A cliché I know but I was one of those kids
that listened to a transistor radio placed underneath the pillows, and
the fact that stations I listened to were so called pirates created the
feeling that I was involved in something subversive which at that age
made it all the more exciting. Years later and I have almost given up
listening to music radio in the UK. It seems there is a wide choice of
stations but at the same time no choice. With the lack of any so called
mavericks offering an alternative, most music radio for me now sounds
uninteresting . So its refreshing to be able to listen to Radio Seagull
where there are no dreaded play lists and a more relaxed all inclusive
approach is the norm.
In the early 80’s I got involved in the
strange culture of scootering, pre arranged organized rallies to all
parts of the country with the local nightclubs being taken over to
supply the thousands of scooterists attending the rallies with a varied
mix of music, including punk, reggae and 60’s Northern Soul, the later
of which I had already formed a deep affection for. For many of us the
promise of larging it on the dance floor until the early hours to age
old soul music whilst of course sampling the local delicacies was part
of what created the excitement and anticipation, keeping the spirits up
whilst riding through the cold and rain for hundreds of miles on Vespas
and Lambrettas that were really not designed for such epic journeys.
From the heart of Essex to Morecambe in 12 hours may seem excessive but
a third of the journey time was stopping to allow the blood to rush back
to certain parts of lower body. Still involved in scootering, it's still
the soul all-nighters that for me are the highlight of the entertainment
at any rally.
After many a year doing bits and pieces
within radio, I was asked by the good people at Radio Seagull to present
a programme of rare & vintage soul music. Having presented the programme
for just short of two years now, I must say it’s a pleasure to be
involved with Radio Seagull, a radio station with a philosophy that the
most important thing is of course the music regardless of genre, the
presenters having freedom of choice about what they play, and of course
enabling me to indulge myself while at the same time putting all the
records that have been cluttering up the place to some serious use.
