This is a tape Len Groat made for friends in 1987 to demonstrate the new Trent 8  "Sitting in the shade" Alfasound package. Some cuts were inspired by JAM originals. The package featured two Dallas vocalists Mike Collier and Jackie Dickson, plus three English singers.  The travel news cut always reminded me of Stingray but was actually a pastiche of Lulu's Theme by Johnny Harris,  which Len had used for many years. Bodacious, dudes!

Trent 8 demo

A programme which Metro broadcast in 1981 featuring bloopers from the first seven years of operation.  Narration is by Mark Seaman.  Among the embarrassed are Len Groat, Neville Wanless, Jon Snow, Alex Morris, Paddy MacDee, Jeff Brown and Brian Clough. 

Metro Radio Bloopers 1981

From July 1975, an aircheck of Don Dwyer's final shows on Metro Radio. You must excuse the quality. In those days, I used a reel to reel running at one and seven eighths i.p.s., with a microphone held against the radio speaker. As a kid,  I didn't understand about quality. I have attempted to improve the sound digitally but without much success. A fuzzy aircheck is better than none. 
Don was highly entertaining, with a very dry sense of humour. He started off on breakfasts and was moved to drive time in December 1974.
Throughout his brief spell at Metro, Don used to take the mickey out of the T.O.s (technical operators)and when he left, they got their own back. Don and his wife embarked upon a round the world trip after leaving Metro and eventually returned to Australia.
I.M.H.O., Metro was at its peak in the summer of 75.
Who can remember The Metro Magical Mystery Tour? A great idea for a competition. I love the Isaac Walton advert. Were flares really only £2.95 back then? Brian McSharry was reading the news, shortly before moving to Downtown Radio.
Also included are clips from The Groat Market and thirty seconds of Dave Gregory (who replaced Don on drive time) and  used his PAMS Radio 1 acapella every night out of the 6pm news. 



Metro Radio Don Dwyer airchecks

The Advertising Standards Authority promo from the early days, featuring Dave Gregory, Maggie Mash and Bill Steel

Metro ASA promo Maggie Mash and Dave Gregory

A promo for John's show "Keep On Truckin'" 

Metro Radio John Coulson "Wellies" promo

This is radio like it really was. Not to be outdone by Tony Blackburn, here is a 40 year old recording which has never been heard before.
I made my first visit to Castle Gate in October 1977. Len was five months into his Trent career and was presenting the mid morning
(9 - 11) show.
The studio mic was connected to a "snoop" cassette deck which began recording every time the mic was opened. Here is the "snoop tape" smoothed out.

Len Groat Radio Trent October 1977

From 1983, the opening link to the Midday Music Explosion. It's notable for the use of a "record singover" jingle from the 70s.
Remember..... Giles Squire is a whole lot of fun!!

Giles Squire link

Just for fun, here are the Giles Squire and Keith Skues versions of that record singover. But who sang it?

Giles Squire meets Keith Skues

It is a malicious rumour that DJs are unintelligent ....... but they do have to be shown how to use the news jingle.
When Metro launched its new sound for the 90s in January 1990, they bought some new jingles from JAM Productions of Dallas. I knew they were coming (friends in high places) , so I sat there with my radio cassette awaiting their arrival.
Metro produced a demo tape for the benefit of its DJs instructing them how to use the jingles. The most amusing part was the "Mary Wimpress bit".
Russ Williams did the narration on the demo but he found things didn't always go to plan on air . There was the annoying moment when he used the correct words but the news jingle wouldn't play.
Enjoy some 27 year old highlights..... plus a mickey take on the end :)
I even bought that news jingle myself.

1990 Metro FM launch / New JAM jingle package

GNR News

News jingle made by TM Century from their Get a KLOU demo

Great North Radio News

The GNR news jingle complete with that irritating talk over bed at the end

TM GNR News

A small tribute to Dale featuring Radio Trent jingles and promos from Len Groat's old tapes together with excerpts from Dale's autobiography, read by the man himself

Dale Winton Tribute

A little blooper from a Friday afternoon in October 1996

Metro FM Blooper

Giles Squire reading out the Top 20 from that week in August 1978, plus a couple of other jingles and a link by Marc Paul. At that time, Metro were using cuts from the 1976, 1977 and 1978 EMIson packages.

Giles' talkover music was from the CLYDE series by PAMS

Giles Squire Metro Radio Aug 78

Airchecks of Wake Up To Wogan from 16 and 17 February 1998 and the launch of the new Radio 2 jingles. After 22 years, Radio 2 dropped JAM and bought a dreadful package from another company to coincide with the new Controller "freshening up" the station.  For me, that was the final nail in the station's coffin.

Terry Wogan and the new Radio 2 jingles 16 & 17 Feb 1998

The most famous look North ident of them all. Made by John Baker of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Look North Sig

These were the jingles which Radio Newcastle used for many years, based on local folk songs and made by John Baker of the Radiophonic Workshop.

Radio Newcastle BBC Radiophonic Workshop jingles

From the archives, the tape Len Groat sent to Alfasound in 1980 giving the specification for Trent 1, with additions demonstrating the final cuts. A couple of little mickey takes here and there as you would expect from me :)

Trent 1 origins

Something Old, Something New from 19th August 1981 featuring cuts from Trent 1 and Trent 2 (The Summer of 81)

Len Groat Radio Trent August 1981

Superb WGFM jingles from cart. I am led to believe these carts were stolen from the studio and found their way to the UK in 1974/75.

WGFM Stereo rock 99 carts

The Solid Rock song which Metro Radio, Newcastle, UK bought in 1974. Announcement by Peter Lewis, the presentation director at the time.

Metro Radio Solid Rock song ( Nov 1974)

On 14 July 1991, during  a trip to the UK, Jon visited  GEM AM, the  oldies stations for the (Great) East Midlands. Between 8 pm and 9 pm, he and Len Groat discussed jingles. Between 9pm and 10 pm, Jon presented his own show. As entertaining as ever and pretty damn good considering he had never seen that desk before.  
It opens with a jingle specially made by Alfasound. I am led to believe that Jon had no prior knowledge of this cut. Len thrust a cart in to his hand and said "play this at the start"

Jon Of JAM On GEM

A Birthday mention which David Furness kindly arranged for me

A mention on Radio 2

Rosko and David Jensen from the Radio 1 Fun Weekend in Exhibition Park Newcastle late May Bank Holiday 1982

Radio 1 Fun Weekend May 1982

A demo of some of the former Radio 2 cuts I have bought over the years. The Radio 2 jingles always seemed far better to me than the Radio 1 packages.
The picture is me at Metro Radio Studio 1  in March 1977 overlooking the Swalwellian Riviera

Colin's Radio 2 Collection

A presentation by Steve England illustrating the first package made by Alfasound for More Music Metro

Colin N Ridley

Popular tracks