i moved to the area in 1991 and remember hearing this old dude playing old tunes on wioo am 1000 over a phone line from his house. it was actually really bad...but at the same token it was local and original...does anyone remember that also???? he used to talk about highspire mobile home sales and to see his buddy homer hetrick at central lincoln mercury. he also spoke of all the big stars that came to "the sweetest place on earth" and he said he interviewed them. just geezing 18 years ago. live and local radio...wa'z that????
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"the red mccarthy show"
- Thread starter TODDMAYOR
- Start date
Red did his show on WIOO almost until he passed away at the age of at least 90 in the mid '90's. In his heyday he was a bass player and had a Big Band that played at dance halls in the area. He was on WCMB back in the 70's and WCTX and WPDC in the 80's. I never actually knew the guy (I've only been at WIOO since 1999), but I'll bet a few other regular posters on this board can add some interesting details. Vince Grande? John Summers?
J
John-Summers
Guest
Red McCarthy. Where to begin? Where to end? For those who never heard Red, do a Google search on Red McCarthy and WCMB, and there's an early 1970s aircheck that used to come up that you should listen to. I never met him either, but he was certainly one of the best-known characters on Harrisburg radio for a long time. As Ray said, Red had a band that I'm given to understand was quite popular on the regional ballroom circuit in the 1940s and 50s. I actually saw Red and his small band once. They accompanied a vocal group called the Ink Spots in the bandshell at Hershey Park (when it was two words) in the late 1960s. I didn't know who the Ink Spots were but my dad wanted to see them. Red played bass fiddle and his son Jimmy played the drums. I don't know when Red started in radio but in the 50s he was on WHGB 1400, then moved to WCMB 1460 in the early 60s, presumeably when 1400 flipped to Top 40 as WFEC. Red was on an hour a day, 3-4pm. He bought the hour from WCMB and sold his own sponsors. His show consisted of whatever music Red wanted to play that day, with oratorio-length live commercials for his sponsors in between, with the occasional celebrity or semi-celebrity interview and tons of name-dropping. He had a special relationship with Hershey Park and any musical acts that played there appeared on his show, including the Four Seasons and Herman's Hermits. Red was loud and brassy and over the top. And yes, in the late 60s WCMB installed a studio in his house and he broadcast from there, over an ordinary phone line. I don't know who actually listened to him, but he had a big house in Colonial Park so he must have done quite well. He got booted off WCMB in the mid-70s in a management change, and gravitated to a number of other stations over the years, doing the same schtick with the same sponsors. He was getting kinda loopy in the late 70s and we used to listen to him for laughs, which came fast and furious. Red would hoot and holler and bark at the moon, and played the most bizarre mix of music imagineable, everything from Andre Kostalanetz doing the "Sabre Dance" to disco. He loved "YMCA" by the Village People and always talked about how that song should be the YMCA's theme song, completely oblivious to the gay subtext. He always worked the last song into the next commercial. Elton John's "Mama Can't Buy You Love"..."BUT she can buy you a new mobile home from Highspire Trailer Sales!"..."BUT she can buy you season passes to Hershey Park!"..."BUT she can buy you a new or used car at Harrisburg Chrysler Plymouth!"..."BUT she can buy you a new pool from Crystal Pools!" He had a bunch of stories involving celebrities he had met that he would trot out at least once a week, almost verbatim each time. He also liked to talk about the other people on the station, and there is one of the funniest stories about him. I hope this gets by the censors. I won't reveal the subject of this story to save her embarassment. There was a young woman on the station Red used to call "our swingin' sweetheart." Every day he would talk about fixing her up with eligible bachelors. One day he said that he didn't want anyone to get the idea that she couldn't get a date. In fact - and I'm quoting exactly - "she has so many boyfriends, she's beatin' 'em off. (Voice rising to a shout
She's beatin' 'em off folks!" Three of us listening at WZIX heard this and almost had a collective lung collapse laughing. Of course, Red meant it as a compliment, clueless to the contemporary connotation of "beatin' 'em off." There were many, many similar stories, but that one was the pinnacle of Red-induced hilarity. I would pay a small amount of money for a recording, but alas, none exists. Red ended his radio career at WIOO, and I heard him one day. He sounded like a microphone had been propped up on a pillow on his death bed. He was barely audible, and I was appalled that they were allowing him to be on, sounding so pathetic. But all his life Red loved entertaining all the "wonderful folks," even at his advanced age, and I suppose left this earth happy. The rest of us should be so lucky.
She's beatin' 'em off folks!" Three of us listening at WZIX heard this and almost had a collective lung collapse laughing. Of course, Red meant it as a compliment, clueless to the contemporary connotation of "beatin' 'em off." There were many, many similar stories, but that one was the pinnacle of Red-induced hilarity. I would pay a small amount of money for a recording, but alas, none exists. Red ended his radio career at WIOO, and I heard him one day. He sounded like a microphone had been propped up on a pillow on his death bed. He was barely audible, and I was appalled that they were allowing him to be on, sounding so pathetic. But all his life Red loved entertaining all the "wonderful folks," even at his advanced age, and I suppose left this earth happy. The rest of us should be so lucky.That would have been fun to listen too. I'm sorry I missed it.
I've got to say...Red was a really nice guy who really cared about his clients. I'll never forget some classic Red moments. Because he broadcast from his basement, he'd give his home phone number for listeners to call. He would usually ask an easy question. People would always call before he finished the question and Red would shout "DON"T CALL...I DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION YET"! The calls would keep coming and Red would keep yelling "DON'T CALL". Another thing you would hear from time to time was his dog barking whenever someone would come to the door. I loved Red's musical selections as well. He would play songs like Don't Fear the Reaper and say "that was the Blue Oyster Cult Group". Anytime he'd refer to someone deceased...he would say "he's in heaven now folks"! The funniest thing I ever heard on his show was the time he had a professional Yodeler on his show who tried to teach Red to Yodel. THAT WAS A REAL HOOT! There may be airchecks of that show floating around somewhere. One of Red's clients was a movie theater complex, which would provide movie tickets as part of a promotion. During the Three Mile Island incident he gave away tickets to see The China Syndrome as I recall.
You are "on fire" today..
ahhhh folks here she is...olivia elton newton john
here's john williams with "close encounters of the third world"
Red did a spot for i believe the best western hotel in carlisle
and he always started out with "do you wanna have an affair?
they have meeting rooms available.
here's john williams with "close encounters of the third world"
Red did a spot for i believe the best western hotel in carlisle
and he always started out with "do you wanna have an affair?
they have meeting rooms available.
J
John-Summers
Guest
"If you're having a big affair or a little affair, they have rooms. And they want ya!"
"Ho Ho's Chinese-American Restaurant! It's wonderful folks. And if you don't understand something on the menu a little Chinese girl will explain it to you! Mister Ho, Mrs. Ho and all the liitle ho's! They work...and they want ya!"
"Now here they are, England Dan and John Ford Cooley."
"Well there she is Rinda Rinstedt."
At Harris Savings they won't bother you when you walk in. Any one of their branches, you just walk in, and they won't pay any attention to you!"
And the dog barking! What a classic! And all those stories about Liberace! And rememeber how he thought Billy Joel and Billy Joe Royal was the same person? "Now here's Billy Joel with 'Down in the Boobdocks.'"
"Ho Ho's Chinese-American Restaurant! It's wonderful folks. And if you don't understand something on the menu a little Chinese girl will explain it to you! Mister Ho, Mrs. Ho and all the liitle ho's! They work...and they want ya!"
"Now here they are, England Dan and John Ford Cooley."
"Well there she is Rinda Rinstedt."
At Harris Savings they won't bother you when you walk in. Any one of their branches, you just walk in, and they won't pay any attention to you!"
And the dog barking! What a classic! And all those stories about Liberace! And rememeber how he thought Billy Joel and Billy Joe Royal was the same person? "Now here's Billy Joel with 'Down in the Boobdocks.'"
i just split a gut at you guys with the funny posts...how classic..we could only wish for the humor in those days today. radio now is so homogenized... like the "harrisburg dairies made....make your kids drink a gallon a day and when they grow up send 'em over to homer hetrick for a new car at central lincoln mercury...so they can drive to hershey park for their season passes...and when they retire...they can get a double wide on the 55+ community from highspire mobile home sales...it's me red..over and out".
now folks...here's chicago with 25 or 6 or 4 i don't know folks.
looking for a new automobile.....nissley motors in middletown...now folks they don't have a new showroom....they have cracked tiles but folks you dont' buy the showroom.
one time the song ended and all we heard was the dog barking and we figured red went over the deep end.
looking for a new automobile.....nissley motors in middletown...now folks they don't have a new showroom....they have cracked tiles but folks you dont' buy the showroom.
one time the song ended and all we heard was the dog barking and we figured red went over the deep end.
B
bl40modulimiter2
Guest
Oh man, this brings back memories of working with Ned Rutledge at WHVR--some Ned moments:
1) That's Stacy Lattislaw
2) That's Chrysalis, and "True". Chrysalis was, of course, the record label for Spandau Ballet.
1) That's Stacy Lattislaw
2) That's Chrysalis, and "True". Chrysalis was, of course, the record label for Spandau Ballet.
How about those classic Mother's day spots for The Embers Restaurant? Aw folks...you know Mother's day is this Sunday. This could be your dear Mother's last Mother's day...you never know. Take her to the Embers folks....take her to the Embers". Or maybe this Red classic: "That was Connie Francis. She's not right folks..she's not right." Red was refering to a nervous breakdown Ms. Francis had at one time.
thanks for bringing back that memory! i don't know if you remember but i know john summers does the story about red going to hollywood to appear on the tv show "iron horse".
now folks a little "chick" (chic) with i want your love.
now folks a little "chick" (chic) with i want your love.
J
John-Summers
Guest
Red told that story (many times) when he was still on WCMB, about how his "good friend Dale Robertson" (western actor) asked Red to come to Hollywood. Picking it up with Red's own words, as I recall them: "And he said to me 'Red, would you come to Hollywood to be in my TV show The Iron Horse, The Iron Horse, The Iron Horse.' But I told him no. And do you know why, folks? (Pause) Cuz I just don't want to leave Harrisburg. (Slams hand down on the console for emphasis before bellowing.) FOLKS I JUST DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HARRISBURG!!!"
If it was a continuing role, Red make a good call. The show lasted only 47 episodes back in 1966-67 on ABC. I had a teacher in high school who was a neighbor of Red's and one day she mentioned him in class for some reason and I relayed that story. She said "Well, maybe it was a bit part. Red exaggerates a little."
That's an understatement!
Anyone who hasn't listened to that aircheck on You Tube should do so to actually hear Red. He was almost subdued on that one. Some days he was shot out of a cannon. When you think about it, he was one hell of a personality. We're still talking about him after all this time!
If it was a continuing role, Red make a good call. The show lasted only 47 episodes back in 1966-67 on ABC. I had a teacher in high school who was a neighbor of Red's and one day she mentioned him in class for some reason and I relayed that story. She said "Well, maybe it was a bit part. Red exaggerates a little."
That's an understatement!
Anyone who hasn't listened to that aircheck on You Tube should do so to actually hear Red. He was almost subdued on that one. Some days he was shot out of a cannon. When you think about it, he was one hell of a personality. We're still talking about him after all this time!
RayThomas said:
I had the privilege of visiting Red’s studio in Harrisburg. There were probably nearly fifty photos of him with various music industry celebs such as Liberace. He also had a very impressive record collection. I’d consider him a local legend.
John-Summers said:
And what about his wife whispering the artists name to him. Man I miss Red
J
John-Summers
Guest
Actually if you listened to Red, even occasionally, you would likely hear the same stories and Red-isms over and over again. After a while they would begin to stick in your mind. And there used to be a tape floating around of some of his best moments that someone collected. They're all there. Unfortunately a friend borrowed my copy 20 years ago and I haven't seen it since. He says he can't find it. And knowing what this guy's house is like I probably never will.
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