he did it with McKenzie Repeater tape loop machines - there were no carts. One deck of the Repeater needed a second start - you'll hear the authentic dead air where a tympani should be within the first 15 seconds of the newscast. But it wasn't too bad - with two underscores (teletype and strings) and that "shimmering" reverb, there was no such thing as "dead air."

The echo and filter effects were applied LIVE by the newscaster. PARIS! France set off its fourth Nuclear Explosion! HAVANA! Russian Goods on the Way! All the elements of todays tabloid-style TV newscasts are here: The recorded "features" (WFUN REFLECTS THE PUBLIC OPINION! WFUN PREDICTS!) intermixed with hard news, noise and dramatic musical bridges. Note the "Weatherscope" and "COUNT! DOWN!" at the end of the newscast, climaxing with the big TWELVE O'CLOCK NOON annoucement, followed by THE major hit of the year - "Runaway", by Del Shannon! Whew! Whadda rush!

This tape originally came into my possession in 1968 at WIXE in Monroe, N.C., where I first worked for Dave Hedrick. (Hello, "Brother Dave", you finally got on the web!) This is a marvelous, silly and stylish treasure, but a genuine example of Reel Top-40 news - when form was more important than content!

Return to the Repository


G2/5.0 compatible TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Bill Drake, WAKE Atlanta 1961 (18:30) [Updated 10/1/2000]

UPDATE by Uncle Ricky

  This exhibit originally appeared the second week the Repository was online (2/19/1996) and was 3:43 in total length. Surely, this recording of Bill Drake on WAKE Atlanta, distributed by Programmers Digest in the early seventies, was all there would ever be of this fleeting moment in Top 40 history — or so I thought.

Then, Paul Allen (d. December 5, 2011) wrote that he was sending an aircheck that he recorded at his Grandmother's house on 4th Street in Atlanta in 1961. I was excited to learn it was the original recording of Bill Drake on WAKE, only partially scoped, with very good fidelity!

On October 1, 2000, this rare aircheck was presented as submitted by Paul, and it is a joy to hear! Our sincere thanks to Paul Allen for sharing with the Repository.

..and of course, at high noon on WAKE radio - Hit Parader Paul Drew..


Photo from 1961 WAKE Hit Parade courtesy Andrew Burger of Seattle, WA.
Of course! Nothing more (or less) than Bill Drake himself, jocking "GOLLDUN RECK-CORDS" on a Sunday. WAKE Radiant Radio time: (tone) September, 1961! - best I can figure.

Atlanta's "Million Dollar Sound" was a real contender in the Atlanta market in those days - days when a "Class IV" (1340 khz: 1KW day, 250 watts at night) could own a market by playing the favorites of kids and young adults.

You'll hear Mr. Drake read the beginning of a newscast on this 'check, though the rest of it was cut. Consider that there's less than four years between Bill Drake on WAKE in Atlanta, and Bill Drake at KHJ, Los Angeles.

Return to the Repository


5.0/G2 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY KAAY ComEx News, Little Rock AR, November 5, 1963 (6:37)

. . . I have seventy four - seven four - street level degrees on the Buddy Carr Car Pool Party Program . . .

Another treasure of my adolescence, this off-air gem includes genuine atmospheric noise and B. Bruce Jenkins with: KAAY COMEX NEWS - FIRST AT 45! Although a bit lighter on bells & whistles than the 1961 WFUN Fundamental News, this was what Bill Clinton could have heard as a kid in Arkansas.

The pioneers of the "big production" Top-40 newscasts felt a real need to make a big deal about finishing the news and getting back to music. As with the WFUN Funcast, getting there is the best part. KAAY Communications Exchange (COMEX) News begins to end about 5:06 into this aircheck, and actually finishes about a minute later. I'm still in awe of the passion of the "superhero" voiceover in these production elements. When he says, "In the meantime - Com-EXtras at anytime.. And NOW..." it's like you know something wonderful is going to happen.

And our reward, short as it is, is one set from Buddy Carr and the Car Pool Party Program. Whoopee! It's a hot tune from the "Kay Silver Dollar Sound Survey - here in Kay country."

Return to the Repository


G2/5.0 Aphex processed TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY Boss Radio 93KHJ, L.A. Sneak Preview, 1965 (8:56)

You look wonderful.. you look wonderful.. magnificent thought-provoking boss reading of 86 degrees...

We all had to start somewhere. In April of 1965, I was 14 and living in North Carolina. I was studying to take the test for my Third Class Radiotelephone License. I was oblivious to the revolution taking place in Los Angeles, California at that very moment. This clip includes Robert W. Morgan and the Real Don Steele, and was recorded during the very first week of "Boss Radio". Note the promo that encourages listeners to tune to KFWB and KRLA for "examples of pre-boss radio".

This clip spotlights the "93KHJ Boss Radio Sneak Preview". Morgan seems somewhat distracted - at one point, he quips he "almost blew our boss" during a botched live spot. Note that even then, the Real Don Steele is as real as ever. This had to be a wonderful and memorable time for these guys - I wonder if they had any idea that what they were doing would change the sound of "Top 40" forever?

My copy of this treasure might have survived better on a 78 RPM acetate. It is "authentic analog", it's a classic, and it belongs here, complete with the high frequency splatter inherent with decade old transfers on misaligned tape machines with less-than-optimal bias settings. Enjoy.

Return to the Repository


G2/5.0 compatible
May 27, 2001
TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)

PLAY KFRC, San Francisco & Dale Dorman, 12/67 (3:31)

"I hate guys with low voices.."

Dale Dorman did 6-9 PM on KFRC in 1967? I remember him as the morning guy on WRKO (Boston) in 1973. Dorman's wacky, high-energy enthusiasm is all over this aircheck. So is his imitation of a Remington "Selectro" Shaver.

This exhibit went online on February 25, 1996 (in Real Audio 2.0!) It was remastered in 10Khz G2 on May 27, 2001. (Special thanks to Famous Amos.) Though the fidelity of the original, very old cassette was disappointing (someone topped out the bottom end, years ago), I was impressed by the exceptionally tight formatics - and the music levels. Pretty hip considering it was 1967. Timing? Wow - check out Dorman's walk-up on "Treat Her Right"!

Dale Dorman passed away on October 25, 2014 following a long illness. He was 71.

Return to the Repository


REMASTERED
PLAY Jack Gale, WAYS, Charlotte, N.C. 4-1-70 (14:16)

. . . And there's a blue one! That must be lemon . . .

UPDATED June 19, 1999. The first version of this exhibit was presented in Real Audio 2.0 format in February of 1996, and was less than 3 minutes in length. It's now been remastered in Real Audio 3.0 and includes the entire 14 minutes from the original reel. Featured: The Mighty Gale Players with Life Can Be Miserable, a bit of Howard Foster with BIG WAYS News, Helicopter Harry with a traffic report, and Lowell Pressure with the weather.

UPDATE 2000: The Jack Gale Collection is now available.

This aircheck is a snapshot of the morning show that held Charlotte N.C. and neighboring counties captive for many years. Jack Gale was the morning guy and P.D. for BIG WAYS, (610 AM), the station that brought big-time Northeast radio to Piedmont Carolina for the first time in the mid '60's.

This recording was made on a Lafayette 1/4" reel to reel recorder, with a vintage 1940's-model Hallicrafters Communications receiver set to "wide band", at 7.5 ips on April 1, 1970. There was some lightning in the air that morning, and you can hear it in this recording. The high frequency distortion is part of the original recording, and come to think of it, part of the original broadcast! The station had a 5KW signal that covered "35 North and South Carolina counties", and was expertly engineered, but it was equalized for narrow-band receivers.

Yep, the reverb is real. That's how much they ran, on everything and everybody for at least 5 years of dominance in the Charlotte market. Gale's bits were as regular as clockwork: Every day was his birthday, Lowell Pressure always did the weather at 8:30, and Plummerville was always the warm spot. Gale had dozens of other bits he repeated over the years. Most of his voice characterizations were done live.

April 1, 1970 was just prior to BWB #5 (Big WAYS Birthday #5). WAYS enjoyed an incredible run in Charlotte, but one year after this aircheck, 50KW WBT was well into the ultimately successful campaign that re-claimed the Queen City's AM radio crown.

Return to the Repository



PLAY The Last Contest - And in Conclusion, 1972 (5:18)

..My sister just had her baby on the living room carpet..

This appeared on the second issue of Programmer's Digest (August 14, 1972). Narrated by John Young (at that time, at WMAK in Nashville), it includes an interview with Jack McCoy who explains what happened when the "secret phone number" was finally announced, and the changes that KCBQ initiated to avoid destroying the San Diego telephone system.

Return to the Repository



PLAY Robert W. Morgan, KHJ, 1972 (7:31)

..Actually, (Walt Baby Love) used to be one of the Supremes..

Robert W. Morgan demonstrates his cutting-edge wit as he promotes unisex after-shave, does a phoner with a moaner, and wakes Walt Baby Love in this boss blast from Spring, 1972.

Return to the Repository


PLAY WAPE, Jacksonville Florida, May 1972 (10:09)

"I'm So Tired of Being Alone - I mean - after you've seen Miss January once, you've seen her..."

This composite aircheck of WAPE (690, Jacksonville, FL) from May of 1972 includes early morning host and PD Jay Thomas (who later became a TV star). Also featured: 9am-12N host Larry Dixon. I got this clip (many years ago) via Larry, who had worked with me at WIXE, Monroe, NC, in 1969. Hello, Larry! Another standout on this aircheck is PM driver Cleveland Wheeler, whom I never met, but this guy had preparation and pipes to the max!

This clip is remarkable from another perspective. Note the reverb AND the Drake Jingles and the "Truckin" and "YOU JUST RIPPED ME OFF.." East coast (reverb) and West coast (Drake/McCoy) came together at WAPE in 1972.

WAPE had a huge signal that covered the beaches from Jacksonville to North Carolina. The period represented here was a WAPE revival, of sorts. The BIG APE had been successful in the 60's as a very broad-based Top 40 station - with reverb, of course. It returned, in 1972, as a slick hybrid with hot formatics and outstanding talent. And they kept the reverb.

Return to the Repository


5.0/G2 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY WFIL, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Summer 1972 (14:38)

. . . and a $350,000 promotion budget that doesn't quit when the Arbitron or Pulse is over . . .

Picture Of
Jay Cook, WFIL Program Director, 1972
What's a "Pulse"? (I remember, do you?) Program Director Jay Cook (d. April 2, 1999) provides commentary for this profile of "56 in Philly" which features Dr. Don Rose, Jim O'Brien, Dave Parks, Dan Donovan, George Michael and Brother Love. This station composite first appeared on Programmer's Digest, Vol.1, Issue 2, 8/14/72, and was narrated by John Young, at the time with WMAK, Nashville.

As I have noted before, reverb seemed to be primarily an east coast phenomenon in the format, and WFIL does not disappoint in this regard. Any classic station of the great top-40 era is OK with me, but the ones that combine music, personality, promotion, and on-air production into a "powerhouse" image are my favorites. Those great jingles, promos, sounders and big booming voiceovers created a "larger than life" personna for stations like WFIL.

In 1972, WFIL was still making great Top-40 radio. I hope to learn (and hear) more of this legendary station.

Return to the Repository


 ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 29, 1997 - RE-ENCODED MAY 29, 2011
PLAY PD Profile: WKBW Buffalo NY, 1972 (10:01)

Picture of
Jeff Kaye
. . . many things we do break the rules - but then you think, who makes the rules? . . .

This composite was featured on Programmer's Digest, Vol 1, Issue 1, 7/10/72. Tom Kennedy of WRKO, Boston provides a short introduction, and Program Director Jefferson Kaye takes it from there. Kaye passed away after battling cancer the week of November 11, 2012. He was 75.

The composite features Dan Neverath, Jack Sheridan, Don Berns, Sandy Beach, and Jack Armstrong, among others.

Return to the Repository



PLAY Jay Thomas and Composite, WAYS Charlotte N.C. 1972 (08:51)

. . . Are you a hippie?
Not hardly.
Why?
I'm bald. . . .

From Programmer's Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 8, 11/20/72), this 1972 composite of WAYS, Charlotte, demonstrates the influence of actor Jay Thomas on the properties owned by Sis and Stan Kaplan in 1972. Not only did Thomas have a solid success at WAPE, but he resurrected WAYS from near death after a severe thrashing by Tom McMurray's WBT.

In addition to Thomas, this composite features John Lodge, Jimmy Madison, Mitch Braswell and Beau Matthews, and the syndicated version of The Last Contest. Great talent, solid performance, good facilities, full support of the owner and it was all connected with the right people at the right time.

Return to the Repository



PLAY The Tom Shovan Story (12:36)

. . . Shovan's got a third paycheck from management to replace the other two - what a competitor! . . .

Tom Shovan, 1972
Tom Shovan, 1972
This elaborate "audition tape" by the late Tom Shovan, VP/Manager of Operations for CD MEDIA, was featured in Programmer's Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 10, 12/72). Shovan passed away at the age of 59 on April 9, 1999 while hospitalized for injuries sustained when he fell in his home.

Shovan's career, much of which is highlighted in this feature narrated by Dave Hellerman, included stops at WMEX in Boston in 1958 as Melvin X. Melvin, WPOP in Hartford, WPTR in Albany (1966), WKIP (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and WHVW (Hyde Park, NY). In later years, Shovan was VP/Program development of Radio Today Entertainment, NYC; VP operations for Rick Dees Entertainment and a columnist for Hitmakers Magazine.

Return to the Repository



PLAY KROQ Los Angeles, Composite, 1972 (10:37)

. . . Don't forget to smell the flowers, 'cause we're only here for a short visit . . .

From Programmer's Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 9, 12/72), this 1972 composite of KROQ - A Profile of the Roq was interesting to me at the time, but being 3000 miles away from Los Angeles, I didn't really know if the station was a contender or not. So now, despite the high frequency distortion, it has tweaked my curiosity again. What was this station doing with so many great voices and legendary (even then) talents? Did KROQ ever seriously threaten KHJ?

Featured on this composite, in order of appearance:

Charlie Tuna, Sam Riddle, Jay Stevens, Steve Lundy, (passed away in Houston in April 1999) Jim Wood, Jimmie Rabbit, Steve Sands, J. Paul Huddleston and Paul Oscar Anderson.
An impressive staff and the strangest jingles I never heard again are only part of the story of KROQ. According to comments lost in cyberspace, the station's abysmal signal and rubber paychecks made for a short-lived experience.

Return to the Repository



PLAY John R Richbourg - A Legend Hangs It Up, 1973 (5:36)

"... Hey, John R - whatcha gonna do ..."

John R., WLAC
John "R" Richbourg, WLAC

Released on Volume 2, Issue 3 of Programmer's Digest in August of 1973, this feature is narrated by John Young, (at the time, KILT, Houston) and honors the legendary John "R" Richbourg, who was heard on 50 kilowatt WLAC, Nashville, Tennessee for 32 years. It includes his July 28, 1973 farewell on WLAC, and an interview in which he talks about his life.

In the book The Hits Just Keep On Coming - The History of Top 40 Radio, Ben Fong Torres writes:

John Richbourg had a direct impact on a teenaged Robert Smith, listening in Brooklyn ... Smith, the future Wolfman Jack, wrote a memoir, Have Mercy! in which he recalled John R.'s theme.... "Hey John R., whatcha gonna do? C'mon, John R., man, and play me some rhythm and blues", to which Richbourg would roar out his response, "Whoa! Have mercy, honey, have mercy, have mercy."

Return to the Repository


5.0/G2 compatible TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10Khz)
PLAY KFRC San Francisco Mick Jagger Weekend (1973) (7:42)

"..Be First, and KFRC will get you off, in Mick Jagger's Morgan Plus Eight Roadster..."

This composite of the KFRC Mick Jagger Weekend was featured on Programmer's Digest, Vol 2, Issue 8, 10/22/73. Rodney Allen Rippey and Cheech & Chong introduce Kevin McCarthy, JJ Johnson, Beau Weaver, Bobby Ocean, Jack Friday and Eric Chase. This composite was prepared and submitted by engineer Jeff Kauffer, who created a great piece of audio. Thank you, Jeff, wherever you are..

This aircheck is style and class from top to bottom. I found myself misting up about 3:04 - What Drake Series is that? Bobby Ocean's promo, tagged with that jingle into "Everybody Plays the Fool" with JJ Johnson. It gets to me - it's classic, very polished, GREAT Top-40 radio. I never heard KFRC "live" in 1973, but man, what a radio station! I understand better why my native Northern Californian radio friends speak with reverence about this station...

Hal Martin, KFRC, 1973
A young Hal Martin, KFRC, 1973
The RKO chain was still intact at this time, and Hal Martin was PD at KFRC. We can assume this composite was assembled before 9/73, because it includes a Bobby Ocean Promo for an Elton John concert in September of that year.

Real-Time Update! (April 2, 1996) Jack Friday writes: Yes, that was a classic, even though we thought (in those days) it was just SOP for contests. In retrospect those were very creative days in radio as compared to what goes on now. My stay at KFRC was from 1971 to 1974, what I think was the "best" of KFRC, and the high ground of Top 40 radio. The only other station I think was better, (my all time favorite) is WFIL in Philadelphia circa 1965 to 1968.

Return to the Repository



PLAY The Power of Production - In the Beginning (4:47)

"... but the ears only laughed to hear such a silly voice for God ..."

Dan Siemasko, KQV, 1973
Dan Siemasko, KQV, 1973
This appeared on Programmer's Digest, Volume I, Issue 11, January 1973, which wasn't shipped until late May of that year! It was reportedly created in February of 1973 at WDRC in Hartford on a pair of Ampex half-track reel machines. Its creator, Dan Siemasko, went on to KQV, Pittsburgh.

It's hard to believe that any free-thinking human would be offended by this, but be warned: The words "God" and "Jesus Christ" are used for entertainment purposes. This was (and still is) a brilliant piece of audio production, just as enjoyable now as it was in 1973. And what about Dan Siemasko? Your curator turns to our honored guests for an update (COMMENT, below) on his whereabouts. Such talent, one would think, should be rewarded - if there's a God, that is.

Return to the Repository


...enjoy these additional exhibits from the Uncle Ricky Collection
BIRTHDAY SPECIALS
COMMEMORATIVE SPECIALS

There will be more from the Uncle Ricky Collection!
www.reelradio.com
Reel Top 40 Radio Repository ©1996-2016 Richard W. Irwin and REELRADIO, Inc.