Radio Caroline 50th anniversary

[telstar]

Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?'

With all due respect to 'telstar' in post # 75, I think there are some errors in it. According to a book about R. Luxembourg, the station was never a 'pirate', though it was accused of 'pirating' the LW frequency used for the English Service pre-WW2.
AS for the 'awful' records, I understand that to refer to cover versions of hits of the day on the MajorMinor label which at one time R.Caroline had to play due to the MM label being owned by one of Caroline's backers.

Hi. According to a book called Offshore Radio by Gerry Bishop, it has a section on the early days of broadcasting, titled "How it all started". It mentions about the pre war stations, including Hilversum in 1928, and then mentions that after this it became a start of a pirate radio era (Luxembourg started in 1932). It is a really excellent source of information.
The records that I mentioned, I don't think that they were Major Minor, it might have been Avenue Records. Major Minor came later didn't it? David Mac Williams had his recording career on this label. I think that his track "Candlelight" is a real gem, and is really popular with pirate radio music collectors.
Regards
Mike

['LIVEWIRE?']

On the CD to which I referred in previous posts, quite a few Major Minor records are (were!) being played, and this was 14th. August 1967.

[emeritus]

I just dug out my "The Beatles live at the BBC" (actually a 2 CD set, not cassette). The following extract from the booklet that comes with the set confirms my recollection of the BBC's music output in the early 1960's. I had forgotten about "Children's' favourites", another regular programme that played listeners' record requests, and which might occasionally play a current pop record between old favourites such as "The Laughing Policeman" and "Nellie the Elephant".

"In the early 60's there was an overlap between 'wireless' and 'radio' in that when the Beatles were making their first broadcasts, Uncle Mac was still playing records for children, though by now he was quite a grouch about the way things were going; the modern world was not much for him. "

"The Beatles' frequent access to the BBC's studios and airwaves was a consequence of an age of wireless innocence that has long gone. Although millions were hungry for rock 'n' roll, on the radio it was severely rationed. When you tuned in during the day, there was only the BBC's three national networks and, of those, only the Light Programme might occasionally allow Elvis or Buddy Holly into your home. No local radio. No commercial radio. The only alternative was a crackling, phasing, Radio Luxembourg beamed across W. Europe at night. When the light did feature pop, because of the Musicians Union restrictions, records were frequently side-lined by emasculated renditions of hits from genial but completely wrongfooted dance orchestras."

"But their progress [in 1962] was fairly minor compared to their appearance on 26 January 1963, shortly after the release of their second single 'Please please me', on the BBC's premier pop show Saturday Club. From 10 o'clock to noon every Saturday, the nation heard their 'old mate' Brian Matthew present everybody from Terry Lightfoot and his New Orleans Jazzmen (for New Orleans read Potters Bar!) to Eddie Cochran. The audience figures were enormous with around ten million people listening at any point during the show and at least double that number, when the General Overseas Service transmitted the last half hour to the world. "

Given the BBC's meagre offerings, it's no wonder the pirates were popular.

My mother remembers the pre-war Sunday evening BBC programmes being particularly dire, and they usually tuned to Radio Luxembourg or Radio Normandy. I understand that Radio Normandy, based at Fécamp, on the French coast opposite Brighton, did not resume transmissions to the UK after WWII.

[crackle]

I recall having to retune quickly after the Light programs Pick of the pops show on Sunday Eve. because the next show was "Sing Something Simple" errrk !
Mike

['LIVEWIRE?']

Actually I quite liked 'Sing Something Simple', although, at the time I was into Rock'n'Roll & the then modern Pop Music, and a great fan Pirate Radio and 208. As to R. Normandy, my understanding is that the French Government after the war Nationalised their radio, so only Luxembourg continued English Programmes, originally on LW, after about 1949 on 208.

[telstar]

In 1962 there was an earlier project on the offshore radio scene, it was called G.B.O.K (Great Britain O.K) from a light ship. Unfortunately, it never saw the light of day (probably due to lack of sponsorship?). This could have been very useful to pre-Merseybeat groups (yes, there were some excellent groups around in those days, but they could not gain sufficient airplay/recognition). Some of my favorites included the many guitar/keyboard instrumental bands (especially the ones that Meek produced). There was basically nothing wrong with that type of music, it was how the media was operated at that time. These should not have been ousted by Mersey sounds, and lasted a lot longer than they actually did.
Cheers
Mike

[Junk Box Nick]

The first broadcasts from an offshore ship specifically aimed at an English audience came from the Radio Veronica ship in 1962 under the call CNBC (Commercial Neutral Broadcasting Company).

[telstar]

Yes, that is right Nick. It was on the M.V Borkum Riff, the first vessel to be used by Radio Veronica. I think that the Borkum Riff vessel is still about somewhere in Holland. The second vessel, M.V Nordeney is now in Belgium, but I did get to visit it in Holland in 2000 when it was used as a floating restaurant.
The Borkum Riff was considered too small for both stations, but C.N.B.C never transferred to the Nordeney vessel. My ex-GDR radio Saalburg 5170C mentions Veronica on 192 mtrs on its dial.

[Junk Box Nick]

In 1962 there were reports of a station heard on 306m identifying as 'Radio LN' . It is thought that these signals may have come from the ex-Radio Nord ship Magda Maria. The ship left Swedish waters and called at El Ferrol in Spain in September 1962 for work before departing for the USA. The Magda Maria would ultimately be renamed Mi Amigo.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Related to the Caroline 50th. Anniversary, Does anyone know any more about the MP3 encoded CD, I mentioned in an earlier reply. The one shown is of R. Caroline North 14 August 1967 broadcasts. There is also one of Radio London's final transmissions, and others on non-pirate radio themes. The only time I've seen these was at the NVCF a few years ago.

[ITAM805]

Hi Livewire, in relation to your CD question, here's the final moments of Big L's transmissions in 1967. My chum had this on record but here it is on Youtube. It still brings a lump to the throat...

Wonderful Radio London

[jamesperrett]

There must have been a pirate radio enthusiast working in the record department of the bit Co-op department store in Fratton Road, Portsmouth in the mid 70's as I bought a couple of records on the Jumbo label from there which featured some of the highlights of the pirate radio era.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

The first broadcasts from an offshore ship specifically aimed at an English audience came from the Radio Veronica ship in 1962 under the call CNBC (Commercial Neutral Broadcasting Company).

You (and other members) may be interested to know that there is a websitewww.norderney192.nl devoted to the early days of R. Veronica & CNBC
The text is in Dutch, but loads of pictures & clips on there.

[telstar]

Hi. I will have a look on the nordeney website, thanks for letting me know about it. I was once informed that the ship was in Antwerp, Belgium as a museum, will have to visit it again!

Originally Posted by jamesperrett

There must have been a pirate radio enthusiast working in the record department of the bit Co-op department store in Fratton Road, Portsmouth in the mid 70's as I bought a couple of records on the Jumbo label from there which featured some of the highlights of the pirate radio era.

Hi James.
I managed to get some vinyl long player records about Dutch bands that achieved success via Radio Veronica. There are some interesting records available from that time about the stations and the music they played. George Baker's "Little Green Bag" and Bolland's "Wait for the Sun" (they had the original to "Your'e in the Army Now" before the Quo).
I managed to buy the 2cd "Veronica Story" at a radio day, it has jingles and theme tunes.