Friday Rock Show
Encyclopedia
The Friday Rock Show was a radio
show in the United Kingdom
that was broadcast on BBC Radio 1
from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights from 1978 to 1993. Throughout most of its run it was hosted by Tommy Vance
. Ostensibly for the genre of rock in general, it was most closely associated with heavy metal
. In the early 1980s it was the only nationally available outlet for this genre of music, and Vance's enthusiasm for showcasing new bands and his rapport with fans made the show essential listening for rockers. For most of its run, its intro and closing theme tune was the Dixie Dregs
instrumental "Take it Off the Top", and the quiz in the show "the Friday Night Connection" used the Van der Graaf Generator
track "Theme One", (a cover
of the theme tune originally written for Radio 1 by George Martin
in 1967); other jingles
were written and performed by Samson
(with Nicky Moore
on vocals) and Vow Wow.
The show generally included a studio session or live performance each week, arguably being the main reason fans tuned in. Many of these studio sessions were engineered, mixed and produced by Dave Dade, generously-bearded BBC Senior Studio Manager, who worked closely with show producer Tony Wilson. Also featured were recordings from the BBC radio archives, both live and studio-sessions, from as far back as the late 1960s. This material included bands such as Led Zeppelin
, Deep Purple
, Jethro Tull
, Uriah Heep
, The Nice
, Rush
and Genesis
, among others. At the time the majority of this material was not available on general release and even today, in the current era of the deluxe edition CD album featuring bonus tracks, some remains unavailable to the general public, mainly because Tony Wilson took the tapes with him when he left the BBC.
Other features included "The Friday Night Connection", a quiz
in which listeners had to identify three pieces of music and the connection between them, and the "Rock War" (later renamed "Rock Challenge" during the 1991 Gulf War
), in which listeners were asked to vote for the best of three demo
tapes sent in by aspiring bands. Another feature was the listeners' all-time chart, which took place once a year on the show's anniversary/birthday (Now We Are 1, Now We Are 2, etc.), during which were played the most popular rock tracks, as voted for by the listeners. (This invariably finished with Led Zeppelin
's "Stairway to Heaven" at #1.)
The show played a significant role in the rise of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
. It had the additional good fortune of being able to "borrow" the 88-91 MHz FM transmitters of BBC Radio 2
, allowing listeners to enjoy the music in the best available quality for the time, before Radio 1 finally acquired its own FM frequency in 1988.
Before this happened, the show was temporarily given an extra hour from 2100 to 2200. This was heard on mediumwave
only except in London
and parts of the south east, where it was relayed by BBC Radio London
's FM transmitter.
After Radio 1's move to 24-hour FM broadcasting, the show's time slot was put back half an hour to 2230 to 0030.
By 1993 the introduction into Britain of a much wider choice of television and radio channels had made heavy metal more accessible and the show less important, and Tommy Vance left Radio 1 to join the original line-up of Virgin Radio
.
The show was taken over by Claire Sturgess
, who had been Radio 1 DJ Simon Bates' secretary prior to her appointment, but ceased soon after. The die-hard fans saw the appointment of Sturgess to front the programme as 'cancellation by the back-door'. The format of the programme fundamentally changed when she took over, firmly setting out its stall in the 'contemporary thrash' genre and ignoring the programme's strengths, which lay in a balance between the classic and the contemporary. The death knells of the Friday Rock Show were already sounding prior to the programme being moved to a slot on Sunday afternoon. Rock icons such as Axl Rose
of Guns N' Roses
; Lemmy Kilmister
of Motörhead; Ian Gillan
of Deep Purple
and many others no longer had any faith in the programme that had championed them and their music for so long.
Recently there has been a comeback with Bruce Dickinson
of Iron Maiden
, who fronts the new Friday Rock Show on BBC 6 Music between 9 pm and twelve midnight.
NWOBHM band Saxon
paid tribute to the show in their song "Denim and Leather
".
A number of recordings, made when Tommy Vance fronted the Friday Rock Show, were issued on an independent record label Raw Fruit Records
in the early 1990s.
Special note should be made of the incidental music used whilst Tommy was chatting between playing discs. Red lady Too; George Harrison from his 1968 Apple LP Wonderwall. The Stumble; John Mayall with Peter Green Decca 1967. Special note should be made of the use of 'Open Invitation' by Santana from their 1978 LP 'Inner Secrets' This was spliced together from two guitar passages when the pace of the song accelerated. This was due to the skill of the producer Tony Wilson.
'Jas'Moon' by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is another backing track, as is Stanley Clarkes 'Silly Putty' (from the album Journey To Love). 'Chasin' The Voodoo' by Al Di Meola is another (Album: Casino). The only Mahavishnu Orchestra 45 RPM record 'Can't stand your funk' from the 1974 record 'Visions of the Emerald beyond was another musical bed for Tommy to talk over.
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...
show in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that was broadcast on 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...
from 10pm to midnight on Friday nights from 1978 to 1993. Throughout most of its run it was hosted by Tommy Vance
Tommy Vance
Tommy Vance was a British pop radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. He was one of the few music broadcasters in the United Kingdom to champion hard rock and heavy metal in the early 1980s, providing the only national radio forum for both bands and fans...
. Ostensibly for the genre of rock in general, it was most closely associated with heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. In the early 1980s it was the only nationally available outlet for this genre of music, and Vance's enthusiasm for showcasing new bands and his rapport with fans made the show essential listening for rockers. For most of its run, its intro and closing theme tune was the Dixie Dregs
Dixie Dregs
The Dixie Dregs are an American band formed in the 1970s. Their mostly instrumental music fuses jazz, southern rock, bluegrass and classical forms in an often unique style.-Formation and early years:...
instrumental "Take it Off the Top", and the quiz in the show "the Friday Night Connection" used the Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
track "Theme One", (a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the theme tune originally written for Radio 1 by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
in 1967); other jingles
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
were written and performed by Samson
Samson (band)
Samson was a British hard rock band formed in 1977 by guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson. They are best known for their first three albums with future Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, then known as "Bruce Bruce", and drummer Thunderstick , who wore a leather mask and performed on stage in a...
(with Nicky Moore
Nicky Moore
Nicky Moore is a vocalist who is best known as a former member of the British band Samson. He replaced Bruce Dickinson who left the band to join Iron Maiden in 1982. Moore left Samson in the late 80s and rejoined in the late 90s....
on vocals) and Vow Wow.
The show generally included a studio session or live performance each week, arguably being the main reason fans tuned in. Many of these studio sessions were engineered, mixed and produced by Dave Dade, generously-bearded BBC Senior Studio Manager, who worked closely with show producer Tony Wilson. Also featured were recordings from the BBC radio archives, both live and studio-sessions, from as far back as the late 1960s. This material included bands such as Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
, The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, among others. At the time the majority of this material was not available on general release and even today, in the current era of the deluxe edition CD album featuring bonus tracks, some remains unavailable to the general public, mainly because Tony Wilson took the tapes with him when he left the BBC.
Other features included "The Friday Night Connection", a quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
in which listeners had to identify three pieces of music and the connection between them, and the "Rock War" (later renamed "Rock Challenge" during the 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
), in which listeners were asked to vote for the best of three demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
tapes sent in by aspiring bands. Another feature was the listeners' all-time chart, which took place once a year on the show's anniversary/birthday (Now We Are 1, Now We Are 2, etc.), during which were played the most popular rock tracks, as voted for by the listeners. (This invariably finished with Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's "Stairway to Heaven" at #1.)
The show played a significant role in the rise of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
. It had the additional good fortune of being able to "borrow" the 88-91 MHz FM transmitters 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...
, allowing listeners to enjoy the music in the best available quality for the time, before Radio 1 finally acquired its own FM frequency in 1988.
Before this happened, the show was temporarily given an extra hour from 2100 to 2200. This was heard on mediumwave
Mediumwave
Medium wave is the part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. For Europe the MW band ranges from 526.5 kHz to 1606.5 kHz...
only except in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and parts of the south east, where it was relayed by BBC Radio London
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
's FM transmitter.
After Radio 1's move to 24-hour FM broadcasting, the show's time slot was put back half an hour to 2230 to 0030.
By 1993 the introduction into Britain of a much wider choice of television and radio channels had made heavy metal more accessible and the show less important, and Tommy Vance left Radio 1 to join the original line-up of Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
.
The show was taken over by Claire Sturgess
Claire Sturgess
Claire Sturgess is a British disc jockey, and voiceover artist. She was a presenter on BBC Radio 1 from 1993, after working as a production assistant on the Simon Bates mid-morning show...
, who had been Radio 1 DJ Simon Bates' secretary prior to her appointment, but ceased soon after. The die-hard fans saw the appointment of Sturgess to front the programme as 'cancellation by the back-door'. The format of the programme fundamentally changed when she took over, firmly setting out its stall in the 'contemporary thrash' genre and ignoring the programme's strengths, which lay in a balance between the classic and the contemporary. The death knells of the Friday Rock Show were already sounding prior to the programme being moved to a slot on Sunday afternoon. Rock icons such as Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
; Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister
Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
of Motörhead; Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
of Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and many others no longer had any faith in the programme that had championed them and their music for so long.
Recently there has been a comeback with Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, who fronts the new Friday Rock Show on BBC 6 Music between 9 pm and twelve midnight.
NWOBHM band Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
paid tribute to the show in their song "Denim and Leather
Denim and Leather
Denim and Leather is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Saxon released in 1981 . The name of the album and song was inspired by the popular attire of metalheads in the early 1980s, defined by denim pants and leather jackets...
".
A number of recordings, made when Tommy Vance fronted the Friday Rock Show, were issued on an independent record label Raw Fruit Records
Raw Fruit Records
Raw Fruit Records was an independent record label in the United Kingdom active in the early 1990s. It specialised in releasing recordings made for or by BBC Radio One for broadcast on Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show radio programme.- Discography :...
in the early 1990s.
Special note should be made of the incidental music used whilst Tommy was chatting between playing discs. Red lady Too; George Harrison from his 1968 Apple LP Wonderwall. The Stumble; John Mayall with Peter Green Decca 1967. Special note should be made of the use of 'Open Invitation' by Santana from their 1978 LP 'Inner Secrets' This was spliced together from two guitar passages when the pace of the song accelerated. This was due to the skill of the producer Tony Wilson.
'Jas'Moon' by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is another backing track, as is Stanley Clarkes 'Silly Putty' (from the album Journey To Love). 'Chasin' The Voodoo' by Al Di Meola is another (Album: Casino). The only Mahavishnu Orchestra 45 RPM record 'Can't stand your funk' from the 1974 record 'Visions of the Emerald beyond was another musical bed for Tommy to talk over.