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Roger
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When Canadian radio personality and bilingual voice talent Marc Denis wrote from Québec to tell us he had launched The 98 CKGM Super 70s Tribute Page, we discovered that Marc's history section held a clip of the late Roger Scott. This was from his CFOX days in 1969, when John and Yoko were staging one of their 'bed-ins' at Montréal's Queen Elizabeth hotel. Roger was one of the CFOX 'live from the bedside' jocks who added his voice to the recording of 'Give Peace A Chance'. Marc then sent us the great story of how he was inspired by listening to Roger and how he came to London to meet him. The late, great Roger Scott was the main inspiration
for me getting into this crazy radio business. Although our paths crossed briefly in the early 70s,
I'm grateful to have been able to spend some time with him in London
back in 1983. I was sent to cover the temporary opening of the Abbey
Road Studios to the masses (48-track upgrades in Studio 2) for French
radio and TV in Québec. Roger had voiced the Beatles documentary
presentation heard inside Studio 2. He invited me to Capital where we
chatted for close to an hour before his program. I was then stunned
when he said he'd heard so many good things about ME (!!!) and my Top
40 bilingual style back then, from ex-colleagues of his in Montréal. At the end, I thanked him for all the inspiration. Little did we know that 6 years later, sadly, he'd be gone. I'm told that he was quite the influence in Britain as well. R.I.P. Rog'. Ah...to be part of the Capital Radio on-air staff. But a dream. When I occasionally hear the songs ''Too Shy'' by Kajagoogoo, or 'In A Big Country'' by Big Country on the Gold shows here, it reminds me instantly of those few magical (and far too short) days I spent in London, September of 1983. Marc with his hero. Photo courtesy of Marc Denis CKGM Montréal Super 70s Tribute Page During a break day, my producer and I went on down to the Thames for ''Greater London Day'' to witness pockets of people under the bridges listening to live bands...the Troggs, the Swingin' Blue Jeans and Mungo Jerry, in the bridges area! Everybody watching was so nonchalantly matter-of-fact about it all...while we were going absolutely bonkers and bananas!!! The freakin' TROGGS, SWINGIN' BLUE JEANS, MUNGO JERRY!!! These were Brit groups that Roger Scott introduced to us in Montréal back on 1470 CFOX! Quick...set up the portable recorder....Mon Dieu...la cassette! Vite! Vite! I ended up getting interviews and pictures with Reg Presley, Ray Ennis and Mungo (Ray Dorset) who, in turn, couldn't believe WE wanted to talk to THEM!! So, in addition, when I hear (or play) the original ''Love Is All Around'', ''Hippy Hippy Shake'' and ''In the Summertime'' (Dee Dee Dee Dee Dee) on the air in Montréal, it takes me right back to Sept. 83, London. I returned recently from one of those radio and TV-type reunions in Ottawa (where I began my radio career). What a hoot. Really well organized, with proceeds to a women's care facility in the area. Saw some folks I hadn't seen in decades. Among others, one of Roger Scott's favorite 1470 CFOX Montréal on-air mates back in the late 60s, Dean Hagopian, a good friend of mine as well. Dean has the distinction of having been successful in both radio markets as ''The Dean of Montréal'' (CFOX) and ''The Dean of Ottawa'' (CKOY). Dean was also a singer for a short time in the Ottawa-based band The Staccatos. They later evolved into The 5 Man Electrical Band who scored the big international hit ''Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign'' in 1971. Dean always has us in stitches as he also calls himself 'the ''Pete Best'' of The 5 Man Electrical Band'! As long as we are mentioning Brit radio connections to Montréal, there was a bloke that appeared briefly before my time on 980 CKGM during the years 1965-1966 by the name of Lord Tim (Timothy Bromwell-Hudson) Ever heard of him? I've got him mentioned and linked in my History Page as well. Again, a hit-Brit radio voice during the musical British Invasion of North America on the Montréal airwaves that garnered attention. Lord Tim was not as prominently noticed and successful
in these parts as Roger Scott (1470 CFOX) and later the equally-wonderful
Doug Pringle (CKGM-FM 97.7 ''Beautiful Music''). It became 97.7 CHOM-FM
''Underground Rock'', thanks largely to Pringle's lead. But Lord Tim
did co-emcee (''compère'' as you would say, mais oui? Co-compèred?
Yikes!) the very first Rolling Stones show in Montréal, April
23, 1965. As a matter of fact, in his book ''Stone Alone'', Bill Wyman
credits Lord Tim as the guy who introduced him to some great blues vinyls
during that brief first visit to Montréal in 1965.
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