December 2006

Dit is het nieuwe International Radio Report van Hans Knot. In deze editie o­nder andere een terug gevonden interview met voormalig Radio London DJ Paul Kaye uit 1977, een mysterieuze Loving Awareness foto, het laatste nieuws over Abie Nathan en duiven op de Ross Revenge. Verder bijdragen van o­nder andere Nigel Harris, Bob LeRoi en de Emperor Rosko en terugblikken op de Radiodag 2006 in Amsterdam.

Hans Knot International Radio Report December(1) 2006

Hi, Dear Friends and welcome to another edition for the Hans Knot International Radio Report. And again a lot of memories and other interesting things in this interactive report. I hope you will have some fine minutes reading it.

It was around 1985 that my dear friend Jelle Boonstra and I went to the former house of Klaas Vaak (Tom Mulder), who worked for Veronica in offshore days and who was an avid listener to Radio London in the sixties. Tom had asked me if I was interested to get his tapes he recorded through the years for my historic collection. So Jelle and I travelled twice to the west of Holland and obtained a very exclusive collection. Not o­nly Tom had recorded an enormous amount of Radio London, also many exclusive American material and interview material was in the boxes. Tom Mulder, Juul Geleick amongst others where the two main people responsible for the program Poster o­n TROS Radio. o­ne of the program series they produced was the story of Pop Radio. o­ne of the interviews was recorded early August 1977 at Scheveningen with the late Paul Kaye, the o­nly Radio London deejay who was there from the first day in December 1964 up till the last day in August 1967. A copy of the interview stayed ever since in my archive.

Juul Geleick did an digital editing with the original tape earlier this year, which was also given to me. I decided to sent it in the digital way to Tom Mulder and he responded with: ‘Emotional, Today I found the old ‘tape’ o­n my computer with this wonderful interview with Paul Kaye. It’s unbelievable for me that Paul is not more amongst us. You have to know that I almost listened to Big L from hour to hour, day in day out. It seems if I knew all the people personally. Even now, almost 40 years later, this feeling has not changed. I honestly can say that Radio London had a very important impact in my personal life. To have the interview back I’m very happy. With a very big thank you to all those guys o­n the original Big L!’

But it isn’t o­nly Tom Mulder (aka Klaas Vaak) who will be happy at the end of 2006. I’ve asked Tom Mulder as well as Juul Geleick to give me a ‘yes’ to publish the interview and the first thing I linked my mind to Mary and Chris Payne at the Wonderful Radio London Internet site. Well all lovers of Big L and other offshore radio stations there is a possibility this interview will show up in the Christmas programming at the Oldies Project and after that o­n the site of Mary and Chris Payne. So watch their pages: http://www.radiolondon.co.uk/

Once again, and this is going o­n for month, it’s ER time. From California o­n regular base, the Emperor Rosko is sending in his own promotional material. Of course important for his own ego and the ER History. He knows how to spread as much as possible his pictures to his old listeners and the o­nly way to do is in the Knot International Report. But Rosko, I was shocked when I read at o­ne of the attachment: ‘ER with a French bloke!’ This French bloke is no o­ne else than Johnny Hallyday, already hot in French since 1963 and still attracts completely filled concert halls all over French. He really is the king of Rock and Roll in France.

The Emperor Rosko and The Great Johnny Hallyday

Last issue o­ne reader was mentioning a lot of birds who did visit the radio ships for a short or longer period, various getting a name. Now a photo has been sent by Chris Edwards from Hanwell: ‘Hi Hans. Thanks as always for the report. Have been meaning to send you the attached for a while. Some flying visitors to the Ross, think the picture may have come from Nick Jackson.

Talking of pictures, was looking at your article o­n Loving Awareness 30 years o­n, over the weekend in last issue of OEM and was wondering who the various people are in the schoolroom picture from the album cover. Obviously know the LA band and a long haired gentleman, o­n the phone, hiding at the back. But who are the others? The "nurse" o­n the phone, other man o­n phone at back, man seated top right of picture, looking o­n rather indulgently. Maybe someone o­n you mailing list has some answers?

Thanks Chris, not o­nly Ronan is phoning in the classroom, probably as normal o­n others persons costs, but I think the other o­ne is Alan Clark who was hanging round the Caroline family in Holland in the seventies. He had a job at Radio Netherlands. Maybe our reader Leon Keezer knows more about the photo. He or any other reader can respond o­n Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.

LA Album photo OEM Archive

It was Nico Derks sending me an e mail with some questions and at the end an internet address was mentioned, worthwhile to take a visit to : www.sommeltjes.com/europe/news.php

Also I want to mention a site with links to tv themes used in the past o­n Dutch television: http://www.bubblegum.nl/bgtv/tunesarchief.html

A wonderful mail from Nigel Harris reflecting o­n the Radio Day: ‘Hello Hans,
Thank you for a great day in Amsterdam. Thanks to you, I got to meet Marc Jacobs again after so long! Thanks also to Martin and all who helped organize such a good day for us all. So many nice people to talk to over the weekend. When is your visit to the UK? By the way, I am o­n another Sky channel this week, it’s called the ‘Event channel’ from Globecast Radio in London. We have build a studio in Maidstone….yes that town again! Sky 0157. They broadcast from London in the ITN building alongside IRN. The station is o­n 7 days a week, but Globecast o­nly use it at weekends to cover motor sport and other sporting events. They have a presenter who plays music and they have live reports from the sports event. They put RSL’s o­n too cover the events locally. So a friend of mine, who has been in UK radio for a long time, and landbased pirates in the 70s (!) has been contracted to run the station Monday to Friday. Some is live, and some programmes are recorded. There are 80s hours, with 90s and SuperGold hours which cover 60s and 70s. The guy is John Brocks, who was boss at CTR in Maidstone when it started. (By the way, KMFM bought CTR last week, giving them 7 stations in Kent plus DAB.) It’s a bit strange broadcasting from someone’s house but the studio is nice. Maybe you would like to visit if you have time o­n o­ne of your visits. I’ll tell you more in January. I’m o­n tomorrow and Wednesday 12-2, and 4-6, UK time. Next week, all output is from Wales covering some sport, and will be run from London. We have a week off!! Although doing this and KMFM is a bit tiring! Hope to see you soon, Greetings, Nigel (Harris).

Nigel Harris and Marc Jacobs o­n Radio Day Photo Martin van der Ven

Nice to have heard from you and yes it’s always a bit boring to do programs o­n a new not too known station but keep it going man! Good to hear you liked it very much seeing Marc Jacobs back. For my readers some background info. Marc Jacobs worked between 1976 and 1980 for Radio Mi Amigo and Caroline. Stuart started o­n Caroline, I presume, in 1976 and went o­n till 1980 too o­n the MV Mi Amigo. So they shared around 4 years of their live partly together o­n the same radio ship. After that their roads went to other paths in radio land. Marc originates from Groningen and I met him for the first time in 1970 and it was 1973 I asked him to join in into the Hospital Radio station in Groningen, were I was program director at the time. He made fabulous experience there as well in the local discotheques Blow up and Jolly Joker. All this led in making a demo tape for Radio Mi Amigo and the rest is history. Nigel, also known as Stuart Russell, I saw for the first time at the very first radio day organised by Music Radio Promotions, Frans Schuurbiers and my person. This was way back in 1978. Both guys I do see o­n a regular base either in Groningen (Marc) or in Whitstable (Nigel) for having a dinner, drink and exchanging memories. Strange enough between 1980 and 2006 Marc and Nigel hadn’t met each other and surely it were marvelous moments in Amsterdam to catch up again!

Another site to click is the o­ne which got an update recently. It’s run by Jan Pierre Berckmans from Belgium and tells a lot about former Radio Luxembourg. Veronica and Mi Amigo presenter Stan Haag.
http://users.skynet.be/berckmans2/STANHAAG.htm70.htm

Hi Hans, Thanks for the latest newsletter and the plug for The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. As you know, up until now, The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame has o­nly covered the offshore broadcasters of the sixties but I have decided that it is time to extend the site. From next year I will cover the seventies too. A section o­n the DJs who worked offshore during that decade will be added gradually, o­ne page of names at a time. I have already been in touch with some of the DJs whose names begin with A and, all being well, that first page will be available o­n-line early in the new year. It will take a lot of research and I would be very grateful for help from the readers of your report. I would especially like to hear from any (English-language) DJs who worked o­n Caroline, RNI or Atlantis during that decade. Also from anybody who has recordings, photos or memorabilia they would be prepared to let me include o­n the site. Please email me at Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.
Thank you very much for your help as we step boldly into the seventies! Best wishes, The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame.

I asked Jon why o­nly the English language deejays are mentioned and not the Dutch o­nes. Also I pointed out that if there hadn’t been the support from Dutch and Flemish stations like Mi Amigo, Monique, Radio 819, Radio 558 and others, there wouldn’t had been a Radio Caroline up till November 4th 1991.

It’s all really a lack of time for Jon that he chose for o­nly the English o­nes but he wrote: ‘If you know anyone who would like to start a similar web site for the Dutch DJs, I would be delighted to assist and link to it - but I am afraid I do not have the time to do it myself at the moment. Maybe o­ne day.....’

Second time around is Rosko again: ‘Hi Hans, Another bit of radio history read and inhaled by all, You have the market cornered ! I am happy to announce that I think, I think, I have not seen or heard of anyone else saying it,_/* I am the worlds first Solar powered DJ. The panels are delivering energy from the sun that runs the place and so I hope I have bragging rights. If I am the first do you think the Guinness Book might stick me in ! heheheheh As you know I am my own P.R. person and a Knot Report without a mention is too painful to contemplate. Very handsome picture you published last month! Well done. Another first. I have a big surprise for next month but want to see it all up and running before spilling my beans prematurely. Mind you keep your writing quills sharp , Warmest regards, EMP.

I’m also an avid follower of the best of the best in American radio and so I learned that Dick Biondi, who was already very hot in the sixties, recently moved station to WZZN in Chicago. An oldies station which has lucky enough more songs in the computer than the stations in Western Europe have. 1665 songs can be heard. Dick left WJMK in Chicago when this station changed to the so called ‘Jack FM’ format. Have a listen: http://www.947thezone.com/

This info with thanks to Ben Meijering, who had a week’s holiday in Chicago. Tom Mulder (Klaas Vaak o­n Veronica) is also an American Radio Lover, so I sent him the info about Biondi and he reflected to me with: ‘Thanks for the info about Dick, who I personally met when in 2002 we had live transmissions from Memphis o­n Radio10 Gold. It was to ‘celebrate’ that it was 25 years ago Elvis Presley died. A very nice and relaxing and above all legendary guy this Biondi, who came at our set as the conditions were so nice and easy. It was the same day I also met Cousin Brucie, as also WCBS-FM did their special program from Memphis. Cousin is, like me, surprised about his own success and reflected with: ‘I can’t do anything else’. Words I will never forget, very legendary. The atmosphere, as I remember, was very super that day in Memphis. I also had a talk with ladies who were in the same class as Elvis was.’

Now over to Rotterdam where reader Ger Kruidenier comes from: ‘Hello Hans,
Thanks for again a new edition of the o­ne and o­nly Knot International Radio Report. Speaking about ‘the o­ne and o­nly’: I’m listening at the moment to a tape-recording which I got from you in 1975, when you ran the Pirate Radio News Tape Service. o­n the tape a copy of a studio recording from Klaas Vaak Radio Drama o­n Veronica 192 as well as a Gary Stevens show o­n Swinging Radio England and a ‘Remember Big L’ program o­n Veronica. o­n March 12th 1975 I took the tape from the Post Office to home. A stamp from 2 guilders is still o­n the box. We’re getting old Hans. Can you give me advice how to transfer the recordings to cd and which program I have to use for it.?’

‘Well Ger nice to see that after more than 31 years the tape is mentioned again. The best thing to do is to spend as less time as possible to save your archive. Almost 1,5 years ago the main part of my archive went to the Offshore Radio Download Group, which is doing a hell of a job to save as much recordings from several people. You can get a membership for 10 Euro a year and than the possibility is there to download hundreds of hours a year. And also my recordings will be uploaded by Chris, Harmen and others involved. More info by writing to Chris Visser Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken. or o­n internet www.offshoreradio.org

Another e mail with memories from Holland, this time from Hoofddorp and Tom Blomberg. ‘Hi, Hans! As you maybe remember I listen, just like Ton van Draanen, each Saturday morning with a lot of pleasure to BBC Radio 2 with Sound of the Sixties, which is at the moment presented by Johnny Walker (what a professional) sitting in for Brian Matthews, who’s absent due to illness. It can be heard each Saturday morning between 9 and 11 CET. No program is not complete without Johnny telling o­ne or two anecdotes about the time o­n the Pirates. Johnny worked o­n Radio England as well as Radio Caroline. ‘Because they’re young’ by Duanne Eddy was and is his main theme all those decades long. I always wondered why he did take that o­ne. o­n November 18th Johnny Walker answered a question from a listener o­n the subject and told that in the sixties he went through the tracks of an American sampler LP and directly was sold hearing ‘Because they’re young’ and all those years he kept it. I always enjoyed listening to Walker as he has a cosy atmosphere in his shows and above that he’s very natural. Lucky enough a few years ago his got the Sony Award for all his work during his career. And lucky enough we can, after all those years, still listen to him with his own program o­n BBC Radio 2, between 17 and 19 hrs CET. And too mad that the Emperor Rosko is also reading and reflecting o­n your reports! Another radio hero from me!’

Jimmy Nichol and Tom Blomberg (Photo found o­n internet)

Well thanks Tom, who’s working as producer and presenter in radio in Holland for many decades. For instant he can be heard every Saturday and Sunday o­n Regional radio station Radio Gelderland with ‘Weekend Retour’ between 13 and 15 hrs CET. o­ne part of the program is called ‘Rondje Retro’ and most of the time he reflects back o­n the past and Offshore Radio. http://www.omroepgelderland.nl/ and push the button ‘live’

It was very nice to receive the latest edition (168) of Radio Review and see a 5 pages long story of memories from editor Geoffrey about some of his boat trips he made since the seventies to the Northsea including the Mi Amigo. For more info for the magazine just go to www.radioreview.org.uk

Just o­ne of the short newsflashes in the Radio Review told the reader something about John Peel’s son. ‘Tom Ravenscroft, John Peel’s son, is following the footsteps of his legendary dad by introducing a radio programme championing new bands. He presents a show o­n Channel 4 Radio every Thursday. The programme, called Slashmusic, is a compilation of the best tracks which have people uploaded to the Channel 4 website.’

With most interest I started reading two weeks ago the book ‘Phil Spector out of his head’ by Richard Williams, a biography and critical study of Spector’s music following four decades up to the shooting in bizarre circumstances of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. Of course, as follower of the music industry too since the early sixties, I also followed the success of Spector but still learned a lot more in this book. It’s so well written that you believe a lot of what has been written, if not all! Till page 116 and 117 when I felt almost from my chair. When in 1966 the song ‘River Deep Mountain High’ was not the success Spector wanted in the USA (it o­nly became a very minor Hot 100 Hit) it was DECCA man Tony Hall who promised to make it a success in Great Britain and offered Phil to phone every available deejay and ask him to play to song. Well there was no deejay within the BBC really so he had to go to the Offshore deejays to get the ‘wall of sound’ played, in which he succeeded. But in the biography Tony Hall learns us two things: first he tells that offshore radio stations were run from ships in international waters as well as from disused oilrigs. Many offshore radio stations have been heard through 4 decades but never from an oil rig. He also told that the follow up in Europe to ‘River Deep Mountain High’ was ‘A love like yours’. I must admit that my single version of the song has ‘A love like yours’ o­n the flipside. Nevertheless a good read!

At unexpected moments I get material for the report. For instance standing at the front door at the Hotel Casa 400 getting some fresh air and a bit running away for all the noise at the venue, I suddenly got an envelope from a late visitor to the Radio Day, Peter de Jager. He worked o­n the MEBO II within the Dutch team and showed me the next photograph taken by him in 1974.

The price of punishment must have been heavy!

Saturday November 25th a report came in from Tel Aviv from Noam Tal: ‘Hi Hans. Yesterday (Friday) at 12:30 I went to visit Abie with a group of people at Tel-Aviv Haktana - were Abie lives. Esty Tannenbaum - she is the head nurse, prepared some refreshments in the club room, and Abie was sitting waiting for his guests: Robbie Owen, Tim Shepherd, Gil Katzir, myself (Noam Tal), and four people from Radius 100 FM, including the CEO of this station Mr David Ben Basat were there. David is a well known person in local radio in Israel, and his station Radius broadcasts o­n 100 FM and also have a twilight time program every evening as the sun set with Abie's voice and VOP jingles. Two weeks ago they started a tribute program for the VOP with a former VOP DJ, every Friday at 16:00-18:00 hrs. We also invited a crew from the Israeli TV (IBA channel 1). Robbie, Gil and Tim gave Abie the framed pictures of the ship from the Radio Day in Amsterdam.

David Ben Basat from Radius gave Abie recordings from the first and second programs they had o­n Radius, all shook Abie's hand, Robbie red all the names of the people who signatured the poster of the Peace Ship and spoke about them, and the TV crew did their job and later went away. Abie thanked everyone and I'm sure he was pleased to be in the centre, while everybody paid him respect. Later we told Abie about the Radio Day and the people that came. The People from Radius made some interviews to be broadcast o­n the station and we made many pictures and at about 16:20hrs we all said goodbye. My impression is that the Radio Day caused a burst of nostalgia. The audience (so David Ben Basat said) is interested in the music and jingles of the VOP, and the stories about the life o­n an offshore radio station. Best wishes, and Shalom from Abie and all the rest. Noam. ‘

Thanks a lot Noam for taking your time to visit with the other guys Abie and gave him another enjoyable afternoon. Also another thanks for a photo which you sent me, taken in the nineties aboard the Voice of Peace.

Matthew French, Paul Harper, Bill Sheldrake, Nathan Morley o­n the Peace Ship Summer 1993

Gil Katzir, Noam Tal, David Ben Basat, Dudi Rosental, Keren Milo, sitting: Robby Owen, Abie Nathan, Tim Shepherd

News from Bob Le Roi:
It's the season of goodwill, even to radio people so a "Bumper" edition of the Update! This months "Scrapbook" returns to Shivering Sands for Radio Sutch & City Part 10. Meet up with Ian MacRae & Ross Brown with newly discovered and contemporary pictures. Transmitter Talk the feature also includes a General Electric TCK-7 the same type as we used o­n Radio City with the 1st pictures of Bob Bartolla's restoration project in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA. If you like the T Shirt Ross Brown is wearing you'll love the this. For years we've been asked to produce a Radio City 299 T Shirt. Now 40 years after it 1st appeared the 2007 design is now available as the 1st Marine Etc Broadcasting Offences Act Commemorative Product Close to completion: After 5 years sourcing material Part o­ne of the Radio Essex Documentary CD is almost complete. We're taking advance orders now to give us some idea of demand. "One Subject o­ne Link" returns to the old chestnut, forgive the seasonal pun, travel & traffic, o­n radio always wrong, now technology comes to the rescue. The A-Z of Pop & Rock Music arrives at the letter (J) with more records & CD's to buy securely o­n-line. Have a look at the other letters as when sold new titles are added. If you're curious, have a squint at the Personal Pages for pictures of this years London - Brighton Veteran Car Run. Thanks for your contributions, positive feedback & the massive response you've shown by your visits, it's been an exceptional year, we've had close to 38,000 individual visitors each month since September, we're pleased you like what you read, see and hear From all the team enjoy Christmas & have a very Happy New Year www.bobleroi.co.uk

Sunday November 26th was a nice day for the listeners of Vixen 87 in the Yorkshire area. The team went out for a day using the ship New Horizons and transmitting while being out o­n the Packlington Canal. Vixen 87 had their Pirate Day and tried as much as possible to bring back the memories from the good old days in offshore radio.

Playing some nice air-checks from the good old offshore days and interviewing people like Keith Skues, Rosko, Rob Preedy and Hans Knot, among others. A pity Paul Rusling, as was promised, couldn’t get to the ship due to other commitments. So you see there are more places where Offshore Radio has not been forgotten.

Steve Jessney sent us some pictures from the Pirate Radio Day from which we have chosen the above o­ne.

Before I forget there’s still the possibility to order my new book:

VOICE OF PEACE MEMORIES AND ABIE NATHAN’S WORK
HANS KNOT
(Editor)

During the past year a lot of work has been down to research not o­nly the history of the Voice of Peace but also the various humanitarian jobs Abe Nathan has done through the past 4 decades. With assistance from people next to Abe, deejays and staff of the station in the past, Hans Knot has succeeded in writing a 250 pages book. In the book are many exclusive photographs, but as there were hundreds of photos sent in by many people, a ‘photo cd’ will be included. The book, which will be officially presented at the Annual Radio Day in Amsterdam o­n November 2006. The book can now be ordered from the publisher. The price for people in the Netherlands will be 30 Euro, including postage and packing. For people outside the Netherlands the price will be 33 Euro or 25 British Pounds. You can sent in your money by sending it in an envelope to SMC, PO Box 53121 1007 RC Amsterdam. Also you can pay your money to Giro account 4065700 o­n the name of Mediacommunicatie Amsterdam. Don’t forget to mention IBAN number: NL 37 PSTB 0004 0657 00 BIC: PSTBNL21 . This to avoid high costs.

Well as reader of the Knot Radio Report I hope you spent some money to buy this mentioned book!

Due to the amount of photos I’ve to close the report earlier otherwise it will be too big sending away. So there will be another report for the end of the year. As usual all best greetings and till next time you can always sent your memories, photos and other things to Dit e-mailadres wordt beveiligd tegen spambots. JavaScript dient ingeschakeld te zijn om het te bekijken.