sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

February 19, 2019 4:43 pm  #1


"History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

What was the similar documentary CHUM produced and when did that air? (I suspect Doug Thompson will know the answer to that.)

The one in question here was created under extreme time pressure by none other than the legendary KHJ Los Angeles. The story behind it is wonderful and is told at the link below. They had just seven weeks to do the entire thing, including all the interviews and script writing. The first part wasn't finished production until two hours before it was supposed to air. And one of the main people behind it was so exhausted, she fell asleep when it aired and never got to hear the entire thing. 

“Pete and I were both working at first 15, then 20 hours per day. We quit going home altogether … we quit eating. Too tired. There were moments approaching delirium from lack of sleep.” 

By 10 a.m. on Feb. 21, just two hours before the program’s scheduled launch, the production was finally done. “I went home, took a shower, changed my clothes, and by 11:30 a.m. was sitting on my living room floor between my radio speakers,” wrote Pelissero. She heard the first 15-minute segment, then fell asleep for two days." 

More here.

 

February 19, 2019 6:17 pm  #2


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

CHUM's 64 hour history of rock was called "The Evolution of Rock' and was written by my former business/creative partner Bill McDonald (who also wrote CHUM's "The Story of The Beatles" in 1970 and CHUM's "The Elvis Presley Story".

"The Evolution of Rock" was narrated by Chuck RIley (of WIBC, Indianapolis and later CBS promos LA) .  Chuck also narrated "The Story of The Beatles" that Warren Cosford and I co-produced.

"The Evolution of Rock" was produced by Warren Cosford, Bob MacMillan and the late Zeke Zdebiak.
All of CHUM's radio documentaries came from the extremely creative mind of then Program Director J., Robert Wood. 

Last edited by Doug Thompson (February 19, 2019 6:18 pm)

 

February 19, 2019 6:22 pm  #3


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

So yours came after the KHJ one? What was the year that aired? And did CHUM ever air the L.A. based program?

I believe yours is on YouTube.


 

     Thread Starter
 

February 19, 2019 6:29 pm  #4


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

No,CHUM only ever ran their special.  I believe CKFH had contracted to run Drake's "History of Rock" so that's why "The Evolution of Rock" was created...to counter program.  CHUM's was produced starting in 1975 and completed and aired in 1976 by hundreds of radio stations around the world (syndicated by TM Productions in Dallas).  The following year, 1977, "The Evolution of Rock" won the Billboard Magazine award for "Best International Radio Special".

While I did produce a 28 hour special titled CHUM's History of Rock that aired on CHUM twice in 1969, I had left CHUM by 1975 and did not have any involvement in "The Evolution of Rock".  I've written and produced many award winning specials since (especially on The Beatles and John Lennon), but "The Evolution of Rock" is one that I would have loved to have been involved with..
.   

Last edited by Doug Thompson (February 19, 2019 6:32 pm)

 

February 19, 2019 6:32 pm  #5


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

I remember both of them well. Wonderful work on it, by the way. So much water under the bridge now that it would take forever to produce an updated version today!

     Thread Starter
 

February 19, 2019 6:35 pm  #6


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

Indeed it would RA..
 

 

February 19, 2019 6:58 pm  #7


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

By the way, there was also extreme time pressure when we made "The Story of The Beatles" at CHUM in 1970.  We had like a week or so to write and produce 12 hours.  I ended up staying up 6 days straight and wound up in hospital for several days. 

Radio can be dangerous to your health. 

 

February 19, 2019 7:09 pm  #8


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

I think CFTR produced an "instant syndicated special" that was put out less than 24 hours after John Lennon was shot. They took every single LP and 45 from the record library and disappeared into Gary Milmine's production studio for an entire day, not emerging until the thing was done. It, too, was syndicated out to stations across North America. 

Wish I had a copy!  

     Thread Starter
 

February 19, 2019 10:38 pm  #9


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

On a somewhat lighthearted note I can recall back around 1970 CJBK radio in London presenting a home grown documentary on Elvis Presley. Two of the stations dj's - David Scott  & Wayne "Records" McAteer co-hosted.

I thought it was pretty good with lots of info & of course lots of music until one day a few years later I picked up a Life magazine that featured an extensive article on Elvis. Turns out the boys had read the multi pages of Elvis copy from the Life magazine article word-for-word. Still the finished product was more than presentable. After all it was still Elvis!















 

Last edited by unclefester (February 19, 2019 10:42 pm)


  
 

February 19, 2019 11:49 pm  #10


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

Back in 1982 and 83, Warren Cosford and I produced a series of 24 one hour specials for Canada on record producers called "The Producers".  We interviewed these producers ourselves, pulled the clips we wanted to use and had various writers write the different episodes.  We hired Charlie Van Dyke from KHJ in Los Angeles to narrate.  There was a lot of good production and writing in this series.  A few years later, Warren calls me and says you have to come down to CHUM and hear this demo I just received from some guy out west.  I did just that.  Warren played the tape and it was our specials, without Charlie Van Dyke.  This guy had another voice cut in and tried to syndicate our own programs.  Needless to say, a lawyers letter quickly stopped that guy cold.
.  

Last edited by Doug Thompson (February 19, 2019 11:50 pm)

 

February 28, 2019 5:40 pm  #11


Re: "History Of Rock & Roll" Radio Doc Debuted 50 Years Ago This Weekend

CKLW aired it on the weekend of Feb 28 / March 1-2 (started 50 years ago today at 6 PM). I remember Humble Harv as the narrator. In the credits, at the end of hour 48, "this is Harvey Miller ... "

In "Radio Revolution" -- I haven't seen it in a long time and don't have a copy -- if you see a newspaper ad for this special, it's mine, clipped from the Detroit Free Press.

Last edited by TomSanders (February 28, 2019 6:39 pm)