|
Hero's of My Career Tommy Vance 11 May 1979 was that day I first appeared on the Radio. Those before me were doing cooking and to my surprise they really did something with real pineapples right there in the studio. It may have been during this visit, or another, that Jackie Collins, the lady known for her 'raunchy' novels, who's sister is Joan Collins the actress, was also on the show, I can't exactly remember now. I was somewhat nervous, I was to be apart of the BFBS UK show hosted by Tommy Vance, being on the radio was something I had never done before. British Forces Radio broadcast around the world in those days and it was the only choice for many British Servicemen and Women. I am not sure if they had started their television service then or if that came later, what I am trying to say is there was a huge audience. Tommy had one of those voices the colour of creosote and with the ring of Big Ben, it was simply a fantastic radio voice, deep and powerful. He had a brain to match quick witted and alert. I appeared on the same show the following year but with another presenter, Richard Vaughan, then 30 April 1981 I was again with Tommy. On my first appearance with Tommy I sang a song 'Photographs' it was new then and sounds very old now because of the old technology involved in the lyrics. I recently added a verse to bring it up to date - I'll call it Tommy's verse - When I finished singing he said 'Clever Lyric' I have always been proud of this compliment. Tommy Died Sunday 6 March 2005 During his career Tommy interviewed more than 10000 guests including Prince Charles and the Rolling Stones and I was one of the 10000.......but he did interview me twice and remembered the first time ! If you would like to you can listen to some of the radio interviews I made with Tommy by clicking the next link. If you manage to get all the way through listen to me say 'Bye Bye Tommy.' Hear the friendliness in my voice - I did not know him that well but he had a great way of making people feel that they were his friend. I still love Tommy's voice. The recordings you can hear were made 11.5.79 and 30.4.81, when I was 23 and 25 years old, at British Forces Radio which at that time was situated just along from the Houses of Parliament. Robert Neil was the Producer, as I recall, and the engineer, I can see his face and he was so quick, I made a mistake at the beginning and said 'Good Morning' - the engineer edited it out in no time. The programme was broadcast around the world and of course when it is good morning there it is good evening here.
Photographs Photographs negatives and smiles of you The album is finished now that we are through The flash gun went bang and the colours ail turned blue Leaving a blurred picture in my memories of you
It seems that our love became over exposed to much love light to let the camera man reload and the Polaroid camera didn't give an instant end it took so long to develop it left tine to pretend
That our love could be much more than a film that's out of date you get rose coloured prints but for good results you’re too late
I must have seen it coming but the camera does not lie and there's your picture at the end of July But there's a smudge on the print where it was touched before it dried so that's where it ended that's where it died
I wish I'd kept my thumb over the lens or left it out of focus because now that we're not friends the memories would eventually yellow and fade but these photographs are forever my memories aid.
That our love could be much more than a film that's out of date you get rose coloured prints or slides that are second rate all the prints are blurred at the edges for good results your to late
All these years later the digital age images shared in an instant up to your web page 400 million pixels wiz around the world Images cached so it is impossible to forget
1st April 1979 © 1979
|