David Adams, Age 4. David Adams, Age 17. David Adams, 2004.

[By David Adams] As the son of Bob Shannon, I guess you could say I was born into radio on April 2, 1971. Anyway, it certainly didn't hurt. David Adams at the KDWB transmitter, 1988 My first on-air experience was at KDWB Minneapolis/St.Paul, when the legendary Wolfman Jack picked me to voice a series of promos for his syndicated show. The line? "Wolfman Jack is a gas!". I was just four years old, and he didn't pay me a dime. Talk about violating the child labor laws... But my first actual paid job came at the age of five when I co-hosted a KFI remote with my dad live from the L.A. County Fair in the spring of 1976. Since then, my journey into radio has taken me to KSBR in Orange County, News/Talk KRLA and History Quest Productions where I co-produce and narrate documentaries . A few years ago I came across an enormous collection of airchecks in the production room labeled "Shannon", and discovered a few hidden treasures treasures including a station composite of KDWB and the "Monkees at KRUX". The collection also included a collection of tapes labeled the "Shannons of Top Forty Radio" which included Tom, Bob and Don. Enjoy!!

The Repository thanks David Adams for sharing!

[Descriptions by David Adams, unless otherwise credited]

TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (8 Khz) Tom Shannon, WKBW Buffalo, July 1961 (52:10) . . . Knock, Knock? . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] Tom Shannon wkbwradio.com Tom Shannon first joined the staff of WKBW in 1958 at the age of 20. He spent a year and a half doing weekends before moving into the 6-9 PM slot when it was vacated by Dick Biondi, who departed for WLS Chicago. Within a very short period of time, Shannon's youthful delivery and striking good looks catapulted his status to one of the highest rated jocks in the history of Buffalo radio. His "Tommy Shannon" theme song would go on to become one of Top 40's all-time great instrumentals, when he wrote and produced "Wild Weekend" by The Rockin' Rebels. This 'scoped exhibit features Tom Shannon's entire 6-9 pm show, composited from July 1961. It perfectly illustrates why WKBW became a broadcast legend. Shannon went on to work at CKLW before returning to Buffalo. In 2001, Tom Shannon was honored by the Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers when they inducted him into their Hall of Fame.

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TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (8.5 Khz) Tom Shannon, CKLW Windsor-Detroit, November 1967, April 1968 (18:13) Tom Shannon CKLW Big 30 October 1, 1968 . . . everytime I see Boston it looks like the lights are always out there . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky. Contributed by David Adams] This 'scoped aircheck won't win any awards for fidelity, but it is a great example of CKLW in its prime. And it includes the contest winner of a $2,600 prize! It's a composite, featuring the second half of the 8 PM hour on November 17, 1967, and April 2, 1968. Both Byron McGregor and Don West are heard with a complete 20/20 newscast. Tom Shannon came to The Big 8 after great success in Buffalo, N.Y. at powerhouse WKBW. He retired from full-time radio at WHTT-FM Buffalo, in March of 2005.

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TOP STREAM 64.1 Kbps (14 Khz STEREO) The Monkees, KRUX Phoenix, January 20, 1967 (42:36) This Exhibit 'SCOPED (15:49) This is a mono version with the music removed. Please remember that in addition to music licensing fees for the mostly UNSCOPED version, there are bandwidth and hardware costs for this 'SCOPED version, and anything streamed from REELRADIO. We welcome your support. . . . and the twins are nine. Twins, let's see, that's eighteen altogether . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] Micky Dolenz (behind the mic), Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones and Bob Shannon at KRUX This gem was hidden away in a box marked "Specials", and not only includes an aircheck of The Monkees taking over the Bob Shannon Show at KRUX, but it's also an aircheck of the final episode of the Monkees very successful first season. The episode was titled "The Monkees on Tour", and it begins with their arrival at Phoenix's Sky Harbor to the screams of thousands of hysterical teens. On the following night the infamous Monkee mobile is seen racing across town to KRUX. They storm the control room before binding and gagging the city's most popular DJ, Bob Shannon. Davy, Michael and Micky The aircheck is a (partially restored) 45-minute composite of the two and a half hours that Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones actually ran the control board, spun the records and played all the commercials themselves. (Peter Tork wasn't feeling well and stayed at the hotel.) On a more personal note, not only was my dad featured in this episode, but my mom was too. Strangely, neither of them knew each other at the time, but whatever it was that finally brought them together, I'll be forever grateful! It was also during this show that the Monkees invited the entire city of Phoenix to join them at the prestigious Mountain Shadows Hotel for an open party later that night. Panic-stricken executives from both the radio station and hotel quickly pressured the group to recant their invitation. In an effort to avoid a disaster and bring some levity to the situation, Mike Nesmith is heard conducting an interview with the hotel manager, played by Bob Shannon. Bob Shannon and KRUX Good Guys on stage at the Monkees concert This aircheck may represent the first appearance of The Monkees performing collectively as Top Forty jocks. The concert, emceed by Shannon and the KRUX Good Guys, was held the following night at the Phoenix Coliseum on January 21, 1967. It marked the Monkees' first concert appearance, and the final episode of their 1966 TV Season.

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TOP STREAM 64 Kbps (15 Khz STEREO) Bob Shannon, WKBW Buffalo, NY July 8, 1968 (RESTORED) (20:49) . . . I owe 'KB twelve dollars for blowing the title of the record . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] This Exhibit 'SCOPED (10:57) All reportable music performances have been removed. Please remember that in addition to music licensing fees for the mostly UNSCOPED version, there are bandwidth and hardware costs for this 'SCOPED version, and anything streamed from REELRADIO. We welcome your support. The original Bob Shannon of top forty radio is another western New Yorker who spent his high school years listening to WKBW. According to Bob, "WKBW and it's outstanding line up of jocks like Perry Allen, Art Roberts, Dick Biondi, George "Hound Dog" Lorenz, Fred Klestine, Russ "The Moose" Syracuse, Joey Reynolds, Dan Neaverth, and Tom Shannon was one of America's great radio stations in the late fifties and early sixties. Tom Shannon had left such an indelible mark on me that when I finally broke into the biz, 1 did the only thing a young impressionable young jock could do — I stole his name. Incredibly a few years after finishing high school, I found myself living my boyhood dream when I joined the staff of WKBW in 1968." Bob Shannon, 1968 Shannon would go on to work for several other legendary stations like KXOK St. Louis, KDWB Minneapolis/St. Paul, WIXY Cleveland, KCBQ San Diego, KJR Seattle, and KFI, KHJ and KRTH-FM, Los Angeles. By 1968, much of KB's luster had worn off from the days when the great personalities graced the hallways in the late 50's and early 60's. But still, the station was energetic, fast-paced and tight, as displayed here by 21-year-old Bob Shannon during the "Classic Hour" from 11 pm to midnight. This was originally a studio aircheck. Bob Shannon himself restored all but the first song, in stereo. In addition to a few classic PAMS jingles, you'll hear an episode of Chickenman.

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TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (14 Khz) Don Bombard, Composite, WOLF Syracuse, N.Y. 1969 (RESTORED) (22:37) . . . and the Top 300 Hits just keep on comin' . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] Don Bombard, 1969 This Exhibit 'SCOPED (03:22) All reportable music performances have been removed. Please remember that in addition to music licensing fees for the mostly UNSCOPED version, there are bandwidth and hardware costs for this 'SCOPED version, and anything streamed from REELRADIO. We welcome your support. Don Bombard was a hometown boy who spent his first 14 years in radio working at his favorite radio stations, WOLF and WNDR. His upbeat, friendly style is clearly illustrated in this restored, composite aircheck from the spring and summer of 1969. Don also spent several years at 13Q Pittsburgh before joining WCBS-FM in New York City, where he became known as Bob Shannon while working for Program Director Joe McCoy.

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TOP STREAM 44.1Kbps (20KHz) KDWB Minneapolis St.Paul Composite, 1974 (23:34) . . . The Tin Man never dies, he just fades away to his happy rusting place . . . [Description by Bob Shannon. This exhibit first appeared as a Golden Gift on September 30, 2001] KDWB-AM began as WCOW in 1949 and was licensed to Lake Elmo, Minnesota with a 5,000 watt daytime signal and 500 watts at night. In 1959 the call letters were changed to KDWB when the station was purchased by Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Company, owners of KFWB/Los Angeles and KEWB/San Franciso. Under the direction of National Program Director Chuck Blore and Program Director Ted Randall, the format was immediately changed to mirror its two tremendously successful California sisters stations. KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey from May 25, 1963. (Click to enlarge) It featured the "Seven Swingin Gentlemen" which included Hal Murray 6-10am, Art Way 10-2p, James Francis Patrick O'Neil 2-6p, Lou Riegert (Lou Waters) 6-9p, Randy Cook, 9-12 midnight and Don Duchene 12-6am. The first major air personality Changes came in in 1964 with the departure of Hal Murray, Art Way and Lou Reigert . The new lineup under program Director Sam Sherwood included Charlie Brown 6-10am, Don Duchene 10-2p, Jim O'Neil 2-6p, Bob Shannon 6-9p and Randy Cook 9-midnight. Bob Shannon, 1975 From the late fifties to the late 70's, KDWB was in a constant battle with arch rival WDGY, the Storz station for the Twin Cities. But by the time Bob Shannon returned in 1973 as Program Director and morning drive personality, KDWB was battling a second adversary, KSTP. Front of KDWB Survey, 1975 A year later, Gary Stevens was named Vice President and General Manager and Buzz Bennett became Program Consultant. The mid 70's also saw the birth of KDWB-FM, and this is a composite of KDWB, circa 1975. Consultant Buzz Bennett can be heard in various segments appearing as "Captain Boogie". I (Bob Shannon) was the Program Director at this time; later, John Sebastian became PD. Of the six jocks on the composite, four of the six ended up at KHJ Los Angeles. After departing the station in mid-1975, Charlie Fox followed me a few months later and we worked together at both KFI and KHJ. KDWB "Bich" Patch A couple of years later, John Sebastian and True Don Bleu also ended up doing airshifts at KHJ. Sebastian also served as KHJ's P.D. Bob Savage headed for WAXC in Rochester. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about what happened to Bob Lange.   Bob Shannon begins at 00:57, Bob Savage at 09:05, Charlie Fox at 10:36, The True Don Bleu (and Captain Boogie) at 13:19, John Sebastian at 17:42, and Bob Lange at 20:30.

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TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10KHz) Don Bombard, WKTQ Pittsburgh, PA. August 3, 1980 (RESTORED) (42:40) This Exhibit 'SCOPED (13:57) . . . Please, Bombard, please, won't you play me some rock 'n' roll . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] When Don Bombard began doing afternoon drive at WCBS-FM in New York, PD Joe McCoy suggested he call himself Bob Shannon. He quickly became one of New York's best known DJs. According to Don, "my namesake was yet another "Bob Shannon" who worked for the TM Century production company!" (as of June, 2006, that "Bob Shannon" is on the Board of Directors of REELRADIO, Inc..) The first Bob Shannon in the radio business was Bob "Shamrock" Shannon (d. 08-15-2000), the longtime radio and TV announcer who worked for the CBS network in the 1940s and 1950s. WKTQ logo courtesy of Jeff Roteman. Don's introduction to oldies came in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the former 13Q (WKTQ) with his Sunday Night Oldies Party. At the time, he couldn't have known that the Oldies Party was a warm-up to a twenty year career in afternoon drive at WCBS-FM. Thanks to Don Bombard, Rob Frankel and Tom Buck for assistance in restoring the music to this REELRADIO exhibit. ALL REELRADIO exhibits are copyrighted by REELRADIO, Inc. as of the date of publication and are licensed for real-time streaming, only. Do NOT duplicate, trade, or sell this copyrighted recording.]

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Bob Shannon, WCBS-FM  TOP STREAM 64Kbps (13KHz STEREO) Bob Shannon, WCBS-FM New York, October 30, 2002 (21:05) . . . Paul Anka is here this hour . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] Bob Shannon (Don Bombard) doing what he does best — broadcasting live to his New York listeners from the W Hotel in Los Angeles.

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Bob Shannon, KRTH-FM  TOP STREAM 32Kbps (10KHz) Bob Shannon, KRTH-FM Los Angeles, 2001 (16:54) . . . Researchers have discovered the sense of smell reaches its peak in middle age. In other words, life stinks after 40 . . . [Description by contributor David Adams] It would seem that some of L.A.'s greatest jocks, such as Robert W. Morgan, The Real Don Steele, Johnny Hayes, Humble Harve, Charlie Tuna, Steve Jay, Charlie Van Dyke, Dave Hull and Wolfman Jack all worked at KRTH 101. It's obvious from this composite aircheck of Bob Shannon that the jocks at K-EARTH really knew how to have fun. Bob left KRTH in 2003, and went on to talk at KRLA for a while. Then, as one of L.A.'s top Film Acting Coaches under the name R.J. Adams, he has turned out a few stars in the movie biz, including Kristy Swanson, Brian Krause (Charmed), Sarah Lancaster (Chuck), Vicellous Shannon (The Hurricane) and many others.

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REELRADIO first presented The David Adams Collection on September 30, 2001!

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