WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF - Graham Bond Organisation Track on LP There’s a Bond between us Columbia 33SX1750 (UK.1966)

RADIO 558 / RADIO 819

HI TEC HEROES - Ad Visser Title track on LP Hi Tec Heroes Vertigo 830 813-1 (NL.1987) Ad Roberts, who was responsible for the Radio Monique theme - see below - recalled that HI Tec Heroes was  "a B side of a single in the Dutch record library (I don’t remember what the A side was called) but was cut shorter to fit the allotted time for a station tune. I liked the tune, and it fitted the period in music history". Hi Tec Heroes was also planned as a theatre project, although as far as we are aware, there don't appear to have been any performances. Ad Visser, a former AVRO deejay and TV pop show host toured the Netherlands at the time of this album release, with his electronic music show. The tour was not a success and was called off halfway through.

RADIO HAURAKI

a) BORN FREE - Hank Marvin Track on LP Would you believe it plus See for Miles SEE210 (UK.1989).  Does anyone have the details of original release?, assumed to be LP track.

b) BORN FREE - Matt Monro Capitol CL15436 (UK. Mar 1966) Capitol CL15436 (USA.1966) / Capitol CL16126 (UK.1970 re-issue). Also a track on the LP The Very Best of Matt Monro Music for Pleasure MFP5568.

LASER 558 / LASER HOT HITS

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC - Abba CBS A3894 (UK.1983), Epic WA3894 picture disc (UK.1983). Vogue VG108 101861 (F.1977).  Also on the  albums Thank you for the Music  EPC 10043 (1977) & Absolute Abba Telstar STAR 2329 (1988) The picture disc is shaped to form the word Abba and the flipside with the track "Our last Summer", features a colour picture of the group. The  song was played as the nightly closedown theme, on both Laser 558 & Hot Hits.

RADIO LONDON

a) BIG LIL - PAMS Jingles Never released as a commercial record, the station theme originated from Dallas based radio jingle company PAMS and features in their Series 18 "Sonosational"  jingles, which was originally released in 1961. Big Lil was cut 20 in the set and was known as Sonowaltz. The PAMS demo tape for series 18 features a version for KFWB Channel 98 - The Sound citizen. The same music bed was also used by numerous American radio stations in the late Fifties and early Sixties. The Radio London "Big Lil" version can be heard on the 7" record "Wonderful Radio London - Highlights of Big L", released by the station shortly before it closed in August 1967 and features on the double album "Ten Years of Offshore Radio". Jumbo Records R100/101 (UK.1974). CD Jumbo TJLCD100/101 (UK.1993) and CD Pirate Radio jingles from the Sixties Jumbo TJLCD001(UK.1992)

b) HOMETOWN - PAMS Jingles  Like "Big Lil" this originates from PAMS, the only cut used by Radio London from Pams Series 16 "The Sound of the City", which was released in 1960. It was used to close the station at the end of the days broadcasts. The PAMS demo for series 16 features a version of "Hometown" for Houston, Texas. The theme is included on the album "Ten Years of Offshore Radio". Jumbo Records R100/101 (UK.1974). CD Jumbo TJLCD100/101 (UK.1993) and CD Pirate Radio jingles from the Sixties Jumbo TJLCD001(UK.1992) The track was also recorded by the Chantelles on Parlophone R5271 (1965).

c) LA MER - Unknown Used as a daily closedown theme during Summer 1967, this track was reported to be by Nelson Riddle, but doesn't appear among his many releases. (release details and audio required)

RADIO MI AMIGO

a) MI AMIGO - Mi Amigo Boys  CBS 2477 (B.1974) The theme tune from its release in Summer 1974, when broadcasting on 259 metres, until they moved to 192 metres on 11th December 1976, when the theme tune Bronx was first heard to open up regular programming.

b) MI AMIGO TUNE - Bronx Monopole S533 (date B.?) The theme was originally on a French label, the master tape was sold to the station and became the station theme. The composer Denis Desrouvres visited Mi Amigo's Spanish studios to promote the disc. Bronx was first used when the station was still on 259 and was played at the bottom of the hour in September / October 1976 at least. It was used as a bed in the tape programmes in order that any late commercials could be inserted from the ship. Although it carries the same number and sleeve there was a reissue of the record, the original pressing has the word Monopole in yellow on a light blue background, while the later issue has more sophisticated printing with the then new Monopole logo. The flipside of the record features "Mi Amigo jingles"

c) GUITAR HOLIDAY - Oasis  Killroy KS2784KF (N.1979), Philips 6021 227 (B.1979). When Radio Mi Amigo returned from the MV "Magdalena", this track, already in the stations Top 50 was used as the station theme. Produced by Mouse music, the flipside is "Eileen".

d) DON'T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING - Gerry and the Pacemakers Columbia DB7268 (UK.1964), Eric AR205 (USA 90's re-issue). Used to close the station at the end of the days broadcasts, a number six hit for Gerry in April 1964.

e) PEOPLE - Tony Nolte Television Orchestra Track on LP Eén van de Acht Varagram 0017 (1969) Station theme for the first five months. 

f) SPRING RAIN - Silvretti Ramshorn (NL.1977) Salsoul 1983 Used for the daily closedown theme.

RADIO MONIQUE

THE THEME FROM TERRAHAWKS - Richard Harvey Anderburr Records HX1010 (UK.1983). The theme from the TV space puppet adventure series created by Gerry Anderson, who is also known for many other TV puppet series including "Thunderbirds", the 60's cult series. Anderburr records formed by Gerry Anderson and his partner Christopher Burr. Also available on a 12" single, Anderburr Records HXT 1010 with picture sleeve and a poster. The B side has a 7' 28" version of the track titled "Variations on the Theme". Ad Roberts recalled that "Maarten de Jong and I looked for dozens of titles in the library on the Ross, but the tunes we liked, were much too long, until I found the Terrhawks theme.  A little creative editing on our Dolby C deck (I think I did about 4 or 5 cuts) made it exactly two minutes. It was finished 3 days before the official opening and just in time to be played for our test broadcasts".

RADIO NEWYORK INTERNATIONAL

SARA - Fleetwood Mac Warner Bros K17533 (UK.1979) Also track on Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits UK.WX221 (UK.1988). Used by the station during it's brief appearance in 1988, the RNYI ship was named Sarah after the station owners former wife.

RADIO & TV NOORDZEE

a) NORTHSEA MELODY - ZZ en de Maskers Artone DR 25242 (NL.1964). The B side of Greensleeves. The theme was specially composed for the station.

b) ANCHORS AWEIGH - Marinierskapel der Koninklijke Marine Philips P17162H (78rpm date?), also track on EP Philips 422 007PE (date?) Also a version by The International Collegians Cameo-Parkway PCP103

c) HOW SOON - Henry Mancini The B side of Dear Heart RCA478458 (US.1964) TV Noordzee theme

RADIO NORTHSEA INTERNATIONAL

a) MAN OF ACTION - The Les Reed Orchestra  (a & b) Chapter One CH126 (has pink and blue background to label) and Chapter One CH186 Mono (UK.1970) c/w Madrid, (c) Chapter One SCH 189 c/w Lest we forget (UK.November 1973) (Purple background to label (d) Chapter One CH189Y (B.1970) c/w Madrid (e) BASF 05 19052-2 Stereo c/w THE UNKNOWN (G.c1970), f) PIMS P.5.018 (B.1971), g) BR 45005 (NL.1986). The track also features on the LP Veronica Veronica 1975/CBS Special products (NL.1975), and  CD's The Veronica Story BR Music VS 3108-2 (NL.1991) and We Love the Pirate Stations BR Music 434-2 (NL.1998). There is some confusion over which versions were used by RNI, as far as we can determine the mono CH126 version was used first, then the BASF stereo version, but ironically only the right hand channel, which could be identified by the apparent distance of the opening brass muting the left hand channel. As soon as it was released the mono CH186 version was used, this is a different cut, identified by prominent drum beats. There were plans to recruit the Les Reed Orchestra to record different cuts of the theme for use by the station. In 1972, RNI was using news jingles which featured different segments of the tune for the start and end of bulletins, the station also edited together recordings of Man of Action to produce a ten minute long version. Les Reed OBE has been a prolific conductor, composer, arranger and songwriter, and has a number of associations with offshore radio themes and artists. Man of Action became heavily used as backing music by BBC Radio One's Tony Blackburn for a short time when there were no official alternatives to the national networks, despite this it never became a UK hit, it did however chart in Holland following its constant airing as RNI's final "Treiterschijf". When RNI was still in the planning stages, one of the people involved was Klaus Quirini, head of the Deutsche Disquejockey Organisation, the DDO theme tune was Man of Action.

b) WADE IN THE WATER - Ramsey Lewis Trio Chess CRS 8041 (UK.1966), Cadet 5541 (USA.1966), Chess 6145 004 (UK. Mar 1972), Old Gold OG9848 (UK.80’s re-issue), Chess CRS8096 (April 1969) B side to Cry Baby Cry, The theme for RNI's Dutch service.

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