Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

London pirate radio - news and discussion

plurker said:
I listen to digitalsouldradio.com (99.3FM), but it's more house than garage. Flex FM 101.4 too, but it gets on my wick after too long. Obvious Centreforce too, depending on what show.


"Sounds of the Huckleberry Finn on the 106.6"
I've also got a handful of cassettes I listen to from those days - Girls, Don FM, etc Wish I had the knowledge and time to digitise them all, then get rid of the tapes, and cassette deck 😁

The Heart FM here was a short-lived pirate btw, not the celebrity wankfest station of today.
View attachment 410031
Click to expand...

Massive props to ska invita for the hours of work it must have taken to rip these tapes for me.
I'm uploading them, slowly but surely, onto Youtube here SouthLondonPirate1992-4 in case anyone wants a listen :)
 
stethoscope said:
Admittedly not been pirate (or much good) for many years now, but was still surprised to see Bauer have now ditched the legendary 100FM frequency of Kiss.
Click to expand...

That's been on the cards for ages, Hits Radio is Bauer's biggest station, and they have wanted to put it on FM in London to go head-to-head with Capital, but wasn't sure if OFCOM would agree to them replacing KISS with it, but they don't need to worry about that with the new Media Act coming into force, because that allows operators to flip formats overnight, without any OFCOM involvement.
 
On my last scan across London, I had...

87.5 Live FM
88.2 Rude FM
88.4 Vision Radio
89.4 CityLock
90.0 Hot 90
93.8 Vibes FM
94.2 TF Live
94.6 Underground Bass
95.1 Divine
95.5 OnTop
97.1 London Soul Radio
98.3 RJR
99.2 Digital Soul
99.6 Venture FM
99.8 Supreme FM
101.2 Unique Radio
102.0 Conscious
102.4 Wax
102.8 Radyo Umut
103.8 4Tune FM
104.1 Omega Radio
105.6 Playback UK
106.5 Wk-End
 
stethoscope said:
Always funny hearing your shouts on someones recording :D



I see Jinx is back with a regular show on Kool.... can never top those great Super Sundays on the 945 of over 10 years ago though - Chase followed by Jinx followed by Jack Knife used to be an institution!
Click to expand...

great news used to love that Sunday Jinx show.
can find them all on the rinse/kool site. - the search seems to work pretty well.

www.rinse.fm

Kool Originals with DJ Jinx

Rinse has dominated London's radio airwaves for 30 years as a hub of the capital's thriving urban music community.
www.rinse.fm
 
Really fascinating interview with Gordon Mac who started Kiss FM (and now runs Mi Soul)...Walworth Road boy...the interviewer is a blank about music, but Gordon rattles off his life story and paints the pirate days (and early legal days) really well



gordon-mac-essay-kiss-1988.jpg
 
I see that podcast guy popping up on my feed but can't bring myself to watch anything of his. a bit like that James English guy.
 
pbsmooth said:
I see that podcast guy popping up on my feed but can't bring myself to watch anything of his. a bit like that James English guy.
Click to expand...
Yes i get why.... BigMoaner turned me on to him and Ive watched loads of his interviews...he has his plus points as an interviewer, in that he doesn't judge, he doesn't pry and he gives people space to be themselves. Everyone is treated with respect and given the benefit of the doubt and humanised. This one with a brixton gang member is very moving i thought. It puts terrestrial TV to shame on many levels.

His channel is basically Tasty Geezer TV, but beyond that its about working class men (very occasional women) grafting their way to wealth by hook or crook , and the presenter Dodge's interest, apart from enjoying a tall tale, is about the business aspect of it all. All of which is really relevant to this whole topic of Kiss, pirate radio and working class>petit booj culture.

I listened to this last night and keep thinking about it this morning.... i expect this is going to be a rambly long post, but I think there a lot of interesting things going on here.

Kiss was IMO both the best radio station this country has ever had - the widest range of music ("of black origin") played by the highest quality of Djs.... and is also the saddest story of corporate buy out and killing of culture I can think of - a tragedy, which sums of modern Britain in lots of ways. Gordon Mac (MBE!) is at the centre of both ends of that.

Like all pirates the station is born of pure passion and as his account paints how coming from the proverbial "nothing" but passionate he was in the right place and right time to be able to round up the cream of London DJs. all good so far. And he wanted to go legal - fair enough - and needed to raise serious money (£2mill) to achieve that, and pulled that off. Kiss in its glory legal days walked the line of being commercial radio, especially in daytime, playlists, adverts at a sort of bareable amount, and filled with specialist programming (without ads) unmatched maybe in the world across its later schedule.

The bottom line is Gordon Mac cashed in...he got suckered into the business side of it....he sold it to a media conglomerate and they turned into lowest common denominator dance pop, and yes increased listening figures, made more money from advertising, and gutted the station. Doesn't deserve the name Kiss. Original share owners must've made wedge.

Dodge interviewing here loves all this, loves the branding talk, the money, gives no shit about the sell out, excuses it without a second thought. It didnt have to happen. and TBF to Gordon says he hated it too, but did it any way. And again very much TBF he resurrected the original Kiss by creating a new station, Mi Soul, which not as good as Kiss is still really strong on the music policy.

But Mi Soul is next to unlistenable as it has so many adverts. Gordon's inclination to make money out of radio just runs too strong. I don't know the economics of it in its MiSoul incarnation, so I don't want to judge too harshly, but bottom line is I cant listen to it because of the endless adverts. Three tunes six ads just drives me mad. Jazz Fm is the same, such a waste.

Anyhow what I'm really interested in is the grey overlap area between working and petit booj culture, of how it can be incredible (pirate radio in this case!) and how its terrible, and what can be done by us all to stop that healthy desire from becoming cancerous. The sell out of Kiss is a case of the worst of it. Dodge's uncritical support of it is telling of wider attitudes. I've got more on this but post too long so will stop now. In case of any doubt hats off to Gordon Mac, he achieved an enormous amount for 'the culture' (a term now abused by anyone talking about anything vaguely to do with mainstream culture even).
 
Thanks for posting that, ska invita, interesting to hear Gordon Mac tell the story first hand.

This has probably already been posted, it's an half hour Channel 4 documentary called 'Radical Radio' that follows Kiss from closing down as a pirate to the launch as a legal station.



That first legal day kicked of with the excellent "Pirates Anthem" by Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks.



[Home T]
Peoples station, A the system, DTI, outlaw them Because we love them

[Chorus]
Them a call us pirates
Them a call us illegal broadcasters
Just because we play what the people want
So them a call us pirates
Them a call us illegal broadcasters
DTI try stop us, but they can't

[Verse 1]
One station, it couldn't run England
Two station, they couldn't run England
Three stations, they could not please the nation
Everybody want to listen to the free station
Advertizers stay to a make your dance hall rock
Them a take thе equipment and they put it in a box
If thеy brought down one we make five more strong

[Bridge]
Down in England we've got lots of radio
Stations Playing the people music night and day, yeah
Reggae, calypso, hip-hop or disco
The latest sound today is what we play
On and off, off and on, on and off and on
See upcoming rap shows
Get tickets for your favorite artists

You might also like

Good Graces
Sabrina Carpenter

Bed Chem
Sabrina Carpenter

Taste
Sabrina Carpenter

[Verse 2]
If they turn it down, we gonna turn it on back
If they turn it off, we are gonna turn it on back
If them bruck it down, we gonna build it up back
If them play you our records then we get fresh stuff
No we love these stations and we love them too a much
We release and them play and all pop shot
DTI a try but they can't stop us

[Chorus]
Pirates, illegal broadcasters
Just because we play what the people want
Them a call us pirates, Them a call us illegal broadcasters
DTI try stop us, but they can't, oh no they can't

[Verse 3]
One station, it couldn't run England
Two station, they couldn't run England
Three stations, they could not rule the nation
That's why everybody listen to the free stations
To advertize a dance and ram your session
If a music you want to get them you can, Action stations, we say this everyone - If they
Brought down one we build five more strong

They're passing laws
They're planning legislation
Trying their best to keep the music down
DTI why don't you leave us alone, We only play the music others want

[Chorus]
Them a call us pirates
Them a call us illegal broadcasters
Just because we play what the people want
Them a call us pirates
Them a call us illegal broadcasters
DTI try stop us, but they can't

[Verse ´4]
One song could a never run England
Two song could a never run England
Three song could a never run England
Everybody want fi dem free station
If they brought down one we build five more strong
If they brought down two we build ten more strong
Advertizers stay to a make your dancehall run
Me say 'cause me a listen to the free
Station, If you want to hear a tune that is a fresh
On and on, on and off and on, Hey hey hey
Them a call us pirates, Them a call us illegal broadcasters

(Instrumental break)

Pirate!
Click to expand...
 
pbsmooth said:
I see that podcast guy popping up on my feed but can't bring myself to watch anything of his. a bit like that James English guy.
Click to expand...
ska invita said:
Yes i get why.... BigMoaner turned me on to him and Ive watched loads of his interviews...he has his plus points as an interviewer, in that he doesn't judge, he doesn't pry and he gives people space to be themselves. Everyone is treated with respect and given the benefit of the doubt and humanised. This one with a brixton gang member is very moving i thought. It puts terrestrial TV to shame on many levels.

His channel is basically Tasty Geezer TV, but beyond that its about working class men (very occasional women) grafting their way to wealth by hook or crook , and the presenter Dodge's interest, apart from enjoying a tall tale, is about the business aspect of it all. All of which is really relevant to this whole topic of Kiss, pirate radio and working class>petit booj culture.

I listened to this last night and keep thinking about it this morning.... i expect this is going to be a rambly long post, but I think there a lot of interesting things going on here.

Kiss was IMO both the best radio station this country has ever had - the widest range of music ("of black origin") played by the highest quality of Djs.... and is also the saddest story of corporate buy out and killing of culture I can think of - a tragedy, which sums of modern Britain in lots of ways. Gordon Mac (MBE!) is at the centre of both ends of that.

Like all pirates the station is born of pure passion and as his account paints how coming from the proverbial "nothing" but passionate he was in the right place and right time to be able to round up the cream of London DJs. all good so far. And he wanted to go legal - fair enough - and needed to raise serious money (£2mill) to achieve that, and pulled that off. Kiss in its glory legal days walked the line of being commercial radio, especially in daytime, playlists, adverts at a sort of bareable amount, and filled with specialist programming (without ads) unmatched maybe in the world across its later schedule.

The bottom line is Gordon Mac cashed in...he got suckered into the business side of it....he sold it to a media conglomerate and they turned into lowest common denominator dance pop, and yes increased listening figures, made more money from advertising, and gutted the station. Doesn't deserve the name Kiss. Original share owners must've made wedge.

Dodge interviewing here loves all this, loves the branding talk, the money, gives no shit about the sell out, excuses it without a second thought. It didnt have to happen. and TBF to Gordon says he hated it too, but did it any way. And again very much TBF he resurrected the original Kiss by creating a new station, Mi Soul, which not as good as Kiss is still really strong on the music policy.

But Mi Soul is next to unlistenable as it has so many adverts. Gordon's inclination to make money out of radio just runs too strong. I don't know the economics of it in its MiSoul incarnation, so I don't want to judge too harshly, but bottom line is I cant listen to it because of the endless adverts. Three tunes six ads just drives me mad. Jazz Fm is the same, such a waste.

Anyhow what I'm really interested in is the grey overlap area between working and petit booj culture, of how it can be incredible (pirate radio in this case!) and how its terrible, and what can be done by us all to stop that healthy desire from becoming cancerous. The sell out of Kiss is a case of the worst of it. Dodge's uncritical support of it is telling of wider attitudes. I've got more on this but post too long so will stop now. In case of any doubt hats off to Gordon Mac, he achieved an enormous amount for 'the culture' (a term now abused by anyone talking about anything vaguely to do with mainstream culture even).
Click to expand...
yes! woodge is a great interviewer, he's ego almost totally receedes and you barely notice him. i have noticed he always asks teh questions i seem to want asked as well. He is also a bit of a "pwoper norty geezer" himself so there's a familiartiy with his subjects. The thumbnails look appalling but, yes great channel. his essex boy drug runner one is one of my favorite pieces of interwebs
 
ska invita said:
Yes i get why.... BigMoaner turned me on to him and Ive watched loads of his interviews...he has his plus points as an interviewer, in that he doesn't judge, he doesn't pry and he gives people space to be themselves. Everyone is treated with respect and given the benefit of the doubt and humanised. This one with a brixton gang member is very moving i thought. It puts terrestrial TV to shame on many levels.

His channel is basically Tasty Geezer TV, but beyond that its about working class men (very occasional women) grafting their way to wealth by hook or crook , and the presenter Dodge's interest, apart from enjoying a tall tale, is about the business aspect of it all. All of which is really relevant to this whole topic of Kiss, pirate radio and working class>petit booj culture.

I listened to this last night and keep thinking about it this morning.... i expect this is going to be a rambly long post, but I think there a lot of interesting things going on here.

Kiss was IMO both the best radio station this country has ever had - the widest range of music ("of black origin") played by the highest quality of Djs.... and is also the saddest story of corporate buy out and killing of culture I can think of - a tragedy, which sums of modern Britain in lots of ways. Gordon Mac (MBE!) is at the centre of both ends of that.

Like all pirates the station is born of pure passion and as his account paints how coming from the proverbial "nothing" but passionate he was in the right place and right time to be able to round up the cream of London DJs. all good so far. And he wanted to go legal - fair enough - and needed to raise serious money (£2mill) to achieve that, and pulled that off. Kiss in its glory legal days walked the line of being commercial radio, especially in daytime, playlists, adverts at a sort of bareable amount, and filled with specialist programming (without ads) unmatched maybe in the world across its later schedule.

The bottom line is Gordon Mac cashed in...he got suckered into the business side of it....he sold it to a media conglomerate and they turned into lowest common denominator dance pop, and yes increased listening figures, made more money from advertising, and gutted the station. Doesn't deserve the name Kiss. Original share owners must've made wedge.

Dodge interviewing here loves all this, loves the branding talk, the money, gives no shit about the sell out, excuses it without a second thought. It didnt have to happen. and TBF to Gordon says he hated it too, but did it any way. And again very much TBF he resurrected the original Kiss by creating a new station, Mi Soul, which not as good as Kiss is still really strong on the music policy.

But Mi Soul is next to unlistenable as it has so many adverts. Gordon's inclination to make money out of radio just runs too strong. I don't know the economics of it in its MiSoul incarnation, so I don't want to judge too harshly, but bottom line is I cant listen to it because of the endless adverts. Three tunes six ads just drives me mad. Jazz Fm is the same, such a waste.

Anyhow what I'm really interested in is the grey overlap area between working and petit booj culture, of how it can be incredible (pirate radio in this case!) and how its terrible, and what can be done by us all to stop that healthy desire from becoming cancerous. The sell out of Kiss is a case of the worst of it. Dodge's uncritical support of it is telling of wider attitudes. I've got more on this but post too long so will stop now. In case of any doubt hats off to Gordon Mac, he achieved an enormous amount for 'the culture' (a term now abused by anyone talking about anything vaguely to do with mainstream culture even).
Click to expand...
sounds interesting, will listen.

I don't know if it has been discussed on here before but the idea of 'selling out' in music/art is an interesting one - the new generation (erm, maybe anyone under 30ish) doesn't seem to even see it as a thing. in fact, getting a brand deal or being in an advert - aka selling out to older people - is seen as a great success and having made it. whereas when I grew up and I think we're similar ages, it was all about 'no sell out' and avoiding corporate partnerships at all costs. there's no doubt a lot of detail on they whys of this but I am no expert...
 
pbsmooth said:
sounds interesting, will listen.

I don't know if it has been discussed on here before but the idea of 'selling out' in music/art is an interesting one - the new generation (erm, maybe anyone under 30ish) doesn't seem to even see it as a thing. in fact, getting a brand deal or being in an advert - aka selling out to older people - is seen as a great success and having made it. whereas when I grew up and I think we're similar ages, it was all about 'no sell out' and avoiding corporate partnerships at all costs. there's no doubt a lot of detail on they whys of this but I am no expert...
Click to expand...
yes agree and this is part of the children of the children of thatcher culture change thats gone on...but im sure there are people out there with non-sell out values, but its on the fringes, by its nature.,... and god knows finding a way to afford to live in this society now is near impossible so unsurprising people turn to these dreams....

counterculture and some countercultural values have been absorbed into the mainstream, which to some extent has made the mainstream a nicer place to live in and around, so not all bad... but I do feel we are losing something as we go
 
ska invita said:
yes agree and this is part of the children of the children of thatcher culture change thats gone on...but im sure there are people out there with non-sell out values, but its on the fringes, by its nature.,... and god knows finding a way to afford to live in this society now is near impossible so unsurprising people turn to these dreams....
Click to expand...

Well, you could start with urban and Radio Caroline.
 
ska invita said:
oooldddd peeeopllleeee :D

Rinse FM went legal and has zero adverts <no idea how they fund it ... DJs dont pay subs, next to no merch, very rare club night...underground music too....also not run by twenty year olds though!
Click to expand...

BiB - Rinse FM has a community radio licence, so FM power is fairly limited and they are only on the London Trial DAB mini-multiplex, rather than one of the main commercial ones, so transmitting costs are low, you don't need much in the way of premises, so they'll be cheap or even free*, little or no wages to cover, makes it a very cheap operation.

* IIRC they have a record label, so probably share office space.
 
Rinse also do various 'partnerships' but they've done a pretty good job of remaining independent for sure.
I think they've also rowed back a bit from having a 'breakfast show' and presenters (Maya Jama) rather than DJs, and gone back to being music first and a huge number of DJs on there. must make for a big 'reach', which probably plays well when they do want to go for commercial partnerships.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

cm.london.30
Drum and Bass on the bike, London 2024
Replies
0
Views
197
cm.london.30
cm.london.30
N
Portuguese music in London?
Replies
2
Views
205
Ms Ordinary
M
cm.london.30
London Bicycle Rave - Sunday 14th July
Replies
9
Views
522
editor
editor
editor
Pirate rehearsal studios in Camden - where the owner checks your bag for alcohol and demands Photo ID
Replies
7
Views
658
platinumsage
platinumsage
Silverghost
Vinyl Record Store Recommendations In London:
Replies
5
Views
386
rutabowa
R
Back
Top Bottom