Sunday, August 13th marks a sort of Day of Infamy in British broadcasting. It’s the 50th anniversary of the passing of a law in the U.K. that outlawed pirate stations like the legendary “Radio Caroline.” But wow, how times have changed over ’ome.
 
Caroline, which now has a licence to broadcast legally, is marking the moment with a reunion of some of its famous disc jockeys who are gathering to commemorate the occasion. (That's their old control room pictured below.) As part of the occasion, they asked former DJs to submit a “Top 15” chart with some of their favourite tunes, and one came from none other than our own Keith “Keefers” Hampshire. He was a former jock there, and of course is well remembered by many in Toronto for his years at CKFH and his own Top 40 hits and commercial jingles.
 
While I admit to not being familiar with a lot of the 15 tunes he picked, likely because they were bigger hits in England than here, Hampshire’s list contains two significant songs that should be highlighted.
 
At #13 is a guy who went by the name of “Zoot Money.” The song? “Big Time Operator.” At #14 is a female artist known as “P.P. Arnold.” That ditty is called “The First Cut Is The Deepest.” Of course both those songs were huge hits in Canada for Hampshire and I suspect that’s where he first heard them.
 
The first notes of “Operator” sound almost identical to Hampshire’s version, while Arnold’s version is somewhat different than the one Canadians came to know.    
 
Either way, a fascinating day in radio history overseas.

Radio Caroline website

BBC In Pictures: The final Day Of The Pop Pirates

Last edited by RadioActive (August 13, 2017 10:01 am)