bhowells

Hubert Gregg, My God, he soldiered on for years befofe he kicked it, nothing against the music he played but he was a bit of a songwriter in his day and he sang some of them on his show , sounded for all the world like a poor mans Noel Coward.

samkydd

I remember him appearing in one film I have, The Magee, where he played the bowler hatted English type working for the rich American! He sounded a bit different back then!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

Geoffers

I'm sure Brian's producer is feeding him duff information. For example, on BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the 60s this morning, he played You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra, prefacing it by the story of her nervousness (the studio filled with a host of celebs) and John Barry suggesting they record the orchestra first and she could return next day and do the vocals. I knew the story of countless takes but I'd never heard it expressed quite in that way.

Unfortunately he played her "pop" re-recording with accompaniment and
arrangement by Billy Strange, being the flip-side of "Jackson", on which
she duetted with Lee Hazlewood, having previously played Hazlewood's
version of her hit, "These Boots Are Made For Walking", also with Billy Strange. I guess that was his way of making the link with Hazlewood / Strange.

However, I'm sure JB had nothing whatever to do with this recording, which Brian referred to as being made in London.

A few months ago he told the story of the BBC's controversial broadcast of "Up The Junction", with Carol White, part of their Wednesday Play series. He chose to illustrate it by playing the theme recorded by Manfred Mann. Unfortunately, that theme was for the feature film version made 3 years later and nothing whatever to do with the original BBC play!

Merton Park

The Producer of Sounds of the Sixtes is called Phil Swern who BM has nicknamed The Collector. I am sure you are right and it's him who writes the links and is feeding occasional duff info.

Notwithstanding that, I find the programme unmissable and have it on my Sky Plus in order to listen to it at my leisure. It really is a great trip down memory lane each week and often I find myself searching I Tunes and others for a long forgotten favourite to put on my Ipod.

Brian Matthews is still a great DJ and always makes you feel as if he is enjoying it as much as the listener. Pick of the Pops on Sunday afternoons is also produced by Swern and presented by Dale Winton, who used to get on my nerves, but I must say he does do a great job on this show and is well worth listening to.

Now if only there was Sounds of the Fifties.............

kelp

In the late sixties I bought Volvo P1800s. The previous owner was Brian Mathew the DJ.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...YOU MAY GET IT!

Tony Pendrey

Wouldn't miss SOTS for the world. Brian Mathews makes it for me. And I just love it when you get the occasional dedication delivered in that wonderful radio2 voice. "Please send best wished to Nanna and Grandad on their 40th wedding anniversary and can you play 'their song' - White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane".

So romantic.

Ah Yes, the Soviet Union. All them wheatfields and ballet in the evenings

Mr Cosmo

On the subject of SOTS, here is a picture of one of the elusive "Sounds Of The Sicties" polo shirts which sadly they no longer give away. The one in the pack shows the new logo, and the baseball cap they used to give away years ago....

Jackdaw

I used to be a regular SOTS listener, but I finally got fed up with the playlists.
For my taste, there were far to many No. 1 records and played-to-death mainstream records and acts on the show.
That sort of thing is available elsewhere if it's wanted, and we'd be better served hearing some popular misses, B-sides, minor hits and particularly, a few more guitar instrumentals.
Mind you, I've not listened for ages, so it might be a bit different now.

retroman

I very much hope you are wrong but fear you will be right. It worries me that there are already whole genres of music which get scant airtime as it is, and what will really happen when these venerable presenters have passed on? I've been listening to DJ for years, and his music and style are the perfect antidote to the increasing feeling of foreboding one gets before another stressful week at work. Malcolm Laycock I've only started listening to in the last couple of years, but his show is simply fantastic - where else can you get that on the national network? Poor old Desmond was sidelined from his Sunday slot a couple of years back and replaced with utter drivel. Another of my favourites was the late Alan Keith whose style had a certain reassurance and dependency about it and his soothing "And now a very good night to you all" was just what was needed before the rigours of the week ahead. And whilst Richard Baker gave it a stab for a couple of years, 100 best tunes fell by the wayside after nearly half a century. In fairness though one does have to accept that there is a need to move with the times, and frankly I can't say that I miss the likes of Sing something simple ( yuk) or Family Favourites. But there has to be balance IMHO.

EHV_Emmetts

I used to listen to Desmond Carrington when his show was broadcast on a Sunday afternoon in a two-hour slot. I still don't know why the programming executives at Radio 2 pushed his show to that time, and cut it by half?

EHV_Emmetts

Similarly with the late Alan Keith. 49 years of broadcasting the same show.

Marky B

Please note that Desmond Carrington presents his show from his home in Scotland. It must be a cushy number presenting a radio show in your own house:no commuting etc. I believe Bob Harris does as well.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Steve Crook

John Peel used to do it as well.
Lots of people work from home now, I do

Once you've trained your family and friends into understanding that just because you're at home it doesn't mean that you're available then it's quite easy and much better. The team I work with has one American lady based in Aberdeen, one chap in Cornwall, another who spends half his time in Milan and various others dotted around the place. We bump into each other occasionally but we all meet up for a big planning meeting every few months.

But sitting in the comfort of my own home I have recently been working in South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Australia, Brazil and many other places

Steve

Marky B

That sounds good to me!
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

Geoffers

It's very different now. Yes, you still get a lot of familar stuff, but they also play rarely heard material and encourage listeners to request "the one that got away" whereby you can hear something you once had on vinyl, lost, and can't get on CD. I believe they send you a commercial CD if it *is* available but if not a special non-commercial one they've mastered from vinyl.

There's probably not enough instrumentals, though always one or two. And, as others have said, Brian Matthew is excellent.