The David Adams Collection
David Adams, Age 4.
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As the son of Bob Shannon, I guess you could say I was born into radio on April 2, 1971. Anyway, it certainly didn't hurt.
My first on-air experience was at KDWB Minneapolis/St.Paul, when the legendary Wolfman Jack picked me to voice a series of promos for his syndicated show. The line? "Wolfman Jack is a gas!". I was just four years old, and he didn't pay me a dime. Talk about violating the child labor laws... But my first actual paid job came at the age of five when I co-hosted a KFI remote with my dad live from the L.A. County Fair in the spring of 1976. Since then, my journey into radio has taken me to KSBR in Orange County, News/Talk KRLA and History Quest Productions where I co-produce and narrate documentaries . A few years ago I came across an enormous collection of airchecks in the production room labeled "Shannon", and discovered a few hidden treasures treasures including a station composite of KDWB and the "Monkees at KRUX". The collection also included a collection of tapes labeled the "Shannons of Top Forty Radio" which included Tom, Bob and Don. Enjoy!! |
The Repository thanks David Adams for sharing!
[Description by Bob Shannon. This exhibit first appeared as a Golden Gift on September 30, 2001]
KDWB-AM began as WCOW in 1949 and was licensed to Lake Elmo, Minnesota with a 5,000 watt daytime signal and 500 watts at night. In 1959 the call letters were changed to KDWB when the station was purchased by Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Company, owners of KFWB/Los Angeles and KEWB/San Franciso. Under the direction of National Program Director Chuck Blore and Program Director Ted Randall, the format was immediately changed to mirror its two tremendously successful California sisters stations.
It featured the “Seven Swingin Gentlemen” which included Hal Murray 6-10am, Art Way 10-2p, James Francis Patrick O’Neil 2-6p, Lou Riegert (Lou Waters) 6-9p, Randy Cook, 9-12 midnight and Don Duchene 12-6am. The first major air personality Changes came in in 1964 with the departure of Hal Murray, Art Way and Lou Reigert . The new lineup under program Director Sam Sherwood included Charlie Brown 6-10am, Don Duchene 10-2p, Jim O’Neil 2-6p, Bob Shannon 6-9p and Randy Cook 9-midnight.
KDWB Fabulous Forty Survey from May 25, 1963.
From the late fifties to the late 70’s, KDWB was in a constant battle with arch rival WDGY, the Storz station for the Twin Cities. But by the time Bob Shannon returned in 1973 as Program Director and morning drive personality, KDWB was battling a second adversary, KSTP.
Front of KDWB Survey, 1975
A year later, Gary Stevens was named Vice President and General Manager and Buzz Bennett became Program Consultant. The mid 70’s also saw the birth of KDWB-FM, and this is a composite of KDWB, circa 1975. Consultant Buzz Bennett can be heard in various segments appearing as “Captain Boogie”. I (Bob Shannon) was the Program Director at this time; later, John Sebastian became PD.
Of the six jocks on the composite, four of the six ended up at KHJ Los Angeles. After departing the station in mid-1975, Charlie Fox followed me a few months later and we worked together at both KFI and KHJ.
KDWB “Bich” Patch
A couple of years later, John Sebastian and True Don Bleu also ended up doing airshifts at KHJ. Sebastian also served as KHJ’s P.D. Bob Savage headed for WAXC in Rochester. Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about what happened to Bob Lange.
PLAY POINTS Bob Shannon begins at 00:57, Bob Savage at 09:05, Charlie Fox at 10:36, The True Don Bleu (and Captain Boogie) at 13:19, John Sebastian at 17:42, and Bob Lange at 20:30.
Charlie Tuna, Steve Jay, Charlie Van Dyke,
Dave Hull and Wolfman Jack all worked at KRTH 101. It’s obvious from this composite aircheck of Bob Shannon that the jocks at K-EARTH really knew how to have fun.
Bob left KRTH in 2003, and went on to talk at KRLA for a while. Then, as one of L.A.’s top Film Acting Coaches under the name R.J. Adams, he has turned out a few stars in the movie biz, including Kristy Swanson, Brian Krause (Charmed), Sarah Lancaster (Chuck), Vicellous Shannon (The Hurricane) and many others.
Bob Shannon (Don Bombard) doing what he does best  broadcasting live to his New York listeners from the W Hotel in Los Angeles.
Scoped
[Description by contributor David Adams]
When Don Bombard began doing afternoon drive at WCBS-FM in New York, PD Joe McCoy suggested he call himself Bob Shannon. He quickly became one of New York’s best known DJs. According to Don, “my namesake was yet another “Bob Shannon” who worked for the TM Century production company!” (as of June, 2006, that “Bob Shannon” is on the Board of Directors of REELRADIO, Inc..)
The first Bob Shannon in the radio business was Bob “Shamrock” Shannon (d. 08-15-2000), the longtime radio and TV announcer who worked for the CBS network in the 1940s and 1950s.
Don’s introduction to oldies came in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the former 13Q (WKTQ) with his Sunday Night Oldies Party. At the time, he couldn’t have known that the Oldies Party was a warm-up to a twenty year career in afternoon drive at WCBS-FM.
Thanks to Don Bombard, Rob Frankel and Tom Buck for assistance in restoring the music to this REELRADIO exhibit. ALL REELRADIO exhibits are copyrighted by REELRADIO, Inc. as of the date of publication and are licensed for real-time streaming, only. Do NOT duplicate, trade, or sell this copyrighted recording.]
Unscoped
[Description by contributor David Adams]
When Don Bombard began doing afternoon drive at WCBS-FM in New York, PD Joe McCoy suggested he call himself Bob Shannon. He quickly became one of New York’s best known DJs. According to Don, “my namesake was yet another “Bob Shannon” who worked for the TM Century production company!” (as of June, 2006, that “Bob Shannon” is on the Board of Directors of REELRADIO, Inc..)
The first Bob Shannon in the radio business was Bob “Shamrock” Shannon (d. 08-15-2000), the longtime radio and TV announcer who worked for the CBS network in the 1940s and 1950s.
Don’s introduction to oldies came in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the former 13Q (WKTQ) with his Sunday Night Oldies Party. At the time, he couldn’t have known that the Oldies Party was a warm-up to a twenty year career in afternoon drive at WCBS-FM.
Thanks to Don Bombard, Rob Frankel and Tom Buck for assistance in restoring the music to this REELRADIO exhibit. ALL REELRADIO exhibits are copyrighted by REELRADIO, Inc. as of the date of publication and are licensed for real-time streaming, only. Do NOT duplicate, trade, or sell this copyrighted recording.]
Unscoped
Scoped
Unscoped
The aircheck is a (partially restored) 45-minute composite of the two and a half hours that Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones actually ran the control board, spun the records and played all the commercials themselves. (Peter Tork wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the hotel.) On a more personal note, not only was my dad featured in this episode, but my mom was too. Strangely, neither of them knew each other at the time, but whatever it was that finally brought them together, I’ll be forever grateful!
It was also during this show that the Monkees invited the entire city of Phoenix to join them at the prestigious Mountain Shadows Hotel for an open party later that night. Panic-stricken executives from both the radio station and hotel quickly pressured the group to recant their invitation. In an effort to avoid a disaster and bring some levity to the situation, Mike Nesmith is heard conducting an interview with the hotel manager, played by Bob Shannon.
This aircheck may represent the first appearance of The Monkees performing collectively as Top Forty jocks. The concert, emceed by Shannon and the KRUX Good Guys, was held the following night at the Phoenix Coliseum on January 21, 1967. It marked the Monkees’ first concert appearance, and the final episode of their 1966 TV Season.
Scoped
[Description by contributor David Adams]
This gem was hidden away in a box marked “Specials”, and not only includes an aircheck of The Monkees taking over the Bob Shannon Show at KRUX, but it’s also an aircheck of the final episode of the Monkees very successful first season. The episode was titled “The Monkees on Tour”, and it begins with their arrival at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor to the screams of thousands of hysterical teens. On the following night the infamous Monkee mobile is seen racing across town to KRUX. They storm the control room before binding and gagging the city’s most popular DJ, Bob Shannon.
The aircheck is a (partially restored) 45-minute composite of the two and a half hours that Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones actually ran the control board, spun the records and played all the commercials themselves. (Peter Tork wasn’t feeling well and stayed at the hotel.) On a more personal note, not only was my dad featured in this episode, but my mom was too. Strangely, neither of them knew each other at the time, but whatever it was that finally brought them together, I’ll be forever grateful!
It was also during this show that the Monkees invited the entire city of Phoenix to join them at the prestigious Mountain Shadows Hotel for an open party later that night. Panic-stricken executives from both the radio station and hotel quickly pressured the group to recant their invitation.
In an effort to avoid a disaster and bring some levity to the situation, Mike Nesmith is heard conducting
an interview with the hotel manager, played by Bob Shannon.
This aircheck may represent the first appearance of The Monkees performing collectively as Top Forty jocks. The concert, emceed by Shannon and the KRUX Good Guys, was held the following night at the Phoenix Coliseum on January 21, 1967. It marked the Monkees’ first concert appearance, and the final episode of their 1966 TV Season.