Radio Days

I know everyone likes to say that music was best when they were young. In my case, I can point out that I went to high school during the British invasion (Rolling Stones, Beatles), the California sound (Beach Boys, Dick Dale), and Motown.

When I was a kid growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania, I would listen every night to 50,000 watt clear channel AM radio stations from all over the East. The DJ's spun platters and kept up a snappy dialogue. I still remember Cousin Brucie from WABC New York, Dick Biondi from WLS Chicago, and Bruce Bradley from WBZ Boston. Terry Knight on CKLW in Windsor, Ontario was the voice of Motown -- Detroit was just across the lake.

Recently I discovered that fellow radio nuts have preserved recordings and put them in digital form on the web. Listening to those voices is an instant time trip! Here are a couple of links:
http://www.reelradio.com/
http://www.monitorbeacon.com/

A real find was a site that remembers Rege Cordic of KDKA AM radio in Pittsburgh. "Cordic and Company" did voices for parodies and imaginary friends who would stop by on his 6am to 10am morning show. Some of the bits are pure Pittsburgh or in jokes, but most of the clips have held up quite well. Check it out:
http://www.drtechnical.com/cordic.htm