The Radio London Story - Philip Birch
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2010
- Recorded in 1980 at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, this is the story of Big L, Wonderful Radio London. A 'Top Forty' offshore commercial radio station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England. The station, like the other offshore radio operators at the time, was dubbed a pirate radio station. Its offices were located in the West End of London at 17 Curzon Street just off Park Lane.
Radio London broadcast from the MV Galaxy, a former Second World War United States Navy minesweeper originally named USS Density.
More info on Wikipedia and lots of other places on the Weird Wide Web. - Розваги
Good for you. I was 14 when Big L closed down and it made such a major impact on my life. How quickly many forget how Big L shaped music radio today. If it wasn't for them, the BBC would be in total control and remember how Radio 1 was when it started? Big L lives in us.
R. I. P. Philip Birch. I wish I'd been on your BIG L but I'd only just been born and 'missed the boat'
Best ever Radio Station..xxxx
I wish that some of the modern day pop stations would take note from the late, great Phillip Birch.
Radio London's model on how to run a radio station would pull more of an audience if station owners remembered the wonderful word "Format", then the UK might have a radio station worth listening to.
Tears still in my eyes after all these years - great narrative and memory’s
Plenty information us Pirate fans
Rob W
The best radio station there ever was !!
It was ever such a long time ago but all the emotions are still there when i listen to the closedown "Big L time is 3 oclock and Radio London is now closing down" will be in my head forever I can still sing all the jingles and so many of the voices are still instantly recognisable
I remember hearing the closing down music, we listen to the final minutes, keeping tuned to the stations old airwaves, after it had stopped broadcasting, not wanting to believe that it had gone.... Nothing has come close to replacing it.... Radio One, "Hi Jim and what's the recipe today" Ughhh.......
Wish I got a chance to listen to this stuff what a great time for pirate radio 📻
The greatest Radio Station ever, that is Radio London, it is a pity that was not allowed to continue on land. How would it sound today. WONDERFUL RADIO LONDON.
Wonderful Radio London : Big L 266 was British best music station in the early sixties....
thank u Philip for uploading this...marvellous
Love it that they bought the jingles before the ship!
What was it Johnnie Walker said at the end of his famous "Man's Fight For Freedom" piece ... "No man will ever forget Monday August 14th, nineteen hundred and sixty seven." I was only ten years old at the time, but I still remember that day - I never have and never WILL allow myself to forget it!!
Thanks for posting this. A bit of ancient history for anyone under the age of 60! Wonderful radio days back then, spoilt by Tony Benn and his chums. I've had a dislike of the BBC since and because of what happened to the pirates back then. Viva Big L!
BIG L provided the soundtrack to my youth. I still have the closing hour on reel to reel, which is painful to hear even now. Thanks for uploading.
those were the days..!
thank you very very much for posting this unique recording.
it brings back many memories.
Today at 3pm was the 50th anniversary of the close down of "Big L". Like millions of teenagers at the time, I listened 50 years ago and again on this anniversary today with your brilliant upload. Many thanks
Yes indeed I remembered the occasion !.I was on a course at Bletchley Park , sitting through a boring lecture as 3.00p.m approached.The sense of forboding was quite overwhelming.On Sunday 13th at around 7.15p.m, I was travelling there in my newly rebuilt Austin 7 with a Blaupunkt radio installed I had for my 17 th birthday and a great tribute programme with many DJs was on Big L.It was by far the best station and listrening to Caroline in my room on the evening of the 14th it just was not the same .Very happy memories of the best time to be young !.
Philip must be in his 80s now.
I think he still lives in California.
I just hope he knows what a huge effect his management of Britain's best radio station in history, had on a whole generation. I managed to contact him & received a message.
@Michael Parker A ridiculous thing to say. It was professionally-run & set the tone & format for others to emulate.
C ´ étais ma jeunesse très belle musiques
Curious how, about 5 minutes in, Birch is talking as if the station was his idea, when I'd always thought it was the brainchild of a Texan named Don Pierson.
Radio London was the best. I was 14 years old when it closed but that station had a major impact on my life. I remember how my brother and I cried inconsolably on that day and we kept our radio tuned in and turned on for hours hoping that it was all a mistake or a joke and Big L would come back on. I remember the sense of loss, like losing a friend and wondering what we would listen to now? Nothing ever came close to replacing her.
BRILLIANT MEMORIES. BIG L WAS GREAT AND STILL IS: ALTHOUGH ITS LAND BASED. IF YOU HAVE AN ANDROID DEVICE GET THE APP:OFFSHORE RADIO OR OLDIES RADIO STATIONS. YOU WILL SEE WONDERFUL RADIO LONDON COMPLETE WITH JINGLES. ALSO ALL THE OTHER 60,s PIRATES CAROLINE ETC ARE THERE AS WELL. GO FOR IT
Fascinating stuff.
Very good
Pierson was behind Radio London. Birch worked for Pierson then somehow took over everything.
Unnecessarily critical of Caroline. However, Caroline is the one that is remembered
thank you for this post
i always preferred Caroline and philip birch's views are i believe rather biased , and if Caroline was so badly managed how come its still broadcasting in 2020 and big l is history
I vowed that I would never vote Labour because of this, and I never have and I never will.
It was great, but TBH sounds cheesy now. Don't forget that Kenny was actually sacked for taking the mick out of that religious garbage, well they should have ditched that at the earliest opportunity. And the nightime reception would have been so much better if only they hadn't straddled channels. That whistle gave me a headache. Luckily all the interfering stations closed down before John Peel came on.