REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY
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Dave Saviet began his career in broadcasting at WRKL, a 1KW daytimer in Mt. Ivy, New York, in the mid '70's. Since 1978, Dave's been busy as a technician for the CBS Network in New York City. He says he's been fortunate to have worked with the best in the business, like Charles Osgood, Charles Kuralt, Doug Edwards, Dan Rather and many others. He engineered Walter Cronkite's 20th Century for a number of years and worked with Dan Ingram and Cousin Bruce Morrow, to name a few.
In addition to the impressive collection of airchecks that Dave is sharing with Repository visitors, he also collects classic 45's and QSL's. Dave says that in his years with CBS he's had so many wonderful assignments that it would take a book to list them all. He also says that he has been very fortunate to not to have moved all over the country, like many broadcasters. We are very fortunate to have Dave's collection available in the Repository. Thank you, Dave! | |
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
Alan Freed, WINS, 1955 (25:04)
. . . you made it all possible with your record purchases . . . |
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Alan Freed, "The King of the Rock 'n' Rollers" is featured on New York City's WINS, February 12, 1955.
The music on this aircheck is rarely heard these days. These are the genuine roots of rock - the "Blues and Rhythm" records that Freed, and later, Murray the K, "crossed over" into the mainstream. You'll hear him use the word "original" more than once - a reference to cover versions by white Pop artists that were getting airplay on more traditional music stations of the day. It was also common for Freed to identify the label of each record he played. A few years later, Freed and others were branded as criminals because they took "pay for play". What seemed like a terrible transgression against the "public interest" then pales in comparison to today's mega-monopoly ownership of the airwaves. |
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 TOP STREAM 32 Kbps (10Khz)
Vive de Gaulle, WMGM, New York, 1958 (03:20)
Am I on the radio now? . . . I would not like to be recorded ... |
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Rick Sklar described this in Rockin' America as "one of the greatest stings ever pulled off in radio." The news department of low-rated WMGM "consisted of a group of former soap opera announcers and fairly unsophisticated writers who had been dubbed the WMGM Minute Men." "The big story breaking that sunny Wednesday morning of May 28, 1958 had a Paris dateline. France was in turmoil; the government was collapsing. For days, rumors had been sweeping the capital that Charles de Gaulle, World War II hero and the liberator of Paris, would seize power and take over the reins of the republic . . . The news editors at WMGM decided to try for a big scoop. . . They would go right to the source. They would call Paris and ask General de Gaulle if he was about to seize power. Not only would they make the call, but they would do it live, on the air. . .Sklar credited WINS news director Tom O'Brien with this prank. O'Brien was later VP of ABC news and head of Mutual news. |
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
Dan Ingram, KBOX Dallas, December 1959 (9:00)
. . .wonderful KBOX, the quality goes in, before the name goes on. . . |
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[Description by Uncle Ricky]
This aircheck of portions of a Dan Ingram Saturday morning show on KBOX in Dallas is from December, 1959. It's probably a few months older than the Repository's first Dan Ingram KBOX aircheck, which was circulated in the '70's via Programmer's Digest. This one is longer and the fidelity is marginal, but the content is fabulous. KBOX was always heavily produced and that's clearly demonstrated with this exhibit. As has been pointed out before, Ingram was already very, very good in 1959 — he just wasn't in New York, yet. Following KBOX, Ingram was at WIL in St. Louis. |
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| TOP STREAM 32Kbps (8Khz)
Peter Tripp, WMGM, 1/1/1960 (16:29)
. . . the curly-headed kid in the third row . . . |
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In the opening hours of 1960, just a few months before a May 1960 grand jury indictment on charges of accepting payola, Peter Tripp hosted "The Fabulous Forty of 1959" on WMGM, New York City.
The smooth-talking Tripp, who later worked at KYA and WHN, passed away January 31, 2000. I was surprised at the consistent formatics in this rare aircheck. Note the WMGM "time chime" jingle - which followed every record! Years later, that formatic was to appear again at WABC. |
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TOP STREAM 32.0Kbps (16Khz)
NYC Jingles - WINS (0:11)
Years before L.A was assimilated by acapellas, WINS had these vocal quickies. Don Worsham of the Media Preservation Foundation says these are from Futursonic, about 1959.
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| TOP STREAM 32 Kbps 10Khz Original Publication: November 13, 1997. RE-ENCODED: April 28, 2012.
New York City 1960's Composite (Ghosts of Radio's Past) (13:32)
. . . uh, what's a radio program? . . . |
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This fast-paced montage of various New York City radio stations and personalities was originally assembled by Peter Mokover of Spectrum Research. Peter wrote (see COMMENT) that he put it together as the audio portion of a multimedia presentation about radio that he did with Pete Fornatale (d. April 26, 2012) of WNEW-FM.
Included: Alan Freed Intro, Pre-Drake WOR-FM Jingle, Rosko, Jim Lonsbury, "Drake's Big Town Sound", Brother John, WABC-FM "Love" Format, Bruce Brown, American Contemporary News, Charles Edwards, WINS, Jim Donnely, WNEW, Dan Thompson WOR-FM 20/20 News, American FM Radio News, WMCA, WABC, WCBS-FM, WOR-FM, Charlie Greer (Dennison), Herb Oscar Anderson, Bruce Morrow on WINS (Coney Island Remote), WINS Jingle, Johnny Holliday, Jack Lacey, Napoleon XIV, Scott Muni & Cousin Brucie on Park Avenue (Dan Ingram Show/Beatles), PAMS Beatles Jingle, Dan Ingram, Arthur Van Horn (ABC News), Bob Lewis on WMGM, WABC, WABC-FM, WCBS-FM, WNEW-FM, WCBS-FM Jingle, Murray the K on WINS, Dave Herman, John Zacherle, WABC-FM, WPLJ-FM, Rick Sklar WABC News, WABC Super-Pickets Promo (AFTRA Strike), WMCA "Good Guys" Song, B. Mitchel Reed, WABC Principal of the Year, Cousin Bruce WABC Jingle, Bob Dayton's ill-considered "Hiroshima" comment (his last day on WABC, forever), Roby Yonge WABC, Les Marchak WABC, Murray the K introduces Mad Daddy on WINS, WINS News intro, and Pete Fornatale on WFUV. Of particular interest: Rick Sklar pressed into newscasting duties and the WABC Super Pickets Promo, during the 1966 AFTRA strike. (Portions of this composite were previously featured in the WCBS 1989 DJ Reunion.)
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Dan Ingram on WABC, 1964-68 (8:03)
. . . One hundred and seventy year old recipe - that's pretty gamey . . . You're a fairy, aren't ya? . . . |
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New York legend Dan Ingram is showcased in this composite of WABC from 1964 through 1968.
In addition to the sets and promos featuring Ingram, you'll hear lots of PAMS jingles, ABC News, Ingram's very funny read of a clam spot, and a bizarre interruption of Howard Cosell. I can't remember the story behind this unusual faux pas, but that's why we have a COMMENT button.
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TOP STREAM 96KBPS (15Khz)
Stan Freberg, Stretching The Imagination, 1965 (1:50)
. . . OK people, when I give you the cue . . . |
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[Contributed by David Saviet, Description by Uncle Ricky] This classic Pro-Radio Advertising commercial was created in 1965 by Stan Freberg and includes the unforgettable Who Listens To Radio? jingle performed by Sarah Vaughn. In addition to several Freberg commercial releases, this particular spot was distributed in a National Radio Month package to NAB and/or RAB member stations. This exhibit, particularly the Sarah Vaughn jingle, reminds me of a time when radio held such great promise. Top 40 shook off the threat of TV and thousands of local radio stations were independently operated. Today, who listens to radio? Do we count Satellite radio, and Internet radio? But more importantly, does every community have the options and opportunities for the local radio ownership and employment that existed in 1965?
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Jim O'Brien, WOR-FM New York, 1969 (10:51)
. . . Hitbound in the Big Town. . . |
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Jim O'Brien (d. 1984) is featured in this composite of Boss Radio on FM in the Big Apple, just before his tours of duty at CKLW, KHJ and WFIL. O'Brien became a TV anchor in Philadelphia. He died tragically in a 1984 skydiving promotion. His daughter, TV actress Peri Gilpin, is known for her work on NBC's Frasier.
WOR-FM was where the Boss Sound became The Big Town Sound, and perhaps due to the multipath (some of which is showcased in this clip), did not survive as long as the "left coast" original. One must wonder - if "The Big Town Sound" had a 50KW AM in New York - would it have done as well as its 5KW sister in Los Angeles? Did any current-day computer execs pay any attention to the spot to write "Computer, c/o WOR-FM New York"? They were IBM's and UNIVACs, then - serious mainframes without even a hint of GUI, but you could make up to 8, 10, 12 thousand a year, (or more, thankfully), as a programmer, keypunch or console operator! It was many years later when expensive IBM "PC's" running "MS-DOS" appeared in radio station offices. Also noteworthy is the promo for a recording contract with MGM, just 8 years earlier, the call letters of another NYC radio station. Who says things change faster these days?
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Jerry Butler, KHJ, October 15, 1970 (2:12)
. . . in Southern California we're all set to sizzle for the first time . . . |
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Jerry Butler is featured in this short sample of his first few minutes of his first show on KHJ, October 15, 1970.
Butler came to KHJ from WRKO, and was one of the original jocks at K100. He took his own life after leaving KGIL in the summer of 1976. |
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The Real Don Steele, KHJ, 1970 (11:06)
. . . Cloudy, with drizzies tonight, gang - uh oh - but it's not gonna impede our quest for adventure in the neon fun jungle on a fractious Friday night. . . |
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The Real Don Steele sets the pace for a Fractious Friday in L.A. in
February, 1970. This 'check is a fine example of the kind of infectious,
unforgettable and consistent energy in which Steele excelled.
While this Fractious Friday 'check ends after the 5PM ID, and before the Steele Sign Off, it does include a promo for KHJ's Heavy Wheels contest, with the prize being a "hard-hummin' street burner" - a 1970 Pontiac Firebird. All you had to do was guess the total weight of the car, filled with a "stash of coin cash and all the Boss Jocks."
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. . . it's clear that radio must re-direct itself, or ultimately a Buzz Bennett will arrive and re-direct it . . .
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This somewhat verbose (but enjoyable) presentation was obviously created to showcase the success of Buzz Bennett and KCBQ, San Diego. It could rightfully be considered a "mini-history of popular music radio" as it attempts to define the "secrets" and formatics of "Drake" and "Progressive" Radio.
In 1971, it was easy to disparage the original production elements of Top 40, and the narrators bash many of them, and then proceed to provide a short-form bio of Bill Drake, and his "well-oiled machine". Beginning with a decade of Los Angeles radio including KFWB, Bill Ballance, KRLA, Dave Hull, KHJ, Robert W. Morgan, Frank Terry, and Mike Turner on "underground" KMET, it concludes with Rich Brother Robbin and Shotgun Tom Kelly on KCBQ, San Diego. The authors of this exhibit were identified within minutes of the opening! Ken Levine and Billy Pearl are responsible, and the initial report of authorship is available via COMMENT. (Thanks, Ken!)
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Steve O'Brien, CKLW, 1974 (16:20)
. . . this song has a long intro. I don't think I'll talk up to the vocal . . . |
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Steve O' Brien was filling in for Ted "Bear" Richards on this Solid Gold Weekend in 1974.
Much has been written about "The Big 8" (mostly at Jack Decker's Classic CKLW Page) and every complimentary word is true. Masterfully engineered, always powerful and perfectly polished - this monster station was some of the best American Top 40 ever imported from Canada! The Big 8 and O'Brien sounded great together. |
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The Morning Zoo, WHTZ New York, 1985 (15:34)
. . . from the top of the Gorilla building . . . |
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WHTZ (Z-100) and The Morning Zoo inspired many (mostly inferior)
imitators in the 80's, but none came close to the professionalism and creative
genius of the original. This composite was a 1985 Billboard Magazine
Award winner.
Some were under the impression that all you needed for a "Morning Zoo" was a crowd of people in the control room every morning, but Scott Shannon, Ross Brittain and the other (often celebrity) participants in the Z-100 Zoo set new (sometimes shocking) standards for mass-appeal music morning shows.
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TOP STREAM 64Kbps STEREO (14KHz)
Ted Brown, WCBS-FM New York, June 9, 1991 Part One (53:14)
. . . well, how do you say it? You haven't had a job, in so long . . . |
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[Descriptions by Uncle Ricky. Contributed by Dave Saviet]
Herb Oscar Anderson and Charlie Greer open this 1991 WCBS-FM Radio Greats Weekend with New York radio legend Ted Brown passed away on March 20, 2005. He worked for WMGM, WNEW and WNBC in New York City.
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TOP STREAM 64Kbps STEREO (14KHz)
Ted Brown, WCBS-FM New York, June 9, 1991 Part Two (53:49)
. . . I love this record! I'm a DJ on a rock 'n' roll station! . . . |
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Ted Brown demonstrates some of the reasons for his high marks in the New York radio community in Part Two of this 1991 WCBS-FM Radio Greats Weekend from June 9, 1991. In addition, we are treated to the WMGM Top Ten of June 9, 1959.
But was Ted Brown really only 4 and a half feet tall? That's a short stature for such a towering legend.
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Not just any yellow SUN record . . .
