Brian Matthew
Encyclopedia
Brian Matthew is a veteran English
broadcaster
, who became well known in the 1960s. He is still broadcasting on radio
for the BBC
, having presented Sounds of the 60s
since 1990, often employing the same vocabulary and the same measured delivery he used in previous decades.
, England
, Matthew was educated at the city's Bablake School
and started broadcasting in 1948 in Germany
, and trained as an actor
at RADA
before joining the BBC in 1954. He became popular in the days of the BBC Light Programme
, hosting Saturday Club
(originally called Saturday Skiffle Club, starting in 1957 and changing to its more familiar name in 1958) and Easy Beat
(starting in 1960). At the time, there was little pop music
played on BBC Radio
, certainly when compared to the huge demand for it among young people, and the shows attracted audiences into the millions. Virtually all the big stars of the era, including The Beatles
, appeared on the shows.
On television
, he is probably best remembered as the presenter
of Thank Your Lucky Stars (ITV
1961-66).
The influence of Easy Beat on radio declined due to the rise of offshore radio
from 1964 onwards; when BBC Radio 1
launched in 1967, Easy Beat was axed, and Saturday Club was taken over by another presenter, Keith Skues
(formerly of the "pirate" Radio London
), before it was also axed in 1969. Matthew celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first edition of Saturday Club in a special edition of Sounds of the 60s on 4 October 2008, by featuring some recordings from some of the shows and entertaining listeners with some reminiscences.
In 1973 Matthew fronted a new radio series entitled My Top 12, which lasted for an hour on weekend afternoons (as well as being on 247 metres medium wave was broadcast simultaneously also in FM stereo sound when Radio 1 joined the Radio 2 FM frequency 88-91 MHz). My Top 12 could be considered BBC Radio 1's equivalent to Radio 4's Desert Island Discs
. The programme was later presented by 'Whispering' Bob Harris
and Noel Edmonds
. Guests in 1974 included Rod Stewart
, Joni Mitchell
and Neil Diamond
. In 1975, Duane Eddy
, the million-selling instrumentalist was a notable guest on the programme.
This long-running series used a simple but effective format: request a well known music personality to list his favourite records of all time and invite him into the studio to record his comments, his life and loves and of course, play the records.
Later, Matthew returned to prominence as the host of BBC Radio 2
's arts magazine Round Midnight, from 1978 to 1990. Since April 1990 he has hosted Sounds of the 60s
(a programme first presented in 1983 by Keith Fordyce
) on the same network on Saturday mornings, playing many of the records
he initially played on Saturday Club and Easy Beat.
Matthew announced at the end of his show on 26 August 2006 that owing to an undisclosed illness he would be taking several weeks off his Radio 2 show, for the first time in sixteen years. Johnnie Walker
was the main host in his absence, with recordings of Matthew's A to Z of the Beatles feature also being employed to maintain his presence in the programme. Sandie Shaw
, Joe Brown
and Suzi Quatro
were also guest hosts. Matthew returned to the show on 10 February 2007, informing the listeners that a viral infection contracted while in hospital for a minor operation had required an extended period of time in hospital, followed by several weeks of recuperation at home.
Matthew won a Sony Gold Award
in 2008: "To celebrate an impressive record of more than 50 years of national and international radio broadcasting. For that lifetime career and in recognition of a truly outstanding contribution to UK radio."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, who became well known in the 1960s. He is still broadcasting on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, having presented Sounds of the 60s
Sounds of the 60s
Sounds of the 60s is a long-running Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 2 that features recordings of popular music made in the 1960s. It was first broadcast on 12 February 1983 and introduced by Keith Fordyce who had been the first presenter of the TV show Ready Steady Go! in 1963...
since 1990, often employing the same vocabulary and the same measured delivery he used in previous decades.
Early life and career
Born in CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Matthew was educated at the city's Bablake School
Bablake School
Bablake School is a co-educational Independent school located in Coventry, England and founded in 1344 by Queen Isabella, making it one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom...
and started broadcasting in 1948 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and trained as an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
at RADA
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
before joining the BBC in 1954. He became popular in the days of the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
, hosting Saturday Club
Saturday Club (BBC radio)
Saturday Club was an influential BBC radio programme in Britain, broadcast on the Light Programme and later Radio 1 between 1957 and 1969. It was one of the earliest - and for several years almost the only - radio programme in the country to broadcast pop music...
(originally called Saturday Skiffle Club, starting in 1957 and changing to its more familiar name in 1958) and Easy Beat
Easy Beat (BBC radio)
Easy Beat was a BBC radio programme broadcast nationally in the UK on the Light Programme on Sunday mornings, between 1960 and 1967. It was one of the earliest BBC programmes to broadcast pop music...
(starting in 1960). At the time, there was little pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
played on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, certainly when compared to the huge demand for it among young people, and the shows attracted audiences into the millions. Virtually all the big stars of the era, including The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, appeared on the shows.
On television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, he is probably best remembered as the presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
of Thank Your Lucky Stars (ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
1961-66).
The influence of Easy Beat on radio declined due to the rise of offshore radio
Offshore radio
Offshore radio is radio broadcasting from ships or fixed maritime structures, usually in international waters. The claimed first wireless broadcast of music and speech for the purpose of entertainment was transmitted from a Royal Naval craft, the HMS Andromeda, in 1907...
from 1964 onwards; when BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
launched in 1967, Easy Beat was axed, and Saturday Club was taken over by another presenter, Keith Skues
Keith Skues
Keith Skues MBE is a British radio personality. He is nicknamed "Cardboard Shoes".Skues was born in Timperley, Cheshire. His broadcasting career began on the British Forces Network in Cologne, Germany in 1958. This was followed by overseas tours to Kuwait, Kenya and Aden...
(formerly of the "pirate" Radio London
Wonderful Radio London
Radio London, also known as Big L and Wonderful Radio London, was a top 40 offshore commercial station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in the North Sea, three and a half miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England...
), before it was also axed in 1969. Matthew celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first edition of Saturday Club in a special edition of Sounds of the 60s on 4 October 2008, by featuring some recordings from some of the shows and entertaining listeners with some reminiscences.
In 1973 Matthew fronted a new radio series entitled My Top 12, which lasted for an hour on weekend afternoons (as well as being on 247 metres medium wave was broadcast simultaneously also in FM stereo sound when Radio 1 joined the Radio 2 FM frequency 88-91 MHz). My Top 12 could be considered BBC Radio 1's equivalent to Radio 4's Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
. The programme was later presented by 'Whispering' Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
and Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
. Guests in 1974 included Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
and Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
. In 1975, Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he had a string of hit records, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including "Rebel Rouser", "Peter Gunn", and "Because They're Young"...
, the million-selling instrumentalist was a notable guest on the programme.
This long-running series used a simple but effective format: request a well known music personality to list his favourite records of all time and invite him into the studio to record his comments, his life and loves and of course, play the records.
Later, Matthew returned to prominence as the host of BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's arts magazine Round Midnight, from 1978 to 1990. Since April 1990 he has hosted Sounds of the 60s
Sounds of the 60s
Sounds of the 60s is a long-running Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 2 that features recordings of popular music made in the 1960s. It was first broadcast on 12 February 1983 and introduced by Keith Fordyce who had been the first presenter of the TV show Ready Steady Go! in 1963...
(a programme first presented in 1983 by Keith Fordyce
Keith Fordyce
Keith Fordyce was an English disc jockey and former presenter on British radio and television. He is most famous as the first presenter of ITV's Ready Steady Go! in 1963, but was a stalwart of both BBC radio and Radio Luxembourg for many years.-Career:Born Keith Fordyce Marriott in Lincoln, he...
) on the same network on Saturday mornings, playing many of the records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
he initially played on Saturday Club and Easy Beat.
Matthew announced at the end of his show on 26 August 2006 that owing to an undisclosed illness he would be taking several weeks off his Radio 2 show, for the first time in sixteen years. Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
was the main host in his absence, with recordings of Matthew's A to Z of the Beatles feature also being employed to maintain his presence in the programme. Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw
Sandie Shaw is an English pop singer, who was one of the most successful British female singers of the 1960s. In 1967 she was the first UK act to win the Eurovision Song Contest...
, Joe Brown
Joe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
and Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
were also guest hosts. Matthew returned to the show on 10 February 2007, informing the listeners that a viral infection contracted while in hospital for a minor operation had required an extended period of time in hospital, followed by several weeks of recuperation at home.
Matthew won a Sony Gold Award
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
in 2008: "To celebrate an impressive record of more than 50 years of national and international radio broadcasting. For that lifetime career and in recognition of a truly outstanding contribution to UK radio."