Good Afternoon from Kenny, Bessie and Annie!

A historic (well, from our point of view anyway) recording, finally sees the light of day after exactly thirty years!

Chris Payne tells all...

In the seventies I worked in the Presentation and Master Control department of Thames TV in Euston Road, London. Capital Radio, the country's first Independent Local Radio music station had been on the air for just over six months when this TV programme went out, according to my tape notes on about April 11th 1974. Capital's offices and studios were at Euston Tower, just two doors away. Their jocks always talked about this massive building, which it was, but in fact the station only had the ground and first floors, as far as I remember. It still looked impressive on adverts, though!

"Good Afternoon" was a chat show (without studio audience) which was transmitted on weekdays at 2pm. (It was often hosted by Mary Parkinson, wife of Michael Parkinson, however, this episode does not feature her.)

Thames TV invited Kenny Everett, Tony Blackburn and Anne Nightingale to come and talk about radio, and what it meant to them. It's quite an insight into what these DJs thought about radio at the time, and the fact that this programme is from 1974 doesn't detract from the way they reiterate what we've all been saying for years, about how radio is for the listener – a bizarre concept!

At this time, Kenny worked for Capital, and Tony and Anne were on BBC Radio 1.

A conversation in March 2004 with some radio archivists, reminded me that this was one of the recordings that I had been meaning to rescue to the digital domain for years and years. So here it is, and represents to my mind a unique snapshot of radio in 1974, (as well as Kenny and Tony talking about their time on the pirates), and proves that people who know about radio all agree how it should be, with the exception maybe of Tony Blackburn, whose opinion on the number of records required in a playlist – well just listen! (But we suspect he may have since changed his mind.)

Other things to listen out for are Kenny's raspberry at a suitable place at the beginning, and the clatter in the studio when the floor staff get the captions stand ready for the end-credits, and do it rather noisily! The programme always finished with the guests still speaking, the studios lights would dim and the end music would come on over the end credits. It was clear that there was no way of bringing the conversation to an end so that Elaine Grand could say goodbye. Kenny comments that the programme has turned into radio, a reference that the studio has gone very dark, and Tony gets faded out...

The recording:

For modem users, this link is for you:
"Good Afternoon" – 24k
(4.1MB if you download it)

For broadband users, this link is for you:
"Good Afternoon" – 56k
(9.6MB if you download it)

The programme is 24 minutes in length.


Yes, err... that's me!

Kenny Tribute Pages
Page 4

Back to 'Jocks – Lost and Found'
Back to Kenny index
Home