R2OK!

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Shows how few people listen to Elaine Paige (my excuse is I was at my mum's defrosting her freezer, and she can't stand the woman either).

Anyway, the show is pre-recorded in four half-hour segments, and they played Part 2 first, so at 0.34 she announces the 2pm news and there's then silence... until Alan Dedicoat chimes in to fill for 20mins or so.

(Thank you Vicky Richardson for that info - how much better Sunday lunchtimes would be if you filled that slot - even if you had to play show tunes!)
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Ron

R2Icon · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 1444

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

How do you know that it shows how few people listen to EP Ron? For all you know loads of people could have phoned or emailed.

I sometimes listen as some of her music is good but sort of tune out to her voice. Didn't hear yesterday's at all so can't comment.

It happened on POTP when Dale Winton presented it a few years ago now, they played the first hour twice on that occasion!

H
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I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Ian Robinson · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 6:16 pm Post subject:

I heard the last 20 minutes of EP's show, with the interview with Harvey Weinstein but was told about this drop-out earlier by another listener earlier.

Bit useless, really. It's a shame that they can get live stand-ins for every other daytime show on Sunday but not this - it's not like EP brings anything special to the show (in fact, it was because O'Grady stood in and made it his own that he got his own show later in the day).

Radio 4's Feedback have been compiling a list of all these broadcast drop-outs but they're happening so frequently I've forgotten the reason!

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

It's about time they moved Elaine Page to a specialist evening slot and preferably cut down her airtime for the type of stuff she plays which is certainly far from mainstream

Ipm on Sunday lunchtime is a fairly prime time slot which deserves a lot better but there again the whole of the Sunday schedule is absolutely abysmal at present with the possible exception of Johnnie Walker Sad

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Ian Robinson · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:32 pm Post subject:

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I too am sometimes disappointed with SOT70s. JW, who spent the late 60s and 70s championing album tracks as opposed to singles chart hits, should really be doing the same now, instead of playing all that Queen / Blondie rubbish that is played every day by every single UK radio station.

It was good to hear 'Fat Old Sun' from Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother, a fine album from 1970. But this was the exception. How many more times do we have to hear Brown Sugar and My Sweet Lord (superb songs though they are)?

Angela W · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 7201 Location: North Yorkshire

I think JW is stifled by the constraints imposed upon him. His previous slots enabled him to introduce us to new music and my CD collection grew with it. I don't buy much these day and I can't download anything with my useless broadband connection but I will always listen to JW when I'm not at work. I really like the sound of his voice. Very Happy

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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I tend to agree about the current JW Sunday show but I'm not sure I'd want it to become exactly like SOTS where in my view there is still far too much obscure music played although in recent months things have got better

I'd just like to see Johnnie playing a wider variety of 70s music including some decent album tracks now and again but I suspect it's not his call - it's prob ably down to the fact that the show now has outside producers who are operating in the mindset of what goes on in commercial radio Smile

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unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 276 Location: Warwickshire

I agree with most of the comments here....
EP's programme refects the R2 obsession with music from 'the shows' which seems overly dominant in the schedules. Also we are constantly bombarded with 'stars' plugging the latest show they are appearing in - the west end promoters seem to have R2 in their pockets. Dreadful music sung in an overly dramatic way by someone affecting a New York accent has scant appeal for me, and combined with the self-obsessed luvvie presention makes this show a must-miss in the Sunday schedule. To be fair, I quite often try to listen to it, but the first time EP starts talking about herself or does her hilariously strange laugh has me reaching for the switch. There is no reason why this particular specialist music stream is given a prime slot on a Sunday. I for one would much rather hear something (anything) else.
JW is almost the only proper DJ left on the station, and I like his presentation very much, but I have to admit that the show does sometimes feel as though not a lot of thought has gone into it.

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I think the reason for the bland nature of SOT70s is the timing: Sunday afternoon, when most of the great British listening public are in a fairly sedate frame of mind and would prefer the usual ELO fodder to anything more challenging such as album tracks.
Perhaps it could be returned to its Friday evening slot.

gazmando · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 560 Location: Huntingdon

Re Uncle Buck.
I don't mean to be rude but what on earth are you talking about?
Elaine Paige's show is meant to be about musicals so what do you expect her to play?
Also where do you get that "R2 obsession with the shows" from?
I listen from 7am until 5.15pm every weekday and don't hear a single show tune.
I can understand you not liking that particular style of music but you really can't make things up just so they suit your musical tastes.

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5767 Location: Hampshire

oldraver · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 1175 Location: London

I like a show tune, but I prefer it when Elaine is away, and Barbara Windsor does the show, as she plays more of the stuff I know and love. Her inbetween song banter is better too.
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unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 276 Location: Warwickshire

Wow. That seemed to touch a nerve. Keep calm everyone. Just opinions.
I guess I was merely reiterating a point made by ruddlescat, that this is a specialist show, and whereas all the other specialist shows have evening slots, this one is given a midday/weekend position, and I don't know why.

I can remember a Sunday not so long ago when Aled Jones had a guest who was promoting the West End show he was appearing in. He was followed later by Michael Ball, who spent a lot of time talking about musicals. His show was followed by Elaine Paige, featuring music from shows. Later, by way of light relief, we had Jodie Prenger, billed by the BBC as an 'expert in all things West End', standing in for Paul O'Grady. The day was punctuated by trailers for Friday Night is Music Night, which that week was to be a tribute to someone who wrote tunes for shows.

But to be honest, I simply don't like a lot of the music for the 'classic' style of shows, for reasons explained in the previous post - especially if it's served up in a solid 2-hour lump. I liked Barbara Windsor, but EP is like nails down a blackboard for me.