History Of DJ - Part 6 - Pirate Radio (Part 1 - Pirate Ships)

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THE BIRTH OF THE 60’s PIRATE SHIPS (Part 1)
The 6th episode in our series The History of DJ arrives at the PIRATE RADIO period in the ‘Swinging 60’s.’ Featuring Ronan O’Rahilly’s famous Radio Caroline. The whole episode was because Ronan couldn’t get Georgie Fame’s new record played on either the BBC Light Programme or Radio Luxembourg.
Alan Crawford an Australian music publisher was already planning to launch his Mia Migo Ship to be named Radio Atlanta but the Radio Caroline ship, Fredericia, beat him to the high seas.
With the first voice of Christopher Moore the station’s Programme Director and Simon Dee established as their first dee-jay broadcaster, the ship became the first of a flotilla of pirate ships and radio forts in the Thames estuary.
Our tale is woven by Sir Roger Gale the DJ who became an MP, Richard Park from Radio Scotland, now head of Global Radio and regarded as the most powerful man in European radio.
Keith Skues and Tony Blackburn return to Caroline on the MV Ross Revenge and we see the personalities who made the Pirate Radio period so unforgettable.
This is the first episode to cover off-shore radio and there will be more to follow.
Tony Prince is your host and the Royal Ruler was aided and abetted in this remarkable episode by DMC’s Cutmaster Swift.

[@Vortex5Australia]

One of the most well put together videos that tells the story in such a brilliant way. Great clips, interviews and narration... Thank you to everyone involved and to all who contributed material to such a brilliantly executed documentary. This wins a huge Thumbs Up !!

[@billjones2101]

Listened to what is now northern soul, under blankets tks lenny gamble ie tony blackburn

[@hebneh]

The funny thing is - at the age of 10 in 1964, during the British Invasion, I thought how amazing it must be to have all these groups around all the time on radio and TV. I had no idea that in Britain itself, not only were these performers NOT on the air all the time, kids were tremendously thrilled to be hearing pirate stations which were 100% copies of what I was listening to in the US. The constant commercials, musical station identifications, kooky DJs - all the stuff we took for granted, and could hear from multiple stations in large cities. In Britain, all this was incredibly new and exciting.

[@hansknot2416]

Excellent and well done. Just one historical point as at 7.23 you're telling us that the former Radio Syd ship was the later Atlanta ship Mi Amigo. Of course that's not true as the former Radio Nordship, Bon Jour, became the Mi Amigo. The Radio Syd ship Cheetah II was used for some time by Caroline in 1966, when the Mi Amigo was in repair at a wharf in Zaandam

[@DMCworldchamps]

Hans Knot With thanks to the most knowledgeable man in the world for this factual correction.

[@KoolKyle_Adventures]

By far the best video that I have seen on the topic. Thanks for posting this!!

[@blodekont5458]

0:58 ...not only british... Dutch aswell..... both countries sufferred the same BBC-esk programming, hence Veronica, Radio NoordZee Internationaal, R.E.M Eiland, TROS.... I wish I was 18 then...you'd hear me on board one of these ships !!!!!

[@tombradford7035]

What a well put together programme - really punch at the beginning.

[@margaretzoheir7905]

I remember listening to Radio Caroline when I was a teenager. I listened to the one of Frinton in Essex, although I lived in Ireland. Johnnie Walker was one of my favourite DJs. I loved the Johnnie Walker show and I remember he loved Otis Reading.

[@merledoughty5787]

As a kiwi we had Radio Hauraki 1480 top of the dial, she was a pirate radio ship, although I aslo listened to 2UE Sydney about 1967, I listen to Tiri 1 as she founded on rocks, all ver dramatic much ;like Caroline sinking. Oh to travel back to those times as a teen, continues music great times and great days Thanks for this video

[@warnerforth1421]

does anyone know what happened to part 7 of the History of DJ?

[@normaread8771]

best thing of the sixties pirate radio Norma read xx

[@bluetarantulaproductions6179]

I just finished watching the 2009 movie "Pirate Radio" and got curious about this era of the British airwaves of the 60's

[@markrobinson8539]

Excellent...thank you for sharing. I still have my old Binatone radio that I used to listen to R Caroline and R London on.

[@zardoz8772]

I was a radio london fan. The pirate radios were fantastic. There will never again be the likes.

[@altfactor]

Didn't Radio Caroline also have a shortwave transmitter? Although I'm in the United States, I thought that in the mid 1960's, as a child, my late mom and I heard a shortwave pirate broadcast which I thought was Caroline.

[@maryrafuse3851]

What a romantic era, and simplicity itself when contrasted with these sad and often tragic 2020's. Pirate Radio history is the perfect escape from today's reality in these COVID 19 times. It still amazes me that private stations were not encouraged within Great Britain since both Canada and Australia had Government Broadcasters and many privately owned radio stations. In Canada our stations played all the British Invasion Hits along with our own great music. We were spoiled, in the early transistor radio age, in that every evening as the sun went down we had our choice of US & Canadian stations. Pirate Radio History reminds me of how we all love radio as it renews the imagination within us and brings melodic joy.

[@johnnyslinn1]

Thanks Tony thats superb, theres a lot of footage I have not seen before. John

[@hebneh]

I don't understand how it was possible to play records on these ships during rough weather. Vinyl records have to have a needle dragged across them to produce any sound, and that needle will skip and slide if it's being moved around too much, as on a pitching ship.

[@Armandodavids]

we stil pirate in the air in amsterdam weekend 87,5 MHZ danceradio.nl

[@Bulletguy07]

Absolutely brilliant documentary with lots of footage i'd never seen before. Caroline on 199 was always "my" radio station! Fond memories!!

[@andypryce1984]

What happened to History of the DJ Part 7?

[@john111257]

the royal ruler, still fantastic

[@cthoadmin7458]

High quality stuff. As has been said this is by far the best program on a very interesting period in British broadcasting history.

[@john111257]

all legends

[@MrMike-fm8bp]

So this is way before satellite radio ??

[@tiziocaio6236]

Correction. Atlanta came after Caroline. Caroline on Easter Sunday 1964 followed by Atlanta towards the end of May. This is a serious blunder by something who claims to have followed the pirates very closely

[@PAULLONDEN]

When we still looked in awe to the U.S.A......how times have changed....... Brilliant radio, these guys did it mostly alone at the mic...and unlike these days, didn't need lame sidekicks to 'spice' things up.....

[@brianmorris8045]

Best thing that happened in the 60's was the pirate radio stations...it woke a few people up, including the BBC who were so staid and behind the times, dinosaurs were more 'hip'.

[@jimsmithnyny8905]

Why Radio Caroline ever came into being and existence in the first place?

[@stickytapenrust6869]

That’s explained near the start of the video.

[@NCTrevor3D]

Great content - Watching Rush: The Spirit of Radio (video) brought me here

[@hs0zcw]

The very earliest radio messages where sent by Morse code similar to wire telegraphy, Passing messages and being legally secret about them was kept for over 75 years; only very recent years have ruined the desire to be honest with radio communication. Amateur ham radio is still very honest and reputable. Google the topic to learn more.

[@davidwebb6000]

Truly brilliant documentary that captures the feeling of those pirate days. My tranny was glued to my ears throughout those years.

[@japzone]

Finally, a decent documentary. Other ones I found did a terrible job covering the early pirate radio, which puzzled the heck out of me.

[@edgarpauli9988]

Sorry But Radio Caroline was first in the air in 1964.Satisfaction by the Stones cames in Spring 1965!!So it is a big misstake of this clip.The First song yes it was by the Stones but it was Not Fade away!!

[@crawlinginfilm9683]

Much as I love the Ross Revenge, it was only an offshore pirate radio ship in the 1980’s. It’s inclusion in the 1960’s segment kicks me out of the immersion.

[@BenLondonN6]

Great documentary. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Does anyone know what that bit of kit is, at the end, in an attaché case?

[@michaelcorke8586]

It was a great time, thank you Ronan and DJs

[@northstar1950]

Did these vessels retain their engines for power generation and location positioning or were they towed and used smaller power units just for electrical generation?

[@agoodday2662]

Brilliant stuff, if this kind of thing came back now perhaps music would gain a little value again with today's general public !

[@geraldwalsh6489]

Caroline used to come in loud and clear even to South eastern Ireland. I have one of this I love Caroline on 199 stickers,also the full colour magazine that came out in late sixties about Caroline

[@djgforce11]

This is a great series,as a DJ on a local South Jersey college station I find it thoroughly entertaining & fascinating.

[@kjellhollander]

Thanks Tony. Glad to contribute.

[@martinuslont2895]

Let we have take it back on other ships in other countrys

[@Slig1977]

I love this series! Prince Tony's the man

[@hedwig290]

Dit jaar 48 jaar geleden

[@scottlongley6097]

Amazing is Caroline still alive in the water and who owns it ? I met someone when I was younger off ov their 😏

[@stickytapenrust6869]

Caroline is still transmitting, but it’s now a legit “golden oldies” station. Think it’s land-based now, they only transmit from the MV Ross Revenge for a month a year or something now.

[@RichardThorneanorak]

The introduction says this is the British pop pirate story of 65-67 but we see the Mebo 2 home of Radio North Sea on fire in 1971 off the Dutch coast. Veronica spent many more years broadcasting from the Nordeney - right to the end. I'm sure you have put all this straight on Part 2 of The Birth of the Pirate Ships.

[@edgarpauli9988]

+Richard Thorne Yes, indeed!! Veronica was the first Pirat for NL,Belgium and Germany.But when cames Caroline and all the others brit Pirats.Our Musicworld became another face.Sorry but that is fact.I Love Veronica and RNI.But if I´m going back in time.Caroline that was and is for ever my Love

[@lionelvillard2549]

...😎...Trés BON doc. MERCI..🇬🇧...🇨🇵...🐧🐧🐧

[@seforaouled7558]

Toi aussi tu regardes ça en cours d'anglais ?

[@LJGreni]

Now we have internet radio, which bypasses the fcc.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

This was in the UK, where we don’t have the FCC, it was the GPO for us (who governed all broadcasting through the BBC Board of Governors for the BBC and the ITA for the ITV companies).

[@iansmith7369]

Brilliant 👍👍

[@seforaouled7558]

Les term 3?

[@trevorrandom]

Fab!

[@martinuslont2895]

This was the best music years of pop music on the radio ships

[@MichaelOfRohan]

I have yet to meet someone intelligent enough to have an intelligent argument over the IRA