Kenny Everett - On BBC Radio Bristol (1971)

Kenny Everett was arguably the most creative, most innovative, most technically gifted radio presenter the UK has produced. He was a pioneer, first with the offshore pirates in 1964, then as part of the launch team for BBC Radio 1 in 1967 – and later a key figure when licensed commercial radio began with Capital Radio in 1973. He spent hours in the studio stitching together truly original shows, filled with his exquisitely produced personal jingles, crazy sounds effects, and zany comedy moments delivered in a frenetic, inventive style that no-one could match. He was close friends with the Beatles, regularly playing their latest tracks before anyone else. While employed on BBC Radio One the BBC banned him from talking to the press after repeatedly complaining about the station's output, and things came to a head in July 1970 after he responded to a news bulletin about the wife of Transport Minister John Peyton passing her advance driving test, joking that she "probably crammed a fiver into the examiner's hand". As a result, his weekend show was cancelled, a fate he'd previously suffered at Radio Luxembourg, Radio London, and later at Radio 2. He was just 25, and apart from a few stints on continental stations, there was nowhere else to go. The BBC still had a UK radio monopoly, and his top-flight radio career looked to be over. He went from being one of the most popular DJ's on the radio to scrimping and saving to pay for the refurbishment of the house that he'd just bought while he was still employed. 

A saviour arrived a year later at one of the BBC's fledgling local stations, when the year-old Radio Bristol's manager David Waine needed holiday cover. Feeling Kenny had been badly treated, Waine phoned to offer four programmes at a rate of just £12.50 a week! Desperate, Everett agreed – sparking an internal row for Waine, who was rebuked by BBC Radio's MD Ian Trethowan for not consulting him, warning that he'd be in trouble if things went wrong. To minimise any potential disaster, David wisely asked Kenny to pre-record his shows at home in Sussex, and he then posted the tapes for checking by a producer before broadcast. On 12 June 1971 the wireless wizard was back on-air, but it was an occasion largely overlooked, as few people heard it, and those who did were only from the Bristol area. At the time BBC Local Radio only broadcast on VHF (now FM) when most listeners only had medium-wave sets, and broadcast hours were limited, with few staff and tight music restrictions. You may wonder why Everett regularly mentions the record labels of songs played, and this was because at the time, BBC Local Radio could only play one hour of commercial music a day under strict "needle time" restrictions negotiated with the Musicians’ Union, and one way to get around this was to play new releases, giving the record label, and (in theory at least) its number. The Radio Bristol shows opened the door at other BBC Locals including Radios Merseyside, Solent, Nottingham, Brighton (now Radio Sussex) and Medway (now Radio Kent), and he also appeared on 'Start The Week' on Radio 4 over Christmas 1971, becoming a regular on a spin-off series 'If It's Wednesday … It Must Be' over the next 18 months. As 1971 is one of my favourite years for music, and along with John Peel, Everett was my favourite DJ, then these shows were a godsend when broadcast over the Christmas period, and hopefully you'll find something to enjoy in them as well.

Track listing

01 BBC Radio Bristol 12 June 1971

includes tracks from The Move, Nilsson, Peter Noone, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Stavely Makepeace, The Beatles, The Fantastics, Cat Stevens, White Plains, Twiggy, Mungo Jerry, Dusty Springfield, the Supremes and The Four Tops. 
02 BBC Radio Bristol 03 July 1971

includes the final episode of his comedy series 'Dick Dale – Special Doctor', first broadcast on Radio 1, along with music by Paul McCartney, Hurricane Smith, Smokey Robinson, The Idle Race, Fifth Dimension, Dawn, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Butterscotch, The Yamasukis, Freda Payne and Bread.
03 BBC Radio Bristol 26 December 1971

includes music by the Beach Boys, Mama Cass, Peter Noone, Colin Blunstone, John Barry, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Jimmie Haskell Orchestra, Gilbert O’Sullivan, The Faces, Cat Stevens, Tony Christie, Mike Vickers, Matt Munro, Rich Fever and Rossini.