What are you listening to now? - Page 1048

Hearing the opening hour of Britain's first commercial radio station in 1973, it all sounded faltering and even rather quaint. The "newspaper on the radio" style was already in evidence - everything is ridiculously essential and repeated over and again - but it was also more "ITV on the radio". Many of the commercials were for the screen. Bring in the sun, bring in the sunshine....that's Lemon Pledge - or something similar.

Noticeably it was all more softly focussed than radio today. David Jessel's voice was a serious, frosty, Kenny Everett; not a Jack de Manio. It too would have been lemony if less restrained. And in the weird mix, there is a "Muffin the Mule" xylophone thing - or is it the chimes of Big Ben? - which is already years out of date.

Morning campers. That grey line between the content and commercials was fascinating. So too the brief reports which had an exoticism for being made overnight in the USA. A different world. There were messages from Heath, Wilson and Thorpe about the new service too. A familiar politicians' getting in on the act.

The problems in Israel and Syria - and does anything really change? - were relayed almost in the tone of the Times. Certainly the echoes of WW2 were much in evidence. Jessel's fussy order to the public to "hurry" for work and, then later, to the warm yokel of a weatherman to "get things right - for London depends on you".

From George Gale through to Hayes and now Ferrari, they have always had harder edged stereotypical journos who grab attention. It is this, and obviously the development of illusory democracy via phone-in, that has set the pattern for current norms. That's fair enough but perhaps it is also where it all went wrong.

For back in the mid 1970s, it would adopt the familiar 70s music. That which suggested news vans being raced with excitement through tunnels at 3am in a city otherwise silent. Wonderful stuff as was the pioneering in ethnic broadcasting - Geet Mala - and the lighter moments which actually had character.

For example, some of the shows by forgotten women innovators like Jenny Lacey although she certainly had an edge. Adrian Love - smooth yet sharp, and not a million miles from Dave Allen - a style that few can now manage. Monty Modlyn - "Pardon My Cheek" - live from a pub on a Sunday night. Bagels and an EastEnders singalong around the old Joanna. Nostalgia, yes, but only because of choices in radio about direction.

Anthony Davis, Nick Abbot, the ubiquitous Steve Allen.....these each in their own ways have elements of classicism. Perhaps the reason is that they alone are individuals with real humour. Anyhow, Happy Birthday to them all. Those in the past and the present. The first time is the best but at 40 much is still possible.

Gordon Bennett

Tuesday 8th October 2013 7:55pm

Basel

19,326 posts

Lonely Planet by The The

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnz-pD_bOHo