55 years on from the pirate radio closures
‘Big L time is three ‘o clock and Radio London is now closing down’
As the Beatles ‘Day in the Life’ reached its final, crashing last note, the pirate radio station which had become the soundtrack to British youth came abruptly to the end of its short life.
In shops, offices and bedrooms across the UK, tears flowed as teenagers came to terms with the loss of the radio station which had beamed friendship and fun to their lives from its ship anchored in the North Sea.
It was the 1967 Summer of Love. A new law prohibited any citizen from getting involved with the pirate radio stations; and the popular disc-jockeys who’d been playing the huge hits of the time on stations like Radio London touched down at London’s Liverpool Street station to be greeted by hordes of adoring fans.
An adventure was over, with only Radio Caroline defying the legislation and battling to stay on the air.
Radio would never be the same again. The irreverent pirate stations from their rusty ships or wartime forts outside territorial waters had proven the appetite for a new sort of music radio. The occasional burst of ‘pop’ on the BBC Light Programme was simply not enough. The BBC was moved to respond – and was to create Radio 1, modelled proudly on the pioneering sound of the irreverent offshore stations.
The chapter had begun in 1964 with Radio Caroline – swiftly followed by a flotilla of other stations, each with its own approach. From the easy listening of Radio 390 to the fast-moving American-backed Swinging Radio England – and the much-loved pirate Radio Scotland.
Boom Radio – the UK radio station for baby boomers, available on DAB and on Alexa (‘Alexa -play Boom radio’) is marking the 55th anniversary of the closures with a day of special programmes on Sunday August 14th, with guest presenters who made their debut on the pirate stations.
Johnnie Walker, once on-board Radio Caroline, will host a special morning show on Boom Radio from 10.00 – and then at midday, John Peters recreates the final Big L Fab 40, the last music chart broadcast by Radio London before it was shut down.
At 2.00, Roger Day, the Radio England and Caroline presenter reflects on the pirate era and plays some fitting tracks – with DLT making a return to national radio at 6.00. The ‘Hairy Cornflake’s earliest radio appearances were on board Caroline.
Keith Skues, one of Radio 1’s early presenters, but who made his debut with the pirates, hosts a special hour of conversation at 9.00pm – hearing reflections from other offshore broadcasters, including Paul Burnett, Tony Blackburn, Tom Edwards and Colin Berry.
“We know this era chimes with our listeners and it’s one from which a huge proportion of the music we play always comes”, commented Boom Content Director Paul Robey “The day is a chance to celebrate the influence of what happened back then on the radio we hear today”.
Hear Boom Radio on DAB in much of the UK – or ‘Alexa – Play Boom Radio’.
