Radio Mercury - music policy (early years)

Mark Watkins · 15/04/12 - 17:06

Anyone have any info. pls on the music policy/format for Radio Mercury in those first few years or so?

Maybe some examples (from memory?!!) of key songs (non-chart) on their early playlist/s; and, in terms of chart material - what did they play (the whole Top 40?) / avoid?

Thanks

Mark

occy · 15/04/12 - 17:12

Mark Watkins wrote: »

Anyone have any info. pls on the music policy/format for Radio Mercury in those first few years or so?

Maybe some examples (from memory?!!) of key songs (non-chart) on their early playlist/s; and, in terms of chart material - what did they play (the whole Top 40?) / avoid?

Thanks

Mark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_FM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grVuy9d-0m0

Broadfield House where Radio Mercury used to be housed is now a school.

Mark Watkins · 15/04/12 - 17:34

Thanks, just to be really clear (if not already!), my question is specifically about the music policy in those early years, not please a general history of the radio stn or programme/presenter info.

Saying that, their theme tune (You Tube) was one of the best I've heard for a commercial radio stn.

I'm really after info. with respect to particular "key" songs played etc from those formative years. If anything comes to mind.

I suspect it was a contemporary easy listening stn, but be good to know what types of tracks & how much of the chart they played.

Andrew Rogers · 15/04/12 - 20:16

IIRC its music was typical of mid-80s ILRs. In the daytime it played a mix of oldies and current chart hits. They had some very experienced presenters at the start, including Ed Stewart and Peter Young, so they would have probably had considerable input into what was played. In the early evening I think they had Pat Sharp who would have played the current hits, and then the Timbo Show from 9-midnight contained a lot of chat and interactive fun, rather than concentrating on music. It was an excellent signal in Oxford where I was, and I listened a fair amount, but I don't remember it standing out as being particularly middle-of-the-road. Some earlier stations such as 2CR and County Sound had started with a more MoR format, and had gone "younger" after initial disappointing figures.

Mark Watkins · 15/04/12 - 21:28

Thanks Andrew. Just the ticket!

FM Lover · 16/04/12 - 11:44

Andrew Rogers wrote: »

IIRC its music was typical of mid-80s ILRs. In the daytime it played a mix of oldies and current chart hits. They had some very experienced presenters at the start, including Ed Stewart and Peter Young, so they would have probably had considerable input into what was played. In the early evening I think they had Pat Sharp who would have played the current hits, and then the Timbo Show from 9-midnight contained a lot of chat and interactive fun, rather than concentrating on music. It was an excellent signal in Oxford where I was, and I listened a fair amount, but I don't remember it standing out as being particularly middle-of-the-road. Some earlier stations such as 2CR and County Sound had started with a more MoR format, and had gone "younger" after initial disappointing figures.

Oh Andrew you are taking me back a bit here. I always used to listen to Pat Sharp on Mercury 7-9pm and Timbo from 9pm.
Pat's show was very much a current hits format and I am talking about mid-80's here, from memory this was Pat's last radio gig before joining Capital in 1987 to host the evening show jointly with Mick Brown.

During the day there was Ed Stewart and Geoff Aspel (Michael's son) and Peter Young on Drive. As to Breakfast I can't remember, was it Andrew Marshall?

The station had a very good music mix with some good radio names, and the jingle of course ... Mercury, the heart of the South!

Great days

Peter the Great · 16/04/12 - 12:09

I seem to remember as well that their was a time when Radio Mercury was the only ILR station to not take the Network Chart. Even LBC did at one point strangely.

wilson500 · 16/04/12 - 14:06

In the early days Tony Myatt presented breakfast before moving to mid mornings in later years.

The first programme guide is here:
http://www.thisisilr.co.uk/rm/guide.html

Test Tone · 16/04/12 - 16:25

Ah yes, the fact they didn't take the Network Chart Show was a key point of difference. They did however run a Top 30 chart with neighbouring Southern Sound between 3-5pm every Sunday under a programme-sharing arrangement similar to the one for Timbo. As the Network Chart didn't air until 5pm (to compete with Radio 1), the stations could legitimately claim to have the chart hours before anyone else! When the sharing agreement ended in around '86 (Southern decided to take the Network Chart) Mercury carried on with their own, making it a Top 40 countdown over 3 hours (2-5pm). The presenter was Martin Blunt.

nicktrow · 16/04/12 - 20:24

Test Tone wrote: »

Ah yes, the fact they didn't take the Network Chart Show was a key point of difference. They did however run a Top 30 chart with neighbouring Southern Sound between 3-5pm every Sunday under a programme-sharing arrangement similar to the one for Timbo. As the Network Chart didn't air until 5pm (to compete with Radio 1), the stations could legitimately claim to have the chart hours before anyone else! When the sharing agreement ended in around '86 (Southern decided to take the Network Chart) Mercury carried on with their own, making it a Top 40 countdown over 3 hours (2-5pm). The presenter was Martin Blunt.

I used to sit doing my homework at this time so I could record some of the songs from this chart as they were often the 12" versions.

RobinCarmody · 16/04/12 - 21:45

Peter the Great wrote: »

I seem to remember as well that their was a time when Radio Mercury was the only ILR station to not take the Network Chart.

This was because they didn't want to give a de facto free plug for Capital, which could be heard in their area. Of course, their proximity to London was the main reason they could use the likes of Ed Stewart or Peter Young.

Even LBC did at one point strangely.

This was because the chart was, in fact, networked from LBC using the same lines which were used for IRN, which was why the chart had to be in mono - so the flagship national show was the only time all week when ILR would be in inferior sound quality to Radio 1 (usually it was superior, of course).

Later in the Jensen era it was distributed via satellite in stereo.

Test Tone · 16/04/12 - 23:23

RobinCarmody wrote: »

This was because the chart was, in fact, networked from LBC using the same lines which were used for IRN, which was why the chart had to be in mono - so the flagship national show was the only time all week when ILR would be in inferior sound quality to Radio 1 (usually it was superior, of course).

Later in the Jensen era it was distributed via satellite in stereo.

Indeed it was. In fact the BT lines used by LBC to send the IRN service and the Network Chart Show to the stations around the UK were also in operation when not being used during live transmission in order to send out syndicated programming such as documentaries, interviews and consumer focus items. These were widely used in the days when radio stations had 'needletime' restrictions on the amount of music they could broadcast each day, but also something that made them 'public service' rather than the jukeboxes they were able to become once the restrictions were lifted. Can you imagine a commercial station now doing a 30 minutes political slot each week?

PaulEvansDorset · 17/04/12 - 09:30

Few points...
Mercury was pretty much MOR in the daytimes, because of the (previously alluded to) proximity to London, not wishing to take Capital head-on.You'd often hear Streisand and Sinatra, but not Bert Kaemfert or Geoff Love.
The fact that they hired Ed Stewart, Tony Myatt and Geoff Aspel (Michael's brother!) no doubt enhanced the general MOR feel.
The music was wrapped up rather expensively (if a little clinically) inside a jingle package that was produced to blend in with certain artists or songs.
As a former radio presenter who had contacts at the station - and had visited the studios on behalf of my boss,who was a client at the time - I can vouch for the fact that you'd play a Beach Boys jingle into a Supremes song at your peril: memos mentioning your future career in hospital radio would fly down from above.
Talking of which, during one particular era one of the more quirky and bizarre shows was presented by the PC himself... the Andrew Marshall quiz show,of which top-of-the-show teases went on and on and on and...
Met Ed, who was very generous in offering free training (from the man himself) should I want to pursue my (not-as-yet-kick-started) career there.
Then there was the inspired paring of Sharp and Blunt during another era (Pat and Martin)... sadly, the chemistry between them proved to be less promising than this co-incidental programming gift.
Later, but still during the relatively early era, there was some programme sharing with Southern FM.

wilson500 · 17/04/12 - 10:42

RobinCarmody wrote: »

This was because the chart was, in fact, networked from LBC using the same lines which were used for IRN, which was why the chart had to be in mono

I believe the news was sent down the line before the Network Chart show started which Mercury would record and play out at 5pm. The only bulletin not to start with a time check.

dpb · 17/04/12 - 10:49

wilson500 wrote: »

I believe the news was sent down the line before the Network Chart show started which Mercury would record and play out at 5pm. The only bulletin not to start with a time check.

Was there an IRN bulletin at 6pm as well when LBC carried it? (I don't think there was a 6pm bulletin during the chart by the time I started listening (88/89) - the only time I remember one is during the Gulf War)

When did Mercury start carrying the Network Chart?

Shrewn · 17/04/12 - 10:58

dpb wrote: »

Was there an IRN bulletin at 6pm as well when LBC carried it? (I don't think there was a 6pm bulletin during the chart by the time I started listening (88/89) - the only time I remember one is during the Gulf War)

When did Mercury start carrying the Network Chart?

I always hought the Network Chart had no news at 5 or 6, Piccadilly used to do news at about 4.55 on the Steve Penk show and the chart would start dead on 5pm. The BBC dropped news at 5pm a short while later when Chartbusters started on Radio 1

wilson500 · 17/04/12 - 12:20

Shrewn wrote: »

I always hought the Network Chart had no news at 5 or 6, Piccadilly used to do news at about 4.55 on the Steve Penk show and the chart would start dead on 5pm. The BBC dropped news at 5pm a short while later when Chartbusters started on Radio 1

I agree, I believe the chart show started on the hour, hence the early IRN news which Mercury played out at 5pm.

Shrewn · 17/04/12 - 13:25

wilson500 wrote: »

I agree, I believe the chart show started on the hour, hence the early IRN news which Mercury played out at 5pm.

Ah i see, I was getting confused for a moment.

I think Southern took the chart the day after the 1986 FA Cup Final, I remember Jensen welcoming them and also saying hello to those in "Radio City-land" after the all Merseyside game

Peter the Great · 17/04/12 - 14:33

RobinCarmody wrote: »

This was because they didn't want to give a de facto free plug for Capital, which could be heard in their area. Of course, their proximity to London was the main reason they could use the likes of Ed Stewart or Peter Young.

This was because the chart was, in fact, networked from LBC using the same lines which were used for IRN, which was why the chart had to be in mono - so the flagship national show was the only time all week when ILR would be in inferior sound quality to Radio 1 (usually it was superior, of course).

Later in the Jensen era it was distributed via satellite in stereo.

I was aware of Mercury's reasoning's of not taking The Network Chart but other ILR's that covered areas near to London still didn't have a problem taking the chart. Intact I am sure some were able to broadcast it in Stereo by piping it in direct from Capital's FM transmission. Mercury didn't start taking the Chart show until the late 90's I believe?
Regarding LBC I am sure they continued taking the Network Chart even after the Stereo satellite feed from Capital existed. I heard that LBC didn't want to but Capital was going to stop taking the news from IRN if they didn't continue with the Chart. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?:D

dpb · 17/04/12 - 14:58

dpb wrote: »

Was there an IRN bulletin at 6pm as well when LBC carried it? (I don't think there was a 6pm bulletin during the chart by the time I started listening (88/89) - the only time I remember one is during the Gulf War)

When did Mercury start carrying the Network Chart?

Shrewn wrote: »

I always hought the Network Chart had no news at 5 or 6, Piccadilly used to do news at about 4.55 on the Steve Penk show and the chart would start dead on 5pm. The BBC dropped news at 5pm a short while later when Chartbusters started on Radio 1

wilson500 wrote: »

I agree, I believe the chart show started on the hour, hence the early IRN news which Mercury played out at 5pm.

Apologies - my post wasn't clear I meant a 6pm bulletin in addition to the one before 5pm.

RobinCarmody · 17/04/12 - 15:34

Shrewn wrote: »

I think Southern took the chart the day after the 1986 FA Cup Final, I remember Jensen welcoming them and also saying hello to those in "Radio City-land" after the all Merseyside game

Oddly enough, the number one on that Network Chart was Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald's "On My Own" - the second non-Gallup/Guinness-approved number one there in as many weeks (the week before it had been Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately?").

Where I grew up, you could hear it on as many as four stations by the mid-1980s - Capital, LBC, Invicta and Essex - though only the last-named censored "We Call It Acieed", which was another Network Chart-only number one.

Shrewn · 17/04/12 - 17:33

RobinCarmody wrote: »

Where I grew up, you could hear it on as many as four stations by the mid-1980s - Capital, LBC, Invicta and Essex - though only the last-named censored "We Call It Acieed", which was another Network Chart-only number one.

That reminds me of when Carol Decker slagged off her home town of Wellington in Shropshire, Beacon PC Pete Wagstaff refused to play their records for a while so when they came on the Network Chart something else was played. Going O/T but Beacon opted out of the Network chart, replacing it with - a chart! It didn't last long!

wilson500 · 17/04/12 - 18:35

Peter the Great wrote: »

Regarding LBC I am sure they continued taking the Network Chart even after the Stereo satellite feed from Capital existed. I heard that LBC didn't want to but Capital was going to stop taking the news from IRN if they didn't continue with the Chart. Someone correct me if I'm wrong?:D

LBC stopped taking the Network Chart when it split into LBC Crown FM and London Talkback Radio. This was in October 1989. According to www.irn.co.uk IRN switched distribution to satellite in 1989.

Peter the Great · 17/04/12 - 19:21

wilson500 wrote: »

LBC stopped taking the Network Chart when it split into LBC Crown FM and London Talkback Radio. This was in October 1989. According to www.irn.co.uk IRN switched distribution to satellite in 1989.

I see. I suppose this would have been around the time when LBC didn't have to broadcast a few seconds of silence before the news to allow stations to take the direct LBC feed? Also the Capital feed must have started a few years before hand because I remember hearing The Network Chart in Stereo on most stations around 1987? So LBC could have still got rid of The Chart Show before 1989 surely?

Sorry to the OP for making the thread go off topic a bit.:o

Test Tone · 21/04/12 - 13:15

Tony Myatt presented a nostalgia show featuring music from the 30s and 40's. I think it was called 'You Must Remember This...'. 'The Hawk' was an hour-long weekly show featuring new releases and interviews with recording artists. I think they both aired on Sundays during the early years of the station.

A similar showcase for new music was the Howard Pierce presented 'Soundcheck'. For a while, it aired on Sunday evening - again under the short-lived programme-sharing arrangement with Southern Sound. When that ended, he continued to make it for Mercury alone.

A few years in - the specialist music shows were dropped - and for quite a while, Mercury had the 'Weekend of a Thousand Hits'. It meant the jocks were not supposed to talk for more than 15 seconds so the music would dominate.

Mapperley Ridge · 21/04/12 - 16:05

Peter the Great wrote: »

I see. I suppose this would have been around the time when LBC didn't have to broadcast a few seconds of silence before the news to allow stations to take the direct LBC feed?

I'm not sure if that was ever the case, until the famous (Jeff Wayne??? No - who WAS the composer?) LBC package came along - most recently used by BBC Solent - which had a news jingle with a dead end. This meant LBC could leave a 1 second gap for stations to opt in; though you often heard inexperienced tech ops and jocks opening the fader too early!

Hey there!

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