Offshore pirate radio.

[Leekbrookgull]

Little bit before my time,but i have been told that 'pirate radio' in the sixties was something else ? 'Googled it' and plenty of info,just get the feeling they played music, rather than talk about themselves ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yay!

Radio Caroline!

Radio Luxemburg! (Run down of the top 20 with Number One at midnight)

Raddio Nord Zay Internazionalle! (exotic ads for Stimorol gum and the Oirish lottery)

Oh, and the very best music choice available to an impressionable early-teen on yer radio at the time.

Was always exciting when they drifted into British waters in rough seas - Mayday! Mayday! - or ran aground and got arrested off Southend by, dunno, The Home Office or somesuch, for reasons that are too crap to understand.

Loved it!

 

[raymondbriggs]

The famous Little Nigel Erskin's brother dabbled a bit in onshore pirate radio.Sod the boat.A few components from the Army Surplus store of Montague Street, a cassette recorder and a hill above worthing was all you needed.

 

[clapham_gull]

There a bit of a random pirate television in the 90s that popped up in North London, something that is much harder to do.

I've seen reference to another earlier one, but I'm sure some people managed to utilise short control of (I think) the transmitter at Alexander Palace with some equipment in the back of a transit.

Rather than playing porn, I think they acted out the news with glove puppets or something.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Most of the pirate radio DJs ended up on radio 1 at some stage or another.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Here are some ancient recordings:-

Jingles, jingles,jingles from ALL the pirate station of the '60's

 

[BensGrandad]

Yay!



Radio Luxemburg! (Run down of the top 20 with Number One at midnight)

I am sure that that was transmitted from Luxembourg. Dont think that they were based on a ship. They were famous for their advert for a bookies Horace Batchelor from Keynsham Bristol spelt K E Y N S H A M.

 

[The Large One]

Loving Awareness is FREE.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Radio Luxembourg was transmitted from the Duchy and never from a ship. The BBC objected to Radio Luxembourg and labelled them as pirate broadcasters from as early as the mid 1930's on the basis that the transmitters within the small country were supposed to be providing local coverage which Radio Luxembourg ignored and set up powerful transmitters which boomed across Europe.

 

[User removed 4]

Does anyone remember laser 558 ? The music is never more than a minute away ! From. The mid eighties ?

 

[ali jenkins]

Seen 'The Boat That Rocked'? This is all about Offshore Pirate radio and if you were about in the 60's you'll LOVE the tunes!

 

[Beach Hut]

Nicey and Smashy did a great one off about pirate radio.

 

[Norman Potting]

Does anyone remember laser 558 ? The music is never more than a minute away ! From. The mid eighties ?

.....Yes, not as good as Caroline who you can still listen to as they broadcast (legally) via Sky. If you go to Radio Caroline it will tell you all about them and how to listen.

 

[BensGrandad]

There used to be one that roamed around Surrey in the back of a van but is now legal I think Radio Jackie.

The 2 big ones on ships were Radio Caroline and Radio London

 

[RexCathedra]

As a lad -- 16? -- I heard a documentary on BBC World Service shortwave on the pirates that I recorded, (tenth anniversary of the shutdown?) but in one move or another lost the cassette, that I would give my eyeteeth to get back. Absolutely wonderful -- played the oxides off of it.

 

[Brovion]

Does anyone remember laser 558 ? The music is never more than a minute away ! From. The mid eighties ?

Yes indeed! When I was reading the first few posts I was trying to think of the one I used to listen to in the Eighties, Laser 558, that was it. The best DJ was a guy called Charlie Wolf who used to do a Friday night show, Fever Pitch I think it was called. Barking mad.

 

[getreal1]

This will take you to everything offshore The Offshore Radio Guide

 

[Trufflehound]

Radio Luxembourg was transmitted from the Duchy and never from a ship. The BBC objected to Radio Luxembourg and labelled them as pirate broadcasters from as early as the mid 1930's on the basis that the transmitters within the small country were supposed to be providing local coverage which Radio Luxembourg ignored and set up powerful transmitters which boomed across Europe.

Indeed. Radio Luxembourg's transmitters in the 1930s and 40s were the most powerful in Europe. When the Germans invaded Luxembourg in 1940 they used them to broadcast Lord Haw Haw's propaganda gibberish to the UK.

The BBC originally tried to blacklist everyone who worked for Radio Luxembourg. Then they realised they were better DJs than the ones they had so they employed them instead. Probably half of all 1960s, 70s & 80s Radio 1 and Radio 2 DJs began their careers in Luxembourg - including Pete Murray, Simon Dee, Noel Edmonds, Mike Read, Peter Powell, Kid Jensen, Emperor Rosko, to name but a few.

Even bloody Chris Moyles started out on Radio Luxembourg, just before it closed down in 1992.



I know a great book all about Luxembourg - the perfect New Year's gift for all the family - Luxembourg (Country Guides) (Bradt Travel Guide): Amazon.co.uk: Tim Skelton: Books - and yes I, sorry, it does mention the radio station.

 

[Icy Gull]

Emperor Rosko, Johnny Walker, Tony f***ing Blackburn, yea I remember Pirate Radio

The Who Sell Out had some Piratesque jingles if I remember rightly.

 

[Gwylan]

I am sure that that was transmitted from Luxembourg. Dont think that they were based on a ship. They were famous for their advert for a bookies Horace Batchelor from Keynsham Bristol spelt K E Y N S H A M.

Horace Batchelor wasn't a bookie. He was a guy who claimed to have cracked a way of doing the pools and invited people to send in their coupons and he'd pick their winners - "only" taking a share of the winnings.

Ah...the joys of pirate radio. I vividly remember listening under the bedclothes, with the tranny radio under the pillow, and inevitably falling asleep with it still on. At 11, I thought that was the most fun one could have in bed.