Peelie to present UK Top 40

Bit of a graveyard slot, actually - Blackburn mightily resented being pushed into it when he did it; and he was legendarily useless - "Massive leap of one place," "Sensational new sound of Durrin Durrin," "It's been a good week for John Lennon, he has three songs in the top ten" (Sunday after his shooting), "That was Public Image Ltd - and now here's some music." Subsequently Vance (who wasn't too bad at it), Brookes, Goodier.

I certainly do not want to listen to someone who says things like "most maddest." Sounds like the sort of person who'd willingly dress up as a member of Atomic Kitten for Radio 1 roadshows and play "Oh Happy Day" if the Tories win the next election.

23 year old Wes Butters to earn six figure annual salary as the new regular presenter of the Top 40!

And to think Fluff Freeman used to do it for 5/6'd plus unlimited Luncheon Vouchers to use in the BBC staff canteen (note: "LVs not accepted").

Where's Tommy Vance when you want him? Racking up the bank-balance with Gilette voice-overs, that's where, but I'd like to hear him giving the full theatrics in that inimitable sandpaper tone and rock-war-veteran delivery: "Now crrrrrrrashing rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrright in at number32isanother colossal trrrrack from heavymetal messiah's Queensofthestoneage, taken frrromthealbum Songs FOR the Deaf, this... is God IS on THE Rrrrrradio..."

"Mmmmmmm....lllllev-I-A-THANs of rrrrrrrock-uhhhrrr. ACuhhhhrrrr-DCuhhhrrrr. Ironunnnunun Maidenununun-uhhrrrrr. Thaaaaaaaa-fffffffrrriday night connection-uhhhrrr this week comes from Guardian of the Universe, Sidcup-uhhhrrrr."

Whatever happened to Tom Russell (this will only make sense to long-term Glasgow posters) who was the Scottish Tommy Vance only deeper-voiced and more mentalist.

"HULLLOOOOOOO! It's tha Friee-day Ni-eeeght RRRRROOOCK SHOOOOOOOOO. Tonight ah have a special gueeeest - ah wull be talkin' tae Brooooce Dick In Sonne Of Eye Ron May Den! And we huv a say-shun from - GLAAAS-GOW!"

(yes there was, and probably still is, a rock band called Glasgow)

i'm just glad its not Richard Blackwood

i'm just glad its not Richard Bacon

because he is crap DJ
and would corrupt the minds of the yoof of today

Still on the Vance tip: "... and that was unmistakable sound of the welllloiledrockengine of Aerosmith in fullllllllllll harrrrd-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrocking flow with ‘Sweet Emotion’. Now it’s timetounleash the beast that is The Frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriday Nigggght Rrrrrock showwwwwwww; The Rrrrrock Warrrrrrrrrr" [cue A-team drums and Vietnam machinegun chatter] Vance in his deepest bass voice "Act 1". "OK, firstuptonight we have a young fourrrrpiece frrrommm Corrrrbyyyyyy. Callling themselves Wyverrrrrrrn’s Clawwwwwwwwww, self-financedddd demo EPPP entitled ‘Krrrush offf the wolllllfff’s embrrrrrace’ is now availablefromthe JJ’s shop on Corrrrrbyyy High Street and lead singer Karrrrrrl Switchbladdddde tells me that the band stand for everrrrrything true and pure about heavvvyguitarrrrrmetallllllllllllllllllllll. Commendable sentiment." [cue five minutes of absolutely awful cod-thash with Coverdale-style wailing vocals interweaving a story of wolves, claws, the truth and a virgin lost in the woods, fighting against frenzied screeching guitar tapping from a Warlock-wielding idiot with way more ambition (to hear his guitar pushed up to the top of the mix) than talent]. "Well, uh, that was Wyverrrrrrrrrrn’s Clawwwwwwwww. Catchthemmmatthe Night Owlllllllll, Cheltenhamahhh, for Thurssssday night rocccccckkkkkkk on the 15th of Novemberrrrrr." Etc etc.

This thread has reminded me of how I dislike Peel.

I *don't* expect him to slag off things in the chart, but on the contrary to praise them; the effect will be of perversity and people saying "the funny thing is, he really likes all those 'pop' records". He's been going on about how grate Kylie Minogue is for years. Meanwhile, between this and the rubbish on his own programme, he has no time for things I actually like. The thing you really can't imagine him presenting favourably is not, say, Atomic Kitten, but Bruce Springsteen.

That's how I dislike Peel. But I don't *only* dislike him - I like him too.

heheh, that's a great TV tribute!

the other glasgow rock band who always turned up on the tom russell radio clyde rooooock shooooooo were SCHEME (so named 'cos they came from a housing scheme; sang abt reality, everyone else in glasgow hated them - wonder if they're still going? they were all about 50 years old back in the '80s, if i remember rightly).

I find myself agreeing with Marcello about Radcliffe: I was worried by the Liam Lynch moment as well, but not half as much as I was by his excitement over the fact that Coldplay had climbed back to the dizzy heights of number 10 in the album chart. But then Radcliffe is essentially a part of my past now, even if still a part of Radio 1 present.

according to the Xmas Radio Times it'll be Sara Cox on Sunday, then Nemone for the post-Christmas "lots of songs going back up and nothing going down more than three places" chart on December 29th.

ha, Roger's masterstroke I think was the Wyvern reference ("Penda's Fen", the Tolkien connection etc etc)

Marcello hit this nail right on the head, cf Wes in the Grauniad today: "My mum always called me a child of Thatcher" (he was born 4/5/79) "I have no political standpoint at all, no." Not even on war with Iraq? "Uh-uh. Let the prime minister sort it out."

He'll get an invite to Downing Street just like Bruno Brookes did, you mark my words.

wheres my music best put

Ah, those were the day.