Hans Knot's International Radio Report - April 2008
Hi to you all and
welcome to another edition of the Hans Knot International Radio Report.
I hope all is well with you. Thanks for all your e mails and as usual
the interesting ones are getting a mention.
First over to a former BBC presenter, Chris Baird: ‘Dear Hans, hope you
are well and that all parts are bearing equal strain. Just a short note
to tell you that I have retired from the BBC. I'm now living near
Felixstowe and most days look out towards Walton and Clacton, and gaze
at the waters three and a half miles out. Nice to be by the coast after
30 years in land and near the home of offshore radio. Are you in touch
with any old DJ's who were with IDA in Copenhagen in the early
seventies, it would be good to swap stories of those wild days. Last May
I went back to Copenhagen on a sentimental visit to see if an of the old
clubs were still there. Sadly they have either been pulled down or like
the Circle Club is now being converted to up market city centre
apartments.
Cheers for the present, Chris Baird.
Thanks Chris, well it must be very interesting to wake up every morning.
Anyone who has or had contacts within or with the IDA in Denmark please
contact Chris via Hknot@home.nl
Next one is from William Shimmin: ‘I’ve been reading your radio report
for a very long time and have never emailed to thank you for it.
Recently I was clearing out my attic and came across this photo which I
took of the Oceaan 7 in
Whitby harbour shortly after the MOA. I thought you might like to add it
to your collection. Regards, William Shimmin.'
That’s a wonderful picture which brought me to the idea to share it with
all my readers. Talking about Photos it was Marcel Poelman who sent us
the next internet link whereby ‘grensbewaking’ stands for border guard.
Photos from the Aegir as well the MEBO II can be found:
http://grensbewaking.atspace.com/pics%20GBfoto/fotoboek7/fotoboek7.htm
A second internet address he sent to us is about a English shortwave
pirate:
http://www.geocities.com/wnkr_sw/
Another link came from Phil in Sydney, Australia and got me back to very
good memories as not only the book mentioned is the best there is ever
published on Offshore Radio, but I also had very good time with the
author Rob Chapman, who’s also a reader of the Hans Knot International
Report:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=n_UNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA132&lpg=PA132&dq=thames+radio+pirate&source=web&ots=KYcxegIYMZ&sig=9wqdSu35B8YaoiacWD_yeeKTw18&hl=en#PPR7,M1
News from the friends at Offshore Echos: ‘The largely forgotten pre-war,
ancestor of free radio broadcasters, since Fécamp and Louvetot, in the
heart of the Country of Caux, France. It broadcast to Paris, London,
Boston and even... to Japan! It was the most listened to "station" that
even broadcast overnight in English at night and on Sundays! The
Offshore Echos website has now updated it pages, with more pictures,
audio and documentary material. The Radio Normandy story has pages in
both English and French language.
http://www.offshoreechos.com/radionormandie/RadioNormandy01.htm
RADIODAY 2008 SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 8TH Just a bit more than 6 months before we get together again, that is the readers who decide to come over to Amsterdam. It’s 30 years ago we had our first annual event and so we like to invite you all to the Radio Day which will be held on Saturday November 8th. Soon Martin van der Ven and I will go out for a day to enjoy ourselves with a visit on the Waddenzee to the radio ship from Radio Waddenzee. During this May 3rd visit we will discuss the possibilities for guests we want to invite in November. Like other years it’s possible to pay on forehand with reduced price. The Foundation for Media Communication asked me to inform that Dutch and Belgian visitors who want to visit the annual Radio Day with reduced rate can pay 7 Euros to postal account 4065700 of Mediacommunicatie Amsterdam: IBAN NL 37 PSTB 0004 0657 00 BIC PSTBNL21 For anyone outside Belgium and Holland please contact Media Communication for reduced prices at Rob@mediacommunicatie.nl |
Arne
Tvedt from Norway did sent a very interesting report about his search
for more about former Cheeta II:
‘Here is the story of “Mosken” (”Cheeta II”)
1924: July Delivered from Trosvik Mek. Verksted, Brevik. Norway as
”MOSKEN” to Vesteraalens Dampskipsselskab,
Stokmarknes.
Norway. 410 gross tons 149, 6 (oa), 140, 6 x 32, 1 x 16-10. Triple
expansion 429 ihp 10 knots.
1957: Mars. Sold to Sivert Bakke, Bergen renamed “Habat”
1960: Sold to Radio Mercur.
”Mosken” in Bergen 1930 in The
Hurtigruten, Bergen - Kirkenes (postcard)
”Mosken”(Cheeta II) illustrated by
Baard Kolltveit. From the book Lokalbaaten (Local steamer).
Well Arne that’s realy very interesting and wonderful illustrated too.
But Arne did sent more:
And her is the story of M/V”Mebo” taken from:
http://www.warsailors.com/homefleet/shipsb1.html#Bj
(Source: Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab ASA fleet list, Finn
R. Hansen). Other ships by this name: The company later had another
Bjarkøy. This ship was originally contracted for Namdalens
Aktie-Dampskibsselskap, Namsos in March-1939 to be delivered by A/S
Trondhjems mek. Verksted in July-1940 with the intended name Herlaug,
but she was seized by the Germans and launched as Heimdal on May
27-1941, rebuilt to fit their purposes in June that year. At war's end
she was taken over by Direktoratet for Fiendtlig Eiendom (Dept. of Enemy
Property). Sold on Aug. 2-1946 to Erling Sannes, Bodø, rebuilt in Sweden
Oct.-1946,
fitting out completed at Risør 1947. Completed in Aug.-1948 and sold to
Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap, renamed Bjarkøy, 347 gt, 135 passengers.
Sold on June 4-1969 to MEBO Ltd. Telecommunication, Zürich, registered
in Panama, renamed Mebo - in use as floating radio station in the North
Sea. Renamed Angela I in 1982, still in service 1990's.
Her is a picture taken from:
http://folk.uio.no/ulfb/
Mv Bjarkøy in route Steinfjord -
Gryllefjord, ytre Senja. Norway
Many thanks Arne for sending us this very interesting information and
also the fact that the MEBO I was still in use in the 1990’s. If you as
a reader have something to share don’t hesitate to do so by sending in
photos and other material to
Hans.Knot@gmail.com and just the memories to
Hknot@home.nl
March 19th was the funeral of
Chris Cary and it was Don Stevens who sent me a report: ‘I have
just returned from a wonderful day, celebrating the life and the man,
our friend, Chris. Friends are still with Sybil and Family, celebrating
a good life, well spent, and rich in endeavour. The Service at Christ
Church, Esher was enlightening, full of Tributes and Memories of the
20th Century's most colourful and enterprising broadcaster and
innovator. Johnnie Walker gave a warm and detailed tribute to Chris on
the Caroline, during the dark months of 1967, when Chris went out to
serve the cause of Free Radio. Tony Prince detailed Chris in the 1970's,
Radio Luxembourg and all that fun, and did so in a very inventive
manner. John Clarke made a profound and sincere tribute to the Chris
Cary of the 1980's and Nova, his words were full of passion and
affection, and gave an insight into the man we all love and know.
Dobie Gray 'Drift Away' and The Eagles 'The Best of My Love' featured,
as did an audio memory produced by Tony Currie, Mike Knight and Enda
Caldwell (featuring excellent quality recordings from the 60's to the
80's) with the equipment for playback brought in from Luxembourg by Mike
and Enda. Chris left the Service to the Mike Post and the 'Theme from
Hill Street Blues' and he and the family left for a private burial. The
rest of the celebrants went on to The Gathering at the Hilton Hotel,
Cobham and enjoyed food and refreshments and a superb photo display in
the main room. Glasses were raised to a Great Man, now, safely away to a
new journey. Some tears were shed for the loss of a friend who would not
phone again, or share a joke, but these tears were more for a loss of
the company of the man. For they also were tears of happiness, for
another great adventure undertaken by Chris. Later, back at the family
home, more fine thoughts were shared and glasses raised again for a man
who never gave in, who strove for adventure and success in equal
measure, who shared his good fortune.'
Thanks Don to share this with us.
The people at Rainbow see theirself as ‘illegal pirates’: ‘Hi Hans, on
3935 Khz is 24 hours a day a illegal pirate radiostation with a number
of ex offshore deejays still active in 2008 and others, and old offshore
recordings. Its Radio Rainbow and laserhothits working together to keep
this dream alive ! Please promote this site and forward this
information.Thank you!
www.radiorainbow.blogspot.com
Last month I wrote, by many other things, about Bill Rollins. One of the
readers in Belgium read it and wrote me how cold memories he had
visiting Mellow 1557 together with his late mother. Also he advised to
visit the next internet site:
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/1557/mellow.html
Next one comes from Veronica technician
Ad Bouman: ‘Hello Hans a
small reaction on one of the articles in your report. You can see I read
everything (well almost everything). About DJ King I can reveal after
many years that it was Jaap de Groot who did record the songs and not
Stevie Gee as you wrote
in your last report. Jaap de Groot played guitar for a long time in ZZ
and the Maskers and later became deejay with NCRV Radio. In 1970 he also
worked as a clubdeejay in the Kings Club in Amsterdam. The mentioned
songs were co written by Jaap de Groot and Stevie Gee and I did the
production in the Sound Push Studio. On the record Little MA Production
is mentioned. M A stood for the two first letters of the name from my
little son Marcel, who was very young at that stage. We chose this
production name to prevent trouble with the Veronica owners that I had
produced the songs.’
Thanks a lot Ad for sending the information. And so after many decades
step by step we learn more about Stevie Gee and his Dutch connections.
Remember our special Elderly Home ‘Radio Amigos’, as mentioned in the
last Hans Knot International Radio Report? Well some knew some didn’t
but it was realy a first of April joke. Martin van der Ven, Rob Olthof
and me spent a very remarkable evening on August 4th last year, a very
warm summer day at a terrace next to a pub in Paddington. There all the
ideas came together. Well from the many e-mails we got on the plan a
special internet page has been made. Do enjoy it please!
http://www.offshore-radio.de/elderly/reactions.htm
This forthcoming summer it’s 50 years ago that the big boom in Offshore
Radio in Europe started. In August I’ve a guest writer in the report who
will focus on the way that Radio Mercur was started and the inspiration
from the Danish "pirate" to other offshore stations. It’s the author of
the book ‘Pirater I Aeteren’,
Henrik Noorgard, who will be the guest writer. He had also some
other news in his e mail: ‘By the way a Danish film company is planning
to make a movie based on the story of Mercur, but it is not likely to be
ready until quite a while after the "birthday".
Really great news, Henrik and we look forward reading your special
story. In last issue I mentioned Border Radio and Paul from Basildon
suggested to have a listen to a special on BBC Radio Four in the archive
to be found at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/borderblaster/pip/61vfg/
Edward Waterson offered a few reports back his newspaper cuttings to the
readers. He came back with the results: ‘Gentlemen, given the fact that
we're all anoraks in this together, I thought it might be useful to
record who got what from the cuttings. Chris Dannatt took the bulk of
it. He has the Flashback'67 exhibition. Hans Knot put in a claim for the
Radio 270 folder, which I'm holding
till Paul Rusling has been through it. Paul's hoping to do a
comprehensive book on the station. Phil Crosby (in Australia) wanted RNI
period in particular. Richard Walker is making a detailed study of
Caroline from 14/8/67 - 3/3/68, so he's got that file. Please get in
touch with each other if you want to know exactly what's in the
pickings. I hope you'll share it and that it's not going to end
up on Ebay. I've not asked for any money for the stuff but if you feel
like it, give something to a local charity, or send me a cheque and I'll
forward it to
the York Minster Appeal. Enjoy! Edward Waterson.’
Really a good idea to share it Edward and to avoid someone is making a
lot of money of it by selling the package on Ebay.
Here’s another internetpage where you can see a video which shows a trip
to the former REM-island
http://www.cqtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=a42caddbd0694a4e9bdc&page=1&viewtype=&category=mr
Talking
about the REM island, the main part still lies in the harbour of
Scheveningen but lately some newspapers brought the news that it will be
taken to the former Amsterdam Houthaven where it will be renovated and
become a restaurant. Owner Nick hopes to open the doors in the summer of
2009.
Ricardo van Liere from Philippine
took this photograph in Vlissingen
Clive is next with: ‘Hi Hans, I expect you have already been informed
already, but Mike Brand,
a regular Anorak contributor from Israel, was one of seven staff of Ram
fm, arrested by the Israeli authorities on Monday 7th April when they
raided the Jerusalem studio and silenced the Jerusalem transmitter of
the English language station licensed by the Palestinian Authority. Mike
and his colleague Arda present the 12hr-15hr Lunchtime show. The
authorities claim that the station was operating illegally but this is
just not the case and the events are likely to be taken to court by the
station owners. The station continues on air as normal from the Ramallah
studio (without Mike of course) and on their main 93.6 frequency. Mike
and his colleagues were held by the police overnight and placed under
house arrest for 7 days and not allowed to make any contact with the
station or other colleagues. Regards Clive Roper.’
Thanks Clive and yes due to the fact I also write for a few media
magazines I do have a few contacts in the Middle East who did inform me
on the action of the Israeli Authorities. More everyone can find on the
next internetsite:
http://un-truth.com/israel/seven-ram-fm-radio-staff-released-but-still-under-gag-as-police-investigation-continues
Let’s hope Mike is strong enough to fight the battle!
Mike Barraclough reminds us about
Radio Fax: ’It is the
20th anniversary of the launch of Radiofax, the ground breaking
Short-Wave radio station. Listen again to the first four test
transmission broadcasts from the 1st to 4th of April (Easter weekend)
1988:
http://www.radiofax.org/audio_1988.html or Podcast feed
http://www.radiofax.org/podcast_1988.xml
More about the station and it's campaign to get a UK shortwave licence:
http://www.radiofax.org
But Mike had also another interesting item about two videos posted to
YouTube:
A 8 minute TV news magazine report on offshore radio including visit to
Caroline North where Roger Gale is interviewed, interview with Ronan,
visit to Manx Radio:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JOSKPRUN3xY
More
footage of Caroline North, interview with speaker of the House of Keys
17th August 1967:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZumLODT8Ymo
Kenny Tosh also put some interesting videos on the internet:’Hello Hans,
A few personal videos that I've been putting on you tube of Don Allen:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=daffy+don+allen&search_type=
Thanks a lot to the both of you Mike and Kenny!
Next an email from Frank from Great Britain: ‘I am a lifelong fan of the
Wonderful Radio Caroline, ever since the beginning. Two weeks ago I met
Charlotte Ribbelink in Amsterdam and she gave me your e-mail and website
address. It is a delight looking through the old photos and reading
stories and information about the people and boats that made so many
millions(billions?) of listeners so very happy. If a song was played on
Caroline you knew it would be good music. I have enclosed a picture from
1974 (I think) when we came to the boat from England -great day! I have
some more somewhere , but it will take some searching. I am very keen on
photography and travelling, so I have masses of memories dating back to
the sixties and before. May I please say that in my opinion the Radio
Caroline birth and transmissions totally changed the music world for the
better. Thank you for that! And all the DJ's too!
I have some websites myself and include the details here. Please feel
free to look www.babafk.co.uk
www.myspace.com/babafk
www.youtube.com/babafk
I wish you all the best and will be looking through your website much
more (so much to read! greetings from Frank (babafk).’ Well Frank thanks
for the nice words and sharing the photograph. Feel always free to send
more with best greetings Hans.
One the day the last report was send out sad news came in: ’Hi Hans, I’m
bringing more bad news for you to report.
Phil Mitchell, Radio
Caroline deejay 1975 died yesterday, he had suffered a stroke some years
ago and never really did recover. I served with him on the Mi Amigo and
also run WFRL with him in London. He was a good friend, a sad loss.
Robbie Duke.’ Also Colin Lamb came with the same sad news. It was
January 3rd 2005 the news of the stroke came in and Phil was brought
into Colchester Hospital. In the three years gone by sometimes there was
a little step forward but he, unlucky enough, had no change to recover.
Next to Colin and Robbie it was Don Stevens who worked together with Don
and sent in the next:’ Memories of Phil, yes, I have loads, mostly
pre-offshore radio Hans. Phil ran a Big L 'homage' radio station in
London, a pirate, naturally, for many years in North London. Callsign,
WFRL (Wonderful Free Radio London). He was the first pirate to use tower
blocks to get his signal out there, and he used AM kit, so, his signal
was excellent, sounded powerful and had range.
That is how I got know Phil, we became good pals, and I was often in his
studio in Tottenham, London to swap jingles and programme ideas. When I
was prevented from returning to Caroline in Summer 1975, I suggested to
Oonagh that Phil would be a good replacement for me (I was under house
observation by the Home Office) and later Phil joined me in Israel on
The Voice of Peace. Phil was a good bloke Hans, passionate about Big L,
his family and I used to be very close before I left for Israel, at
least he is in a better place. I'm thinking of 'Big Lil', Phil would
have liked that, Don’
A shot on board The Peace Ship.
Left to Right, James Ross,
Don
Stevens, PHIL MITCHELL and Richard Jackson. Taken sometime in 1977 0r
1978, we were chilling out on the hatch covers. (Archive Don Stevens).
Thanks Don for the nice words. As a memory to Phill Mitchel I would love
to republish a chapter from the book "Wet and Wild History of Radio
Caroline”, which I edited and was published in 2004. The chapter has
been written by Phil Mitchell, who not only worked for Radio Caroline on
the MV Mi Amigo, but also did a lot of experience on land based pirate
stations; not forgetting in international waters off the Israeli coast
on the famous Voice of Peace, which was set up in the late 1960s from a
former Groningen coaster, called the MV Cito by Peace-fighter Abe
Nathan.
To say I was excited
would be an understatement by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, I
had worked on plenty of "land based" pirate radio stations in the past,
WFRL, Radio Kaleidoscope, NOVA and a number of others I'm not quite so
proud of and would rather not mention. But this was altogether
different; it was the big one. The job that other deejays would only
ever dream of: the very radio station that influenced my teenage years.
I had been offered a job on Radio Caroline. It was a chilly autumn
afternoon in October 1974 when three of us, Simon Barrett, James Ross
and I, met Ronan O'Rahilly in a pub on the Kings Road, Chelsea. He
furtively furnished us with hastily scribbled details of contacts and
addresses necessary for our trip out to the "Mi Amigo" and then left in
a hurry for a meeting with, we were later informed, George Harrison. It
was all so wonderfully cloak-and-dagger in those days. In later years I
often have a little laugh to myself when I recall the extreme lengths we
went to keeping the details of our departure secret. The majority of the
travel arrangements were left to us: passports, tickets for the ferry to
France, negotiations with the tender Captain and so on would all become
second nature in time. But for the time being, this was all new and
exciting to me. Within the short space of a two or three days, we landed
in France, each of us heavily laden with large, dark blue "British
Airways" bags, crammed full of albums for Radio Caroline's record
library. After traipsing around for a couple of hours, we eventually
found the tender Captain in a bar in the waterfront area of Boulogne,
where he was enthusiastically consuming vast amounts of red wine.
Although we had only disembarked from the ferry a few hours before, all
of us were keen to put to sea again and get out to the ship. I will
never forget our looks and feelings of disappointment when we enquired
about our departure. He muttered something to the barman, which none of
us could fully understand, but contained a fair amount of French
expletives and seemed to be a subject of great hilarity between the two
men, and then glared at us through his heavy, bloodshot eyes, before
slurring bluntly: "Non, not today!" Dismayed by his decision, but
undeterred we left the bar after arranging to meet him the next day.
We managed to scrape together just enough money between us to spend our
first night in a small fleapit hotel in the town, but for the following
three nights we were forced to sleep rough on the tiled kitchen floor of
a benevolent Frenchman's house who was sympathetic to our plight and a
Radio Caroline fan. We sustained ourselves on sticky buns of
questionable origin, sweets or dried fruit and French sticks and cheese,
until the Captain was sober enough to make a rational decision regarding
our departure. I had been informed that the tender journey usually took
about eleven
or
twelve hours in good conditions, but could take anything up to
twenty-four hours if the weather was bad. This in itself was a daunting
prospect, but despite our disappointments and hardships of the previous
four days, we were all eager to get underway. It was 2.00 a.m. when,
carrying fishing rods to disguise our actual reason for being at the
quay at that time of the morning, we finally boarded a very small,
smelly fishing boat and put to sea. Despite the discomfort of the
sparsely fitted boat, we were ecstatic to be on our way at last. The sea
was a little choppy, but that didn't worry us and our spirits remained
high until we passed Cap Gris Nez and the weather changed for the worse.
Phil onboard the MV Mi Amigo
The little boat shuddered unnervingly, made horrible creaking noises and
was tossed and buffeted until I felt sure it would fall to pieces
beneath our feet. The Captain ignored our communal retching sessions
over the side, apart from shouting at us to improve our aim when we
threw up. He resolutely hung on to the wheel with one hand, while
swigging wine from a bottle with the other, which he also used to bash a
sticking compass from time to time. We had endured a nightmare roller
coaster ride across the North Sea for around twelve hours, when
suddenly, the clouds lifted, the wind dropped and the sun began to
shine. The sea almost instantly calmed and we found ourselves surrounded
by a low swirling mist, which rose eerily from the millpond sea. Our
stomachs felt raw and the violent tossing of the boat had exhausted us,
but even through all that, we felt like brave pioneers who had fought
long and hard against the elements.
The Captain started to express doubts whether he could find the MV Mi
Amigo in the mist, even suggesting at one point that we should turn back
and try again tomorrow. But we were having none of it, and determined
that we should not give up, particularly after enduring that awful, sick
making, sleepless night. I suddenly remembered that I had a radio in my
bag and insisted that with this invaluable piece of equipment, I could
easily find the ship by direction finding. The Captain mumbled
incoherently to himself for a while and then began swearing at us under
his breath, before reluctantly agreeing to give it a try. If truth were
known, I had no idea whether or not I could actually do it, but I had
seen it done and I thought. "What the hell! We've come this far by what
seemed to be the seats of our pants, how hard can it be?" The Captain
glanced at me dubiously as I clambered up onto the bow, tuned the radio
to Caroline's frequency and then rotated the radio until I found the
null. "That way," I announced authoritatively, waving vaguely ahead,
"Caroline's over there." Quite honestly, I had absolutely no idea
whether the Mi Amigo was in front or behind us, but it seemed to me that
someone had to make a decision and I was it.
More by luck than judgment, we successfully navigated our way around the
sand banks of the Knock Deep. Then, more than three hours later, it
appeared. Like some monstrous monolith, the sixty-metre antenna mast of
the MV Mi Amigo loomed above the mist. It was the most wonderful sight
when we finally broke through the mist and breathed a heavy sigh of
relief as we saw the little red and white ship rolling steadily in the
gentle swell. Once alongside, I jumped aboard the Mi Amigo into the arms
of Captain Donald and began imparting the horrors of our journey to the
deejays we were replacing. To my initial surprise, they were singularly
unimpressed by our ordeal. But they were all old hands at dealing with
what I eventually named "The Radio Caroline Dis-organisation." Once on
board, I just couldn't contain myself. I just had to see absolutely
everything. Here I was on the very ship that had defied the government
almost continuously since 1964. "This is the stuff dreams are made of,"
I remember thinking as I hastily stowed my gear in my appointed cabin,
which was a dump, but that didn't seem to matter at the time, and began
exploring the ship. It was exactly as I had seen it in magazine pictures
and photographs from the 1960's. Maybe not quite as glamorous as I had
imagined; but that didn't seem to matter, I was there!
Later that evening, at 10 p.m., as I opened the door of Radio Caroline's
main "on air" studio to begin my first live program, I felt that I had
hit the big time at last. I couldn't wait to explore the Mi Amigo; I
wanted to see every nook and cranny. This was the little ship that had
defied the Government for so many years, disappeared into oblivion when
the Wijsmuller Company snatched it in the late 1960's, then reappeared
like the proverbial phoenix in the early 1970's. I had closely followed
Caroline's fortunes throughout the years with such zeal that from the
moment I stepped on board, I felt that I knew it inside out, but it took
me a few days to figure out why everything about the station had an
uncanny familiarity about it. Finally I twigged; it was because
virtually nothing had really changed that much since the 1960's. The
studio, built in the 1960's on the upper deck behind the mess was still
controlled by an old valve operated Gates, four channel sound mixer,
which, during warm weather, produced so much heat it made the studio
feel like a sauna. But despite the oppressive heat, you really had to
keep the porthole shut while you had the microphone switched on,
otherwise the listeners could hear the continuous drone of the
generators in the background.
The turntables were Garrard 501's, I think the 1960's originals were
401's or older. Wonderful old reliable clunkers they were, in fact, I
still have one at home, which I keep purely for sentimental value. But,
they were ancient technology, even in the 1970's. They took a good turn
and a half to reach full speed and once they got moving, could rip your
arm off if you made any attempt to stop them. However, it was the old
open topped Spotmaster cart machines that gave us the most trouble.
These machines were cranky at best. Held together with chewing gum and
string, they seemed to be intent on thwarting any attempt at smooth
programming rather than do the job for which they were designed. I
remember hearing Simon Dee once waxing lyrical about these things. He
said how wonderful it was to have this facility of being able to bring
up jingles or commercials instantly. But by now these almost "Jurassic"
era machines were old, worn out and I rapidly began to suspect,
possessed by some fiendish radio station gremlin. They seemed to defy
any sense of rationality. If you were lucky, they would merely play the
tape at completely the wrong speed, making the jingle sound like a manic
Donald Duck. At their worst, and usually at a my most unprepared
moments, the damn machine would grab the tape, wrench yards of it from
the cart, proceed to devour it, then spew it out over the studio floor
at an incredible rate. Only the occasional bouts of bad weather could
cause worse problems, but having said that, we were only ever forced to
play pre-recorded program tapes once because the weather was too rough
to continue live programs. During very high seas, the waves would often
wash over the deck and soak the undersized insulator, which connected
the transmitter to the antenna. This would cause the transmitter to arc,
which caused a crackling sound on your radio. However, if a large amount
of water hit the insulator the transmitter would completely shut down,
which would send us scurrying for the engineer to reset the controls and
fire it up again. Despite these little problems, life aboard the Mi
Amigo was everything I expected it to be. Food was good, beer plentiful
and as many ciggies as you could smoke were free. I was, for the most
part, happy. Simon Barrett, James Ross and I had a good, professional
working relationship and although I say it myself, we produced some good
programs and original promotions
I had been on board for about three weeks when the Dutch tender arrived
with food supplies, fresh water, diesel fuel and a new crew. Among them
was Peter Chicago, who was then the chief transmitter engineer. I had
wanted to meet him for some time, as I knew of his reputation and had
great admiration for his work on aboard the MEBO II. I can't say I was
disappointed; he was a brilliant and inventive engineer, although he
could sometimes be a little abrasive and pompous. That was just his way
and to be fair he was under a lot of pressure, but on his better days he
had a wicked sense of humour. We would break the day-to-day monotony by
carefully planning and carrying out the most outrageous practical jokes
on each other. Some of which, I have to say, were so disgusting that I
couldn't possibly reveal them here — or anywhere else really, you just
had to be there. However, one of the more harmless, but nevertheless
cruel practical jokes took place late one night.
A certain deejay, who shall remain nameless, had often delighted in
watching me squirm as the recipient of his twisted sense of humour,
decided to feature the Rolling Stones on his program and play half an
hour of their music, non-stop. When Chicago and I heard this, we
secretly cued a tape of more Stones music in the Mi Amigo studio, then
waited patiently for him finish his feature. That half an hour passed
very slowly, but our patience was rewarded when at the very moment he
opened the microphone to back announce the feature, Peter switched
studios and started the tape so that the listeners would be unaware of
what was about to happen. As the poor unsuspecting man began his
announcement, I burst into the Caroline studio pretending to be drunk. I
will never forget the look of sheer horror on his face when I grabbed
the microphone and began slurring obscenities into it, or the panic that
crossed his face after he'd managed to wrestle the microphone from me,
push me to one side and hastily start one of the turntables. But I was
not content with reducing him to a shambling wreck, oh no! I scraped the
stylus noisily across the record, removed it from the turntable and
walked out of the studio with it. He was sweating profusely, frantically
trying to explain to his non-existent listeners what had happened and
cue another record at the same time, when both Peter and I returned
laughing our socks off to tell him that he wasn't on the air anyway. It
took a little while for the penny to drop, but I think he saw the funny
side of it, eventually. Nevertheless, the very next day he insisted to
anybody who would listen that a bolt should be fitted on the inside of
the studio door. I don't think he ever really forgave me for that one.
After months of only being able to broadcast in the evenings, we were
excited to learn that we were to begin broadcasting on two frequencies.
Caroline was to be on 389 metres during the day and on both 259 and 389
metres in the evenings, from seven in the evening when Radio Mi Amigo
closed down. At last, we assumed that we were going to be able to begin
restoring Radio Caroline to her former glory as an all day music
station. Chicago was in his element as he beavered furiously, building
the diplexer to connect two transmitters to the same antenna and after a
few weeks, he was ready to begin testing. These tests were initially
performed at night when both radio stations had ceased normal
programming, but very soon after, we were running both transmitters
during the day. Radio Mi Amigo on 259; and non-stop music from Radio
Caroline on 389. Despite our repeated pleas, Peter would not let us
begin programming on the new frequency. None of us could understand why
until we returned to England, only to find that the ancient 10-kilowatt
transmitter used for 389, could only just be received on the south east
coast barely eight or so miles away. The experiment at this time was a
complete failure and tests were abandoned soon after and any ideas of
daytime programming shelved, as parts necessary to get the transmitter
working properly were either not available or not affordable. We were at
our lowest ebb at this point. All Chicago's work seemed to have been
wasted and our efforts and plans to make Caroline an all day station
were, at least temporarily, dashed. The following year, after I had left
Caroline to join the Voice of Peace in Israel, Chicago did eventually
get the 389-transmitter going at somewhere near full power, and some
worthwhile transmissions were made, but I was long gone by then and
sunning myself in the hot Mediterranean sunshine on the MV Peace. I want
to finish this chapter commenting on the remarks being made regarding my
arrest: I was not actually arrested at Dover customs, but stopped and
questioned for an hour or so until I insisted on having a solicitor
present if I was to be questioned any further. I was quickly told I
could leave at this point and I asked, hypothetically: "Why are you
making all this fuss about a simple radio station that doesn't seem to
be doing any harm?" The answer came from the Home Office official: "Why?
Because we can't have these people cocking a snook at us!" To which, as
I made my exit, I replied politely: "Seems more like they're cocking a
leg at you, sir."
So far the chapter which the late Phil Mitchell wrote for the book ‘The
wet and wild history of Radio Caroline. Forty years of Radio Caroline,
1964-2004.’
I had send the chapter on forehand for republishing to Robbie Duke and
he came back with the news: "The deejay who was playing the Stones and
shaken up, insisting on a lock on the studio door was me! I was a novice
then and I think it was my first or second show, and it took me a week
to get my nerves back together after that incident. Bless him. Thank you
again. Cheers Robbie Duke."
Robbie Duke sent another e mail on another subject too: I don’t know if
its worth a mention. I’ve just done a cameo role, with Kevin Spacey, and
a few old pop stars in a new film called "Telstar" It’s about my old
boss Joe Meek, Details are on my site with photos:
www.myspace.com/robbieduke2
Also this month issue has some
nicknames we didn’t mention before. First on Radio London
‘Michael’ Mike Lennox. Klaas Vaak als used ‘music lovin’ Klaas Vaak on
Veronica. And one we also forgot till now is Bob ‘Purple Haze’ Lens on
Radio 227.
Just around March 20th the news broke that the most important record
shop in the seventies, Boudisque at the Haringparkersteeg, was closed
down for ever. Although some 240 kilometres away from my hometown
Groningen I regularly visit the shop as they had such an interesting
import records, you couldn’t find anywhere in the Netherlands. The
complete serie Cruisin was bought there and is of course for many people
the first time they heard American Radio. One of the deejays on the
Cruisin serie was Jack Amstrong.
In the same week Boudisque closed down also the news came in that Jack
Amstrong died. I asked our reader Howie Castle to write his memories
about Jack:
Jack Amstrong died
Ask anyone of a certain age in American radio about the all-time
greatest radio personalities and the name Jack Armstrong is sure to come
up. Jack, born John Larsh, passed away on March 22 at age 62 at his home
in North Carolina. It was a loss felt by many and the radio message
boards and blogs have been filled with tributes. Jack had enough energy
to light up a whole city and his signature "your LEEEEEEEEEEE-DER" was
the stuff of legends. In 1971 he was entered in the Guinness Book of
Records as the "world's fastest talking human".
Like many presenters, he started as a kid, working part-time at a couple
of small stations before landing a fulltime position at WCOG,
Greensboro, North Carolina. From there it was on to WAYS in Charlotte,
and finally his big break came in 1966 at WIXY in Cleveland. The station
gave him the name "Jack Armstrong" and the rest is history. He dominated
his night time slot for a year before being hired away by struggling
cross-town rival, WKYC. It was there he really made his mark, as the
huge 50,000 watt signal allowed Jack to be heard throughout much of the
eastern US. It was there that I first heard him. I couldn't believe my
ears! It was positively breathtaking! I had never heard anything like
him. It had a profound influence on me and I began to pattern my own
style on his. This could be heard during my "Bud Ballou" days on Radio
Caroline. But there was only one Jack Armstrong. The rest of us were
just pretenders.
After Cleveland it was on to WMEX in Boston and CHUM in Toronto in 1968.
He wowed 'em at WPOP in Hartford in 1969, and finally went to work at
big-signal WKBW in Buffalo, where his career took on legendary status
from 1970-'73. Later, he was instrumental in making 13Q (WKTQ) in
Pittsburgh a success and then moved on to WIFE, Indianapolis, where I
had the privilege of working with him. In '78 he went to Los Angeles,
where he worked on KTNQ, then later went to KFRC, San Francisco. He
returned to LA to work at KFI and and, in '84, to KKHR. Finally, after a
couple more moves, he returned home to North Carolina in 1997, where he
hosted the breakfast show on "Oldies 93", WMQX, for 6 years. He left in
2003, but voice-tracked nights on WKBW in Buffalo before the station
switched to a talk format in 2006.
Like many in the radio business, Jack was dismayed by the current state
of radio, but firmly believed a place for him in it existed. Sadly, time
ran out.
Jack was unique. A pioneer. A one of a kind. A legend. What a great loss
for radio. You can find airchecks of Jack Armstrong on the internet.
Listen and be amazed. Howie Castle ("Bud Ballou" on Radio Caroline).
Another monthly update on Bob
LeRoi his internet site: ‘Welcome to the April 2008 Update.
Another double issue "Scrapbook" the Laser Hot Hits tale continues with
recently uncovered material from this controversial station. We’ve our
own special tribute to Chris Cary in words, pictures & audio. "One
Subject One Link" stays glued to the flat screen again this month with
Kent TV under scrutiny. "Auction" Lot 8 is open for bids, it's a Voice
of Peace record up for grabs, the song by Joni Mitchell failed to chart
in the UK but was much played from 'somewhere in the Mediterranean'.
It's with sadness we report the death of Phil Mitchell one time jock on
Caroline during the Mi-Amigo days". Announcements" has the detail about
this years WWII Weekend at Whitstable Castle, the event just gets bigger
every year. And to wrap up this month the more Compilations for sale
with some MoR classics & the 1st of a series of 16 CD's from Hollands
Yesterdays Gold Label. Enjoy your visits.
www.bobleroi.co.uk
The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame
was born in March 2000 which means the site is now eight years old. And
so the news from the webmaster: ‘I have just carried out the monthly
update. New this month: We look back to the aftermath of Radio
Caroline's 1968 closedown and the attempt to relaunch the station from
the mv Oceaan 7, forty years ago this month; there is a fascinating
interview which Colin Nicol carried out in the eighties with an offshore
pioneer, Radio Atlanta's General Manager, Richard Harris; and there has
been more audio added to the page covering the brief period in April
1966 when there were two ships broadcasting as Radio Caroline South off
the Essex coast. Since the last full update I have also posted a tribute
to the late Chris Cary (a.k.a Spangles Muldoon) who sadly died on 29th
February. My grateful thanks to everyone who has contributed, helped or
supported the site over the past eight years. I couldn't have done it
without
you.
All the best, Jon.
www.offshoreradio.co.uk
We can add to more female
deejays to the list, which can be found on
www.hansknot.com Both worked for
Radio Nord: Monica Hylinga and Frida.
Old German Wireless History is a site which I recommend to visit:
http://www.oldradioworld.de/history.htm
‘Hi Hans, Ray Teret here.
Thanks to your brilliant newsletter, I had over a hundred emails and msn
contacts at www.Manchesterradioonline.com between 14.00 and 16.00 on
this Sunday Yourself, Mike Wright and Kenny Tosh all had mentions. This
show is now getting more hits and listeners than any other UK online
show according to the stats. The Rock n Roll DooWop formula is great to
do and thanks to you now circulating the world. May your Blue Suede
Shoes always be Moving. My request contact at Yahoo or Msn is
studiomro@hotmail.com and
email
studio@manchesterradioonline.com every Sunday from 14.00 to 16.00
hours for dance and romance. here is a more recent picture of me to
prove I am still Ugli. Regards Ugli Ray Teret
With
Eastern there was a special reunion from deejays working for
Radio Caroline during the
period 1977/1979. They all came to the Ross Revenge in Tillbury Photos
are on:
http://www.schriel.nl/radio/fotoalbum/easter/
Marc Jacobs was one of
the people on the Caroline reunion and when he came back to good old
‘Groningen’ he wrote me: ‘It was a very special happening. In no time we
got the same atmosphere we had on the MV Mi Amigo. The same sort of
jokes, warmth and understanding. It was coming home again. Very special,
especially as one knows that we didn’t meet in this way during the past
thirty years. The atmosphere was so very good that it was very
frightened to look through the porthole now and then to see we were in
harbour in stead of on the International Waters. A very special
sensation.’
Remember Kas van Iersel, who once was
Kas Collins on the Voice
of Peace? Kas became this month the new station voice on Sky Radio 101
FM. The arrival of Kas is part of the new sound on Sky Radio which can
be heard from the end of this month. Next to Kas his voice also new
jingles will be introduced on Sky Radio.
Also
Veronica will get a new voice over. It’s Erik de Zwart who, from April
28th, will be the new voice over in promos and spots. In the eighties
Erik de Zwart presented radio as well as television programs with
Veronica, like ‘The Top 40’ and ‘Countdown’. In 1979 Erik started his
radio career on Radio Caroline as
Paul de Wit.
Erik de Zwart in 2008 (Photo:
Veronica)
Next e mail brings us to a former Radio 270 deejay now living in
Amsterdam: ‘Hi all, I've just launched a new site:
www.the-html-book.com I would
appreciate any comments and/or suggestions. Thanks Mike.’ Of course
there is also another site run by Mike, including his memories to Radio
270 days, which can be found at:
www.mike-hayes.nl
Peter Adgate was sharp by reading last issue of the Hans Knot
International Report: ’Hi Hans, it was
Dave ‘far out’ Owen on
Radio Atlantis not Dave Rogers! I think Dave Owen is still involved with
Radio Jackie in London.’
Thanks Peter and now to Steve Roberts: ‘hi hans, many thanks for your
recent radio report it was great as usual. I often give you a plug in my
show on offshore music radio. Could I ask another favour? Daffy Dan
Allen used to play two particular country and western songs all the time
on RNI. Because they were so very popular: Do you or your readers have
copies of ‘big fanny’ by Neil Ray and a song called ‘the balled of
Wiltshire Bert’? Both were comedy songs and I like to share them again
with my omr listeners thanks: Steve Roberts
www.offshoremusicradio.com
And for anyone who has these requested songs Steve Roberts can be
reached at Bgstv23@aol.com
Mr
Anonymous wrote: ‘Hi, please share this information: Someone in Poland
has recently made a website where you can ** download 24 programs ** and
read more about Radio Rainbow International, the Voice of Peace, the
biggest free peace station on the planet! click on the 'Radio Rainbow
Int. button on the site.
http://www.foton.e90.biz/
When you plan a short trip to Holland, for instant from Harwich with the
Ferry to Hook of Holland, it will be fun to visit the exposition on
Offshore Radio which will be held in Hook of Holland up till July 26th.
A lot of former equipment from Veronica days can be found including the
last used ‘on board studio’ from the MV Norderney completely restored.
Reader Douwe Dijkstra visited the opening of the exposition, late March.
He has written about it on his weblog
www.albatrosstudio.nl On this
weblog are more short stories about offshore radio. Also on the
museumsite more info is to found including many photographs:
www.rockart.nl
Some weeks ago the following e mail dropped in my mailbox: ‘I am a
curator at the Manx Museum in Douglas in the Isle of Man. I’m presently
working with Andy Wint, who I believe you know, to put together an
exhibition this summer on the subject of
Radio Caroline North. I
was wondering please if you might have any photographs or memorabilia,
or any particular memories of your time with Radio Caroline which you
might be willing to share with us for the exhibition? Any photographs
could be copied and any objects or memorabilia would be safely returned
afterwards. If you could help us in any way, we would be most grateful
to you. If you are still in touch with anyone else from your Caroline
days, we would be pleased if you could pass the word on. Thank you very
much, Kind regards, Matthew Richardson
Matthew.Richardson@gov.im
Well I promptly replied and have sent several photographs, posters, and
other objects to the Curator Social History on Manx and we hope to take
a visit to Manx in August. But the question was of course not only meant
for me but also for the readers. So don’t hesitate to contact Matthew as
he want as much on display this summer.
A rare Don Allan video was uploaded by one of the readers in Northern
Ireland by Kenny Tosh:
Part One:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Rreob2yT8
Part Two:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yDO3ZG33GrQ
Next one is from Richard Sharpe: ‘Hi Hans, some friends and I have been
discussing the broadcasting history of the above vessel, There seems to
be a gap around about 1962. It is possible that some tests were made
from the ship as a station identifying itself as Radio LN was heard
about this time on 306 metres. The project was stalled, however, due to
the events surrounding the closure of Radio Mercur which scared off the
financial backers and the ship was forced to sail to Ostende. Do you
know if these tests took place and do you have any more information
regarding this project?’
Well Richard for all info about the gap period I would love to send you
to the next internet address where a long article, I wrote on this
period, can be read.
http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOLUME09/Magda_Maria.shtml
Richard went on with a second question: ‘Also I wonder was it Radio LN
or possibly Radio Ellen? Best regards as always Richard Sharpe’
As far as I know Radio Ellen was never really realised as a Radio
station from international waters. It seems the ship was to small for a
radiostation and parts of the ship still are somewhere in Essex, as I
remember near Gravesend.’
Colin Nichol is a guy who always thinks for us and this time he found a
pirate radio movie on the internet:
http://www.fandango.com/pumpupthevolume_v39658/summary
David Alexandre Winter one time scored the charts in some countries with
a song called ‘Oh Lady Mary’. Under the name
John van Doorn he was for
some time deejay on the Laissez Faire for Radio 227. After his success
with the music he went to French and one day it was told in one of the
gloss’s that he played suicide. Many, including myself, believed it.
Even in one of my books, Five from the Laissez Faire, in mentioned it in
the eighties. But surprise decades later David Alexander Winter is back
with a lot of thanks for the research to Look Boden (another shipmate
from John van Doorn:
http://www.david-alexandrewinter.com/en/Home.asp
Then an e mail from Ton van den Hoeven who wrote: ‘Next to the offshore
radio stations I listened a lot to other shortwave and medium wave
stations. Due to certain reasons it always fascinated me to listen to
the news bulletins from Radio DDR. Probably to hear the contrast with
the free western news programs, or to taste the atmosphere begin the
Iron Curtain in those days. Often I listened around midnight. Just
before the news there was always the East German Anthem played, mostly
two minutes before midnight. But just before the Anthem there was always
another instrumental tune. I would love to know who knows the title of
the instrumental as well as who played it. Above that I would love to
have a mp3 copy.’
So who could help Ton with the instrumental can sent it to
Hans.Knot@gmail.com
Tim from Kent send information about a new book: ’Hi Hans, not sure
whether this book is of interest to you, to mention in your next report.
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/212897?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=140x240
Mike
Barraclough comments on last issue of the Hans Knot International Radio
Report with: ‘I can add to Clive Warner's memories of the
Harold Wilson tape. It is
true that there was black propaganda spread about Harold Wilson by some
members of MI5 and others, this, and several other matters, was
investigated, at Wilson's behest, by BBC journalists Barry Penrose and
Roger Coutiour who wrote a book about it, there was also a documentary
based on more material they unearthed on BBC2 in April 2006 reviewed
quite extensively here:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/apr2006/wil1-a19.shtml
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/apr2006/wil2-a20.shtml
However in all this no mention of the BBC tapes of the David Dimbleby
interview being black propaganda. I remember hearing some of the Harold
Wilson tapes Clive refers to on a 1975 Private Eye flexidisc Farginson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Eye_recordings#Farginson
I have now dug out the flexidisc and made an mp3 file of the Wilson
recordings on it, had to place various coins on the centre of the
flexidisc to achieve this! Just uploaded it to my Sendspace account:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/24ptot
They do also turn up sometimes for sale on Ebay. Perhaps you could let
Clive have the link, if its become inactive when he wants to upload it,
Sendspace deletes files after 7 days with no one downloading them, I can
easily upload it again or send it him direct if he lets me know.
I was talking to someone this weekend who has worked in broadcasting for
35 years about blooper/privately circulated tapes and without me
mentioning Clive's query he brought up the Wilson interview which he
said he had heard in full at the time and that it had been passed to him
from someone at the BBC. Thank you for all the work you put into your
reports, always read them on the web. Mike B’
Thanks a lot Mike for your additional information on the secret tapes.
Help from our readers to complete the history on several subjects is
always most welcome.
*******************************************************************
In the May - June
Horizon Magazine:
Easter 2008 The Reunion - Featured four page colour spread of 1970`s
Caroline reunion broadcasts and news of a DVD of the Easter Broadcasts
for sale in our Caroline web shop. Clive Thomas features in The Caroline
Interview. Dell Richardson`s Good rockin` Tonight. News of Caroline in
The Movies. Southampton Support Group News. Ross Revenge Restoration
Update and the Origins of The Caroline Movement Part Two. What`s Hot in
Pandora`s Box plus all the usual news and views. Caroline and Free
Radio, Past Present and Future.
Every issue we bring you news, memories and great photos. Horizon is run
by volunteers, all fans and supporters of Caroline and her Radio Ship
Ross Revenge, currently berthed in closed dock at Tilbury London on the
River Thames.
If you have news, photos, memories or comments on Caroline or Free Radio
please do get in touch regards, Bill Barnes for Horizon Magazine:
Wvbarnes@aol.com
*********************************************************************
Hi Hans.
I
always look forward to your monthly newsletter, a chance to reminisce
the golden era of radio. I happened to stumble across another internet
station using a "pirate" name, PlanetCaroline at
www.planetcaroline.com. They
also have a cache of domains from various countries pointing to the same
site, such as
http://www.radiocaroline.se They have
a FM outlet in Tenerife, which leads me to question whether it's the
same people that once operated MiAmigo in the Canaries. I'm not sure
what the folks at the "official" Caroline in Kent make of it, given the
fact that they are using the bell logo as well. Best wishes, Dee Coombes
(South Wales, UK).’
Thanks for the information Dee, always welcome! By the way, the Mi Amigo
on the Canaries is not run by the same people at the Caroline one on
Tenerife.
April 17th saw Ferry Maat,
now working for Veronica and in the seventies on RNI, honoured by the
Dutch queen with an official Knighthood ‘Oranje Nassau’. This as he was
qualified as a person who has done a lot during a longer period for
Dutch Society in a very stimulating way. Ferry Maat has been presenting
the Soul Show, which started in 1973 for 25 years and made it possible
for many artist to break through all over the world. He received the
medal from the mayor Frans Willem Gils from Maat’s hometown Huizen.
Ferry Maat and mayor Gils photo
Veronica
Well good friends this is ending the April edition of the Hans Knot
International Radio Report. Not forgetting to congratulate reader Ferry
Maat with this knighthood. For all contributions you can use
Hknot@home.nl and photos and other
things please use
Hans.Knot@gmail.com
Till next month
All the best from
Hans Knot
Offshore Radio Programme Names - Programmanamen Zeezenders 1958-1990
Read Hans Knot's former report