Simon Dee has died from bone cancer at the age of 74.
Simon's was the first voice to be heard on Radio Caroline over the Easter Weekend of 1964. For me, he epitomised the "Swinging Sixties" sticking two fingers up at the establishment. About a year later, he jumped ship and joined the BBC, presenting the Light Programme's "Mid Day Spin".
He really hit the big time with his BBC TV show "Dee TIme" which was one of the most popular pop-music based TV shows of its time, commanding huge audience figures. The opening announcement, "It's Siiiiiiimon Dee" became one of the 60s catchphrases. He stayed with BBC TV for two years. After contract negotiations broke down when he demanded an increase in his fees and the BBC refused, he moved to London Weekend Television. Unfortunately, he lost out in a political battle with David Frost, whose show followed Simon's - Frost was a shareholder in LWT and felt his programme, which had a similar format to Simon's, would suffer. Exit Simon Dee. His career never recovered.
But for Offshore radio fans, he will be remembered fondly as the man who fronted Caroline's airwaves in the early days.
BBC obituary
Wikipedia
Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd, known as Simon Dee, born 28th July 1935, died 29 August 2009. RIP Simon.
Sunday 30 August 2009
Friday 28 August 2009
Offshore August
August is a month of great significance for Offshore radio fans in Europe. This year, August 14th marked the 42nd anniversary of the Marine Offences Act in the UK, and in a few days' time, August 31st will be the 35th Anniversary of the Dutch equivalent. Those Acts made it illegal to advertise, work for and suppy the Offshore stations and, effectively meant the end of an era for both countries, even though offshore radio did continue in a much reduced form.
It's been a tremendous month for re-living those memories as veronica192.nl run by the Veronica Foundation "Stichting Norderney" have been running special archive programmes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Radio Veronica. We're currently racing towards the back end of this special programming as the webstream plays the whole of the final week of programmes broadcast by Veronica from sea in August 1974.
I recall those final few hours very well. My best friend, Peter Barber and I drove down to Great Yarmouth and holed up inside a hotel armed with radios and tape recorders determined to capture as much of those final moments as we could.
Veronica's programmes were punctuated with an announcement at the top of every hour... "Nog 77 uur... Nog 76 uur... Nog 75 uur " (only 77 hours left, only 76 hours left, only 75 hours left"). It was heady stuff, especially in the Netherlands where, in 14 years, Veronica had become a much loved part of the furniture. I was more of an RNI fan, so I probably didn't really appreciate how Veronica was viewed in the Netherlands. Listening to the archive programmes 35 years down the line, I realise I didn't give due credit to Veronica, the programming was top notch and covered a much wider "family-oriented" spread than RNI's, which was more pop-oriented, but then I was just a youngster in my twenties.
So, if you get a chance, do listen to the webstream as programmes reach a climax in the re-broadcasting of Veronica's Final Hour on Monday 31st August 1600-1700 BST (1700-1800 CET). I remember, all too well, as the programming closed with Rob Out announcing "Part of the democracy in the Netherlands is dying with the closure of Radio Veronica and that is a tragedy for the country" - this was followed by the Dutch National Anthem and a Veronica jingle. In the middle of the jingle, the transmitter carrier was cut and Veronica was silenced forever. I wasn't alone in shedding a tear.
The programme schedule is available on-line.
As if that wasn't enough, I've just read that Surfradio.eu will be doing a similar thing for RNI (Radio Northsea International) which also closed down on 31st August 1974.
For two days, commencing Sunday 30th August, you will be able to hear the final programmes of RNI. Surfradio will replay the original programmes as broadcast on Friday, August 30th. 1974, between 1100-2300 BST (1200-2400 CET) - this will feature the close down of the International/English service of RNI.
On Monday 31st August, Surfradio will give a complete replay of programming from 31st August 1974 between 0800-1900 GMT (0900-2000 CET) when the station closed down forever. During the period 1200-1400 BST (13.00-1500) you can hear the final two hours of the International Shortwave service of RNI.
Again, I recall those final hours of RNI. I felt the closure of the Dutch Service was particularly poignant as it ended with a jingle of Loe van der Goot repeating "Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee," and superimposed over this were the sounds of waves, getting louder and louder, until they drowned out the announcement. Again, the carrier was cut prematurely and RNI died forever.
I'd been a big fan of RNi right from the start in 1970 when I heard Roger Day's taped test transmission announcements. RNI had been through a troubled life - in 1970, the ill-fated move to the UK coastline brought a ferocious response from Labour Government of the day. For weeks, the programmes were jammed - normally an act I associate with totalitarian Communist Governments tryng to stop free speech during the Cold War. In the end, RNI conceded defeat and limped back to it's home off the coast of Scheveningen, near The Hague in the Netherlands - but not before a General Election brought about a surprise change of Government. The vote had been extended from 21 to 18 and I was one of millions of newly enfranchised voters (I was just a few months from my 21st birthday).
RNI was running out of money, having been unable to secure advertising and in September 1970, reached a deal with the Veronica organisation who had paid a million guilders to the owners of RNI, in return for the station going off-air.
A few months later, early in 1971, that agreement was shattered when the owners regained control of the RNI ship "Mebo 2" and came back on air, initially with just English programmes and a few weeks later with a daytime Dutch Service and English programming in the International Service in the evenings.
During that period, RNI thrived and had great stability producing some superb programming, the Dutch programmes largely being recorded on land. Faves of mine in the early days were Joost den Draaier, the madcap Dutch DJ "Joost with the most off the Dutch coast", who had been so successful on Veronica in the 60s and Ferry Maat, whose soul-oriented programming became a big hit with me and with countless other listeners. Other favourites on the Dutch Service were Leo van der Goot and Hans ten Hooge who presented Driemaster, an afternoon show live from the Mebo 2. As regards the English service, notable faves of mine were Don Allen, Brian Mackenzie and Graham Gill, who introduced his programmes singing over the B side instrumental of Junior Walker's Way Back Home, "Well I come from Australia, that's where I come from.."
I absolutely adored RNI and most of my listening hours during that period were to RNI, whether it was the Dutch or English Service. The music was brilliant and the delivery was fast-paced. For me, it was the best station ever. Nothing beats it. My love of the Netherlands and things Dutch was largely shaped by RNI.
Enjoy the final hours and relive them online with surfradio.eu.
It's been a tremendous month for re-living those memories as veronica192.nl run by the Veronica Foundation "Stichting Norderney" have been running special archive programmes to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Radio Veronica. We're currently racing towards the back end of this special programming as the webstream plays the whole of the final week of programmes broadcast by Veronica from sea in August 1974.
I recall those final few hours very well. My best friend, Peter Barber and I drove down to Great Yarmouth and holed up inside a hotel armed with radios and tape recorders determined to capture as much of those final moments as we could.
Veronica's programmes were punctuated with an announcement at the top of every hour... "Nog 77 uur... Nog 76 uur... Nog 75 uur " (only 77 hours left, only 76 hours left, only 75 hours left"). It was heady stuff, especially in the Netherlands where, in 14 years, Veronica had become a much loved part of the furniture. I was more of an RNI fan, so I probably didn't really appreciate how Veronica was viewed in the Netherlands. Listening to the archive programmes 35 years down the line, I realise I didn't give due credit to Veronica, the programming was top notch and covered a much wider "family-oriented" spread than RNI's, which was more pop-oriented, but then I was just a youngster in my twenties.
So, if you get a chance, do listen to the webstream as programmes reach a climax in the re-broadcasting of Veronica's Final Hour on Monday 31st August 1600-1700 BST (1700-1800 CET). I remember, all too well, as the programming closed with Rob Out announcing "Part of the democracy in the Netherlands is dying with the closure of Radio Veronica and that is a tragedy for the country" - this was followed by the Dutch National Anthem and a Veronica jingle. In the middle of the jingle, the transmitter carrier was cut and Veronica was silenced forever. I wasn't alone in shedding a tear.
The programme schedule is available on-line.
As if that wasn't enough, I've just read that Surfradio.eu will be doing a similar thing for RNI (Radio Northsea International) which also closed down on 31st August 1974.
For two days, commencing Sunday 30th August, you will be able to hear the final programmes of RNI. Surfradio will replay the original programmes as broadcast on Friday, August 30th. 1974, between 1100-2300 BST (1200-2400 CET) - this will feature the close down of the International/English service of RNI.
On Monday 31st August, Surfradio will give a complete replay of programming from 31st August 1974 between 0800-1900 GMT (0900-2000 CET) when the station closed down forever. During the period 1200-1400 BST (13.00-1500) you can hear the final two hours of the International Shortwave service of RNI.
Again, I recall those final hours of RNI. I felt the closure of the Dutch Service was particularly poignant as it ended with a jingle of Loe van der Goot repeating "Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee, Radio Noordzee," and superimposed over this were the sounds of waves, getting louder and louder, until they drowned out the announcement. Again, the carrier was cut prematurely and RNI died forever.
I'd been a big fan of RNi right from the start in 1970 when I heard Roger Day's taped test transmission announcements. RNI had been through a troubled life - in 1970, the ill-fated move to the UK coastline brought a ferocious response from Labour Government of the day. For weeks, the programmes were jammed - normally an act I associate with totalitarian Communist Governments tryng to stop free speech during the Cold War. In the end, RNI conceded defeat and limped back to it's home off the coast of Scheveningen, near The Hague in the Netherlands - but not before a General Election brought about a surprise change of Government. The vote had been extended from 21 to 18 and I was one of millions of newly enfranchised voters (I was just a few months from my 21st birthday).
RNI was running out of money, having been unable to secure advertising and in September 1970, reached a deal with the Veronica organisation who had paid a million guilders to the owners of RNI, in return for the station going off-air.
A few months later, early in 1971, that agreement was shattered when the owners regained control of the RNI ship "Mebo 2" and came back on air, initially with just English programmes and a few weeks later with a daytime Dutch Service and English programming in the International Service in the evenings.
During that period, RNI thrived and had great stability producing some superb programming, the Dutch programmes largely being recorded on land. Faves of mine in the early days were Joost den Draaier, the madcap Dutch DJ "Joost with the most off the Dutch coast", who had been so successful on Veronica in the 60s and Ferry Maat, whose soul-oriented programming became a big hit with me and with countless other listeners. Other favourites on the Dutch Service were Leo van der Goot and Hans ten Hooge who presented Driemaster, an afternoon show live from the Mebo 2. As regards the English service, notable faves of mine were Don Allen, Brian Mackenzie and Graham Gill, who introduced his programmes singing over the B side instrumental of Junior Walker's Way Back Home, "Well I come from Australia, that's where I come from.."
I absolutely adored RNI and most of my listening hours during that period were to RNI, whether it was the Dutch or English Service. The music was brilliant and the delivery was fast-paced. For me, it was the best station ever. Nothing beats it. My love of the Netherlands and things Dutch was largely shaped by RNI.
Enjoy the final hours and relive them online with surfradio.eu.
Wednesday 26 August 2009
RIP - Ellie Greenwich and Larry Knechtel
I'm really sad tonight. I came home to find that songwritter Ellie Greeenwich died earlier today. On checking some of my mailing lists for the first time for a few days, I also learned of the death last week of another musician, Larry Knechtel. Interestingly enough, the careers of both artists were linked. Both were artists whose work moved me, and, as far as I'm concerned, that's what music is all about.
Ellie Greenwich
Looking at Ellie's life first, she was one of the first songwriters I ever heard about as a young teenager starting to buy records in the early sixties. Her songwriting credits, jointly with her then husband, Jeff Barry, and sometimes, Phil Spector, read like a catalogue of some of the greatest pop records ever written. Can you believe this list:
Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You,"
Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Do Ron Ron,"
Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love,"
Manfred Mann's "Do Wah Diddy,"
Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High,"
Leslie Gore's "Maybe I Know",
Tommy James & The Shondells' "Hanky Panky,"
Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," "Out in the Streets" and "Train from Kansas City."
Utterly unbelievable. And it didn't end there - in early 1966, Ellie and Jeff were responsiblle for providing Neil Diamond with his first major break, forming a joint publishing company with him and producing his earliest hits, such as "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry" and "I'll Come Running."
Ellie did some recordings of her own material, indeed a few of her tracks are revered on the Northern Soul circuit - although she didn't achieve commercial success as a solo artist, she will be remembered as one of the Teen Queens of Pop, during the era when the Brill Building produced such superb songwriters as Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield - the only duo missing in that list is Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was an era when life was simpler and emotions displayed basically and honestly. Ellie was a prime shaker and mover in those innocent times.
Eleanor Louise Greenwich, known as Ellie Greenwich, born October 23, 1940, Brooklyn, New York. Died August 26, 2009. RIP dear Ellie.
Larry Knechtel
Larry's name first came to my attention when listening to the title track of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's classic 1970 album "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Reading the album cover, I realised that it was his fingers that played piano on that track and that deservedly won him a Grammy.
In those pre-internet days, what I hadn't appreciated was that Larry had been on the scene for a number of years, most recently being a member of that elite group of LA session musicians known as the "Wrecking Crew". They provided the backing tracks for the major pop names of the 60s - the Monkees, Mamas and Papas, Bobby Vee, Byrds, Doors, Partridge Family, Carpenters and, of course, Simon and Garfunkel. When Brian Wilson was writing, recording and producing the 1966 Beach Boys magnum opus album "Pet Sounds," Larry played the Hammond B-3 organ. He was on the sessions for probably the best-ever pop Christmas album, Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You", released in late 1963, on such classic tracks as "Frosty The Snowman" (Darlene Love), "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Sleigh Ride" (Ronettes) and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Crystals).
I next noticed Larry when Bread started having hits in the early 70s. He performed keyboards and bass on their first two albums, "Baby I'm A Want You" and "Guitar Man". Remember that fabulour guitar solo in "Guitar Man"? Well, that was Larry again.
For me, his greatest achievement was playing piano on Art Garfunkel's 1973 solo album "Angel Clare". The track that stands out for me is the Jimmy Webb song "All I Know". I once heard a
piece of music described 
as "achingly beautiful" - so beautiful that it just tugs at your heart strings and makes the tears flow helplessly through its sheer beauty. "All I Know" is such a song, that performance is, without a shadow of a doubt "achingly beautiful". I'm not too embarrassed to admit that the artistry and delicacy of the piano work in that track have moved me to tears on more than one occasion.
Lawrence William Knechtel, known as Larry Knechtel, born August 4, 1940, Bell, California. Died, August 20, 2009. RIP Larry.
Ellie Greenwich
Looking at Ellie's life first, she was one of the first songwriters I ever heard about as a young teenager starting to buy records in the early sixties. Her songwriting credits, jointly with her then husband, Jeff Barry, and sometimes, Phil Spector, read like a catalogue of some of the greatest pop records ever written. Can you believe this list:
Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You,"
Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Do Ron Ron,"
Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love,"
Manfred Mann's "Do Wah Diddy,"
Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High,"
Leslie Gore's "Maybe I Know",
Tommy James & The Shondells' "Hanky Panky,"
Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," "Out in the Streets" and "Train from Kansas City."
Utterly unbelievable. And it didn't end there - in early 1966, Ellie and Jeff were responsiblle for providing Neil Diamond with his first major break, forming a joint publishing company with him and producing his earliest hits, such as "Solitary Man," "Cherry Cherry" and "I'll Come Running."
Ellie did some recordings of her own material, indeed a few of her tracks are revered on the Northern Soul circuit - although she didn't achieve commercial success as a solo artist, she will be remembered as one of the Teen Queens of Pop, during the era when the Brill Building produced such superb songwriters as Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield - the only duo missing in that list is Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was an era when life was simpler and emotions displayed basically and honestly. Ellie was a prime shaker and mover in those innocent times.
Eleanor Louise Greenwich, known as Ellie Greenwich, born October 23, 1940, Brooklyn, New York. Died August 26, 2009. RIP dear Ellie.
Larry Knechtel
Larry's name first came to my attention when listening to the title track of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's classic 1970 album "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Reading the album cover, I realised that it was his fingers that played piano on that track and that deservedly won him a Grammy.
In those pre-internet days, what I hadn't appreciated was that Larry had been on the scene for a number of years, most recently being a member of that elite group of LA session musicians known as the "Wrecking Crew". They provided the backing tracks for the major pop names of the 60s - the Monkees, Mamas and Papas, Bobby Vee, Byrds, Doors, Partridge Family, Carpenters and, of course, Simon and Garfunkel. When Brian Wilson was writing, recording and producing the 1966 Beach Boys magnum opus album "Pet Sounds," Larry played the Hammond B-3 organ. He was on the sessions for probably the best-ever pop Christmas album, Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You", released in late 1963, on such classic tracks as "Frosty The Snowman" (Darlene Love), "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Sleigh Ride" (Ronettes) and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Crystals).
I next noticed Larry when Bread started having hits in the early 70s. He performed keyboards and bass on their first two albums, "Baby I'm A Want You" and "Guitar Man". Remember that fabulour guitar solo in "Guitar Man"? Well, that was Larry again.
For me, his greatest achievement was playing piano on Art Garfunkel's 1973 solo album "Angel Clare". The track that stands out for me is the Jimmy Webb song "All I Know". I once heard a
piece of music described as "achingly beautiful" - so beautiful that it just tugs at your heart strings and makes the tears flow helplessly through its sheer beauty. "All I Know" is such a song, that performance is, without a shadow of a doubt "achingly beautiful". I'm not too embarrassed to admit that the artistry and delicacy of the piano work in that track have moved me to tears on more than one occasion.Lawrence William Knechtel, known as Larry Knechtel, born August 4, 1940, Bell, California. Died, August 20, 2009. RIP Larry.
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