Record Hops, Remotes, and more

Even though I started in radio officially in December of 1964 I actually did a few record hops prior to that time. If I remember, my first was about a year earlier for the Drama Club or Warrior Run High School in Turbotville, Pa. My friend Bob Ott was the advisor and asked me if I would do the hop as a fund raiser for the group. I don't remember much about it except I had to borrow some equipment from an old friend Lewis “Slim” Bogen, he had taken the guts from an old juke box and made a Pa amplifier. Not long after that I acquired a Lafayette Pa amp, Mic, turn table and speakers and over the course of the sumer I did several record hops at the town park in Watsontown as well as a dance for a Citizens Band Club Jamboree at the Lycoming County Fair Grounds.

The summer of 1965, after High School Graduation, I was hired to do the tennis court dances at my Alma Matter, Montoursville High School. They were a lot of fun and some great experience for a young D.J. One of the strangest things I ever saw happen during a gig was there, I actually was driving the speakers so hard one of them caught fire, fortunately the damage was limited to one speaker and we kept going.

During my time at WLYC we didn't do a lot of remotes because the station really didn't have a very big audience. However the first remote I remember doing was the Lycoming County Fair in 1965. We were on the air each day from 10 AM to 6:00 PM, and the duties were shared by myself, Bob Johnson, Mike Sarlo, and Nick Green. The deal was we would be on the air for an hour or two and then we were off for two hours, during that time we did get a break and also were supposed to walk around and get interviews from the exhibitors who bought commercials and from the non profits exhibitors as well. They we would play them back during the times we were on the air and if any were left the other jocks would use them.

After I went to WMPT the remotes were a pretty regular occurrence, most times I would be the second guy, usually working with Dick Crownover. Let me tell you Dick was one of the best people I have ever seen to find things to talk about. I give Dick a lot of credit for teaching me the ropes. I think that one of the first remotes I did with Dick was at the former Town & Country Department Store on W. Fourth Street in Williamsport, the highlight of that remote was me describing the inside of a Styrofoam cooler. After Dick left WMPT I pretty much became the “remote guy” and the list of business was quite interesting and included:
Car dealers, Gas Stations, Supermarkets, Department Stores, a Sheraton Hotel, Fire Department Carnivals, Mobile Home Dealers, County Fairs, Restaurants, Appliance Stores, Shopping Centers, Banks, Air Shows, and of course record hops. I've done remotes at all hours of the day, and HIGHT. I remember a couple of remotes I did for the former Tri-State Discount Department store in the Newberry section of Williamsport. These were ALL NIGHT remotes! I guess I was the only one crazy enough to do them, but I was young and the money was good. The store would run a door buster ever hour all night and I was completely surprised at the number of people who came in. The store manager had an idea, (call it a test) he would ask for people to bring in certain things for a prize. The oddest was a snake! Sure enough I hit the air with that the first person to bring in a live snake would win a prize. It could not have been more than 10 minutes and I had a very large boa constrictor paying me a visit. Now I HATE SNAKES so this event stands out in my mind.


My old Friend Steve George and I did a take off on the then popular TV Show Batman. Our characters were Fatman and Ribbon, yes in those days Steve was skinny and I was, well fluffy! I can remember we did a couple of remotes for L.L. Stearns Department Store in costume, I certainly hope that any pictures of those appearances are long faded! Yes, we also participated in a Donkey Base Ball Game in costume as well. At the time I owned a 1961 Forest Green Lincoln Continental, yes, it was “The Fatmobile.” Right after the flood of 1972, Steve and I did a remote for the Nesbit Volunteer Company at their carnival. We were the guest “dunkees” on their dunk tank. We had a mike positioned so the guy in the hot (or wet) seat could be on the air talking with the other person located a bit away in a slightly drier location. I guess no one thought to warm the water and the first dunk into it was to say the least “awakening.” I still to this day don't know how we managed to keep the four letter words off the air, but we did.

Car dealer remotes were usually, in those days the new car show was pretty exciting stuff, car dealers built excitement up to the “NEW CAR SHOWING”. I think it was 1968, Bob Jackson and I were doing the new car showing at Wyno Volkswagen and we had a great time and great crowd. I had owned a VW Karman Ghia so I knew the product and most of the people at the dealership. 1968 was the first year that VW installed seat belts in their cars and during one talk segment I was sitting in a “Bug” and was talking about the safety features with Bud Smith the Sales Manager. I put the seatbelt on as a test, now the problem comes in the fact I didn't know how to release it. So there I sat, Bob Jackson busting a gut laughing, along with the rest of the crowd in the showroom and there I am in the VW. No one would help me, finally after what seems like a couple of hours I found the release and got out. The only casualty of the day was that was when Bob met his future wife.

Another time I was working with Cliff Horton as the Lycoming County New Car Dealers Show at the Loyal Plaza on a beautiful summer Saturday. Well I was quite taken by an MG B that was on display. I was talking to the dealer and told him I liked the car, but didn't think I could fit in it. He said “no problem.” FIRST MISTAKE! I got in OK, BUT found that my tall torso wedged by head against the roof and I could not maneuver to get out. Did I mention this had the hard top on at the time? Well anyway, of course I was on the air and once again MY FRIENDS felt the situation was VERY funny inviting people to come see the “Canned DJ” or something like that. The dealer had to have his mechanic come to the show and remove the top so I could get out.

Some remotes are just better than others! One of my favorites was one I did for the Grand Opening of a new Sunoco Gas Station at 6th and High Streets in Williamsport. The dealer and the Sunoco Rep, Ken Andrus who I had known for years, thought a remote would be a lot of fun. They had a lot of event s planned including a band and Go Go Girls! Now you see why I said some are better than others. Well anyway, the girls were beautiful and well built and I guess my on air description was pretty good as we had traffic jammed for at least a mile in each direction!

The Loyal Plaza was a “strip plaza” of some 20+ stores and was a good account so we went out of out way to assist them in anyway we could with promotions. Santa's arrival was always a big deal there and we had our “crack” remote crew on hand for the event. Each year was a challenge to out perform the previous year and somewhere around 1976 or 77 I had a brilliant idea. So meeting with Larue Jolin and John Schneiderhand (the agency rep) we devised a plan. Santa would arrive in a helicopter! How were we going to top our coverage? WMPT had a very good two way remote system called a MARTI. Dave had the foresight to license two frequencies and we had several units capable of broadcasting on either one, plus a receiver at the studios and one at the FM transmitter site on the top of Bald Eagle Mountain. OK, it was decided that Gary Strausser and Cliff Horton would “anchor” the coverage at the plaza and I would accompany Santa in the helicopter. With the Matri units we both would be on the air and build the excitement. This of course was an evening arrival so it was pretty dark. I met the helicopter at the King Air Hanger at Williamsport Regional Airport and hooked up the Marti. The pretense was that I was meeting Santa there after his flight from the North Pole. All is set, the equipment is working flawlessly, and we take to the skies! As soon as we took off I got the station on the Marti and told them we were ready, we got on the air from the helicopter just as the helicopter broke over Sand Hill. I was talking to my “grounded” crew as was Santa. We stated to do a couple of circles of the plaza and I said to the pilot what is all the dark area's there? He said, PEOPLE! There must have been 10,000 people in the plaza. Fortunately the Loyalsock Township Fire Police did an excellent job of keeping the landing area clear so that went off without a hitch. OK, I have to get back to airport to get my car, the pilot offered to take me back down, and like a fool I said “yeah sure that would be fun.” OK, I get in the helicopter and we took off straight up for probably 1,000', my stomach was in my boots1 The he started forward headed West and did a sharp bank to head to the airport, I was looking straight down at the ground and crowd, he said something like “you want to have some fun?” I must have nodded because he did a strafing run and pulled out. I am not sure how many “G's” I pulled but it was more than the take off. I was never so glad to return to earth in my life and promptly headed for one of the radio stations “watering holes” for some “nerve tonic.”

Next time, even more fun and adventure as they unlock my chains and let me out of the studio yet again!