The eighth floor

[BBCAaron]

I think for 60’s-20’s Classic Rock and Country don’t need the traffic and travel bulletins. I rather leave the traffic and travel updates to local radio stations on few of the main nationals. I think is ok. 

4 hours ago, lochnessa said:

I absolutely feel like they make the situation terrible to get people to sign up for their fee service.  Which they seem to harp on Every.Single.Break.  

[BBCAaron]

On 12/7/2022 at 10:08 AM, JamTriv said:

The problem I have with R2 is that it's more aimed at older/family listeners. I prefer Radio 1 because of the dance music and upbeat music. Radio 2 is more dumbed down, and i don't really like Jeremy Vine ?

Agreed, think Radio 2 is very false fun and bit corny wallpaper radio

[Old Codger Fan]

47 minutes ago, BBCAaron said:

I actually don’t mind some of AJ Tracy but thats my taste and then yours.

That's fine - I wouldn't change station just because he came on, either - But kinda missing the point - These people have practically limitless access to the greatest musicians, music tutors, studios and producers ... And they've managed to come up with something that "we don't mind".

[BBCAaron]

11 minutes ago, Old Codger Fan said:

That's fine - I wouldn't change station just because he came on, either - But kinda missing the point - These people have practically limitless access to the greatest musicians, music tutors, studios and producers ... And they've managed to come up with something that "we don't mind".

Fair point to say and did kind of miss that point. But most music that sells quite a bit is either kind of overrated and overhyped not bad or just ok or don’t mind. A lot of music that does big and charts is very inoffensive and kind of call that radio gravy. A lot of stuff wouldn’t be made and done if it was aspiring to be the great. Its kind of got to the simple point if mass appeal. Most art that is actually proper art to say and you know you are an artist is its loved and hated in equal proportions but theres little middle ground. So it’s safer to settle for ‘we dont mind’. Remember Scott Mills around roughly 207/2018 had feature around ‘Are we running out of music’ plucking the similarities.  And when theres a lot out there its hard to make greatest thing new, think thats why when you age its when did music stop becoming good.

Honestly, find people will sing praises of artists like Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Elton John even and get the feeling such names are kind of overrated and to an extent Queen.

But some of the music we could agree on being that middle bland opinionless dont mind may be on those who used the great resources

[Jono]

On 12/11/2022 at 5:02 PM, Anne O Rack said:

Especially on all request drivetime, please play Celebration by Kool and The Gang for Tallulah in her mo-ho and ponies in the Cotswolds celebrating her 50th etc.

OK, I take the piss with the above statement but I see what you mean. Although, some of the DJs do reflect the older and changed audience who have become 'middle class mummies' themselves. I did like Simon Mayo as he did take the mick a little at times but the caller not twigging.

Look at Zoe Ball and Sara Cox now. Wind back the clock 20 or so years and they'd be falling out of a bar in the West End with a bottle of Jack and fag in hand, the epitome of ladette.

Now I like Sara on a Friday for that interaction she has with listeners. But, yes, the downfall is it's all very predictable the songs they choose. 

[Old Codger Fan]

20 hours ago, Jono said:

Now I like Sara on a Friday for that interaction she has with listeners. But, yes, the downfall is it's all very predictable the songs they choose. 

Has there been any genuine request show, on any station, since Annie Nightingale? - i.e., one where the listener's "choice" doesn't already have to be on an approved list ??

[Bluestraw]

5 hours ago, Old Codger Fan said:

Has there been any genuine request show, on any station, since Annie Nightingale? - i.e., one where the listener's "choice" doesn't already have to be on an approved list ??

I guess the 10 min takeover is as close as you get, as that just has to be in the playout system. Still not the same though, I agree!

[NathanS]

35 minutes ago, Bluestraw said:

I guess the 10 min takeover is as close as you get, as that just has to be in the playout system. Still not the same though, I agree!

Occasionally they've managed to get into Radio 2's system to go 'rogue' on a Friday. They played Fleetwood Mac "Everywhere" on the breakfast show the other week.

 

Pretty sure the old Saturday afternoon request show with Reggie Yates was literally anything goes.

[BBCAaron]

8 hours ago, Old Codger Fan said:

Has there been any genuine request show, on any station, since Annie Nightingale? - i.e., one where the listener's "choice" doesn't already have to be on an approved list ??

Maybe something like Jamee Jamil sure she did have a show actually called ‘The Radio 1 Request Show with Jameela Jamil’ with cover presenters of some guy called Tom Deacon, Adele Roberts (maybe one of her first Radio 1 appearances. First heard her in for Alice Levine at the weekend), Matt Edmonson featuring this early 10’s vintage picture of Matt Edmonson sourced from BBC Radio 1s archive website found on google. So the last edition of that would have been 6th January and thats the last permanent request show Radio 1 has done. Ever since its been request features and no permanent request show on the station closest long drawn out thing is The 10 hour take overs but bank holiday’s. They can annoy me with when play telly themes or corny novelty songs. But request day would be better fit in future for the Crimbo Limbo. 

Remember when Beats 1 launched they had a daily request show that didn’t last long a year or two. Think when it launched Zane and his team wanted to go for an alternative global music only driven station. 

[BBCAaron]

2 hours ago, NathanS said:

Occasionally they've managed to get into Radio 2's system to go 'rogue' on a Friday. They played Fleetwood Mac "Everywhere" on the breakfast show the other week.

 

Pretty sure the old Saturday afternoon request show with Reggie Yates was literally anything goes.

Most likely, I used to like it when Annie Mac, Fearne Cotton, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders had request features. Do enjoy it in when they do it in shows with avid music listeners where can hear great throwback or something you’d think oh got to get that on my playlist. Think with songs like Everywhere maybe with death of their singer influenced the dip into the Radio 2 music folder. But artists like Fleetwood Mac are quite listened to by gen z as TikTok trends show and course featured on this years pudsey in need song with Anne Marie & Niall Horan 

[DC]

The fact that people are turning away from Radio 1 because of the stuff AJ Tracey puts out (although Ladbroke Grove was OK imo, only because it sounded like an old UK Garage track). And mostly the same are turning away from Radio 2 because of Cliffs new record that only their Grandparents would listen to. Emphasises again Radio 2 can't cover such a vast age range musically. There needs to be a seperate service for 30 to 50ish somehow, just like I said.

[AndyK77]

6 hours ago, Bluestraw said:

I guess the 10 min takeover is as close as you get, as that just has to be in the playout system. Still not the same though, I agree!

Greg once admitted on (I think Scott's show), (and I paraphrase) the 10-minute takeover was a little bit controlled in that it had to roughly fit what they wanted.  So in otherwords nothing would get played unless it would be on Anthems (except the odd rogue one played for a reason like Fleetwood Mac the other week).

[AndyK77]

6 minutes ago, DC said:

The fact that people are turning away from Radio 1 because of the stuff AJ Tracey puts out (although Ladbroke Grove was OK imo, only because it sounded like an old UK Garage track). And mostly the same are turning away from Radio 2 because of Cliffs new record that only their Grandparents would listen to. Emphasises again Radio 2 can't cover such a vast age range musically. There needs to be a seperate service for 30 to 50ish somehow, just like I said.

I think age is becoming a more complex thing.

My parents - now 78/79 - were of a generation where most people acted more like their parents than people 10 or 20 years younger.

These days the difference between 60 year olds and 20 year olds musically is smaller than it has ever been.

Today I heard Charlie Hedges playing Two Can Play At That Game by Bobby Brown - released in 1995 and still a great track.  But hang on in 1995 there is almost no way Radio 1 would have played a track from 1968.  I have often argued that the technological changes in music in the 90s, combined with the influence of Dance culture have changed a lot.  This adds to the growing issue for Radio 2.  How does it appeal to an audience that doesn't feel old whilst still appealing to the people who do feel old!

[Anne O Rack]

On 12/17/2022 at 2:05 PM, Old Codger Fan said:

Has there been any genuine request show, on any station, since Annie Nightingale? - i.e., one where the listener's "choice" doesn't already have to be on an approved list ??

I think in the very early days of the ten-hour takeover they actually were able to scour the grams library in Yalding House and play stuff off CDs/vinyl/whatever they could get their hands on.

So back then, more effort might have been made to send the interns into the depths of the archive. I do remember seeing the photo galleries posted on the R1 website with piles of CDs in the studio.

Suppose the modern-day equivalent is to scour the music stores of R2/6 etc for the relevant songs, but I suspect it is a lot more involed if they want anything not already loaded into the computer.

Even they have the desktop jukebox, it would probably be a bit more faff to try and get it all in and takes some of the sheen off the 10-minute takeover, and add to what's been said for it to be 'on brand'. I'm sure if I texted asking for Cliff Richard's Millennium Prayer it wouldn't get played but I am more than willing to be proved wrong (!).

[anothernerd]

On 12/7/2022 at 9:22 AM, Jono said:

It's clear that although Scott's show has brought more listeners over to the station, not everyone's ready to leave Radio 1.

What do you think would need to be done to make you a bigger Radio 2 listener over his old station?

I don’t listen to lots of R1. The playlist isn’t to my taste. I prefer R2 and Radio X.

Greg’s the last star they have I really enjoy. 

R2 have more stars I used to like there, Coxy, Scott and even Vernon Kay is doing things over there.

 

[radio1fan]

1 hour ago, Anne O Rack said:

I think in the very early days of the ten-hour takeover they actually were able to scour the grams library in Yalding House and play stuff off CDs/vinyl/whatever they could get their hands on.

So back then, more effort might have been made to send the interns into the depths of the archive. I do remember seeing the photo galleries posted on the R1 website with piles of CDs in the studio.

Found an archived image of the Yalding House record library, from January 2005 

[BBCAaron]

On 12/18/2022 at 1:37 AM, DC said:

The fact that people are turning away from Radio 1 because of the stuff AJ Tracey puts out (although Ladbroke Grove was OK imo, only because it sounded like an old UK Garage track). And mostly the same are turning away from Radio 2 because of Cliffs new record that only their Grandparents would listen to. Emphasises again Radio 2 can't cover such a vast age range musically. There needs to be a seperate service for 30 to 50ish somehow, just like I said.

I dont think the BBC can or should operate such a station think with content across BBC Radio 1 and 2 theres programming for that age demographic whether Radio 1 00’s, Anthems, Dance Anthems on Radio 1 to Rylan, Scott Mills, DJ Spoonie, Sara Cox with the 90s shows providing stuff for the age demographics you describe so does Indie, Rave and Emo Forever playlists on 6 so does Rampage, DJ Ace, and other stuff on 1 Xtra. As for older listeners you have Boom Greatest Hits, Radio 2, BBC Local stations.

With proposed cuts to the BBC’s news and local radio. Don’t think if they end up reversing any cuts to services after backlash will have the resources to create new music entertainment radio services to cater for every age demographic. Think it’s about providing services that have a verity for a broad and a Radio 1 and Radio 2 provide the most diverse audiences hence its mainstream popularity. 

If stations exist out there in the commercial sector. The BBC doesn’t need to compete

[BraveInstance]

I think the R1 playlist is more skippable than it's ever been, but maybe that's just me getting older. I generally like to listen to shows 15 minutes late so I can skip the news and a couple of awful songs.

Would echo the sentiment about grime, although for me I've heard enough of it to conclude that there are only a couple of unique grime artists like Skepta and Stormzy. The rest are completely interchangable and they all seem to use the same heavy bass backing track.

Dance music is very strong at the moment and has been for 3/4 years now. Pop is pretty middling, Anti Hero is probably the best pop song of the year, but then you have other stuff like Raye, who I'm convinved must have a family member in control of the R1 playlists.