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I try to do this every year on this day.
Remembering Gary Bell, aka The Spaceman, aka Space, who passed away seven years ago today.
Space was a wonderful man and a hell of a storyteller. I listen to old episodes of A View From Space multiple times a week just to hear his voice and chill out. I was in my 20s when I worked with him at Corus between 2001-2007, and our chats in the kitchen at 1 Dundas, where you'd find him making a cup of tea are some of my favourite memories from the time.
Below is his classic intro to his weekly show, an intro former 640 Toronto APD Scotty Guest and I still stand by as the best ever.
“If you’re driving around town or you’re at work listening to me on AM 640 Toronto Radio, I welcome you in. If you’re listening on your 3 or 4g personal communication device via the stream the world software, I welcome you in. If you’re dialed in to channel 865 on Star Choice, I welcome you in. Or, if you’re at home, sitting in what they call the best seat in the house to listen to A View from Space, in front of your Mac or PC, I welcome you in.
WhereEVER you are in the world, I welcome you in.”
Cheers to the Spaceman, wherever he may be.
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Spaceman = Legend. There will never be another cat like him.
I agree, his show intro was a masterful lesson in basic formatics - he mentioned every possible delivery method where the show could be found.
Last edited by Binson Echorec (June 5, 2025 10:25 am)
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I remember Gary Bell's days @ CFTR, pre spaceman.
I think his early taste of talk radio may have been when he filled in evenings, hosting Love em or leave em.
(just a small taste, since it was a music format, not a talk format)
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He was an antisemitic conspiracy theorist. Sorry, but I can't give him a pass.
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Hansa wrote:
He was an antisemitic conspiracy theorist. Sorry, but I can't give him a pass.
Conspiracy theorist, yes. Antisemetic. Nope. Far from it.
We had many, many conversations about my Judaism and my ambivalence about it. Space would always say to me, “Andy, you’re one of the chosen people. You’re blessed.”
Last edited by Andy Burns (June 4, 2025 7:10 pm)
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He was for sure an anti semite.
I knew him years ago and he never denied that he counted on the Jews to cause Armageddon in the Middle East so that the rapture would happen and Jesus believing Christians would go to heaven.
Not the Jews.
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I have no idea how he felt about other religions, but I talked with him briefly when he was doing the all night show on CFTR in its Top 40 days. He was certainly an unusual guy even then. I recall him saying a number of times that it was all he could do to keep from opening the mic and preaching about Jesus on air, because that's what he thought listeners needed to know.
He knew he would be fired if he ever went that far, and he controlled himself enough that he never did it. But I well remember him saying it was a temptation every single night he was on the air.
I guess the conspiracy stuff came later when he got into talk.
But that's my memory of him.
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I must admit that I tuned in to his show a few times. He often went off on theories that were somewhat convoluted, but did make a point eventually! I remember tuning in one evening and his show was gone, so I moved on too. I did find him fairly chill though!
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Gary was on 680 when I was an overnight op at 'FI. I would head downstairs to stand in the control room and watch him at work. Space was so appropriate for him, he reminded me of Bob Mackowycz sr. His head just didn't live on our planet.
He would point out nuances and bits in songs, highlight drum sequences and vocal tricks, and one of my favourites was telling his op to ignore the Lamp and letting emotional rescue fade just enough to get 'make a dead man cum' on the air. He was amazing to watch.
When I went to play PD at 640 Gary was an op there, and most didn't know about this 680 past, or his successes at CKGM-AM in Montreal before that. I remained a fanboy . As I've said before, the best thing I had going for me at 640 was I wasn't being paid enough to worry about losing the gig, and that let me try all kinds of stuff I wouldn't have been able to if I'd been more worried about my Lexus and the kids in private school. One of those was asking Gary if he wanted to host a show on Saturday nights, I told him to do whatever he wanted, don't wander into CBSC territory and tie up my time, and don't get us sued, I pulled the string and watched the whirling dervish head into the booth.
We had Chretien or Mike Harris visiting Marsha on the afternoon show. Security was everywhere, downstairs, upstairs, all over the place. Gary was her op. And somehow, bypassing it all, like something out of a movie, the elevator doors opened and Gary walked out on the 12th floor in full black leather, his motor bike helmet still on his head, and scared the living shit out of all the security people. He's lucky he wasn't shot .
He survived on-air till 2017, he survived on earth for a year after that and died from Cancer.. An incredibly kind and gentle guy. He could never be forgotten. file hosting gratis
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We used to call Space "The Stig" when he arrived all decked out in his riding gear. Great story, ig.
ig wrote:
emotional rescue fade just enough to get 'make a dead man cum' on the air.
"Start Me Up", not "Emotional Rescue".
Last edited by Binson Echorec (June 5, 2025 3:52 pm)
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I had the good fortune to work with Space 3 different times and without doubt I can tell you he was the most unique individual I have ever met. He wouldn't borrow any money, no matter how little. He would ride his bike non-stop to Winnipeg on his way to visit relatives in Saskatchewan. At CKGM he went by William Beigh (B) Bell. I opped for him from time to time and the conversations were well, unique. And I never saw him be anything less than positive in his attitude. A real beauty and I have to say Mace, I never heard him say a bad word about anybody. Quite the contrary, he was always positive.
I can't personally vouch for this but I believe it was true. When he was at CFTR doing all nights, he was asked to take a pay cut and his response was apparently " what am I making now?". I have no difficulty believing that.
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I was the producer of the show called, Mr. Destiny with host Alan Mayer, it was feel good, personal growth show on Friday and Saturday nights, at Talk 640.
We were on air when Princess Diana passed away, we got the news just before 11 pm, we had to drop the guest and open the lines, We took calls from 11-3 am (we went overtime for good reason). The phones lit up like a Christmas tree, we had to deal with so many emotions from the callers and get them to hang on, as the call in traffic was intense.
I was "Roz" from Frasier, so to speak, screening calls, that ranged from anger, grief, tears, and now what-how do we make sense of this on a Labour Day weekend on a Saturday night.
Gary was the technical producer... we were in the right place and it was so incredible to be on air that night.
The next week, Alan (the host) had guest Roy Bonisteel on as we wanted to shift topics from the week before.
During a quiet moment, Gary blurts out, "you know it was a hit job". He felt the Royal Family had her killed.
Then soon after, the conspiracy show began.
He was a cool guy to work with, very affable, easy to work with and he was super professional too.
Eventually the Mr. Destiny show got the ax and we went to RB with Bill Carrol (he got the ax then too) and we did a show called, Radio for the Soul, like Chicken Soup for the soul, but for radio.
Interesting times for sure.
Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (June 6, 2025 9:50 am)