The Scott Rayer Collection
Scott Rayer, 1976 
Scott Rayer, 2010 |
Scott Rayer was born at the dawn of Rock & Roll in 1954. He writes, My early days of radio listening had to do with the music. I can recall the songs played on KEWB, Oakland, in the early 1960's. But the DJs I draw a blank with. I guess I was part of the audience Bill Drake was targeting with "much more music". My interest and appreciation with music radio, and its DJs, did not germinate until the Spring of 1975 when I attended California State University, Fresno, and friends shared my interest and appreciation of popular music. One was high school friend Greg Contos, and because of my dorm room location, I made fast friends with Gary Langley across the hall. He was a Radio/TV major. My first night at the dorm I heard a good radio program of oldies. I asked what station he was listening to, and he showed me the "Cruisin' 1961" LP. After graduating in 1976 with a BA Degree in Journalism, it took me about six months to discover that newspaper work was not in the cards for me. Radio was also not for me, so I worked for a couple of record retailers for several years, including the now defunct "Tower Records" retailer. Having my fill of extreme hours, getting burned out with music, and the abysmally low wages at Tower, I shifted gears to office administrative work for the next 20 years, at several companies. In 2000, my elderly mother needed a warmer climate for her health. I was not in any committed situation at the time, so we both moved to Henderson, Nevada. The climate was agreeable with her, but she required my 24/7 care in the last years of her life. During brief stints of quiet, the home hobbies of radio and records were good outlets for stress relief. Mom passed away several years ago, and since then I've been volunteering my time and energies with friends and neighbors, and REELRADIO. |
The Repository thanks Scott Rayer for sharing!
Here’s all three hours of Dr. Don Rose on KFRC from December 9, 1980.
It is probably one of the few times that listeners had the opportunity to hear Dr. Don talking “straight” with all joking aside. You’ll hear that Dr. Don was not his usual happy self in this broadcast. Loads of Lennon/Beatles songs were piayed, and the newscasts gave some scant details about the circumstances behind Lennon’s death.
The three hours were recorded on a Pioneer RT-701 Reel recorder, at 3 3/4 ips. This recording would not have been possible if it was not for my college friend, Gary Langley, who opened up the world of radio and recording back in my Fresno State days in 1975 amd 1976. Gary had an unbridled enthusiasm for Top 40 radio, and an old reel recorder. He showed me some tricks that could be done with it: Higher fidelity recordings than what cassettes could do back in the day, with fewer problems of tape dropouts, too, plus editing, and with a three-headed recorder, reverb! Two years later I had enough money saved up to buy my Pioneer reel deck for $430 (equal to $1,430 in 2010 dollars). I did a modest amount of recording with the deck. Critical “once in a lifetime” recordings were done with the reel deck.
I first heard about Lennon’s death from Howard Cosell during the ABC-TV Monday Night Football broadcast. That night, KFRC said a littie bit more about it, with Candice Chamberlain on-the-air expressing her sorrow for Lennon’s death, but also expressing her appreciation for the sum total of his work and legacy he left behind for us to appreciate and enjoy. Being cognizant of the grim historical milestone of Lennon’s death, I sensed that Dr. Don Rose’s KFRC show the next day was going to be something different, but I also had to be at work by 8:00 AM, too.
So, getting up just before 6:00 AM, I cued up my reel recorder, and recorded it at 3 3/4 ips so that I could get 90 minutes of Dr. Don’s show when I was not home. If I had the luxury to stay home that Tuesday, I would have recorded it at 7 1/2 ips for the best fidelity. I did not know what to expect from Dr. Don, but I was not surprised how the show was handled. I did the recording, flipping over my tape reel just before leaving for work.
Approximately 7AM – 8AM: Dave Sholin joins Dr. Don Rose to talk about the last interview with John Lennon just the day before. Rose takes phone calls from listeners.
by contributor Scott Rayer
Here’s all three hours of Dr. Don Rose on KFRC from December 9, 1980.
It is probably one of the few times that listeners had the opportunity to hear Dr. Don talking “straight” with all joking aside. You’ll hear that Dr. Don was not his usual happy self in this broadcast. Loads of Lennon/Beatles songs were piayed, and the newscasts gave some scant details about the circumstances behind Lennon’s death.
The three hours were recorded on a Pioneer RT-701 Reel recorder, at 3 3/4 ips. This recording would not have been possible if it was not for my college friend, Gary Langley, who opened up the world of radio and recording back in my Fresno State days in 1975 amd 1976. Gary had an unbridled enthusiasm for Top 40 radio, and an old reel recorder. He showed me some tricks that could be done with it: Higher fidelity recordings than what cassettes could do back in the day, with fewer problems of tape dropouts, too, plus editing, and with a three-headed recorder, reverb! Two years later I had enough money saved up to buy my Pioneer reel deck for $430 (equal to $1,430 in 2010 dollars). I did a modest amount of recording with the deck. Critical “once in a lifetime” recordings were done with the reel deck.
I first heard about Lennon’s death from Howard Cosell during the ABC-TV Monday Night Football broadcast. That night, KFRC said a littie bit more about it, with Candice Chamberlain on-the-air expressing her sorrow for Lennon’s death, but also expressing her appreciation for the sum total of his work and legacy he left behind for us to appreciate and enjoy. Being cognizant of the grim historical milestone of Lennon’s death, I sensed that Dr. Don Rose’s KFRC show the next day was going to be something different, but I also had to be at work by 8:00 AM, too.
So, getting up just before 6:00 AM, I cued up my reel recorder, and recorded it at 3 3/4 ips so that I could get 90 minutes of Dr. Don’s show when I was not home. If I had the luxury to stay home that Tuesday, I would have recorded it at 7 1/2 ips for the best fidelity. I did not know what to expect from Dr. Don, but I was not surprised how the show was handled. I did the recording, flipping over my tape reel just before leaving for work.
Approximately 8AM – 9AM: We learn that Stevie Wonder was performing in San Francisco the night Lennon was murdered, and presented a Lennon tribute to conclude his concert.
Rose closes his tribute, “The start of life, the end of life, and in-between, all those events that give John Lennon immortality.” The late Rick Shaw is heard as the recording ends.
by contributor Scott Rayer
Here’s all three hours of Dr. Don Rose on KFRC from December 9, 1980.
It is probably one of the few times that listeners had the opportunity to hear Dr. Don talking “straight” with all joking aside. You’ll hear that Dr. Don was not his usual happy self in this broadcast. Loads of Lennon/Beatles songs were piayed, and the newscasts gave some scant details about the circumstances behind Lennon’s death.
The three hours were recorded on a Pioneer RT-701 Reel recorder, at 3 3/4 ips. This recording would not have been possible if it was not for my college friend, Gary Langley, who opened up the world of radio and recording back in my Fresno State days in 1975 amd 1976. Gary had an unbridled enthusiasm for Top 40 radio, and an old reel recorder. He showed me some tricks that could be done with it: Higher fidelity recordings than what cassettes could do back in the day, with fewer problems of tape dropouts, too, plus editing, and with a three-headed recorder, reverb! Two years later I had enough money saved up to buy my Pioneer reel deck for $430 (equal to $1,430 in 2010 dollars). I did a modest amount of recording with the deck. Critical “once in a lifetime” recordings were done with the reel deck.
I first heard about Lennon’s death from Howard Cosell during the ABC-TV Monday Night Football broadcast. That night, KFRC said a littie bit more about it, with Candice Chamberlain on-the-air expressing her sorrow for Lennon’s death, but also expressing her appreciation for the sum total of his work and legacy he left behind for us to appreciate and enjoy. Being cognizant of the grim historical milestone of Lennon’s death, I sensed that Dr. Don Rose’s KFRC show the next day was going to be something different, but I also had to be at work by 8:00 AM, too.
So, getting up just before 6:00 AM, I cued up my reel recorder, and recorded it at 3 3/4 ips so that I could get 90 minutes of Dr. Don’s show when I was not home. If I had the luxury to stay home that Tuesday, I would have recorded it at 7 1/2 ips for the best fidelity. I did not know what to expect from Dr. Don, but I was not surprised how the show was handled. I did the recording, flipping over my tape reel just before leaving for work.
The Big 6-10 Countdown begins, and this segment features #610 through #600. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
The Big 6-10 Countdown continues, and this segment features #599 through #587. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
This segment features #586 through #569, but #579 is lost. There’s a restored no-ID segue between #580 and #578, which is NOT part of the original broadcast. REELRADIO restored these for your listening enjoyment. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
Marvelous Mark McKay takes over host duties for the 25th Anniversary weekend, and features an embarrasing aircheck from his baby DJ days. He also tells the story of the Virgin Sturgeon, but Jack Armstrong’s final message from the mobile studio is lost to the ether. Plus: A satellite broadcast from Australia!
Some music was restored. Any copy of this stream is illegal. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
Mark provides a long list of female and/or women broadcasters who worked at the Big 610, and more great stories from his years at KFRC. There’s also a very nice produced community service feature called CloseUps, a few phone calls, one rare old-timey jingle and a lot of entertainment between the tunes, including contest winners and a piece of his interview with Mick Jagger.
Some music was restored. Copying this stream is illegal. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
The next day kicks off with some raucous rockers at 9AM (February 15, 1986). Steve O’Shea, one of The Original Six-Ten Men, continues the countdown. Veteran O’Shea claims he almost lost his job by playing the first Grateful Dead record on the station..
Russ “The Moose” Syracuse joins Steve with wonderful stories about the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll radio at KFRC. Steve explains how he has practiced to deliver the call letters appropriately. And, there’s a cameo appearance by Joe Conrad..
Some music was restored. Copying this stream is illegal. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.
John Catchings, Ed Hirsch and Frank Terry join via telephone. O’Shea and Phillips recall the early days of KFRC with Program Director Tom Rounds..
Phillips offers a genuine “Hello K.O.” sweatshirt to the first listener who shows up at the station with the largest dead trout scotch-taped to their car radio antenna..
Some music was restored. Copying this stream is illegal. …
The BIG 610 – KFRC 20th ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN
February 14-17 1986
[From notes by Contributor Scott Rayer]
This exhibit will eventually include almost all of the entire KFRC 20th Anniversary BIG 6-10, a four-day marathon starting at 6PM on Friday, February 14, 1986.
This special broadcast followed a presentation narrated by Bobby Ocean, contributed to REELRADIO by Ben Fong-Torres in December of 2001.
The Making of a Classic: 20 Years of KFRC, 1966-1986
These off-the-air recordings were made on 90-minute cassettes (45 minutes per side) and small portions of the broadcast were lost when not in attendance.
What is not on this recording is what was in store for KFRC and the talent. The music format was tanked in six months. Dr. Don left the station, and in another year, he suffered a heart attack. Jane Dornacker was killed in a helicopter crash eight months later.
In some ways, this was the beginning of the end for the station, but I know others have differing opinions.