REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY
 Bruce Malman (L) and Intern Daniel Fuentz at KTHT Mix 102.7, 1995
|
Daniel Fuentz writes:
Like most radio nuts, I spent many hours playing "radio station" with a stack of 45's and a cassette recorder. At the age of 15 I got my first radio job as the morning show intern with Fresno radio station KTHT, "Mix 102.7". That worked into a paying position as the board operator for the Casey Kasem and Rick Dees countdowns the station ran on the weekends. At 17, I got my big break and was promoted to the position of weekday overnight and weekend afternoon jock on Mix 102.7. I have since made the move to television, and am currently an audio operator, graphic artist and master control operator for a Fresno television station.
I have many collections, but most of the free space
in my house is taken up with record albums and radio station memorabilia.
The Repository thanks Daniel Fuentz for sharing!
|
[Descriptions by Uncle Ricky]
TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20 Khz)
Pepper Sound Studios Contest Demos, 1960's
(6:04)
. . . Decision of the Judges is Final . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Daniel Fuentz] Pepper Sound Studios (later, Pepper-Tanner) was an early syndicator of radio station jingles, promotional features and merchandise (typically for giveaway). Much of Pepper's business was "barter", that is, the radio station traded spot announcement and bulk program time in exchange for stuff from Pepper.
(REELRADIO added the short beeps between the cuts.) The production technique, music and SFX are all representative of what was being used on promo production by many Top 40 stations of the period. The stations named in the demos might not have actually used the features - but it did create the impression that the features were in use at successful stations. This particular demo includes six exciting contests! Get Set to Send A Postcard And Win! | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
TOP STREAM 32.0 Kbps (8.5 Khz)
Dick Lyons, KAFY Bakersfield CA., August 9, 1966
(39:09)
. . . Animals Are Coming time . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Daniel Fuentz]
This rare sample of early KAFY answers a lot of questions. Yes, KAFY claimed to be "Boss", but the jingles were most certainly NOT the On this hot August night, it was 85 degrees (F) in Bakersfield at 12:45 in the morning! Residents could look forward to a toasty 105 degrees on August 9, but you could rent a furnished two-bedroom garden apartment for $109.50 a month - including the cost of the electricity to operate your "central refrigerated air conditioning system." Having lived in Bakersfield for a couple of years in the late '70's, I can verify that the temperatures were normal and yes, you NEEDED to live in a refrigerator there.
Remember, REELRADIO pays music licensing fees to present unscoped airchecks. Sadly, the fidelity on this recording hardly merits an unscoped version, so it's provided
in a 'scoped version as well. However, the unscoped version does include a forgotten parody entitled "I'm Normal", by an unheralded performer known only as | ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20 Khz)
PAMS Series 34,35,36 Jingles for WORD Spartanburg, S.C.
(5:55)
. . . Laughin' and Scratchin', Swingin' and Singin' . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Daniel Fuentz] This is a quick composite of PAMS jingles from Series 34, 35 and 36, as recorded for legendary Top 40 WORD in Spartanburg, South Carolina, probably in the early 1970's.
Among the Jock Jingles are some genuinely famous names from the Southeast, like Maybe the WORD PD thought Fred Hardy would make a good "house" name for weekends and backup. That's easier to explain than Robert W. Morgan. We're sure that Mr. Morgan never had any intention of working in Spartanburg, S.C., but it's also likely he'd never know if someone on that station adopted his moniker. |
|
|
|
|
|
TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (10 Khz)
Mike Novak, KYNO Fresno, CA. 1975
(9:48)
. . . That song was beginning to worry me, actually . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Daniel Fuentz] Mike Novak started his radio career while he was going to college, and never looked back. He worked for Les Garland at KFRC and Bill Drake at KIQQ. He continued his success at KYUU in San Francisco, and in San Diego (he was the first PD of B-100 and then PD at KWLT and KSON, according to Don Barrett). At last LA Radio People report, Mike was still active in voiceover and TV work from San Diego, but COMMENTS (below) reveal he's been working in Christian radio for a few years. His natural ability to be a "take charge" host is demonstrated here. What a GREAT sounding Top 40 radio station - in FRESNO, California - in 1975! |
|
|
|
|
|
TOP STREAM 44.1 Kbps (20 Khz)
Drake-Chenault Weekly Top 30 Demo 1980
(8:20)
. . . determined by our Countdown Computer . . . [Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Daniel Fuentz]
According to demo narrator Bill Drake,
Hey, it's a Demo. He's givin' the people what they want. Bill Drake has been relatively modest and very unassuming about his contributions to the Top 40 legacy. It was simply business, and he did simple things that worked. "The Weekly Top 30" continued into 1982, and then folded. It was the first nationally syndicated challenger to Casey Kasem's American Top 40. |
|
|
|
|
I got my first taste of radio at the age of 6. My mother had a friend who
worked at a local top-40 station, 1480 KYOS, in Merced, Ca. I went with
her to visit him at the studios one afternoon, and I was fascinated with
the setup. I asked a million questions, and was hooked on radio after
that.
Call Your Shot (for KLIF)
This Exhibit SCOPED (09:42)
Drake-Chenault Enterprises, Inc. was still syndicating radio programs on vinyl in
1980. This is a demo for one of them: The Weekly Top 30 hosted by Mark Elliot,
first syndicated in 1979.