1304: Tony Blackburn's debut Radio 1 show

What a show. With the Nation’s eyes upon him, Tony Blackburn sounded thoroughly relaxed as he made his Radio 1 debut – on the first day of the new station, as the Light Programme split into radios one and two. Mind you, this show launched quietly on a Saturday, as did the BBC’s week.

Enjoy a sprinkling of those words and phrases which would not be heard on today’s radio – or anywhere. The ‘in sounds’, ’where it’s at’, ‘fabulous’ and the ‘fun thirty’.

Hear his chats with fellow presenters Simon Dee (the Chris Evans of his generation) and David Ryder; and an honourable mention for Scotland. One can imagine a well-meaning BBC staffer saying ‘don’t forget Scotland, Tony’. They likely also asked him to flag up the existence of Radio 2 to the old dears a little perplexed by Tony on a frequency hitherto occupied by music to knit to. So he did. Sort of.

There’s a lovely version of Let’s Go to San Francisco with an end I hadn’t heard before, and an array of new releases, replete with catalogue numbers, no doubt to help the needletime situation.

It’s a delicious listen – and, as he says, the show proper didn’t debut until Monday.