Wings Over America - Rock Around The World With Alan Freeman

Track list

Disc 1

1. Week One

   47:25 • Interview

2. Week Two

   31:39 • Interview

From the liner notes:

This is a two part radio broadcast of an interview with Alan Freeman which was original broadcast in April 1976. The actual date varied by station. I had several copies of this broadcast but they all seem to originate from the same source. Not a very good recording to begin with, it seemed to be made by placing a mike in front of a speaker rather then a direct recording. It also suffered from being off pitch and off speed and the levels varied throughout the tape, more so in part one then part two. The interview bit is intermingled with music. Part two had a lot of music as filler much of which I edited out. That is the reason part two is considerably shorter. Fortunatly this allows it all to fit on one cd if one is so inclined. I did some clean-up work on this and adjusted the speed and pitch, which improved things considerably although I am sure there is a better copy of this some where in existance.

Information found on the net;
Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman was born in Melbourne, Australia , but came to Britain in 1957 to made his career as a well-known disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom and he enjoyed almost 50 years in the industry. Other BBC presenters gave him his nickname “Fluff” early in his career, because of his habit of turning up for his show in woolly jumpers. During the 1960s, Freeman briefly attempted an acting career, notably in Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, but his limitations were apparent, and in other films he has played himself. He also played God (albeit a God who sat at a mixing desk and said “Alright?”) in two episodes of The Young Ones in 1984. Alan had a huge love for rock music and opera and is best known for presenting the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show (initially from 1973 to 1978, and later from 1989 to 1993) & Pick of the Pops, which he first hosted for the BBC(originally on the Light Programme) in 1961 and, continued to present until 1972, later reviving it on Radio 1 (1989-1992) and Radio 2 (1997-2000). Alan presented late-evening programmes on Radio Luxembourg in the 1960s and early 1970s. He also worked for Capital Radio from 1979 to 1988, reviving both Pick of the Pops and The Rock Show, and for Capital Gold (Pick of the Pops) and Virgin Radio (The Rock Show) in the 1990s. His final broadcasts focused on his other beloved world .. opera, presenting Their Greatest Bits for BBC Radio 2 from 1997 until 2001. Throughout his career his distinctive presenting style included the frequent use of classical music stings between records, and many memorable catchphrases such as ‘Alright, pop pickers? Alright!’ and ‘Not ‘arf!’. His style has been much parodied, and he was the model for Harry Enfield’s popular character ‘Dave Nice’, although he contributed to the satire himself in good grace by appearing on Enfield’s show. For all Alan’s supposed clichés and archetypes in his broadcasting style, he has always been regarded as a true original by his fellow broadcasters – when he appeared on John Peel’s This Is Your Life, Peel said he was ‘the greatest out-and-out disc jockey of them all’. In December 1993 Freeman presented the Alternative Chart Show on a trial RSL broadcast by XFM in London. In March 1994, Alan revealed on breakfast television that he had become celibate in 1981, but had previously been bisexual. He was awarded the CBE in 1998 and lived his last few years in quiet retirement as a resident of Brinsworth House, a retirement home for actors and performers run by the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund making the occasional on-air appearances.

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