He’s back.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/oct/19/tony-blackburn-returns-to-bbc-next-year
Sensational News
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
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Now we need to work on a renaissance for the ace: Alan Freeman.
What’s that? No. Dammit.
Jimmy Young is still with us, he’s 95!
Jimmy Young was 95 the day he was born. His only outstanding feature was being Margaret Thatcher’s favourite broadcaster, mainly because nobody gave her an easier ride. His fawning over her was nauseating – he’d get a job at Fox News these days.
You’re not necessarily wrong, but that’s a tad harsh I think – he was lightweight crooner who became a lightweight DJ introducing Waggoner’s Walk (IIRC) and the Legal Beagle and “Raymondo” with the recipes, who just ended up happening to do some interviewing when his late-morning timeslot mutated into faux-current affairs. I don’t remember him ever presenting himself as a hard-hitting journalist…
Good to have TB back though – see through the Smashy & Nicey-isms and he’s a real enthusiast and knows his stuff…
When Young moved to Radio 2, he took the lunchtime slot. The programme worked in exactly the same manner as Jeremy Vine does now in that slot – the other stuff was left behind (IIRC). Vine at least tries to appear balanced in his coverage. Young never did where Thatcher was concerned. Unfortunately, as a non-journalist, he couldn’t hide his personal prejudices where politics was concerned.
Can’t see why Radio 2 can’t give TB Pick Of The Pops back – he did a perfectly good job there (particularly in comparison to his immediate predecessor).
Don’t you mean ‘SENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN-SATIONAL’?
Timmy Bannockburn as John Peel sometimes called him.
Unlike most of his vintage, Tony appears to actually like music, own records and be an alright bloke. His soul shows are always fab.
I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d told the BBC to stick their show, the namby Pam by gutless weasels but you gotta pay the bills
His early-80s Radio London shows were cringeworthy, though. He used to put female callers on air just so he could ask them what colour underwear they had on. Soul music, you see, is sexy. Yes, Tony, but you were just seedy.
Not to mention the repeated mentions of playing his twelve inchers.
Friday evenings presumably means he’s filling MC Desmo’s slot.
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/09/90-year-old-desmond-carrington-to-leave-bbc-radio-2/
Thank goodness. That means it must be safe to dig out this LP again.
He didn’t like EBTG’s Eden or Joy Division’s Closer. Nor did Morrissey. Only George Michael had the good taste to appreciate them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ninp0i9TgqQ
George in a vest that he knitted himself there.
That’s a terrific watch. I used to feel that I was at the cutting edge of pop culture watching as a 17 year old sixth former but with the benefit of hindsight it’s even better. George mentions his solo single coming out “later this year” but is at pains to state there’s “no split, no split”. Within months Wham had broken up.
Morrissey doesn’t really seem to like anything very much but is such a media tart that he can be seen “tomorrow” on Pop Quiz. And he talks about Joy Division/New Order as having an “affected” image.
And “next week” Billy Bragg, Tom Robinson and Noddy Holder discuss Status Quo’s Farewell Tour – that’s 32 years ago folks, a hell of a long farewell.
I think I may have mentioned this here before, but The Tonester was largely – and uncharacteristically – responsible for Atomic Rooster’s ‘Tomorrow Night’ being a sleeper hit (charting weeks after release through Tone’s on-air support).