REEL TOP 40 RADIO REPOSITORY
Keith Smith, nearly frozen, on the roof of KMEL during the Golden Gate Bridge 50th Anniversary Celebration (1987).
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Keith Smith, Production Director at KRTH-FM, Los Angeles, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area listening to Dr. Don Rose, Big Tom Parker, Rick Shaw and Bobby Ocean, among others, on the "Big 610" (KFRC). When he decided to pursue a career in radio, that era and those great broadcasters became his standard of measurement. His first REAL job in radio was at K-101 in San Francisco, where he worked with Chuck Browning. Keith says, "I didn't know at the time that he was a radio legend, but after many nights hanging out at a local watering hole, I realized that he had been at some great radio stations and that he had done some great radio." Later, he worked with Mike Phillips (currently Program Director at KRTH), and Big Tom Parker and was able to meet some of the guys he had listened to as a kid, like Dave Sholin and others. In 1986, he joined KMEL in San Francisco, where he worked with Steve Rivers, John London, Keith Naftaly, Howard Hoffman and others who he says "left indelible imprints" on his broadcasting career. In 1991, Keith moved to Los Angeles, and in 1992, he had the chance to work with Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele. Keith says, "As I began to work with them I realized that these guys were pros, and all they wanted to do was be great on the air - and they were. I remember walking in the studio day after day in the afternoon, and Don saying 'Hey Keith, I love ya baby!!'. I also remember having to go into Robert W. Morgan's office to tell him not to throw and break commercial carts when he got mad. He could have chewed my head off, but he just said, "O.K." I respected them, and they respected me. It wasn't until later that I realized how great these guys really were. Working with them has changed my professional life." The Repository thanks Keith for sharing! |
[Some Descriptions by Keith Smith]
TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (14Khz)
Chuck Browning, KFRC, KHJ, March 1970 (11:04)
. . . musically answering the question, where'd you bury her? . . . Here is a 'check' of the last part of Chuck Browning's last show on KFRC, and the first part of his first show on KHJ. (One set from Humble Harve precedes Browning on KHJ, recorded on Friday, March 13, 1970.) |
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KHJ Los Angeles Composite, 1972 (26:42)
. . . Donny Osmond did take all his clothes off once, but nobody noticed . . .
. . . Sit Down! Get Up! Get Out! . . .
This tape was found in the personal aircheck archive of The Real Don Steele. Good stuff from KHJ, circa 1972. Featured:
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
The KFRC Hummel Tape, 1973 (26:48)
. . . it's getting that you're getting it that gets me off . . .
Our guests will have to supply the story behind The Hummel Tape, which includes
bits and pieces of KFRC San Francisco, circa 1973. Included: Mike Novak, Jack Friday, Tom Kennedy, Jim Carson, Bobby Ocean, Eric Chase, Beau Weaver and Kevin
McCarthy.
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TOP STREAM 20.7Kbps (10Khz)
Dr. Don Rose, KFRC San Francisco, November 1973 (10:43)
. . . My wife wanted something to drive, so I got her a hammer . . . Dr. Don Rose is heard in this studio-quality aircheck from early in his long run at KFRC. Jack Hines has news duties, and Dr. Don meets someone who did say "hello"... |
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Big Tom Parker, KFRC San Francisco, 1978 (3:42)
. . . lends new meaning to the old term "early riser" . . . Here's a little bit of Big Tom Parker (doing holiday fill-in for Dr. Don Rose) on KFRC. |
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Chuck Browning, WHBQ Memphis, 1981 (4:42)
. . . You're the first midget I ever worked with . . . Chuck Browning (d. 1988; WFIL, CKLW, WMCA, KFRC, KHJ, KCBQ, KGB, KFI, ) came to me one day and asked me to edit down one of his airchecks. When I threw it on the reel to reel machine and started listening to it, I knew I had to have a copy of it. It is "The Chucker" and his last show at WHBQ, Memphis. His next stop was K-101, San Francisco. |
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John London, Ron Engleman, KMEL, 1985 (6:24)
. . . That's a unique way of sayin', "Hi, I'm here, where's the action" . . . Here's a short but sweet taste of John London and Ron Engleman early in their tenure at the KMEL (San Francisco) Morning Zoo. This aircheck ends with one of their all time classic bits — The Cleavers.
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Dr. Don Rose, 2500th Show KFRC San Francisco 6-8-84 (1:13:36)
. . . Doctor of Humor, specializing in comedy bypass . . . I had grown up listening to Dr. Don Rose on the BIG 610. He was the first disc jockey that I can actually remember listening to. On June 8, 1984 (the day of his 2500th show), I was walking to work through the financial district of San Francisco and I recall the mega deja-vu that I experienced as he talked about all his old "schtick." I also remember being in awe of all the work that he put into this show. This is Doctor Don at his best! Dr. Don Rose (Donald Rosenberg) passed away of complications from pneumonia on March 29, 2005. Included: Larry Lujack with best wishes from WLS in Chicago. | ||
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| TOP STREAM IS 32.1Kbps (16Khz)
Dan Ingram, KRTH Los Angeles, June 1998 (08:43)
. . . Why do I smell Tuna Fish? . . . Big Dan Ingram as we heard him June 15 - 19, 1998. This is a compilation.
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Charlie Van Dyke, KRTH Los Angeles, 8-31-98 (17:14)
. . . From the Entertainment Capital of the World . . .
Here is a composite of Charlie Van Dyke, on KRTH, August 31, 1998, his first day as our long-awaited regular morning show host. We are all very excited to have Charlie at KEARTH. The Friday before Charlie went on, we had a planning meeting for Monday's show. Charlie was well-prepared, and all of his ideas were right in-line with the KEARTH audience and the rest of the KEARTH programming.
I came out of that meeting amazed at the vision and enthusiam of our new morning man. | ||
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. . . he used to be an altarboy, and I mean used to be . . . |
MONO TOP STREAM 32.1Kbps (16Khz)
Keith Smith KMEL Demo (7:15)
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. . . The Godfather of Oldies Radio . . . |
MONO TOP STREAM 32.1Kbps (16Khz)
Keith Smith Demo, 9-99 (11:21)
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Description by Uncle Ricky
KRTH Los Angeles Production Manager Keith Smith contributed these
These powerful 18 minutes of fabulous audio production came to us on DAT, and it needed only some peak limiting for final encoding. It's pumped with tweets and woofs! If you have one of those 11Kbs AOL or 16Kbps Web-TV connections, or basically, any dial-up connection under an actual 50Kbps (most "56K" connections offer far less than 56Kbs) it's *still* great listening — but it won't be hi-fi. The Mono versions are strongly recommended for dial-up users. If you can hear the mono version at top speed (32.1Kbps), sure, try the stereo. (And we hope you won't be disappointed.) The stereo versions are recommended if you have a genuine "broadband" connection (ISDN, DSL, Cable or LAN, over 100Kbs). The stereo version of these demos is stunning and you *will* wake the kids! (Phoning the neighbors is optional.) |
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John London, Brian Cooley (Newsman), Official KMEL barmaid, and Keith Smith - the KMEL Morning Zoo at their favorite bar.
