Bruce Kelly and Company, KZZP Mesa/Phoenix AZ 1986 (0:41:40)

… . . . It’s a pretty good size party here this morning . . . …

[Description by Uncle Ricky, contributed by Mike Miles]

Bruce Kelly & Company and Alice Cooper are featured on KZZP, Mesa/Phoenix, on a hot summer morning in Arizona. You can tell this is 1986 FM CHR, because underwear is discussed within the first minute and they managed to work in “vomit” in just under 1:17.

They are remote, “on location”, in the home of a listener who won a “Home Entertainment System”. (Sounds like “Wierer” or “Werez” .. ?) The theatrics by Cooper and Mama, involving rattlesnake heads and weeds, were undoubtedly for the MTV coverage. I hope.

And what is that awesome TV-Themed sampled synthetic dance record (starts at 13:27) that’s followed with Kelly’s reference to Wallace and Ladmo? And what about this Iceman dude? Did Kelly & Company have a resident crooner with a keyboard? And certainly, The Hooded Hangman must have gone on to greater accomplishments.

There’s about 10 minutes missing between 7AM and 7:12AM, but that’s the only edit in this otherwise unscoped (music intact) recording which begins around 6:50 AM and concludes around 7:45AM. I know nothing of what happened to any of the players (other than Alice Cooper), and your informed COMMENTS are welcome. But I must add that it’s always impressive when a local radio station takes the show on the road. This is what local media does best, and only local media can do it. That’s what makes this aircheck fascinating and one-of-a-kind.

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

Many thanks to the web folks at the Beasley Media Group for countless hours of work.  Again thanks to the board members of ReelRadio, Inc. for their faith in us. 

Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Carl Davis
Trustee
North Carolina Broadcast History Museum