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. . Disc Jockeys
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The disc jockeys
on the pirate stations tended to move around, a number of
them being involved with one or more of the 'top' stations
at one time or another and very few of them saw it out on
any one station from start to finish. This movement was not
always immediately noticeable as some of them also worked
under assumed names which they
changed, or had changed
for them, when they joined another station.
During its lifetime Radio Caroline South employed at
least 67 disc jockeys of which only 13 stayed for a
period of more than a year. Radio Caroline North employed
about 38 disc jockeys of whom at least 22, including
Dave Lee Travis, also spent time on the South station.
Many of them subsequently found employment on either
Radio 1 or the local radio stations as they came online.
Of some of the more well-known names, Radio Caroline's
original disc jockeys were Simon Dee, Chris Moore, Donny
Kerr, Tom Lodge, Gerry Duncan and Carl Conway. They
were later joined by Dave Lee Travis, Emperor Rosko,
Tony Blackburn, Colin Berry, Tony Prince, Bob Stewart,
Tommy Vance and also Johnnie Walker and Roger Day who
moved from Radio England. Andy Archer moved there, from
Radio City, as did Tony Allan and Steve Merike who came
from Radio Scotland. |
Sixties
City tribute to
Alan 'Fluff' Freeman
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Radio
London had, at various times, the legendary Keith Skues, Pete Brady,
Tony Brandon, Dave Cash, Chris Denning, Pete Drummond, Kenny Everett,
Duncan Johnson, Paul Kaye, Lorne King, John Peel, Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart
and Alan West ( later Radio 355 ). They also had Tony Blackburn,
Norman St. John and Tommy Vance who moved from Radio Caroline, Chuck
Blair and Graham Gill who moved from Radio England and Mark Roman
from Radio City. Tony Windsor moved there from Radio Atlanta as
did Dave Dennis who was previously known as Neil Spence.
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Radio 1 started with
about 33 disc jockeys, or 'presenters', of which at least 17 were
ex-pirates. Of the others, some notable names are David Jacobs,
Ray Moore, David Rider and Wally Whyton who either already worked
for the B.B.C. or came in from other areas.
Radio Luxembourg's
list of disc jockeys is far too long to recite and reads like
a who's who of radio broadcasting. It includes ( in no particular
order or era ) Barry Alldis, Tony Blackburn, Tommy Vance, Emperor
Rosko, Keith Fordyce, Pete Murray, Tony
Prince, Dave Jensen, Jimmy Savile, Jimmy Young, Mike Hollis, Desmond
Carrington, Stuart Henry, Alan Freeman,
Kenny Everett, Noel Edmonds, Roger Day, Dave Christian, Bob Stewart,
Chris Denning, Colin Nichol, Don Moss, Don Wardell, Geoffrey Everett,
Jack Jackson, Johnnie Walker, Johnny Moran, Mark Wesley, Ray Orchard,
Sam Costa, Stuart Grundy, Tony Brandon and Paul Burnett, many
of whom also worked on the pirate stations and Radio 1 ( though
not all at the same time! ).
Many of the names
mentioned above and a whole host of others have subsequently achieved
further recognition through B.B.C. national radio, B.B.C. regional
radio, Independent commercial stations and, of course, television
in various capacities.
Sixties Disc Jockeys
Here
are some bits about just a few of the D.J.s who made the Sixties
swing. . . .
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Alan
'Fluff' Freeman
The
Australian legend joined the B.B.C. from Radio Luxembourg
in 1960 and found himself presenting 'Pick Of The Pops' on
Sunday afternoons by 1962 with his 'Greetings, pop-pickers',
'Not 'arf', and 'Alright?' punchlines. You may also remember
seeing him in Sixties TV adverts for 'OMO' washing powder.
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David
Allan
First
broadcast in June 1966 for Radio 390 and subsequently went
to Radio 2.
Did a 4-hour show at Radio 390 before finding out that engineers
had forgotten to switch on the transmitter.
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Colin
Berry
First
broadcast 1965 on Radio Caroline South, newsreading and sponsored
programmes.
Joined Radio 1 in 1972 via an announcing job at HTV.
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Tony
Blackburn
First
broadcast August 1964 on Radio Caroline South after answering
an advert in a music newspaper. He moved from there to Radio
London and Radio Luxembourg before joining the original Radio
1 team, presenting their first programme in 1967. Became a
'Top Of The Pops'
presenter on television and also had chart record hits in
the Sixties with 'So Much In Love' in 1968 and 'It's Only
Love' in 1969.
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Tony
Brandon
Radio
London disc jockey who moved to Radio 1 in 1967 presenting
'Midday Spin' and 'Radio One Club'.
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Paul
Burnett
First
broadcast for the Aden Forces Broadcasting Association. On
leaving the R.A.F. he joined Radio 270, moving from there
to Radio Manx and then Radio Luxembourg in 1967 where he presented
the Top 20 show for six years before taking over the Saturday
Morning Show on Radio1.
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Desmond
Carrington
First
broadcast 1946 in Rangoon, Burma, after the Japanese occupation.
He worked extensively for Radio Luxembourg during the Fifties,
starred in the television series 'Emergency Ward 10' with Richard
Chamberlain and presented the 'DAZ' commercials for nine years
before joining Radio2.
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Dave
Cash
First
broadcast for station CFUW Vancouver in 1963. Joined Radio London
on his return to the U.K. presenting the 'Kenny and Cash' show
with Kenny Everett. Has subsequently worked on Radios 1, 2,
Luxembourg and also Capital Radio, again with Kenny Everett,
in a recreation of the Radio London show.
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Edward
Cole
First
broadcast for Radio 390 in November 1965. He joined Radio 4
in the mid-Seventies as a newsreader / announcer. |
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Noel
Edmonds
First
broadcast for Radio 1 on 21st July 1969. He got his break on
radio when he stood in for an ill Kenny Everett on the Saturday
Morning Show. He also presented the Radio 1 Breakfast Show and
the 'Top Of The Pops'
television show before branching out into various television
enterprises.
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Kenny
Everett
First
broadcast for Radio London in the mid-Sixties, presenting the
'Kenny and Cash Show' with Dave Cash. Moved to Radio 1, Radio
2, Capital Radio and has presented many television comedy programmes
as well as B.B.C.'s 'Top
Of The Pops'. |
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Nigel
Fell
First
broadcast 'The Anti-City Show' on Radio City in 1965. Subsequently
moved to B.B.C. Radio Leeds. |
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Keith
Fordyce
First
broadcast in 1948 on the British Forces Network while in the
R.A.F. Subsequently worked for Radio Luxembourg and B.B.C. Radio.
Best remembered as co-presenter of the 'Ready
Steady Go' television pop programme with Cathy McGowan although
he has done many other notable pop programmes.
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Stuart
Henry
First
broadcast on Radio Scotland. Presented 'Midday Spin' on Radio
1 when it opened in 1967 and subsequently moved to Radio Luxembourg
in 1974. |
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David
Jacobs
Has worked
for the B.B.C. forever in virtually every capacity. Major radio
shows he has hosted include Housewives Choice, BBC Jazz Club,
Pick Of The Pops, Melodies For You and he also chaired the Radio
2 lunchtime programme for six years. He has many cinema and
television acting credits and has also hosted many big television
shows, notably Come Dancing, Miss World and The
Eurovision Song Contest. He
is probably best known as chairman of the long-running television
pop show 'Juke Box Jury'.
David had the distinction of being voted Britain's Top Disc
Jockey for six years and was the Variety Club of Great Britain's
T.V. Personality of the Year in 1960 among his many other awards.
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David
'Kid' Jensen
First
heard in the U.K. broadcasting for Radio Luxembourg in October
1968 which he joined after talking to a visiting Radio Caroline
D.J. at the Canadian radio station where he was working. |
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Adrian
Love
Son of band-leader Geoff Love, he first broadcast for Radio
City in 1966. Subsequently he worked on the BBC Light Programme,
the World Service, London's LBC, Capital Radio, BBC Radios 1
and 2, British Forces Broadcasting, County Sound, Jazz FM, Classic
FM and BBC Southern Counties Radio.
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Jimmy
Mack
First
broadcast in 1966 on Radio Scotland, subsequently joining Radio
Medway in 1970. |
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Ray
Moore
First
broadcast as a continuity announcer at Granada television, joining
Radio 1 in 1967 and subsequently moving to Radio 2. |
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Pete
Murray
First
broadcast for the B.B.C. World Service in April 1943. He went
to Radio Luxembourg on a three-month replacement D.J. job and
stayed for five years before rejoining the B.B.C. where he has
worked for both the Radio ( mainly Radio 2 ) and Television
stations. He was a regular on 'Thank
Your Lucky Stars' and also, alongside David Jacobs, on 'Juke
Box Jury'.
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Richard
Park
First
broadcast for B.B.C. Radio Scotland in August 1966 having previously
been employed in some capacity on a pirate station, presumably
Radio Scotland. Subsequently became the Music Controller at
Radio Clyde. |
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John
Peel
First
broadcast in 1961 for station WRR in Dallas, Texas, presenting
a r&b show called 'Kats Karavan'. He joined Radio London
on his return to the U.K. where he created the cult 'Perfumed
Garden' programme and then moved to Radio 1 ( 'Top Gear' ),
Radio 2 ( 'Night Ride' ) and Radio 1 ( 'The John Peel Show'
and 'Sounds Of The Seventies' ). He has also presented television's
'Top Of The Pops' and
done work for the World Service and BFBS. John sadly died of
a heart attack in 2004.
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Tony
Prince
First
broadcast as a D.J. compering 'Disco A Go-Go' on TWW, the show
on which Tony Blackburn made his debut as a pop singer. From
there he moved to Radio Caroline, staying for two years before
joining Radio Luxembourg in 1968 as part of their first 'live'
team of disc-jockeys which also included Paul Burnett and David
'Kid' Jensen.
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David
Rider
First
broadcast for the B.B.C. European English Service on 9th February
1966 before becoming one of the original Radio 1 presenters
in 1967. He has subsequently worked for both Radio 2 and Radio
4. |
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Alan
Roberts
First
broadcast on Radio England in 1966 before moving to Denmark
Radio and the 'Voice Of Peace' ship off Tel Aviv in 1976. He
has since worked for regional radio stations. |
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Jimmy
Saville
First
broadcast in the Fifties after being 'discovered' as a dance
hall D.J. He was one of Radio Luxembourg's main disc jockies
in the early Sixties, hosting the 'Warner Brothers Record Show',
'The Teen And Twenty Disc Club' ( in which capacity he awarded
Elvis Presley his first British gold disc in 1960 ) and the
'Guys, Gals And Groups' show. He made a minor pop record in
July 1962 titled 'Ahab The Arab' and hosted the first B.B.C.
'Top Of The Pops' television
programme, from Manchester, on January 1st 1964. He has subsequently
worked for Radio 1 and B.B.C. television presenting 'Jim'll
Fix It' as well as being a tireless charity worker.
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Keith
Skues
First
broadcast for the British Forces Network while in the R.A.F.
From there he joined Radio London and was one of the opening
line-up for Radio 1 in 1967. |
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Bob
Stewart
First
broadcast for Radio Caroline in 1964, subsequently moving to
Radio Luxembourg. |
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Ed
'Stewpot' Stewart
Joined
Radio London in 1965, becoming one of the original Radio 1 disc
jockeys in 1967 and subsequently doing work for Radio 2 and
B.B.C. television as a children's presenter.
Unusual picture of Ed at Big L. |
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Dave
Lee Travis
The 'Hairy
Monster' first broadcast in 1964 on Radio Caroline South where
he stayed for two years before doing six months at Radio Caroline
North. From there he went to B.B.C. Manchester, joining Radio
1 shortly after it opened in 1967. Has subsequently appeared
in many radio and television shows.
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Tommy
Vance
First
broadcast for B.B.C. Schools Television in 1953. He has worked
for Radio Caroline, Radio Luxembourg, Radio Monte Carlo and
also Radio 1 besides doing programmes for BFBS and the World
Service. He also presented 'Top
Of The Pops' on B.B.C. television. |
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Wally
Whyton
First
broadcast as a member of 'The Vipers' skiffle group in 1957.
He went on to present 'Skiffle Club', 'Guitar Club', 'Folk Room'
and many other shows for B.B.C. Radio as well as being a popular
children's television presenter, particularly in 'The Five O'Clock
Club' with Muriel Young and Bert Weedon. |
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Peter
York
First
broadcast for Radio City in 1966, in which year he won the 'South
Coast Disc Jockey Of The Year' award presented by Melody Maker.
He joined Radio 1 in 1968, subsequently working for independent
local radio before returning to the B.B.C. on regional station
radio. |
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Jimmy
Young
First
broadcast in 1953 on B.B.C.'s 'Flat Spin'. By 1955 he had already
had hit pop records and was presenting 'Housewives Choice'.
That year he had two consecutive No.1 hit records, the first
British artist to do so. During the late Fifties and early Sixties
he hosted many radio shows including 'The Night Is Young', '12
o'Clock Spin', 'Younger Than Springtime' and 'Keep Young'.
His last chart record
was 'Miss You' in 1963. He was moved to Radio 1 when it opened
in 1967 and was named 'Radio Personality Of The Year' in 1968
and moved to Radio 2 in 1973. He has also hosted his own television
programme. |
For a huge amount of information on Radio
London, pirate disc jockeys and the subjects of their current
DJ personnel searches,
click on the logo to see the fabulous Studio Anorak / Radio
London website of Mary and Chris Payne.
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Also, there is another fantastic DJ
site at the
Pirate
Radio Hall of Fame
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