Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Scot Turner: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1472

Episode Date: April 17, 2024

In this 1472nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Scot Turner about his recent retirement, the upcoming CFNY documentary, cycling, podcasting, and the passing of his mom and his former colleague at CFNY Jim Reid (JR). Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes, We Are Open podcast from Moneris, The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Team and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1472 of Toronto Miked! Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta! Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma pasta in Mississauga and Oakville The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team the best baseball in the city outside the dome

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Meneris podcast hosted by FOTML Grego and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, returning to Toronto Mike for his exit interview is Scott Turner. Exit interview. I like that. Scott Turner, I'm just looking at you right now. You're getting younger I told you I think you're a young looking guy. I don't it would you disclose your age or is that a top? Yeah, 64 just turned 64 just like the songs just like the Beatles song that way and you just got your haircut Yeah, yesterday night. Yeah FOTM Andy the barber I was doing an experiment. So you've got the longer hair

I didn't like I just wanted to grow it for a few months and see what happens and it turns out what happens is it's a lot like It's very thick and you got this great thick hair. It's really my next life I'm coming back with thick hair because I got that receding hairline thing, right? Even though I have some long hair, you know, it's the receding hairline thing, you know But it's better than losing it all like you you're holding onto the, well, you know, who it's Hulk Hogan style. Like you're don't look like Hulk, but he did the, the hair was long, but it was high forehead. But you look much better than Hulk Hogan. I don't want it. But Scott, what I'm saying is you're too young to

retire. Okay. So here's what we're going to do. All right. I'm going to let the listeners know about previous Scott Turner episodes, cause this is your fifth visit. See how funny I was gonna ask that because I just watched Saturday Night Live the other weekend. It was uh who was it there was the you know getting the five Was it Ryan Gosling? No. Yeah yeah well he was he was on it the previous week then he was on last week anyway but they they get these jackets when they've hosted an X number of times. So this is quite funny. If I had a jacket yeah that's the

tradition I remember when I think was Tom Hanks got it. And then, yeah, you have, we, we other members of the five timer club and they're there for the jacket presentation. It's pretty special, but your first visit, this was a significant episode for me because I didn't know what I was doing at first. And it took me several dozen episodes to figure out what Toronto mic'd was, but I had figured it out by the time we hit the triple digits and I knew I wanted you to be my guest for episode 102.

Yeah, it was an honor, sir. Thank you. Well, you know who wanted that, right? Uh, Strongbow wanted 102 and he ended up with 103 because I said to Strongbow, I said, you might be Canada's boyfriend. I said, but I have promised 102 to Scott Turner. So you will be 103.

And then we kind of massaged it and made it 102.1 because it came after you. But you were 102 and that was December, 2014. That was almost 10 years ago. 14, wow, yeah. So we've been in each other's lives for a decade now. Yeah. That's very cool.

Here's what I wrote at the time. Mike chats with Spirit of Radio Sunday host. Yes, right, yeah. Is it coming back in some form? No. Like not with you, unfortunately, because that'd be great, but I actually think there might be a new like, oh, Spirit of Radio type program coming to CFNY on 102.1, but okay. Don't know about that. I mean there's NY the Spirit, which David Morrison's doing, of course, nythespirit.com should give that a plug,

but I'm not aware of that. It's interesting. I think I heard a rumor about that. I have to dig into that. But we also talked about your many years on CFNY and Energy 108. What's next for Spirit Radio Sunday on Edge 102? It turns out what was next was to cancel it. Yeah, that's right. It was sort of lived, I think it may be a year. It was too beautiful for this world we live in. But if I remember correctly, you told me, and maybe you'll say it again, but it had high rate,

like there were a lot of listeners. Yeah, so this is the thing, and sometimes the way you break down ratings, you can make it, you can spin it any way you want. So there's total listeners, that's everybody 12 years of age and older. That's one way they do it. But then they do for selling it, they break it down into demographics. And there's this classic demographic in radio that's still there today, that was there for many years, was the advertisers, most advertisers want 25 to 54 year olds or there's also 18 34 year

old which is good we'll get to the point in a second here. Sure. And 25. Take your time. It took you six hours to get here. Well yeah so yeah I was sorry about the traffic. So 25 54 advertisers especially the big ones you know from the McDonald's to you know Canadian Tire to you know big department stores things like that right they want 2554 because it's a period of time in people's lives where they spend a lot of money and they're not afraid to run up credit card bills and debt and that because people argue well people over 54 have lots of money yes they do but they tend not to spend it as much right smarter with their money right so they want this 2554, you're buying cars. They want dumb people with credit at their disposal. So that's a very attractive

age. And what was unfortunate about the spirit of Radio Sunday is that we were actually doing very very well with 2554. Right? Because it was a little bit of an older audience. And I was in that demo at the time and I was listening. Okay, yes. So the problem was there was not that I had a device. But the ratings for 1834, which is really the target of the station, 1834, right, those numbers were not great and there was a big argument, well what's wrong with the, you know, just having 2554 numbers on the Sunday and in the end they're going, you know what, we're really not focusing on who our audience is. Which makes sense, right? Yeah, it's like if you had a Mojo radio, right? And then there was some special show which it turned out like, oh, like all the listeners are women or whatever,

but all our advertisers are trying to get dudes. Like that was the whole point of Mojo, right? Like it's sort of like, in fact, I had this chat, the program director at The Rock in Oshawa, shout out to The Rock. I wanted to know, like, why did you cancel David Marsden's show? So the first mention of David Marsden. And it was a similar rationale,

which was that it didn't fit the rest of the week. Like the all week you sounded one way, playing monster truck or whatever. And then you have Marsden playing what he wants and doing his Mars bar thing, which is great. And you can go to nythespirit.com, of course, like you mentioned, there's gonna be a few mentions of Marsden in this episode, but same same argument which is that it's great but

wrong demo yeah now that's a good argument I would also argue against that because I believe in specialty shows and I also believe that weekends are generally speaking different for most people people's habits are a little bit different on the weekends so I think you just give it cut it a little bit of slack and I think you can be a little more adventurous on the weekends that's just mine. Okay well I'm gonna burn through the next three because I'm gonna find out why how what's going on Scott Turner retired like when Ivor Hamilton retired he came over for his accident interview now how much older is Ivor than you is

that I think we're around the same age so Ivor presents as an older guy can I say that like he's really I think only but around the same age. So I've ever presents as an older guy. Can I say that? Like he's really, I think only, but all not because I know, but not because I ever looks older, but because you look so young, like you present so young. I, my opinion, okay. You probably just biked a hundred clicks. We'll get to that later. But so I've ever, it seems like, oh, he's served his time.

It's time to enjoy retirement. And I've seen his pictures on Facebook. He is thoroughly enjoying retirement. Totally. Who is the woman? Am I allowed to ask that or is that an Ivor question? You know, it's, they have known each other for a while. I don't know a lot about the woman

and now I even forget her name, but he has known her for a while. And as I think I can probably let it out that he has recently gone back down there to see her. And so I- I've seen the photos like, and again, I'm not, again, Ivor is, he's a single guy, right? And he's recently gone back down there to see her. I've seen the photos like and again I'm not again Ivor is he's a single guy right and he's got an attractive woman I think she lives in South America and I've seen photos of them together and I'm like living precariously through

Ivor Hamilton because he seems to be living his best life in retirement. Agreed agreed and I think you know what the problem with the word I think it's just the problem with the word retirement I think it's just the problem with the word retirement. It just, first, it has, it just, it seems like an old term. We need a new term for retirement. Somebody come up with a new term, please, because it just doesn't seem to fit. And I think, you know, when you talk to Ivor, if I could speak for Ivor, he would say, well, Of course you can speak for Ivor. I'm semi-retired. So he still wants to do things just like me.

Okay, so I just don't want to do nine to five going into an office every week. Got you. Okay. So hold on to that though, because I got to tell people that you came back. I know. So that was December, 2014. And we talked about why Scott, the name Scott Turner, Scott was, uh, I guess your birth name is S C O T T. Yep. My legal name is two T's. Somebody talked you into changing it to S K O T. that? Who talked to you? That was David Marsden. David Marsden. Okay. There's a third. But then you kind of found a compromise because now you go by SCOT. So you've dropped a T but you brought back the C. Yeah, long story. It was a quick answer to this. I think we talked about it before. But this is in

the description. Yeah, I was really into astrology, things like that. Still am. I still believe in it. I think it's one of the oldest sciences and it's based on math. Put quotes around sciences. Yeah, sciences. And then, so I went to a numerologist and I got a professional reading. There are really these people that do this and it was like an hour long and there's a lot of math involved and everything. It basically said your name should have four letters not five and because you're in communication The case is not as open as the C is to communicating and I bought it all I did I just like oh, yeah, that sounds cool. Okay, cuz I want to sell you on some I have some land in Florida I want to talk to you about after this recording. I think you'd be perfect

I know and to this day I'm a little embarrassed about it about you know, like it's like Prince changing his name to the symbol thing I'm a little embarrassed about it. But you know, like it's like Prince changing his name to the symbol thing. I feel a little funny about it. But I've kept the, and one of the reasons I kept the Scott with one T is because when Twitter, formally, or Twitter, I still call it Twitter. Me too.

Twitter for me. I say Twitter X, whatever. So, you know, I was looking for a handle and if you put Scott with two T's and a Turner, it's three T's, it looks ridiculous. So that's, I love it. You see, you covered it succinctly again, like greatest hits. And then February, 2020, which was episode five 79. So we took a, we took six years off. It looks like almost five and a half years. And then we, we caught up, uh, you kicked out the jams that episode. And by the way,

the funny thing is the first time he came over, I guess it was early days. I don't think I had any sponsors and we chatted for an hour and three minutes, which at the time was a long episode. But in February, 2020, we went two hours and 21 minutes. So things change. Okay. But then you came back in August because we just did, I wanted an episode where we dove deep into the history of energy one Oh eight, because I felt like all of our convos were CF and Y centric, but you have this great energy 108 thing, history, and we played clips and it was a deep dive. If anyone has any fondness for Energy 108, you want episode 703. We dove deep into it.

And then you came back October, 2021 in the backyard because of COVID regulations. Yes, I remember that. Yes. We talked about your, I can't believe I'm going to say these words, quadruple bypass. Yes. How you feeling? Yeah, great. Thank you. Yeah. Fine. Everything. Is that what? Okay.

I think it's what it is. So I think it might be Swedish word. Yeah. So, uh, yeah, so far so good. And, um, now that I'm retired, there's, which we're going to get to an air rotations. Uh, I can get on the bike more. I am not like in this, you will talk about, right? Now that I'm retired, there's air quotations. I can get on the bike more. I am not like in this, we'll talk about that later.

But yeah. So your thank you for giving us a little health update because quadruple bypass sounds scary, but you talked about that in episode 930. We talked about at the time you had a new gig. What gig were you starting in October 2021? 2021 would have been, would that the move or? I don't know.

Was that K-Fun, which is now a bounce bell media station. You've been everywhere, man. Okay. So then we talked about some music, some concert anniversaries. You're very good at this. What year again? Was it 20? 2021. Oh, 2021. That would have been, yeah, with the Ebenhoff in in Brantford so that was. Is that your last gig? My last radio gig so there's yeah there was. We were just starting it. Light 92 and Country 93 9 two great stations. Now we did spend some time talking about a CFNY colleague of yours who had passed

away James Baby Scott yeah and sadly later in this episode we're gonna talk about another CFNY colleague of yours who has passed away. So we'll talk about that later. We talked about classic chum FM, some classic CF and why the CFY documentary, which we're going to revisit today. So that was October 2021. We were talking about the CFY documentary. We talked about cycling. We'll touch on that later. Another great appearance. And that was in the backyard. And now you're back your fifth full appearance, but I'm here to tell you the VP of sales has done a little digging and he you're back your fifth full appearance. But I'm here to tell you, the VP of sales has done a little, uh, digging.

And he says, it is your fifth solo appearance, but you actually appeared on two other episodes, you appeared at the party for Marty at the opera house. Uh, Martin streak. We, uh, remembered him and I'm wearing a shirt for Pete Fowler who helped organize that party for Marty. And you were on the mics that day. And of course the big episode, one Oh two, one, 1,021 And you were on the mics that day. And of course, the big episode 1021, 1021, you were a part of that Zoom.

Yes, the Zoom call. That was great. The Zoom call that inspired a documentary. Yes, yes. That's what we discussed. Yes, okay. All right, so now you've kind of touched on it, but this is the big moment here.

You have retired as program director of Evinoff Communications, Light 92 and Hot Country 93.9 in Brantford, Ontario, home of the great one Phil Hartman and also Wayne Gretzky. And I need to ask you why? Why did you, Scott Turner, retire from this industry that you have loved forever? Wow. Well, it just, you know, it's a feeling. It just felt like that was a time it's all in all was, you know, 45 years, I guess, and doing radio. And that's a long time doing one thing. And I, you know, I've always admired people that had moved on to a different career and

made a huge leap and change. I never did that at times. I wanted to, excuse me, but I just, you know, you, you, uh, have built up a certain career and experience. And so you're valued that way. And, and so jumping to a totally different career, which I really did want to do a couple of times was like, Oh, I got to start all over. I have to get some training. I might have to go to school and all these different things. So there's a lazy side of me, clearly.

As you get to know yourself, as you get older, I know there's a lazy Scott in there. And so I was like, ah, it's too much work. I'll keep doing radio. Even though I could see signs that your radio was heading in a direction and it was not gonna be, as robust in and- Is it a sun setting industry?

Yeah, a little bit, yes. And to be truthful about the radio industry, which has been around a long, long time, it's amazing that it's still hanging in there, use those terms hanging in there, because it is struggling against so many other media choices, right? Obviously in podcasting being a big one.

So, but- You just felt it was time. Yeah, it was time. And yeah, and I wanted to, felt it was time. Yeah, it was time. And, uh, yeah. And I wanted to, uh, having a quadruple bypass, you're very aware of, of health and thinking, you know, what, you know, even though I feel fine right now and, and, and some perspectives that, you know, 64 is young, but I also want to do a bunch of things, be active, you know, uh, you know, 70 is not that far off and I want to be able to do a bunch of things, be active. 70's not that far off,

and I wanna be able to do a bunch of things. So, there are e-bikes now, but I don't wanna ride an e-bike until I have to, right? So all those different things, and travel around the world, and being able to just be mobile, and those things in your younger years, quotations again. Yeah, I just wanna do certain things still. And those things in your younger years, quotations again, yeah, I just want to do certain things still. I think it's amazing that you can retire at 64.

I just, well, can I retire at 64? It just seems like, I guess if you enjoy what you do, you almost never retire. Like you just sort of, if you enjoy what you do, like why would you want to stop? Yeah, and I think so, I think that, you know, there was this term, somebody came up with this gig economy, the world is kind of moving for a lot of people

into having a bunch of gigs or side hustles that becomes their career, you know, and you could argue yourself. I can attest to this. I live in this universe, yes. I've been living in this universe now for six years. Yeah, and I think there's a huge amount of data showing that this is kind of a direction going.

So I think that's kind of me in the future. I think there will be some little gigs, little projects that will be income generating, but I'm not out there for that reason. So I want to do something that's just something I want to do on my time and preferably from home. I love the working from home concept and a big fan of it. Testing just driving out to see you today. So it's another reminder. I actually feel bad about that because I do like to get guests in the studio. And I prefer that too. That being said about working from home and there's a lot you can do with you know

Zoom and the other the other video channels that are out there, but it is really cool There's you still can't beat the in-person face-to-face I agree a hundred percent and that's why I'm a stickler and I'm like Scott you're gonna drive here But you could have biked here But it is a crappy Yeah, you're I don't even because you you sold the place you were living at so I don't even have like are you in Burlington? So I'm in no Paris, Ontario. Okay, that is a long way on Paris, Ontario

And I did want to give a shout out by the way, they're filming a movie there right now We're actually watching it from the shot scenes. They shot a movie once. What's the name of it? I want to give a shout out to Motorheads. It's a series on Prime coming out in spring of 2025. So they were just, Paris is this cute little old town so they've obviously made it to be like an old small town America so they put the American flags up. Anyway the series is starring Ryan Felipe who was once married to Reese Witherspoon. That's 100% correct. Yeah.

Yeah, he had a moment, but he seems to have been missing for a while. We found him now in Paris, Ontario. There he is. So I wanted to give a shout out because one of my favorite hangs in Paris, Ontario is the Paris Inn. It's not a, it used to be an inn many, many years ago, but it's a restaurant and pub and they serve on tap great lakes beer and Wow, I had one on the patio. Okay, would you like some fresh?

Great lakes beer to take back to Paris on just I can't help but looking at it right there in taking some home with you Okay, I would love to yeah. What did I have? I had the is there a pale? Yeah the Canuck. Is that it? Well, this is their biggest seller that pale ale. Yeah, that was really good. Yeah. The Canuck. Is that it? Well, this is their biggest seller. The pale ale. Yeah, that was really good. Yeah. Okay. Well, that's a new can too. They just changed the cans on that.

Okay. Cool. Yeah. You're taking some fresh craft beer with you. I will shout out great lakes quickly that they just, uh, branded a Holy Mackinac logger with Joe Bowen because they're okay. So our first round, I don't know, do you follow you big hockey fan or you just casually somewhat somewhat. Okay yep so we only learned

last night the Leafs will play the Boston Bruins oh I didn't know we know how that typically ends right what choice was there gonna be Lord I think yeah right they also spanked us last year yeah they're built for the playoffs as they say so okay so you know the realist in me thinks this will not will not be a long playoff run like this will be a five or six gamer or something, but Great Lakes is going to keep making the Holy Mackinac lager that Joe Bowen helped with as long as the Leafs playoff run last. So they're sort of like hope, obviously, like all Torontonians, many Torontonians anyways, hoping for a long run.

But it's like, this might be the shortest run of branded beer ever. Like this. So anyway, we will see. Cause, uh, you know, it's been very close with Boston in the past. Uh, there was a certain game seven. I recall we had a four one lead with 10 minutes left. This is all, uh, burned into my cranium. I remember why. Oh man. Yeah. I remember. I think Fratton, I want to say Fratton or if you see it at the post, anyway, somebody scored, it'll come back to me who it was, but I can't remember. I was living with my now wife, but we weren't married yet and I wrote right. It was just before we got married in June. Okay. Do the math here, but I remember whenever we scored to go a four

one, apparently I leapt six feet in the air. Like this is happening. I can't believe it and the rest. It was a crazy series. That series. It really was. I hope like if they got to get by the first round, that's that we did that last year. Yes. Uh, and that's the only time we can say that. And then then then we're back to square one again. It's like, can we get by the second series? Right? Right. You know what they say? You gotta to be the best. You gotta beat the best. Okay. This is what they say. I just, I heard that maybe it was Alan cross who said that. I don't know. Yeah, but later I'm gonna ask you for an update on the CFY dog, but I will just point out

that you are an executive producer on this CFY spirit of radio documentaries. You're not just a casual contributor like many a CFM personality, like you're an executive producer. Yes. So as is Ivor, we've talked about and Alan Cross is, and we have a couple of other people that know much more about making films and documentaries. You three are the CF and Y experts that are actually given proper titles on this thing.

Yeah, and I think you need that. And I think that's, you know, where our expertise comes from. You know, I have no idea how to make a documentary or make a film. And I've learned a lot, you know, watching how it's done from the sidelines. So I think that's, you've got to, here's, you know,

here's a pile of information and you help along storyline wise, but you leave it up to the rest to- Who's the director? Director is Matt, last name I forget right now. I'm good with people's first names and I forget their last name. I'll dig it up because he wrote me a lovely note. I just want to shout him out.

Shhh something. But Matt's great at- Matt Schlichter. Yes, there it is. Schichter, there's no L in there. Something like that. Schichter. But Matt Schichter wrote me a lovely note. He was on a train heading to interview Geets Romo.

And he said he was listening to Geets Romo on Toronto Mic'd. And he just wanted to say, he loved it. Great research and he just loved the conversation. Geets was in the basement because I'm kind of a stickler for that as you know. He's a Schichter, I'm a stickler, Okay. So I want to shout out Matt. I'm looking forward to seeing this CFY doc. Maybe we do the update right now since I started it. Where are we at with the CFY documentary?

So and Matt's also, you know, a fan of the station and, you know, grew up listening to the station. And so that was part of it too, as everybody involved in it was, including myself, you know, from somebody that worked there, I was also just even working there as a fan of the station. And I listened to the station years. It was a dream for me to, oh, wow, work at that station someday. So I approached this project as being a fan of the station.

And there's many, many years in the story, the early years, which is great. It's covered very well in the documentary, the crazy things that went on a lot of things behind the scenes that that people some people may not know about is covered and it's it's on schedule to be the fall we don't have a particular date yet but the plan is the fall this coming fall what about T TIFF? So that's also being discussed, so we're hoping that will be part of it too, and do some screenings in some theaters

across the country kind of thing before hopefully getting a streaming platform of some kind. One of the things just about not knowing about documentaries and films, and one of the challenges is you've got a, roughly about a 10 year, this is the spirit of radio years, roughly 1977 to 91, 92 kind of thing.

So it's a lot of time and trying to tell all of that story into an hour and a half is very, very difficult. So stuff does get cut and you do have to leave bits and pieces out. That's unfortunate, but that's the way it works, right? You got to, you have a film to make here, right? What's the target length? You think, you know, I think most documentaries,

you wanna be around an hour and a half. So I think we're looking at about an hour and 20 minutes right now. I think I can give that away. And it's pretty much done right now. But you gotta get, there's a demarcation line, right? Like where if it's under 90 minutes, people think it's like it's not full I feel like there's a you know you

know how you price things at like $2.99 instead of three dollars like there's a psychological barrier yeah I feel like you're gonna have to get that to 90 minutes I think for people to say oh there's a full film here yeah I don't know am I out to lunch there no I think that could be argued I think you know the creative process is that's the thing about these, you know, what's great about the streaming of, of, of TV shows and series is that, you know, if I was a, a, a film director and I said, you know, you gotta make a film. And it's like one piece, one story, you know, two hours or whatever it is,

is I'd rather want it. I'd I'd want to do a series because that gives you more room to tell the story in further detail. But there's also the other side. You have to look at it too, because if you go too long, it starts to be boring for some people. Maybe the hardcore people are like, I want more. I want more. Other people are like, okay, let me speak to a specific. So, you know, I'm as you can imagine, these documentaries, these nostalgic Gen X docs that are popping up here and there are right in my wheelhouse. Like I ate them up. I was literally at lowest of the low at the concert hall. I was there on Saturday night and of course, uh, Simon head is there. He's

been on Toronto Mike Simon had directed a documentary on lowest of the local subversives. Alan Cross is in this thing. So, uh, he's, you know, he's a talking head in these things. It is very good. And I got to go to the premiere at the Rivoli and it's right in my wheelhouse, but there's another documentary. I think I'm going to guess that you, Alan Iver, you're all kind of, you all watch this doc unfold and everything very closely. Cause it was kind of a template for what you guys might have to face 2 99 Queen street west. Are you familiar with this? This is a documentary about sort of basically the history of much music and the gentleman who made it, his name is Sean

Menard. He's been on Toronto Mike, but so they did. They didn't get into Tiff. I guess Tiff didn't accept it or something, but he decided to rent Roy Thompson Hall himself and he, he threw his own premiere like a privately at Roy Thompson Hall. I was there the film was well received It might I think it got it did it went well beyond the 90-minute mark I think it would have been better as a 90-minute doc and then it sort of starts to linger with big American stars near The end but I wonder are you guys kind of seeing how that? Unfolded and learning from mistakes made there because that documentary was promoted to premiere on Crave streaming service right literally promoted by crave like we have to nine and queen and this is

when the masses would see it because they did what you talked about earlier like a little tour where they did these these like private viewings and stuff and then they'd have a q a with like people from much music like Erica M and Michael Williams, et cetera, and Steve Anthony, but they never did make it to crave. Like this is the interesting story is that it got pulled from crave like literally like it's like right just before the premier because of an issue with clearing music. So Mr. Scott Turner, a couple of things, it's kind of good, I think for your doc that two 99 Queen street West went first and you could see the foibles and mistakes made along the way and ensure you don't make the same ones because Music in your CFY doc is gonna be key people are gonna want to hear how soon is now

But I don't have any clue what that cost what that entails. Can you speak to the music? Yep Okay, a couple things on that good good point I think early on you know before the much music doc early on, and this is, you know, why we have other people involved in it. The executive producers, we have one, professionals. Yes. They know what they're doing. One specifically. And it certainly helped that I've worked for, you know, universal music, Canada and, and, and it's done so much music licensing. So he knew, he knew you need to get the stuff licensed. It has to be, you've got to pay your rights.

And there's no shortcuts. You have to pay the rights. And so we have someone involved in that. The other thing I'll just say on that too, is that the one thing, you know, from the beginning, you know, music, music, music, CF and Y, you're always thinking about the music. I think we have to remind people too,

that it's also, it really is a thinking about the music. I think we have to remind people too that it's also, it really is a story about the radio station. So, you know, it wasn't gonna be an hour and a half of just music videos or playing songs, you know, and remember, you know, new order songs are like eight minutes long, and how do you fit all that in, et cetera, et cetera. And there's so much music, right, in 1977 to 1992.

So, to tell the story, you know, you can't fit in as much music as you would like. Uh, so that I just, you know, we'll, we'll give people the heads up on that. Yeah. But this document, because in theory I have seen, I've seen music docs without the music, which obviously is because they didn't want to pay for the music or couldn't properly clear. I've seen it. Yes, because it is expensive. Yes, it is. And it, it's, it's a different experience. And sometimes they say no to, by the way, you can ask, say, you know,

and they just say no, you know, so you can whip out the credit card. Yeah. I say, I've got Alan Cross's credit card right here. We're ready to, um, you know, we're ready to license this song by Depeche mode or whatever, and you can get Depeche Mode can say, no go bro. And this is sort of why like sometimes you'll hear a song played by let's say Donald Trump at some political rally. And then the artist is like, no,

because they don't want to be affiliated with the movement. Yeah, and it can take a long time, the process too. So where we are with that, like, I guess I'm curious. You're still obviously lined up for the fall 2024 release. But I think, in fact, I know I had Alan Cross and Rob Johnston on this program when the ongoing history of new music, I think they hit a thousand episodes or some milestone.

Yes, yes, they did. Yeah. And that's amazing. Which is amazing. It's amazing. Of course, that's not a podcast. That's a radio show. But now most people, I think I would guess

consuming via podcast. Like that's sort of a show that existed most people, I think I would guess, consume it via podcasts. Like that's sort of a show that existed pre-podcast and now it's kind of evolved into the podcast. So now you get less of the music because they don't, you know, we don't know how to license music for podcasts, but we'll talk about that later. I want to talk about it later. Like, yes, like we can't whip out Alan Cross's credit card and say, okay, we're going to play How Soon Is Now, Hit Me Up or whatever. This mechanism does not exist.

So that's a whole separate combo we'll have later. But Alan did talk about how they're not going to put out this doc without certain songs. Like they're out now. And, and is there any update on terms of like, are there songs you wanted badly but couldn't get or couldn't afford? I'm putting on the spot here. So I'll tell you, and I can't give away everything, but there were, there are some songs that we, uh, you know, individually would have liked in there, but it's, it's also fine.

Following a storyline too, because then that's how things get edited. There are, there were, I don't know how many, like 60, 70 interviews done with various people, uh, and a whole bunch didn't make it in or got cut. And I did see, and the one interesting thing in the process of making a documentary is I got to see the various different cuts. And there were times it was like, wow, okay, that's completely changed.

And between a director and an editor, and looking at the storyline, all of a sudden, that part is no longer in it and they move this one in and this one out. Can there be a director's cut for the real heads out there? Right, yes, that's a good idea actually. That's a great idea. I actually, I know you're going to make the 90 minute for the masses, okay?

This is because you need the great unwashed. And that's a good point and you have to also, you have to understand too that because we, this is very much a Toronto, Southern Ontario, Western New York story that has a bit of a Canadian story to it, but we also wanted to, and this was from the beginning, we wanted to make this that it could be internationally digestible. So you'd have to think of that a little bit too. So is the story, is the story compelling enough? So I had the same complaint about 299 Queen Street, which was a great effort and a great has some great footage. Right. I always feel like maybe my criticizing this

because it's it's well done. Okay. Well done. Good job, Mr. Menard. But I definitely watched that dog and said, Oh, this is for Americans. Like it's like Americans who it's a it's a much music doc for Americans and as I like essentially I'm too close to this subject matter because I was born and raised in Toronto so it's it's it's got some like especially the first half hour there's a lot of good early like 80s much music stuff and some stuff you haven't seen in a while shout out to retro Ontario FOTM hall of famer uh Ed Conroy but uh I wonder yes now that now that we're talking it out here, the CF&Y dog does needs to be two versions, okay? Yeah. You need to have a version. Yeah.

Global version. 90 minutes. This station existed. Here, there's Rush, Spirit of Radio. You got that song, right? Maybe. You can't do the dog without it. You know that. You can't do the dog without it. I just did a couple of big Rush deep dives myself of Donna Halper and Bob Roper You were listening to Bob Roper. Yeah, I just started on the way here and it's fascinating that Bob Roper I invite you to listen to that. So I just started it's a great just out of the out of the gate and in the Blue Rodeo story is this fantastic story the rodeo great story and then you were gonna get to the Donna Halper WMMS I think it is in Cleveland.

Donna's in charge of the music there. Donna needs some imports and her friend, Bob Roper, sends her this independent release called The Rush, self-titled. Donna gets this album, Donna listens to it, Donna likes the song Working Man because it's got a blue collar, Cleveland's a blue

collar town. Donna has somebody at the station play it. The request line lights up back in the day when the request line could mean something. They play it more. Next thing you know it, they're bringing Rush to Cleveland for shows and well, well, you Bob's, you know, Bob, then now Bob Roper's, uh, you know, this band gets signed and Rush becomes Rush. They changed their drummer. The rest is history. But Donna herself listened to the Bob Roper episode and Donna said, not in person because

she's living in Mashatusha or something like that. But she said, I'm I would love to talk to you. And we had a great combo, but it's like I've got the whole story there. I got to listen to that. You got to listen to that. And you got to I know you got it, but you got combo but it's like the whole story there. I got to listen to that. You got to listen that and you got it. I know you got it but you got to get Spirit Radio because the whole Mars it's all in the story but I'm off topic here. I have not seen this documentary but you do need the two versions. You need the 90 minute which is what's

going to stream on Crave or whatever Prime whatever you sell it to and it's for everybody the Americans people in you know the other Paris Paris France they can enjoy it everybody can enjoy this documentary about this great little radio station that could and they're playing what they want and Marsden spirit and everything great then you need a good idea listen to see if I'm okay I think you know what everybody and you're talking about an artistic endeavor you know we're talking about music and we're talking about art and it's it's a you know radio station although it's a business it's you know it's a creative endeavor too so I think

that when you're when you're in the creative sphere, people have different views and opinions, and I like this mix of this song better, I prefer- We're gonna get to that in a minute. That sort of thing too. So I think that, and that's where editing, I think, comes into filmmaking and documentaries,

is that there's a different viewpoint, and somebody may come away feeling oh I wish they talked more about this. Somebody may say oh they you know I'm glad they mentioned this but they didn't say this you know those things right. It's hard to please everybody. A lot of decisions. You have to make a lot of choices and this is where I have mad respect for the people

like Matt who's directing your doc and Sean Menard who directed the 299 Queen Street. There's so many decisions that have to be made and you know you're not gonna please everybody with every decision and then some some some idiot in South Etobicoke in his basement is gonna be upset at this decision that was made but he's not seeing the full picture which is like we need to sell this thing and there's a this is you know a profit center here it's not just about you know you deep divers you want to go deeper like I think we you know people say oh Mike you went really deep on this. I'm like, yeah, I didn't go deep enough

because you were able to finish this freaking thing without turning it off. I gotta go deeper and your CF and Y-Doc can't be for those people or you'll never make a penny off of it. Yeah, that's part of it, yes. The other thing if I could say, which really started the spark, the idea for Ivor and I

to get together to do a podcast. Uh, it was around that, you know, when the film comes out, we were going to do this sort of, um, companion, uh, podcasts so that we could talk a bit about, you know, the film and, and how things, uh, came about and certain things that we're in and certain things that weren't in and answer some of those questions and go a little bit deeper because a bunch of stuff had to get cut out and people got cut out and we'd like to have them on to explain their story a little bit deeper. So that we thought would be.

How about this? Yep. I promise you, because I am passionately interested in you and Ivor's endeavor here. Like we will have a podcast segment in this conversation where I want all that information about what's next. What are you and Ivor cooking? I heard on Humble and Fred that you guys are taking them out for a lunch to pick their brain about this. Oh yeah. Yeah. That's right. Where's my lunch? Scott, where the fuck's my lunch? Like I'm hearing this and I'm like, Oh, Iver and Scott are going to take humble

and to lunch and pick their brains. I was going to talk to you today after this podcast about that very thing. We do everything on recording. We can do it just on the recording. Yeah. So, because you know, we've been inspired by, uh've been inspired by you obviously and you produce that show. I mean I produce Humbly Fred. You produce that show so absolutely. You're the key guy obviously yeah but you know I think there's a number of things they've done that are really really cool plus but we also want to do our thing and and make sure that it's it's it's obviously going to be music-centric. And the other thing that just on that note is that talking about licensing and that is that's what scared me the way I wanted to do a podcast

a couple years back, as you know. And I was horrified by what? You can't just play a song. No, there's no mechanism. Yeah, you have to have it licensed. But ongoing history of music. And I thought, oh God, because that's the podcast I wanna do is gonna have lots of music in it,

so I'm out because I don't wanna get sued. Well, you're talking to a guy who this is episode 1472. And as you might know from kicking out the jams on this program, and even Ivor Hamilton has kicked out the jams on this program, even Alan Cross has kicked out the jams on this program. I play lots of unlicensed music all the time. But if you listen to ongoing history of new music,

which is owned by chorus, a little less independent than yours, truly and humble and Fred, for that matter, they're Robbie J is playing like, I don't know, 15 seconds. And like, as if like they can argue, and I don't know how this logic works, but they can argue some kind of fair use or something if it

came to that. But that's a bit of a gamble, I think. But yeah, there is no legal way to license music for your podcast right and I Allen I we're all looking for this right and then if it did exist what would that cost and would it be worthwhile but anyways can you tease and I'm excited about your podcast venture with Iver and we're gonna talk more about that later but can you tease actually let me rephrase that sure if let's say let's say at the Elma combo humble and Fred went for their

interview for this documentary. This actually happened. That's why I'm bringing up this example. Okay, so they sit down with I guess Alan, I guess and they have a chat. Okay, let's put now I doubt this is true, but let's say the final ninety minute cut doesn't have the humble and Fred interview in it. Okay, let's say will you you inform Humble and Fred, and this is all hypothetical because I'm sure they won't be on the cutting room floor, but will you inform that person before the debut, the release, that they're not in the doc? Like, will people who sat down

for the chat find out they were on the cutting room floor when they see it, or will you give them a courtesy heads up, thank you for your time, it was a great conversation, choices were made, and you won't be in this documentary We haven't had those conversations, but that's a brilliant idea Her feeling yeah, you sat down if I sat down for my you know Yeah, we do I did see the list of the people that obviously are in it and then the list of the people I've seen I've seen what do you want to see? Just tell them right now from this thing. I need And then the list of the people I've seen, I've seen the documentary too. Well, do you want to just tell the people who are cut, just tell them right now, who was cut from this thing?

I need to know the names of the people who were cut from this thing. And here goes, but that's a great idea of reaching out to them, just saying, hey. A courtesy heads up. Yeah. Cause you don't want to be sitting in the premiere, probably maybe you're with,

just you will have been excited from being interviewed, like, oh my God, I'm going to be in this doc and you're not in the doc. And you know how you'll feel afterwards? Like, why couldn't they have given me a heads up? That's what they're gonna say. Well and here's the funny thing, I talked about these different edits and there must have been about five or six different edits of like, okay here's the new edit we've done and then it's like, oh this person's no longer in it and then the next edit, oh they're back in again so I see you put more and then, but Humble and Fred are in it. Yeah, Humble and Fred are in it.

Final cut. Cause you cut it in like 92, right? So they kind of, cause, cause, cause, and this will come up in a moment. I'm going to talk about 1989 and that is the, that is the year that Danny Kingsbury goes to Montreal to chat up his friend Humble Howard, who's on the air with Jeff Lumbee.

And I'm going to read a note from Jeff in a minute. And in 1989 recruits basically Humble Howard to leave Montreal and come to CFNY in Toronto and start a show with the Current I guess he was more than a sports guy at that point. He was a sports guy at pete and gates But then he had done more I guess and he was a personality Patterson and then humble and Fred is born in 1989 and their first show thanks to the clippings you shared

Cuz I had always assumed the first humble and Fred show I had assumed was either labor day or the day after Yeah, 1989 and it was on your research August 8th August 8th. Yeah, which I did not know I just found that just recently so that's pretty cool. Yeah, so they're coming up on 35 years Yeah, 35 years. So they're not on the cutting room floor. Being together as a show, as a team, right? Which is pretty cool. But I noticed even- Well, that's true, yeah, yeah.

You know, even Alan Cross, I noticed when I listened, by the way, I got a correction in the live stream. Thank you to Basement Dweller, whose name will come up later. The episode that I did with Robbie J and Alan Cross was not for episode 1,000. It was actually the 30th anniversary of the show. But there was a later, like since then there's been an episode 1000 and I do notice that there's like, you know, they talk about the 30 years but

they don't talk about the fact that Alan leaves a couple of times, like during this 30 years. Like you know what I mean? Like he leaves, he comes back and then he actually literally is at Indy 88 for a while, okay, which is not owned by Coris, you might know. Yes, I remember that. I remember. So it's like, you just got to like, his voice was over everything, right?

Yeah. He was the guidance counselor. I'd like to say for the, for Indy 88, but then he got back and now he's with chorus again, as an independent contractor, but more on that later. Let me read the note from Jeff Lumbee, since you're not going to give me any of the names of the people who interviewed for that dog and we're not going to be in the dog.

Jump in on another thought too though and you just you just just your point right there about Alan is the same kind of thing happens you know with making a film versus kind of a linear documentary that's like chronologically this is exactly how it happened like if you do that it can get really boring for some people if you tell the exact, that's why there's this creative license sometimes. It's like inspired by, you see movies that, based on a true story.

Because sometimes if you tell the exact true story, then you're doing a very, very linear documentary. Because things sometimes don't go in order. And then to tell a sort of entertaining film-like story, you kind of skip apart maybe, or skip over apart. Follow me? I'm with you 100%, because you are making it, yeah. You're creating a piece of entertainment,

which is factual, which doesn't mean you need to include all the little detail. You don't need to include the fact that, oh, you know, Alan Cross just appears for a few years before he comes back. Like that's kind of that's like a fact ruining the flavor of this story. And it's not necessary. So some would argue that, you know, you need to be absolutely factual, you know? But what you can't do, what I get bothered by that doesn't bother me at all.

You know, I kind of understand that. What bothers me is when you say, blatantly say Alan Cross was there for 30 years when he wasn't like you lie. So this is where my beef, this is a beef that mild beef that I had with the two 99 Queen Street West doc, which is they show the bare naked ladies. And I haven't seen it by the way. So will they be, they've got, you got to get that song Yoko Ono or something for the doc, right?

Like, cause you guys, I mean, I feel, but again, then again, I wonder now, this is me now executive producer, Mike talking the 90 minute version for the masses. It should include the whole bear breaking bear Nikolas because they had a number one hit in the US billboard hot 100. So that is not a Canadian success, right? That is a global phenomenon, but you definitely need a, maybe like I'm thinking now Shakespeare, my butt, right? So the average

American won't have a clue who lowest to lowest. They just won't know right. Right. Buffalo. Yeah. Yeah. Buffalo LOW by the way. But you know they didn't have a top 100 billboard hit let alone a number one billboard hit. They were a very big phenomenon in our world thanks to CF and why and My Butt Plays and that that's sort of so it's almost like the version the 90-minute version for the masses could skip the lowest of the low stuff but the version you're gonna make for me the long version right that's got to have a whole it's got to have the story of this independent band from Toronto and how they kind of got launched in CFY

We definitely you know once it's out, you know, and you'll be you know, the premier screening you will be invited We will definitely do The first version because then then we'll have you know We'll do a podcast and bring everybody and we can get your opinions of right. Hey guys, I love this You know on the extended, you know, Toronto mic cut, I would like this added. Well, you know what, now I'm thinking, of course, cause you're all focused on the 90 minute version.

That's what you're gonna sell. And that's the whole idea of this doc. The version I'm fantasizing about is actually a podcast. Now that I think about it, I was like, I just need all the, give me all the source. Give me permission to use it. Okay. And you can be the narrator or whatever, or Alan or Iver,

all of you, whatever. But then this is a podcast series where almost nothing gets left on the cutting room floor. Like this is for the real heads. You know what I mean? Well, that's kind of what Iver and I are talking about, right? Yeah, there you go.

Okay, so to be discussed in the podcast section, I got to read Jeff Lombi's? Yeah, there you go. Okay, so to be discussed in the podcast section, I gotta read Jeff Lumbee's note here. I honestly realized, Scott, I could talk to you for several hours because you were there, shout out to brother Bill, who kind of gave us that expression, but you were there, you got the bonafide,

that's gonna come into play, I'm gonna play a song and ask you about a band, but Jeff Lumbee, what station were you his program director at? So that would have been K Fun. Well sorry it was Dave Rocks in Kitchener. Okay. He came did a guest spot at K Fun which is now Bounce. Dave Rocks, Dave FM at one time and then it became Dave Rocks so it was somewhere in there he was he was working the

morning show there. Yes. Are you ready for some high praise from FOTM Jeff Lumbee? Oh, well sure Okay, always ready for that, right? Yeah This is Jeff's words not mine everybody There were only two program directors who really made a difference in my broadcasting life Scott Turner was one of them amazing Jeff Lumbee big fan of you as a program director. Wow that's that's huge thank you thank you Jeff.

You know I here's the thing about me as a program director I've seen and I'm like you know now I'm retired you can look back and I can say anything I want. You're retired? Yeah so but you know I think I was I think I was a good programmer. I don't know if I was a great program director. So, you know, working with talent was not one of my, I don't think I was particularly great at it. So like, what I did by default, I think, is,

is let the people give them some freedom. I was less about you need to do it like exactly like this and that I was a little more hands off with talent. Especially if I knew they were just inherently talented and you know a lot of the people I've worked with were. And it's and there's a reason they get to those positions particularly morning shows they talent. They bring talent with them. And if you just let them, you know, be themselves a little more, give them a little space and time. And it seems like that's such an easy thing to do. But there's a lot of program directors and programmers I've seen and I've seen what they do and they just get their hands on it way too much.

When I talk to Fred Patterson about his career, particularly at CFNY, he often talks about David Marsden giving him the freedom, the space, to be Fred, to figure it out and to find his voice and just don't micromanage and get in the weeds and get your hands dirty in there. Like you have these professions, if you don't trust the talent to do it, you've hired the wrong person. your hands dirty in there. Like you have these professions, if you don't trust

the talent to do it, you've hired the wrong person. Good leaders will empower and will clear, basically enable you to be your best. And Jeff Lumbee is a very talented broadcaster. And this is all going to come full circle. But before I bring it back to Danny Kingsbury, who, uh, you know, goes to Montreal where Lumbee and how humble have a show and takes half of that show and brings it back to Toronto and creates the humble and Fred show. I need to close a loop. I started and then I got like as happens on the way, Jeff, thanks for the comments there. It's really nice.

He's in a, he lives France now, as you might know. Oh yeah, I know, yeah. So I brought up Bare Naked Ladies and then I got excited about the fact that you need Bare Naked Ladies in the CFY doc. I feel like I'm writing it now, but Bare Naked Ladies, the reason I brought it up is because. I don't think you'll be disappointed by the way.

Good. 299 Queen Street West, the documentary, not the address. It states as a fact in there, it stated as a fact that the bare naked ladies made their national television debut on, uh, are there, I shouldn't say national, but their television debut on speaker's corner where they sing Yoko Ono and every bare naked ladies fan or, you know, city TV speakers corner fan has seen this footage a hundred times. Bare naked ladies, you got the big sweaters or whatever they're singing Yoko Ono. But the fact is before they recorded that for speaker's corner,

bear naked ladies were on a YTV show where they won an award. It was like, I can't remember what it's called. Some kids select whatever bottom line is that's just a falsehood. So that's goes back to the whole, like, we don't need to tell every detail to make this story palatable and entertaining. And that's okay. But that is very different than stating something that is just not true. True. I don't have any appetite. Like I have no, if I see untruths said as if they were facts, that's what ticks me off. Yeah. It depends how that's presented. I agree. I agree. So that was one thing I didn't like. So just, yeah, you don't have to tell all the details.

You can skip, you can omit some stuff for the for creative purposes and to make it a better story But don't say something that's not true. Okay. Now, why am I talking about? So Jeff Lumbee says you're one of the two PDs who made a difference in his broadcasting life. I want to guess the other one Jeff the other PDs he's talking about. Yeah. Yeah. I've said his name in this episode. Oh. That's your clue. Oh, Danny Kingsbury. Danny Kingsbury.

Yeah, right. Yeah. Okay. Let me play a little music and ask you about something. Yep. Outside there's a boxcar waiting Outside the fanless door Out by the fire breathing Outside we wait till face turns blue i know the nervous so long Welcome to man. You never will be alone.

All right, here we go. Welcome to man. Great song. Thanks to you, Scott Turner. I follow you on social media and I learned from you. Did you know, do you know what album this is on? Doolittle. Do you know any fun facts about Doolittle as we record on April 17, 2024?

There you go. So if you're listening on this day, yes, like right now. So 35 years ago today, this album was released. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit.

It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. It was a hit. about Doolittle as we record on April 17, 2024. There you go. So if you're listening on this day, yes, like right now. So 35 years ago today, this album was released. You know, and think of how

big this album became, not out of the gate, but over time, it sits at 141 on Rolling Stone magazine's top 500 albums of all time. That's pretty impressive. 141. Amazing. And this song, one of the longer songs on the album is 3 Minutes and 21 Seconds, Here Comes Your Man. But this is the same album, if you're wondering what album is this from the from Pixies. D-Baser's on this, Wave of Mutilation is on this, Monkey Gone to Heaven is on this. It's just loaded. I often, I often say, I don't know how often, I don't know if I often say it, but I often think about Nirvana, we just celebrate, we don't celebrate, we just mourn the loss of Kurt Cobain.

We don't celebrate the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's passing. Well in a positive way you do, I mean in that you respect him for what he did. We're glad it happened. But yeah, so he passed away on just 30 years ago, I want to say 30 years ago last month. Yeah. Oh, sorry. Earlier this month, actually. Anyway, bottom line is there's no denying the influence of Pixies on Nirvana and a lot of the great Nirvana songs sound a lot like a song you might hear on Doolittle. But here's where I'm going to go. And then I want to hear you talk to this because you were there. So remind us what years are you at CFNY?

So I was 84 to 92. 1984, 1992. Yeah, when I arrived, I was thinking that we're gonna talk about JR. We will, yes. But I think, you know, I just remember 1984. I was just 24 years old. And just a kid, because JR was, you know, like 10 years older than me and I was, you know, this new kid they hired. But you're still there in 1989 and we will talk about Jim Reid soon, but in 1989 you're there and this is a period of time when Danny Kingsbury is the program director at CFNY. So yeah. Oh, okay.

Just to set it up and then we'll hear from you. Yeah. I suppose this story does involve Jeff Lumbee because he was telling this story on Humble and Fred this week. So Jeff Lumbee zooms in from France once a month and chats with Humble and Fred. And he was telling this story about, I guess it was about Danny Kingsbury and that Ivor Hamilton on Facebook was talking, and this is all in Humble and Fred's episode this week, but Danny Kingsbury would not play the Pixies in 1989, much to Ivor's

chagrin. You were there, so I'm looking for some info from somebody who was there. What do you know about Pixies in 1989 on CFNY? So what I can tell you, and there's parts of this I don't remember, and Ivor, because he would have been working at Universal at the time, but we certainly know that it was at the fall of 88 is when the format change started and it really it kind of ramped in and so when you got to the end of 88 in early 89 so you know this is when we're talking Pixies time here it's April and the stations very heavily into this new format where they're still playing some alternative music but

they're playing top 40 and any various mainstream. Like a Paula Abdul song maybe. It didn't matter as long as it was on the charts. It was like, we're playing the biggest of the biggest hits, who cares what it sounds like. George Michael. And then we'll also play this alternative music. So the unfortunate duty that Danny Kingsbury had

at the time, he was hired as the PD to say this is our format You know make this work And so I think under that, you know pretense I think it's like certain albums are gonna come along and it's like nope We're not gonna play that we'll let certain alternative stuff play Maybe the established stuff new order new there's a new new order a new Depeche Mode right here there's a Morrissey okay yeah the Smiths were big so yeah cure will play them but maybe these pixie guys know that's I'm just speaking on behalf of I hear this situation where he might have been because as I recall I don't think and I

think I posted that today is that the station eventually did play well Danny LL tells me that I think when Reiner Schwartz arrived so just to get the timeline of program directors so for you know Marzen was program director and then Don Burns takes over as program director is there anyone between Don Burns and Danny Kingsbury? No. Okay so Don Burns there was a period of time where there was nobody because Don quit and Danny Kingsbury? No. Okay, so Don Burns. There was a period of time where there was nobody because Don quit and then they were looking for a PD. But Reiner Schwartz takes over for Kingsbury. Yeah, not long after.

So Danny comes in, I can't remember exact date, but. Late 89 maybe? Yeah, I think so. And then it is the fall of 89 that Reiner is hired because the sale got approved and it was McLean Hunter, whoever it was, they came in and just said, okay, we're gonna go back to the spirit of radio.

And that's when Reiner was brought in. And it might've been at that time that the Pixies were added at that time, but it was certainly not in the moment. So basically we talked about choices made by people in charge of such decisions. Like you got to make a decision on things. So essentially because of this hybrid, right, where you're playing, you're still playing some hits like, I don't know, big Peter Gabriel song or a

big George Michael. I remember hearing George Michael monkey in this era on CFY, right? Like, so this is the kind of Madonna or whatever. Yep. But you're also playing the alternative stuff and you're sticking to, you're saying you're sticking to your, your, your Depeche Mode, your Cure, your Morrissey, your New Order. And when a newer band, even though American alt rock stations were playing Doolittle. And we talked about, you know, how like in hindsight, it's a bit strange

only because a couple of years later at CFM Y plays the mess out of Nirvana, right? Like a no, no, no pixies, no Nirvana in hindsight, that's 2020. Yeah. And I think maybe Iver knows more of the story because he probably would have been fighting from, um, from the perspective of a record company. Yeah. And then I think Danny, you have to ask Danny too. I think I've tried, I've tried to get, I wanted to get Danny Kingsbury on just because of the whole Humble and Fred story that I've been, you know, trying to tell for many, many years now. But Danny politely declined, like so Danny Kingsbury not on the record on this, but Ivor

comes on often and we can revisit it with him. But it is a good important detail, I think that if Ivor is on the label side and he's on the, he's working for the label that has the pixies right right yes so there is a there is a little bit of a bias there you know and the thing just to to look and I think you know we're gonna talk about this is one of things I think I were not talk about in the podcast is that I think you know part of the problem is that if you had started a station from scratch and you're gonna play certain select alternative tracks

and maybe some certain select top 40 tracks and you just launched the station and you have a neat name and some cool imaging and some cool hosts that fit that and you launch it it's probably gonna be a big station and be quite successful and people will accept it. Right? When you've already branded yourself a certain way and then you say we're gonna be different, but also the same.

That's when you have like protests at the CRTC and all these things. That's bad branding. Well documented on this program. It's funny, because when this conversation happened on Humble and Fred with Jeff Lumbee, Howard said that when he got to CFNY, he says, he felt like it was like a college station,

not a real station. Like it was real concerns for him, particularly. He just didn't think they, he was used to stations that were kind of commercial entities that were there to maximize the revenues. Right. Where CFNY was about the music, man. Yeah.

Like when you're that passionate about the music, it can conflict with the maximizing of revenue. Yeah. And I think here's the thing too, is that when you're looking at 1988, 1989, in the history of the station, there is pressures. You see there's some, you some, the station's having success and monies, but it's what happens, right? You wanna grow, there's a certain side of it.

And even from staff, the people like, would you like to make more money and have an increase? Well, yeah, sure, right? So that's pressure. And then it's the board meetings and that till they say, oh, you know, where are ratings at and where's our revenue at? And do we want to increase that and grow that? Yeah. And then it's like, yeah, but you also want to be just about the music and just be cool all the time too. So it's the struggle of that, right? And you know, the people you have on

the air that are so passionate about the music. This is the the great thing about listening to a station like CFOI is that the person isn't just there to tell you about, I don't know, upcoming concerts and to tell you what the weather is like, you know, the Jays won again last night and then back selling all this stuff that they actually know and care about the music. Like this is a wonderful treat for a fan of music who's listening to the music. But then when you start to, so those people are there. Yeah. We love the music. It's all about the music. What are we playing this shit for? But you're bringing in, like this is what Danny Kingsbury did. He wanted a bigger, he wanted to change the morning show.

You were a few years removed from Pieden Geetz and he got humble Howard in. Let's face it. Humble and Fred didn't care what they were playing. Like they, they simply, you know, Howard, the big, uh, Steely Dan guy, right? Like, like, like the music didn't matter. It was what they said between the songs that was kind of their focus and their passion. So now you're bringing in on-air personalities that don't really give a shit what the music format is.

And that's kind of, I would think, would contrast with the existing personnel that were all about the music. And I think that was a challenge for everybody because, uh, yeah, I mean, we were, you know, there's a bunch of us, myself included were music snobs, right? Like we're just really cooler than now. Um, music snobs. And so it was, you know, really about the music.

And so then you're trying to do this other thing, uh, can cause some conflict. And, and I think there were people, it certainly speak for myself that there were, I was very vocal. I was very vocal about what was happening at the station and did not like it. And, uh, you know, I, I, and I had made a comment on the air and I got pulled into the, uh, I think we talked about that before that I got pulled into the office, uh, and chastised for saying, because I basically threw Madonna under the bus. It was the Thursday 30 and I said,

I can't believe I'm saying this. I can't believe this. And I said, here's Madonna on the Thursday 30, just with the scowling. Then I did that on the air, right? And it's like, I'm like, because it was disgusting. It was like, we don't play Madonna. And then you realize what I just done, and the next day is like, you don't play Madonna. Then you realize what I just done, you know,

and the next day is like, you can't do that, dude. I can't believe I had a job after that. And people did quit, right? There are people who quit because of their disagreement over the direction of the music, right? Yeah, yeah. And that's, you know, that definitely comes in the these years that followed. There was a gradual progression of that, you know, and I think everybody has their opinion of when was the end of the station, you know. That's a funny thing. Well, some people say it's the day that David Marsden left the building. Yeah, and you know what?

Rightfully so, and everybody has their own right and opinion to that, and I think, yes, some people say that's when it ended, some people say it was after that, some people say it was when it was 88 when the station started goofing around playing Madonna That was the end, you know, so everybody has their opinion on that. So that's fair. That's fair Yeah And now that we're doing this like bonus CF and why not episode which I've done with who has been on those Cam Gordon's been On those I think maybe brother bill We definitely brought in Ivor Hamilton as our subject matter expert here

Like why are some bands played on CF and why and some not and I do will just say it I think it would have been interesting for me personally to be to hear, you know Pixies songs back in 89. I'll just throw that out there, but hindsight's 2020 There's only room for so many cuts. So, you know, Danny Kingsbury made a decision which is what he's there for he makes these calls Yeah, I'm sight. it's easy to say like, what the hell you missed that would have fit perfectly, whatever. But hindsight, it's 2020. You don't know what Pixies is going to become. And there were other times and you know, I've, and I've talked about this. There's other time, the station that missed a band, um, didn't play it right away or, you know, it took, um, you know,

famously it took like six music meetings to have, Sells Sanctuary added to the station. Wow. You know, Ivor and I, Ivor especially was fighting for it and I was fighting for it and a bunch of other people and it was just, for whatever reason, it dragged on in these music meetings and we're going, my God, this track is amazing. And it was just like, anyway, eventually got added. But that's the, you know, the inside of it is sometimes people don't realize the fights that go on to something that seems so obvious.

So in your time at CFNY, if you had to, if I put you on the spot here and said, what's the greatest miss? Is it Pixies? Like what is the greatest miss in your time at CFNY? That's a tough one. Well, Iver talks about, you know, we were late with violent fems.

Yep. That was a, that's a classic. The, the station did not play violent fems out of the gate. I feel like at late at night, maybe you got added up or whatever. Cause I remember like the, the F bomb. Yeah. Yeah. There was, I think after it was after nine o'clock that you could play the,

the F bomb version and that, but they were, the station was late, it was, you know, at some road shows that we started getting requests. And I remember being downtown at a party where a friend of mine, Ron Partridge, who was in the Toronto band, punk band, Tyranna. And I remember being at a party and he was telling me about this band and I had never heard of them before, the Violent Femmes and he was playing, he was like, and he was always a big influence, a music influence on me and he was like, oh man.

And I remember going back to the station too going, hey. Yeah, like why aren't we playing Blister in the Sun? You gotta play this band, like this is the coolest album. Anyway, eventually happened but it was, you know, so there were times and I think there were other tracks and or albums that the station didn't, uh, wasn't on right away, um, and didn't get right away. They were late to the party.

But, um, there are few and far between. In a lot of cases, um, the station, as everybody knows, you know, broke a lot of music, um, not only in Toronto and area, but in Canada and North America was the first to break so many artists and songs. Well, enough about lowest at the low. Okay. So I'm going to read a question that came in for you. That's kind of related to CF and why not this theme we have. Then I'm going to give you some gifts, Scott, because you came a long way to be here. And then we're going to get serious for a moment. Okay, sure. Because we can do that on this program. MW writes in, Scott, how did West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys become a hit first in Toronto? Now, I haven't done any, Scott, it's me talking now. I haven't

done any collaboration research to confirm that that's actually the case, but MW, sounds like MW knows what they're talking about. Possibly West End Girls from the Pet Shop Boys is first a hit here. Do you have any insight into that? Only this, this was, uh, I think before, just before I worked at the station. Um, but I think again, this, this is about, um, uh, I would say prod, predominantly imports that the station was rare as a, as a non,college station. This is a commercial radio station

that was actively playing imports. And at the disdain of the local Canadian record companies, that wasn't the greatest relationship to sort of navigate that. But anyway, it was part of what the station did. And Ivor had the import show that that's where a lot of these tracks started and got their first play and then they would be brought up in the music meetings and sometimes it would get into regular rotation.

You should have recorded those meetings. That should be a podcast series. Yeah, absolutely. Yes. Wow. You're right. So I think that was just one of the imports that there was like, hey, this is pretty cool. You know, it was simply a matter of this cool record to play it, there was no history, it was their very first single, it wasn't a history of like,

oh, it's the new Pet Shop Boys, we better play the Pet Shop Boys. It was like, there's this new band, they sound really cool, they got a kind of electro, you know, Depeche Mode, New Order kind of feel going on, and that's a big part of our sound, and that's a cool sound right now. But it was just it was also a great record, obviously. And stands, you know, the test of time today. But yeah, and I think it was a small import, sorry, independent label. I don't think

it was a big label either. And that's another thing that the station didn't didn't care whether it was on a big label or not. It was just, let's, let's listen, let's play the record and add it or not. Love it. And it's funny to me that this is the second episode of the last three episodes where West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys was referenced because we were playing, do you remember the Canadian girl group, uh, West End Girls? Do you have any? Yes. Yes. Are you sexing me?

Are you sexing me? I think it was a big single. The BC group. So we played it on FOTM cast. I'm not sure if they're BC or not, but it might be, but we played them on FOTM cast. Ken Gordon wanted to talk about forgotten Ken con and we were playing it. And then I started singing West End Girls by a Pet Shop Boys. So it's twice in three episodes. That's not been referenced. Okay. My friend. I mentioned we're going to get serious,

but first I'm going to give you some gifts because you came a long way. This here, Scott Turner is a wireless speaker. You know, you dropped, okay, what you dropped there was your Ridley funeral home measuring tape. Oh, we'll get to that in a second. Well, I'll get to you right now since you picked it up there. So that's courtesy of Ridley funeral home. They have a great podcast called life's undertaking and it's Brad Jones and I, and it's every

two weeks and it's great, but they want to. Yeah thank you for this. I wanted to listen to that episode or there's a series of episodes about the most requested songs at funerals. I would love to listen to that. In fact, yes you're right, so we did three chapters of the most popularly requested funeral homes at Ridley Funeral Home and I was surprised to hear that End of the Road by boys. Dement is not one of them. Okay. That's my surprise, but it was so successful that we're going to do top 10 and do it on Toronto mic.

So I do urge you to listen to the, like that's the, for real heads, you got to listen to the three episodes with, uh, with, of life's undertaking, but there will be a Toronto mic episode of Brad Jones, where we kick out the 10 most popular funeral songs since he arrived there in the late eighties. Okay. Good.

That's happening. But with that wireless speaker. Speaker. Yes. Thank you. You're going to listen to season six of Yes, We Are Open. Al Grego went to Banff, Alberta, and he visited

Ken McMurdo, the owner of Mountain Chocolates. Ken started his business in 1989 around the time Humble and Fred was formed. And he re basically, this is a time when Banff was beginning to grow and it became a tourist attraction, but cool. There have been disruptions to the tourism, including a pandemic. We just went through and now there's inflation and supply chain issues. So Al talks to these small business owners to find out how they're

managing, how they cope. It's really interesting. So yes, we are open is the name of the podcast and you should subscribe and listen. And while you're subscribing to podcasts and listening on your new wireless speaker from Monaris, you should subscribe to the Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada hosted by Chris Cooksey. Great insight and tips for you whether you manage your own now that you're retired, you might have somebody managing your financial investments or maybe you do it yourself. Regardless, the Advantage to Invest Your Podcast from Raymond James is for you, my friend. Also, recyclemyelectronics.ca.

That's where you go if you have old electronics, old cables, old devices that you need to dispose of. You don't throw that in the garbage. You go to recyclemyelectronics.ca where you can drop them off and have them properly recycled. So the chemicals do not end up in our landfill. And last but not least, this is very interesting. This book here, Scott, that's the history of Toronto made beliefs baseball. There was Toronto made beliefs baseball before there was Toronto made beliefs hockey. Yeah, they are playing at their home games at Christie pits, you know, Christine Bloor, no ticket required. The home opener is May 12. And I'm telling you, we've got Rick Emmett coming from Burlington. We got, uh, uh, who's

coming? Steven Brunt from Hamilton. I mean, uh, Wendell Clark is going to be there. I mean, it's going to be fantastic. We're hoping to get BIF naked there. There's a just, you know, we got Hepsey and Pagan and Mike Apple and Peter Gross and just a cast of great FOTMs coming out to the, uh, home opener on May 12 and I'll be recording live from Christie Pitts so you can drop by, say, hi, get on the mic. So Scott, that's a long drive for you, but I, uh, I'm happy to invite you to, well, I was going to say I invite you to TML X 15. I do want to invite you to that.

When is the, what's the date on that? Because I haven't been to 27. Oh, I'm trying to see if I'm going to be around. So June, I think so. Yeah. It's also my 50th birthday. So June 27th from six to 9 PM. This is TML X 15. It's at Great Lakes brewery, Southern Etobicoke campus down the street from the Costco here in Southern Etobicoke. Everyone's invited. Just come out. 50th. Look at that. I should, I should be here. You better be there. I want you to be there because Palma Pasta is going to feed you.

They'll have a nice vegetarian meal for you. I know you're still vegan. Yeah, still. That's yeah. 35 something years now. Yeah. Okay. So there will be a vegan meal for you from Palma Pasta and your first beer is on the, uh, the house courtesy of the host. Excellent. Great Lakes brewery. So, okay, my friend, let's, let's get serious for a moment. I am sorry.

My sincere condolences. Your mom just passed away. Yes. 87. It was a weak shy of her 88th birthday. And, but a life well lived, right? And she, so this will be tough, but anyway, yes. So she, she was ready for it. And I think I had messaged you on this is that I had listened to the show that you produced, the Humble and Fred radio show. I can't remember when it was, maybe a year ago.

Can I shout out a listener of Toronto Mike named Steve Hagee, who is the person who reached out to me and said, I work with this organization. And this was basically an episode. I wanted to do this episode because Hum humble and Fred were kind of talking about end of life and made and stuff. And this was an expert on made. And you heard that episode of humble and Fred. Yeah. So I had heard that and I really found it compelling and I'd heard something like it before,

but I hadn't really heard the details of it and what it was called and, and how they do that and how it was, I'd heard, you know, in Europe it was a little more common, but it was something that's coming into Canada or becoming more prominent or people at least talking about it. It was legalized. Yeah. And so, um, and I've always thought, wow, you know, that's, that would be for me.

And that's how I thought first. I thought that's, that's how I want to go. You know, if, if I get really sick or there's not much I can do anymore, or there's things like dementia, which is happening more and more to so many people. So I remember talking to my sister and my mother had just the last couple of years just started to just, you know, just get just, just get just weaker, um, physically. Um, and she was getting a bit of dementia. So my, my, my, there's so many different, I took a course on this.

There's so many different levels of dementia. And there's one particular where you start seeing things. And my mother very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, trees, Scott, and they're ropes. And then I look out the window and you kind of go, well, you know, uh, I know you see them, but you know, I don't see them, but yeah. And she was like, oh yeah, yes, they are. Yeah. Da da da. Anyway. So she's just the last few years.

She'd just be just becoming weaker and weaker and getting very frustrated about it. Um, she kind of got to the point where she was starting to say things like, oh, I'm ready to go, take me away, and when things like would she would fall or something like that. And I remember talking to my sister saying,

I heard this is a Humble and Fred program and they had somebody on talking about made and what do you think about it? And maybe we should talk to mom about it. And so we had this conversation. And so my sister talked to my mother and we just started the whole process and getting her ready for that day. And it just came up sooner than we thought.

We thought, you know, it was going down that road. But then I was away actually in Costa Rica when my sister called and my mom had just had a bad week. And she was like, I just, I just want to go. And she had already had one doctor, you have to get a certain approvals. And so she was like, get the doctor here as soon as possible. She's just done.

She's done, done, done, wants to go. And so it was just a, and I remember saying to my sister, I said, can you ask mom if she can wait till like Tuesday? You know, because you know, it's like trying to get a flight back right now is crazy and then at first my mom said okay and then my sister called back saying no no, you have to come right away and I said okay I can get there Saturday and then it was like and then then so we could do this on Sunday and I said but you know that's that's St. Patrick's day. Now my mother's Scottish and I,

I didn't know, you know, kind of what that, you know, I think as far as I know the Scottish and the Irish love each other and no problem there, but I just thought I said to my sister, I go, can just check with my mother just to say, Hey, this would, this would be on St. Patrick's day is there any problem with that? Just to be sure. Right. And it was like, no, this would, this would be on st. Patrick's day. Is there any problem with that? Just to be sure. Right. And it was like, no, no, no, she doesn't care.

Doesn't care. Wants to go. And so, yeah, I had to get back and yeah, so we did it. And it's a beautiful, beautiful experience. You know, they come to your home, they come to wherever you are. Um, and you say you're there, all the loved ones are around and you say some final things and my mom was even joking and you know, we played some songs and and did some dancing and it's

It's it's it's quite an experience. I've never done that before. It's it's it's a funny Analogy, I've done it with a dog But and I thought that was fantastic that you can be there with, with your, your, and a lot of people love their, their pets and their dogs and you can do it like that, but it's not to compare the two. Yeah, it is. Um, and anyway, so, um, yeah. And it's just, it's, it's, um, I really do think and my mother physically, she got to the point where she could not do anything herself physically,

everything, uh, had, she had to the point where she could not do anything herself physically. Everything had, she had to be helped to have that done. And so it was time. And I totally respect that. On our own terms. I respect it as well. And hearing you tell the story of, you know, St. Patrick's day, 2024, you get back from Costa Rica where you went after your retirement.

Yeah, that was, yeah, that was, it was going to be in Costa Rica for like a month and a half. And that got cut short for obvious reasons. So, hearing you describe it, like playing her favorite music, having that, you know, that farewell and then that exit, that gentle exit, it sounds so civilized and it sounds so beautiful. And then you mentioned, you know, what we do with our pets. And it's like, we love our pets so much that there's a point in every, almost every pet owner's life when they realize that, uh, you know,

they, they need, you know, final meal. You know, I know, um, Rudy and our family, Rudy, the dog got the final meal, the, the, you know,, the burger from McDonald's and then gently you know you have the goodbye hugs and then gently you know Rudy you know goes away without any pain and you know you'd think we'd offer the same, just the same sweet exit to those we love who are, you know, human beings. And what you did for your mom there sounds very beautiful to me. It was.

It really was. And I would, it's obviously not for everybody. And there's sometimes there's obviously for religious reasons for some people, whatever that might be. So it's not for everybody, but I absolutely think it's, it's the right thing. And I think in the right situation, absolutely beautiful. Yeah. And I remember because the people, the woman who spoke from made want wanted to make sure

that humble and Fred weren't going to have fun with this. Like this was going to be treated delicately and sensitively. And I know I had many, so I had many conversations of, I think they had people actually, and I was talking to the people about it to say, no, like, and I went for telling him a friend, you're not allowed to make any jokes. Like this is a real, this is a real talk here. And the fact that you heard that and it resonated with you makes me feel very, very good because those guys might enjoy lots of poo and pee and fart joke, fart jokes. But once

in a while, you know, through the crack in the concrete, this, this rose will grow and look at how it affected your life personally made work for you and your mom and again I am sorry for your loss sounds like a great life but even you know 87 you said 87 so it's like talking you now I'm saying no 87 is a good life but I you know when you get to 85 you might change your mind on that Well and the way things are going now I mean we've seen these it's actually a shout out to Fred Patterson a stat that I heard on the humble and Fred show was just talking about that in the was it since 2018 till today there's been a something like a 43% increase of the

people living to a hundred years in Canada. Like it's incredible that's going on obviously there's studies and things like you know dementia we're seeing a lot of much more dementia in the world and I think it's partly because people are living longer we don't have these stats of people you know a couple of you know We don't have these stats of people, you know, a couple of, you know, generations ago people weren't living past 50 and maybe 60. And so what happens when all of a sudden everybody lives to, you know, in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and now even hitting a hundred. And maybe this is the things we're seeing that we didn't realize the human body maybe is going to have these struggles as it lives longer.

But hopefully they'll come up with some other solutions and cures for these things hopefully too. The other stat was I think that one in four Canadians in 2043, one in four Canadians will be over the age of 65. Wow. Wow. Anyway something to think about. Yeah, something absolutely something to think about. Well, something, absolutely something to think about. And just before I'm going to play a song and talk to you about someone else who has passed away this past month. Is there a story with your your mom and or maybe it's a story about you in graduation? Oh, OK, yeah, let me just tell you this really quick story because, you know, there's the things the things you do as growing up and you've got

parents and you sometimes you make them proud and there's other times you don't and the times you screw up, right? And times you get in trouble, times you get grounded. Does that still happen? Do you like you've got you've got kids, of course. 22 year old, 20 year old. Let me ask you that question because I don't have kids. So I just wondered like the generation

Generationally speaking I remember getting grounded like us when you really got in trouble So was you either got grounded to your room and you couldn't go out and play or whatever it was Did so what do you do now nowadays you take away the electronics? So my son's got a switch a Nintendo switch the punishment now is No, no switch or any other you know Wi-Fi enabled device for the rest of the day The sun's got a Switch, a Nintendo Switch, and the punishment now is no Switch or any other Wi-Fi enabled device for the rest of the day. I could see that being very powerful. Very powerful, I rarely have to use it,

and this is only with the younger two, because the older two are too old for punishments anymore. They just, you know, you can be disappointed. That's the punishment. See, and that's the same sort of thing, because when you're grounded to your room, which means you couldn't get on the phone, and you couldn't go out and play. It is the same spirit like you basically strip them of all the

Privileges of life right so anyway, so one of the things that my mom was most disappointed in me once was so it was Graduation Now you have to do this little context to this that I was into punk music at the time And I was even in a punk band with my friend Ron Partridge, I mentioned earlier. Right. And our punk band was called Slime. And I think I was the drummer,

because I did play some guitar, but I think it was drummer at the time. So anyway, we're in this bad slide. So we're like into the pistols, especially into the first Clash album, the Dead Boys, Vibrators, all this stuff, just loving this stuff. Anyway. Uh, so, so for graduation, um, so my mother gets all dressed up and then you got to understand that she's very, very proud.

She goes, she sits in the audience with other mothers and then, uh, there's on stage, I guess I'm getting some certificate or whatever it is. And you go. Yeah, and there we are. And so from my head down, I am dressed very nicely and I don't know, some sort of tuxedo-y thing, whatever it was, but I had to be punk in some sort of way right so

instead of a nice pair of shoes I had these torn up running shoes that the classic you know yeah the yeah the Chuck Taylor's yeah the classic Ramones white and they were so they were held together by safety pins. I'm not making, they had been so worn out so the only way I could, you know, wear the shoes, there's safety pins in them, and they were just, this is horrific looking pair of running shoes on her son. And so, because she's, remember she's saying that she's looking at me and then she just

started kind of squinting her eyes looking at me on stage and she's like and I wish I could do the Scottish accent but she was like oh my loving God you know whatever it was and and she wouldn't talk to me for days after that she felt so embarrassed and and meanwhile all the other kids on stage thought I was the coolest right I was like high fives and it was like man you're so cool you're so cool and then I get home and I just so it took her like days before she'd even speak with me and how was she with the alteration of your first name cuz moms care a lot about their yeah yeah it was kind of a meh thing with her she's like cuz I was is your radio guy yeah and I think by that time I'd done a lot of weird

things in my life already right this. Including a career in radio. My dad was devastated because he's like, you're supposed to be a plumber, electrician, get a trade son. And it was like, you know, I'm going to be a radio DJ. Right. Horrified them. Yeah.

Oh, I enjoy hearing you tell stories about your mom. And yeah, I'm sorry. Great sense of humor. She was joking to the end. And that's, you know, I thank both my Scottish parents for giving me the Scottish sense of humor. It's one of the things I guess I consider myself still half Scottish You know this Scottish people have just some of the greatest sense of humor in the world Name your price, I'll take you to paradise I can't stay here anymore, and I've looked

high and low I've been from shore to shore to shore If there's a shortcut, I'd have found it But there's no easy way around it Light of the world, shine on me Love is the answer Shine on us all, set us free Love is the answer Who knows why Someday we all will fall We're all less far away JR, Jim Reid has passed away. I'm sorry for your loss.

I know you worked with Jim Reid. Would you mind sharing some stories, some memories of JR? Yeah, absolutely. That's one of his favorite artists. Jim was, I think I had mentioned this earlier when I came to the station, I was just this 24-year-old kid, and he was into his 30s, and one of the more veteran DJs that I had mentioned this earlier when I came to the station. I was just this 24 year old kid. He was, you know, into his 30s and one of the more veteran DJs that I'd listened to and he was one of the guys that influenced me and a style I wanted to emulate on the air because I think he embodied that, you know, that exact thing they will tell you about just talk to one one person. And when they, you know, when a program director,

they're teaching you in radio school, just pretend you're talking to one person and just, you know, be personable. And he had that. And I think even, you know, when I was trying to get my sound, I was like kind of overemphasized my voice maybe at times. And he was the guy that just like,

and if you talk to him in person, it just the same talk the same style this the same pacing and everything and it's like he was really good at that it just being natural and so I think he's you know one of the prime examples of of how you do that you know just be yourself and just don't don't push it don't push your voice don't put it on you know like talk be yourself and just don't, don't push it. Don't push your voice. Don't put it on, you know, like talk about being on. And he was just super kind down to earth, a very, um, giving in a, uh, helpful, uh, constructive way in, in, in showing me what to do, what not to do and just teaching me, you know, what CF and why, and just teaching me what CFNY was all

about and the music and how to be a CFNY DJ. So he showed me a lot. I listened to his show a lot. I was influenced. And you've got to remember back then, these early 80s, and for a time that all the DJs on CFNY picked their own music. So when I was listening, he was on mid days. He was like just after um... Pete and Gates.

Pete and Gates. Yeah. So he was basically mid days, nine to two or you know, 10 to three sort of thing. And so I'd listen to his show and I would get ideas because I was still learning the music myself. So I'd like listen, I'd write write that down going and play that on my show. Oh, that's cool track. Or, you know, oh, I like that band. So that he was probably, his music choices were probably the closest to my choices on the station, if you will.

Like, so James, there was Pete and Geets and they had their stuff and then JR had a certain style of music he would play. And then James Scott in the afternoon, you know, he got into a little more kind of jazz influence and level 42 stuff. And I like some of that stuff too. But I think J.R. what he played was, okay, that's going to be, you know, that's going to be more like the Scott Turner show. So, you know, he was very influential, influential on me for sure. I'm going to just play a little bit here. This is a I had a compilation there was a reunion I want to say back in I couldn't even

guess when this was 2007 or something like that there was a CFNY reunion and a CD was kind of given away as like with these clips in it and a gentleman got me a copy and this is on that copy of the CD. Let me just play this. I listened to this this morning. What we have here my friends is a failure to communicate. Oh goodness me. Let's see if we can pick this up. Our compact disc player has just stopped live on the air. Jim has no record queued up, three minutes to go, and the news is coming on. And well, let's just try and see.

No, I don't even think it's going to come out. Well, how about a musical interlude? Maybe we could do something like that. You just hang on there, folks, as I reach over and do this. And let me see, what track can I play off here? This is one of the great things about working here. You can just play anything your little old heart pleases. And I think we'll just plunk that in there like that.

And what track number is that? These are the compact discs. This is the intricate workings of the Compact Disks. So reach over and press that. Press that. You see, you don't even have to cue these things up. And then all of a sudden, you just go magic like this. And hope that it works. Yes it is. Coming up at 12.30, Mike Stafford will be by.

That's classic Jim and you know the struggles of anybody on the air when you've got something that fails like that and filling the time and the struggles of you know getting that next track on is that's a classic moment you know a couple things there is the the compact discs you know the CFNWire was one of the first stations to play CDs regularly on the air. And you know, we were, let's do this as the new technology cause we're all into new music and new things. And we got these,

these early machines and they were supposed to be indestructible and the compact disc is this fantastic piece of technology that's flawless. It's far from it. It took, it took several generations of the disks and the machines before the skipping and you had to clean them. Like it was just, oh, it's so frustrating and they would skip or just stop. In that case, it just stopped. So feel the pain. And yeah, we went through that. Another funny, just a JR story was one of the things I discovered and I'd been working

there for some time until he actually told me because I was probably in the in the studio with him watching him choose his records and I realized he kept on going to the same part of the library over the the side of the room and I'm like what are you doing and he's like well he says I'm on C right now and and the Alan Cross referenced this too is that he would just pick a letter, uh, and start and go through the C. Now you had your current records, so that was sort of separate, you know, but when you go into play your, your, your older tracks, you know,

whether it was a couple of months old or a couple of years old. So when he was playing the older tracks, he would go to the C and go through the C's. So in this was, I thought it was really cool because he really, you know, picking and choosing and maybe you skip an album and you go, okay I'll try and get this album on and then he would go through the C's and then he'd go on to the D's and then go through the E's. But you know by the end of the show he's only got so far. So tomorrow we're gonna pick up halfway through the D's and then the day after you might get to the E's and then I realized you know by the end of the show, he's only got so far. So tomorrow we're gonna pick up halfway through the Ds

and then the day after you might get to the E's. And then I realized, you know, that, well, what if he wanted to hear, you know, the Smiths or something? It's gonna be like a week before you hear the Smiths on his show. Now, having said that, the good news is that JR played a lot of requests.

Yeah, he took a lot of requests. He played a lot of requests so somebody could request the Smiths. But he would just, yeah, he would actually go through the letters of the library. And he did that, yes. ["Better Signs"] There's a problem, feathers high in bargain buildings, weights and pulleys, feathers hit the ground before the weight can leave the air Sky

Yeah, it's another JR pick. I actually spoke to I Got the News last week and we were just talking about the Made program. I'm not sure we mentioned that here. The gym decided to do the Made program, which was on Friday, and say goodbye that way and I had Got the news from from Iver Hamilton about the turn of events with the gym I had spoken to him a couple of months back and I did not know he had leukemia And he was very very happy with his life what he had done where he was at he was accepting of the cancer and and

didn't like the treatments. And he didn't directly tell me how long he had, he said that you know there's a limited time but I didn't realize it was gonna be coming up so soon. And because I had said to him, I said I'm gonna be retiring just like Ivor and I'm gonna go away to Costa Rica for like a month and a half. And I said, when I come back, which is going to be like mid April, um, let's get together for beers, you know, we were going to do that. Um, and then obviously things just, just escalated and to the point that he took

himself off the treatments, um, and he was in palliative care and just he wanted to say goodbye so I spoke to him the day before he was in a good place but I could tell he was sad too because that these days we just talked about age and that right is 73 is is it's not young but it's young-ish in these times right the people are living into their their late 80s and 90s some more and more and more so gone too soon but you know I think that he's very proud of his CFNY days and you know he's to a lot of people that's how they know him Obviously he's done other things in his life, but that's certainly it was very influential to me. And yeah, it's just Yeah, it's really sad. I was hoping to have some have some beers with him and tell some more stories. I

also did not know Jim Reid was ill and Never met the man actually, but we were Facebook friends and he would email me often, like when I had a CF and why episode or a band he liked or whatever, I'd get these nice notes. And on the live stream right now is a gentleman who goes by the handle basement dweller. And I included this tidbit, I dropped like 45 minutes of Jim Reid on CF and why as a tribute just a couple of days ago in the Toronto Mike feed. And I mentioned in that episode that I would get notes from Jim Reid about how much he loved comments on the Toronto Mike.com blog that were left by Basement Dweller. And

he said that the Basement Dweller belonged in the penthouse, not the basement. So these and I would have this correspondence of Jim Reid. And I got this sad news. I found out after he passed that we, you know, Jim was no longer with us. And I was very Reid. And I got this sad news I found out after he passed that we, you know, Jim was no longer with us. And I was very sad. And I have some notes in here from FOTM regarding Jim Reid, colleagues of yours. In that clip I played where Jim Reid's CD player broke, and he's trying to figure out what to do. At the very end, you hear him say, coming up next, Mike Stafford, because I guess the news was on in three minutes and Mike Stafford was gonna do the news on CF and why also an FOTM Mike Stafford as you know but Mike Stafford writes walked

into the master studio in January 1986 to advise JR that the shuttle Challenger had just exploded he faded down the Van Morrison and we talked on air about the tragedy without of course knowing many details I don't know how he did it because he was sitting across from me all the while as we ended the special report Jr. Brought the volume up for live on TV. You can watch them die by the box Very strong in my humble opinion, but a few listeners called in to complain rest in peace my friend so there's a little Mike Stafford JR story from January 1986 and Rob Bruce mm-hmm he's gonna be back here by the way I think in

about a week for an episode of toast with Bob Ouellette. Rob Bruce writes in I did my very first radio interview with JR back in the summer of 1981. I'm about to transfer the old cassette to Gore Depp and I went to Brampton to visit CFNY for the first time on Jim's show, Cooking with Guests. Oh, very cool. Very cool. I should mention too that Jim, we did have Jim interviewed for the documentary. He's going to ask if he's on, if he's in the dark?

He's in it and he's great. He tells one of the many stories, but he tells some insight to one of the crazy moments in the station's history. So he's very, very good. And it tells the story very well. So we're really proud and happy that we were able to get him for the documentary. So you'll see JR in there. I'm glad I was going to ask you if we're going to see JR in the new CFY documentary. FOTM Leslie Cross, who joined us for episode 10 1021 wrote in, I remember that JR was a joy. Every workday morning of my life from 1983 until we left,

until I left in 1988. So every, to a T, I've only heard great things about JR and he will be, he will be missed. You sent in one more song I'd like to kind of. If you do that really quickly, yeah, sure. Just a little bit here. Yeah, this is an example just of one of the songs I remember Jim playing a lot on his show and going, yeah, this is I like this style like this kind of music and playing this song on my show like later, I would like to play that that one. Lotus Eaters

first picture of you great classic CF&Y song. Spread the calm to meet the others Pleasure fills with lark till dawn It's warm in and out The call for sacred hours Thus our chant of newborns singing The magic thoughts of your feelings The first picture I'll read The first picture of summer

Seeing the flowers spring their joy The flowers picture of summer Seeing the flowers spring their joy Jim and play some of this music. He's got a playlist that Jim had. I think Jim shared his playlist with Ivor, so he's going to play some of that music. That'll be, I think, if you're catching this podcast today, it's at seven o'clock tonight, that's the 17th, but it will repeat Sunday at four o'clock. And I think David Marsden had done a tribute on Friday as well. And that's probably being repeated if you want to check the nythespirit.com website. I'm sure it's on there. Beautiful tribute to JR. Thanks, Scott, for doing this. And again, sorry for your loss.

You had to say goodbye to your mom and then saying goodbye to her. Another CFNY legend. And James Scott was not that long ago too. We lost another there too. Speaking of health and such, a quick segue to you is that I haven't been listening to all of your podcasts so there may have been an update. I am prolific Scott. There may have been an update on your little scare and I think it was a blood clot or potential. Blood clot on the brain. So where's that story? Okay, so quick update is the blood clot on the brain. I was, you know, I spent overnight in the stroke ward at St. Joe's because a stroke was possibly imminent. Is that a contradiction? Anyway, immediately they stick

you full of blood thinners and you get put on these blood thinners because they got to thin your blood. This is how they prevent these blood clots. And long story short is I never had a stroke. This is good news. And I did have like a six week headache because my brain apparently experiences trauma, but then my brain absorbed this blood clot. So my brain absorbed the blood clot.

The blood clot went away. Then they took me off the blood thinners because I didn't test positive for anything that causes. They have all these tests and I did all these tests with a hematologist and they said, okay, you're negative for all the tests. So we're going to take you off blood thinners. Maybe it was just like one in a million bad luck or whatever. But then shortly thereafter, I got another blood clot, but not in the brain this time in the right arm.

Oh wow. So then they said, okay, we don't have a test for what you have, but you have something that causes blood clots. So you are now on these blood thinners indefinitely. And twice a day I pop a pill. It is called, uh, I want to get the right, it packs a band. Okay. So it's called a packs aaban. And every morning and every evening

I have an alarm. It literally plays Neil Young's Heart of Gold on my phone and I pop the pill. Now I'm just like, I've been doing it for so long. It's just like, just part of life that I pop this pill every morning, every night is the only medication I'm on. It thins my blood. I am asked, don't Mike, don't cut yourself. Don't cut yourself. Don't have, don't crash your bike. Like don't play contact sports because you can bleed internally because you have very thin blood, but I feel fantastic. And I'm going to ask you about your cycling now. So this is a good segue, but I've been biking more than ever.

I feel great. And I just pop these pills and try not to crash my bike. And so far so good. How's your cycling going? Well, thanks for that update. That's great news in that I'm on a very, just the 81 milligrams of aspirin a day, which is a blood thinner too, but not, I guess to that level. Um, but that's a precaution thing because of my,

cause your heart attack. Yeah. Because of my family history, it's all family history. You never had the heart attack, right? They. They got the triple, could you go back? Yeah, so it was, I did not have a heart attack, but I had really bad blockages, you know, and this is family history. And I was, I was out cycling and I was just, eh, something didn't feel right. I remember this. You were tired or something. Yeah, I just wasn't right. I was still finishing the rides, but I was like, eh, something's not right.

And just went for a series of tests. And eventually they took me in for that angiogram in the hospital, is like the gold standard of you know we're gonna see what's really going on there and they came they rolled me out and said oh wow wow you're like yeah you had one at 90 percent one blockage at 90 percent two arteries were at 80 percent one was at 50 percent so we uh there's a special that day i think that we did four instead of i could good on you for listening to your body how many guys out there ignore their body exactly. Oh, yeah No, and you have to get smarter and you just pay attention to things So so it's you know the family history that my liver just you know, this is one of the things I learned

I thought the cholesterol was like from eating fatty foods and it's like no about 70 75 percent of the cholesterol is created by your liver in your body and you know, there's a certain percentage of cholesterol you actually need to talk about brain function and all that stuff, right? Anyway, so, so I'm on a, a statin, which is the kind of the, you know, standard cholesterol reducing medication because my liver just loves to make cholesterol. And so, you know, and I, again, I was like vegan for 30 years

when this happened. And cycling up a storm. And cycling, so it was like, you know, I was one of those. You're not overweight. You're very thin and fat. I could be better, but thank you. I don't know where you'd be better, but. Yeah, but anyway, so I have to be,

I just have to take this medication, I really do. So we're in similar boats, you're a few years ahead of me, but basically science has come to a point where we can do long rides and feel great. We just got to pop a pill. Like that's pretty cool. Yes. Yes. And so, and like hopefully many, many, many years ahead

with the help of a medication sometimes, I'm not a big, you know, medication fan, but sometimes there's certain cases you need it. You have to. Absolutely, no one's a, I don't know, are there people who are fans of medications? Like, I don't wanna be on a Paxavan twice. First of all, it really means I can never really sleep in

because if it's a Saturday and I had a late night, that alarm's going off at 9.30 a.m. Neil's gonna be singing and apparently this drug I'm on, you have to take it the same time every day. You can't play games and have it a few hours later, whatever. So I mean, I'm glad I can just pop the pill, but no one's a fan of medications, right? Yeah, true. But anyway, big fan. I'm a fan of watching your cycle. I was just saying, I want to talk to you about, so again, with this, the mutual admiration moment, because we're going to talk cycling and then we're going to segue over to

Ivor and Scott's podcast. I have a lot of questions. Like you continue your praise of me. Of course. I think before we press record, there were many compliments you wanted to pay. And I said, save it for the podcast. And I don't think we got to any of them, Scott, but now is the time to say, I'm inspiring you and you're inspiring me.

Yeah. Well, just for those that don't know about Strava, talk about different apps and stuff. I don't think we talked about this before, because if you're not just a cycling fan but if you were a fitness fan Strava is awesome. I don't have the paid, there's a paid one. I don't pay for it either. No yeah there's a but they're they're basic one. There's your lunch ride I'm looking at. You're my friend on Strava and you did is that 50k? 50k

yesterday with about 470 meters of climbing. So that's, that's a, you know, for my level, that's pretty good effort, you know, 50k, what percentage of people listening now have done a 50k ride over the, you know, in the past year, let's say bottom line is good for you. You do longer rides than I do. Uh, the time thing, like my last ride was yesterday ride to Ontario plays and it was 30.77, which is great. That's a good ride. But the thing is, it's so impressive about, uh, Toronto Mike is like how many kilometers you were out every day.

And I was going to ask, because it was today when we were recording this, it was, it was raining. And so you must go out in the rain because I see, I'm not going out. I knew that I was out like three days and then I'm not going to be out today. I probably won't be out tomorrow because I think it's going to rain. So do you go out? You must go in the rain. Yeah.

I'm just, I just called up my spreadsheet where I import all my Strava stuff. So I can tell you, is this, I mean, this is boring. A lot of people, but we are going to get to the podcast talk with Scott. Yeah, we will. I think my brother's like, I was going to do an episode all about cycling in Toronto and my brother who listens to every episode said, just so you know, Mike, that'll be the episode I skipped the first episode I skipped.

And I realized, oh yeah, like sometimes it's too much about me, but it is called Toronto Mike. You should do one just as like they have me on it. And then honestly we'll get like 10 listeners, but it'll be fun. It'll be so much fun. Let's do it. So I can tell you here we are a little bit of

more than halfway through April and so far in 2024, I am at 2,873 kilometers. So that's, and that's when some cold, there were some cold weeks, so it was a pretty mild winter, but for just for a frame of reference, last year I did 12,000 over 12,000 kilometers. So 2023 was the first year in which I averaged over a thousand a month. And when I say that now, and I'm looking at it now,

it is incredible. And I don't know how, cause there was a time in my life where I didn't know how will I ever hit 1000 in a month. Like that was kind of a, and then I did. And then I realized, Oh, when the weather's decent, it's easy to hit a thousand kilometers. And now I can average one throughout the year. So this is a kind of a, not even a humble brag. I guess it's just a brag that I do get out almost every day and I don't care too much about how cold it is or how wet it is. I will skip the odd day when it's a combination.

And today might be a day like that. When this is the only combo I don't like biking in, cold and wet. I don't mind if it's freezing minus 20. I don't mind if it's snowing. I don't mind if it's freezing minus 20 I don't mind if it's snowing. I don't mind if it's 45 degrees Celsius. I don't I don't mind if it's rainy and warmer I don't like it when it's like between zero and like eight degrees and it's rainy. That is the only condition I'd rather have the snow right? Yeah, I'll take minus 20 when chill and get out there So today might be a day like that because it was like when I walked the kids to school, it was rainy and like three

degrees or felt like three degrees down here at the lake effect. And this might be one of those days I take a pass because I don't want to be wet and cold on the rides. I don't enjoy it. And I'm out there to enjoy it, but you do these long rides and I do follow you on Strava and I get inspired by your bike riding, Mr. Scott Turner. It's been a few years since I've done the longer rides, but I hope to do some, you know, 70, 80 K rides.

And maybe I might even do a hundred K this summer, a couple of those, but I find after 80, I just, I just want to go home. I just, it's not fun anymore. Same here. I can easily click 60 is easy. I'll do a 60 and if I have time, I'll do a 60 and I can, you know, but once I get like beyond 70

Sometimes I get a little pinch nerd in my back right here. Everything starts hurting. Yeah, it's not fun Like 60 sort of like let's just keep it to 60 and others. I can enjoy. Okay, so we've talked cycling Let me check mark that excellent podcasting. So you're now retired from is it's you're not really retired You know what you are Scott you're retired from terrestrial radio nine to five job. There you go Okay, fair enough, but you're not are Scott, you're retired from terrestrial radio nine to five job. There you go. Okay. Fair enough. But you're not done working because you're, you know, yeah, you'd make time for your cycling and your personal projects and stuff, but it sounds like you're going to launch a podcast with Ivor Hamilton. Yeah. So, uh, just podcasting, just what you've done, by the way, the fact that you, cause

you have a show almost every day, I think with few exceptions and, uh,, just the, the, the number of I've got, that's another thing. I'll have more time now to catch up on podcasts and some, some of the people, some of the guests you've had, um, over the, you know, just Ben Johnson is here Monday. Oh, fantastic. Yeah. You keep surprising like, and it's from different, all kinds of different areas where there's just like, oh, wow, he got, you know, so-and-so is like,

Oh my God. And so-and-so is talking and you're getting a lot of firsts of people talking to you, which is fantastic. Cause the word gets out that, you know, you're just a real, uh, like the real talk, you know, you're just, um, down to earth down in the basement, just, uh, telling it like it is, you know, we're just chatting and, uh, you know, and you're giving people the, uh, the, the opportunity just, just to tell their stories and tell everything they need to tell or haven't told. Somebody has to dive deep into why weren't the Pixies played on CFY in 1989.

If I don't do it, who's going to do it, Scott? There you go. Exactly. Exactly. So anyway, great work you're doing. Plus, you know, from you being obviously you've been a big, big, big fan of media, radio, and you're archiving all this stuff. And I think you've said that before yourself,

part of this is that, so there's a record of this information that's gonna exist, right? So that's a really wonderful thing you're doing. So yes, on behalf of everybody and Toronto history, thank you for all you're doing for Toronto, that's why you're called Toronto Mike. Thank you, man.

So just, yeah, so we talked about this a couple of years ago about podcasts and I, my idea of it was just to be a musical podcast. And I think it's, it related to what I love to do as, as my sort of hobby, my possessive hobby that I have of doing these, uh, this day in history. Which I love. On this day post.

Yeah. And that's where the do little anniversary tidbit, like I was going to do Pixies Yeah. And that's where the little anniversary tidbit, like I was going to do pixies on safe away. And then I, you know, I know you're coming over today and I'm checking into my social media and I see Scott Turner has got another one of his great posts and you said it was the anniversary of do a little, and it blew my mind because I had already loaded up a song from that album to

talk. Like it was such a convergence. Yeah. Yeah. Complete coincidence. And then I learned that from you and I learned the on this day upcoming, Icoming on this day in history posts from Scott Turner years ago. I told you those are great That should be you did and yes to to your point You were the one that suggested you still won't buy me a lunch And I've ever I've ever and you're gonna pay for humble and friends lunch, but I'm not getting any lunch No, we're gonna do that. We're gonna do that and we're gonna talk to you more about that But I think you're what you're right You're the one that should do that into a podcast. And I said,

I thought about it, but no, because you can't play music. And then it's been this whole gray area that's kind of- But what are they going to do? Arrest you? Yeah, that's what I mean. You know what they can do? I can tell you, because I live in this world, okay? I just played, what, three songs that I don't have a license to play. This is the worst they can do to you. And you have to be prepared for this. They can de-platform you. This is the worst they can do to you and you have to be prepared for this. They can D platform you. This is the worst they can do. Okay. So like I do, I have paid sponsors. It's kind of important. I'm on Spotify because so many, I don't know why Spotify is a terrible podcast aggregator, but there are a lot of people who listen to podcasts on Spotify. So it is important that I have a presence on Spotify for those people.

Right. Spotify is the tricky one, but they can all get on board tomorrow. Like we don't know what the future holds, but if Spotify is like, Mike, you played REM, you can't be doing that. Your D platform, which means they basically delete your show from being indexed by Spotify. That is literally the worst they can do to you. As far as I'm concerned. So that is a risk, but if you're starting a new podcast with Iver Hamilton, I think that's a risk you should take. Yes, I agree. I agree. Yeah, so we're going to do it anyway. So, so music has to be a part of it. But essentially, it's you, your idea for Toronto Mike, you know, doing do a podcast around these, you know, this on this day. So musical, you know, history, anniversaries and milestones. So, cause I've got the research anyway, I do it every day.

So that's part of it. The other thing too is I think we're gonna kind of OG, you know, Iver and I were the originators of Live in Toronto. We started that show and I think we're gonna kind of look at that and do, cause we did on concert history, you know, Toronto concert history. We did that on live in Toronto. So I think we can do that in the podcast.

And Iver, as you know, has been to so many concerts over the years. He's got this great, you know, reference of shows he's been to. And he's got half of the vinyl that CFNY discarded when they went to those faulty CD players. Yes, right. The faulty CD players. Oh man, I remember those things. Let me just tell you this. I endorsed this project 100% because I just want to be able to hear you and Ivor, basically now when I need to hear this, I got to invite you guys into my basement and do like a two hour episode like I'm doing right now. But I would love to have regular access to you and Ivor

talking about when, let's say, a 35th anniversary of Doolittle, let's say, being released. And you were there and he's got a perspective from the label side in 89. You were at CFNY 89. You can talk about kind of what we talked about today, which is trying to get Pixies on the CFNY playlist and where they were in transition and everything. I Can't wait to subscribe to this podcast. Does it have a name? No, it doesn't so we're looking for ideas We and we're still loosely talking about it right now and you know We don't know we haven't even talked about whether it's gonna be maybe one a week or maybe two a week I don't know but I can't do five five a week

No, but we got to work that out, different aspects of it too. You know, we might do some birthdays again with the music, all music based, you know, that sort of thing. I love this. But I think, yeah, doing from concerts and that, and the cool perspective that Ivor has is, you know, he's got that CF and Y history that he worked from the earliest days of CF and Y to like the mid eighties.

And then, you know, he worked at a huge record company for so many years so he's got all this insight of you know what happened why did this release why did I get the banner and why do why was that a single and this wasn't a single and why you know why what happened to this album why wasn't that album really sauce yeah I Bootsauce. Yeah. I think I remember that story. Yeah. He'd love to hear that. Okay, so I'm just here to say that

any way I can help, I'm here because selfishly, I just want this podcast to exist. Yes, so yeah, we'll chat. And you're both sweethearts. Sweetheart FOTM. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Well, part of it too, as I said earlier, is that part of it came out of the, with the CFNY documentary. We know that there's pieces missing.

There just wasn't time or certain details. You know, you can't get really, really deep on the details. So that's the podcast. As executive producers, let's say, let's say somebody, I don't know who, somebody was interviewed. Let's say Geets Romo gets interviewed and for whatever reason it ends up on the cutting room floor. Will you have permission to use excerpts from conversations that are not in the final documentary? I believe so. I believe so.

Yes. Don't hold me to that quote, but I believe so. I can't hold you to anything. What am I going to do? Lauren Onikman, do we have a suit on our hands here? He lied to me in podcasts. I love the idea. I think you and Iver will be great together. And now that you both have time to focus on this, it could be something very special and it is something that is, I would say,

needed. We need the independent voice in this, you know, Canada's largest city, this, the largest market, you and Ivor can fill in some of those gaps that I'm craving personally and there's other people like me who are craving it and the synergies here I can't wait to talk it up and I wish you luck and along the way again it's a kind of show I wish I could produce right but you and Ivor however you're gonna end up doing this these are conversations we can have. Yes we need to talk and that's why we're still

in the in the early stages of putting this all together and that. I think the other thing too is that the other part of this too, I think I might have said this to you last one of our previous podcasts, was that part of this research that I've done that then if you don't follow me and you want to see this stuff, because it's really cool, it's a great you know journey back if some memories but on Facebook I'm on there and I do them also on Twitter X so just at and I get it in both places I get the double hit and I can't miss anything there you go so but part of this was I was just building a playlist for myself I was just like oh I can I want to just

catalog and I do this all on a spreadsheet to catalog all these songs and when they were released and that. So I was building my own playlists. And I think what I've discovered for me, and that's why I did it for me originally was there's like, I forgot about this song. Oh my God, I forgot about this song, you know, particularly from CF and Y and these songs that, um the station played nobody else played and so I like it as a guy who wasn't there so like I'm not listening to CF and why in 1985 for example because I'm listening to Tom Rivers on CFTR okay it's just a fact yeah and I never and I am very honest about where I'm at but I as a fan

of the station in later years and a guy who's passionate about the history of the city, the history of the city's radio and television and everything, I'm very interested in hearing discussions about the spirit of radio era that I might not have been there for because I was busy listening to George Michael or Maestro Fresh West on CFTR and I love hearing about the history from people who were there. And that's you guys. The other part too, just last thing is that it's not going to be, you know, this podcast with the Iron Eyes that we're going to do is not going to be all about CF and why we're going to go, we're going to get into music and other. Well CF and why never played Bon Jo. Oh, did they during that little period? Oh maybe, yeah, I think probably, yeah, probably. So yeah, you know, if

taking it back, if there's a history date and an album that makes sense, that was impactful, maybe he was a huge commercial, a selling success, but a piece of shit artistically, you know, we'll talk about it. Whatever, uh, you know, uh, floats our boat, I suppose. Right. We'll have fun. It's all about having fun and getting that information from your noggin and Ivor's noggin into a quality, high-fidelity recording so forever our great grandkids can access it and fill in the gaps and then I could be here to report back and like you won't believe what I learned on the Ivor and Scott show. It's, it's uh did you know that CFNY refused to play this artist because of whatever whatever whatever uh all that fun

stuff. Just need a name. If anyone has a good name, send it to mike at Toronto Mike.com and I will take full credit for it. Thank you very much. Scott Turner, always a pleasure. I think when you're coming over, I'm like, Oh, this will be like, whatever. It was to be a 90 minute episode. I'm here to report back to you that we have cleared the two hour mark. Oh no, you're kidding. I don't know why you say all no, like it was good shit. I know, I had fun. If you were the documentary, if you were the director of this chat, what would you cut?

Nothing. No, so thank you. And that's why I don't do any edits because if it's, I could just in real time, I can tell you if it's shit. And I'm like, we're going to move on because it sucks. It was all killer, no filler. Yes. Thank you Scott Turner. They enjoy your retirement. Thank you drama Don't work too hard in your retirement. Okay, and that Brings us to the end of our one thousand four hundred and seventy second show

Remember Scott is Scott Turner with one T and Scott and you can find them again on Facebook and he's on the app formerly known as Twitter. I'm also on Twitter and Blue Sky as at Toronto Mike. I'm all over the place. We're both in Strava too. Look for us on Strava. Toronto Mike and Scott Turner are on Strava and we both have unique names. Scott's got one T. You can find them very easily. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery. I'll be at the GLB Brew Pub on Thursday to hang out with Joe Bowen. He's got a new lager. Gold Leafs go. Palma Pasta. They'll feed us at TMLX 15 on June 27. Be there. RecycleMyElectronics.ca. Raymond James Canada. They've got the Advantage Investor podcast, the Toronto Maple East baseball team, come out May 12, hang out with me at Christy Pitts.

Tickets are on me. Monaris, they've got, yes, we are open season six dropping now, and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all. Gotta go to my thing. Who's next? Who's next, Scott? Do you know?

Just who's on Monday? Oh, I've got it here Friday is the exit interview for somebody who's retiring from the Toronto Star after many many many years of covering sports Mark Swolinski Wow, he's making his Toronto Mike debut his exit interview and he's gonna set the table for Ben Johnson on Monday See you all then!