In 1966, it was difficult for teenagers to get to listen to the pop music they liked. The BBC was only allowed to play one pop record every four years and that was ‘When I Fall In Love’ by Nat ‘King’ Cole.
Television was another no-go area for pop sounds. Apart from the rockin’ theme tune to the police drama ‘Injured In Custody’, there was nothing on at all that even gave the impression that pop music existed.
It was a relief, then, to teenagers everywhere, when Irish entrepreneur Chips McDrib started Radio Way Out. Broadcasting from a psychedelically painted helicopter hovering over the Isle of Wight, Radio Way Out supplied eager listeners with a daily diet of the latest pop sounds, usually hosted by the legendary DJ Dan ‘Freaky’ Tops.
Says Freaky today: "It was a fab groove and that’s an understatement. We were the first to play ‘I’m A Beautiful Rainbow’ by The Hatters, ‘Stuff A Bun In Your Face’ by The Brillo Pads, ‘You Are Invading My Private Hell’ by The Fabs, ‘Percy’s Underground Tree’ by Gormenghastly and many, many other stuff just like that, like".
Freaky has fond memories of the tricks that he and the other DJs got up to when they weren’t lying on a wooden cot being ill.
"Once, I played a fifteen minute track by Condescending Nun. While it was playing, I got onto the roof of the helicopter and grabbed one of the rotor blades. I was up there, spinning around at about five hundred times per second, high on acid. One of my shoes fell off and I never saw it again!
When I listen to the sad mess of Radio One today, it makes me yearn for an innovative station like Radio Way Out, who clearly weren’t afraid of taking risks.
And who’s to say that one day – perhaps when Chips McDrib is finally released from prison – we might once again hear the mind-blowing sounds of ‘I Don’t Want To Have Your Baby Anymore’ by Dawn Christie blasting out of our radios.
Well – I can dream!
Television was another no-go area for pop sounds. Apart from the rockin’ theme tune to the police drama ‘Injured In Custody’, there was nothing on at all that even gave the impression that pop music existed.
It was a relief, then, to teenagers everywhere, when Irish entrepreneur Chips McDrib started Radio Way Out. Broadcasting from a psychedelically painted helicopter hovering over the Isle of Wight, Radio Way Out supplied eager listeners with a daily diet of the latest pop sounds, usually hosted by the legendary DJ Dan ‘Freaky’ Tops.
Says Freaky today: "It was a fab groove and that’s an understatement. We were the first to play ‘I’m A Beautiful Rainbow’ by The Hatters, ‘Stuff A Bun In Your Face’ by The Brillo Pads, ‘You Are Invading My Private Hell’ by The Fabs, ‘Percy’s Underground Tree’ by Gormenghastly and many, many other stuff just like that, like".
Freaky has fond memories of the tricks that he and the other DJs got up to when they weren’t lying on a wooden cot being ill.
"Once, I played a fifteen minute track by Condescending Nun. While it was playing, I got onto the roof of the helicopter and grabbed one of the rotor blades. I was up there, spinning around at about five hundred times per second, high on acid. One of my shoes fell off and I never saw it again!
When I listen to the sad mess of Radio One today, it makes me yearn for an innovative station like Radio Way Out, who clearly weren’t afraid of taking risks.
And who’s to say that one day – perhaps when Chips McDrib is finally released from prison – we might once again hear the mind-blowing sounds of ‘I Don’t Want To Have Your Baby Anymore’ by Dawn Christie blasting out of our radios.
Well – I can dream!
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