Tomorrow is the Real Don Steele's birthday. He would have been 82. He was the world's most exciting disc jockey and proud to say -- a dear friend. We were jocks together at two stations in the '70s -- K100 and TenQ, both in Los Angeles. This was when I used the air name Beaver Cleaver.
Steele was famous for his Friday night sign-offs. They were wild rants designed to get you amped up for the weekend, delivered in machine-gun fashion. From time to time I would follow him on Friday night (which was like being the next act after the Beatles on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW) and noticed that he always had the sign-off typed out. So one Friday I asked if I could keep it and would he autograph it for me? Gracious person that he is, he said sure.
And now, in honor of his birthday, I am sharing it with you dear readers. Try reading this whole thing in one take without making a single mistake... in about thirty seconds.
I love you and miss you Don and always will. You and Tina Delgado will always be alive!
UPDATE!!!!!!
BIG treat. Thanks to friend of the blog, Kevin Gershan, here are a few Real Don Steele Friday night sign-offs. Get ready to have your mind blown.
How did you and/or your fellow DJ's keep morale up when you were forced by the suits to play songs you truly disliked? I imagine in the seventies, when many stations converted to disco overnight, that some jocks had trouble adjusting. Did you ever let a little editorial commentary slip into your banter (I seem to remember Fever doing that occasionally on WKRP).
He was super! Electric! Indefatigable! Difficult to describe; simply had to hear him, and if you lived in L.A. in the '60's and '70's, you had that chance.
As I heard it, early in his radio days, he realized that he didn't have that deep voice of most radio folks, so he made the best of what he had and simply blew the doors off the accepted DJ style of the day doing his own thing. He was an audio blowtorch. And FUNNY?! His double entendres packed into a :07 second intro of a rock 'n' roll record were priceless and inimitable.
...and here is the model of his style. The person whose style he admired, so the story goes. She is Francis Faye, that fabulous cabaret singer from the '50's who skirted the morality of the day with her lyrics and lifestyle. Here she is singing "I'm Not Mad at You" which includes her scat-style, name-dropping rhymes and fun. (Shuttle into time :42 when the song begins...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3vkfSuchU
Somewhere (Once on Reelradio.com) there exists a four-minute collection of The Real Don Steele's Fractious Friday send-offs...and maybe Ken could find it..and maybe post it for everyone to hear once again.
He is a riot as the annoying commentator "Junior Bruce" in the equally funny Death Race 2000," the 1975 original, not to be confused with all of the horrific remakes.
I tried reading that script without a mistake, but then I got to "the election is over, the meat's off, and we're hot" ... no flaming neon fun jungle for me, I guess!
To me the Real Son Steele is the archetype AM D.J. I grew up listening to him starting on KHJ through his time on KRTH up until his passing. Many times when you see someone playing a D.J. on T.V. or in the movies they are consciously or unconsciously paying homage to the R.D.S. He was a big influence on me when I was in radio. By the way, Ken is there anybody you don't know? R.I.P Don. M.B.
I’ve written to the National Radio Hall of Fame several times to request Don be considered for induction. Perhas this is the year we can make it happen. Dave Rogoway on Facebook has posted the nomination paperwork if you’d like to add your voice. Do it for TRDS, the greatest of all time.
I know this is heresy on this site, but listening to that video made me remember why I never listened to the "hot" radio stations back in the day. The words over the music are unintelligible to me, and the music is destroyed by the words superimposed, so it all did nothing for me but to scramble what's left of my brain.
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Possible Friday Q:
ReplyDeleteHow did you and/or your fellow DJ's keep morale up when you were forced by the suits to play songs you truly disliked? I imagine in the seventies, when many stations converted to disco overnight, that some jocks had trouble adjusting. Did you ever let a little editorial commentary slip into your banter (I seem to remember Fever doing that occasionally on WKRP).
That's DJ artistry, just as we heard back east with Dan Ingram at WABC.
ReplyDeleteHe was super! Electric! Indefatigable! Difficult to describe; simply had to hear him, and if you lived in L.A. in the '60's and '70's, you had that chance.
ReplyDeleteAs I heard it, early in his radio days, he realized that he didn't have that deep voice of most radio folks, so he made the best of what he had and simply blew the doors off the accepted DJ style of the day doing his own thing. He was an audio blowtorch. And FUNNY?! His double entendres packed into a :07 second intro of a rock 'n' roll record were priceless and inimitable.
...and here is the model of his style. The person whose style he admired, so the story goes. She is Francis Faye, that fabulous cabaret singer from the '50's who skirted the morality of the day with her lyrics and lifestyle. Here she is singing "I'm Not Mad at You" which includes her scat-style, name-dropping rhymes and fun. (Shuttle into time :42 when the song begins...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3vkfSuchU
Somewhere (Once on Reelradio.com) there exists a four-minute collection of The Real Don Steele's Fractious Friday send-offs...and maybe Ken could find it..and maybe post it for everyone to hear once again.
I miss listening to him...
Be Boss,
Ox
Yay!
ReplyDeleteHe is a riot as the annoying commentator "Junior Bruce" in the equally funny Death Race 2000,"
ReplyDeletethe 1975 original, not to be confused with all of the horrific remakes.
I tried reading that script without a mistake, but then I got to "the election is over, the meat's off, and we're hot" ... no flaming neon fun jungle for me, I guess!
ReplyDeleteTo me the Real Son Steele is the archetype AM D.J. I grew up listening to him starting on KHJ through his time on KRTH up until his passing. Many times when you see someone playing a D.J. on T.V. or in the movies they are consciously or unconsciously paying homage to the R.D.S. He was a big influence on me when I was in radio. By the way, Ken is there anybody you don't know? R.I.P Don.
ReplyDeleteM.B.
P.S. I can't believe it has been TWENTY years since he died.
ReplyDeleteM.B.
A crime Don and Bill Drake are not in the Radio Hall of Fame. Go figure that one!
ReplyDeleteThe four Saturday night show closes are from Don's personal collection and they totally rock! Never tire of hearing them.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! ...and hope all is well with you!
DeleteRDS allowed guest sign-offs and I did one... with his snappy reply when I mentioned my name a 2nd time "Only one name mention Charley!"
ReplyDeleteSimply the BEST!
ReplyDeleteI’ve written to the National Radio Hall of Fame several times to request Don be considered for induction. Perhas this is the year we can make it happen. Dave Rogoway on Facebook has posted the nomination paperwork if you’d like to add your voice. Do it for TRDS, the greatest of all time.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/a/museum.tv/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcV3l0cKepLb0q6iHDUrj9iDLkDilDrfk7GEYyYSCyWmaQog/viewform
That was awesome... can't get enough of hearing about RDS, and I'm 40 and from Philly!
ReplyDeleteI know this is heresy on this site, but listening to that video made me remember why I never listened to the "hot" radio stations back in the day. The words over the music are unintelligible to me, and the music is destroyed by the words superimposed, so it all did nothing for me but to scramble what's left of my brain.
ReplyDelete