Taking a Walk.

Taking a Walk.

It's me the turntables. John sitting across from the turntables and ballet for a girl from Buchanan ends and I open our mics and he says, surprise, Surprise, I am Dennis's surprise, Doctor Winston O'Boogie at your service, and off we go and it's two hours. It's not scripted. He is charming, warm, friendly, engaged.

It's me the turntables. John sitting across from the turntables and ballet for a girl from Buchanan ends and I open our mics and he says, surprise, Surprise, I am Dennis's surprise, Doctor Winston O'Boogie at your service, and off we go and it's two hours. It's not scripted. He is charming, warm, friendly, engaged.

This is Buzznight, the host of the Taking a Walk podcast, and on this episode, a dear friend who has literally been in the middle of music history his entire career. Dennis Elsis is our guest. I work with Dennis at WNWFM when I was a part timer. Dennis has interviewed many of the greats, including a historic interview with John Lennon that is literally rock history. Dennis is still working these days at WFUV in New York and for Serious XM. I've been a fan of his my entire career, and I'm hoping Dennis Sume gets his call into the Radio Hall of Fame. Welcome Dennis Elsis on the Take in a Walk podcast.

This is Buzznight, the host of the Taking a Walk podcast, and on this episode, a dear friend who has literally been in the middle of music history his entire career. Dennis Elsis is our guest. I work with Dennis at WNWFM when I was a part timer. Dennis has interviewed many of the greats, including a historic interview with John Lennon that is literally rock history. Dennis is still working these days at WFUV in New York and for Serious XM. I've been a fan of his my entire career, and I'm hoping Dennis Sume gets his call into the Radio Hall of Fame. Welcome Dennis Elsis on the Take in a Walk podcast.

Well, mystery guests, would you enter and sign in? Please?

Well, mystery guests, would you enter and sign in? Please?

It's nice to see you, mister buzz Night. Who I know better is Bob Kosak. Dennis Elsa is welcome to taking a walk.

It's nice to see you, mister buzz Night. Who I know better is Bob Kosak. Dennis Elsa is welcome to taking a walk.

It's virtual, I wish it was in person, but so good to see you and be with you.

It's virtual, I wish it was in person, but so good to see you and be with you.

Great to see you too.

Great to see you too.

So yours active as ever, which we'll talk about with your multiple roles and jobs. But I do want to make sure we highlight the many great things that have happened in your career that are legendary of legendary status. They are of radio Hall of Fame status of anybody of influences listening to this podcast about that, and of course I'm just gonna ask the first question about that infamous John Lennon interview that happened a few years ago.

So yours active as ever, which we'll talk about with your multiple roles and jobs. But I do want to make sure we highlight the many great things that have happened in your career that are legendary of legendary status. They are of radio Hall of Fame status of anybody of influences listening to this podcast about that, and of course I'm just gonna ask the first question about that infamous John Lennon interview that happened a few years ago.

Yeah, well, you know it. I mean, first of all, we can get into the history of growing up and listening to radio and then actually being on the radio at a young age on WNWFM, something I never dreamed that I would be doing, because growing up I didn't know anybody that was a disc jockey. I didn't know anybody that was in the business. I like to say I didn't know anybody in media, but I didn't even know the term media, nor do I think we were using that term in the nineteen sixties. But long story short, we can go backwards. But I wind up happily at WAWFM, and I wind up as music director, working for the ultimate professor. That would be Scott Muni, who after six months of doing fill in work there from summer fall of seventy one into the winter of seventy two, you know, and having the traditional overnights and early mornings and that sort of thing, when Scott says, because there's an opening suddenly, would you like to be music director? I don't know what that means either, but I say, does that mean I'll be working Monday through Friday? And he says yes, And I thought, well, that's a good thing to do. So by nineteen seventy two early I become music director. I'm on the air constantly filling in, have my own weekend shows, have developed a relationship with all my friends in the record business and all the record company guys, and one afternoon a fellow from Capitol Records calls and says, if you can get over to Record Plant Studios this afternoon, late afternoon, early evening, I can probably get you into a session with John Lennontt Now you're not necessarily going to meet him, but you can sit in the control room and watch it, you know, and it's like.

Yeah, well, you know it. I mean, first of all, we can get into the history of growing up and listening to radio and then actually being on the radio at a young age on WNWFM, something I never dreamed that I would be doing, because growing up I didn't know anybody that was a disc jockey. I didn't know anybody that was in the business. I like to say I didn't know anybody in media, but I didn't even know the term media, nor do I think we were using that term in the nineteen sixties. But long story short, we can go backwards. But I wind up happily at WAWFM, and I wind up as music director, working for the ultimate professor. That would be Scott Muni, who after six months of doing fill in work there from summer fall of seventy one into the winter of seventy two, you know, and having the traditional overnights and early mornings and that sort of thing, when Scott says, because there's an opening suddenly, would you like to be music director? I don't know what that means either, but I say, does that mean I'll be working Monday through Friday? And he says yes, And I thought, well, that's a good thing to do. So by nineteen seventy two early I become music director. I'm on the air constantly filling in, have my own weekend shows, have developed a relationship with all my friends in the record business and all the record company guys, and one afternoon a fellow from Capitol Records calls and says, if you can get over to Record Plant Studios this afternoon, late afternoon, early evening, I can probably get you into a session with John Lennontt Now you're not necessarily going to meet him, but you can sit in the control room and watch it, you know, and it's like.

Now, Dennis was this person from Capital Who I think it was?

Now, Dennis was this person from Capital Who I think it was?

You know, I don't remember who do you think it was?

You know, I don't remember who do you think it was?

I was wondering if it was that Beatle fanatic David Morrell.

I was wondering if it was that Beatle fanatic David Morrell.

Oh, I don't think Dave was with Capital at that time. That would have been the icing on the cake. You know, Dave was ultimately with Capital. No, he might have been with RCA at that point. I don't know. Dave Morrell has been a constant as you well know. In fact, it was Dave Morrell. Thank you, Dave Morrell who early on, when I would do a beatles A to Z, would help me get these tapes, which nowadays you can get anything, you know, at the drop of a whatever, if one drops one's hat anymore. But Dave was a great source of getting those kinds of materials which were unknown at the time. He had his hands on just about everything. No, it wasn't Dave. I wish I could specify and say it was so and so.

Oh, I don't think Dave was with Capital at that time. That would have been the icing on the cake. You know, Dave was ultimately with Capital. No, he might have been with RCA at that point. I don't know. Dave Morrell has been a constant as you well know. In fact, it was Dave Morrell. Thank you, Dave Morrell who early on, when I would do a beatles A to Z, would help me get these tapes, which nowadays you can get anything, you know, at the drop of a whatever, if one drops one's hat anymore. But Dave was a great source of getting those kinds of materials which were unknown at the time. He had his hands on just about everything. No, it wasn't Dave. I wish I could specify and say it was so and so.

But all right, I'm sorry to sidetrack you.

But all right, I'm sorry to sidetrack you.

No no, no, no, no, So he says you know. And for me, it's like, yeah, you know, how do I get you know, where do I sign up? How do I get there? And so I go over to record plant late afternoon, and as promised, I'm getting to sit in the room looking through the glass and there is John Lennon. And I had never seen a Beatle on state. Well, i'd seen George Harrison and Ringo at Bangladesh on stage, but I certainly had never seen up close and personal. In my mind, I'm screaming, Oh my god, it's John Lennon. It's John Lennon. There's a great scene. There's a documentary called lenin NYC that was a PBS Great Masters series and they film they sort of recreate that scene in there and my voiceover they kind of shoot it through the glass, which obviously they weren't shooting it at that time. But I mean, I'm really like, my brain is exploding. I cannot believe that I am sitting here watching John Lennon. So when the moments are over, he's doing some final work on walls and bridges. When the moments are over, I'm invited into the studio area or wherever it is to at least be introduced Okay and luckily May Pang was there. May Pang was his constant companion in those days. He and Yoko had separated. Yoko, in fact, had set him up with May Pang, and May was very gracious. She must have known who I was through you know, she's a New Yorker WNEWFM, and she probably had to Okay me coming down there, and she introduces me to John and I get to do the perfunctory handshake. Hi, John deniz ELS's big fan, but you don't want to be, you know, slobbering over the guy. He's just finished. And then I have I've never met May before, but I have some moments to chat with her, And you know, ANYW had already established itself as being the place not only where rock lived, but that's where the musicians came to visit. Elton had been a constant visitor, EJ, the DJ, and certainly members of the Who and Zeppelin, especially visiting Scott, you know, because Scott for them was an old friend. So we had had just about all of rock Royalty through the building. But it's nineteen seventy four and no Beatle had ever been up because when the Beatles were a band, ANYW barely existed, nor would they have been doing those kinds of interviews in nineteen. ANYW started in sixty seven, they wouldn't have been doing that sort of thing. And even though they had gone their a solo career seventy seventy one, no solo Beatle had ever been to the radio station. So I write, young man with nothing to lose, say, you know, and knowing that Walls and Bridges is coming out, you know, if John would like to come up and visit the radio station, we'd love to have him. And May is hearing what I'm saying, and she goes, oh, let me you know, let me find out. And I'm in the music library a couple of weeks later and the phone rings and it's literally May and she said, yes, John is interested in coming. What would be good? And I, being the smart young man that I was, thinking, I'm on the air every Saturday afternoon from two to six and Sunday from twelve to four. How about Saturday at four? And she says, I'll get back to you. She does. We set it up and she says, John would like to bring some of his own records. Is that okay? And I'm thinking, of course, it's okay. He's probably going to promote walls and bridges, or maybe he wants to talk about something else, so I'll tell you a little bit more about that. But he does bring records, but he actually brings old forty fives from his old collection because he wants to tell stories about them and share it with the listeners. So we arranged that they're going to show up Saturday afternoon at four. My show is on from two to six, and I can't possibly the promo. You know, FM in those days didn't do a lot of promos. Anyway, we were cool, we were hip, we were progressive, and all I could say on the air was I've got something very special for you later. I can't really talk to you about what it is. It's a surprise. And if you have any friends that you treasure, you might want to tell them to be near their radio. I'd given them the hot line. Everybody knows the hotline. That's the phone number that you can get directly into the studio. I had let the elevator operator downstairs know that I was expecting guests, because you have to let them know. And at a quarter to four, Jose the elevator operator. And this is an old fashioned freight elevator. That's what buildings used in those days, you know. And it's a it's a it's an office building in mid to Manhattan, five sixty five Fifth Avenue. But security is not anything like we know it would become, just as every thing changed in two thousand and one. And so Jose calls and he says, your guests are here, and I say, okay, I'll be right down to bring them up. And I reach behind me to find the longest record because I'm live on the radio and Chicago Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan. Well that's a solid fifteen or sixteen minutes, and it's got some hits in it anyway, So hey, Chicago boom, and I go downstairs. It's the second floor, and there is John and May and a friend of theirs who happens to own a restaurant in the area in the Upper east Side, and we make niceties, we say hello. Everybody seems cool except me. Inside. I'm you know, can't believe, can't believe, can't believe. And it's one of those old freight elevators. So it's where they pull the gate and then they close the you know humorously now in my brain that I can see the picture, and up we go to the second floor. We get off the elevator. It's a brief walk down to the studio. John makes himself comfortable. Thank god there was an engineer on duty, because that wasn't always the case. Joe i Ello, thank you Joe to this day. Making sure that the real two reels were set up and that there was backup cassette because certainly you didn't want to rely on the auto lagger, because that would have been horrible. And we sit down, and you know, it's important to say that this show a was not pre produced. Music had not been pre selected, and I don't have an engineer other than the guy in the other room running tape. It's me the turntables, John sitting across from the turntables. In my head, I have a plan, kind of. I know we're going to start with walls and bridges. That's why he's there. I'd love to dive immediately into all my Beatles stories, but that's not appropriate. The guy's there to promote a record. And I'm smart enough, even though I've only been music director a few years to say, you know, he's here to promote the record and ballet for a Girl from Buchanan ends and I open our mics and he says, surprise, surprise, I am Dennis's surprise, Doctor Winston O'Boogie at your service, and off we go, and it's two hours. It's not scripted. He is charming, warm, friendly, engaged, and about twenty minutes twenty twenty five minutes into the interview, we're talking off Mike and he makes a reference to He says something about, well, that's like this song from the Beatles, and I go, oh, and I turn around. In those days, as you will know, buzz WNEWFM had a huge wall of records. The entire library for you to choose from was behind you. So I go and I pull out the album, which just happens to be the Yesterday and Today album, and jokingly again there's other music on the radio. We're off Mike. I say to him, oh, maybe we should see if we can peel off the cover to see if there's any dead Babies there. That's the famous dead Babies cover And he goes, you know how that photo took place? And I go, don't tell me. Hold it for the air. Thirty seconds later, we're live on the air. We back announce John and he goes, DT done. I said, yeah, well, I have the Yesterday and Today album with that picture, he says, and then he proceeds to tell the story of how it happened, first time he's ever told the story publicly, and I relaxed. I could see John's Beatles fan. It's gonna be okay. He's more than willing to talk about Beatles if that's what makes sense. And so the next two hours continue to be John being a DJ, you know, fooling around with the weather, fooling around with the commercials. I know, in the back of my head, I'm gonna get to immigration, that's important. I know in the back of my head, I'm going to get to the new Harry Nielsen album because he produced it. That's important. But everything else is free flowing. He's open to playing current music of the day. So we play Showdown by Electric Light Orchestra and he goes, oh, they nick that from herd It through the Grapevine by Marvin Gay, and he even shows it on the air, and then he says about Elo, I like that band. He said, you know they're kind of like where Beatles stopped. They're kind of like Beatles after Magical Mystery Tour. And it's an innocent enough statement, but it's nineteen been before Elo is still coming up. And from what I understand this, I don't know that he was listening that day, but somebody must have gotten that audio to Jeff Lynn, and he's floored that John Lennon, who of course he will work with. Jeff will work with all the other Beatles except John down the road. John Lennon has said, anyway, it's two hours. Thank goodness, the audio is there. A few years ago the Lenin folks said, hey, can we put it up on our website? It's already on my Dennis Eelsi's website. I said, sure, you know, what more of an honor could you have to have something instead of being bootlegged all over the because it was bootlegged all over the place. It was listened to this picture disc and various otheritties. Anyway, long, long, long, long, long story to this day, pinch myself, can't believe it, Oh my god, And on it goes.

No no, no, no, no, So he says you know. And for me, it's like, yeah, you know, how do I get you know, where do I sign up? How do I get there? And so I go over to record plant late afternoon, and as promised, I'm getting to sit in the room looking through the glass and there is John Lennon. And I had never seen a Beatle on state. Well, i'd seen George Harrison and Ringo at Bangladesh on stage, but I certainly had never seen up close and personal. In my mind, I'm screaming, Oh my god, it's John Lennon. It's John Lennon. There's a great scene. There's a documentary called lenin NYC that was a PBS Great Masters series and they film they sort of recreate that scene in there and my voiceover they kind of shoot it through the glass, which obviously they weren't shooting it at that time. But I mean, I'm really like, my brain is exploding. I cannot believe that I am sitting here watching John Lennon. So when the moments are over, he's doing some final work on walls and bridges. When the moments are over, I'm invited into the studio area or wherever it is to at least be introduced Okay and luckily May Pang was there. May Pang was his constant companion in those days. He and Yoko had separated. Yoko, in fact, had set him up with May Pang, and May was very gracious. She must have known who I was through you know, she's a New Yorker WNEWFM, and she probably had to Okay me coming down there, and she introduces me to John and I get to do the perfunctory handshake. Hi, John deniz ELS's big fan, but you don't want to be, you know, slobbering over the guy. He's just finished. And then I have I've never met May before, but I have some moments to chat with her, And you know, ANYW had already established itself as being the place not only where rock lived, but that's where the musicians came to visit. Elton had been a constant visitor, EJ, the DJ, and certainly members of the Who and Zeppelin, especially visiting Scott, you know, because Scott for them was an old friend. So we had had just about all of rock Royalty through the building. But it's nineteen seventy four and no Beatle had ever been up because when the Beatles were a band, ANYW barely existed, nor would they have been doing those kinds of interviews in nineteen. ANYW started in sixty seven, they wouldn't have been doing that sort of thing. And even though they had gone their a solo career seventy seventy one, no solo Beatle had ever been to the radio station. So I write, young man with nothing to lose, say, you know, and knowing that Walls and Bridges is coming out, you know, if John would like to come up and visit the radio station, we'd love to have him. And May is hearing what I'm saying, and she goes, oh, let me you know, let me find out. And I'm in the music library a couple of weeks later and the phone rings and it's literally May and she said, yes, John is interested in coming. What would be good? And I, being the smart young man that I was, thinking, I'm on the air every Saturday afternoon from two to six and Sunday from twelve to four. How about Saturday at four? And she says, I'll get back to you. She does. We set it up and she says, John would like to bring some of his own records. Is that okay? And I'm thinking, of course, it's okay. He's probably going to promote walls and bridges, or maybe he wants to talk about something else, so I'll tell you a little bit more about that. But he does bring records, but he actually brings old forty fives from his old collection because he wants to tell stories about them and share it with the listeners. So we arranged that they're going to show up Saturday afternoon at four. My show is on from two to six, and I can't possibly the promo. You know, FM in those days didn't do a lot of promos. Anyway, we were cool, we were hip, we were progressive, and all I could say on the air was I've got something very special for you later. I can't really talk to you about what it is. It's a surprise. And if you have any friends that you treasure, you might want to tell them to be near their radio. I'd given them the hot line. Everybody knows the hotline. That's the phone number that you can get directly into the studio. I had let the elevator operator downstairs know that I was expecting guests, because you have to let them know. And at a quarter to four, Jose the elevator operator. And this is an old fashioned freight elevator. That's what buildings used in those days, you know. And it's a it's a it's an office building in mid to Manhattan, five sixty five Fifth Avenue. But security is not anything like we know it would become, just as every thing changed in two thousand and one. And so Jose calls and he says, your guests are here, and I say, okay, I'll be right down to bring them up. And I reach behind me to find the longest record because I'm live on the radio and Chicago Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan. Well that's a solid fifteen or sixteen minutes, and it's got some hits in it anyway, So hey, Chicago boom, and I go downstairs. It's the second floor, and there is John and May and a friend of theirs who happens to own a restaurant in the area in the Upper east Side, and we make niceties, we say hello. Everybody seems cool except me. Inside. I'm you know, can't believe, can't believe, can't believe. And it's one of those old freight elevators. So it's where they pull the gate and then they close the you know humorously now in my brain that I can see the picture, and up we go to the second floor. We get off the elevator. It's a brief walk down to the studio. John makes himself comfortable. Thank god there was an engineer on duty, because that wasn't always the case. Joe i Ello, thank you Joe to this day. Making sure that the real two reels were set up and that there was backup cassette because certainly you didn't want to rely on the auto lagger, because that would have been horrible. And we sit down, and you know, it's important to say that this show a was not pre produced. Music had not been pre selected, and I don't have an engineer other than the guy in the other room running tape. It's me the turntables, John sitting across from the turntables. In my head, I have a plan, kind of. I know we're going to start with walls and bridges. That's why he's there. I'd love to dive immediately into all my Beatles stories, but that's not appropriate. The guy's there to promote a record. And I'm smart enough, even though I've only been music director a few years to say, you know, he's here to promote the record and ballet for a Girl from Buchanan ends and I open our mics and he says, surprise, surprise, I am Dennis's surprise, Doctor Winston O'Boogie at your service, and off we go, and it's two hours. It's not scripted. He is charming, warm, friendly, engaged, and about twenty minutes twenty twenty five minutes into the interview, we're talking off Mike and he makes a reference to He says something about, well, that's like this song from the Beatles, and I go, oh, and I turn around. In those days, as you will know, buzz WNEWFM had a huge wall of records. The entire library for you to choose from was behind you. So I go and I pull out the album, which just happens to be the Yesterday and Today album, and jokingly again there's other music on the radio. We're off Mike. I say to him, oh, maybe we should see if we can peel off the cover to see if there's any dead Babies there. That's the famous dead Babies cover And he goes, you know how that photo took place? And I go, don't tell me. Hold it for the air. Thirty seconds later, we're live on the air. We back announce John and he goes, DT done. I said, yeah, well, I have the Yesterday and Today album with that picture, he says, and then he proceeds to tell the story of how it happened, first time he's ever told the story publicly, and I relaxed. I could see John's Beatles fan. It's gonna be okay. He's more than willing to talk about Beatles if that's what makes sense. And so the next two hours continue to be John being a DJ, you know, fooling around with the weather, fooling around with the commercials. I know, in the back of my head, I'm gonna get to immigration, that's important. I know in the back of my head, I'm going to get to the new Harry Nielsen album because he produced it. That's important. But everything else is free flowing. He's open to playing current music of the day. So we play Showdown by Electric Light Orchestra and he goes, oh, they nick that from herd It through the Grapevine by Marvin Gay, and he even shows it on the air, and then he says about Elo, I like that band. He said, you know they're kind of like where Beatles stopped. They're kind of like Beatles after Magical Mystery Tour. And it's an innocent enough statement, but it's nineteen been before Elo is still coming up. And from what I understand this, I don't know that he was listening that day, but somebody must have gotten that audio to Jeff Lynn, and he's floored that John Lennon, who of course he will work with. Jeff will work with all the other Beatles except John down the road. John Lennon has said, anyway, it's two hours. Thank goodness, the audio is there. A few years ago the Lenin folks said, hey, can we put it up on our website? It's already on my Dennis Eelsi's website. I said, sure, you know, what more of an honor could you have to have something instead of being bootlegged all over the because it was bootlegged all over the place. It was listened to this picture disc and various otheritties. Anyway, long, long, long, long, long story to this day, pinch myself, can't believe it, Oh my god, And on it goes.

Well, go back to growing up and listening to the radio and thinking of.

Well, go back to growing up and listening to the radio and thinking of.

Where you were going to take your life.

Where you were going to take your life.

Had you heard the art of an artist interview while you were growing up from anybody.

Had you heard the art of an artist interview while you were growing up from anybody.

No, Because remember, I'm growing up in the heyday of Top forty radio, specifically in New York, and I am as a teen and preteen tuned in to WABC, WINS WMCA, and very early on there's a station that would go out of business called WMGM, And like every good teenager in those days, I am constantly and I'm literally holding this up because you can see I still believe in transistor radios. This is but I am, you know, I am with my radio, the traditional under the pillow at night, and I'm loving the DJs. The DJs are my friends, and in my head I am mimicking I guess the way they're talking and showing records. I don't know anything about hitting a post. I don't know anything about talking up, but I do know that there are certain people on the ear that are reaching me. They are one on one. You know, some are just showman Murray the Kay in all his shtick, was a brilliant showman. The legendary Scott Muni of course, the DJ's DJ who I in one of the ultimate pinch myself moments. Not that many years later I'm in his office interviewing for my first job. Also, can't believe that you know cousin Brucy, who years later I would work near at Sirius, and so many of those people, you know, the Dan Daniels of the world, and and b Mitchell Reid, and especially a fellow named Bob Lewis. Bob Lewis was a really good dis jockey, Bob Bloo. And he also had, as did Ingram agree voiceover career. Now, I didn't know much about voiceovers, but I knew once I did get into radio, that that was a field that I wanted to pursue. And again side note here, I'd get to join after. I mean, my god, after you join after, because you have to join after when you get on anyw it's New York. And in nineteen seventy one, September of seventy one, I have a lot of time on my hands because by that time I've just filled in all summer and I'm only doing one overnight show a week. And after offers a course in voiceovers nineteen seventy one, sign me up, take subway in from Queen's go to the after office, fellow walks in. You know, we're a bunch of students sitting around, you know, young, young and older people sitting after members who want to learn about voiceovers. Guy walks in holding a woolensack reel to reel tape recorder and a stack of papers, puts it down on on the desk and he says, Hi, welcome to the class. My name is Dan Ingram. Oh my god, Dan Ingram is the teacher. Holy. You know, it's like pinch me, pinch me, pinch me. And years later, when I find myself recording alongside Dan because we're both doing the Macy's account. He's doing the traditional Macy's and then I'm following in the studio with the young hipkoo jeans Macy's, you know, I get a chance to talk to him. So every fantasy good. And you know something it hasn't as everyone listening will know, no matter what their career, they were highs, they were lows. And luckily for me, I'm still doing this thing seven days a week, and I find it hard to believe.

No, Because remember, I'm growing up in the heyday of Top forty radio, specifically in New York, and I am as a teen and preteen tuned in to WABC, WINS WMCA, and very early on there's a station that would go out of business called WMGM, And like every good teenager in those days, I am constantly and I'm literally holding this up because you can see I still believe in transistor radios. This is but I am, you know, I am with my radio, the traditional under the pillow at night, and I'm loving the DJs. The DJs are my friends, and in my head I am mimicking I guess the way they're talking and showing records. I don't know anything about hitting a post. I don't know anything about talking up, but I do know that there are certain people on the ear that are reaching me. They are one on one. You know, some are just showman Murray the Kay in all his shtick, was a brilliant showman. The legendary Scott Muni of course, the DJ's DJ who I in one of the ultimate pinch myself moments. Not that many years later I'm in his office interviewing for my first job. Also, can't believe that you know cousin Brucy, who years later I would work near at Sirius, and so many of those people, you know, the Dan Daniels of the world, and and b Mitchell Reid, and especially a fellow named Bob Lewis. Bob Lewis was a really good dis jockey, Bob Bloo. And he also had, as did Ingram agree voiceover career. Now, I didn't know much about voiceovers, but I knew once I did get into radio, that that was a field that I wanted to pursue. And again side note here, I'd get to join after. I mean, my god, after you join after, because you have to join after when you get on anyw it's New York. And in nineteen seventy one, September of seventy one, I have a lot of time on my hands because by that time I've just filled in all summer and I'm only doing one overnight show a week. And after offers a course in voiceovers nineteen seventy one, sign me up, take subway in from Queen's go to the after office, fellow walks in. You know, we're a bunch of students sitting around, you know, young, young and older people sitting after members who want to learn about voiceovers. Guy walks in holding a woolensack reel to reel tape recorder and a stack of papers, puts it down on on the desk and he says, Hi, welcome to the class. My name is Dan Ingram. Oh my god, Dan Ingram is the teacher. Holy. You know, it's like pinch me, pinch me, pinch me. And years later, when I find myself recording alongside Dan because we're both doing the Macy's account. He's doing the traditional Macy's and then I'm following in the studio with the young hipkoo jeans Macy's, you know, I get a chance to talk to him. So every fantasy good. And you know something it hasn't as everyone listening will know, no matter what their career, they were highs, they were lows. And luckily for me, I'm still doing this thing seven days a week, and I find it hard to believe.

So who were influential mentors?

So who were influential mentors?

Evs?

Evs?

You were you know prior to any w.

You were you know prior to any w.

You know in the business, and developing your persona.

You know in the business, and developing your persona.

Well, I think I was. I think I was absorbing them all. In other words, I don't think I consciously thought I can be as funny as Dan Ingram, or I can have as deep a voice as Scott Muni, or I can be as goofy as Murray the Kay you know. And although Murray is the fifth Beatle you know to this day, it's still you can make fun as you would. But he figured out a way to get into that Plaza hotel. Thank you, Ronnie Spector. But the guy who really taught me the business is Scott. You know. I'm hired by Scott Muni first to be a fill in guy, and then six months later to be his music director. And when I say I don't know what a music director does, I honestly don't know what a music director does. I don't know what that means. And at anyw it was a little special, more special because we had so many records coming in and you really had a chance to add a lot of music so you could be more influential. Jocks didn't have to play what you suggested, but you could get the record into the studio. And the other thing I only learned as it was unfolding, was I'm the liaison. I'm the liaison between the radio station and the record guys and ladies, though there weren't that many ladies, And I'm the buffer between Scott and everybody else because you have to go through me. Again, not something that I would realize, and you know, I totally respect Scott going in and then I watched the way that Scott deals with things. He could be tough. You know, if if PLJ or Q one O four, that wasn't Q one O four in those days, it was QIV. If they got an exclusive on a record Bowie record now comes to mind, probably like Diamond Dogs or something that old, and it got heard first on POJ or in this case QIV. He said, not jokingly, box up all the RCA records in the studio, were sending them back to RCA. And I don't think he was bluffing, you know, I think he would do that because to him it was personal. He had relationships with all the execs, many of whom he had known prior. He had relationships with some of the rock stars, the managers for sure, So there was that part of the business, you know, the tough what you have to do. And then also to Scott's credit, he was a very fair guy. You know. I remember as a young guy. You know, there are certain people who when there's a publicity photo about to be taken, they push you aside because they just want me in that rock star. And Scott would always say, Den, Den, come here. You know, which is how And I'm pointing to my wall over there, you know, that's how I'm standing with Ian Anderson, you know, Jethro Tull and Scott Muni, because Scott would have said come here, you know, so knowing how to treat people, that's important.

Well, I think I was. I think I was absorbing them all. In other words, I don't think I consciously thought I can be as funny as Dan Ingram, or I can have as deep a voice as Scott Muni, or I can be as goofy as Murray the Kay you know. And although Murray is the fifth Beatle you know to this day, it's still you can make fun as you would. But he figured out a way to get into that Plaza hotel. Thank you, Ronnie Spector. But the guy who really taught me the business is Scott. You know. I'm hired by Scott Muni first to be a fill in guy, and then six months later to be his music director. And when I say I don't know what a music director does, I honestly don't know what a music director does. I don't know what that means. And at anyw it was a little special, more special because we had so many records coming in and you really had a chance to add a lot of music so you could be more influential. Jocks didn't have to play what you suggested, but you could get the record into the studio. And the other thing I only learned as it was unfolding, was I'm the liaison. I'm the liaison between the radio station and the record guys and ladies, though there weren't that many ladies, And I'm the buffer between Scott and everybody else because you have to go through me. Again, not something that I would realize, and you know, I totally respect Scott going in and then I watched the way that Scott deals with things. He could be tough. You know, if if PLJ or Q one O four, that wasn't Q one O four in those days, it was QIV. If they got an exclusive on a record Bowie record now comes to mind, probably like Diamond Dogs or something that old, and it got heard first on POJ or in this case QIV. He said, not jokingly, box up all the RCA records in the studio, were sending them back to RCA. And I don't think he was bluffing, you know, I think he would do that because to him it was personal. He had relationships with all the execs, many of whom he had known prior. He had relationships with some of the rock stars, the managers for sure, So there was that part of the business, you know, the tough what you have to do. And then also to Scott's credit, he was a very fair guy. You know. I remember as a young guy. You know, there are certain people who when there's a publicity photo about to be taken, they push you aside because they just want me in that rock star. And Scott would always say, Den, Den, come here. You know, which is how And I'm pointing to my wall over there, you know, that's how I'm standing with Ian Anderson, you know, Jethro Tull and Scott Muni, because Scott would have said come here, you know, so knowing how to treat people, that's important.

You know.

You know.

My parents were good at that too, certainly. I mean I think I was raised very very well to respect people and do unto others as that you would do unto you. But watching Scott operate, just steeping in and and so I think I got to take when when I jokingly say Scott was the professor, because he later would use that term on the air. He was the guy I was watching him subconsciously or consciously, you know, until finally I became a full timer. But still he was our leader, you know, he was. He wasn't one hundred percent the perfect guy, as his kids will tell you. But he was great at what he did and you treated people fairly. And he was a great disc jockey, you know, and you know, those of us that worked with him loved him.

My parents were good at that too, certainly. I mean I think I was raised very very well to respect people and do unto others as that you would do unto you. But watching Scott operate, just steeping in and and so I think I got to take when when I jokingly say Scott was the professor, because he later would use that term on the air. He was the guy I was watching him subconsciously or consciously, you know, until finally I became a full timer. But still he was our leader, you know, he was. He wasn't one hundred percent the perfect guy, as his kids will tell you. But he was great at what he did and you treated people fairly. And he was a great disc jockey, you know, and you know, those of us that worked with him loved him.

He was fun to be around. He was, you know, a larger than life, like to laugh for sure.

He was fun to be around. He was, you know, a larger than life, like to laugh for sure.

And look, I only knew him as a part timer on the weekend, so I wouldn't see him, you know, during the week and all of that. But you know, certainly treated me like gold as a part timer. You know, that's that's not what you always can have guaranteed, you know.

And look, I only knew him as a part timer on the weekend, so I wouldn't see him, you know, during the week and all of that. But you know, certainly treated me like gold as a part timer. You know, that's that's not what you always can have guaranteed, you know.

Yeah, yeah, I mean I would go on, just as we all have to work with a lot of people who were not necessarily that nice. I mean, we all have worked for people, you know, it's just human name. But you know, he set the standard.

Yeah, yeah, I mean I would go on, just as we all have to work with a lot of people who were not necessarily that nice. I mean, we all have worked for people, you know, it's just human name. But you know, he set the standard.

We'll be right back with more of the Taken a Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.

We'll be right back with more of the Taken a Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.

What was the first interview that you ever did with a musician?

What was the first interview that you ever did with a musician?

You know, I'm trying to think I know early on, of all people, I did something with David Gates. Oh, the first person. This is a good story. Richie Havens in college radio. This is a lovely story. College Radio Queen's College nineteen sixty eight WQMC, a radio college radio station that I helped to found, you know, because we didn't have a radio station and the university was less than generous in wanting it to exist. The communications department wasn't helpful. So it was a group of twenty five men and women, young men and women who basically said, hey, let's start a radio station, like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, let's make a movie. But sixty six, sixty seven, sixty eight was a good time in college radio because record companies were beginning to get the idea that college radio might mean something, you know, and this is in the day when college radio is just college radio. Plus it's the beginning of FM. So record companies don't really know, and the smart record companies aren't nice to the people at college radio. I was program director. I knew how to write a letter, to make a phone call, so I ingratiated myself with the right people. And Richie Havens was a huge, huge FM artist in those days. The Mixed Bag album, and to this day, I don't know how I did it, but I convinced I think it was Albert Grossman's office. I can't quite recall hundred percent that I should have an interview with Richie Havens Now WQMC reached the cafeteria and the student latch. Anyone who says to me, I grew up hearing you on Queen's College radio, Okay, thank you. But somehow I talked myself into the building, the office over on Lexington wherever it was, and my friend Hollie and I schlept again Wollensack a Wollensack requarter on the subway from Queens and Richie could not have been more gracious. You know, I'm really a kid. I mean, I'm really, really really a kid now because I'm a believer in saving things. I never lost that tape, okay, I always had that tape, just as I always had the audition tape that Scott Muni sent back to me initially and said sorry, but you know, try again some other time. I gave him back that tape one day. So I kept that tape with Richie, and years later a friend helped me, you know, bring it up audio wise. And then once I joined ANIW and then later at WFUV, especially right I interviewed Richie a whole bunch of times, you know, because he was part and parcel first of the early days of anyw and as long as he was alive and I was at FUV, he was very important to FUV. And anyone who's had the pleasure of meeting Richie knows that you're in his presence. It's like he's just I once said at the beginning of an interview, when Richie starts strumming his guitar, you just feel like the world is a better place at that moment because Richie is here. He's a very calming guy. So years later I get hired. I was very involved with the building of the museum that sits on the site of the original Woodstock Festival, which, as most of the listeners and viewers will know, is not in the town of Woodstock. That's a whole other story, but it's in Bethel, New York. Wyatt was still called the Woodstock Festival, doesn't matter. And years ago, ten, twelve or fifteen years ago, they built a performance space. It's the Bethel Wood Center for the Performing Arts. Beautiful place. I highly recommend it. And they also built a museum which i'm the voiceover, like the voice of rock history and a lot of the exhibits right next to it. Anyway, I'm hired to MC the opening event, and at the opening event will be Woodstock veterans John Sebastian, Richie Havens and some other performers. So again I get to be backstage. Richie we've met many times, and I brought the tabe along that day and I said I want to show you something and he's like wow. And then I'm not sure even how this happened. Years later, when Richie passed away, I got a phone call from his wife manager. I don't really know one hundred percent if it was his wife and his manager, I'm not sure what her role was. And she goes, we want to sprinkle Richie's ashes over the Woodstock field on the upcoming anniversary of Woodstock. August fifteenth, always a special day. Would you m see the event again? I have no idea how that happened. It was an incredible day. You know, everybody from Jose Feliciano to famous actors, all of whom were friends of Richie. But anyway, so to answer your question, it's really Richie Havens, though it's not on a radio station that anyone has actually heard it. But I think it's something I knew how to do. I just think it's something that I knew how to do. And he listened early on to people like Tom Snyder on on The Tomorrow Show, who was a great interviewer. I mean, say what you will about Tom, people you know, making jokes, Dan Ackroyd and on. So that's a long, long, long story.

You know, I'm trying to think I know early on, of all people, I did something with David Gates. Oh, the first person. This is a good story. Richie Havens in college radio. This is a lovely story. College Radio Queen's College nineteen sixty eight WQMC, a radio college radio station that I helped to found, you know, because we didn't have a radio station and the university was less than generous in wanting it to exist. The communications department wasn't helpful. So it was a group of twenty five men and women, young men and women who basically said, hey, let's start a radio station, like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, let's make a movie. But sixty six, sixty seven, sixty eight was a good time in college radio because record companies were beginning to get the idea that college radio might mean something, you know, and this is in the day when college radio is just college radio. Plus it's the beginning of FM. So record companies don't really know, and the smart record companies aren't nice to the people at college radio. I was program director. I knew how to write a letter, to make a phone call, so I ingratiated myself with the right people. And Richie Havens was a huge, huge FM artist in those days. The Mixed Bag album, and to this day, I don't know how I did it, but I convinced I think it was Albert Grossman's office. I can't quite recall hundred percent that I should have an interview with Richie Havens Now WQMC reached the cafeteria and the student latch. Anyone who says to me, I grew up hearing you on Queen's College radio, Okay, thank you. But somehow I talked myself into the building, the office over on Lexington wherever it was, and my friend Hollie and I schlept again Wollensack a Wollensack requarter on the subway from Queens and Richie could not have been more gracious. You know, I'm really a kid. I mean, I'm really, really really a kid now because I'm a believer in saving things. I never lost that tape, okay, I always had that tape, just as I always had the audition tape that Scott Muni sent back to me initially and said sorry, but you know, try again some other time. I gave him back that tape one day. So I kept that tape with Richie, and years later a friend helped me, you know, bring it up audio wise. And then once I joined ANIW and then later at WFUV, especially right I interviewed Richie a whole bunch of times, you know, because he was part and parcel first of the early days of anyw and as long as he was alive and I was at FUV, he was very important to FUV. And anyone who's had the pleasure of meeting Richie knows that you're in his presence. It's like he's just I once said at the beginning of an interview, when Richie starts strumming his guitar, you just feel like the world is a better place at that moment because Richie is here. He's a very calming guy. So years later I get hired. I was very involved with the building of the museum that sits on the site of the original Woodstock Festival, which, as most of the listeners and viewers will know, is not in the town of Woodstock. That's a whole other story, but it's in Bethel, New York. Wyatt was still called the Woodstock Festival, doesn't matter. And years ago, ten, twelve or fifteen years ago, they built a performance space. It's the Bethel Wood Center for the Performing Arts. Beautiful place. I highly recommend it. And they also built a museum which i'm the voiceover, like the voice of rock history and a lot of the exhibits right next to it. Anyway, I'm hired to MC the opening event, and at the opening event will be Woodstock veterans John Sebastian, Richie Havens and some other performers. So again I get to be backstage. Richie we've met many times, and I brought the tabe along that day and I said I want to show you something and he's like wow. And then I'm not sure even how this happened. Years later, when Richie passed away, I got a phone call from his wife manager. I don't really know one hundred percent if it was his wife and his manager, I'm not sure what her role was. And she goes, we want to sprinkle Richie's ashes over the Woodstock field on the upcoming anniversary of Woodstock. August fifteenth, always a special day. Would you m see the event again? I have no idea how that happened. It was an incredible day. You know, everybody from Jose Feliciano to famous actors, all of whom were friends of Richie. But anyway, so to answer your question, it's really Richie Havens, though it's not on a radio station that anyone has actually heard it. But I think it's something I knew how to do. I just think it's something that I knew how to do. And he listened early on to people like Tom Snyder on on The Tomorrow Show, who was a great interviewer. I mean, say what you will about Tom, people you know, making jokes, Dan Ackroyd and on. So that's a long, long, long story.

So after that John Lennon interview, you had to top yourself somehow.

So after that John Lennon interview, you had to top yourself somehow.

How could you top that?

How could you top that?

Well, ironically, I don't know that this top back, because nothing will top that ironically less than three months later Thanksgiving. The interview was done in September of nineteen seventy four. Thanksgiving nineteen seventy four, Elton's in town and again Elton had been a frequent visitor to the radio station. He loved hanging. He developed a great relationship with Scott. He loved being outrageous EJ the DJ. So Scott's off, I'm the designated fill in guy, fill in for everybody, but certainly Scott Show. When he's off. It's the day after Thanksgiving nineteen seventy four, Friday afternoon, Scott has the afternoon off. Scott had a tradition called Things from England. Did it every Friday at four love getting new releases, love love love getting imports before anybody else had them Things from England, or as we like to say, things from England, that was a mainstay. Elton was in town, and so Elton had been pre invited. Do you want to come up on Friday and present things from England? Now this is Friday after he's performed Thursday, but he has agreed, and we're in a pre internet age. The fact that John lenn In less than twenty four hours prior, had been on stage with him right the last time that John would perform a surprise to everyone. The world wasn't aware of that in the way the world would be now now there would be Instagram's, blog clips, photos, everything. But nineteen seventy four, I don't know if any of the New York papers covered it. I know none of the New York TV stations covered it because there's no film. There's no existing film, and radio wouldn't have necessarily. It happened Thursday night at ten thirty or eleven o'clock. But I knew about it, as any of the smart people would have, and so When Elton comes in, I get to say to him, so you had a special guest last night. That's all I have to say, and he describes the whole how it happened, you know, So suddenly I have another piece of history. I never planned on that at all. And that's only a small part of the interview because Elton following our discussion of John and what it was like, clips of which have been used in various films through the years, just as they have of the Lenin piece. The rest of the show is just Elton talking about the new music from England. But through the years, I've been very lucky. I have a website, Dennis Elsis dot com and an archives page and there's a really lovely list of you know, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey and Ronnie Wood and even a piece with Mick Jagger. I actually hired Mick Jagger to do a commercial for Peter Tosh and you hear because I was doing a lot of record spots and Atlantic Records said for Rolling Stone Records, we've signed Peter Tosh, we need a commercial and I realize, well, I'm not going to voice it, and you need the right voice and I jokingly say, maybe Mick wants to voice it, and suddenly I'm sitting in seventy five Rockefeller Plaza and so there's an audio. There's a piece of audio tape on the website of me coaching him what to say, you know now, and you can tell he's like, no, that's enough anyway. But Dennis Elsis dot com if you want to see all the other interviews that I'm proud of.

Well, ironically, I don't know that this top back, because nothing will top that ironically less than three months later Thanksgiving. The interview was done in September of nineteen seventy four. Thanksgiving nineteen seventy four, Elton's in town and again Elton had been a frequent visitor to the radio station. He loved hanging. He developed a great relationship with Scott. He loved being outrageous EJ the DJ. So Scott's off, I'm the designated fill in guy, fill in for everybody, but certainly Scott Show. When he's off. It's the day after Thanksgiving nineteen seventy four, Friday afternoon, Scott has the afternoon off. Scott had a tradition called Things from England. Did it every Friday at four love getting new releases, love love love getting imports before anybody else had them Things from England, or as we like to say, things from England, that was a mainstay. Elton was in town, and so Elton had been pre invited. Do you want to come up on Friday and present things from England? Now this is Friday after he's performed Thursday, but he has agreed, and we're in a pre internet age. The fact that John lenn In less than twenty four hours prior, had been on stage with him right the last time that John would perform a surprise to everyone. The world wasn't aware of that in the way the world would be now now there would be Instagram's, blog clips, photos, everything. But nineteen seventy four, I don't know if any of the New York papers covered it. I know none of the New York TV stations covered it because there's no film. There's no existing film, and radio wouldn't have necessarily. It happened Thursday night at ten thirty or eleven o'clock. But I knew about it, as any of the smart people would have, and so When Elton comes in, I get to say to him, so you had a special guest last night. That's all I have to say, and he describes the whole how it happened, you know, So suddenly I have another piece of history. I never planned on that at all. And that's only a small part of the interview because Elton following our discussion of John and what it was like, clips of which have been used in various films through the years, just as they have of the Lenin piece. The rest of the show is just Elton talking about the new music from England. But through the years, I've been very lucky. I have a website, Dennis Elsis dot com and an archives page and there's a really lovely list of you know, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey and Ronnie Wood and even a piece with Mick Jagger. I actually hired Mick Jagger to do a commercial for Peter Tosh and you hear because I was doing a lot of record spots and Atlantic Records said for Rolling Stone Records, we've signed Peter Tosh, we need a commercial and I realize, well, I'm not going to voice it, and you need the right voice and I jokingly say, maybe Mick wants to voice it, and suddenly I'm sitting in seventy five Rockefeller Plaza and so there's an audio. There's a piece of audio tape on the website of me coaching him what to say, you know now, and you can tell he's like, no, that's enough anyway. But Dennis Elsis dot com if you want to see all the other interviews that I'm proud of.

Every moment I cracked the mic while I worked with you at WNEWFM, I was nervous, but a good way nervous, that adrenaline nerves. I can say every moment it brought me that. Did you experience that yourself as well when you were on the air there, or do you still experience that to this day?

Every moment I cracked the mic while I worked with you at WNEWFM, I was nervous, but a good way nervous, that adrenaline nerves. I can say every moment it brought me that. Did you experience that yourself as well when you were on the air there, or do you still experience that to this day?

Well, you know again, I have a tape of myself that first night, and I obviously sound like anybody would on their first overnight. You know, I'm still aware of that the mic is about to open, But luckily for me having worked in progressive FM, then having worked in AORFM and it's clearly a different presentation. And then surprisingly to me winding up in public radio on WFUV, which is a wholly different thing and then getting into serious They all are the same, but they're all different. And so if there's any advantage to getting older in this job is I think you get more relaxed. I mean, I think I still am anxious if I have something special, right, if I have an interview coming up, I'm going to be over prepared because that's just my nature, or if I'm going to be doing something special. But again, any of our radio friends know it's a crazy world. You are sitting generally in a dark room most of the time with no windows, and whether it's you know, the high tech of the twenty first century or the old board of the twentieth century, you're talking to yourself.

Well, you know again, I have a tape of myself that first night, and I obviously sound like anybody would on their first overnight. You know, I'm still aware of that the mic is about to open, But luckily for me having worked in progressive FM, then having worked in AORFM and it's clearly a different presentation. And then surprisingly to me winding up in public radio on WFUV, which is a wholly different thing and then getting into serious They all are the same, but they're all different. And so if there's any advantage to getting older in this job is I think you get more relaxed. I mean, I think I still am anxious if I have something special, right, if I have an interview coming up, I'm going to be over prepared because that's just my nature, or if I'm going to be doing something special. But again, any of our radio friends know it's a crazy world. You are sitting generally in a dark room most of the time with no windows, and whether it's you know, the high tech of the twenty first century or the old board of the twentieth century, you're talking to yourself.

You know.

You know.

I have always had in my head, without thinking about it, almost like an imaginary think of the tic Tac toe board or Hollywood squares, and there's somebody different sitting in each square. There's somebody driving their car, there's somebody making dinner, there's somebody in an office. These days, there's somebody walking around, not with the transistor radio, but with their phone. So I'm always aware that I'm on the radio. But the more that I do it, the more that I've done it, and the opportunity to have done it in similar but different formats has helped me to become you know, I think what you hear is what you get for the most part.

I have always had in my head, without thinking about it, almost like an imaginary think of the tic Tac toe board or Hollywood squares, and there's somebody different sitting in each square. There's somebody driving their car, there's somebody making dinner, there's somebody in an office. These days, there's somebody walking around, not with the transistor radio, but with their phone. So I'm always aware that I'm on the radio. But the more that I do it, the more that I've done it, and the opportunity to have done it in similar but different formats has helped me to become you know, I think what you hear is what you get for the most part.

These days, I'm going to break is this what you call it the third wall or whatever, So I'm going to speak.

These days, I'm going to break is this what you call it the third wall or whatever, So I'm going to speak.

I'm going to speak directly to everybody and not to you. Dennis makes this look very easy. It's not easy.

I'm going to speak directly to everybody and not to you. Dennis makes this look very easy. It's not easy.

No, you always that was, you know, as somebody who listened to you growing up in Stanford, Connecticut and then worked with you. It's like, man, this guy, he makes it look like just so easy, you know, and it's not.

No, you always that was, you know, as somebody who listened to you growing up in Stanford, Connecticut and then worked with you. It's like, man, this guy, he makes it look like just so easy, you know, and it's not.

No.

No.

You know, there's there's there's everything that goes with any job right there. There are the days when you feel great. There are the days when you are disappointed in yourself. I could have done that better. There are days when you're anxious, maybe about getting called out by whoever it is you're working for. You know, those those things happen. We've all been there. But you know Elton saying I'm still standing, and you know it's especially at anyw it's hard. I was there a long time, about twenty seven years, through a lot of different management changes and a lot of different owners, you know, and when you start, you're a young kid, and the future is you're just going up, up, up up up. You know, you're you're on the outside. Then you're music director, then you're the weekend guy. Then you're working six to ten every night, and it's like, oh, then suddenly you're the weekend guy again because people decided to change stuff around. And then so you know, you don't know it at the time, but you're going to be riding that roller coaster up and down. And if you're lucky enough, you have a good support system. In my case, I have a wonderful family, terrific wife, terrific kids, and it's pretty much kept me grounded. Plus there's some luck involved, you know, bouncing from place to place and landing on my feet. I never imagined that my twentieth century life would be commercial radio literally nineteen seventy one to nineteen ninety eight, and my twenty first century life would be public radio and satellite two thousand and two. Today. That's you know, thank goodness all that stuff exists because it's allowed me to keep working.

You know, there's there's there's everything that goes with any job right there. There are the days when you feel great. There are the days when you are disappointed in yourself. I could have done that better. There are days when you're anxious, maybe about getting called out by whoever it is you're working for. You know, those those things happen. We've all been there. But you know Elton saying I'm still standing, and you know it's especially at anyw it's hard. I was there a long time, about twenty seven years, through a lot of different management changes and a lot of different owners, you know, and when you start, you're a young kid, and the future is you're just going up, up, up up up. You know, you're you're on the outside. Then you're music director, then you're the weekend guy. Then you're working six to ten every night, and it's like, oh, then suddenly you're the weekend guy again because people decided to change stuff around. And then so you know, you don't know it at the time, but you're going to be riding that roller coaster up and down. And if you're lucky enough, you have a good support system. In my case, I have a wonderful family, terrific wife, terrific kids, and it's pretty much kept me grounded. Plus there's some luck involved, you know, bouncing from place to place and landing on my feet. I never imagined that my twentieth century life would be commercial radio literally nineteen seventy one to nineteen ninety eight, and my twenty first century life would be public radio and satellite two thousand and two. Today. That's you know, thank goodness all that stuff exists because it's allowed me to keep working.

You started calling me killer.

You started calling me killer.

Yes, Bob killer Kosak I don't know if I ever told you this, but my mother and father, but my mother in particular used to listen in Stanford, Connecticut, of course, and she would, you know, listen to me on any W. And I remember she said to me, I don't like killer. You're not a killer.

Yes, Bob killer Kosak I don't know if I ever told you this, but my mother and father, but my mother in particular used to listen in Stanford, Connecticut, of course, and she would, you know, listen to me on any W. And I remember she said to me, I don't like killer. You're not a killer.

I said, ma, I don't worry about it.

I said, ma, I don't worry about it.

Well to be explained. So we get this new kid in Bob Kosack. I don't know that he's buzz Night. You know he's he's buzz Night in an alternate world. Right, You've been buzz Night on the radio for as long as you have been on the radio, at least not on any W because you couldn't do that. You were in a reasonably close market in Connecticut, just up the road, right, classic.

Well to be explained. So we get this new kid in Bob Kosack. I don't know that he's buzz Night. You know he's he's buzz Night in an alternate world. Right, You've been buzz Night on the radio for as long as you have been on the radio, at least not on any W because you couldn't do that. You were in a reasonably close market in Connecticut, just up the road, right, classic.

Rock yeah, rock yeah.

Rock yeah, rock yeah.

And you've and you've always been buzz Night. But you made the choice wisely. So I'll be Bob Kosack because that's really what the radio station was. It wasn't it didn't have quote unquote goofy names. You know, No, we had enough goofy.

And you've and you've always been buzz Night. But you made the choice wisely. So I'll be Bob Kosack because that's really what the radio station was. It wasn't it didn't have quote unquote goofy names. You know, No, we had enough goofy.

I asked Charlie Kendall, of the program director, I said, what name should I use? And he said, well, how about your real name? Your mother was okay with it.

I asked Charlie Kendall, of the program director, I said, what name should I use? And he said, well, how about your real name? Your mother was okay with it.

Yeah, that's like when I got hired by Scott Muni. He said, well what name do you use? And I thought to myself, well, you have a guy named Jonathan Schwartz and Pete Forourna Tell working here, two of the most at the time unlikely radio names right in the late sixties, early seventies. So anyway, so Bob is Bob Kosack why, I don't know. You know, growing up wrestling fan pro wrestling, all the goofy stuff, and there was a wrestler named Killer Kowalski. Okay, so I guess just you know, free association, and it was Bob Killer Kossack and it just became a person. Really was a joke between you and I. I don't know, I never explained it to the audience, and I don't know that anybody really got the Killer Kowalski thing, so you know, and then of course I would refer to your wife as missus Killer, you know, silly things like that. Oh I loved it, but yeah, I loved it.

Yeah, that's like when I got hired by Scott Muni. He said, well what name do you use? And I thought to myself, well, you have a guy named Jonathan Schwartz and Pete Forourna Tell working here, two of the most at the time unlikely radio names right in the late sixties, early seventies. So anyway, so Bob is Bob Kosack why, I don't know. You know, growing up wrestling fan pro wrestling, all the goofy stuff, and there was a wrestler named Killer Kowalski. Okay, so I guess just you know, free association, and it was Bob Killer Kossack and it just became a person. Really was a joke between you and I. I don't know, I never explained it to the audience, and I don't know that anybody really got the Killer Kowalski thing, so you know, and then of course I would refer to your wife as missus Killer, you know, silly things like that. Oh I loved it, but yeah, I loved it.

Now.

Now.

So in closing, you must have some people on your interview hit list to this day, and who would they be?

So in closing, you must have some people on your interview hit list to this day, and who would they be?

Well, you know, I've chatted with Paul McCartney, but briefly, okay, And I never had the opportunity to talk to George Harrison.

Well, you know, I've chatted with Paul McCartney, but briefly, okay, And I never had the opportunity to talk to George Harrison.

Oh.

Oh.

I've talked to Ringo a whole bunch of times, and he is what you see is what you get. Man. It's nice to have that guy be that guy. I mean, he's he's great, He's great with with people, so that's kind of exciting. I probably would be intimidated even attempting to talk to Bob Dylan, just because you know, they're they're I was in a room with other an ew DJ's backstage at Nasau Coliseum. We were invited out to meet Bob. He wanted to see us, or the record company wanted him to see us because they wanted to generate some more airplay in the early eighties for a Dylan album or the late seventies. And that was kind of intimidating because you have this room of jocks literally sitting in backstage in a circle in a dressing room, and Bob's sitting there. You could tell how uncomfortable he was. And Alison Steel breaks the ice by saying, nice boots, Bob, you know, and that's but you know, I got to interview Graham Nash, who is terrific, and David Crosby, who you could see could be difficult but wasn't. And boy, I'd love to have talked to Neil Young, but again that's going to be a tough interview, you know. I spoke with Neil briefly, briefly backstage Jeff Lynn. I'm really curious I've gotten this close to talking to him, but I've always wondered, you know, what else is going on there? And then I've been so fortunate being at FUV because I've got to I've got to meet all these younger artists that I never would have never would have crossed my classic rock brain. And I wish I could think now of some of the men and women that I've had the good pleasure of talking to, but that has expanded my vocabulary quite a bit, so I don't really have a gee I wish I could talk to him, or I wish I could talk to her. I've interviewed. I'd love to have talked to more of the stones in Deeper, but I've had a couple of them, you know, So the classic people I'm pretty well covered in my brain. As the new ones come up, I'm curious just to know who they are. Sometimes I get to talk to them at FUV, either off mic or actually sit down and have the interview.

I've talked to Ringo a whole bunch of times, and he is what you see is what you get. Man. It's nice to have that guy be that guy. I mean, he's he's great, He's great with with people, so that's kind of exciting. I probably would be intimidated even attempting to talk to Bob Dylan, just because you know, they're they're I was in a room with other an ew DJ's backstage at Nasau Coliseum. We were invited out to meet Bob. He wanted to see us, or the record company wanted him to see us because they wanted to generate some more airplay in the early eighties for a Dylan album or the late seventies. And that was kind of intimidating because you have this room of jocks literally sitting in backstage in a circle in a dressing room, and Bob's sitting there. You could tell how uncomfortable he was. And Alison Steel breaks the ice by saying, nice boots, Bob, you know, and that's but you know, I got to interview Graham Nash, who is terrific, and David Crosby, who you could see could be difficult but wasn't. And boy, I'd love to have talked to Neil Young, but again that's going to be a tough interview, you know. I spoke with Neil briefly, briefly backstage Jeff Lynn. I'm really curious I've gotten this close to talking to him, but I've always wondered, you know, what else is going on there? And then I've been so fortunate being at FUV because I've got to I've got to meet all these younger artists that I never would have never would have crossed my classic rock brain. And I wish I could think now of some of the men and women that I've had the good pleasure of talking to, but that has expanded my vocabulary quite a bit, so I don't really have a gee I wish I could talk to him, or I wish I could talk to her. I've interviewed. I'd love to have talked to more of the stones in Deeper, but I've had a couple of them, you know, So the classic people I'm pretty well covered in my brain. As the new ones come up, I'm curious just to know who they are. Sometimes I get to talk to them at FUV, either off mic or actually sit down and have the interview.

Dennis a Radio Hall of Fame career.

Dennis a Radio Hall of Fame career.

Hint, hint.

Hint, hint.

Thank you for being so tremendous to me, being this jittery young man coming into this iconic radio station. You've treated me with respect and such dignity and friendship. I can't thank you enough, and it's so great to have you on Taking a Walk.

Thank you for being so tremendous to me, being this jittery young man coming into this iconic radio station. You've treated me with respect and such dignity and friendship. I can't thank you enough, and it's so great to have you on Taking a Walk.

Hey Bob, It's like I always say, rock and Roller never forgets, and that has to do not with old music, but that has to do with relationships along the way.

Hey Bob, It's like I always say, rock and Roller never forgets, and that has to do not with old music, but that has to do with relationships along the way.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.