Comments and personal stories from Rege's Fans
I stumbled upon the sound files and they quite literally brought me to tears. My Dad grew up in and has moved back to the small town in Indiana County, PA where he grew up. I have listened to him talk over the years, lovingly and longingly, of the Cordic and Company radio show. A few years ago I started looking for recordings to get for him. I kept hitting dead ends. I even contacted the Radio Museum in NYC and came up with nothing. And then today, out of the blue and on a whim, I came across your web page.
I wish I could fully express how excited I am to have found this. If you knew how often my Dad spoke of the different characters on the Cordic and Company show you would understand. The Milkman and Milove was a favorite of his and not until today did I get to hear what a good impression he does of them. I've also never heard Mr. Cordic's voice before. What a charmer! And how funny! The elevator guy is a riot!
I can't thank you enough for providing them online. For the first time I hear the voices of Omicron and the Milkman - the voices that make my Dad laugh until he cries. Thank you. Thank you. -- Hiedi P.
I found your sound file web page through a page I found with a google seach for "Cordic company". I have wanted to hear these for so long! I even wrote a letter to KDKA and the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society that they should sell a recording. This is even better.
I listened to Rege my whole childhood in the 1950's and 60's. What a talent!
Thanks for making the day of this Western PA girl who now lives in California. -- Mary M.
Bless you, sir!
I have wanted to hear these "bits" for years and somehow just realized that they must by now be on the web. I remember especially one summer when I was a college-student intern in a research lab at a big Westinghouse plant that the entire parking lot was filled with people who were unwilling to leave their cars and go to work until the Cordic and Co. production number at 5 minutes to 8 was over. then all of a sudden, dozens of car doors would open and smiling folk headed off to work.
I haven't searched your site completely (Crudley automobiles alone was worth the visit) but I'm looking for "polka dot paint" and the other paint products (fuzzy...).
Bobby Baker's bamboo bombay blinds and other alliterative ads, Dr. Bentcall, surgery. I"m sure some of these are there. I'll just have fun finding them
Thanks again. -- Jim H.
Ah, I wish I'd had a tape recorder back in the 60s! Thanks so much for all your work in putting this together. I left Pittsburgh in 1975 (born there in 1950), and I'm still homesick! I try to get KDKA on the radio in NY, sometimes with pretty good reception. I'm really looking forward to downloading these and listening. Thanks again, -- Linda H. C.
I enjoyed listening to thes gems from the past. They remind me of many years of listening to this unique early morning humor. I also remember a little short he did on the Gull Foil Corporation. I wish I know or had some of these shorts to share with you. -- Bill D.
REGE CORDIC - A Remembrance of Nelly King - 31 July 2001
I got to know Rege Cordic in 1956 when I was pitching for the Pirates. Rege had moved from WWSW to KDKA two years earlier to begin what was to become the longest running and most successful radio show in Pittsburgh broadcasting history.
When Rege joined KDKA to take over the early morning show, WWSW still maintained the rights to Pirate baseball broadcasts and was the top station in the market. Rosey Rowswell who began doing Pirate play by play broadcasts games in the mid-1930's was the top radio personality. Rege confessed he had a difficult time gaining a share of the audience in the first two years.
In 1955 KDKA outbid WWSW for the Pirate broadcasting rights. According to Rege that decision was the breakthrough for his and KDKA's dominance in the Pittsburgh market. It did not begin to take effect until the 1956 season. The new Pirate General Manager, Joe L. Brown made a complete change in the Pirate roster. The young Pirate team was in first place in the National League in mid-June. After so many dismal seasons, the baseball fans and listeners to Pirate games on KDKA increased dramatically.
Rege said, "I found out we had a new and growing audience, and it was related to Pirate baseball. In his usual modest way, he credited the rise in his ratings to the fact that listeners of Pirate games, would leave their dial set at 1020 when the game was over. When they awakened in the morning, they turned on the radio and heard "Cordic and Company". They liked what they heard and stayed with him and KDKA.
It is difficult to believe the audience ratings then for radio. The AM dial was the main and sometimes the only source of entertainment and information. There was no fracturing of the audience as there is today with FM radio, cable and satellite TV. Mike Levine, a long time and popular KDKA newsman, told me the ratings for Pirate baseball on KDKA in the 1960 championship season showed that 65% to 70% were listening to Pirate baseball. You will never see those numbers again. It was an unusual time for radio and Pittsburgh and so was Cordic and Company.
Pirate baseball may have created the opportunity for an increased audience, but Rege and his "Cordic and Company" crew had to keep them satisfied. Working with talented performers Bob Trow, Karl Hardman, Sterling Yates and writer Bob McCully, they continually turned out fresh and funny skits. I recall after the baseball season in 1957 working with Rege and Bob Trow as part of Cordic's "Brick Throw Championships". It was held at the Mosque in Oakland to a huge audience. You couldn't do something like that anywhere else. It was pure Cordic, and pure Pittsburgh. Rege knew Pittsburgh and the people. He also knew the secret of radio. He told me, "The success of radio is getting past the speaker and talking directly to the listener. You have to make it like you are speaking to just one person, not a large group."
His huge success in Pittsburgh and KDKA caught the attention of the big market city of Los Angeles in the late mid 1960's. Unfortunately, his show was not a success in Los Angeles. While visiting with him in LA on Pirate trips to the west coast during the years I broadcast Pirate games, he described LA well, stating, "Los Angeles is like 1000 Monroeville's. There is no 'there' there!" It lacked the personal identity with Pittsburgh.
He stated, longingly and proudly, "When you ask someone from Pittsburgh where they come from, they will tell you 'Squirrel Hill', Greenfield, Homestead -- the section of town where they live. They have an identity and roots with the city.."
------------ About the author...
Nellie King first came to Pittsburgh in 1956 as a pitcher for the Pirates. An arm injury curtailed his career and he got into radio. He learned his craft at stations in Greensburg and Latrobe, Pa. and was hired to replace Don Hoak on the Pirates' broadcasting team in 1967. He appeared on both KDKA radio and television with Hall of Fame announcer Bob Prince through 1975, which covered one of the most successful eras in Pirates history.
When Prince and King were dismissed after the 1975 season, there were protests in Pittsburgh, including a parade down Fifth Avenue and a rally at Point State Park. Former General Manager Joe L. Brown would later call the decision to replace Prince and King one of the worst he made in more than two decades on the job.
Nellie moved on to yet another successful career, this one in athletic administration at Duquesne University. He served Duquesne in a variety of roles and also worked as the color analyst on the school's basketball broadcasts. Nellie also worked as a sports reporter and talk show host for several Pittsburgh radio stations, including KDKA, WWSW, WTAE and WEEP. He still serves as Duquesne's golf coach and is active in the Pirates' alumni association. He is a popular banquet speaker and talk show guest. His storytelling ability is unmatched. Nellie is currently chronicling his experiences for a book.
He graciously shared his memories from his long friendship with Rege Cordic.
My name is John, & I only found your website about two weeks ago. I grew up in Zelienople PA. (about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh), and as a child listened to Rege and Cordic & Co. most mornings. I loved his characters and stories, but thought they were lost. It was a Big Deal to find your website and be reconnected! One of the better things to happen to me in a long time! -- John M.
Oh, my God! I can't thank you enough for such a great website. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area listening to Cordic in the morning. He made me laugh and inspired me to get into radio. Thanks to that inspiration and some luck I parlayed my radio career into TV and garnered two Emmy awards and a couple of A.P. awards. It all goes back to a kid laughing and listening ro Rege Cordic. I never had the pleasure of meeting him and that is one of my deepest regrets because I never got to thank him...Again, many, many thanks. -- Terry K.
I was thrilled to find your Rege Cordic air checks. Like almost everyone in Pittsburgh (of a certain age) I too grew up listening to Cordic and Company. He was a huge radio talent and an inspiration to those of us who would go on to make radio their careers. It took me back when you said you recorded with alligator clips on the speaker leads. Yep, that’s the way we did it back then. -- Dan F.
Hi, I'm 65yrs old from Steubenville, Ohio. I listened to the Rege show faithfully. I noticed you don't have one of my favorites which is the one where General Lee had an adviser, that told him when he goes to sign the surender papers, he should walk proudly, smoking his cigar. Then the adviser told Gen. Lee, "Who knows, make a saying about you or something." When it came time to sign the papers, Gen.Lee walked in to that hall, walking proudly towards the table, when the adviser notices something wrong. Gen.Lee wasn't smoking a cigar. So the adviser kept saying, "Ho Lee smoke----Ho Lee smoke-- Ho Lee smoke." I know it was a lot better hearing it on radio than reading it. Don't get me wrong. I am very glad I found your site, I really enjoy it, brings back a lot of memories. Plus Rege deserves to be recognized as a great radio personality. -- Leonard S.
Many thanks for taking time to post the files and information on Cordic and Company. My Monroeville mornings in the late 50's and early '60s were often filled with his tones and created company. Don't think I could have handled school without him/them! -- Steve B.
Recently found your website and it is great. Thank you so much! We grew up in Pittsburgh with Cordic and Company in the early 60's. -- Dave D.
Thanks for this site. Boy does it bring back memories. My brother and I were huge fans. Every morning, before leaving for school, we were tuned into WWSW and later, KDKA. Now, because of this web site my daughter, neices and nephew can see where my brother and I got our sense of humor. Of course, Jonathan Winters deserves some of the credit! Life is good! -- Tom H.
thanks for the great 'rege 'memories..................it brought back a flood of memories ..........in a different time and place ...mostly driving to work from west view to united engineering and foundry @fort duquene blvd.over the 9th st bridge -- Paul R.
I am very grateful to you for having taken the time 40 years ago to record these pearls which have given me so much pleasure over the past month since I came across them. I grew up in western PA - Punxsutawney, to be exact - and was an ardent fan of Cordic and Company. So now even after having lived in Germany the past 30 years or so, your recordings of this talented humorist have given me (and my family) so many laughs that I felt it only fitting to thank the man who made it possible. Good luck in your search for new archival material! -- Hanne K.
I used to listen to Cordic in high school in Youngstown, Ohio. Thanks for preserving these sketches. They bring back great memories. I can’t believe KDKA didn’t preserve his shows. -- John Y.
great i remember driving to school north catholic and listening to rege on the radio brings back great memories thank you -- James B.
Thanks for the response. These were taped TV shows at wtae. Rege would fly in from LA to do them, as I understand it. He would take classic movies, research what went on behind the scenes at the film library in LA, and do his segments in between the movies. I only recall as a kid watching him and the movies but he was great. -- Ralph C.
i dont think we have any recordings but, Rege & my dad were cousins. he's got lots of funny stories. i picked up an unopened Sick Pack of Olde Frothingslosh on ebay a few years ago .. cool collectible but not too appetizing to look at! -- H.
David -- what a treasure you're sharing with us! For some reason, I was thinking about Rege recently (didn't know he passed away as I've been gone from the 'Burgh for 10 years), and thought I'd Google him this morning. Look what popped up! A flood of memories came forth... I will definitely return to your site when I have more time to spend. Thank you, thank you... -- Ruth K.
Just happened across your web site. In the early 1950's I was a radio & TV major @ Duqesne universiy and landed a summer intern job @ WWSW doing an all nite music program. I finished around 6:00AM just when Rege came in. Enjoyed so much spending a few minutes with Rege each morning. At that time I was seeking a career in Radio & TV and Rege was my mentor (actually my idol!) -- P. M.
Born in East Liverpool, Ohio in 1948, I came of age during the early 60's. Just about the time Rege Cordic and all his wonderful characters were so popular on KDKA, 1020 on your radio dial. I have been perusing alot on the internet about Rege and Company. He was an important part of my life and formed alot of the sense of humor I have to this day. Keep up the good work. -- Gary C.
Thank you for making these files available. I well remember Rege when I was in college - he helped me maintain my sanity! -- Robert S.
I grew up with the man and his craft. A talent no longer enjoyed in radio. He's terribly missed.. My Mother and her best friend graduated with Rege from Peabody High School in Pittsburgh. Thanks for keeping the memories alive. -- Dave K.
I grew up in Pittsburgh (actually Edgewood) in the late 40's and 50's and really enjoyed listening to Rege. Additionally, I am the proud owner of 2 unopened cans of Old Frothingslosh! -- Robert C.
I grew up in Pittsburgh in the 1950s and Rege was a staple of our everyday life. I contacted KDKA to see if they were interested in him recently and - no, they were on to"better" things. I have a special reprint from an IRE conference from about 1930 describing in great detail KDKA's new, state of the art studio [AM- flat to 10kHz!] and transmitter facilities. Any interest from KDKA? Nope. Will book mark your page for future reference. Will always remember his "Man, Space, Time" program on KDKA-TV. Went to the West Coast in 1963, and Gosh! he followed shortly thereafter. Think he was briefly on the radio there, and then just walk-ons in a few movies and a few commercials. That voice was just unmistakable. Say hello to Omicron and the Nudnicron for me! -- Joseph C.
I don't have anything for you except a very warm thank you. I am from The 'Burgh, 67 years of age and grew up with Cordic and Company. In fact, he married a girl from our neighborhood (Dianne Dundun) and I was one of the altar boys at his wedding. Thank you again. This is priceless! -- Ron C.
Hello - I grew up in Pittsburgh (born in 1947). We listened to Cordic & Co. every morning. In the early 1950s my late father, Denton Beal, worked on the Bulletin Index magazine with his high school / army buddy, Bob Purdy. (Purdy owned Associated Photographers. My dad went on to editorial and PR positions at Carnegie Tech / CMU.) Purdy was friends with Bob Trow. Thanks to that friendship, we got hold of a couple of 12" acetates of Cordic skits. Regrettably those have disappeared. We also had a sketch done by a graphics person at KDKA spoofing Cordic and Trow at work in their studio (I have hopes of finding that, intact, in my mom's home). About three years ago I did an extensive Google search, hoping to find someone selling a CD of Cordic outtakes. No luck. Today, while researching some Pittsburgh broadcast history, I found your audio archives. THANK YOU!! I never thought I'd hear "Columbus' Early Voyage", or Omicron & Nudnikcron, or Brunhilda ("Open the big bay door, fellas, and get her some folding chairs to sit on!") again.
Two broadcast hosts were on America's airways in that late 50s - early 60s period, and the zany wit and skill with clean sarcasm these two masters offered their audiences, are not likely to be duplicated in today's environment of innuendo, sarcasm, and outright filth marketed as comedy. Those hosts were Rege Cordic and Steve Allen. Comedy Central ran highlights of Allen's "Tonight" show, hosted by Allen himself, a few years ago. These programs do not seem to be commercially available on DVD, and I'm happy that I taped them. Your archive is equally valuable -- but I only wish more people were familiar with Cordic's work. He was, unfortunately, a regional phenomenon, and his legacy (regrettably) seems limited to Pittsburghers. -- Roger B.
I wanted to thank you for providing this site. having been born in pgh i listened to cordic every am throughout hs and college (pitt). i happened to find this while i was surfing the net and looking for old recollections of my youth. im now retired and still like to keep up with my old pgh friends and the local sports. i wish i had something to contribute but all i have is memories of those great radio broadcasts. good luck and leep up the great work. -- Jerry K.
THANK YOU for saving some of my childhood nostalgia from Pittsburgh!!!!!!! Just found your site via the Pittsburgh Railways list serve. As a trolley fan, I have a special memory ot his Flyin' Fraction bit, but have only a less than desirable success at finding the original.. My favorite memory was the bit on the Flyin' Fraction. His take on preparing motormen for the 77/54 route as a variation on fighter pilot preps. I scanned the list on Dr Technical and couldn't find it. Do you know of a recording? My memory of it as a kid ended with the trolley leaving the barn to wheel squeal and the Air Force hymn (Off we go...into the wild blue yonder.....) -- F.J.
I was directed to your site by a former Pittsburgher who now lives in California. My father was a Cordic listener, and I began listening in his car as he drove me to school. I forwarded the URL to a friend who is a retired engineer from KDKA. His response follows: "Charlie Sords was a writer on the show and did a few voices. He used to hang around TV while I worked there. He would sit in Master Control for hours. His day job was state liquor store on the NorthSide. Charlie, Bob Trow, Sterling Yates, & Cordic are dead. I don't know about Carl Hardman." Thanks for preserving and sharing these priceless memories. -- Tom B.
Unfortunately, I have no audio from Rege's programs. However, I remember a lot about it from the mid 1950's, particularly 1956 when Rege ran Carmen for president. Did you know about this and the campaign train that they ran out of Pittsburgh?
What an absolutely great website. I remember our home grown Rege very well in the 50's and early 60"s. His humor is as great today as it was then. I think we in Pittsburgh took Cordic & Company for granted. I hope that more of his works are recovered and you continue to be the archive for this entertainment jewel.
By the way I've introduced my sons (early 20's) to the Cordic humor. It is appreciated by them as much as when I heard it the first time. -- Frank C.
Hi, great web site. Been looking for years for something like this. I'm originally from Pgh and now live in SC. I've grown up listening to Rege, Trow, Louie the garbageman, Brunhilda and the rest of the gang. I Have in the past written to KDKA with no response. Thanks again for a great web site. -- George F.
Great site. I grew up in Pittsburgh and can clearly remember Cordic and Company on the radio in the kitchen. Good memories. Lot's of work on your part is evident. Really enjoyed it. Thanks. -- Bill H.
I'm happy someone has taken the time to remember a few of the better things from my youth. -- Alan D.
From my limited time in Pittsburgh in my past life, I mentioned to my friend about some funny things I recalled on the radio and he brought up Rege Cordic. This led to my friend's exploration on the Internet, where he found your website and the recordings. This has given both of us much pleasure. Funny how things get started..... Thanks for doing it... -- Joe V.
Love your Cordic page. It is good to hear Rege's voice again. Like you, I grew up listening to this. Thanks. -- Tom V.
My father-in-law talks a lot about growing up listening to Rege Cordic on KDKA. His face lights up as he recalls skits Rege and Bob Trow performed and how he listened to the radio with his father in the '50's. He often will comment on how good the sound effects were back then and how amazing some of the things he came up with. -- George P.
I grew up with Cordic & Co. When I was in the Army, one of my buddies had his Dad send us some tapes from the show. I had tears in my eyes------------homesick! Thanks for sharing these memories---------as silly as they were. -- Marty T.
The last time I heard Mr Cordic live was early 1966 in Los angeles(KNX). He used to have a regular visitor called,"Mr Rythym". I wonder if there any recordings of that ??
About 20 years ago Glenn Campbell of G & C Records, Penn Ave in Pittsburgh was going to scrap a stack of 16" acetates of Cordic & co. Before I let these treasures go for aluminum scrap I recorded all of the tracks on reel-to-reel. At the time I was more interested in fitting them all on one reel and recorded them in 4 track mono. Many of the tracks are partial skits, there is one where Omnicron makes a duplicating machine out of a toaster to copy the 45 RPM record Rege was selling at the time to beat the record company out of their profit. Ominicron goes into the machine and is duplicated. Another skit has the Lone Ranger visiting the studio.
Very cool to hear old Rege again after all these years....... Sure would love to hear Ed and Wendy King of House Party KDKA..she had the greatest voice a little kid could hear late nite in the burgh.
Hi David......did you ever hear Rege's skit "My Fare, Lady"? It was about a female streetcar conductor and was a parody of the musical.
What led me to the Frothingslosh web site in the first place is my hunt for a clip of the old froth radio ad "To wit, to Woo......a two headed brew" Circa 1967. Have you heard that one?
Thank you, thank you and thank you again. Your Cordic sound files brought back many great memories. I was a fan of the Reger for as long as I can remember (I am now 53) and my parents were Cordic fans from his earliest days at WWSW. It is amazing how well most of this material holds up after 40 years! I hope there are lots of surviving home-tapes in private stashes. Alas, I didn't have the equipment myself but in the fifties and sixties, tape recorders were widely available. I know that many Bob & Ray shows have been recovered this way. I hope the same applies to Cordic. Also, at some point (I'm not sure when) he was simulcasting on AM & FM, so there could be recordings in hi-fi (though not in 5-channel stereo.) Again, thank you for sharing these files. Amid all the stress of the past few weeks, I needed the laughter. -- Charles S.
These are great. Its really brings back memories of the "Good Old Days". We used to listen to Rege every morning as my father drove me and my best friend to Jr. High School in New Kensington, PA. It is especially meaningful that these were recorded in 1963. The following year my father died suddenly of a heart attack. This is something that we shared and laughed about every morning. I really appreciate these tapes. When I tell my 2 sons "I wish it was 1958 all over again" they think I'm crazy. Maybe this will help them understand. -- Joe L.
Thank you so much for making these recordings available! I left Pittsburgh in 1965 to join the Air Force and retired here in Florida 22 years later. Since my parents died I have not been back to Pgh to visit. My father listened to KDKA every morning in our house in Pleasant Hills when I was a kid and I came to love the Cordic show. These files have brought back memories that I thought were long gone! I still have to laugh out loud at some of the skits you have here. Again, thank you so much! -- John H.
Thank you for recording and sharing these great tapes of Cordic and Co. I too recorded many of these programs and then lent them to a friend who promptly lost them. There has to be many more of these out there and perhaps if you make a link to the public on methods of saving these tapes or for aid in retreiving the programs from a tape that they have but no longer have the equiptment to retrieve the recordings.
I would really love to hear a program from 6 to 10am which is the way I used to record the show. I had one recording about a beautiful slight young girl that borrows his hair dryer which turns out to be an old biplane engine he set up in the office for drying hair, The wind ends up blowing her tiny frame right out the door. And a visit from a distraught IRS agent asking him to file early because, "Your interpretation of the facts and Our interpretation of the facts are .. somewhat different" These type of gems absolutely have to be recovered and saved. -- Ken A.
Hey From Pittsburgh..was listening to some of your old Cordic skits and brought back memories..Not sure if this is the same site a few years ago where u could send comments via mailbag...I wrote a nice long letter and will have to see if I can find it again on the site. .My dad and Aunt and Uncle worked for KD during the Cordic era. Ed and Wendy King and my dad was John Stewart, announcer on Partyline along with his own shows over his career. I have some old reel to reel of Cordic when he first went to CALIF then sent back tapes for WTAE to play on Sunday AM..wasn't the same..Several times he did come back to do it live.. God Love Cordic and the gang.....he knew "it" long before Stern and all the morning zoo radio guys of this era that didn't...Cordic was the genius. -- Bruce S.
you have no idea how much this means to me and probably many Pittsburghers also i used to tell people where i grew up and about rege but without these skits it was frustrating now i can send these to my friends in Ohio and Indiana and others who were not fortunate enough to have heard him in the morning keep up the good work i really appreciate it -- James B.
Thanks for posting the sound recordings of Rege Cordic's KDKA radio shows. I attended PITT from 1957 to 1961 and remember the comedy as a relief from the commute from New Kensington to PITT in the morning. I remember the day after the Pirates won the 1960 world series, Louie the garbage man was hired by the Yankees to transport the team out of town in garbage cans so no one would see them.............. do you know of this recording? -- Gene A.
i sat down with my dad yesterday and we listened for 75 minutes to the recordings of Rege from your site .. about every 5 minutes he'd go, "I Remember that!!" .. he told me classic story about Rege when he was in high school .. The picture of Rege's home in Squirrel Hill .. one night his dad Pete (my dad's uncle) had a gathering with top railroad men .. Pete had a bar in the house with the doors to the Wabash station, a big brass engine bell & the seats from passenger cars in it.
Rege ran a wire down the laundry chute from his bedroom into the bar; a speaker behind the radio. he announces that, (not quoted but..) 'we interrupt this program to report that the Capital Limited [classiest train at the time] has derailed....' ... everyone grabbed their coats .. it must have been a madhouse until the joke was given up!
my dad thinks that he may have a picture of Rege from highschool dressed in his .. yes, drum major uniform :) .... he showed me a photo i've seen a thousand times of his [my dad] high school graduation in front of his 1928 Ford only to find out now that he was wearing Rege's suit coat! .. most of my family was born in Pittsburgh (M & D, my 2 older sisters & me) .. go Steelers! .. We grew up knowing that Rege Cordic was related and he was in movies but it's funny how when "famous" people are close to you, they're not as distant as others. just a weird thought .. more to it but it's getting late.
the Sick Pack wasn't where i left it so we'll have to find it for you .. my dad also said, as those "small world" stories go that my mom had gotten an autograph from Rege when she was in grade school .. never thinking that she would end up marrying his cousin .. -- H.
It's always great to blast into the past. I remember Rege Cordic from my pre and teen years in Pittsburgh (graduated from Keystone Oaks H.S.). Some of his skits were just soooo funny. I can still remember the one about “Thanks a million” – the origin of the expression “thanks a million” – was actually a man named Sam Hillion, and after a lifetime of doing wonderful deeds, he was dying, at which time the townspeople gathered outside of his mansion yelling “thanks, Sam Hillion” which somehow translated to “thanks a million” Thanks for your site. -- Margaret I.
I heard one once, probably 1963 or 1964, subject The Marlboro Man. I was in the car when I heard it, it was so funny I nearly ran off the road. If you ever get that one, I'd love to hear it again. I'm going to be downloading a lot of your collection and playing them in the morning at a family reunion we're having in July at Seven Springs. We all grew up with Cordic and Company! Thanks for sharing your collection. -- Paul S.
My family moved to Cincinnati in 1958 as a sixth-grader, but I spent much of my summers in Pittsburgh with my grandparents. One set lived in Wilkinsburg, the other in retirement in Canonsburg (having moved from Dormont). Cordic and Co. was tuned in daily, and when the Pirates played on the coast, morning radio provided my first report of the game. My grandfather in Wilkinsburg worked as an usher at Forbes Field for 30 years, and I accompanied him to games 15-20 times a summer. -- Rick C.
Wow, what fun. I had the 45 of Omicron and Nudnicron as a kid. (and for years) but if had disappeared when my kids came along (I blame a cousin with no taste!) What a treat to find these and enjoy them again. -- S.K.
I sent an email to the Cordic family site regarding this connection. I recall being told stories about my oldest brother (Fred Goempel) as a good buddy to Rege in their younger years. I imagine they knew each other at Central Catholic High School Fred died before I was born (he was a WWII MIA in the Battle of the Bulge). Our mother was likely Granny Goempel, at least that’s what my older siblings told me. I can put you in contact with some of them if you like. What fun it was for me to discover your site. Thank you for the effort of recording the bits of shows. -- Sue G. W.
Thank you for all of the work you have done. I first found Cordic on WWSW when it was 1490 on the dial and only 250 watts of power. I live 35 miles north of Pittsburgh in Butler County and it was real hard to get this station here in Butler, but I listened thru all of the noise and static and loved his sense of humor. I was so delighted when Cordic came to KDKA with all of that 50,000 watts power. I am 75 years old now and treasure all of these Cordic sound bites as I copied them onto my computer so I could listen to them when I needed a good laugh of a precious memory. Thank you again and again for bringing these sound bites of Cordic into my life. -- Dick V.
Hi there. My only knowledge of Rege Cordic is from a 45 rpm record released in 1964. "Bingo", a parody of Lorne Green's "Ringo" is the "A" side. The B side is called "5 Channel Hi-Fi Demo" I had not played it in decades. After playing it I decided to Google him only to discover he had quite a career. I never heard Rege Cordic. I lived in Duluth, MN as a kid. I was thumbing thru some old 45's recently and remember playing the recordings I mentioned way back in 1964. I probably haven't played that disc since the 60's. After hearing it again recently, I thought this guy MUST have been in radio and the GOOGLE search got me to your website after reading about Rege and Wikipedia. I worked in broadcasting and this was a promotional copy of a 45 that I received. It was never played in this market (Seattle, WA). I have always enjoyed novelty records and when I played it I saved it for my own personal collection. -- Duane S.
Found this site tonite whilst downing a few non OFS'ers. I remember Rege Cordic's show because as a kid I lived outside OIL CITY and would listen while doing lots of stuff in the barn in the morning. I was moved to Fla at 14 yrs and am a Florida boy ATW, but I have great memories of the great shows that Rege did. I even remember him making a few TV appearances. Thanks for putting up the site. I'll turn a few others on to it. -- S.
Excellent website! The reason I ran across it is because I was trying recently to recall Rege's skit on The Flying Fraction (the saga of the 77/54). Is it in your archives somewhere? I plan on listening to all of your website files. I am really looking forward to it. I listened to Rege everyday on KDKA. -- John H.
I was surprised to find the old radio recordings when I googled rege cordic. Good job. There are two that I remember that I didn't see anything that sounded like the title in the lists. One is about a delivery of one ton of mara (Guantanamera) and the other is about a horse with teeth problems. It has a choctaw ridge and needs a talahatchee bridge. Are they in the list? Also, I have a 45rpm record of "Omicron and the Sputnik" parts 1 and 2. Would anyone be interested in buying it? I googled it and didn't find anything along those lines. Otherwise, do you have any suggestions on what to do with it? It will just sit in my old record box until someone throws it away I imagine. -- Bobi L.
When I was about 12 or so I recorded Rege's entire last show on an old Webcor taperecorder. I'll have to check the basement, unless of course you already have it. I was a huge fan growing up. Many years later I worked for a local ad agency called Ketchum. I got to work with Bob Trow and Carl Hartman who voiced many of the Cordic characters. Really not much to tell. Ketchum had their own studio, which I was in charge of. We seldom did material for air. Most of what I produced was for demo or for testing.
I remember Bob Trow as being full of energy. He was very professional and took direction well. He had an amazing range. He did Breun Hilda, Little Jimmy and Omnicron among others for Cordic. Carl Hartman had his own studio and seldom agreed to record anywhere else. His range was more limited. He could do the cranky old boss, Mr. Merchanson without changing his voice by much. I believe he was also Louie the garbageman. Almost everyone who was talent in Pittsburgh recorded in my studio at one point or another. O'Brien and Gary, Fred Rogers, Tom Megalis, Scott Paulson. I got to work with some of the best talent around. It was so sad when the agency went into decline. I was there from 1973 until 1990. Many of Pittsburgh's top writing talents were on the payroll at one point or another too. -- Barry S.
My mother was from Verona, Pa and we had a 45 of Omicron and the Sputnik when I was a child. I was looking for one years ago and stumbled upon Ric's web site. He was so sweet to send me cd's of all his sound files at no cost to me. What a nice man. I was sorry to see that he has passed away, but glad to see someone is carrying on his work. Keep it up. -- Cindy M.
I'm SO pleased to find your web site, dedicated to preserving the works of Rege Cordic. I was and still am a huge fan of Rege. I was born and raised in the Pgh. area and went to Pitt before moving to Michigan. I was at Pitt when Rege read a "false" statement he was given, that "all classes at Pitt were cancelled". Over 75% of the students did not go to class that day, including me. Also, I knew another Pitt student, at the time, that occasionly worked at KDKA, and told me about watching Rege do his show, by himself, with numerous, unlabeled, transcriptions and recordings. And never missing a beat. Over 50 years later, I still have cans of Old Frothingslosh and the following records: "Cordic and Company-Preferred", LP - 1961; "Omicron Visits Earth"- RCA - 45rpm; "Omicron and the Sputnik" -RCA - 45rpm; "Bingo" and "5-Channel Hi-Fi Demo"- Gateway - 45rpm. I even tried to get Rege to make a statement to my 50th High School Reunion, but, he was in California and we didn't make a connection. -- Bob H.
I talked to a guy (cc this to him, Pete Baer) who was working in radio at the time of Cordic & Co. (I was in TV). He said Rege always stood during the entire show between two turntables, cueing and playing the cut discs referred to below. Sometimes it was very difficult to tell where the live Rege and the disc was on. Karl Hardman spoke at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum at the time of Cordic's death and museum member Ed Lybarger believes that Karl may still be in town. Also cc this to Bob Battenfelder who recorded for Cordic in the WWSW days prior to the move to KDKA. The snowball rolls on, doesn't it? -- Robert R.
Great site and incredibly valuable service to old Pittsburghers. -- Fred S.
Your archives of Cordic & Co are a treasure! I had just started listening to radio when Rege was at his best and we always had an old radio in the dairy barn to let us listen while we worked. These audio files really take me back to those times. Thanks for saving Rege. -- John P.
My late husband, Art Hurst (Carnegie Tech, BSEE '56), was born and raised in McKeesport and was a fan of Rege Cordic. I have reel-to-reel recordings (maybe one or two reels -- I don't remember) in the garage that are marked "Cordic." They must be of radio shows. I would guess they are from around 1954-56, because Art went into the Army for two years right after college, then worked in Erie (where I met him) till we moved to California in Jan. 1960. I am still in the L.A. area. Where are you? Do you want the recordings? I gave the Wollensak? reel-to-reel recorder to a friend a few years ago and do not know whether the tapes are playable after so many years. My sister-in-law in McKeesport might want the recordings if transferred to CDs. -- Donna H.
Just found your site -- haven't downloaded any of your files yet but will soon. It's been a while since I've done a web search re ol' Rege, and was very pleased to find your site. Cordic was part of my growing up in Da Burgh and I've wanted to find some of his old stuff for many years. -- Doug W.
Thank you very much for all the effort that you have put into this. A friend of mine made me some copies of the shows and put them on a couple of cd's Unfortunately I misplaced them, hopefully they will turn up One of them made me laugh so hard. It was the one that bruni was on the exercise machine and they could not turn it off. It made my eyes water everytime I played it. -- Harvey A.
I just wanted to tell you that I went to Pittsburgh last month and had a great time. The wedding was nice, and it was good to see everyone. My mom and I went to the Heinz History Center the day after the wedding and I found it has expanded since I was there last...10 years ago. I love that you can visit the life-size 1955 to 60 kitchen with all the appliances and furniture. You can push the button and Rege Cordic plays on the radio for about 5 minutes.
I have to ask you....my aunt was listening to my Cordic files and she laughed really hard but she asked about a specific one. She said, while working for Harbison Walker in West Mifflin back in the day she had arrived to work and couldn't get out of her car because there was a Cordic & Co. bit on the radio that was so funny, she risked being late to hear the end of it. She looked around and saw 8 other cars in the lot with people who were laughing and risking the same thing. I asked her if she remembered the bit and she said it was about social security and in the bit - all people had their names replaced with SS numbers. She said it was hysterical. I don't think that one is saved in your file Mr. Brown. Are you familiar with it? Again I (obviously) am still enjoying my new Cordic & Co. collection. Also, I bought the movie (The Wild Party 1975). Ok movie but really cool to see Rege as an actor.
I've been listening to the Cordic files over and over. I love this!! This is great stuff. I love the Louie (garbage man) bit. My Mother loves the stuff that she used to listen to back in the day that I have sent her. I send her MP3 files for her amusement. Louie (garbage-man) sounds like my Hungarian grandparents who landed in Pittsburgh in the 20's. I have down-loaded about 4 hours of sound and I love it. I have, now, 4 hours of material and I look forward to the next batch that you will put on the web-site. I will listen to it on the plane when I travel to Ohio on the 15th of this month. I am waiting for the next stuff you have to offer on the Regis Cordic Web-Site. Can't wait to hear the next from Cordic & Co! -- Charlie V.
My time with Rege goes back to Double-Double when I was too young to know I should know better. It's too bad that his later days were not as fine as his earlier days, but that's a regular career and he was human. -- John D.
Thank you so much for hosting this web site. I am a 72 year old former resident of Pittsburgh now living in a retirement community in Chester County. At dinner tonight a bunch of former Pittsburghers got to talking about Rege Cordic. I am delighted to have found all the information about him that is on the internet, and especially your site, where I could listen to a few actual portions of broadcasts. Thanks so much. -- Judith K.
I came across your web site by accident. I was searching for a local news broadcaster, then I thought of Bill Burns and that led me to KDKA and finally Rege Cordic & Company. I am 57 years old and currently live in Austin, TX. I grew up near Washington, Pa. I remember listening to Cordic & Company in the mornings as I was getting ready for my school day. Cordic & Co. brought laughter into our home daily. I remember going to school and rehashing Cordic's mornings antics with my schoolmates. It is nice to finally see what Rege looked like. I enjoyed listening to your salvaged recordings of Cordic. Thank you so much for conjuring up some fond memories. -- David L.
"Hello, lovers of good music," What serendipity to find your archives of Cordic & Company material. I pine for the days when they were on, both WWSW and KDKA. I'm sure that much of my reputedly great sense of humor comes from the Regeer and the Company. Anyway, a person who has about a half-dozen C&C records is Mike Plaskett, a big-time record collector specializing in the 20's to late 40's era, and is the co-host of WDUQ-FM's "Rhythm Sweet & Hot" which features his and others collections. Mike is also the membership director of WDUQ, where he can be reached at 412 396-6030. I know for sure that he'd love to hear from you, in that when I called to tell him of my finding you and his immediately going on line, I think I could hear him peeing his pants when he saw what you have up. More thanks than you could count for perpetuating the magic of C&C. -- Gene V.
I would have to dig out the reel to reels first since they have been in storage for years now..I have a lot of air checks from my dad and his last show on Partyline in August of 1969 (this is actually the station copy) and a lot of the stuff he did on his shows in the 60s. I remember dubbing (old school term) some of the Cordic reel to reel tapes over to casettes in the 80s. Yes, lots of memories from KDKA. My dad actually took be down to see Cordic and Co at the station one morning, This was after he got home after 1:00AM from Partyline!.I wrote the story on the Cordic Site..not sure if this is the same one tho!. I finally got a new HP Media Center Edition PC so was very easy to click and year some of the Cordic skits(FUNNY STUFF EVEN TODAY!).
So glad u are remembering the master of morning radio!.. I remember after Cordic left, they came up with "Pallan and Trow" which really didn't fare so well even though Bob Trow was a very creative guy. Then Jack Bogut and his wit and wisdom woke up Pittsburgh for years but no one will replace Cordic!!!....Remember "The Bridge To Nowhere" and the Pittsburgh "Pothole Capital of the World" bumper stickers?... All my tapes are actually from the early 70s when WTAE hired him back for that Sunday morning "mail it in" show from California.. He did come back several Sundays, including the opening Sunday, to do it live. -- Bruce S.
I have heard about Rege Cordic for years from my husband who said that it was their delight in college, St. Vincent in Latrobe PA, to awaken each day to laughter provided by Rege...his program did not travel out west to AZ, a pity, so I was unaware of his existence...however, we live in a remote area of Pecos NM -- Alma M.
Like everybody else who loves this stuff, I was born and raised in Pgh. at just the right time. In my school, a day without Cordic was wasted. I went on the Monoxide campaign train in '56, finally gettting up the courage to ask my parents for the $6 fee. Watched Sterling Yates as Baldwin McMoney telling the same story at every stop, something to the effect that if a voter failed to vote for Carmen, then, Baldwin would remark, "I will own YOU." Got autographs from everybody, even Leonard the Coffee Man, would gladly spend $600 thousand to be able to do it again. Unhappily, a 14-year old in the fall of '56 is now 67.
When we were in high school, my best friend and I bought tape recorders and microphones and set up a basement recording "studio," where we practiced doing a half hour of Cordic-like material. For a couple of 16 year olds it was a lot harder than the adults uver at C&C made it seem. We wrote and performed our own scripts, and even got up enough courage to send a tape to Rege himself. He was kind enough to listen to all of it, and even wrote a letter in reply, noting that, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they were overwhelmed, since most of our material had been "borrowed" from them! We knew that as soon as we could, we wanted to become disk jockeys (which Cordic never was!) and write and perform funny stuff. We never quite made it.
My friend went on to a distinguished career as a radio astronomer with the US Naval Observatory. I spent my professionsl life teaching physics at a small college in North Carolina.I found out tonight about your website showcasing Rege Cordic’s radio shows and am elated that his fans can, once again, enjoy his humor and brilliance.
But Rege and the guys were always there, helping me to invent characters who would, during the course of a lecture, pop in for commentary of their own. -- Bob M.
I came across your site and had to send a thank you. Hearing the show again made me smile. I moved to Pittsburgh in 1971 to build a control room for a guy named Don Singleton. His operation was called Straight Time Productions. The operation was located in Studio A of Hardman Productions at 213 Smithfield Street. We relocated Karl's equipment to Studio C. Studio C was where a great deal of Cordic and Co was produced. The console, the "Showboat" was located in Studio C at the time. It was a copy of the console in the production room of KDKA. It had 3 turntables and 4 mic inputs. All the electronics were hand built using a mix of tubes and transistors. That and the "A" console were built by a couple of Western Electric wire- men directed by Marshall Booth, one of the partners in the operation.
My job was to rebuild and install a console we had gotten from National Recording in New York City. We had the first 16 track studio in Pittsburgh. I got to know Karl, Marilyn, Frank Doak, Jack Givens, Lee Hollihan and the whole cast and crew of Night of the Living Dead. I didn't see the movie until several years later when it had been transferred to video tape. I laughed through the whole show watching the story unfold. I knew all the people in it from working at the studio. I friend of mine who saw it at a drive in movie when it was first released, told me it scared the crap out of him.
I used to find the acetates of the routines from Cordic & Co. sitting around the back rooms of the Karl's operation. He had the whole top floor of the Pitt Building. The acetates had the routines done by Karl and Bob Trow and some of the other whacko's. They didn't have Rege's parts because that was done live at KDKA. Cordic would use a felt slip disc on the turntable with the acetate of Karl and Trow and start and stop it by putting his finger down on the disc to start and stop it. He was quite a talented character as were Karl and Bob Trow.
I wish I had some recordings to share but I don't. If I can find any photos, I will send them along. Have you been in touch with Lee Hollihan? He was Karl's engineer for many years. I'm sure he has some recordings. -- Don B.
I found out tonight about your website showcasing Rege Cordic's radio shows and am elated that his fans can, once again, enjoy his humor and brilliance. -- Joseph S.