Partly because of it's inclusiveness - the way it's an open forum to phone in, get involved and become an on air have-a-go-hero - although I never understand the dreary Deidre and constipated callers that have to be prodded and pocked to draw out a weary 'yes' or 'no' - I was on a couple of weekends back, growling about dangerous dogs and have previous form for jabberings about my Starsky trainers and seventies fashions..
However the real highlight is a Sunday morning show 'The BBC Essex Years'. A show that indulges the listener with a full two hour rundown of the top twenty from one random year - padded with ad's and local news from the time. The fifties and sixties can lean towards a lumpy listen, but the seventies are solid gold - and somewhere I've picked up on these pieces of pure pop magic - Sail On Sailor, T.S.O.P and this peachy treat from last Sunday's 1972 show....
In case you're interested that full February 15th chart rundown looked like this - a cross-section of quality pop, that proves they really don't make 'em like they used to....
01 - Chicory Tip - Son Of My Father
02 - T.Rex - Telegram Sam
03 - The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her
04 - Slade - Look Wot You Dun
05 - Neil Reid - Mother Of Mine
06 - Don McLean - American Pie
07 - The New Seekers - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
08- Sonny And Cher - All I Ever Need Is You
09 - Fortunes - Storm In A Teacup
10 - Al Green - Let's Stay Together
11 - America - Horse With No Name
12 - Greyhound - Moon River
13 - Badfinger - Day After Day
14 - Melanie - Brand New Key
15 - Bread - Baby I'm A Want You
16 - Nilsson - Without You
17 - The Bee Gees - My World
18 - Sly And The Family Stone - Family Affair
19 - Donnie Elbert - Where Did Our Love Go
20 - Stevie Wonder - If You Really Love Me
Chart stats from the might site chartstats.com
12 comments:
That show sounds just up my street. I mean, I love Dale Winton's pick of the pops on R2 but it is only 'picks' and it doesn't have vintage ads and news.
The best thing about chart based shows is that they can't pretend that 'uncool' or untested music doesn't exist (as Five Centres was talking about last week).
And as for Badfinger. Brilliant. And T.S.O.P is one of my favourite disco tracks ever. With Prince Charles' favourites shimmying along to it, it's even better.
Sorry, off in a reverie of 70s excitement now...
I don't bother with local radio probably because I live in central London but I did tune in to our very own Matthew Rudd's Stockport and surrounds type show he did on Sunday. I loved it and in fact had it on in the background until pretty much midnight (he was on in the morning I think).
Sometimes, thanks to the Internet, I'll tune in to a Belfast station just to hear the lovely accent. Van for hire ads overkill though.
That's exactly it Cocktails, and should anything get squeezed they'll bounce out the overheard classic in favour of spinning the underplayed nugget...
RE - you're a genius, I'd completely forgotten about internet radio, and was about to recommend tuning in via 103.5 fm, but the listen again internet option is right here .
I must give Matt a go.A few years back, I would listen to the comedy channels on a Canadian radio station called Iceberg, it's where I first picked up on Seinfeld
Wow! That sounds awesome. Wish we had some local shows like that. We've got local djs, but they don't really do any shows anymore. They just play music and say a few words. Most of them don't even take requests these days. We get a bunch of syndicated shows around here during the morning.
Wow, I just clicked on the Listen Again link and got instantly absorbed..all that talk of three day weeks and impending power cuts! Took me straight back to being nine, and daring to flick the light on from my bed so I could get up and go to the loo (there might have been a monster under the bed so I was too chicken to do it in the dark). As the light went on and I threw back the covers, a furious Cockney voice yelled "Turn that bleedin' light aht!" from the street outside. Terrified, I did exactly what I was told.
Bleak times, but at least there was some fantastic music!
You can give it spin up Keith, by clicking the link in the comment aboveand choosing 'Sunday mid-morning on BBC Essex'
Good for you ISB, it's well worth a blast (but skip the travel news to get lost in the time warp etc...) there are some genuinely great moments on the show, with bods from vintage news stories phoning in with updates and 'where they are nows' - one of the best being when I heard my blind neighbour phoning in to say how she'd met her husband (also blind), after their guide dogs become chummy outside the butchers shop round the corner. The butchers is now his guitar repair and second hand record shop..which looks like this
How many other charts would have 19 out of 20 brilliant records? I'm quite enjoying Johnny Walker's Pirate Radio 2 on a Saturday night.
Used to love the agony aunt show late night on Sundays on Essex radio.
There was a call one night from a lad moaning he couldn't get a girlfriend, his willy was small. Next day at school EVERYONE had recognised this kid in our classes voice!! Poor poor lad..
Haven't checked the JW show yet Clair, Craig Charles Soul and Funk on 6 music is a top listen..
If you thought the singles chart was tasty have a peep at the album chart for the same week - unreal!
How's your luck - remember that show really well P. It was compulsive
Chickory Tip - good grief that brings back memories, I remember buying their singles. Later I ended up working alongside the bass player at one point.
Didn't one of Chicory Tip, make three appearances on TOTP in one same episode?
As a Chic-Tipper, A Fortune and one other?
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