Author Rob Chapman has shared some interesting shows on Mixcloud, including several Peel Perfumed Gardens from Radio London. His latest is a 7 hour session from Radio Caroline’s first month of broadcasting in April 1964. About the only ‘lucky’ thing about being at boarding school on Essex in the 60s was that most of the new (some very short-lived) pirate stations were anchored off the Thames estuary and radio reception was generally pretty good. On this Caroline post it’s interesting how much jazzy lounge stuff was broadcast. It wasn’t all wall to wall pop by any means. Anyway, here’s the link for your listening pleasure:
Radio Caroline’s early day.
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Most excellent find! Cheers
The headline for this piece should have been, Caroline Yes.
I remember listening to Caroline under the bedclothes on a salmon pink and cream National Panasonic transistor radio an uncle who was in the merchant navy bought me home from Japan in the mid-60s.
That radio went everywhere with me for the next 15 years before finally falling apart in Jeddah in 1982 or 83
Happier, more innocent times
Living in East London in the 60s meant we could pick up all the pirate stations. My memory is of listening to Radio London more than Caroline, but they all played actual pop records ALL the time rather than having to tune in to particular programmes, which was just brilliant. And they were perfect for the times as so much new stuff was coming out every week, or so it seemed. The role of pirate radio in the exponential growth of British music in the 60s is often ignored it seems to me.
Caroline carried on going (sporadically) until the 70s. Remember having my gob well and truly smacked the first time I heard Gil Scott Heron’s Revolution will not be Televized.
Radio seemed to be able do that on a daily if not hourly basis back in the 60s and 70s.
Caroline broadcast from a succession of ships until 1990 (with a break when the Mi Amigo sank in 1980 – I was listening the night of the sinking). It was listening to Caroline in the 70s that instilled my love of Motown.
The station can be heard on the interweb since 2000, and can be picked up load and clear on AM by my friend Siobhan in Ipswich.
https://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#home.html
Probably my favourite show was Mike Raven on Radio London. He played purely blues and R&B and started an obsession in me that has stayed with me ever since.