Memorable Radio Days Stories ?

Subject: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 05:32 PM

Please share some of your more memorable radio show stories with us, either your own show or one you've been on.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 10:28 PM

Well Kat, you've talked on the phone to the CIUT studios, but if you haven't been in there you can't imagine how chaotic it can get. During my first year doing Acoustic Workshop, my engineer was..shall we say, somewhat eccentric. While I was in the sound studio he was conducting (I have to be VERRRY careful how I say this) a somewhat illicit merchandising operation from the control room. I used to wonder why so many exotic looking people would come in on a Monday night to watch my little folk show through the glass. They'd smile and wave and then be on their way. One night two large policemen came in and since I wasn't known for playing much country and western, I KNEW they weren't there for the folk songs. They WERE there for my engineer however....but to their credit, they let him finish the show, before escorting him out the door!

Rick

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: BDenz
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 10:56 PM

I have 2 best shows:

Best music show I ever produced was a 5 hour late night free-form music April Fools' show with LOTS of Tom Lehrer. Great night. Still have the tapes, not that I own a tape recorder anymore.

Also produced a reader's theater version of Animal Farm that aired the night that I loaded up my car and left town. Heard the last strains of it as I pulled over the hill. Great!

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Jan 00 - 11:39 PM

How about any special interviews or live performances on air? (Art, are you reading this one, too?)

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Quirk Malarkey
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 12:50 AM

perhaps this is a bit of thread creep but, to me the moment is memorable. on an anniversary of the " WAR of the WORLDS", some time in the sixties, being the only one in my family who enjoyed scanning the dial in Buffalo, New York, i became part of the show in my home. on station wkbw on the a.m. dial, i'ld been listening to a local version of orsons' famous broadcast that used all the local placenames and personalities that everyone recognized in the invasion scenario. the news reports started at eight pm and continued until midnight when the meat of the story began. being a well read lad, i was haveing a great time listening and comparing what was happening on the air to the original broadcast and h.g. wells book. WHAM, went my bedroom door, slammed open by my obviously deranged brother. with great bugged out eyes he yelled, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO THE RADIO?"! "YEAH", i yelled,"THE MARTIANS ARE EATING THE BOYS FIRST!" he turned and started screaming,"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAHHHHH, MOOOOOOMMMMM! with sounds of crashing and slamming and running. high comedy to my way of thinking. i did pay, big time. after the ball. for a moment, i was part of the power of radio. --doodlezak

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Banjer
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 04:37 AM

I've never been on radio, so may be contributing to thread creep here. My most memorable radio moments are when Dad and I would finish up our Saturday work. Either building cabinets which he did for extra money after his regular job, or cutting grass and caring for several neighbors yards, and sundry other 'extra jobs' that I would help him with. Whatever it was we were doing work had to be ended no later than 5:30PM. This would give us time to get home, clean up, eat dinner and then tune in WSM out of Nashville to listen to The Grand Ole Opry...I still have the radio that we used. It is an old Hallicafters S38. We got our first TV in 1959 or 60 and that seems to have ended those magic radio moments. It seems the simpler days were the best! sorry for the thread creep, but those were MY memorable radio days..

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 08 Jan 00 - 08:29 AM

Radio played a big part in my life both sending and receiving. One of my early voyages, I met a beautifull young lady in the port of Chicago ( talk about lust at first sight! SORRY I mean "Love" ) {not returned she had far too much sense to hitch up with a poor wanker like me} her name was Laura. Well in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, we were being tossed around by bad weather, reception was very crappy. I was listening to the BBC World Service, and heard for the first time My Sweet Lord by George Harrison (hope you're feeling better mate) Only I thought the bloody song was My Sweet Laura. I still love that song... Yours,(sighing loudly)Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: BDenz
Date: 10 Jan 00 - 03:54 PM

Another fun one was getting to help produce one of the Nightfall series shows that CBC did for NPR. Ruins it when you see how the sound effects are done, but Foley is cool, whether on radio or elsewhere. When the show finally aired [on Halloween night], it STILL scared the c--- out of me!

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Bert
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 10:18 AM

Talking of Radio, don't tell anyone I told you, but I think Max is cooking up some sort of surprise for tomorrow night's show.

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Jan 00 - 01:00 PM

Okay, okay. These stories are great and I thank you all for sharing, BUT I admit I started this thread as bait to get Art Thieme, Rick Fielding, Mike Riegenstreif, and anyone else who has hosted a show to tell us their stories of memeorable guests, on-air live performances, etc., too. I don't mean any offense, it's just I know there are some treasures out there and with Max talking about the Mudcat being a depository for such things, I'd like to see them preserved.

For instance, I was talking to Art the other night and recounted a wonderful story about a special guest during his days of hosting a show in Chicago for NPR.

Thanks for understanding and PLEASE, DO STILL POST YOUR STORIES, TOO!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 12 Jan 00 - 10:00 AM

Having been involved in the folk scene as a club manager, performer's agent and concert producer through the 1970s and '80s, I've had many opportunities to discuss music, etc. with many of my favorite performers.

However, doing my weekly radio show these last six years has given me the opportunity to share with others some conversations with some very remarkable people. Some that stand out for me include Tom Paxton, Tom Russell, Pete Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Winchester, David Amram, Noel Paul Stookey, Kate & Anna McGarrigle; and so many more.

And it's a tremendous honour to spend 2.5 hours every week sharing some of my favourite music with other folks.

BTW, there's lots of info about the show, the CKUT RealAudio connection, and lots of folk music links at the Folk Roots/Folk Branches website.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 12 Jan 00 - 10:16 AM

I performed on the BBC Radio Leeds about four years ago for the children in need appeal. I played the melodeon(the proper musician couldn't change his shift and had to work) for Hartshead Morris who danced in a very small hot studio. It was quite memorable because I had only been playing the instrument for a month and I was nervous. I made a tape of this musical dancing extravaganza..........
It sounded like a lot of heaving bodies breathing very loudly with bells on. In the background was the noise of some poor creature in agony, but sounding a little like "donkey riding"
On the whole I think it went rather well
Patrish

Subject: RE: Memorable Radio Days Stories ?
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 12 Jan 00 - 11:22 AM

Everyone's had more sense than ever to let me ON to the radio, but like most of my UK generation I listened to "Journey into Space" from behind the sofa and also,equally frightened/fascinated by a mystery series written and narrated by J.McLaren Ross who had a VERY creepy voice and which had an atmospheric soprano sax theme tune, I think it was Monty Sunshine's "Hushabye" which was in the Bechet style, but no doubt some of the UK 'catters of a certain age who don't have CRAFT disease will correct me if wrong.
[What's that sound: it's just Roger barking up the wrong tree again.]
I've mentioned the Goons and the Saturday morning music shows on earlier threads: Jack Jackson,Skiffle Club and Guitar Club
The pictures were much better on radio.
RtS

Subject: ATTN: BDenz
From:
Date: 12 Dec 04 - 10:47 AM

I found this post from nearly five years ago just today and I see you still occasionally post to this forum, so I'm giving this a shot...

I'm working on a website/book about "Nightfall" and I'm looking for anykind of stories or anecdotes from various people -- producers, actors, writers, fans, etc. -- so this comment here caught my attention. From your comment that it aired on Halloween, I have to assume it was P. Norman Cherrie's adaptation of Robert Aikman's "Ringing the Changes" (October 31, 1980) or Bill Gray's "The Dentist" (October 29, 1982). In any case, I'd love to hear anything you can remember about it.

Please drop me an e-mail at [e-mail].

Thanks!