From the golden age of the offshore pirate radio, Radio Caroline is running a special Easter line-up of old and new music – with the presenters that started it all – to celebrate their forty-seventh anniversary.
In the 60s we were miles behind America in showcasing the spectacular music explosion that was happening in our country, and across the pond. All we had was the BBC and the only modern music broadcast in Britain was a brief spot on The Light Programme.
Radio Caroline began broadcasting in ’64 from an offshore rig bypassing British broadcasting laws and challenging the BBCs ubiquity – which in turn “sparked a pop revolution” in pirate radio (The Independent). Now famous, John Peel and Dave Lee Travis were among the unknown DJs working for Caroline – providing humour, enthusiasm, and shockingly good music for the youth of their day.
So take a moment to celebrate the doors these guys opened – despite litigation, sinking ships and hostile waters. We really don’t know how lucky we are to have so much music to choose from. NB Don’t celebrate by watching The Boat That Rocked. It is loosely based (and partly filmed) on Radio Caroline, but that doesn’t make it good.
Instead, switch your digital radio to radiocaroline.co.uk, listen online, or tune your Sky TV to 0199 (which is their old broadcasting number: “This is Radio Caroline on 199, your all-day music station.”)
click to hear Mike back in '78
PS: My dad’s best pal from school – Mike Stevens – was a DJ on Radio Caroline in its Mi Amigo days (the second boat Caroline aired from). He would always play a Joni Mitchell track for my mum and Randy Newman‘s Short People for my dad (what a funny guy). He will be on air this Easter break –
Friday 11am – 1pmSaturday 5 – 7pmSunday 6 – 8pmMonday 2 – 4pm
On his Thursday show he played the fabulous Zoey Van Goey, Joni Mitchell, Warren Zevon, Idlewild, The Ramones, Tom Waits and many other super-duper artists. Treat yourself and tune in soon!
Get your Caroline facts from this guy (briefly) or their own website (looong) – and listen to the next generation Radio Caroline on Radio Caroline TV (more exciting than the Royal Wedding by about 10 degrees)…
Pick and Mix 
Hi
John Peel never worked on Radio Caroline – he was on Radio London, which he joined in early 1967 until its close down on 14 August 1967
Richard
my mistake! That’s what happens when you use blogs for your research… 🙂