Listening to my old friend Steve Wright I wonder if he listens to his shows. He used to be so good and now they are awful. Don't they care? Don't they have friends who tell them? Is it the fault of producers who don't dare or, worse, can't hear? Have we created a strata of executives, as in music, who simply do approximately what people used to do, unthinking? Does nobody now bother to say "I want to be extraordinary"?

JK2006 wrote:
Listening to my old friend Steve Wright I wonder if he listens to his shows. He used to be so good and now they are awful. Don't they care? Don't they have friends who tell them? Is it the fault of producers who don't dare or, worse, can't hear? Have we created a strata of executives, as in music, who simply do approximately what people used to do, unthinking? Does nobody now bother to say "I want to be extraordinary"?

From the look of him, Steve doesn't even care about himself these days.

My theory is that he's never really cared about music, he's only cared about radio. When he goes on his trips to the US, I gather he spends most of his time in his hotel room listening to the jocks. He's like a novelist who only cares about fonts and jacket designs.

He needs a good producer, but then he used to argue with good producers so I guess he wants an easy life. But, as you say, the show's a mess. Blokeish metropolitan cynicism somehow mixed with laughably respectful spots on astrology, new age claptrap and holistic medicine - make up your mind, Steve. And as for the talking and singing over records - someone have a word with him.

JK2006 wrote:
Listening to my old friend Steve Wright I wonder if he listens to his shows. He used to be so good and now they are awful. Don't they care? Don't they have friends who tell them? Is it the fault of producers who don't dare or, worse, can't hear? Have we created a strata of executives, as in music, who simply do approximately what people used to do, unthinking? Does nobody now bother to say "I want to be extraordinary"?

I gave up on radio when Roger Day was axed on my BBC Kent.

Jonathan Ross just refused to play 'Centrefold' by the J Geils band on the grounds it is 'misogynistic,' which would be a bit easier to accept if it this noble-sounding censorship wasn't coming from a bloke who leers and pervs his way through interviews with female celebs on TV! Censor yourself, Jonathan, before censoring the rest of us.

andrew wrote:


I gave up on radio when Roger Day was axed on my BBC Kent.

I think you speak for everyone. I remember writing in my diary on that sad day, 'Radio has died. RIP'.

Artie Fufkin wrote:
Jonathan Ross just refused to play 'Centrefold' by the J Geils band on the grounds it is 'misogynistic,' which would be a bit easier to accept if it this noble-sounding censorship wasn't coming from a bloke who leers and pervs his way through interviews with female celebs on TV! Censor yourself, Jonathan, before censoring the rest of us.

Centerfold is a 80's classic.

JR didn't didn't mind assisting Brand on a voice-mail.

Chris Evans really needs to be reminded that lots of people either aren't remotely interested in cars or just don't want to hear about them every morning on the breakfast show. He's now got Top Gear - he should channel all of his petrol head proclivities into that and leave his radio show a car bore-free zone.

Yes today's show was unlistenable unless you happened to be a car collector or mechanic - I'd have thought a very small element of the R2 audience.

Pru wrote:
Chris Evans really needs to be reminded that lots of people either aren't remotely interested in cars or just don't want to hear about them every morning on the breakfast show. He's now got Top Gear - he should channel all of his petrol head proclivities into that and leave his radio show a car bore-free zone.

Remember Pru. Chris Evans was known to pay people to laugh at his jokes.

re Steve Wright: bloke's a berk.

Emily wrote:
re Steve Wright: bloke's a berk.

Don't get me started on that unfunny prick.

I would also tell him that if I saw him.

Seriously, and back to the more general topic, isn't it time Radio adapted formats and personalities to the new era? The advantages of radio - NOT having to select and choose who or what to hear and find - the advantages of being surprised and entertained? It's a totally different time requiring a fresh approach.

....the advantages of being surprised and entertained? It's a totally different time requiring a fresh approach.

That's what Apple Music is about, or at least trying to be.

Trouble is it's all awry: curated (aka pre-approved playlists) content, presenter egos, music you love butted up against stuff you can't stand (algorithm selected), quirky navigation within bland, stark graphics.

To top it all, it's ten quid a month if you decide to stay on.