November 2003
(October 2003 is here...)

Big Guy from Big L meets Big Singing Sensation from Caroline!

On a trip to Canada, Duncan Johnson dropped in on Keith Hampshire. T he pair paid a visit to Keefers' local, the Firkin Pub in Ontario, and Keefers sent us this great photo!

If you click on it, you'll see a larger version.
Ian's Digital-Do!
John Preston has kindly forwarded a link to the Radioinfo site for Broadcast Professionals, which carries his story concerning Broadcast Australia's newly-launched digital trial in Melbourne. The first person to broadcast digitally in Oz will be Auntie Mabel's favourite nephew, Ian MacRae.

Registration with Radioinfo gives access to the free sections of the site, which include news headlines and free audio.

(Radio London would like to apologise for the above headline.)
Carl with Mary at the London premier of the film in December 2002
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Arguably Motown's biggest fan in the UK, Carl Dixon reports that following the international success of the music documentary film 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown', which tells the story of the Funk Brothers, the unsung heroes of countless Motown hit records, the Funks will be touring Europe early in 2004. Two gigs are scheduled in the UK, in Manchester and The Royal Festival Hall, London. Carl says:

The film is also out now on DVD, and the American version has extensive footage of The Funks not seen on the cinema release of the movie. To see these men chatting around the dinner table and exchanging stories from the old days is truly emotional. In addition, to see them in the studio recording a rhythm track, just like they did in the snakepit - awesome, to coin a phrase.

In addition, a recently-published book, 'Motown, the View from the Bottom', written by Jack Ashford, tells how he played on hundreds of Motown and other Detroit recordings. This will be of enormous interest to aficionados of the Motown sound and Northern soul - fans from around the globe who can identify Jack's work on the countless 60's Philly recordings and Northern soul records that are revered on the scene.

As far as I am concerned, the more promotion Jack's book, the movie and DVD get, the better. This has been long overdue. From my humble days at the Bailey's and Annabella's night club in Hull in the early seventies, where I first heard all these records, I would like to thank those DJ's there who introduced me to Motown and Philly. The DJ's are part of this great, great phenomenon we call Motown, and without them, who knows where we would be right now. What I know for sure is that we must embrace the remaining Funk Brothers and allow them to tell the world of their existence and what happened all those years ago. This musical journey for me will never end.

Given half the chance, I may even go and stand in Piccadilly Circus with a pile of Jack's books and DVD's and try and sell them.

Jackie from 1985
 Peter Messingfeld says:

Radio Jackie was South West London's original pirate radio station and on October 19th 2003 the station returned to the airwaves. To celebrate, I dug out some old photographs from 1985 and put them onto a new page.
Enjoy!

Great News – Johnnie's got the all-clear!

On the Johnnie Walker Show, Monday, November 3rd, Sally Boazman read out a new message from Johnnie saying that all signs of his lymphoma cancer had gone. He said he was planning on relaxing in a country retreat with his wife Tiggy while building up his strength with his sights set on returning to work in February.

(Left) Johnnie and Tiggy at the 35th Anniversary Offshore Reunion.

Read Johnnie's message in full on the BBC website (and post replies) here.

Steve's happiest birthday present

Many happy returns to Caroline's Curly Headed Kid in the Third Row – Steve Young, who celebrates his sixtieth birthday on November 10th. He will be hosting a big party with his wife Trish for friends and family at their home in Victoria, BC.

What better present could Steve possibly receive than to hear the news that his old friend Johnnie Walker has been declared free of cancer?

Surrounded by adoring women, as usual. Steve with Trish (right) and Mary

Proud Papa
Over in Ontario, another shipmate of Johnnie and Steve's, drew our attention to a Canadian radio website for Country 96, known as the Spirit Of Kingston, where a lady called Laura Hampshire hosts 'Kingston's most-listened-to morning show'. Yes, of course, Laura is the daughter of Keith 'Keefers' Hampshire and his wife Cathy and has followed her dad into the radio business. Elsewhere on the Country 96 site is a clearer pic. This one depicts Laura, whose show normally runs from 6am to 10am on weekdays, starting to wilt a little during hour 33 of a 36-hour morning show marathon. Spot the family likeness!
A Daily Caroline Sixties Reunion!
North Norfolk Radio launched on Monday 10th November with its morning schedule looking like an eight-hour Caroline Sixties reunion! Breakfast is hosted by Mike Ahern from 6 to 10am , when Andy Archer takes over with the Daytime show, till 2.00pm. Ironically, Andy was unable to attend the 35th Anniversary Offshore Reunion in 2002. All good wishes to them both in their new venture.
You Don't Have to Be Eighteen
Kjell Dahl in Norway drew our attention to the Sixth Annual Musicradio77.com Top 77. Nominate your three all-time favourite songs and the votes will be collated into an end-of-year survey, "just like WABC used to do with its 'Top 100 Of The Year'," says Mike Riccio, the MusicRadio77.com 'Survey Guy'. Mike explains:

We originally started this survey to keep the 'feel' and excitement of the traditional WABC year-end top hits countdown. Votes will be counted till Sunday, December 14 at midnight. Vote only for your three favorite songs, preferably in numbered order from #1 to #3. The results will be published Christmas Week. Please VOTE ONLY ONCE!

Add your votes here. (I think I'll go and add mine for 'Along Comes Mary', 'Craise Finton Kirk' and 'Love Years Coming' – Mary)
Eretz HaTzvi Still at Anchor
Following Mike Brand's reports from Israel that on Monday, 20th October, a 'Pirate Radio Law', forced Arutz Seven off the air, and a subsequent story that the Eretz Hatzvi ship had been sold for scrap on Wednesday, November 5th, Mike reports.

Eretz Hatzvi is still at anchor After going down to the coast over the weekend, I can tell you all that the Arutz 7 ship Eretz Hatzvi is still at anchor, about a mile or so off the coast of Tel-Aviv.

This is contrary to statements made on the Arutz 7 site last Wednesday, that the ship was to sail at to Turkey to be broken up.

The ship has moved a bit, and is now anchored about a mile or so between its old anchorage opposite the Tel-Aviv Marina, and the coastal town of Hertzelia. It is anchored opposite the beach where the King David ran aground nearly three years ago.

Meanwhile, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade (Likud) Ehud Olmert has announced his office is working towards introducing legislation that would accommodate new nationwide radio stations, admitting that his efforts are motivated by the closure of Arutz-7. Olmert commented today that his feelings towards Arutz-7 and its loyal audience are well-known, and he will continue efforts towards introducing the required legislation to get the silenced radio station up and running.

The minister added that while Arutz-7 is missed, the "law is the law" and there can be no special allocations made for Arutz-7.

Radio London Motor Racing
Matters motoring feature strongly in Jonathan's November update of The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. There's a photo of one of the Radio London-sponsored racing cars, a Brabham BT15, which is now residing in Australia, still looking good and still racing. Plus, there's a pic of a very fetching Caroline Club enamel car badge, recently sold via e-bay. Amongst the new soundbites is a very rare recording of short-term Big L jock John Yorke, presenting London After Midnight.
The Principality of Sealand
Bob Le-Roi's site update sees the release of an exclusively-produced VCD containing over 150 original photographs accompanied by a soundtrack tour of the Principality of Sealand. 'Scrapbook' has Part 1 of a feature on Radio Essex, including the first boarding pictures of Knock John by Radio City in 1965, along with early shots of Radio Essex and photos from the 2003 Reunion.
Talking of Fort-based stations...
Dave Roberts has built a four-page website consisting of recent photos of the ex-radio forts in the Thames estuary, to show how time is eating away at the historical structures once used by Radio City and Radio 390 etc. They are strange and eerie places to visit now, but remain true monuments to construction that was designed to last.
And talking of Radio City...
In Volume 22 of ex-Radio City jock, Ian MacRae's on-line newsletter The Radio Wave, there's a section devoted to 'Fines, Sackings and Other Fun', which includes the religious broadcast that, thanks to a datastream overload, ended up broadcasting a 24-second repetition of 'sex, sex, sex, sex, sex...'!
"Fight for Media Reform"
John Schneider of Radiopoly has put up a new page about how "The Recording Industry Association of America wants you to believe that file sharing is solely responsible for the decline in music sales."

"Think about this for just a second," says John. "Why did take a COMPUTER COMPANY (Apple/iTunes) to show record companies how to effectively sell music downloads?"

John also wants everyone to sign the media reform petition.

Check out the Groove at Aylesbury Civic Centre!

The 'ultimate Seventies soul and disco experience' - Platform Soul - is appearing at the group's third charity gig at Aylesbury Civic Centre on Sat November 29th. Afro wigs, Travolta medallions and flared jump-suits will be en vogue and a fun night out is guaranteed.

Tickets £10.00 from the Box Office, 01296 486009.


Back to 'Kneesflashes'
Home