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HARLEY
STREET TO
MONTE
CARLO
NEW for 2010 - 40th
anniversary show to be broadcast on Taint Radio, South Carolina, on
15th February and throughout the next week...
checkout
www.taintradio.org
Presenter of the
40th anniversary show Barry Marshall-Everitt writes:
On February 15th 1970 Radio Geronimo started broadcasting weekly
broadcasts from Radio Monte Carlo. Presenters Hugh Nolan & Barry
Everitt played the now historic version of Amazing Grace by The
Great Awakening and the Radio Geronimo was born.
This is the 40th Anniversary and sadly many of the team are now not
with us, we have lost Hugh Nolan, and the backers Jimmy Miller &
Tony Secunda and this 2010 show is dedicated to them and in
particular the free form musical direction given to the station by
Hugh Nolan.
Radio Geronimo was the first European free form radio station,
broadcasting from Hitler's propaganda radio transmitters built in
Monte Carlo in 1940. The signal was heard over the entire continent
and even though it was a legal transmission it was referred to as a
pirate by many countries, including the UK, it's free form non
programming and use of very free speech seemed to upset the British
Government and the BBC started to jam the signal, Radio Geronimo hit
back by jamming the BBC headquarters in London with strawberry jam,
Hugh & Barry were arrested and made the front page of the daily
papers creating a massive new audience.
The success of the station also riled other broadcasters and as
often happens other companies bought there way into Monte Carlo and
by November 1970 Geronimo was off the air and became a legend. |
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Enter |
HUGH
NOLAN
GEOFFREY BASS
TERRY YASON
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Terry yason:
“geronimo was the product of a generation
seeking to break down barriers
between all the arts, media and politics...
...there
wouldn't have been world music without Geronimo”
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Geoffrey Bass:
“the
airwaves were made for music...
...the uniting, binding force of beautiful vibrations encircling the Globe
and, for a time at least, engendering a profound feeling of Love and
Peace” |
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Brief History: Radio Geronimo was the
brainchild of Terry Yason… with Hugh Nolan and Geoffrey Bass… they
enlisted the financial help of Jimmy Miller (record producer:
Traffic, Rolling Stones etc.) and Tony Secunda (music biz
entrepreneur and manager of bands such as The Move)… Following test
transmissions (as Radio Rupert and Radio 428) in 1969 from the
Pyrenees, Radio Geronimo hired airtime in 1970 from Radio Monte
Carlo. Programming consisted of jazz, folk, blues, rock, classical
and world music, along with useful advice of the counter culture.
Geronimo was the antithesis of DJ culture – 'joined up radio' - the
music spoke a language of its own, the presenter occasionally spoke
the earthy language of the street, and the listener was treated as
an equal… Unlike the pirate radio stations of the 60’s this most
radical of radio stations station was totally legal. It was
favourably compared to BBC Radio 3 and is fondly remembered by those
fortunate enough to be there… Engineering was by John Lundsten.
Barry Everitt (promoter, Astoria, Borderline) was also part of the
Geronimo team. Richard Branson wanted to join in but was rejected.
As Geronimo Starship they recorded the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre and
released legendary triple album on Revelation Records. Geronimo
were also contracted by Pan American Airways to provide their inflight jazz entertainment.
Barry Everitt and Hugh Nolan in the
Harley Street Studio |
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