TOWARD THE UNKNOWN REGION

MISSION STATEMENT
 
Toward The Unknown Region - 'where pomposity and pretentiousness know no boundaries...'

I noticed a Mission Statement on an office wall - Lots of grandiose verbiage about putting the customer first, caring for the staff and providing quality products. I’m sure many businesses have what amounts to a statement of intent. The cynical amongst us may consider a Mission Statement to be a prettily typed and elegantly framed pack of lies, so it is with some trepidation that I have decided the best way to describe my interest in broadcasting is to pompously and pretentiously treat it like a corporate entity, viz:
 

• The Chris B mission is…

  • to play lesser known tracks that were overlooked when first issued, and liberally sprinkle in songs from long established artists – but not necessarily songs with which you may be familiar.
  • to play songs by new artists that are otherwise ignored;
  • to take a chance, to act upon a hunch, to play songs by unfashionable artists;
  • to occasionally play something we all know;
  • to not be bothered about being personally popular – the music is the message, the music is the priority. Ironically, neglecting the need for popularity, by reason of not playing safe songs, seems to have resulted in a loyal listenership. ‘They’ say that there’s no need to be so serious. Hmm, serious about the music, absolutely, but presentation style, I think not! I’m just pleased that my unquestioning faith in the music has been rewarded by confirmation that others share a liking for the peripheral areas of the music scene, both now and going back nearly 40 years;
  • to sound happy, to be kind, to invite comment and ideas from listeners;
  • to offer the occasional informed comment about the music founded on knowledge gleaned over many years (wasted) reading about the trivia of popular culture – also based on many hours of ‘professional radio listening’, would that such a vocation existed! And of course, the blaggers guides, ‘Record Collector’ and ‘Tapestry Of Delights’ (although I have spotted a few inaccuracies, perhaps that’s because although I was around in the 60’s I do actually remember it all. Being born in 1955 I was too young to be staggering around in a drug induced haze but old enough to be excited by Pirate Radio from the first day I was given my own transistor radio on Christmas Day 1966);
  • to make the music the centre of attraction. Quote about Radio Geronimo, 1970: “Not the pirate radio, the alternative. There are no ego-tripping DJs mixing their inanities with those of the banal music that they play."
     

   Listen to Chris B remix of: Toward_The_Unknown_Region by Torch Song:
  Walt Whitman Poetry Reading by Amy Bargeron

Teenage Kicks - Radio London, BBC Radio 1, Geronimo, Seagull & Caroline
Radio London was my first love in 1967 - a hot summer when my parents worried that I was not running around outside with all the other kiddies. But, hey, I was 12 and had just discovered pirate radio, and it was THE summer of Love. John Peel, initially with Radio London, then amazingly with BBC Radio 1 from 1967 until his untimely death in October 2004 was undoubtedly a major influence on my young, impressionable and rebellious mind. With hindsight it is obvious that Peelie was solely responsible (in the nicest possible way) for endowing me with a willingness to embrace new music - resulting in a musical maturity way ahead of my teen-age. For that I am truly thankful. Otherwise I may well have missed out on hearing the first plays of all of the fabulous music around in the late 60's & early 70's - Tyrannosaurus Rex, Captain Beefheart, Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, Stackwaddy, Tractor, Incredible String Band...

I've previously commented on air that my brain is stuck at age 16 - not in a boring 'living in the past' kind of way, but in a 'Wow, isn't this new EP by Broadcast stunning'. It's something John Peel was undoubtedly also afflicted with, but it certainly broadens your musical outlook - and still lets you enjoy the thrill of hearing NEW music for the first time. Teenage kicks indeed...

NEW The legendary weekday lunchtimes in 1993 when John Peel covered for Jakki Brambles on BBC radio 1... LISTEN AGAIN

Along with Radio 1 (and latterly Radio 2, with excellent programming from presenters such as Johnnie Walker, Mark Lamarr and Stuart Maconie) Caroline was the intermittent soundtrack to much of my life but Geronimo was the catalyst that sparked the inspiration…droning voices, fantastic music – progressive rock, jazz & classical all in the same programme, facts about the music, news of concerts, the use of earthy language of the street, the counter culture vibe. Of course such a radio station was doomed to failure, as wonderful things so often are, and Geronimo had but a short life of less than a year. But it was long enough to show how it could be done. The adverts don’t have to interfere with the music, the presenter can be knowledgeable, you can have the listener being treated as an equal to the presenter. In 1973/74 Ronan O'Rahilly gave us another opportunity of the Geronimo experience in the guise of Radio Seagull from the Mi Amigo. Geronimo stalwarts, Hugh Nolan & Barry Everitt were invited onboard complete with hashpipes and record collections ranging from BC (Bing Crosby) to CB (Captain Beefheart);

For those who have never heard the Chris B experience, here’s a typical selection of what passes for programme content: anything committed to vinyl or CD. That makes it truly BROADcasting as opposed to the NARROWcasting that passes for radio all too often. Plus, I suppose, the occasional anorak attack, with snippets from the past.

This ‘better music mix’ is not for the uncommitted. It is probably for the more discerning listener, the serious listener, the music enthusiast, the collector, the seeker of music that challenges. This is why I have never sought peak time listening, although ironically, a private sponsor of ‘Toward The Unknown Region’ lives in Los Angeles, California, where the late night UK broadcast is heard mid afternoon - early evening. Now does that tell us something? Actually at KCRW Santa Monica there is a programme called ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ which is even more varied than the Chris B programme. It airs every weekday from 9.00am – midday local time in L.A. Host, Nic Harcourt, has built a show around the unusual, the eclectic. In fact so good is the reputation of 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' that it has become 'appointment radio' for showbiz executives, ever in search of 'cutting edge' music for TV commercials and shows. Nic also finds himself being asked to select songs for film soundtracks. Take a listen at www.kcrw.com

Another influence over the years has been Bob Harris, from his BBC Radio 1 programme through the Whistle Test years and on to his current Radio 2 shows. Now Bob often only plays a track once but fortunately he, or perhaps it was someone else, had the great idea to publish the playlist for each programme. Better still, all the playlists are there stretching back several years. That great song you just caught the end of but couldn’t quite make out who it was by – names such as ‘Dana Lyons’ or ‘Five Horse Johnson’ can easily slip by your ears at first mention so a playlist is a great idea. Now I’m never ashamed to use someone else’s idea so I’ve embraced this PLAYLISTS idea, possibly not as comprehensively as our friend Bob – but he probably has a team of helpers, and let’s not forget that someone like Bob is also paid for his efforts.


Finally there are the inevitable websites. There’s the one where I’m selling the vinyl record collection but to get the hits I freely offer satellite UK TV and Radio reception advice to Brits abroad, which is ironic since I am now too far away to receive any of the European satellites. Each week there’s around 600 unique hits as people stumble upon it. Occasionally someone buys a record but the site has become more than just a jumble sale: www.vinylgems.co.uk  

I mentioned Radio Geronimo earlier in this diatribe and, in true anorak fashion, I find that I have created an internet version of a scrapbook of Geronimo memorabilia, ephemera, and even some audio clips from programmes. www.radiogeronimo.co.uk 
Barry & Hugh, from Geronimo, went on to present for Radio Seagull in 1973 from the Mi Amigo and you'll also find some historical notes about the Ronan O'Rahilly inspired Radio Seagull at the Geronimo website.

With help from Frank at the Geronimo Starship in London there is a Radio Geronimo webcast at www.listen.to/radiogeronimo  with further audio archives to be found at www.radiogeronimo.co.uk/slisten.htm


Well, if you’ve read this far, you’ve probably missed today's programme which is a pity because we probably heard Captain Beefheart, followed by I Monster, followed by Alice Coltrane followed by the much vilified late period work of Albert Ayler - performed by Healing Force...


Me, I’m just a lawnmower, you can tell me by the way I walk.

© Chris Bent, December 2007