extras | Time for the Fair

For nearly 30 years, the CHUM chart, published weekly by 1050 CHUM AM in Toronto was THE way that young Canadians discovered popular music. The amazing Chum Tribute site has an online archive of every CHUM CHART.

In 1962 and 1963, American Bandstand host Dick Clark was a DJ on 1050 Chum (sort of). He would tape his segments of the show (including his half of banter with Toronto DJs) in Los Angeles, mail the tapes to Toronto where the show would be completed and edited together. You can find out more about this process on the Torontoist blog.

Although the live/broadcast and concert with Al Boliska, Dick Clark and Franki Valli is completely ficitionalized in the Episode 14 of Time for the Fair, Dick Clark and Franki Valli were indeed at the CNE on August 21, 1963 according to the CHUM CHART for August 19, 1963.

I found a medley of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons songs from the Mid 1960s on youtube.

In Episode 13, Billy encounters Pops and his new bride in 1949. They dance to the music of Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. Guy Lombardo was Canada’s most famous bandleader. He and his siblings had an orchestra that was popular for almost 50 years, from the 1920s until his death in 1977.

You can find out more about Guy Lombardo on wikipedia.

Here is a sampler of their music from the 1960s.

The SS Noronic was great lakes cruise ship that burned and sank in Toronto Harbour on September 4, 1949. 139 people died in the fire and its aftermath. It was one of the greatest marine disasters in the world. In life, as in the story, the remains of the Noronic victims were taken to a makeshift morgue on the CNE grounds.

Time for the Fair

Category Archives: extras

Musical Interlude 1963– Dick Clark, the Four Seasons and Chum Charts

Musical Interlude 1949: Time for the Fair

An original podcast novel by Sean McGaughey