PAUL WRIGHT
Home of the "60's Sunday Show" on 102.3 HFM
The 60's Sunday
Hi gang and many thanks for dropping by to our "60's Sunday home.Last weeks 60's Sunday fell on Easter Sunday and 45 yrs ago that week Radio Caroline changed the morbid face of radio broadcasting forever,when she gave us the much needed pop music to compliment the so called "swinging sixties".She was broadcasting for the first few weeks from a converted ferry boat anchored 3 miles off of the Frinton,Essex coastline.Then she joined forces with another pop station that joined them called Radio Atlanta,they became one station and called themselves Radio Caroline North,which sailed off to the Isle of Man.And Caroline South and remained anchored off the Essex coast transmitting from the ship called the Mia Migo.I think we should all keep that sobering thought with us forever more.!
All this leads us neatly into where I broadcast the "60's Sunday" from these days from 08.00-11.00 BST,and that is 102.3 HFM.The studios are located in what we like to call HFM towers in Market Harborough,Leicester shire,which sits nicely in the core area to which we serve of South Leicester shire & North Northampton shire.But with the added luxury of the Internet you can tune in anywhere in the world at www.harboroughfm.co.uk and of course its all in stereo.
Each and every week without fail we bring you the music that shaped our destiny from that crucial double decade of 1953-1973,I suppose the starting point of 1953 may not immediately jump out at you.But it was the year of the very first UK hit parade as we knew it, and keener listeners will know that the record that held the honour of being the original number was "Al Martino" singing Here in my heart,which stayed in the zenith position for over a couple of months.And maybe an ideal cut off occurs in 1973 because in my humble opinion the pop music had changed so much from the stuff we enjoyed in the 1950's and 1960's.!!
So we cast the spotlight on the birthdays,dates of singers and musicians deaths,events that punctuated that period of pop music,and we also dip into our very own music Aladdin's cave that we call the "Rockfile".All in all something for everyone and starting off with the people that made their way through the exit door,happy to report that there were only 3 of them this week,starting off in America with Clarence White from the Byrds,and fellow American Bobby Fuller who was to be killed parked outside of his apartment under very suspicious circumstances,back to the UK and we remember the bass guitarist from the Animals who went onto discover Jimi Hendrix,and he was Chas Chandler.
Loads of birthdays so lets crack on with William Bell who teamed up with Judy Clay to bring us private number in the late 1960's.Desmond Decker is on our birthday list too,rocker Dion will be 71 this coming week.Motown star Martha Reeves will be celebrating her 68th birthday,joining her will be Jim Mc Guinn of the Byrds,who could jangle a 12 string guitar along with the best of them.Back to Britain and we will wish Brian Auger of the Brian Auger trinity fame a big 70th birthday,a couple of years his junior is Spencer Davis.Back in the 1960's a novelty instrumental was in the hit parade by American group the Stringalongs,and the drummer that recorded wheels for them was Don Allen,she went on to be in Fleetwood Mac,and the singer Christine Perfect as she was then is blowing out the candles too.If you went to all night dances in the 60's,the chances were you were dancing to Zoot Money and the big roll band,well Zoot is 67 this week,US instrumentalist Lonnie Mack is 68,and former drummer Mick Tucker of the Sweet would have been 61.staying with drummer as we mention Thomas Boggs of the Boxtops,he would have made it to 67.Yorkshireman Jeff Christie who had hits in the 1970's will be 63,and Eric Campbell from Scottish group Middle of the road will be having a birthday party aswell,Phil Upchurch who gave us the instrumental track you can't sit down,also celebrates another year on this earth.The original bass guitarist for the Searchers,and the fist guy to leave the Liverpool group to go solo was Tony Jackson,and he would have been blowing out the candles on his cake this week,last but certainly not least as we remember super drummer Joe Morello the drummer for Dave Brubeck for more than 10 yrs,he will be 81 yrs old.
All this and loads more of some of the stuff that does not always get a play on your favourite show,the "60's Sunday" with myself Paul Wright.
8.00-11.00 BST on Sunday 12 th July,hope you get tuned in bright and early,no DJ Hawke this week,he is along in a couple of weeks time,so I will have to make the drinks in the galley.If you want anything digging out of cobweb corner let me know and I will do the honours for you.I''ll see you around like a record as I say every week.
Godbless from Paul Wright.
Some weeks my good friend and radio collegue DJ Hawke joins us when he has done an over night stint on HFM that he calls the nighthawke,always welcome on the show as we are roughly the same age and have grown up within a couple of miles of each other.So we always have an intimate chat about times gone by etc.When he is on air is usual slot is 22.00-12.00 midnight on 102.3 HFM,so check him out as he will play loads of his favourite ambient type tracks.He will be with us this Sunday after getting his second wind after his mammoth overnight session.Other weeks when Terry is doing his show from 22.00-midnight,Steve Palmer takes over with his fantastic rock train,which runs through until we take to the air air at 08.00-11.00 BST.
Coming along in the next few weeks will be more informative and entertaining interviews,with none other than the girl that we all love so much,and that is miss Helen Shapiro.And the guy that was Kathy Kirby's biogropher,and he is Yorkshireman Graham Smith.Also adding his massive musical presence is former Tornados drummer Clem Cattini,who apart from being the skinbasher on that big number one smash,went onto be the top session drummer that made over 30 number records,Clem is a gem of a bloke,so listen out in the coming weeks.
This adds onto our list of great 60's hitmakers,they were Gerry Marsden (Mr Liverpool himself),the singer who was backed in Liverpool by the Beatles,and he was our very own lad from the Isle of Wight,Craig Douglas.Big in everyway is P.J.Proby,and we had a colourful chat with big Jim,we were also joined recently by Alan Taylor from the New Applejacks,and he told us of his times backing Adam Faith & Billy Fury.Back to Liverpool for the biggest scouse group to be still going,and it was a pleasure speaking to the original member who is still with the group,and he is John Mc Nally.When England won the football world cup in 1966 Chris Farlowe was sitting at number one on the hit parade with out of time,and it is pity that we did run out of time with the king of the mods Chris,what a very interesting guy.And last but certainly not least was the man from Essex who now lives in Milton Keynes,and we had such a great chat,and I certainly could have chatted forever to Brian Poole.So more big names to come on our 60's Sunday show,and of course if you can throw a name into the ring for me,I will do my best to get them on the show.
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