Bob Harris - Episode 53 | Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt - Podcast

This week on Rockonteurs, Gary and Guy chat to a titan of music broadcasting, Bob Harris.
It’s a fascinating discussion on his remarkable career in radio and TV that takes us from being a John Peel protégé to Radio 1, from his love of country music to The Old Grey Whistle Test and the eclectic artists that show beamed into our lives in the 70’s.
Bob is a natural storyteller and this episode features encounters with Elton John, John Lennon, The Eagles and even a life or death moment as he get attacked by some punks back in the day.
The Old Grey Whistle Test is 50 years old this week, so there is no guest better than Whispering Bob.
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[@drutgat2]

The Rockontours podcast is - by far - the best music podcast ever. Interesting, insightful and intelligent, and - above all - warm. Thanks so much Gary and Guy.

[@Bricameron]

Podcasts are radio now again. Wonderful.

[@robertnshine]

Possibly my favourite so far. Wonderful interview. Could listen to Bob forever!

[@johnrichardson1796]

Superb interesting interview with the legend that is Bob Harris, thanks x

[@MrHoefnix]

I highly recommend everyone to listen to this.

[@charlesnolan7602]

Greetings from the "great beast" - state of Pennsyl-beastia! Bill Haley, who started in Chester, Pa, town of my birth, was a C&W artist first, plus he did some radio DJ work in the 50's pre-Comets! I was born in 1955, so I started hearing and knowing music in 1960. When that Beatles 2/9/64 Ed Sullivan show premiered, after that the British invasion on air was on! I liked some country on and off, but I have really been a classic rock / Prog rock anglophile. The Wishbone Ash twin lead gtr format was the template for all of those great Southern rock bands with a dose of country! I chauffered 38 Special in October, 1991- stories in one day! I liked the "cosmic country" NRPS, Burritos, Gram Parker, Poco, etc. Through it all though, Underground/ psychedelic/ Progressive has been my mainstay through today!

[@Russell_G]

Excellent stuff gents, love Bob Harris and Old Grey Whistle Test, many happy memories as a kid of staying up late and paying the next day!

[@nickroll1502]

That was brilliant! As a teenager used to love staying up to watch OGWT. Best music program ever!

[@michelejames8816]

Two people gave this a thumbs down , omg. Bob Harris brilliant.

[@simonfenn3791]

Pure magic, thanks Gentlemen.

[@andyhislop8524]

Oh man....magicians you two..

[@stephenofmilford1216]

WBH, such continued enthusiasm as well as effortless command of his genre. I miss the late and great John Peel; never met him but coincidentally I was in the same hotel in Cuzco, Peru, less than a week after he died. In another close but no cigar part of my life, unknowingly, after I moved to Abington from Kingsthorpe, I would have walked past the house where he had lived every day. In the late 1960s I too struggled to get a decent signal on Radio Luxembourg, so it wasn't my cheap receiver as I thought in my frustration of constantly trying to retune the thing. My first 45 was "I'm the Urban Spaceman" by the Bonzos (1968), although I did not have a record player ! (sic) - not until I went away to uni (1972) indeed that was the first thing I bought, from Woolworths, with my grant money, and accumulated my favourite 20 singles. But before that, in Northampton, I would go to John Lever's record shop on Gold Street to listen to a few tracks with my mates who were into Cream, Yes, Zepp, Floyd etc. I was more into Motown. My equivalent of niche listening to the radio in those dandelion days was ISIRTA, "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again". WBH and Danny Baker are starting their "Backstage Pass" tour in late 2021. I'll be there.

[@MultiMrPhill]

Superb. Keep 'em coming. Set a Camera up and just keep it Rolling......

[@redstrat1234]

Fantastic

[@michaelmouse4024]

Re Van the Man / ' There are 2 types of people - Those people who like Van Morrison and those people who've met him ' - Mark Ellen

[@jeremydicker6613]

Shout out to northampton..

[@simonfenn3791]

Cobbler's !

[@billholdship1340]

He may be legendary but I'm surprised that nobody has pointed out that Bob's story regarding Elvis and John Lennon is total hogwash. And I say this as a pretty good rock 'n roll historian. Elvis and Nixon were never "close friends." They infamously met each other only once, during that White House meeting which has been documented numerous times over the years including photos. But Elvis wanted to meet Nixon only so he could score the badge he so badly wanted and that has been documented as well. Elvis and Nixon never met or spoke again after that or before that. Elvis WAS friends, however, with President Jimmy Carter and Elvis actually called Carter a few times at the White House during his final years. Elvis only ever publicly supported one presidential candidate and that was liberal Democrat Adlai Stevenson who ran against Eisenhower. John Lennon was still praising Elvis Presley in the last two interviews he did before his sad demise. He exclaimed: "I love you, Elvis!" onstage while performing Hound Dog in NYC during the One To One concert in 1972. He had Elvis records on his jukebox at the Dakota. He famously wore his Elvis badge when he presented with Paul Simon at the Grammys. Elvis covered five Beatles songs in the years following his meeting with Nixon.They didn't "hate" each other. And Elvis was no "right-wing Southern bigot." Most importantly, the timeline makes no sense. Elvis and John met in 1965. Nixon wasn't even still involved in politics in 1965. Elvis and Nixon met for the first and only time on December 21,1970. So how in the heck would Nixon be asking Elvis to spy on Lennnon in August 1965?!? Lyndon Johnson was the president when the Beatles met Elvis. As I said above, pure sensationalistic hogwash. Just for the record, I interviewed George Harrison in 1987 during which we spent a good amount of time discussing the Beatles' meeting with Elvis in 1965. So I know little bit about this from someone who was actually there. He would have agreed that what Bob has to say here about that meeting is pure hogwash as would the man who many think was Elvis's best friend and went with him to meet Nixon, Jerry Schilling.

[@markwatkins8309]

Great , original questions but some of the answers are overly lengthy and too much of a history lesson on music which many music fans will already know, inside out! I think some more interventions from the interviewers would have helped the focus of some replies. That's why I lost interest, I'm afraid.