Here are a few more artifacts from CFCF 600 AM Radio in Montreal (others can be found in the Culture index).
Probably when I was about six years old, my father bought me a crystal radio kit with a blue plastic case, a pre-wound tuner and a pre-mounted crystal as a Christmas present. He suggested CFCF as a station I could listen to. Sadly, I missed the dynamic French-language music scene of that era. However, not knowing any French, I didn't know what I was missing until I was aged 35 or so - long after we moved to Ontario.
Below: A stack of these free hit charts would usually be placed near the cash register of record stores. Each week, in many stores, 45 RPM singles would be dutifully rearranged on pegboard-based holders in the order they appeared on these lists. In Lachine, two nearby stores provided this essential service - one near the bottom of 45th Avenue and another at the south end of the Dorval Shopping Centre.
In the years before 'Canadian Content' requirements, you'll notice how few of the tunes are marked 'Canadian'.
My mother gave us piano lessons so we all had an appreciation for classical music and easy-to-play United Church hymns before completing elementary school. Seasonally, the Hallelujah Chorus of 'The Messiah' was prescribed and pounded out with a considerable lack of musicianship by me. My siblings have both been church organists, one runs a Master's piano program at an arts college, the other can improvise any piece on a piano.
... I ... have a collection of contemporary 45 RPM records from these hit charts.
Perhaps because he regularly visited the Bank of Commerce on the nearby corner of 45th Avenue, my father always insisted on picking up any 45 RPM requests I had come up with.
At about the time this particular chart was issued, "geezer" was a popular general-purpose term for older males, and was in common use by boys attending Meadowbrook School. And Batman, starring Adam West, was a popular show with that same cohort. One fine day, a boy in my class named Peter told me there was a new song I should get, entitled Geezer Batman. I passed the request on to my father, and this local high school teacher of History and English, a graduate of Queen's University, walked into that store on 45th and asked for Geezer Batman. He was sold a copy of Number 60, on the chart below. My father (naturally understanding the historical reference and military terminology) was quite amused as he later provided me with the correct title and my new 45.
Above: the exterior.
Above: the interior.
Historical tangent:
I was fascinated to notice that the kids in the photo above are boarding a Lockheed Constellation. Below, I have enhanced/enlarged the photo a little because it is my experience that I will someday be contacted by someone who was there.
A piston-engined aircraft filled with excited kids would make for quite a noisy flight. It is certain that the relative novelty of flight (for people back then) would ensure that many faces were pressed to the windows.
That particular Lockheed Constellation CF-NAL was with Nordair from 1964 to 1969. Later it was ferried to Sao Tome (an island off today's Gabon), to be used during the Biafran Airlift.
The same Lockheed Constellation later became part of the Restaurant Piano Bar Asas d'Avião, at Sao Tome airport.
Screen grab Nov 2019.
Screen grab Nov 2019.
Above: the photo enlarged a little.
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By sending in breakfast cereal boxtops ('proof of purchase') or just by composing letters outright, many kids had fun experiences getting free stuff through the mail.
By sending in breakfast cereal boxtops ('proof of purchase') or just by composing letters outright, many kids had fun experiences getting free stuff through the mail.
I wrote a letter and received a 12 inch by 16 inch poster of CFCF's DJ's and other on-air talent.
It arrived in the envelope above - I have cleaned the label of my name/address.
Some of you may already know some of the people shown ...
- I usually listened to Al Boliska from about 06-07hr, weekdays. Immediately before coming to CFCF, I think he worked in Kingston. He was excellent.
- Dave Boxer was the well-loved evening DJ with a cool, distinctive style who played the hits for the Baby Boomers. Sometimes there were listener call-in features: e.g. 'The Monkees were given a TV show, why can't the Beatles get one?'
- Bill Haughland read the news.
- Derek Lind provided traffic reports from CFCF's little Hughes helicopter (see the Model 200 for an approximation). It was regularly seen at the top of our street as it patrolled along the '2 and 20'.
A future post will include CFCF ads/articles from the Montreal Star.
