Pick of the Pops: Alan Freeman

My first memories of listening to Pick of the Pops date back to the late 1960s. This was around the time that I had first become interested in music. The radio was usually on all the time in our house, but at the age that I was then, my choice of radio listening didn't coincide with that of my parents. The Archers, Sing Something Simple and Family Favourites were not programmes that were essential listening for a teenager, but at Sunday teatimes I sometimes managed to sneakily tune the wireless (as it was called back then) to Radio 1 to listen to what was happening on the British music charts.

I remember my Dad hated having to listen to it while we ate our evening meal, forever grumbling that all of the songs were just "thump, thump, thump" and sounding all the same. So it was with some relief that I managed to save up enough money to buy my first transistor radio. Back in those days no self-respecting teenager went anywhere without one of those!

A few months later, I was also the proud owner of a new-fangled contraption called a cassette tape recorder. Shaped like a small book, with keys that resembled those from a piano, it came with a plug-in microphone and ear piece. Now I was set. I could listen to Alan Freeman running down the chart and, like thousands of others, record all my favourite records.

Sometimes, this was more difficult than it sounded. It was an art form in itself trying to catch the beginning of a song, while any extraneous sounds such as dogs barking, mother's calling or people shouting were always caught on tape for posterity's sake. But it really didn't matter as long as there was some semblance of that latest hit that could be played to death at some later date.

It wasn't only the fact that you could record songs from the radio that made Pick of the Pops a memorable show. It was the unique and fast paced presentation that made it essential listening at the time.

Alan Freeman had a style all his own. In some ways, his presentation skills were minimalistic. He let the music speak for itself, yet engendered an excitement that didn't exist on other radio shows. His use of jingles, bare sentences and catchphrases allowed the marriage of disc jockey and record to flow effortlessly, reflecting a passion for what he was doing and the records he was playing.

1. Listen to Alan Freeman count down the best selling songs for 1970: Pick of the Pops: 1970.

2. The countdown continues at: Pick of the Pops: 1970 - Part 2.

3. Alan Freeman broadcasting an edition of Pick of the Pops from 1971.

Although the original Pick of the Pops show ended in 1972, Alan Freeman would return on several occasions to present it in various formats. This usually consisted of playing a current countdown alongside one from yesteryear.

In 2000, because of health issues, he finally handed over the reins to a different presenter, Dale Winton. The format of the show changed once again, this time the programme featured just one countdown from the past.

When Winton left in 2010, Tony Blackburn became the new host, presenting two music charts from previous years. It is still running today, along with the At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal signature tune. It can be heard each Saturday at 1pm UK time on BBC Radio 2. And for a nostalgia buff like me, I can still listen to Pick of the Pops online.

 
With each article, Richard invites you to step into his world of music, television and entertainment. He will introduce you to The Top 10 Albums in the UK, share The 20 Scariest Film Scores Ever? and even give you an up close look at some classic actors like Christopher Lee as Dracula.


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