Ideal Cover

[coffeeandgin]

Given the post recently about Friday night radio, thought it might be a thread to chat about Radio 1's dance output.

There have certainly been some big departures on that side of things in recent years in Mistajam (during 2020) and of course Annie Mac about 18 months back but I have to say Radio 1's dance output does feel in a good place at the moment.

There feels a good mix still of Radio 1 icons, prominent DJs and also upcoming talent across the output. Pete Tong & Annie Nightingale are two undisputable Radio 1 legends and help the line-up not feel too inexperienced following Mistajam and Annie's departures. With both Mistajam and Annie Mac now having left Radio 1, Danny Howard was the obvious choice to lead the Friday night schedule - clearly passionate about his dance music and radio, great presenter and very happy to feature on the daytime shows to highlight the dance stuff on Radio 1. It's been noticable too how a lot of the artists & tracks Danny has championed have ended making it onto daytime which is a great sign.

Sarah Story has settled in well to Radio 1 as well. Charlie Tee sounds great whenever I've heard her (particularly on NYE) and I've only heard good things about Jeremiah Asiamah too. Creating the D&B show for Charlie was a great way to get her foot in the door properly on Radio 1. Certainly if Pete Tong were to leave any time soon then Jerry or Charlie Tee would be more then deserving for a Friday night slot.

Add in the likes of Charlie Hedges, Arielle Free and to a lesser extent James Cusack and the dance output feels in good shape.

[BBCAaron]

1 hour ago, coffeeandgin said:

Given the post recently about Friday night radio, thought it might be a thread to chat about Radio 1's dance output.

There have certainly been some big departures on that side of things in recent years in Mistajam (during 2020) and of course Annie Mac about 18 months back but I have to say Radio 1's dance output does feel in a good place at the moment.

There feels a good mix still of Radio 1 icons, prominent DJs and also upcoming talent across the output. Pete Tong & Annie Nightingale are two undisputable Radio 1 legends and help the line-up not feel too inexperienced following Mistajam and Annie's departures. With both Mistajam and Annie Mac now having left Radio 1, Danny Howard was the obvious choice to lead the Friday night schedule - clearly passionate about his dance music and radio, great presenter and very happy to feature on the daytime shows to highlight the dance stuff on Radio 1. It's been noticable too how a lot of the artists & tracks Danny has championed have ended making it onto daytime which is a great sign.

Sarah Story has settled in well to Radio 1 as well. Charlie Tee sounds great whenever I've heard her (particularly on NYE) and I've only heard good things about Jeremiah Asiamah too. Creating the D&B show for Charlie was a great way to get her foot in the door properly on Radio 1. Certainly if Pete Tong were to leave any time soon then Jerry or Charlie Tee would be more then deserving for a Friday night slot.

Add in the likes of Charlie Hedges, Arielle Free and to a lesser extent James Cusack and the dance output feels in good shape.

I think what with its dance presenters regardless of level of experience provide equally stable and suitable quality. Regarding Sara, Charlie T and Jaguar they represent the continuum and an ever turning new movement of dance music and can tell when they were hired they would make the next level of Annie Macmanus and MistaJam level of influence meaning any changes in the future will be ensured that they got the people already to fill the gaps. The dance fans of the Friday night shows always seem to welcome newbies with open arms but have much admirable respect for the longer serving presenters

[TheSaviourisHere]

Great line-up of Dance now i do think Arielle will end up on Friday nights somewhere down the road

[BBCAaron]

5 hours ago, TheSaviourisHere said:

Great line-up of Dance now i do think Arielle will end up on Friday nights somewhere down the road

I would like to see eventually names like Phoebe I-H and Sweetpea aswell as Jaguar getting a crack at bigger slots. Interesting that Jeremiah’s Friday 1X show is similar to the R1D stuff

[Old Codger Fan]

As said on 'Friday Night Radio' forum, for those of us who aren't that taken with dance music, it can all get a bit too much on a Friday. The litmus test for me is 'Can this presenter retain my interest, even in something I'm not otherwise passionate about?'  Craig Charles certainly meets that test, in his Funk & Soul Show on 6Music ~ and I'd given Pete Tong a whirl if he didn't start so late ....

[AndyK77]

For me the one weak spot right now is Dance Anthems.

 

Charlie is a great presenter but the music feels a bit stale apart from the last hour which is much better.  Back in the day when the original Dance Anthems started with Dave Pearce it was mostly current music.  Unfortunately, it's still a lot of those tunes 25 years later.  Everybody loves the odd classic but it feels a bit repetitive.

 

Everything else is really good in my book - Danny, Sarah, Pete, Jeremiah.

[coffeeandgin]

Yep for some reason while it should be my cup of tea Charlie's Dance Anthems show doesn't hit the mark for me in the way that say Dance Anthems with Danny and then Mistajam did. Charlie herself is a fine presenter so it's not  a criticism of her.  I don't mind some classic dance tracks - indeed the Fridays they sometimes have where dance takeovers the daytime are great. However, it feels wrong having two hours of classics vs one hour of current tunes. Even when you do get to the current tunes it can feel like they rush through tracks a bit plus there are a few too many remixes in there sometimes for my liking - many of which are not particularly great.

What's odd too is that while Dance Anthems on Saturday doesn't totally hit the mark for me, I love Party Anthems on a Friday which you'd think in theory would be near identical (especially to the last hour of Dance Anthems which is newer music). It manages to be a good halfway house between the mainstream dance and then the more specialist stuff the Friday night DJs might play and is normally an enjoyable hour each week. I don't even mind the early 3pm start on it necessarily as it's always a sign that the weekend is near - the only criticism is the switch from the usual mainstream playlist just before PA to proper dance then back again after to chart stuff only to then go back to dance again after with Danny is a bit jarring.

Plus (though this just a temporary issue) as much as I really like the lightheartedness of Radio 1 and my bar for being annoyed by it is very high some of the links on Party Anthems by Matt & Jamie really have verged on the inane in recent times.

[BBCAaron]

8 hours ago, AndyK77 said:

For me the one weak spot right now is Dance Anthems.

 

Charlie is a great presenter but the music feels a bit stale apart from the last hour which is much better.  Back in the day when the original Dance Anthems started with Dave Pearce it was mostly current music.  Unfortunately, it's still a lot of those tunes 25 years later.  Everybody loves the odd classic but it feels a bit repetitive.

 

Everything else is really good in my book - Danny, Sarah, Pete, Jeremiah.

Agreed it’s more of a formatting and stylistic thing. Theres so many genres and genres to explore with Fred again, Sherelle, Skrillex, Pink Panthress and Nia Archives and some other names shaping the future of the sound of dance music with neo-garage and jungle sounds. That arent heavily reflected in the sound of the time and of the generation of music. 

[BBCAaron]

18 minutes ago, coffeeandgin said:

Yep for some reason while it should be my cup of tea Charlie's Dance Anthems show doesn't hit the mark for me in the way that say Dance Anthems with Danny and then Mistajam did. Charlie herself is a fine presenter so it's not  a criticism of her.  I don't mind some classic dance tracks - indeed the Fridays they sometimes have where dance takeovers the daytime are great. However, it feels wrong having two hours of classics vs one hour of current tunes. Even when you do get to the current tunes it can feel like they rush through tracks a bit plus there are a few too many remixes in there sometimes for my liking - many of which are not particularly great.

What's odd too is that while Dance Anthems on Saturday doesn't totally hit the mark for me, I love Party Anthems on a Friday which you'd think in theory would be near identical (especially to the last hour of Dance Anthems which is newer music). It manages to be a good halfway house between the mainstream dance and then the more specialist stuff the Friday night DJs might play and is normally an enjoyable hour each week. I don't even mind the early 3pm start on it necessarily as it's always a sign that the weekend is near - the only criticism is the switch from the usual mainstream playlist just before PA to proper dance then back again after to chart stuff only to then go back to dance again after with Danny is a bit jarring.

Plus (though this just a temporary issue) as much as I really like the lightheartedness of Radio 1 and my bar for being annoyed by it is very high some of the links on Party Anthems by Matt & Jamie really have verged on the inane in recent times.

I think with Party Anthems for those on the school run at the end of the week or who are finishing up wrk gives a mood boost at. Kind of right place at the right time. I think Dance Anthems worked best with Danny Howard in terms of the stuff I’ve been able to hear. When comes to the saturday drive show think it needs to reflect a one stop shop of the wider dance and club music. I think would be interesting if the Saturday dance anthems went on a rebrand and offered modern and recent hip-hop, electronic and alternative dance and electronic. Broader space of club, party stuff and mainstream and alternative ‘dance stuff’

it would be interesting to manage to have features where Danny Howard, Sarah Storey, Charlie Tee, Jeremiah Asiamah for track recommendations and guest mixes and ways to promote residencies and essential mixes. 

[Lee E]

1 hour ago, coffeeandgin said:

- the only criticism is the switch from the usual mainstream playlist just before PA to proper dance then back again after to chart stuff only to then go back to dance again after with Danny is a bit jarring.

 

I have NEVER understodd why they did that - Main list to dance to main playlist, to dance. I get the 6pm start in the week for specialist, but on Friday why didn't they just leave it on at 6, with Scott or Jack.

[BBCAaron]

35 minutes ago, Lee E said:

I have NEVER understodd why they did that - Main list to dance to main playlist, to dance. I get the 6pm start in the week for specialist, but on Friday why didn't they just leave it on at 6, with Scott or Jack.

I think kind of works as its the case the playlist of party anthems may serve the end of the weekend for its younger audience at points of at the end of a school, study and work day. Think giving a specialist dance programme at 18:00 hours may work as giving something different

[coffeeandgin]

On 2/24/2023 at 12:15 AM, Lee E said:

I have NEVER understodd why they did that - Main list to dance to main playlist, to dance. I get the 6pm start in the week for specialist, but on Friday why didn't they just leave it on at 6, with Scott or Jack.

Indeed the weekend specialist stuff starts at 7pm rather than 6pm so if Radio 1 wanted to do the 'Friday is the weekend' stuff they could easily do Matt & Mollie doing the 1-3.30pm slot then Jack on the chart in the usual 'Going Home' slot and then Jack sticking around for Party Anthems 6-7pm.

The 3pm start time bothers me less than the chart following it - much like Sunday used to go from the Chillest Show to the Rock Show it feels a bit too much of a gear change.

[coffeeandgin]

Also have to say as somebody who started to become a dedicated listener to Radio 1 around the time of the 'Superstar DJ' competition in 2011 (I'd listened a bit before to say Jo, Greg and Scott but wouldn't say I was an especially dedicated listener) it's been a pleasure to follow Danny Howard's rise on Radio 1 from the very start. He's very much put in the hard yards and been a feelgood story when it comes to Radio 1 and earnt the prominent role he now has on Radio 1's dance output. He really comes across well when he features on shows with the likes of Greg and Matt & Mollie.

[BBCAaron]

5 hours ago, coffeeandgin said:

Indeed the weekend specialist stuff starts at 7pm rather than 6pm so if Radio 1 wanted to do the 'Friday is the weekend' stuff they could easily do Matt & Mollie doing the 1-3.30pm slot then Jack on the chart in the usual 'Going Home' slot and then Jack sticking around for Party Anthems 6-7pm.

The 3pm start time bothers me less than the chart following it - much like Sunday used to go from the Chillest Show to the Rock Show it feels a bit too much of a gear change.

I think that now after the newsbeat it always had made more sense on Fridays but only recently that it is pointless having the filler dance programme presented by non-dance dj. As its text readings and spinning tracks. Just filler. But think when it’s at time when people maybe finishing school or college and doing the typical picking the children up the dance energy to start the weekend then with more mainstream playlist at 1500 hours makes more sense. I think at that time when it’s used by Danny Howard it wouldn’t make sense to go back to filler but would be tempted to scrap. The ‘party anthems’ show and make it into something that could be embedded 

[UnofficialStark]

I think the problem is making Friday the weekend in the first place. It's not necessary and no other radio station does it. It would be best to have the weekday schedule for the majority of Friday and then when it gets to Dean and Vicky they can have the extra half hour from 3:30-4 (doing more of their show and not anything like Party Anthems) that they don't get on Mon-Thur and then have Chart before the weekend starts at 7pm on Fri just like every other station. That would clear up the messing around and wouldn't make it feel like any dance is necessary during the daytime on the Fri.

It would also fix the ridiculous structure that Friday has of a constantly changing Early Breakfast show, the weekday Breakfast show, Weekend mid mornings and afternoons, party anthems and then Chart followed by dance. I bet the whole Friday thing is a real turn off for the average listener who would feel very disjointed by it, especially if they listen to more than one radio station in general.

[coffeeandgin]

18 hours ago, UnofficialStark said:

I think the problem is making Friday the weekend in the first place. It's not necessary and no other radio station does it. It would be best to have the weekday schedule for the majority of Friday and then when it gets to Dean and Vicky they can have the extra half hour from 3:30-4 (doing more of their show and not anything like Party Anthems) that they don't get on Mon-Thur and then have Chart before the weekend starts at 7pm on Fri just like every other station. That would clear up the messing around and wouldn't make it feel like any dance is necessary during the daytime on the Fri.

It would also fix the ridiculous structure that Friday has of a constantly changing Early Breakfast show, the weekday Breakfast show, Weekend mid mornings and afternoons, party anthems and then Chart followed by dance. I bet the whole Friday thing is a real turn off for the average listener who would feel very disjointed by it, especially if they listen to more than one radio station in general.

I sort of understand the 'Friday is the weekend' stuff - on shows like This Morning or say news channels the presenters for Friday (and the weekend) can differ to Monday-Thursday and it works well there. Plus I guess giving certain DJs Friday in addition to the weekend keeps them happier than if they were just on two days a week - I imagine it was brought in to throw a bone to the likes of Matt, Dev & Alice who'd been on weekends for ages and not had an opportunity in return. It gives Fridays too a different feel to the rest of the week and certainly I listen more on Fridays when it's Katie and Matt & Mollie compared to Monday-Thursday when it's RMC then Dean & Vicky.

Plus some of the weekday presenters like Vick & Charlie already do shows on the weekend (Dance Anthems for Charlie/Life Hacks for Vick) so if you made them present on Fridays they'd either have to give up those weekend slots or do 6 day weeks.

I'm glad though they got rid of the ridiculous situation that was calling the Friday Breakfast show 'Weekend Breakfast' on air - it sounded ridiculous. Very much seemed a Ben Cooper idea and made Radio 1 look out-of-touch with your average worker.

Radio 1 do seem to like having that Friday 'dance anthems' type slot on before the specialist stuff begins with previously Annie and now Danny. The 'dance anthems' type show has been around for quite some time on a Friday whether it was called Party Anthems, Dance Anthems or Ready for the Weekend (whooooo) so presumably it must be quite well liked by listeners to stick around.

[BBCAaron]

5 hours ago, coffeeandgin said:

I sort of understand the 'Friday is the weekend' stuff - on shows like This Morning or say news channels the presenters for Friday (and the weekend) can differ to Monday-Thursday and it works well there. Plus I guess giving certain DJs Friday in addition to the weekend keeps them happier than if they were just on two days a week - I imagine it was brought in to throw a bone to the likes of Matt, Dev & Alice who'd been on weekends for ages and not had an opportunity in return. It gives Fridays too a different feel to the rest of the week and certainly I listen more on Fridays when it's Katie and Matt & Mollie compared to Monday-Thursday when it's RMC then Dean & Vicky.

Plus some of the weekday presenters like Vick & Charlie already do shows on the weekend (Dance Anthems for Charlie/Life Hacks for Vick) so if you made them present on Fridays they'd either have to give up those weekend slots or do 6 day weeks.

I'm glad though they got rid of the ridiculous situation that was calling the Friday Breakfast show 'Weekend Breakfast' on air - it sounded ridiculous. Very much seemed a Ben Cooper idea and made Radio 1 look out-of-touch with your average worker.

Radio 1 do seem to like having that Friday 'dance anthems' type slot on before the specialist stuff begins with previously Annie and now Danny. The 'dance anthems' type show has been around for quite some time on a Friday whether it was called Party Anthems, Dance Anthems or Ready for the Weekend (whooooo) so presumably it must be quite well liked by listeners to stick around.

I think that between some of the presenters other commitments being on-air now four times a week. I think something that could easily and would easily adapt across radio as with the newer generation and new era of the radio DJ its balancing doing nation-wide dj gigs and events, voice-over work, recording podcasts trying to get ideas for those podcasts and working on new segments or features and working out social media presence with home-life. With think it’s inevitable that eventually we would have four day working week given that mid mornings and afternoons and drive presenters havent served five days a week. There’s benefits of getting more listeners to reach and engage with shows they may not have decided to tune in on the weekend and keeps things fresher one air and maybe presenters may feel less burnout if there wasn’t this.

I think the next breakfast programme should go back to running only 4 days then 3 days split between presenters a week. Personally wouldn’t divide between weekend and weekday breakfast allowing the continuity between both breakfast programmes in shows with an interlinked format sharing features. And maybe if it was a more unity brand of engaged in collaboration with the the same network of producers who would share equal split of working time. Make it less disjointed.

If this would show can have breakfast podcasts, features and special event features to run across the 7 days

 

[DC]

I don't think Radio 1 as far as dance shows will reach the levels of Pete Tong, Danny Rampling, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Seb Fontaine for me. They had the luxury of live shows back 20 odd years ago though, which made them what they were along with the quality of music that was around. BBC don't seem to have the budget nowdays, to do the live from Creamfields sort of thing they did then.

 

Saying that, I think dance music in general is in a far better place that it was around 2013 way. Sarah Story has taken to it like a duck to water, really enjoy her show. Pete Tong is always worth a listen too if your into the deeper side of dance music.