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Doug
Thompson's
A Rock Radio Scrapbook |
Doug alters Ringo's script (1983)
For years, Rock Radio Scrapbook visitors have been blessed with the contributions of Doug Thompson, the long-time radio producer, writer and historian extraordinaire. Most of his work has appeared in the CHUM Archives. But now Doug has his own section on Canada's Aircheck Archive. Read his story and hear and read the stories behind the wonderful audio he has produced - much of it exclusively for Rock Radio Scrapbook. It's all here ... in Doug Thompson's Production Corner.
Doug at PAMS Productions in Dallas (1972)
Over his 40-year career in broadcasting, Doug Thompson has won 151 awards for creative excellence, including a Billboard Magazine International Syndicated Special of the Year award, CLIO Awards, Hollywood IBA's, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Blue Ribbon Award plus Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and Grand Awards from the New York Radio Festivals.
Doug started his full-time broadcasting career at CHUM Toronto where, in nine years, he worked his way up from board operator to Production Manager. He was Executive Director for Telemedia Network Radio for 13 years and Creative Director for "The Team Sports Radio Network". He has created programming for ABC Radio, NBC Radio, United Stations, Westwood One and Rolling Stone Magazine Productions in the U.S. as well as CBC Television in Canada. Advertising clients include Pepsi, Sears, KFC, Paramount Pictures, Global Television Network, McCain Foods and Volkswagen, among others.
For two years in Los Angeles, Doug was Creative Director and head writer for John Candy's audio projects in both Canada and the United States, including Candy's weekly series, "Radio Kandy", which aired on 350 radio stations in the United States.
For the past eight years, Doug has written a monthly column on creativity and creative broadcasters in Canada for Broadcast Dialogue.
Doug receives his first Clio (1972) Producing
session at Eastern Sound (1988)
(All descriptions written by Doug Thompson)
Subject: DJ
INTROS MONTAGE
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Dates: Various
Time: 10:50
(Photo courtesy Charlie Ritenburg)
Legendary CHUM Program Director (and later General Manager) J. Robert Wood had the above words placed over the door to the 1050 CHUM jock booth at 1331 Yonge Street. When board operators were eliminated in the 1980’s, the sign was moved to above the AM control room door.
This montage is a testament to the talented 1050 CHUM DJ’s of the 1960’s and ‘70’s - those inspired, passionate, creative guys who always knew exactly how to intro a song.
They truly were ‘the finest air staff in the world’.
In order, the montage is:
1. Bob Laine (0:23)
2. Johnny Mitchell (0:50)
3. John Majhor (1:08)
4. Mike Cooper (1:26)
5. Mike Holland (1:49)
6. Tom Rivers (2:13)
7. Dave Johnson (2:27)
8. Jack Armstrong (2:57)
9. Scott Carpenter (3:26)
10. Pat Riley (3:41)
11. John Rode (4:09)
12. Wolfman Jack (4:28)
13. Daryl B. (4:57)
14. Chuck McCoy (5:27)
15. Brian Skinner (5:51)
16. Bob Magee (6:30)
17. Jay Nelson (6:52)
18. J. Michael Wilson (7:22)
19. Jim Van Horne (7:52)
20. Terry Steele (8:31)
21. Duke Roberts (8:57)
22. Hal Weaver (9:24)
23. Dick Hayes (9:34)
24. Duff Roman (10:11)
25. Roger Ashby (10:29)
Enjoy the CHUM DJ Intros Montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(Photos courtesy Doug Thompson)
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: BOB
LAINE MONTAGE
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Dates: Various
Time: 10:52
(Picture courtesy Doug Thompson/The CHUM Archives)
(Description by Doug Thompson)
Bob Laine was CHUM’s undisputed King of All Nights. Bob first came to CHUM in June of 1958 and spent the next 10 years entertaining Southern Ontario from midnight ‘til 6 a.m.
There was one slight break in that time line however. In early 1962, Bob left CHUM to become morning man at CFGM, the country music radio station in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. After a few months, Bob came back to host Craven A’s “Music Til Dawn.” CHUM built a huge promotion around ‘The Voice’ coming to CHUM. There was a contest to guess what ‘The Voice” would say first. There were several CHUM charts promoting ‘The Voice’. But when ‘The Voice’ actually arrived (highlights of which appear in this montage), he didn’t say a word, not until the next night.
Bob remained the all-night maven of 1050 until 1968, when CHUM’s Program Director, J. Robert Wood moved him to the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift. Then, two years later Bob took the reins as Program Director at CHUM-FM. His career in CHUM management began there.
(l-r: John Spragge, Al Boliska, Pete Nordheimer, Mike Darow, Bob Laine, Dave Johnson)
In total, Bob spent 45 years at CHUM, retiring from day-to-day operations as Vice President in October of 2003. The very next week, Bob and I started the seemingly never-ending task of creating the CHUM Museum and working on the CHUM Archives (which continues to this day).
Bob passed away on August 31, 2011, but he won’t soon be forgotten. There are many Bob Laine CHUM airchecks to be found here on Rock Radio Scrapbook as well as written material about him.
This montage is a little different from any of my previous CHUM ones. Since Bob worked all night, he wasn’t available to record any promos, so I’ve combined the promos we do have with aircheck selections (including a hilarious People’s Credit Jewellers commercial that had Bob cracking up), plus a section from the 2001 CHUM wrap-up broadcast with Duff Roman and CHUM’s GM Fred Sherratt and it ends with a piece from October 2003 with Tom Rivers and Nanci Krant on Bob Laine Day on CHUM. In between are the various CHUM jingles that Bob used over the years.
Enjoy the Bob Laine "The Night
Creature" Montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: BOB
LAINE TRIBUTE
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Dates: Various
Time: 4:59
Doug Thompson talks about Bob Laine, and tells the story behind the tribute he did for his mentor...
"When Bob Laine passed away on August 30, 2011, it was an incredibly sad time for all of us who knew and loved him. Bob and I had become close friends way back in 1965 just after I’d started working at CHUM. He became a mentor to me. My board operator shift was 6PM to Midnight, but I’d stay and play in the production studio until 6 in the morning when Bob would drop me off at my apartment on his way home.
During many of those overnight production sessions in 1966, I created a bunch of short ID’s for Bob’s show using lines from movie promos. I also edited “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band and wrote and recorded new lyrics specifically for Bob’s show. Yes, that is me singing.
When Bob retired in October 2003, he decided to work on the CHUM Museum as well as CHUM Archives, which were scattered here, there and everywhere throughout the building at 1331 Yonge Street. He asked me to join him and I was delighted to do so. My basement (as well as several upstairs rooms in my house) resemble a museum with my personal archives anyway, so this was a natural progression.
For Bob’s Memorial service at Seneca College (where Bob taught broadcasting part time) later that year (2011), I knew I wanted to do something different than just give a speech or talk about my memories of Bob. Besides, I wasn’t sure I could actually get through one without my emotions taking over.
What I decided to do was to take a page from Dickie Goodman’s ‘break in’ records of the 1950’s & ‘60’s. Those were the ones where Dickie created a story (“The Flying Saucer Parts 1 & 2” [created with Bill Buchanan],“The Touchables”, “Ben Crazy” [a spoof on the TV series “Ben Casey”],“Mr. Jaws”, etc) and accented those stories with short samples from hit songs.
So that’s what I did. I wrote a mini history of Bob’s life and career and found appropriate songs samples to accent the story. I used a couple of Bob’s CHUM jingles to start the tribute off and to end it. I asked CHUM FM’s Roger Ashby to narrate and he graciously accepted.
And this was the result..."
Hear Doug Thompson's Tribute to Bob Laine
here.
We also have three show ID's that Doug Thompson produced for Laine's CHUM show in 1966.
Hear ID #1
here. (0:13)
Hear ID #2 here. (0:12)
Hear ID #3 here. (0:16)
Hear the Winchester Cathedral ID
here.
(0:32)
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: JAY
NELSON MONTAGE
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Dates: 1963-80
Time: 16:43
(Jay Nelson as Maude/Courtesy Doug Thompson, The CHUM Archives)
(Jay Nelson with Bob McAdorey/Courtesy Doug Thompson, The CHUM Archives)
(Description by Doug Thompson)
It was Monday December 2nd 1963, when Jay Nelson (real name: Frank Coxe), CHUM’s new ‘morning mayor’, turned on the microphone in the studios at 1331 Yonge Street for the first time and said...actually, what he said on his initial CHUM broadcast is lost to time, but for the next 17 years and 22 days, ‘Jungle’ Jay woke up Southern Ontario with plenty of humour, lovable characters such as Maude and Shredney Vashtar, plus chartfuls of hit music.
CHUM’s original morning man Al Boliska had quit in the fall of ’63 and left for rival Toronto radio station CKEY. CHUM’s then Program Director Allan Slaight and Promotions Director Allen Farrell concocted yet another zany stunt to find CHUM’s new morning man.
All of the CHUM DJ’s of that time (John Spragge, Bob McAdorey, Mike Darow, Dave Johnson, Dick Clark and Bob Laine) ‘auditioned’ for the vacant morning slot, but the eventual winner was just across the border in Buffalo, New York, at WKBW radio and WKBW TV where he did a kids afternoon TV show wearing a pith helmet and calling himself ‘Jungle’ Jay.
(Courtesy Doug Thompson, The CHUM Archives)
Toronto radio audiences quickly took to ‘Jungle’ Jay Nelson. Early on, he gave away an elephant tusk on-the-air and donated (although CHUM paid) two wallabies to the Toronto Zoo. Every weekday, he’d make ‘candid-camera’ type’ phone calls on ‘Hello Toronto”. Jay MC’d The Beatles Maple Leaf Gardens concerts in 1964, ’65 and ’66. Jay was also there at Nathan Phillips Square on December 10th, 1980, along with tens of thousands of other Beatles fans, to mourn the death of John Lennon.
Jay Nelson and 1050 CHUM were made for each other...but all good things must eventually come to an end. That end came on the morning of December 24th, 1980 after 17 years and 22 days.
This montage has several ‘neat’ moments. There are plenty of samples of Jay’s daily humour (sometimes quite corny). Right off the top, you’ll hear a pre announcement (read by Bob McAdorey) about Jay coming to CHUM, followed by a CHUM ‘radio cartoon’ about the new morning man. Then, from an aircheck in September of ’64, there’s ‘The World’s Worst Jokes’, which was actually a regular Al Boliska feature that CHUM continued with Jay and ‘Just Plain George’ for nearly a year after Boliska left. You’ll also hear an episode from the late 1960’s of “Mysterious Minerva” featuring Jay and CHUM writer Garry Ferrier. I recorded and produced all of the 80+ episodes of this CHUM feature - Garry and Jay always tried to break each other up. They both succeeded numerous times.
(Jay Nelson on-air, 1977/Courtesy Doug Thompson, The CHUM Archives)
You’ll also hear Jay’s CHUM jingles along with selected pieces from his 13th anniversary show in 1976. Finally, it wraps up with Dick Smyth’s December 24th 1980 commentary and Jay’s touching, final goodbye.
Jay Nelson passed away on February 18th, 1994. The following year, Jay was honoured, along with two other Canadian legendary DJ’s (Red Robinson and David Marsden a.k.a. Dave Mickie) plus about a dozen or so U.S. DJ’s, by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Salute to DJ’s.
Jay was always fun to work with. Sure he could sometimes be cranky (wouldn’t you be if you had to get up at 4:30 every morning for 17 years and 22 days?), but he always gave 110% to everything he did. That’s the sign of a true pro...and that is the definition of Jay Nelson.
Enjoy Doug
Thompson's Jay Nelson montage
here.
(Jay Nelson with Mr. and Mrs. Waters/Courtesy Doug Thompson, The CHUM Archives)
(Courtesy Doug Thompson)
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Produced by Doug Thompson
Title: HOW
DO YOU LIKE THE '80s SO FAR? (Hour 1)
Network: Telemedia
Date: Summer
1986
Time: 49:47
(unscoped)
Team one of North America's top producers with a Canadian comedy legend and what do you get?
Radio magic of course.
Doug Thompson tells the story of How Do You Like The '80s So Far?, a 1986 special he created, wrote and produced for Telemedia.
"It was February of 1986. I was in a hotel room on the Sunset Strip and had been staying there for several days. Since 1982, I had been Executive Producer and Creative Director for Telemedia Network Radio in Toronto. Telemedia Network had two divisions – one was sports, Telemedia held the radio rights to both the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team and the Maple Leafs hockey franchise. The other division was entertainment. I worked for both. But here I was in Hollywood doing more interviews for another holiday special. Besides writing and producing Blue Jays and Leafs promos, openings and closings for play-by-play games and various short form sports features, I was responsible for creating, writing, producing and directing 5 holidays specials a year – one for each of the major Canadian long weekends – Easter, July 1st, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It had been relatively easy to create those specials so far, but the summer of ’86 had me stumped. The previous summer, I’d created a 26 hour blockbuster (13 two hour specials) called “Rock 30” that aired on 65+ radio stations across Canada throughout the summer of ‘85. John Candy was the host. John had become a major movie star and that year, he filmed “Brewster’s Millions” with Richard Prior, “Summer Rental” (his first starring vehicle after many ‘second banana’ roles), “Volunteers” with Tom Hanks and a cameo in “Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird”. I had hired John for many radio commercials over the years beginning back during his days on the Second City stage in Toronto (before SCTV). John loved radio and had run into the President of our network, Len Bramson, in Florida while shooting “Summer Rental”. My name came up during their conversation and John told Len that he’d had always enjoyed working with me and that he’d love to do radio again and to have me give him a call.
I did and “Rock 30” was the result.
John and I began working closer together and after a weekly 90 minutes Canadian radio series called “That Radio Show with John Candy” that ran for a year, we then co-created a two hour weekly show, “Radio Kandy” for the U.S. radio market and I moved to LA and John’s offices in the fall of 1988.
But that was 3 years away. Telemedia wanted to start promoting the 1986 summer special and I had absolutely no ideas of what to do.
On my last night in LA, I went to bed and woke up the next morning with a brainwave. The 80’s had just past the midway mark, so how about a review of the ‘80’s? The title was there instantly,“How Do You Like The 80’s So Far?” I called Paul Williams, my boss at Telemedia and told him the concept. He said ‘Great idea. Who’s the host?’
Crap! I hadn’t thought that part through yet.
So I started wracking my brain and quickly came up with Dave Thomas. Dave was part of the Second City troupe in Toronto I’d used for a bunch of commercials and had gone on to SCTV, movies and TV shows. I knew Dave fairly well and had worked with his brother Ian Thomas on a couple of other radio specials, so I called Dave, we discussed the concept and the money involved (it would have been way below what Dave was making, but he was up for it).
(Logo courtesy Doug Thompson)
We had the concept...and now, we had a host. Telemedia was happy. They promoted the six-hour program to radio stations across the country, sold it to national sponsors and we launched another successful Holiday Special. Stations were always happy to have name celebrities host these specials (we were well ahead of the curve on that one).
As I’d done with “Rock 30”, writing specifically for John Candy’s characters, I wrote “How Do You Like The 80’s So Far?” with some of Dave’s best impersonations, Walter Cronkite, Bob Hope etc. in mind. Dave of course, contributed to the script immensely with funny ad-libs and in some cases, complete segments. Dave still had to play DJ for most of the show, since it featured a lot of ‘80’s music, but he did a great job. Stations sent in glowing reviews after the show aired.
What rockradioscrapbook.ca is featuring currently is Hour 1 of “How Do You Like The 80’s So Far?” There’ll be more hours further down the road, but now that you know the background... I hope you enjoy the show.”
Enjoy How Do You
Like The '80s So Far?
here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
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Subject: DOUG
THOMPSON'S CANADIAN COMMERCIAL MONTAGE
Station: N/A
Dates: 1960s
and '70s
Time: 20:03
The CHUMingbirds
(l-r: Mike Darow, Bob McAdorey, Gary Ferrier, John Spragge)
{Picture courtesy Doug Thompson)
(Description by Doug Thompson)
And the memories…keep on comin’. The commercial is the lifeblood of private radio. Some commercial jingles stay in your head for a lifetime.
It’s true. I can sing commercial jingles verbatim that I heard over 40 years ago and I’ll bet you can too (if you’re that old, that is.)
This montage, which runs ever so slightly over 20 minutes, contains 31 commercials and jingles, all of which aired in Canada during the 1960’s and 1970’s. It starts with the classic Dominion Stores jingle, possibly the second most famous melody right after the Hockey Night In Canada theme. Legendary announcer Joel Aldred was the longtime pitchman for Rothman’s cigarettes (2:07). Henry Ramer, one of Canada’s great character actors and a top voice over talent, can be heard in the Ontario commercial at 2:53.
The CHUMingbirds (Garry Ferrier, Bob McAdorey, John Spragge and Mike Darow) were all CHUM Toronto announcers (although Ferrier worked mainly in the copy department and only did fill-in air shifts. He also wrote this jingle.) Garry had a hit in 1964 with Ringo Deer and in ’65, was back on the charts as Race Marbles, Like A Dribbling Fram. The 4 CHUM staffers had a singing group on the side, performing at the CNE and at various functions in Toronto. They also did jingles occasionally and Country Style Donuts at 4:32 was one example.
There are celebrities galore in this montage. Ronnie & The Daytona’s singing for Colonel Sanders at 6:25 is followed by 90 seconds of The Guess Who ‘Shakin’ All Over’ for Coke. Then at 16:45, there’s David Clayton-Thomas and The Shays singing their hearts out for Wildroot Formula 3.
The anti-drug jingle heard at 11:10 (‘Do You Know What You’re Doing?’) became so popular that it was released as a 45rpm full length version. The singer/songwriter is Terry Bush (who, along with Doug Riley as The Butterfingers) created another commercial-to-hit record with Baby Ruth in 1965.
That’s Robert Goulet, who was raised in Edmonton, singing the du Maurier jingle at 13:00 and anyone who grew up in the 60’s will recognize Joanie Sommers voice on the Pepsi jingle. Joanie was born in Buffalo, New York before moving to Venice, California with her family at the age of 14. I’ll bet you’ve NEVER heard a Pepsi jingle like this – a 60-second commercial about Toronto. This one’s from the early 1960’s.
The singer of the Pledge jingle at 17:41 is Bill Misener, who was once a member of The Paupers and later produced Keith Hampshire’s hits, Daytime Night-Time, First Cut Is The Deepest (both 1973) and Big Time Operator (1974).
Not all great Canadian ads were created in Canada. The Sheriff Flavour Buds campaign (15:17) was created for Toronto ad agency Vickers & Benson by Chicago’s Ken Nordine, who’s most famous for his ‘Word Jazz’ LPS and radio programs. The Coke spot at 18:33 was created for Coca-Cola Canada by Mel Blanc Productions Hollywood. Blanc was the voice of Warner Bros. cartoon characters Bugs Bunny, Sylvester The Cat, Yosemite Sam, Pepe Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Foghorn Leghorn, Daffy Duck and many others and in the 60’s, formed an advertising production company. You can hear Mel himself singing ‘Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola’ in a deep raspy voice close to the end of this spot just before Petula Clark sings the ‘real’ Coke jingle. The male actor, by the way, is Jesse White, who was the original Maytag repair man on TV for years and worked regularly with Stan Freberg.
So, hit the play button (below) and see how many of these commercials and jingles YOU remember. If you’re too young to have heard them originally, welcome to the golden age of radio commercials.
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Enjoy
Doug
Thompson's
Canadian Radio Commercial Montage here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: DOUG
THOMPSON'S CELEBRITY
COMMERCIAL MONTAGE
Station: N/A
Dates: Various
Time: 22:05
"The Monkees - brought to you by Kellogg's!"
Celebrities have sung (and spoken) the praises of advertisers for decades. Frank Sinatra once crooned the virtues of Halo Shampoo. Broadway/TV/movie star Robert Goulet (who grew up in Canada), lent his voice to DuMaurier here in the Great White North in the early 1960’s. Ronald Reagan was the long-time spokesperson for General Electric. Comedian Jack Benny seamlessly wove Lucky Strike commercials into his weekly radio show in the 1950’s. Coke spent a fortune during the '60’s getting many top music stars of the day to recreate their hits into 30-, 60- and 90-second jingles while weaving in the Things Go Better With Coke message.
Of course, it went the other way as well. The 60-second Coke commercial, I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing became a Top Ten hit record on its own. Bob Crewe turned the Music To Watch Girls By Diet Pepsi commercial into a Top Twenty hit…as did The T-Bones with No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In), the theme from an Alka-Seltzer ad (actually that one made it all the way to #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart).
This montage, all 22:05 of it, is all celebrities…all the time. Most are singing. A few are talking.
The highlights include a young Cass Elliott (long before The Mamas & The Papas when she was in a folk trio called The Big Three) singing and announcing for Thom McCann Shoes. There are car commercials from Louis Armstrong, The Fifth Dimension, Brenda Lee, Andy Williams and Pat Boone.
Soft drinks have jingles from Bo Diddley, The Guess Who, Michael Jackson, Peggy Lee, Ike & Tina Turner, Ronnie Hawkins & Rough Trade. Even The Monkees got into the ad game with a short jingle for Kellogg’s (a regular sponsor of their weekly 60’s TV series).
We went back to 1959 for the Marty Robbins ad for Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco. And before he made it big on the record charts and Las Vegas, Barry Manilow made his living singing jingles (for many years, he even included a jingle medley in his live shows). Barry sings for Tab in this montage.
Tommy Lee Jones lends his distinctive Texas accent to Red Dog Beer and Monty Python’s John Cleese is his usual hilarious self singing? for Diet Pepsi.
We conclude with two jingles for radio itself. The first one came from an early '70’s campaign for the Radio Advertising Bureau featuring artists such as Roger Miller, Glen Campbell, Ray Stevens and Dr. John singing new ‘radio’ lyrics to their original hits. This campaign was created by Chuck Blore.
The final jingle Who Listens To Radio was created by Stan Freberg back in the mid ‘60’s and features jazz legend Sarah Vaughan.
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Hear Doug
Thompson's Celebrity Commercial Montage here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: TOM
RIVERS MONTAGE
Stations: CHUM,
CFTR, CJEZ Toronto, KYA San Francisco
Date: Various
Time: 12:13
(Photos courtesy Doug Thompson)
There’s a very good
reason Tom Rivers is a member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Hall of Fame – and it isn’t because he died way too young either.
It’s simply because he was one of the best. His witty, and often times
outrageous record intros and backsells endeared him to millions of
listeners, whether it was in Detroit/Windsor, Toronto, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Calgary or Anchorage, Alaska (some of the
cities where Tom worked on air). Listeners loved his anti establishment,
anti management attitude, even if station executives didn’t. Tom was fired
from 1050 CHUM at least 4 times (once on his birthday), but brought back 5.
Even his legendary voice tracks (where he’d have conversations several times
an hour with CHUM’s afternoon traffic person, Amber Payie) fooled a couple
of long time, very savvy broadcasters who thought Tom was actually live in
the control room (he wasn’t).
A native of Newberry, Michigan and one tall son-of-a-gun (6’ 8",) Tom
quickly made his mark in radio. In a couple of markets, he was known as Mike
Rivers, but it was as Tom Rivers that Toronto came to love the guy who loved
wearing his cowboy hat everywhere. 1050 CHUM, Talk 640, EZ Rock,
CKFM, CFTR
and AM740 were all host to Tom’s on-air antics at one time or another.
This montage, which runs just over 12 minutes, took many hours to create. I
had to listen to dozens of Tom’s airchecks and find just the right bit. Hear
how Tom handles a 1050 CHUM contest caller who obviously wasn’t paying
attention. There’s an "Unfriendly Giant" episode from his CFTR days, a
couple of bits from his first day at 680 in January of 1983, and an intro or
two from his time in San Francisco, but for the most part, it’s Tom doing
what he did best – having fun on the radio.
I first met Tom at CHUM. We remained friends and a few years later, when I
was doing a lot of work in LA and Tom was at K100, we’d grab dinner at The
Smokehouse in Toluca Lake or go fishing at Big Bear Lake on weekends. Later,
when Tom moved to San Francisco, he called me in Toronto and said he’d
created a new radio series and would I like to do some voices for it. Hell
yah. I flew into San Francisco a bunch of times and we recorded the Star
Wars parody Tom called Omega Flats in the KFRC production studios. Tom
played the Zeta Ranger and I was Crusty, a crusty old gas station attendant
on a far away asteroid.
It’s a cliché really, but there’ll never be another Tom Rivers. I just wish
the real Tom was still around, defying management as usual and entertaining
the hell out of rest of us.
Thanks Tom. Damn, how we miss you.
Enjoy the Tom
Rivers montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: PAMS
WESTERN CANADA JINGLE MONTAGE
Stations: Various
Dates: Various
Time: 14:06
Throughout most of the 1960’s and into the mid ‘70’s, well over a hundred radio stations across Canada aired jingles created by PAMS of Dallas. PAMS was hot all over the Great White North, but especially in the Western provinces. This montage contains various PAMS jingles from stations starting in Winnipeg (CKY, CKRC, CFRW), moving through Regina (CKCK), then a quick trip over to Moose Jaw (CHAB), up to Saskatoon (CKOM), back down to Lethbridge (CJOC), stopping briefly in Calgary (CFCN, CKXL), north to Edmonton (CJCA, CHED), then out to Vancouver (CFUN/CKVN/CKLG/CJOR) and winding up in the beautiful city of Victoria (CKDA).
This audio trip back to yesterday features the distinctive voices of Trella Hart and the late Peyton Park (who sounded black, but was actually a white insurance salesman in the Dallas area). Another ‘neat treat’ is the CHED 2½ minute jingle/song I Had A Ball in Big E.
NOTE: CFUN and CKVN were actually the same station. In 1968, the station changed owners, who switched to an all news format and changed the call letters to CKVN (Voice of News). They later dropped news for a Top 40 format. CHUM Ltd. bought CKVN in 1972, and a year later, on September 30th, 1973 brought the CFUN call letters back.
Hear the PAMS Western Canada Jingle Montage here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: THE
BEST OF THE DECADE
Station: CFTR
Toronto (also aired on other stations)
Date: December,
1979
Time: 15:36
(Courtesy Charlie Ritenburg)
(Description by Doug Thompson)
In the late 1970’s, after having been at CHUM Toronto for 9 years, then forming my own creative company That Commercial Place, and running that for 5 years, I was hired by CFTR and Rogers Broadcast Productions to create a multitude of radio programs – among them, the 1977 and ’78 year end countdowns. For 1979, instead of the usual countdown, we decided to go with a 10-hour overview of the entire ‘70’s – hence the title The Best Of The Decade.
Each year had its own hour. Dan Williamson was the host (he was at CFTR at the time). The news segments were written and voiced by CFTR News Director Robert Holiday.
A few weeks before production started, I flew to Dallas and working with my usual music arranger, the late Wayne Harrison, we wrote and recorded the musical theme. (This shows the kind of budgets we had back then).
It took several weeks to pull the interview clips together, and in some cases, actually do the interviews and then write the script. After that, it was off to the CFTR production studio, working after hours so as not to disrupt the daily work schedule. It took 10 nights until the program was completed.
You can certainly tell that this was pre-CD production as there are audible clicks and ticks in some of the 45’s we used from the CFTR music library.
The Best of the Decade, 1979, can be heard here.
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: CJCA
JINGLE MONTAGE
Station: CJCA
Edmonton
Date: 1960s
Time: 9:30
Before CHED dominated the Edmonton radio ratings from the mid-1960s, there
was CJCA. Tiger Radio as it was known was the top-rated Top 40 station in
the city. Many later famous DJ's graced the airwaves at Channel 93 -
Jim Hault,
Tom Fulton,
Mike Marshall (later
Frank Brodie at
CKLW),
Scott
Cameron,
Jim Paulson,
Charles P. Rodney Chandler,
Bob Stagg (real name
Chuck Camroux),
Barry Boyd,
Hal Weaver and many more.
This montage was created from some CJCA jingles from the 1960s - CRC Series 11 and 30 + PAMS Series 18, 26, 31 and 32. Naturally, it's nine minutes and 30 seconds long in tribute to Channel 93.
Hear the
CJCA
Jingle Montage here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: DOUG
THOMPSON'S COCA-COLA JINGLE MONTAGE
Station: Various
Date: 1960s
Time: 17:44
Once upon a time, Coca-Cola was known as The Pause That Refreshes. Later it became The Real Thing. Other famous ad slogans include - Things Go Better With Coke, Be Really Refreshed, Coke Is It, Coke Adds Life, Have A Coke And A Smile and the current one - ‘On the Coke Side Of Life’.
In the late 1950’s and early '60’s, Coke sponsored the Hi-Fi Club on dozens of stations in the U.S. and Canada. CHED Edmonton and CHUM Toronto were only two stations that spring immediately to mind. Teen listeners could join for free and would receive a membership card in the mail, which entitled them to attend special Hi-Fi Club dances or win prizes like 45’s, albums, Hi-Fi Club binders and naturally, cases of Coke. At one time, membership in the The Hi-Fi Clubs across North America topped 2,000,000 teens.
During most of the 1960’s, Coca-Cola was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, advertisers on radio, spending millions of dollars, especially in summer. Coke no longer advertises on radio, concentrating mainly on TV. Throughout the '60’s, Coke’s ad agency McCann-Erickson hired the hit artists of the day to record Coke jingles or adapt their current hit into a Coke jingle. The Bee Gees, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Petula Clark, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Vanilla Fudge, Tom Jones and Joe Tex were some of the best known hit-makers to record Coke jingles.
In this 17:43 montage, you’ll hear some lesser-heard jingles sung by quite a few major stars of the day, including The Everly Brothers, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and Mary Hopkin. Introducing/back selling several of these commercials are then-top DJ’s Cousin Brucie and Dan Ingram from WABC New York.
In order the artists are:
Freddy Cannon
The Everly Brothers
Lee Dorsey
Neil Diamond
The Drifters
The Easybeats
Bobby Curtola (Canada only)
Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders
Jan & Dean
Los Bravos
Jay & The Americans
Roy Orbison
Lulu
David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays (Canada only)
B.J. Thomas
The Shirelles
The Newbeats
Freddie & The Dreamers
Nancy Sinatra
Robbie Lane & The Disciples (Canada only)
Carla Thomas
Golden Earring
Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Mary Hopkin (notice how Mary never sings the word ‘Coke’ or ‘Coca-Cola’ unlike everyone else in this montage. She only hums the Coke melody line, “Things Go Better With Coke”, at the end.)
Enjoy Doug Thompson's Coca-Coca Jingle Montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Talent: MELVIN
Station: WMEX
Boston
Date: September
30, 1964
Time: 30:27 (unscoped)
16:37
(scoped)
It was once common practice for stations to use "house names" for their jocks.
Several different announcers did the night-time shift as "Jack The Bellboy" at Detroit's WXYZ. Buffalo station WNIA had house names such as "Mike Melody", "Tom Thomas" and "Jerry Jack" (it saved the cost of getting a new DJ jingle if anyone left).
This
practice was also used at WMEX.
There was "Fenway"
and "Melvin" or
"Melvin X. Melvin"
to name a couple.
At least four different jocks used the "Melvin" name - Tom
Shovan, Mel
Miller, Jim
McKrell and J.J.
Jeffrey.
Hear the 1964 version of WMEX's Melvin (UNSCOPED) here.
Hear the 1964 version of WMEX's Melvin (SCOPED) here.
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Talent: DAVE
JOHNSON
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Date: September,
1965
Time: 12:44
Dave Johnson's final appearance on the CHUM Chart (Sept. 27, 1965)
Dave Johnson was ‘King of the Night’ on CHUM from 1958 until October of 1965. He was President of Coca Cola’s Hi-Fi Club and was the ‘teens’ DJ. He always wore a suit and tie to work and never took off his tie during his shift (he did however, loosen it). Around the station and on-the-air, Dave was the brunt of a lot of jokes and puns about his weight.
During the early Beatles
craze, CHUM ran a nightly feature with Trudy Medcalfe, the President of the
official Ontario Beatles fan club. Trudy and Dave Johnson discussed what
The
Beatles were up to and Trudy reported on the latest news from England.
CHUM
execs called the show, “Paunch and Trudy”. Dave took all the ribbing with
his usual good nature.
When I started at CHUM as a board op in February of 1965, Dave Johnson was
the second CHUM DJ I worked with (Bob McAdorey was the first since my shift
was 6 to midnight and Mac finished at 7). I wrapped up my shift with two
hours of Larry Solway’s Speak Your Mind (another story for another time).
Unfortunately, this is the only aircheck I have of my CHUM operating days. I
moved into production sometime in late 1966. This scoped excerpt from Dave’s
show is from the fall of 1965. In early September that year, (just after the CNE wrapped up and the jocks were back in the studio at 1331 Yonge Street),
CHUM’s then PD Allan Slaight sent out a memo to the operators that we were
to find short voice clips from movies and comedy albums, then drop them in
on the jocks whenever it felt right (that was a lot of trust).
We had a great team of
operators then and the 1970’s CHUM group of ops continued that tradition. I
had in my collection (and still have), a series of albums from Hanna Barbera,
the animation company. The albums were on the Colpix label and were
soundtracks from TV episodes of Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound,
Pixie & Dixie, The Flintstones, etc. I used Fred Flintstone’s famous yell ‘Yaba Daba Doo’ a
lot. Dave liked that one the most (as you’ll hear during one of the CHUM
jingles and a live-read commercial).
So, sit back and enjoy a few minutes with one of my favourite CHUM DJ’s from
the 1960’s…Dave Johnson.
Hear Dave Johnson here.
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: CHUM
PAMS JINGLE MEDLEY
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Date: Various
Time: 10:51
“P.A.M.S. PAMS of Dallas.”
Any jingle fan worth his salt can sing the melody to those words.
In the 1960’s, all the top radio stations bought from PAMS. More than a few
of the ‘smaller’ stations bought from that ‘other’ jingle company in
Memphis. They never quite sounded as good. At the time, PAMS had the best
writers, arrangers, engineers and singers in the business.
If you had PAMS jingles on your air, you sounded HOT. WABC, WLS,
KFWB and
CHUM were all PAMS clients. They bought the new packages as they were
released. As a young pup operator, it was always a great rush to hit the
‘play’ button on the cart machine and hear a new jingle package hit the
airwaves.
CHUM’s first PAMS package was Series 15, “Living Radio” in 1960. The logo
used for that package was “Yours truly C-H-U-M”. CHUM didn’t start using the
more familiar logo “C-H-U-M, 10-50 Toronto” until Series 18 “Sonosational”
in ’61. “The Happy Difference” package came next in 1963 (Series 25 for
those keeping score). Many, many PAMS jingle series graced CHUM’s airwaves
after that, including “Jet Set” (1964), “Happiness Is” (also ’64), “Go Go”
(1965), “The N’Set” (’65 again), “Music Explosion” (1966), “Swiszle”
(another ’66 series), “Fun Vibrations” and “Tenth Dimension” (both 1967) and
on and on until Series 44, “The Music’s On Us” in 1973, which, as far as I
can tell, is the final CHUM PAMS package. There was a custom a cappella
package during that period as well. CHUM’s logo changed in 1969 to “10-50
CHUM” with the advent of the Johnny Mann a cappella jingles.
This montage was put together one long wintery weekend when I had some free
time (and not one jingle is repeated from my previous CHUM montage). This
one clocks in at ten minutes and fifty seconds (10:50…aha, the plot
thickens).
Even though I’ve heard these jingles all of my entire adult life, I still
get a charge out of listening to them again and again. There really was a
magic to PAMS.
Hear the CHUM PAMS Montage here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The CHUM Archives/Doug Thompson and Bob Laine)
Subject
: CHUM 1970s PROMO MONTAGEStation: CHUM Toronto
Date: Various
Time: 10:51
Ahhhh, the 1970’s – the last great decade for music on AM radio.
And 1050 CHUM was in its second glory days.
The first CHUM era had been from the station's launch on May 27, 1957 through the early- to mid-1960’s when CHUM, under the ownership of Allan Waters and Program Director Allan Slaight, became a ‘must listen’ habit for teenagers in Southern Ontario with on-air personalities like Al Boliska, Jay Nelson, John Spragge, Mike Darow, Pete Nordheimer, Bob McAdorey, Dave Johnson, Bob Laine, Dick Hayes, Jack Armstrong, Duff Roman and Brian Skinner. Over the years and especially as the ‘60’s drew to a close, all of those jocks moved on and were replaced by a new group of legends – Hal Weaver, Roger Ashby, Scott Carpenter, Tom Rivers, Johnny Mitchell, Duke Roberts, J. Michael Wilson, Chuck McCoy, John Rode, Mike Cooper, Jim Van Horne, Terry Steele and John Majhor, among others.
The CHUM creative department was equally as up to the task of creating amazing radio as were the on-air jocks. Our team of CHUM writers and producers spent untold hours honing their words and production skills on countless promos, programs, commercials and ID’s.
This montage, running 10:50 naturally, is a tribute to the ’70’s CHUM sound, then under the leadership of Program Director J. Robert Wood, who inspired all of us at CHUM to be the very best that we could be.
Even though $5,000 was the maximum amount any Canadian radio station could give away in a month, in this montage, you’ll hear million dollar sounding productions featuring world caliber announcers Ron Morey, Gary Gears, Charlie Van Dyke, Chuck Riley, Terry Steele, Jay Nelson, and David Marsden. Listen closely and you’ll probably recognize the voice of Tom Rivers, who was rarely called upon to do station promos.
Most of these '70s CHUM promos were produced by the late Zeke Zdebiak, Bob McMillan and Warren Cosford, who got my position as CHUM AM/FM Production Manager when I left to work in Los Angeles in 1970.
Interspersed amongst these promos are a few of the jingles 1050 CHUM aired during the '70’s.
There’s the signpost up ahead. Next stop – the 1970’s.
Enjoy the
CHUM
1970s Promo Montage here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Subject: BEATLES #1 SONGS MONTAGE
Station: N/A
Date: 2014
Time: 0:54
If you didn't hear The Beatles on Top 40 radio in early 1964, you weren't listening.
The Beatles absolutely owned the Billboard charts in the winter and spring of 1964, culminating in a dominance never seen before or since with the Hot 100 of April 4. On that date, Can't Buy Me Love leaped to the number-one spot from #27, a 26-position jump that stood as a record for 38 years. Twist and Shout was #2, followed by She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Please, Please Me as The Beatles became the only act in history to own all Top Five songs in the Billboard Hot 100.
Not only did The Beatles have the top five songs on the Hot 100, they also were one-two on the album chart with Meet The Beatles and Introducing The Beatles. They also had seven other songs on the Hot 100: I Saw Her Standing There (#31), From Me To You (#41), Do You Want to Know a Secret (#46), All My Loving (#58), You Can't Do That (#65), Roll Over Beethoven (#68) and Thank You Girl (#79). In addition, there were two Beatle tribute songs on the chart: We Love You Beatles by the Carefrees (#42) and A Letter To The Beatles by the Four Preps (#85).
Can't Buy Me Love was a record third consecutive number-one song for The Beatles, following She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles would go on to post a record 20 #1 songs from 1964 to 1970, and Doug Thompson has gathered them all in this fascinating montage (view the list of songs in order).
Enjoy
Doug Thompson's
Beatles #1 Montage
here.
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Produced by Doug Thompson
Subject: CHUCK
BLORE COMMERCIALS/JINGLE MONTAGE
Station: Various
Date: 1960s
Time: 17:01
"Chuck Blore has made the radio talk to our hearts." - Sonny Melendrez
There is only one Chuck Blore.
Blore, who turned 80 this year (2009), is a broadcasting legend several times over. From January 2, 1958 until the mid-'60s, Blore was the creative force and Program Director behind Top 40 powerhouse KFWB in Los Angeles, launching it into the stratosphere by taking it from zero ratings to number-one in three months with a 30-share of the market. Imagine - 30 per cent of all radio listeners in Los Angeles were listening to KFWB. A phenomenal success.
For years, stations across North America copied the sound of "Color Radio" - as Blore called it. Chuck told me he became more than a little angry when stations copied his style. "It used to piss me off because I'd sit there for hours and hours trying to think up contests, station promos and liners, and a few weeks later they'd be everywhere," Blore says. "It was damn frustrating. Why couldn't these program directors think for themselves."
In 1964, he turned his magic to the world of advertising with Chuck Blore Creative Services, and struck gold, silver and platinum with several thousand awards to the company's credit. Chuck's advertising, like his radio station programming, was totally unique and highly innovative. His styles included quick cut editing techniques, highly memorable jingle lyrics ("a cow is a cat's best friends" for a Milk Marketing Board campaign) and "tug-at-your-heart-strings" emotional spots. Blore quickly gained a reputation for his innovative commercials with children, which included campaigns for Laura Scudder's Potato Chips, Taystee Bread and Sears ("Jeffrey, are you the opposite sex or am I?" featuring a very young actress by the name of Christina Applegate).
This 17-minute montage contains some of Chuck's early revolutionary spots from the 1960's, including a Hoffman Candy Cup O'Gold spot voiced by then-unknown singer Roger Miller, a legendary Bell long-distance ad featuring an unnaturally long rotary dial SFX as well as the hit song parody jingles for Cleveland Trust. Interspersed amongst the commercials are a few jingles Chuck created for KRLA, WCFL, KMAK and the Radio Advertising Bureau.
Listen to the words - the
sounds - the innovation of Chuck Blore. And enjoy ... here.
Produced by Doug
Thompson
(The Doug Thompson Collection)
Talent: PETE
'n GEETS FAIRVIEW ELECTRONICS COMMERCIALS
Station: CHUM-FM
Toronto
Date: 1970s
Time: 4:51
CHUM-FM jocks, early
'70s
Seated from left to right: Peter Griffin, David Pritchard and
Larry Green
Standing from left to right: Kim Calloway, Tim Thomas, Walter Soles
(Michaels)
(Picture courtesy Doug Thompson)
Anyone who listened to Pete 'n Geets on CHUM-FM remembers the fabulous commercials they did for Fairview Electronics.
Doug Thompson kindly sent us a few, telling us...
"Here are 5 Fairview
Electronics spots that I produced with Pete & Geets during their
CHUM-FM
days in the mid 1970's. We recorded them in the studios at my production
company, That Commercial Place. Both Dave (Geets) and Peter discussed the
concept beforehand, then recorded them, ad libbing all the way.
Most are both Pete & Geets, but cut 3 is Pete and a woman whose name I can
no longer remember.
With Pete & Geets, we produced commercials for the Ontario Turkey Board,
Parc Safari African (Montreal), Chelsea Clothes (Detroit) and the
Wool
Bureau of Alberta."
Enjoy these
Doug Thompson-produced
Pete 'n Geets
Fairview Electronics Commercials here.
Produced by Doug Thompson
(The Doug
Thompson Collection)
Talent: MIKE
HOLLAND
Station: KXYZ
Houston
Date: September,
1977
Time: 10:04
Mike Holland didn't just play the music, he made it.
In addition to being a jock, the native of Bristol, Connecticut, was a talented musician who recorded under his real name Michel Bouyea. He did several recordings for CBS and Columbia Records that got significant airplay in the U.S. and Canada. In 1981, Bouyea recorded an album called "Do She Want Love" for the unfortunately named "Bomb Records."
This KXYZ aircheck was his audition tape for CHUM, and not surprisingly the smooth, caramel-voiced jock got the job. Holland-Bouyea spent nearly a decade at CHUM, including a short-lived pairing with Roger Ashby on the morning show in the mid-'80s. After leaving CHUM, Bouyea retired from radio to focus on his music.
Prior to CHUM and KXYZ, Holland-Bouyea jocked at the legendary WDRC Hartford, where he did the 7 p,m.-midnight shift, and at WAVZ New Haven, Connecticut.
Enjoy Mike
Holland on KXYZ here.
(The CHUM Archives/Doug Thompson)
Subject: CHUM
CHRISTMAS JINGLE/MESSAGES MONTAGE
Station: CHUM
Toronto
Dates: Various
Time: 6:02
It's the most wonderful time of the year, but CHUM made it better.
In addition to the great jocks and fabulous music, CHUM played some very special Christmas jingles and messages during the Yuletide season.
Last and certainly not least, the CP24/CHUM Christmas Wish which started in 1966 is still going.
Enjoy the CHUM Christmas Jingle/Messages Montage here.
(The CHUM Archives/Doug Thompson)