Skip to content

Vintage Penticton tape deck is a reel mystery

Penticton man looking for whoever is speaking on a vintage reel-to-reel tape
18240487_web1_190828-PWN-mystery-tape-deck-T
Darren Boyce found this vintage gem of a tape deck while shopping at Penticton’s Value Village in June. He is now searching for whoever is speaking on the tape. (Submitted photo)

“Stay tuned for more Scooby-Doo Where Are You!”

It is one of the sayings – along with references to the weather, CKOK radio and Penticton teachers – coming from two children who presumably hijacked a microphone, creating a reel-to-reel tape mystery.

Darren Boyce found the vintage gem of a tape deck while shopping at Penticton’s Value Village in June.

“I like to go in there every so often and search out things. I have a passion for all things music, antiques and all kinds of obscure dead media so when I saw it, I had to pick it up,” said Boyce, who suspects it is from the early-to-mid 1960s.

READ MORE: Storm the Ogopogo? Okanagan residents called upon to find elusive monster

When he cracked the tape deck open it looked as though it hadn’t been played in decades and while it powered on, it wouldn’t play — intriguing Boyce even more.

“I spent a couple of months ordering parts online and servicing it. I finally got it running and it was mostly German music on the reel, but then on one side at the end was this clip of a family talking,” said Boyce, who finally got to hear what was on the tape just about a week ago.

One of the children introduces himself as the “weatherman from CKOK Penticton radio station 92” and that it is a bit cloudy in Penticton, snow flurries in Alberta and “Saskatchewan is being drowned and um, we are having a lot of fun around here.” The two kids then burst into song starting with Baa Baa Black Sheep. An adult male can be heard in the background as one of the kids lists off teachers he has previously had, and again more clearly later when he tells the kids to “put it down.”

READ MORE: South Okanagan woman seeks owner of mystery dress

Boyce posted the audio and a photo of the tape deck on social media, hoping to reconnect the voices heard to the reel.

“That’s definitely part of the fascination I have with collecting stuff. I love to see, maybe, people get a part of their history back or to discover something they didn’t know existed. I never like to see things lost, especially in the midst of time. Facebook and social media is great for reconnecting the past with the present, so I put it out there,” said Boyce, who said he would give the tape to those heard on it, or their family, if he can find them.

“I am hoping someone will come across this (story or social media post) and maybe reclaim a part of their family history that they didn’t realize existed.”

Boyce said anyone who might know the voices on the tape are welcome to message him on his Facebook page.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

<>

@PentictonNews
editor@pentictonwesternnews.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.