|
Born 1927 in Australia, Alan 'Fluff' Freeman (real name Alan Leslie Freeman)
worked as an announcer on Melbourne local radio, and came to Britain in
1957.
He remembers
listening to a BBC Light Programme show where, at the end of a record, the
announcer said stiffly with a BBC accent "..and that was new gramophone
record sung by Frank Sinatra" and could see the need for a more lively,
modern presentation style on UK radio. He stayed in Britain, and listeners
have been enjoying his unique style of presentation ever since.
He joined the Light Programme in 1961 with a show Records Around
Five. In September of that year, replacing David Jacobs, he began to
present Pick of the Pops,
a singles chart feature in a Saturday evening show called Trad Tavern. In 1962 the
show commenced a regular Sunday teatime slot.
Unit 1 was the Chart Newcomers
(later climbers).
Unit 2 was the New Releases
Unit 3 was the Pick of the
Pops LP Spot
Unit 4 was the Week's Top 10
Alan Freeman
naturally joined Radio 1 with its launch in 1967,
continuing to
present the weeks singles chart
countdown on Pick of the
Pops,
which he fronted on Sunday evenings until September 1972.
Following this he presented the
Saturday Rock Show featuring music from the progressive, hard rock and heavy
metal genres from 1973 until September 1978. Acts featured were diverse as
Pink Floyd, Jean Michel Jarre, Jethro Tull,
Caravan, Genesis, Steve Hackett, Yes, King Crimson and Vangelis.
During the 1960's
and early 70's Alan also featured regularly on Radio Luxembourg.
He left Radio 1 to join Capital Radio in
1979 hosting their Saturday morning show
Pick Of The Pops Take Two.
Alan is remembered as as
the voice behind 'Brentford Nylons' and 'Omo' during the 1960s and 70's.
In 1987 he received the Radio Academy's Outstanding Contribution to UK music
Radio Award and in 1988 he was honoured as the Sony Awards' Radio
Personality of the Year. Alan's catchphrases include:"Erm...................", "Greetings Pop
Pickers",
"Alright", and
"Not 'Arf".
He came back to
Radio 1 in January 1989 and fronted the 'Pick
of the Pops' early Sunday afternoon show but this time in an 'oldies chart' format
as well as the Saturday Rock Show which was now aired in an evening slot.
In December 1992 Alan signed off from presenting
Pick of the Pops on Radio 1, but it wasn't the last time he would
front this show for the BBC.
He continued with the legendary Saturday Rock Show until October of 1993,
when
Matthew Bannister took charge of the station.
Moving to Capital Gold and
Virgin Radio during the period 1993-1996, Alan came back to the BBC, this
time to Radio 2 in April 1997 to present 'Pick of the Pops',
once again
playing retro BBC charts, until April 2000. He
also broadcast a series of opera/classic highlight shows on Tuesday nights
on BBC Radio 2, until 2002.
Alan was awarded an
MBE in
1998.
Since 1991, Alan has suffered with
arthritis; he lives in a nursing home, Brinsworth House in Twickenham.
|
|
RADIO REWIND AUDIO CLIPS
Please check Audio Help Page in case of difficulty downloading.
You will need a username and password. Please
register. Then you will be able to login.
Audio© BBC |
Hi
There, Pop Pickers! (April 1964)
End of a
'Pick of the Pops' show (1964)
Countdown* with (Nov 1967)
Theme Tune Clip by Brian Fahey
POTP Top 30 countdown 15.05.68
Jingle to denote chart climber 1967 -
1969 **
What's New show
(Dec 1970)
Pick of the Pops Trail (1970)
Handover from Terry Wogan - What's New (1970)
more
Clips
POTP_countdown March 1971
10 years of POTP show 1972
Closing this show
Asking for your poem and 'Freeman's Fancy' c1973
Johnnie Walker
hands over to Alan's Youth Call show live from the Stewarton Annick Youth
Centre, Ayrshire, July 1973
Erm..!
(c1973)
Allright?
Not Half!
Handover to Rosko 1973
Introducing 'The Story of Pop'
(1973)
Muppets
talk about Alan
PoP Quiz 1977
Last Saturday
Rock Show (1978)
With Mark Goodier on Top 80 of the '80's (01.90)
more from this New Year's
Day show show
A
to Z of Rock Voiceover The Letter 'U'
Andy
Peebles hands over (1989)
NEW
Intro to Rock Show
(1990)
NEW
Pick_of_the_Pops_on Radio 1 (1990)
NEW
Smashey & Nicey will miss Alan (1992).
* music is "Quite beside the point" by Harry
Roberts Sound.
By May 1970 the Pick of the Pops show reverted back
to a new version of "At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal!"
- see Theme Tunes page.
** Jingle from 'Switched on Bach' LP by Walter Carlos
|
