i used to be a DJ and I consider Edmonds to be one of Britain's best ever presenters, not just radio for him but television, he'll go down as a great. Noel Edmonds, Steve Wright, Gary Davies, Kenny Everett, Tony Blackburn... My favourites.
It's hard to watch some of this, knowing what was going on behind the scenes with a lot of those DJs. Scratch the surface and it was a very dark era, but like so much in the 20th century, it was all brushed under the carpet.
I so much as loved Beacon Radio in the first two years on air, but when the IBA eventually punished the station with the threat of new management in October 1978 it was the end of an era. I recently found the page from the Express & Star over at the local Archives Department a few weeks ago.
1969 and that was the way it was back then with regards to treatment of young women. It was seen on television too, for example on the awful sitcom On the Buses, with the two main male characters leering and having sex with young female bus staff.
Jimmy Young shouldn't have been on Radio 1 from the start. He simply didn't fit in. Radio 2 was his home. Radio 1 should have had dedicated Radio 1 hosts and programming from 7am to 7pm and 10pm to Midnight from the very start in 1967. Yes, needle time restrictions and budgets, but if the BBC did care, it could have worked.
I squirm now when I see this. Like so many in this era I looked up to these prancing ponies. Thought they were clever, sophisticated, funny, talented. Now we can see that those that weren’t sexual predators were just overgrown school boys given a studio to play in.
The DJ = Narcissistic Maniacs, A grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements) Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance.
Many people watching might not realise, but not long after this programme was broadcast, one of Noel Edmonds's Sunday morning programmes was called 'The John Snagge Show' and Snagge did actually appear on it. He officially retired from the BBC in 1965, but continued to commentate on the Boat Race until 1980, which was his final broadcast. He died in 1996, aged 92.
Everything about Peel was fake. His real name - John Robert Parker Ravenscroft Education - Shrewsbury boarding school Background - wealthy cotton merchant family, grew up in rural Cheshire Yet he faked a Brummy accent all his professional life. A self-confessed sexual predator & pedophile.
Jimmy Young had been a genuine pop star in the 1950s with two number one records in the U.K. chart and 10 top ten hits long before he became a DJ. He knew more about the music business than the rest of them put together. I still have a copy of his cook book compiled from recipes submitted by his radio listeners.
Herbie Flowers playing with Blue Mink. Played with Elton, Bowie, Bolan, Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Jeff Wayne, David Essex, Cliff, Ringo, George Harrison, McCartney and many more. Amazing player.
That film hasn’t aged well… Rosko / Mike hasn’t done himself any favours in recent years by comparing his experiences of being cancelled (due to his working alongside Savile and Denning) with those of a couple of other Radio 1 DJs of his time who were (unlike Rosko) the subject of multiple allegations (though eventually acquitted in court of any of wrongdoing). Yes, it is unfair that his life should be tainted by the actions of Britain’s most prolific paedophile (Savile), but perhaps he shouldn’t speak up for a couple of the others (as he has done many times) if he wants a way back. I admire his loyalty, but it is not helping his cause. And Rosko knows (better than anyone) that at least one of his other colleagues (not mentioned above) was as guilty as sin in the underage girl stakes (and used to boast about it). Let sleeping dogs lie, Rosko…
Just look at Rosko here, with all the young girls. Makes you question if Rosko was also a pervert, who enjoyed screwing underage girls, but he was lucky enough to get away with it?
This is wonderful to watch. In December 1970 I was 12 years old and had only started secondary school 4 months earlier. My whole life was in front of me. This evokes many memories not only of the personalities featured but of an entire time. Even the Man Alive theme music is powerfully nostalgic.
Not mentioned here becaause it was on Capital Radio probably the best pop music show of that era was Kenny and Cash on Sunday afternoons. Dave Cash was a great DJ and kept Kenny in his place.
John Peel, as always, astutely calling out the hypocrisy of the whole environment. Lordy, but If he hadn't married a 15 year-old when he was 25, he'd have been declared a saint by now.
True story - I was working at Glastonbury festival, can't remember which year, but I was in a stand up men's toilet, a trough... Behind me I hear "so this is where all the big nobs hang out is it? Ha ha". I knew it was John Peel. I turned round to shake his hand, he looked at it and went "nah you're allrite mate" 🤣
The generation of Radio 1 DJs from over half a century ago were individually brilliant in their own unique ways tho at the time I suppose I like millions of other listeners simply took it all for granted. JP was superb if you wanted your music cerebral without entertainment, Tony like many other DJs was an entertainer who loved music ( and the wake up voice for generations of people early in the morning). Kenny Everett was bordering on genius and then their was Alan Freeman, Rosko, Dave Cash etc al .....
Now I know where the phrase on Steptoe and Son: 'A Jimmy Young cock up' comes from,lo. I think the two that had the real talent as DJ's were Kenny Everette and John Peel. The others were complete egotists. John Peel was a real music lover and propelled many bands to stardom over the years with the Peel sessions.
