Where
were you born? – Stepney, London
Where do you live now?
- Angmering, West Sussex
What is your favourite part of
the Country? - West Sussex. I also love Greenwich. It’s
steeped in history, has a really nice vibe and there’s a
great view of the London skyline.
How did you get into
Radio? - I used to answer the phones on a voluntary
basis at Capital Radio for a programme called 'London
Link' in the early hours of a Saturday morning. This led
to working in the record library. Euston Tower had a
really nice feel to it back in the 70's. I also did 'The
Young DJ’ feature on several occasions on a youth
magazine Sunday afternoon programme called 'Hullabaloo'.
It was like having your own mini show on Capital Radio!
I remember making a witty remark about one of my
teachers who heard it and wasn't impressed.
When and why
did you first join Caroline? - I joined in April this
year because I wanted to be on a station that plays
quality music with soul and passion written by musicians
who can play their own instruments. What other Radio
stations have you been involved with? - Hospital radio
stations include Whitechapel AM. Then there was Radio Basildon and Radio Thamesmead. A number of RSL's, Radio
Luxembourg, Chiltern FM, Breeze AM, Essex FM, KFM,
European Klassic Rock, Country 1035, Invicta FM, Capital
Gold and Gold.
What are your earliest memories of
Caroline? - I remember listening to Tony Allan back in
the 70's and thinking 'this guy has a great voice and
this station is doing what the others are not'. What's
your favourite station other than Caroline? - BBC Five
Live, KFOG in San Francisco and WDRV The Drive in
Chicago.
Met any famous people? - Lots. The ones that
come to mind though are Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine
during my days as a film extra. I once also met that guy
that used to present the weather on Anglia television.
He said it was going to rain.
What is the best and worst
thing about radio today? - Don't get me started! Where's
the soapbox? The worst? Repetition which leads to
burnout. Airplay which is bias toward the R&B genre. The
fact that most stations won't take risks in breaking new
artists. Plastic voice on a stick presenters on
McDonalds FM stations. The Best? New technology and the
mighty power of the net which liberates people to listen
to stations like us from anywhere on the planet. There's
no doubt that the radio landscape is changing and
Caroline is beautifully evolving into it. We are
gratifying a market that isn't being catered for in so
called 'mainstream radio'. That's the genius of Radio
Caroline. It was doing this back in the 1960's and it's
still doing it today.!
How much music freedom do you
have on Caroline compared with other stations? - Lots,
comparatively. We use a playlist but it's more of a
template. It's great being on a station where I can
think about the music I'm going to play rather than
being handed a list and told to get on with it.
What's
the most embarrassing or funny thing that's happened to
you?- In the 80's I worked on a cable station in Essex
called Radio Basildon. On one occasion a friend came
down to the studio to watch me behind the controls. It
was his first ever visit. During the course of the
programme one of the telephonists turned up on her day
off. She was as high as the Shard and proceeded to
'pleasure herself' in the corner of the studio in front
of the pair of us. My friend never had to ask why I
wanted to work in radio!
Who would you like to get stuck
with on a desert Island? - A comfy mattress, some
whipped cream and Penelope Cruz.
What's the most
important thing that you have learnt about Radio? - Not
to take it too seriously. If something goes wrong just
carry on.
What was the first record you bought? - To be
honest I can't remember. However, one of them is The New
Seekers 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'.
What are
your favourite bands? - The Pretenders, The Stones,
Eagles, Floyd, some band called The Beatles and all the
other usual suspects. There are way too many to list.
What are your favourite tunes? - That's a tough call!
Ask me to explain quantum theory. That's easier!
What
are your plans for the future? - I don't make plans.
It's a good philosophy. That way you can't be
disappointed.
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