For those who were not around in 1966, here are a few recordings from the Azanorak website of the original Britain Radio - so that you can compare it with the on-line version.
First Test Transmission With Q Tone 3rd May 66 on 227 mtrs (on this recording the aerial insulators were arching as they tried to increase the power up to 50kW).
There's another recording online somewhere with Graham Gill presenting the BR breakfast show.
He's doing the live time checks and mail readouts but there's also an American voice doing the music announcements, presumably from tape. The result is an awkward mess in my opinion, despite GG's best efforts.
Was the tape+live programming some US tradition they imported along with the shouty jocks on SRE? Or was the tape playout due to a thin onboard MOR album library at the time?
It would be great to get Graham's input if he's reading this. His is a grand voice which has spanned several decades and both sides of the North Sea.
Britain Radio 355 are running a full set of the Original Jingles, many never before heard in the UK or anywhere else, ever!
Smooth sounds from the smart set, hallmark of quality, Britain Radio......
I listened for a couple of hours today and it sounded good except for Gary's awful butchered jingles. Poor edited jingles are the only thing that spoil the station. A few generic Pam's jingles from that period wouldn't do any harm like 123, Have You Heard, It's Nice To Have A Radio Station As A Friend, Marathon Of Hits, Music Memories From The Gold Mine, Nothing But Oldies and you can do edits like "Playing The Hits From The Radio Ships" and there are loads of generic jingles that could be edited with Britain Radio tagged on the end but it must flow and sound right.
Interestingly you can edit out Britain in some of the Britain Radio jingles and you get a generic jingle like "Hallmark Of Quality Radio", it sounds strange at first because you expect to hear 'Britain'. I would upload a few examples but these days they get zapped because of the copyright.
Here are a few BR jingles from Norman Barrington's site.
I've had a couple of listens to this station and enjoy it, but it won't for me become a replacement for a 'real' radio station. I remember the pirates, they used to have presenters, some news headlines, the odd advert (remember the stimarol gum ads) and DJ's told you who the records were by.
Otherwise imo this station for many, will be of only a passing interest unless they do more.
The only other point I'll make is regarding the quality of the mp3 feed, Windows media is better for a 128kbps stream and 64kbps AAC+ even better. I know this sounds strange coming from a lad who used to strain to hear pirates broadcasting in MW on his tinny sounding 4 transistor radio.
Hmmm that sounds like the magnolia mix you're singing there L&H. In the one I'm familiar with -- after a ridiculous number of years -- the last line is
Comments
First Test Transmission With Q Tone 3rd May 66 on 227 mtrs (on this recording the aerial insulators were arching as they tried to increase the power up to 50kW).
Jerry Smithwick 3rd May 66 on 227 mtrs
Ron O'Quinn (now on KBC 6095 kHz on the 49mb 3pm Sundays) and Johnnie Walker 11th June 66 on 355 mtrs
He's doing the live time checks and mail readouts but there's also an American voice doing the music announcements, presumably from tape. The result is an awkward mess in my opinion, despite GG's best efforts.
Was the tape+live programming some US tradition they imported along with the shouty jocks on SRE? Or was the tape playout due to a thin onboard MOR album library at the time?
It would be great to get Graham's input if he's reading this. His is a grand voice which has spanned several decades and both sides of the North Sea.
Spooky thing, tonight at 19:53, at the end of a jingle, were the words "Britain Radio" and I could swear that it was Ray Anderson.
'Oh my good gawd.... Terry!........ Hit him Terry.....
Yeah, all right Arfur....'
http://members7.boardhost.com/PirateRadio/msg/1336689634.html
Good news is that it is going to continue!
Your chance to hear them now, as well as sweet misic, al la Radio 390.
Smooth sounds from the smart set, hallmark of quality, Britain Radio......
"Hallmark of Quality..." er, that was it.
http://tunein.com/tuner/?StationId=165778 will get you there. They misspelt BRITAIN as BRITIAN....Enjoy
Interestingly you can edit out Britain in some of the Britain Radio jingles and you get a generic jingle like "Hallmark Of Quality Radio", it sounds strange at first because you expect to hear 'Britain'. I would upload a few examples but these days they get zapped because of the copyright.
Here are a few BR jingles from Norman Barrington's site.
Aha ok, that's such a long search with wrong spelling;) Thanks!
Otherwise imo this station for many, will be of only a passing interest unless they do more.
The only other point I'll make is regarding the quality of the mp3 feed, Windows media is better for a 128kbps stream and 64kbps AAC+ even better. I know this sounds strange coming from a lad who used to strain to hear pirates broadcasting in MW on his tinny sounding 4 transistor radio.
Silexine Emulsion
Silexine Gloss
[Fill in the rest of the song yourselves. You know you want to.]
"Get it from the factory...
At half the cost...
Put it on your paintbrush, then it can be seen..
No other paint is half as good as Silexine!"
I'd get out more if they would let me!!
Hmmm that sounds like the magnolia mix you're singing there L&H. In the one I'm familiar with -- after a ridiculous number of years -- the last line is
"Wonderful, marvellous Silexine"
[Waving from the day ward window]