William "Rosko" Mercer - Peacemaker (1973)
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- William "Rosko" Mercer - Peacemaker (1973)
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William Roscoe Mercer, known for decades to New York radio listeners simply as Rosko.
Mr. Mercer was the first black news announcer on WINS in New York and, as Rosko, the first black disc jockey on KBLA in Los Angeles. He went on to become a pioneer of free-form FM radio in New York City. On WOR-FM in 1966 and on WNEW-FM from 1967 to 1970, his calm, husky voice with its hint of Southern drawl and his wide-ranging programming made him an authoritative companion amid the musical ferment of the late 1960's.
He delved into rock, soul, folk and jazz; he read poetry and conversed with his unseen listeners in almost fatherly monologues. In one set during the late 1960's, he recited antiwar poetry by Yevgeny Yevtushenko to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Lord's Prayer, then played Richie Havens's antiwar song ''Handsome Johnny'' as a lead-in to a news report about bombing in Vietnam.
Mr. Mercer was born on May 25, 1927, in New York City and attended a Catholic boarding school in Pennsylvania as a charity student. His first jobs were as a government clerk and then a men's-room attendant at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, N.J. He began his radio career as a jazz disc jockey at WHAT in Chester, Pa., moved to WDAS in Philadelphia, and then to WBLS in New York, playing jazz in live broadcasts from Palm Cafe in Manhattan. He played rhythm-and-blues on WNJR in Secaucus, N.J., in the late 1950's, but after refusing to cross a picket line at the station during an effort to create a union for disc jockeys, he was blacklisted for six months.
He became the first black announcer for WINS, and was then hired as a disc jockey by KDIA in Oakland, Calif. Radio station KGFJ in Los Angeles sought to hire him away, leading to a precedent-setting lawsuit that changed the way disc-jockey contracts were written. For a time in the early 1960's, Rosko was heard live on KGFJ and on tape in Oakland six nights a week; he spent the seventh in Oakland, live on KDIA. Then he was hired by KBLA, playing rock and rhythm-and-blues at a formerly all-white station.
He returned to New York to work at WBLS. In 1966, the Federal Communications Commission required radio stations to broadcast separate content on AM and FM stations, and rock music beyond the Top 40 rushed to fill the new air time. The disc jockeys Murray the K and Scott Muni, along with Rosko, moved to WOR-FM to introduce a new style, with disc jockeys freely choosing the music and speaking conversationally to listeners.
But in October 1967, WOR-FM decided to change to a restrictive format. On his last show, without warning the station's management, Rosko spoke for five minutes about why he was resigning, saying, ''When are we going to learn that controlling something does not take it out of the minds of people?'' and declaring, ''In no way can I feel that I can continue my radio career by being dishonest with you.'' He added that he would rather return to being a men's-room attendant.
But within the month, he was hired for an evening shift by WNEW-FM, which picked up WOR-FM's format; soon afterward, WNEW-FM also hired Mr. Muni. Rosko stayed at WNEW until 1970, then moved to France for five years; there, he worked for the Voice of America. He returned to the United States and was heard during the 1980's on the dance-music station WKTU in New York; he also did voice-over work for commercials.
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NOTICE: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
One of the best voices in rock radio ever. Along with the late Alison Steele, Scott Muni and recently Pete Fornatale. These people were as important as the music and artists themselves. They gave the music the frame that the "painters of rock music" used to create their art.
Scott Muni, John Zacharlie, Allison Steele "The Night BIRD", and W. "Roscoe" Mercer were the original DJ line-up, in 1968. They were joined by the late Pete Fornatale, in the spring of1969. These pioneers in FM Rock were the first of many to play album length recordings of songs, which today is referred to as Classic. They were without doubt the best line-up of DJ's ever put together in FM Rock History. They set the stage for all future DJ's of the Non-Oldie Era.
+Phizeke S - Jonathan Schwartz could be added to your list Phizeke S. You are absolutely right though, they were the best disc jockeys in radio. Each had their own distinct style. John Zacherle is still alive in NYC -- lives alone and hard to believe -- he is 97. He also had a great voice. Except for Schwartz, all others, as you may know, have passed. If you would like to take a trip down memory lane some of the WNEW-FM air checks are on: nyradioarchive.com -- just type in: WNEW-FM 102.7 (very enjoyable to hear them again on the air as they were).
+John LaStrada I saw Pete Forntelle at his Woodstock booksigning around 5-6 Yrs ago. He was DJ #5; he was also a great Rock historian. Vi Scelcsa was another great DJ He just packed it in at Seton Hall Where he still had Idiots delight. Thnks for the web site. I'll definitely have to check it out . Peace.
Didn't live in New York but I've heard much about Allison Steele. How good was the Nightbird, Zeke?
Zacherle and Rosko started at WOR-FM, which preceded WNEW-FM and WABC-FM (later WPLJ) as NY's AOR station. When WOR changed its format in 1967 they moved to WNEW.
@@hookalakah - Nightbird was probably one of the best disc jockeys in history. You can catch one of her airchecks on the internet at nyradioarchive.com or here on RUclips. Her voice was incredible. Even her commercials were worth listening to.
what a masterpeice!! This is 'Rosko' WKTU......
Have no fear PACO is here...92ktu.
we need people like this on the radio
He was the best!
Rosko is the spoken word voice of the poetry on Mystic Moods "Highway One," one of my absolute favorite albums, where music, poetry and environmental sounds are brilliantly blended for a nostalgic, romantic trip to a California beachtown in the 1960s or 70s.
Ed Sadowski do you know if there's any chance of finding the lyrics of that album? Especially between the first and the second track there's a bit that interests me very much. Maybe you could help me understand what Rosko says, I'm Italian you see :D If you could contact me in any way on google, I'd be so glad! Thank you :)
Ciao Giulia,
I'll be glad to help you out with the text of Highway One. The words were written Jim Molin, but I've never been able to find anything else he's written, although he's mentioned as a poet on the Internet.
I've never seen the words published anywhere, but I actually had written them down a long time ago, then lost them. I had them on one of my old computers, but somehow never retained the file.
I've been planning to listen and write down the words again, so now you've motivated me to do it again! If you like, contact me at my email:
esadowski [at] yahoo.com. I will be glad to answer any questions you have about the words, because I'm obsessed with this album.
(See my review of it on Amazon).
Basically it's the memory of a relationship of the narrator with a girl he met on a California beach town. It has the atmosphere and flavor of a very different time, the late 1960s or early 1970s, like taking you back in a time capsule.
I had an email conversation with Rod McKuen and he said Highway One was a ripoff of his
poetry. I have to admit Highway One is reminiscent to McKuen's The Sea, but I would not say it's plagiarism and not lawsuit material. I like the "ripoff" poetry better than McKuen's.
Grazie for your interest in this album. I'm curious how you discovered it.
Hope to hear from you,
Ed
Ed Sadowski I found this album on Spotify, just now and listening to it
iraqivetsgtret48 Thanks for filling me on this. I'm glad to see it getting more deserved exposure!
Rosko, I sure do love you SO!
I listened to Rosko as a boy in L.A. Thanks for the memories.
Simply F A N T A S T I C . . .
This song is so cool it can freeze the heart of the Sun.
Thanks for the upload!
Hell Yeah!!!!
Coolest tune ever! Peace
Roscoe was the best disc jockey ever. His raps on the Hip Bagel and Camrod? Motorcycle were epic. Often better than the music. The voice, the insight to the times. The music choices were perfect. So many nights with Roscoe, weed, wine, and Fresca followed by hypnotics with Allison Steele to finish out the night.
Catch Johnathan Schwartz and Scott Muni later the next day. 60s best of times/worst of times but Roscoe and crew were shining lights.
such a tune...
Does anyone knows if there's something more like this? This guy and those who created this "peacemaking" song are GREAT!!!
Merci FIP !
Ultra cool.
He also did others that were great, one was about Christmas that I have been trying to find,,#help
www.nyradioarchive.com/wnewfm.html
Greeeeeeat!
i wrote a novel called OAK POINT ~ one of the red threads of the book, set in 1969, is Rosko's warm tenor voice, and his show…"I sure do love you so." There is a Facebook page, etc. Happy to send a free file of the book to any Rosko fans on this thread, I learned more from him than my teachers. I sure do miss him so. OAK POINT is about two teen girls coming of age in 1969, first love, and years later, true love.
facebook com/MonaTheBook/
I Remember Mr. R-O-S-K-O Mommy-o from KGFJ...in Log Angeles.
The music has actually been composed in ... 1896 by Richard Strauss : "Also sprach Zarathustra". The presence of the music in the Kubrick masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey seems to make the music more popular. In 1973 or 1972, Eumir Deodato recorded a jazzy version of this composition ... which is closer to the one used by Rosko for peacemaker. But who recorded the instrumental part of "peacemaker" ? I don't now. I would like to know..
Found : The instrumental record is from a French session group : the Prothetic Band.
"Reality is the hippest trip" - Rosko
Watch the screen and we will try to count how many dots go by.
Here because Ninja Brian! Who else?
Ninja Brian clan!
+rpgFlea God bless him, this is the best stuff I've heard in a while
No duh
I'm the Earth shaker, the Earthquaker, codename: Peacemaker!
I cover the whole Universe: Saturn, Venus, the Moon and Mars.
I'm the power in the thunderball; the twinkle in all the stars.
The original Earth satellite;
You can't see me, cause i'm really out of sight!
I take care of all the problems in the World: local, national, international, universal.
Even show you how to keep peace with all the girls!
I take all the chances and never fail, cause i dine on all the power of space and wash it down with atomic cocktails.
Now if you need me don't despair...I'll be there smile, dial my mind line. L.O.V.E.
Looove..yeah!
My work is never done, and when I fight don't need a gun. I'm so cool, that I can freeze the hot of the sun!
The original daytripper lookin' for a fight.
Hipper than a big dipper!
Mission? make the whole wild world right!
Just ask Uncle Sam, who really brought the peace to Vietnam...He will say right away: "The Earth shaker, the Eartquaker, codename: Peacemaker!!!
John B Wells
Is Rosco part 2 find him on caravan to midnight
So help me god! Is this on Spotify? If so what the hell is it called???!?!?
is there anywhere this can be purchased on mp3
Download it from RUclips using youtube-dl like everyone else does. Works on any OS and it's FOSS software.
Onde está a letra? Where's the lyrics?
lyrics please
+victormanrio
I'm the Earth shaker, the Earthquaker, codename: Peacemaker!
I cover the whole Universe: Saturn, Venus, the Moon and Mars.
I'm the power in the thunderball; the twinkle in all the stars.
The original Earth satellite;
You can't see me, cause i'm really out of sight!
I take care of all the problems in the World: local, national, international, universal.
Even show you how to keep peace with all the girls!
I take all the chances and never fail, cause i dine on all the power of space and wash it down with atomic cocktails.
Now if you need me don't despair...I'll be there smile, dial my mind line. L.O.V.E.
Looove..yeah!
My work is never done, and when I fight don't need a gun. I'm so cool, that I can freeze the hot of the sun!
The original daytripper lookin' for a fight.
Hipper than a big dipper!
Mission? make the whole wild world right!
Just ask Uncle Sam, who really brought the peace to Vietnam...He will say right away: "The Earth shaker, the Eartquaker, codename: Peacemaker!!!"
Anybody denies this is the best song ever recorded should be subjected to weeks of inhuman physical abuse.