@ — Friday, March 6, 1992 - North Shore News The Magic is gone but Monty lives on I HAD an eerie experience, shared by some others of the faithful, at six o’clock one night last month. ! heard a radio station die. It was weird. Thanks toa byzantine deal that only a shuffle of accountants could understand, the statior known as Magic 104 pulled the switch. One minute, the disc jockey, bravely upbeat to the end, was saying that listeners had probably heard that Magic 104’s place on the dial was about to be taken over — by a country-music for- mat. Then station manager Tom McBride came on to explain what was happening. Then McBride said they'd finish off with a song by ‘‘the chairman of the board,”’ aka ‘‘Old Blue-Eyes,’’ aka Frank Sinatra. Then Sinatra sang. Then silence. Then, after a few seconds, a deathly buzz. It was over. The hope of resurrection re- mains — McBride is trying to put together a purchase of CHQM, which, under a CRTC ruling, must be sold, and reintroduce the **Magic”’ formula. But Magic 104’s demise has darkened the days and nights of a multitude of citizens who despise rock, can't stand chat, and yearn for relief from Deep Social Issues (ala CBC). Magic [04 had a great-pop- music format. Yes, kiddies, the great swing bands of the 1930s ard 1940s, leavened by the dura- ble ballads of the 1950s and maybe an inch or two beyond. Goodman, Ellington, Miller, Basie, Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting ... a long, glorious list (and at the top, the most terrific of them all, Ella). Many residents of the North Shore, where of course the VIEWS BEST PRICE Trevor Lautens GARDEN OF BIASES classiest people in the metropoli- tan area live, must be despondent. And the most terrible shock of all is that silence has descended — pray God, only temporarily —- on the most masterful, ingenious, witty, colorful radio practitioner in this area and possibly the uni- verse, the North Shore's own Monty McFarlane. Monty spun records from his own collection on 104 every Saturday and Sunday morning. And he was absolutely at peak form. He has been around radio just short of forever, and he’s never been better — playing his own stuff in his own way. “I just loved it,’’ said he the other day. ‘‘I could say what | wanted — which If did. And I wouldn't do it any other way ... 1 had a completely free hand.’* Monty’s present problem is not a free hand. It's a sore foot. Also leg. He is in UBC Hospital. He was awaiting tests a few days ago. And he is impatient. “It’s so boring,’’ Monty groan- ed. ‘‘I brushed my teeth 18 times this morning. They have a type of linoleum on the floor with little pieces. I’ve counted every piece. I’m up to 2% million...”’ The leg flesh may be weak, but the spirit is willing. Monty is hop- ing that McBride will swing the deal for CHQM and press on with his revised ‘‘Magic’’ formula, but enhanced with ‘‘stronger per- sonalities.”” Monty has one of those. I found him compulsive listening when I moved to these parts in 1963 and he was jockeying the discs for CJOR, and his recent stint with Magic 104 was even bet- ter. His ability to tell a story, to draw out a ‘‘joke"’ and expand, extend and embellish it by build- ing on it through what sounds like spontaneous asides and endless af- terthoughts — it’s the work of a vocal craftsman. At the same time, he's a very knowledgeable student of swing, the seriousness casually dropped into the line of patter and wit. Of course, he’s been at it a while. How old, Monty? “I'm getting old,’’ he says, fak- ing weariness. ‘*Too old.” He affects coyness: ‘‘{ shan’t disclose my age.” However, using the best car- bon-dating processes and hints from his conversation, it would appear that Monty is approxi- mately 39 years and 288 months old. The career began about the same time as his interest in music. As a child in his native Winnipeg, he had parts in radio drama — and, with his gift for dialect, later did similar freelance work for CBC radio in Vancouver under 44 He has been around radio just short of forever, and he’s never been better —- playing his own stuff in his own way.979 producers like Ray Whitehouse while holding down jobs in com- mercial radio. The swing thing was inspired by a cousin who played trumpet and turned Monty, then aged 15, on to Benny Goodman. The first regular radio work was with CKY, the CBC’s Winnipeg station: ‘‘I think my claim to fame was doing the hog prices at night. And I got fired. Do you know why? I wouldn’t wear a tie .-. | just wouldn’t conform. A rebellious 20-year-old or so, you know.”’ He landed a job at CKPR Fort Wiiliam. Then he said something impudent to the station owner. On his fast shift, at sign-off he played not God Save the Queen, as was the rule in those ancient times, but Woody Herman's Goosey Gander. It's been that kind of life. There was a lot of harum- scarum stuff in radioland, and frequent job changes — Monty’s worked for CJOR, CKLG, CFUN and C-ISL in this area, and, by the way, hasn’t had a drink for “26, coming up 27 years.” He inspired promotions like the CFUN basketball team, Canadian amateur champions in the mid- 1950s. ; And surely, at his time of life, he’s loaded? Works only for the pure love of it? He chokes with mock depair. “*T guess in halcyon days, maybe three, four, five guys did as well as | did — and I could never manage money. It ran through my hands ... I’ve got zilch.”” He and his wife Arline do have, though, a rancher in resplendent Chartwell, built 20 years ago for a sum so small that it would make readers weep, and so will not be disclosed. “‘And,”’ I asked, ‘“‘what hap- pens to Monty McFarlane if Tom McBride doesn’t get CHQM?"” ‘*He sulks a lot,’’ said Monty, in what I suppose is grammatically known as the Third Person Despondent. Say it isn’t so, Monty. We faithful yearn to see you on your feet again. And in top voice. A CONDO UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN OCEAN VISTA 110 WEST 4TH AT LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER GREAT LOCATION LOWER LONSDALE FROM $6100 DOWN* ia seninel realty 925-1191 INTEREST RATES NOW LOW! 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