extract:from James
James Stannage’s
Britain’s Best Shock Jock, James Stannage
It deals with family and relationship issues and also takes a look at the everyday conflicts that affect our lives.
James Stannage has unique style of resolving issues.
He’s not afraid to speak his mind and believes the only way to solve a problem is through honesty and openness.
CALL HIM
10am till 12pm Monday to Friday.
10pm till late Monday to Thursday.
_______________________________________________________________
Well, what a mad time I’ve had. Shall I start at the very beginning and tell the whole truth at last? I had always loved radio since my teens when I used to go to bed every night with Radio Luxemburg, the “Great 208” and hear all those wonderful sixties tunes. Pop music was still the biggest genre, but some bands were getting heavier, the Who, the Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, the Byrds, Yardbirds and others were all moving pop into the seeds of what we now call rock music. Then in summer 66 we were given our own pirate station, Radio 270, broadcasting off the coast of Scarborough to the north east of England, and what a summer that was. As well as winning the world cup the music that summer was awesome. Buy yourself the best of 1966 and you’ll see what I mean!
After teaching for a couple of years, in 1973 I heard that Manchester was to get its own independent commercial radio station and after making loads of enquiries managed to get an interview. Then I was told that they would take me on as the lowest of the low, a broadcasting assistant whose duties included making the tea, editing tapes, operating the studio and being a general dogsbody.
At first Piccadilly Radio did not broadcast 24 hours a day. We began at 5am and finished at 2am, but when Liverpool’s Radio City began it was on 24hrs and so we had to do it too. Oh God that overnight show from 11pm till 6am was a killer, but it was a chance to let listeners ring in and chat and naturally some very strange characters emerged. I can’t actually remember the first insult I used but “boring old cow” soon became a Stannageism and then I was searching for insults that weren’t actually swear words, and “toe-rag” seemed to fit the bill.
In early 76 the boss decided to split the overnight show and I was given 11pm till 2am as well as presenting Saturday Sport from the studio a mixture of music, commentary and phone calls. I had been presenting a folk music programme one half hour per week, and made the acquaintance of a whole bunch of comedians who used to play the folk clubs. When I first met Jasper Carrott back in 1974 he was earning 25 quid a gig.
We had recorded a lot of these comedians’ routines and so I thought it would be great to play them on the late show, and one made it on to Top of the Pops. Yes, Jasper’s Magic Roundabout was the B side of Funky Moped which charted. No one bought it for the A side.
Then he was playing the Free Trade Hall with me as his intro man and strange as it may seem, the audience were rowdy to him and wanted more of me. A crowd of autograph hunters outside made me realise how popular I had become. And my wife realised it too.
When she realised that late night radio is the biggest pick-up joint in the world and she found that she was pregnant I knew that I would have to put my radio career on hold for some years while we brought up a family. So we did and I know it was the best decision that I ever made.
So, I did NOT get the sack from Piccadilly back in 1976 - I left of my own accord. I tried pitching ideas to Granada TV for a talk-show but nothing came of it. Years later Granada Upfront, Central Weekend, Trisha, Jeremy Kyle all appeared but it was my suggestion way back in the 70s. Am I jealous or bitter? No. What the hell!
Have to fast forward 10 years here and I resumed my radio career at TFM in Stockton, my birthplace, in 1987. Same format, late night talk to anybody about anything and the listening figures were the highest the station had ever achieved at night. But it wasn’t to last. I upset too many apple-carts and my 12 month contract was not renewed – a euphemism for getting the sack. DOH!!!!!!
I got a gig at Swindon, then Bristol at GWR FM and Brunel Radio when they split the frequencies. What a boring place and what over-rated bosses they had. Needless to say I didn’t last long and early in 89 I was jobless again.
Off I went to London to seek my fortune, but out of the blue the boss at Piccadilly called me and offered me late nights again. So back I came. From October 1989 until May 2005 I presented the 10pm talk show, first on Piccadilly AM then on KEY103FM.
Did I get sacked? I’ll tell you all about that next blog………………..xxxxx
_______________________________________________________________
