Feb 19th, 2020 | Be Funny

FROM THE VAULT: ANOTHER 1980 EPISODE OF THE ORIGINAL BE FUNNY This is where it all started. Tom was 24 in New York City and buried in a very late-night radio slot where he had the freedom to develop the ultimate freeform call-in show. Full of original content and characters you've never heard before! There was no screener or producer, so this show is about as raw as it gets!

Long silences came from hitting the dump button so when you hear silence, that's why! This episode ended abruptly because, well...it was 1980 and the old-school cassette ran out! This show is from almost 40 years ago in New York City and so here's an annotation guide so you'll understand all the references:

  • Aunt Marie. She's the aunt most of us have: the one usually holding a highball or a whiskey sour and chainsmoking Pall Malls. Her smoker's laugh let's you know she's an old school partier!
  • Tom Carvel. Originator of a regional soft ice cream chain somewhat like Dairy Queen with a gravelly voice who used to blanket the Northeast with gravelly TV commercials.
  • Mr. Tim. The guy who sits in the studio and laughs in the background.
  • The Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy. "What ahhhhhhh you?" He's a Puerto Rican cowpoke. One of the few!
  • Don Cannon. Legendary Philadelphia morning DJ who Tom had once met in person at his local radio station (WPAC/Patchogue, NY) years earlier in his career. A listener called in and played a tape of his radio segment called Showbiz.
  • Long John Nebel. Legendary late-night New York call-in host. He was dead by this time, but we had a great imitator. And many callers playing tapes of crank calls to his show from back when he was alive!
  • Barry Farber. Another longtime late-night New York call-in radio host.
  • Phil Rizzuto. One-time New York Yankee shortstop and, later, Yankee play-by-play announcer.
  • Cousin Brucie. Longtime New York DJ who now, at 85, can still be heard on Sirius/XM to this day.
  • Luba Potamkin. Very Jewish wife who inherited her late husband's New York-area Cadillac dealership and the TV commercials that went with it.
  • Gary Null. Health food host on WBAI, author of many books about natural eating.
  • Margot Adler. The host who followed Tom mornings on WBAI.
  • Uncle Floyd. Kids' show host who emanated from a UHF station in New Jersey. Once mentioned in a David Bowie song. His brother, Jinny Vivino, was the longtime bandleader on Conan.
  • Luis Tiant. One-time Cuban-born New York Yankees pitcher, known as "El Presidente".

Feel free to drop a line if you have questions about Classic Be Funny and let us know what you think: tom@blowmeuptom.com.

HOUR 1