The Pete Rossi Collection

Picture of Pete Rossi in his office
Pete Rossi		 Peter Rossi writes:

I started listening to radio in the early fifties on a crystal set with an ear plug. I could pretend that I was doing homework or sleeping while I was listening to the greats. During my school years (1950 - 1962) I switched back and forth from Joe O'Brien and his comic foil side kick, Benny, on WMCA and Herb Oscar Anderson on WABC in the mornings. Throughout the day, it didn't get any easier, switching between Jack Spector on WMCA, Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram on WABC and Ted Brown on WNEW. It didn't get any easier at night with Cousin Brucie on WABC, Murray the K and Jocko Henderson at WINS. It was all great. And I spent 11 months on WGHQ-FM in Kingston, New York in 1969, a 6PM - Midnight shift, six days a week, doing a checker board show, Woodstock period, ripping and reading news, spinning albums from comedy, easy listening to classical - but no rock & roll.

These recordings of the WCBS Radio Greats Weekend, 1991, the third edition, cover my favorite era. The tapes are a mixed bag of scoped and unscoped music with various Top 10 countdowns to fit the featured disc jockey. I recorded this on cassette tape over the air as it was happening, and I stopped and started the tape to cut music and commercials because I thought I would not have enough tape.

This is a true memory trip for the New York region listeners of that era and ReelRadio enthusiasts of those "Sweet Talkin' Guys". (Credit to Rhino records for the VHS tape of the "Sweet Talkin' Guys" that professionally puts this period into proper order.)

[Portions of the contributed exhibits have been digitally edited for online presentation.]

The Repository thanks Pete Rossi for sharing!
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Ron Lundy, Dan Ingram, WCBS-FM NY June 8, 1991 (scoped) (0:34:57)

Scoped
… back in those days they had steam radio …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] Ron Lundy (d. March 15, 2010) opens this exhibit with WCBS-FM Program Director Joe McCoy reminiscing about New York radio legends. Then, Dan Ingram joins Lundy for the remainder of the hour in this second part of the WCBS-FM 1991 Radio Greats Reunion. Bruce Morrow, Charlie Greer and Roby Yonge check in by telephone, and some of the Top Ten from the week of June 8, 1968 is featured in the unscoped version of this partially restored and edited exhibit.
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Ron Lundy, Dan Ingram, WCBS-FM NY June 8, 1991 (0:56:59)

Unscoped
… back in those days they had steam radio …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] Ron Lundy (d. March 15, 2010) opens this exhibit with WCBS-FM Program Director Joe McCoy reminiscing about New York radio legends. Then, Dan Ingram joins Lundy for the remainder of the hour in this second part of the WCBS-FM 1991 Radio Greats Reunion. Bruce Morrow, Charlie Greer and Roby Yonge check in by telephone, and some of the Top Ten from the week of June 8, 1968 is featured in the unscoped version of this partially restored and edited exhibit.
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Joe McCoy Salutes Alan Freed, WCBS-FM New York June 8, 1991 (0:42:11)

… he certainly got my name on the radio, even if he couldn’t get the song on, and that was what it was all about …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] Joe McCoy is the very successful programming genius who nurtured the oldies format of 101 WCBS-FM from 1981 until 2004. Mr. McCoy was obviously someone who loved programming America’s premiere “Oldies” station, defining excellence in presentation, production and performance for the nation’s Number 1 radio market. He grew up with early rock ‘n’ roll, and Alan Freed said his name on the radio. From The 1991 WCBS-FM Rock And Roll Greats Weekend, Joe McCoy presents A Salute To Alan Freed. Included are comments from legendary R&B saxophonist Freddie Mitchell and Freed’s daughter Alana Freed, Freed’s last show in New York on WABC, plus a rare recording featuring Freed, Steve Allen and Al Jazzbeau Collins.
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Dan Ingram, WCBS-FM Radio Greats Reunion June 1991 Part 1 (0:45:07)

… You don’t have to say you love me, but don’t roll over unless you do …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] This hard-edit of Dan Ingram on the WCBS Radio Greats Reunion of 1991 is great fun! Three songs were not ‘scoped by the contributor, so this is his presentation of the moment, and it’s all very, very good. And, this is all Dan Ingram, arguably the greatest New York Top 40 DJ of all time. Extemporaneous, Spontaneous – and Rated G. Ron Lundy and Roby Yonge (via phone) are also here. There are also Ingram WABC airchecks, and for those who listen, many brilliant surprises.
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WCBS-FM New York, Radio Greats Reunion 1991 Part 1 (1:13:39)

… We’ve had a lot of requests, but we’re gonna do the show anyway …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] Joe O’Brien (d. 2005), Harry Harrison, “Dandy” Dan Daniel, Herb Oscar Anderson and Ron Lundy (d. March 15, 2010) are featured in this first part of the WCBS-FM 1991 Radio Greats Reunion. Jack Spector (d. 1994), Dan Ingram, and Jay Reynolds are also featured from the phone, and the WMCA Top Ten from the week of June 8, 1964 is included in the unscoped version of this partially ‘scoped exhibit.
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WCBS-FM New York, Radio Greats Reunion, 1991 Pt 1 (scoped) (0:45:46)

Scoped
… We’ve had a lot of requests, but we’re gonna do the show anyway …
[Description by Uncle Ricky with notes from contributor Pete Rossi] Joe O’Brien (d. 2005), Harry Harrison, “Dandy” Dan Daniel, Herb Oscar Anderson and Ron Lundy (d. March 15, 2010) are featured in this first part of the WCBS-FM 1991 Radio Greats Reunion. Jack Spector (d. 1994), Dan Ingram, and Jay Reynolds are also featured from the phone, and the WMCA Top Ten from the week of June 8, 1964 is included in the unscoped version of this partially ‘scoped exhibit.

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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