OT : Brian Matthew dropped from Sounds of the Sixties

[Stephen John Connett]

Also I know quite a few young guys in bands who in talking to them are into a lot of sixties bands music and don't much listen to stuff post 70's so the idea it's just old fogies is a convenient BBC myth

[Tony Walshaw]

Yes that is one of the points I was making. If there is a decline in 1960s interest, it is not as marked as Radio Two are implying.

[geoffleonard]

Quite apart from the silly new start time, presumably just to get Dermot O'Leary a breakfast show, Tony Blackburn is by far from the perfect replacement if his first show is anything to go by. It was really just "The Tony Blackburn Show", with the usual "jokes" and talking over the start and endings of records. Not for me, I'm afraid.

[Tony Walshaw]

Tony Blackburn should go back to 'Pick of the Pops'.

And Paul Gambaccini do 'Sounds Of The Sixties', which also needs to be on at a congenial time.

Get the right guys doing the right jobs 

[Patrick Coles]

unless you have an agenda to 'phase out' these things of course....

[stevej]

I noticed that this first 'new' SOTS was comprised almost entirely of well-worn hits with the rarities restricted to just one per hour, selected by Phil Swern. The whole appeal of SOTS for me was discovering little-heard records and the stories behind them. That approach appears to have been discarded now. It was more akin to a 60s-themed wedding reception disco. All that was missing was 'Hi Ho Silver Lining'! It's gone from being a niche show to a mainstream one. All those 60s hits are cycled endlessly (between the commercials) on the AM 'Gold' stations.

With all due respect to Tony Blackburn, as Geoff rightly says, everything he presents simply becomes a variation on 'The Tony Blackburn Show' - the usual corny jokes, shout-outs and 'loving the show' tweets. How I missed Brian Matthew's measured style of presentation.

I agree that Tony B's breezy style was far more suited to Pick Of The Pops, whereas Paul G is very good with factual shows.

[robchapman]

Did anyone else catch Tony Blackburn's completely facetious and unnecessary comments about the Phil Swern rare record slot at 7.20 this morning. (Just after the Lou Christie if you're listening on I Player) First time I've caught the show in its new slot. Complete cack from start to finish.

[williammcgregor]

Mar 18, 2017 13:03:34 GMT robchapman said:

Did anyone else catch Tony Blackburn's completely facetious and unnecessary comments about the Phil Swern rare record slot at 7.20 this morning. (Just after the Lou Christie if you're listening on I Player) First time I've caught the show in its new slot. Complete cack from start to finish.

Hi Rob,

I've been listening again and again to the wee snippet you mention and I can't quite make Tony Blackburn's comments out fully? He seems to be saying he's not sure if he liked the song...(Fairy Tales can come True by San Francisco Earthquake) ? and then he mentions something about Phil Swern but I can't make it out? can you tell me what Tony said?

I personally think that the show should try to be as informative as it can about the 60's as I love hearing wee nuggets of information however obscure that would improve my knowledge of the 60's music scene.

[Tony Walshaw]

I picked up on the bit where he introduced 'the spot on the show' where they play a rare record. TB said it was "rapidly turning into a boil". 

He was a bit condescending, as though it was embarrassing to play it. There was no such attitudes from Brian Mathew.

[robchapman]

Tony's basically nailed it above, William. TB made it quite clear that he didn't like the slot. Made comments about Phil's sad little face dropping when he threatened to drop it. I thought it totally unprofessional. Wasn't even vaguely amusing. (The record he played was ace. Lost psych-pop classic.)

[williammcgregor]

Thanks for the updates Tony and Rob it seems that if anybody wants to listen to a 60's themed radio show we'll need to trawl through the internet.

Seems like we were spoilt a bit by Brian Matthew's version of SOT's?

[richardwoods]

Caroline are taking over Manx Radio's AM transmitter again this weekend. Good signal in West Wales. Should reach the West Coast of Scotland in the day time and further at night.......... Failing that there's always the Caroline Flashback service. I gave up on Radio 2 years ago for reasons you all obviously understand, I won't go into it here so as not to offend. However, the purchase of a low power FM transmitter now installed in the loft fed by an Internet radio solves everything. 👍

[Alan Turrell]

I've just listened to a Tony Blackburn show from 1970 and he absolutely hammers "Down the Dustpipe" by Status Quo basically saying what a load of rubbish that is don't like that at all. I can remember a show back in 1973 where he played "Bad Bad Boy" by Nazareth and it was the same there.
I know everyone has their own opinions as to what music they like and fair enough i certainly know what Tony doesn't like.

[Kev Hunter]

I think it's well-known where Tone's musical preferences lay although I recall that he had Edgar Broughton's "Hotel Room" as his pick of the week (or whatever it was called) in Summer '71. Who'da thought?

[richardwoods]

Mar 22, 2017 11:51:48 GMT Kev Hunter said:

I think it's well-known where Tone's musical preferences lay although I recall that he had Edgar Broughton's "Hotel Room" as his pick of the week (or whatever it was called) in Summer '71. Who'da thought?

Bet he doesn't like Out Demons Out or Apache Dropout though, LOL