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No, that’s not a time warp you’re listening to on the radio.
Dick Williams — “The Tall One” — is again.
The long-lasting London DJ, who began spinning High 40 hits right here within the early 1960s, returns to the radio airwaves Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the Dick Williams’ Stable Gold Rock & Roll Present on International Information Radio CFPL-AM 980. The present will repeat Sundays.
Williams, 81, will play hits from the mid-1960s to the mid-’70s from the digital studio he’s owned for greater than twenty years.
“It’s simply an opportunity to have numerous enjoyable, sitting down, enjoying music, telling tales — that’s not laborious work, that’s enjoyable,” mentioned Williams in a phone interview from his dwelling in Key West, Fla., the place he spends his winters earlier than returning to his Port Stanley dwelling in Might.
The present is anticipated to fill a void for the older crowd ravenous for the music of their youth.
“It’s so thrilling to do that,” mentioned Williams, who retired from London radio in 2007 however by no means left the enterprise. His vocal expertise remains to be in demand for business voice-over work and he maintains his personal on-line radio station, southernmostradio.web, enjoying tropical tunes everywhere in the world.
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The prerecorded present will probably be typical of the type that earned Williams a popularity as top-of-the-line DJs within the nation.
He’ll play solely High 10 hits of the period and embrace historic content material and options such because the Forest Metropolis Flashback, Movietone Information and necessary occasions in sports activities, leisure, books and flicks sprinkled with irreverent gimmicks, feedback from a forged of characters, observations of life, offbeat tales, “one-hit wonders” and requests.
“It is going to be just like the shtick I did once I began,” mentioned Williams, as soon as dubbed The Tall One for his six-foot-three-inch stature that “on a very good day, now . . . could be six-foot-one.”
In his prime, Williams was the tallest of The Energetic Guys, 4 London DJs together with radio and TV icon Invoice Brady, the late John Dickens and Al Mitchell.
“He was one of the best,” mentioned Brady, who later moved to broadcasting’s company facet. He was stunned and delighted to listen to about Williams’s new present in an age when radio is jammed with discuss exhibits, information, sports activities and climate and DJ voices providing not one of the type or substance of previous.
“I’ve been in radio since Marconi (invented radio within the late 1800s),” Brady joked. “Dick was the consummate DJ of his time. I was in awe of him. He’s a music nut with a file assortment individuals envy.
“The very fact they’re really doing it blew me away, however I believe it’s a very good transfer, one thing refreshing on the London scene.”
Although there are a few traditional rock and straightforward listening stations within the area, there was little for older rockers since CKSL-AM 1410 modified codecs in 2012 and went off the air 5 years in the past.
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“That is one thing that gained’t be about COVID, or politics, one thing for the mature listener to offer them a couple of minutes of peace and enjoyable,” mentioned Williams’s son, DJ, who works in gross sales for Corus Radio London and helped pitch the idea.
“It isn’t simply in regards to the music; it’s in regards to the reminiscences, the nostalgia, with the ability to return and listen to about what was taking place in London in these days.”
Though clearly biased, DJ mentioned his father has the identical spirit for music and DJing he’s at all times had.
“Sure, he’s a man who’s 80, nevertheless it’s with a ardour of a 16-year-old. I’m 51, so I keep in mind the previous days. My dad was like a rock star and I’d associate with him to occasions and concert events the place he’d be the MC or the host,” DJ Williams mentioned.
Williams was the primary North American DJ to play The Beatles, having obtained an advance copy of their first launch in Canada, With The Beatles, in 1963.
“They might have recorded the telephone guide and everyone would have gotten simply as excited,” mentioned Williams, who launched musical acts, comparable to The Dave Clark 5 and The Byrds to London teenagers at venues together with Wonderland Gardens, The Three C’s, The London Area and Treasure Island Purchasing Centre.
Williams additionally hosted Good Morning London on CJBK with Judy Savoy and Janice Zolf, mornings at CHLO, middays at Q97.5 EZ Rock and was music director of Oldies 1410 and appeared on TV exhibits, together with Act Quick, Hootenanny and Wing Ding.
A twin U.S. and Canadian citizen, Williams splits his time between Key West and Port Stanley, travelling with Mary, his spouse of 29 years. He divorced his first spouse, Debbie, however they remained pals till her loss of life three years in the past.
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He has seen large change in expertise and radio codecs during the last 60 years, however has stored up with these adjustments.
“I used to be saying to my spouse just a few days in the past how unbelievable it was that I could possibly be driving within the Keys and listening to London radio and it’s crystal clear,” Williams sid. “Who’d have thought you can ever have your voice heard across the globe?”
Whereas reluctant to call a favorite group he’ll be enjoying on his present, Williams has an extended checklist of favorite hits, together with some lesser-known deep cuts, comparable to The Beatles’ Sure It Is, The Fortunes’ Right here Comes That Wet Day Feeling Once more, and The Lovin’ Spoonful’s Darlin’ Be Residence Quickly.
“You’ll be able to have favourites, however you possibly can’t have favourites you play on the air on a regular basis,” mentioned Williams, including he loves virtually all musical genres, however has a hankering for “laid-back Las Vegas lounge music.”
Williams mentioned he’s assured the present will succeed.
“You already know, there’s a hard-core group of previous rockers in each city they usually can’t get sufficient of the oldies hits,” Williams mentioned.
“It needs to be numerous enjoyable. I don’t assume you’ll be disillusioned.”
For extra present particulars, go to bit.ly/3aNqtws.
CURIOUS LONDON
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