AIRCHECK Radio SOS

Welcome to another new AIRCHECK feature created by your e-mails searching for radio recordings. Because of the amount of e-mails, it would appear there are a vast amount of people who've lost radio programmes and features by accident, by the passing of time, or by other means. So, if you're missing something that you never had or once had and now would like to add to your collection - or if you can help someone out from your archive, please e-mail AIRCHECK. And if you're just interested to know how searches are going for others, keep your eyes on this page for updates. AIRCHECK - regularly updated and fully interactive!

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SEARCH 1: Airchecks from Northern Ireland's Downtown Radio. Requested by Mark Boylan.

'I just came across your website today and am a radio enthusiast like yourself. I was wondering if you have any airchecks from Downtown Radio based in Northern Ireland. I have various bits from 86, 89 and 92 I'd be willing to swap, each of which lasts over an hour with a birthday show lasting 4 hours. Let me know in any case.

AIRCHECK says: No Downtown stuff in the AIRCHECK audio archives - something we've told Mark, but we did say that we'd add his search to this page.

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SEARCH 2: David Jensen - BBC Radio 1 - Studio B15 'Lipstick & Lager' Requested by Claire Underwood

'I am looking for a wee bit of advice. A friend of mine collaborated with Kid Jensen on a programme called Studio B15, on a publication called Lipstick and Lager. As a gift I am trying to locate a copy. Can you suggest any places I could search?'

AIRCHECK says: David's show aired on Sunday afternoons on Radio 1 during the early 1980s, with each show airing for for around 90 minutes. Can you help Claire with this rare recording?

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SEARCH 3: Atlantic 252's close / teamTALK252's start/promos. Requested by John Warren.

'Hi there. I'm wondering do you have any recordings of Atlantic 252's final hours, or the last song played and what date, I know the last show was aired on 20th December, 2001 but there was music after that, for how long? And I would greatly appreciate recordings of TEAMtalk 252 promos.

AIRCHECK says: We've already directed John to our AIRCHECK National page for more details - and this reveals non-stop music right up to teamTALK252's launch in February 2002. But can you help John with some recordings?

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SEARCH 4: WCCO (Minneapolis/St.Paul - USA) January 13th 2004 12:00noon News broadcast. Requested by Wynne Dobyns of Cupertino, California.

'My sister is trying to locate a copy of the noon radio news broadcast from radio station WCCO in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, on January 13, 2004. Her son, Sgt. Chad McNiesh, was interviewed for the broadcast as one of the MN Army National Guard members who was being deployed to Ft. Hood, TX, that day. Through a mix-up in e-mail communications, the anchors at WCCO are no longer able to help her, and we cannot find any record of that broadcast on their Web site. We have confirmed that the segment was broadcast.'

We've given Wynne some pointers on how to enquire with the station, but we still promised we would add the request to the site! To help, please e-mail AIRCHECK and we'll pass your details on to Wynne.

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SEARCH 5: Graham Neale's Rock Show - Radio Trent requested by Chris Beach.

Chris says: '...if you could find any Graham Neale Rock Show stuff from Trent it would be great. I think his sidekick at that time was John Shaw, I'm pretty certain the time slots were Tuesdays and Thurdays from 7pm if that's any help. Cheers!'

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SEARCH 6: Any radio recordings featuring Douglas Cameron requested by Printz Holman.

I am urgently trying to find recordings of Douglas Cameron (LBC & associated stations). Do you have any by any chance? Regards. Printz

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SEARCH 7: Network Chart Show Recordings with David Jensen 1985-1990 requested by Chris Derbyshire.

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'Hi there! I stumbled across your website which I think is excellent - many thanks for a great site! I am a collector of old BBC Radio 2 broadcasts and have had zero joy in trying to find other such collectors. Perhaps I am the only one in the country?! I very much doubt this, and wondered if you knew of any other collectors, or to whom I may turn to try and locate light music shows of yesteryear. BBC is a brick wall, as is the National Library, and virtually every website and message board I have located. I should be very grateful for any leads which you may have. Kind regards Paul Langford'

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SEARCH 9: The Ripley Wayfarers: 'Rolling Home' requested by Ian Constable

'I am trying to get hold of a recording of The Ripley Wayfarers doing Rolling Home - they did a set on Folk on Two mid-to-late 80s or early 90s (yes, I know, a bit vague) - I had it on cassette and offspring placed it near a large magnet to see what would happen!'

Ted replies 'I have the Ripley Wayfarers LP of 'Song And Dance Tunes' but it is not on there. Would it replace any other of your lost tracks?

Calling Ian Constable...Due to a technical glitch with the AIRCHECK E-mail, we've lost your original e-mail. Please e-mail AIRCHECK so that we can pass on Ted's e-mail address and details to you!

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'I happened upon your website and I would be interested in securing some airchecks of my old radio shows if you have them. My name is Don Corey and I was on KSHE from December 1968 to March 1973. I was on the air primarily in the 12 midnight to 6 AM shift. I have several airchecks of myself, but I would like to have more. I would love to send you what I have in return for some that you have. What I would REALLY like (and I think this is probably an impossibility) but I would like to have my VERY FIRST SHOW. (Figure the odds.) It was on KSHE at 94.7 on December 24th 1968 from 10 AM to 1 PM I doubt you'll have that, but anything you have would be greatly appreciated. I will be happy to send you copies of the discs I have (and the respective dates & times) and I will supply blanks discs. Thank you. Don Corey'

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SEARCH 11: 'Misty Morning Eyes' (Les Reed / Barry Mason) heard on the Light Programme - requested by Barry Knapper

'Hi. I came across your interesting site on radio stations by accident and I wondered if you could help with a long standing search I have been into - for the past forty years to be specific! I am trying to obtain an off-air recording of a song written by Les Reed. I continue below with a transcript from another e-mail where I was asking someone about this recording.

The particular song is called 'Misty Morning Eyes', the Les Reed/Barry Mason song written in 1965 and only recorded by a few artists, most of which I found as being Reed himself, Barry Mason himself, Maxine Brown and James Darren. None of these recordings are the one I am after, in fact I am not sure there IS an official vinyl recording of the exact rendering I am looking for. To explain further, here is part of the text I sent to Donna Reed, the daughter of Les Reed which explains my interest and the reason why I am trying to find a particular version of this song;-

"Anyway, regarding 'Misty Morning Eyes', I first heard this in the sixties played on the then BBC Light Programme by a vocal group in the style of the Swingle Singers/Hi-Los, but I am pretty certain it was not them. I think it was one of the resident 'house' bands/vocal groups that the BBC used to engage in the good old days when most broadcast music was 'live', or at least recorded specially for their programmes. This version was played quite regularly during the period when it was first composed I think. Funnily, according to the information on Les's web site, he apparently joined forces with Barry Mason in 1965 and as this song was composed by them both, it would suggest the song was composed and released in or after 1965, yet I always imagined it to be before that time, around say 1962 or 1963. Perhaps your father could confirm the exact date or roundabout?

But going back to the time I first heard the song, it stuck with me from the first hearing and I could not get it out of my mind. It is a lovely tune, yet I cannot remember the words at all! It was the hauntingly romantic, yet happy tune which I enjoyed so much. I am not a 'words' man and am purely instrumentalist. I much prefer a good orchestration to a good singer. I did most of our bands arrangements.

But I am drifting again! Going back again to the song, since the initial playings of MME by this particular group, it seemed to disappear completely from the air waves. Why I do not know. But since then I have been looking for that particular version. I stress 'that particular version' because that is the only one I am looking for as it is a purely nostalgic thing. I have since obtained the James Darren version which is nothing like the one I am after. His version is dramatic, bold and almost serious. While the one I heard was happy, medium-to-fast paced with definite 'jazz' swing to it and the vocals were sung with a very pacey and exultant feeling. I have not heard the Barry Mason version so I cannot say if this is the one. Can you? Given my description? (update- I have the Barry Mason version and it's not the one!)

Anyway, over the years I have scoured every record shop, junk shop, auction etc for ANY recording of this song in the hope that I stumble on the one I want to hear. In my travels I located both the Les Reed albums you mention. The Decca double-LP and the Deram LP I have here and each version of MME is the same. Both good, but sadly just not the precise version I am looking for. Les's version is quite slow compared to the one I want. So again, does this enable you or your father to determine what the version is? I just add that I have also often entered Les's name in search engines, without locating your web page. So I was very surprised when Darren told me of it. I am sure it could not have been up for very long, am I right?"

Update;- Les Reed suggested it may have been Mike Sammes singers as they did quite a lot for the Beeb in the sixties and played his songs but not sure
if they were actually recorded. My drummer friend in Florida contacted one of Mike Sammes Singers herself! He actually was a friend of her. Sadly June didn't remember even singing it but said that there were so many songs she couldn't possibly remember every one

So that was my e-mail to Les' daughter - I am now resigned to the fact that the most likely place I would find this is in someone's old reel-to-reel collection of tapes that happened to be recording the Light Programme around 1965. So, do you have, or are you in any way able to suggest where I might look for this obscurity? Yes, needle in haystack time again! But I have to try everywhere as it would mean such a lot to find it again. In return, I have lots of reel recordings of the Light Programme from the 60s including some treasured 'Jazz Club' sessions which were never archived and never to be heard again. I would gladly put any onto cassette or CD for help received. Good luck with the site, I will visit it regularly from now and have passed on the website address to a few friends too! Best regards. Barry.

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