| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
mark occomore
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 9955
Location: UK
|
 Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:52 am Post subject: Radio Luxembourg 208, Your Station Of The Stars. |
 |
|
| Quote: | Noel Edmonds tells the story of the original pop music station in the UK - Radio Luxembourg. It was hugely influential for millions of so-called 'under the bedclothes listeners' who were starved of 60s pop music, but frustrated by the signal, which faded in and out.
This month marks the 80th anniversary of the first test transmissions to Britain. A full service started in 1933 and it was 20 years ago that it finally closed down to UK listeners.
The story of Radio Luxembourg is the story of pop music radio, but it is also much more.
In part one Noel takes listeners back to 1932 and preparations to fire-up the mighty Junglinster transmitter, on a long-wave frequency Luxembourg didn't actually own.
Once on air, commercial radio arrived in the UK for the first time. During the 1950s the station kept several paces ahead and pulled in millions of listeners who were captivated by the popular music and presenters. But then in 1964 the pirate ships in the North Sea arrived. The programme includes contributions from Pete Murray, Teddy Johnson, Bill Kenwright and Radio Luxembourg Archive recordings
|
Airing 31st May 10-11pm Presenter/Noel Edmonds, Producer/Phil Swern for I Like Music |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
|
| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 9:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
Sound interesting and well worth a listen 
_________________
Are you ready for a Ruddles? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ColinB
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 10:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
A few years ago I digitised some 1/4" studio tapes of the late, great Stuart Henry on air at Luxy. He used to make recordings as he was on air and after he died his then wife (now the wife of a friend of mine) took them from the studios when the station closed. I put the lot onto Mini Disc for her. I'd forgotten what a great broadcaster he was - brought down prematurely by MS.
Radio Luxembourg's finest days were in the 1930s and 1950s, but of course as soon as Radio Caroline blasted onto the airwaves on Easter Sunday 1964, Luxembourg's star began to fade. Reception for me down in west Devon was never perfect on 208 either! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John W
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK
|
| Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
In the 1930s Luxembourg broadcast sponsored performances by British bands and artistes every week. And those performances had been recorded onto disc in London. Amazingly those discs rarely got a second play, and were usually thrown away.
A few discs have survived, band leaders often held onto personal copies, and some were issued on LP and CD decades later.
And some dedicated listeners with primitive tape-recording facilities also recorded Luxembourg off the air, poor quality but some recordings still exist.
There was also, then, a Radio Normandie which also broadcast British bands' recordings.
_________________
-
John W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
|
| Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 3:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ruddlescat wrote: | | Sound interesting and well worth a listen |
I agree,ruddles.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
My first late night listening under the bedcovers was to Radio Luxembourg in 1963 as there wasn't a lot of pop music on the BBC at that time. Memories of falling asleep leaving the transistor radio on to find I'd used up the batter time by the time I woke up. 
Will try to remember to listen.
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John W
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK
|
| Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 7:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| John W wrote: |
There was also, then, a Radio Normandie which also broadcast British bands' recordings. |
and a colleague has just told me THEY were first 'pop' station, 81 yeras ago, not Luxembourg.
"The first commercial broadcasts came from the International Broadcasting Company, which began transmitting in October 1931 from Radio Normandie, a 10kw station near Fécamp......
_________________
-
John W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ColinB
Guest
|
| Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 9:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I remember researching the early northern France-based stations for a student media project in the 70s. Captain Leonard Plugge was a name that comes to mind where Normandie was concerned. All these stations (Luxembourg) came to a sharp end once WW2 was declared, of course, as the Germans took them over and used them for propaganda broadcasting, and Luxembourg's massively powerful transmitter came in rather handy in that respect! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Did anyone listen to this? ...I did for about 15 minutes then switched off because I found it boring. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Angela W
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Posts: 7202
Location: North Yorkshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| becky sharp wrote: | | Did anyone listen to this? ...I did for about 15 minutes then switched off because I found it boring. |
I recorded it, but haven't had chance to hear it yet!
_________________
Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I've been meaning to listen or record for later but just haven't got round to it. If I've time I'll record it though.
It sounded like it went back a long way? I was hoping it would have been from 'our era'.
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Helen May wrote: | I've been meaning to listen or record for later but just haven't got round to it. If I've time I'll record it though.
It sounded like it went back a long way? I was hoping it would have been from 'our era'.
H |
So was I,Helen....I'd be interested in what you and Angela make of it if you get the time to listen. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FleetingEileenM
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 5767
Location: Hampshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Meant to listen but totally forgot. Used to do my homework listening to it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's still on iPlayer until Thursday night Eileen.
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John W
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Helen May wrote: |
It sounded like it went back a long way? I was hoping it would have been from 'our era'.
|
I don't understand your comment there Helen. If it's a 2-part series and the story starts in 1931 then why should they fast forward?
_________________
-
John W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ColinB
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| The story of English-language commercial radio in Europe is a fascinating one and I really must grab it off iPlayer before it disappears! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| John W wrote: | | Helen May wrote: |
It sounded like it went back a long way? I was hoping it would have been from 'our era'.
|
I don't understand your comment there Helen. If it's a 2-part series and the story starts in 1931 then why should they fast forward? |
What I meant was that I thought it would have been starting at a later date rather than go back so far as the trails that I heard indicated.
I don't know if it's a 2 part series John, I haven't heard it yet or checked RT.
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John W
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 8:19 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Well Helen, you could go back and read Mark's #1 posting .......
"In part one Noel takes listeners back to 1932 and preparations to fire-up the mighty Junglinster transmitter, on a long-wave frequency Luxembourg didn't actually own. Once on air, commercial radio arrived in the UK for the first time...... "
_________________
-
John W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So I didn't look back at the first post is it a crime?
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John W
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 3367
Location: Warwickshire, UK
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 7:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Helen May wrote: | So I didn't look back at the first post is it a crime?
H |
It just meant your posting here was ill-informed garbage.
_________________
-
John W |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SantaFefan
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
_________________
Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ruddlescat
Joined: 16 Sep 2010
Posts: 18010
Location: Near Chester
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's hardly 'ill informed garbage' John
At very worst it could be classed as a forgetful comment but is it really any big deal? I think not 
_________________
Are you ready for a Ruddles? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Helen May
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 19335
Location: Cheshire
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So my posts are garbage John????
Perhaps you'll insult me further with your reply................
For what it's worth (obviously nothing to you) I was replying to Becky.
H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!
I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ColinB
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| John - take it easy. There are precious few regular posters on this forum as it is. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
becky sharp
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
Posts: 6815
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Helen May wrote: | So my posts are garbage John????
Perhaps you'll insult me further with your reply................
For what it's worth (obviously nothing to you) I was replying to Becky.
H |
Not in my opinion,Helen. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FleetingEileenM
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 5767
Location: Hampshire
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
Oh dear ... on many counts .
I MUST catch up on Part 1 of this prog and I have only 14 hours left. I hope very much to hear Horace Batchelor and K-E-Y-N-S-H-A-M . |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SantaFefan
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Excellent... just thought of this programme and managed to switch the recorder on at the last second! 
_________________
Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio! 13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
