Obituary
Arnee and the Terminaters hit maker and Serious Jockin’ podcaster
Steve Wright, 69
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
by 79 Comments
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68287707
Anyone got Gambo’s number?
He’s busy bothering foxes-
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68244820.amp
You can sense them itching to make this “The BBC killed him”. Ghouls.
…and today the front pages of the Sun and the Mail have gone with this. Never waste a good death if you’ve got an agenda.
His brother was in the Mail today, giving a very dignified and reasonable account of how SW’s death was basically due to him not looking after himself, and nothing to do with the BBC.
Ah, that’s a shame. In his 80s heyday he was great at what he did.
Too young. His father’s still alive…
Sad news – his Radio 1 show in the late 80s was a pivotal part of growing up. And in those days, his show was genuinely comical.
And he introduced me to the Jerky Boys…
“Lemonade!”
“Pound o bananas? pound o bananas!”
Blimey. Just 18 years older than me. Thought he’d be properly ancient by now. The telescoping of time.
Hmm .. I had a similar moment, 14 years for me
18 years? That wouldn’t seen to be very close to me. Some of us are a lot closer or past his age!
Wow. Just after he lost his radio 2 show
Radio 1 late 80s he was doing the “Zoo” thing, before it was called that. It was inventive, humorous and irreverent. The move to Radio 2 came and was a kick to Radio 2 – many a commute home from work listening to Lineman From The Counry (without actually realising).
I do feel it became a bit repetive and forced towards the end, but he was a great broadcaster. A Radio DJ who knew how Radio worked, not just a “celebrity” wearing headphones and pressing buttons.
Spot on. The Radio was on every day throughout the 80s in a factory I worked in. Mike Read in the morning followed by Simon Bates, DLT at lunchtime or whoever, with Steve the best of the lot in the afternoon slot. It was very funny, he played all the chart hits, and it was just part of your life. That’s 40 years ago now, what a legacy to leave behind.
You didn’t work at the Farmstores at Lofthouse Gate did you?Your recollection echoes my own 80s experience. Gary Davies was on before Steve Wright.
I remember a lad in the warehouse who would regularly throw pots of Colemans Mustard at the speaker that piped in Radio 1,especially during Simon Bates spot.
Not me I’m afraid. Gary Davies was the in the lunchtime slot mid to late 80s if I remember. You’re right about Simon Bates though, Our Tune was a bit of a cringefest.
I think he was the first to introduce Madonna on Top Of The Pops with the line: “she’s quite mad you know”
It’s clear from the warm and shocked comments on social media from former colleagues and others who knew him, that there was a lot of love and respect for him as a genuinely decent guy as well as a hugely successful broadcaster. Sad news indeed.
I remember he had some great comedy talent hiding in the “posse” in the 90s. This was a marked improvement from the original version where they just talked inane bollocks. The bickering Daleks, the Newsagent and David Bowie doing the weather were all very funny.
He was generous in that he allowed others in the room to take the limelight.
I think it may have been one of Phil Cornwell’s first regular gigs.
Stella Street possibly grew form Bowie doing the weather
And little sausages…
Yes that’s right. Another name was Richard Easter who was SW’s main writer. You see his name pop up sometimes in the credits of TV game shows because he writes the presenter’s jokes.
Richard sat in for Steve Lamacq (or was it still Mark Goodier?) on the Evening Session once. Ride were in session and he did not hide his distaste.
He had a bit of a fixation with the Manics, which is why they ended up on Wrighty’s show around the time of the first album.
Love the show, Steve.
His 1990s comedy bits were truly original and funny.
I liked Voice Over Man.
Growing up in the 80s, for me he was *the* DJ to listen to. Nobody else came close. His rapport with his posse and the various characters – I always liked the man warning of an extraterrestrial invasion (“Space aliens! SPACE ALIENS!!!”) – always made me laugh.
He created the impression that they were a gang of mates just larking around in between playing hit records. Sounding that relaxed and laid back, every day, while sticking to a strict schedule for the news, traffic, etc., must have been hard work. And being able to do it for so long shows what a pro he was.
RIP Steve, and thanks for making me laugh so often while I was doing my homework.
Sad news. Like many people growing up in the 80s Steve Wright was a huge part of my everyday life through the radio on the school bus journey home and my first job in a shop , on my clock radio while doing my homework. Over the tannoy in the factory I worked in for a while.
He definitely felt like a step up from all the other daytime DJs and someone who really loved the radio.
I saw Mourner–in-Chief Gambo and Noel ‘Cake’ Edmonds paying tribute on This Morning, er, this morning. True to form, Edmonds made it more about himself.
Also just heard Jeremy Vine literally blubbing on his radio show…
But the question must be asked – why isn’t Elton John ‘leading the tributes’ as usual?
Surprisingly The Kinks paid tribute on their Facebook page, Morrissey also chimed in:
“Steve Wright, Annie Nightingale, Janice Long, John Peel … a generation gone. I once bumped into Steve outside Woolworths in Henley-on-Thames. He said “what the hell are YOU doing here?” and I replied “precisely.” ….”
Hmm, I’m pretty sure that SW was the DJ that Mozzer wanted to “hang” in Panic.
I’ve just seen that on Twitter, apparently a response to following a news bulletin about Chernobyl with Wham’s I’m Your Man. Was Wrighty expected to play something sombre instead?
A long time ago I had a regular guest spot on the local BBC Radio station talking about books. One day I went into the studio where the presenter was leading a phone-in about a major news story, Alder Hey Hospital retaining children’s organs post mortem without parental knowledge. It was understandably emotional so he spent the ensuing traffic bulletin checking the playlist for the next song before my slot. He didn’t select the songs but could control the order, and he didn’t want it to be I Should Be So Lucky, or something else inappropriately jolly.
Cat Stevens – Moonshadow. Perfect! He thought. Gentle, a bit spiritual, a chance for listeners to reflect and regroup before moving on with the show. And then the blood drained from his face as it played –
When I went in for my next slot a month later he told me that no one seemed to have noticed.
I don’t personally think it’s a pop DJ’s job to tell people what to feel about the news. As the noted sage Samantha Fox pointed out at the time, when Morrissey said Hang the DJ he wasn’t talking about John Peel and Janice Long was he?
@gatz This is entirely beside the point, but I also used to have a regular spot talking about books on BBC local radio – GLR in my case. It only lasted a few months, until I swore violently into an open mike. The free books were nice though.
I was on BBC Essex and very well behaved. No freebies except a cup of coffee at the studio, but I liked being paid to leave the shop and waffle on air once a month.
I set myself up as a freelance book reviewer, which opened lots of doors. I could choose 10 Penguins a month, for instance. Some paperback publishers sent me their entire month’s output in one go – mostly they went straight off to the second-hand bookshop down the road.
10 Penguins a month?!?! You must have put on a load of weight!
Morrissey is nothing but inconsistent. Would probably have been Wright’s producer who chose the record though.
I remember he was in the audience for Later…with Jools who spoke to him. He was there to see Radiohead who were doing some stuff from Hail To The Thief. Big fan apparently. That’s a factoid.
Another true STOREEEE!
I suppose I get to do the I liked Steve Wright before he was famous post….
He opened our school fete – probably late 70’s – whilst being the best DJ on Radio 210, Reading and the Thames Valley’s finest station. He was very nice and approachable and was handing out singles to people. I got Money in My Pocket by Dennis Brown and Rio by Peter Allen – both not too bad. Thereafter, he assumed legendary status in my eyes (my previous brush with stardom was being told to piss off by David Vine).
I recall he was a fairly big fan of The Smiths so I always assumed that Hang The DJ was about Mike Smith not Wrighty.
Oh no. You have shattered my illusions about the masterful, peerless Mr Vine.
Morrissey goes on to say that he played That Joke Isn’t funny Anymore when nobody else would
https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/steve-wright-rip
I found his show unlistenable but a mate of mine worked on it (he was an Afternoon Boy) and said SW was a lovely bloke.
Glad to hear he was a lovely bloke, but he was one of the reasons I stopped listening to music radio.
Me too. Unlistenable. I am not interest in the hilarious bantz of some DJ. Some of the specialist shows have informed presenters who are usually interesting – Bob Harris, Paul Jones, Mark Radcliffe etc.
Sixty-nine is far too young for anyone to die – only three years older than me – but at last a couple of dissenting voices!
De mortuis nil nisi bonum notwithstanding, I couldn’t abide him. I only ever heard him on Radio 2, almost always in the car, and never for long. He’d talk over records, never in my hearing back announce stuff – I’d come in part way through something I’d not heard before, think “Ooh, that’s good!”, and never find out what it was – and laugh at his own unfunny “jokes”.
Unlistenable DJ manner.
Agreed. Awful. Often played barely half a record before continuing with the bollocks. Lovely bloke though so they say. Never met him.
We discussed him in detail when he lost the afternoon show, plenty of honest opinions here:
Personally I wasn’t much of a fan, but I recognise he was extremely skilled at what he did. And do something for long enough with millions of listeners and one becomes a “national treasure”
PT Barnum would like a word.
I was no great fan but, given the choice of Wrighty or Rylan, I’d rather hear SW.
There have always been accusations that Radio 4 is dumbing down, but have you heard Rylan? Radio 2 has been lobotomised.
Rylan Clarke – as a DJ/Radio presenter, he makes Dermot O’Leary sound competent
Mrs F is as good a guide to the civilian population as anyone, and she’ll deliberately switch my car radio from 4 or 6 to 2. But if Rylan’s on, she’ll turn it off altogether*.
(*) possibly because she’ll have to listen to me shouting at him.
“Secret Ginger! Traitor! Traitor!!”
Radio 2 was bland c**p for decades then, out of nowhere, about twenty years ago it became really rather good for about five years – helped in no small part by Mark Lamarr’s prominence – and then, as quickly as it had improved, it returned to being bland c**p again.
… and then there are the unwanted, mind sapping intervals with Rylan’s mother, his KaRyoke section where he demonstrates his utter lack of singing ability. I’ve been told that he too is a lovely bloke, but I’ve yet to detect any talent, other than mangling the English language. (Last year I had a regular Saturday drive from Sussex to deepest Kent. I listened, so no-one else here has to).
Although I wasn’t really a fan of Steve Wright’s radio show, I did hear his long BBC interview with Paul Gambaccini a few months ago, which celebrated Gambo’s 50 years of working in radio. I thought SW did a pretty good job, and enjoyed the programme.
From the KLF’s The Manual, written in about 1989. For those unfamiliar with it, it’s all about how to make a hit record:
“If it is now after 3pm and you have your studio booked, switch on Radio One and listen to “Steve Wright In The Afternoon”. Viewed from a certain angle the man is a genius. Find that angle and view. He is the most popular DJ in the country. He has been the heartbeat of the British psyche since 1985. You don’t even have to like him to be awed by him.
This above paragraph is not an attempt at obvious irony, it is for real. If you can’t find that angle then I am afraid you have wasted your money in buying this manual.”
The Manual might be the best book ever written about pop music.
Agree. I’ve read it several times.
Probably not the time or place but if anyone wants it I can help.
….oh, and The Manual as well.
You are Billy Swan and I claim my five pounds.
We’ve got lumps of it round the back
Having left the UK in 1981 never to return, I have never heard Steve Wright.
Given that he’s only a year older than me, I mourn his passing
I met somebody overseas on a course in the 80s. He had his mother record all Steve Wright in the Afternoon shows and mail the cassettes to him in a big package weekly or monthly. Kind of a forerunner of iPlayer or BBC Sounds! *
* I had my mother taping Twin Peaks. The only time I ever flew from Birmingham Airport they found the tapes in my luggage and wanted to check what was on them.
Never to return? Are you someone from an 18th century ballad?
I would reply to your riposte, but I fear an attack of the vapours coming on
Are you turning Japanese?
I really think so
Whatever you thought of Wrighty, you would have to admit that he did have a stage presence , so to speak. On the way home from work yesterday I decided to listen to his replacement, Scott Mills. God, he’s so bland, dull and boring. I’ve just found a cure for insomnia. Listen to Mills on the Sounds app, and I guarantee you will be asleep within minutes, if not seconds.
In slightly related Radio 1 news, Jordan North is leaving after 10 years. It’s one the BBC news web site. I am really out of touch
The AW says “Jordan who?” in sympathy with you, Fred.
I think the term we would have used in the 80’s was that Jordan was in reception. He was the DJ who would cover all of the other slots whenever the regular radio 1 djs (Alan Wigfield, Suki Bapswet, Brian Mogadon, Tits Magee) would be on holiday/in the Priory. He has a nice, north west English accent and probably does no harm to anyone. He’ll be on radio 2 in five years.
Was Jeremy Chumfatty not available?
If it hadn’t been for the news of Jordan North’s departure, I’d never have known of his existence.
I got the impression with Steve Wright that his main interest was in the medium of radio, not in music. This is not necessarily a criticism.
The word on the street is that his career has gone south
The man himself, the geographically monikored dj, is remaining tight lipped about the reasons for his departure. Ashen faced too, I’d imagine.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/17/steve-wright-death-power-radio
Great piece here by Gillian Reynolds.
Ouch!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd1jlvp77y4o