A couple of years ago I spent some time digitizing some of my production work. 
Most of it is on a mix of source formats, 1/4 inch analog tape, DAT, CD, and even a few reference copies on cassette. For anyone who has undertaken format conversion, I feel your pain. While ultimately rewarding, it’s a time consuming process. Especially the 1/4 inch tape. Depending on the tape manufacturer, my reels were doing one of three things on my Otari MX5050-BII. Either clogging the heads and forcing me to sit with a Q-tip squeezing the tape against the head to optimize the audio signal. This necessitated stopping every 5 minutes, cleaning the heads and picking it up where I stopped. Then putting the whole work back together in Cool Edit Pro. Other tapes played perfectly. Others still played perfectly, but the oxide was flying off the tapes as they crossed the pinch rollers. It makes you really appreciate how easy digital is as a format. Pain aside, it’s great to have everyday access to the shows, interviews and recordings now. I have a bunch more to go through and will add them over time, for now a brief explanation of what these are.
Listen Up – The Lives Of Quincy Jones – 1990. Syndicated radio special, marking the release of Listen Up, the film and CD. Met and interviewed Q – he was an icon as a producer for me – with what he achieved on Off The Wall, Thriller, Back On The Block, not to mention his work in A&R, and as a jazz musician, so meeting him was a highlight. Listen Up was narrated by Sandy Hoyt – one of my favorite Toronto announcers at CHFI. Sandy was a class act – incredibly funny, versatile and original – he even hosted wrestling at one time in his diverse career.
Rent Boys Inc. – Recorded live In Toronto. 1982.The post-punk/alternative music scene was phenomenally strong in Toronto. We fueled the fire at CKLN, gave the bands an outlet – they’d produce their 45s and cassettes, we’d play them, they’d fill the clubs at their shows. Rent Boys Inc. were among a number of second generation punk bands – kids who’d grown up influenced by Television, and The Ramones in New York, and The Diodes, Demics and Viletones in Toronto, with a healthy dose of Manchester’s Joy Division/New Order thrown in.. Kinetic Ideals, Breeding Ground, Dave Howard Singers, Sturm Group, Disband, L’Etranger, Rent Boys and others – the scene in Toronto was vibrant, and music in Canada during that period wasn’t just Loverboy, Bryan Adams and Men Without Hats. If Queen West in Toronto had been the Bowery in NYC, all of these groups would have been famous. But as another Canadian – Neil Young – once said – “if you’re big in Canada, you’re only big in Canada. If you’re big in the US, you’re big everywhere”
The Beat Generation – Sunday Sunday, CHFI – 1991. Short radio story about the impact of the Beat Generation. Timed with the release of Rhino’s Jack Kerouac box set, and Carolyn Cassady’s book – “Off The Road – My Life with Cassady, Kerouc, and Ginsberg”.
Trudy Desmond Quintet – Recorded at CBC Studio 4S. A singer with an alluring presence, backed by some of Canada’s finest jazz musicians. I loved working in that room – it had great history, as a recording studio, and as a TV studio – I’d seen some CBC TV shows shot there as a kid. I recorded a number of great jazz performances in 4S, and was always thankful for the opportunity to work with some exceptional musicians in an amazing setting.
