Alan Freeman picked by Simon Mayo

Great Lives

BBC

History, Documentary, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2024

⏱️ 28 minutes

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Summary

In 1961 Alan 'Fluff' Freeman took over as the host of the BBC Radio's 'Pick of the Pops' and changed music broadcasting forever. From the opening "Greetings pop pickers" Alan would count down the hottest records of the week punctuating the end of each track with minimal detail before introducing the next. It was exhilarating radio and his staccato delivery and catchphrases of "Right, all right, stay bright" and "Not 'Arf" he influenced a generation of broadcasters.

Simon Mayo was a DJ at Radio 1 at the same time as 'Fluff' and says his broadcasting hero coming came into his studio and said "Simon, darling" before kissing the back of his own hand that he'd placed over Simon's mouth. Simon remembers the end of Fluff's time at Radio 1 and speaks openly about his own departure from the BBC in 2018. He tells Matthew Parris that it was Fluff's economy of words that impressed him when sometimes he'd simply say "and" to link two records, and how Freeman gave once gave him a notebook full of opera and classical music recommendations.

Behind-the-scenes Alan was generous, kind and encouraging, but he was also a deeply private man who few got to know well. But one person who did was producer Phil Swern who worked with Alan for many years.

Presenter: Matthew Parris Guest: Simon Mayo Guest: Phil Swern

Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio Bristol

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're about to listen to a BBC podcast and maybe it's when I had a hand in.
0:04.0	I'm Tammy Walker and I produce podcasts with a BBC.
0:07.4	My role is to give new and diverse creators a voice with the opportunity to build a career.
0:12.1	That's the thing I love about Podcast.
0:14.0	You start with just a good idea.
0:16.0	But then you have the space to see where it goes.
0:18.0	And doing that at the BBC means we can really run with the best stories
0:21.0	while developing the most unique audio talent.
0:24.0	So if you like what you hear, why not check out the huge range of
0:27.2	podcast we've got on BBC Sounds.
0:30.3	BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:35.0	Sunday Afternoons, as I well remember, were a quiet time in the mid-1960s.
0:41.0	Most shops were shut and the pubs were closed, but for pop music fans there was one
0:46.8	voice that brought some color and excitement to an otherwise dreary afternoon, and that voice was Alan Freeman.
0:55.0	Hi there pop pickers.
0:57.0	It's me again and Sunday at 4 means pick of the pop's
1:04.9	Alan Freeman or fluff as he was affectionately known lived his life in radio
1:10.8	for over 40 years he presented shows on Radio Luxembourg, the BBC, Capital Radio, Virgin, Classic
1:17.0	FM, but it's that long-running association with the show Pick of the Pop pops that he's best known.
1:23.6	Dollar State from 15 to 17, the Beatles from 13 to 18,
1:26.8	the mercy beats from 14 to 16, and up go the shadows from 17 to 12,
1:31.2	and Billy Fury from 18 to 14, and the rest will meet in unit 1
	...

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