VA - 50 Years of the BBC Radio 1 Roadshow, 1973-2023 (Super Deluxe Edition) [2023] (8 x CDs)

50  YEARS AGO  TODAY

VA - 50 Years of the BBC Radio 1 Roadshow, 1973-2023 (Super Deluxe Edition) [2023] (8  x CDs)

The Radio 1 Roadshow was an annual summer event hosted and broadcast by BBC Radio 1 from the 1970s through to the 1990s. The roadshow enjoyed three decades of live broadcasts from beach resorts around the UK. The curtain was brought down on the summer roadshows on July and August 1999, when the BBC replaced them with a series of one-day pop festivals in cities around the UK.

The concept for the Roadshow came from Radio 1 producer and later controller, Johnny Beerling and was envisaged and purchased by Tony Miles, built and maintained by John Dean, with engineers Peter Lucken and Johnny Heritage. The first Roadshow was held at Newquay, Cornwall, on Monday 23 July 1973, and was hosted by Alan "Fluff" Freeman.

Various disc jockeys from the station would visit British towns, usually on the coast, to play a live set, meet local people to play their requests, take part in games and give away "goodie bags" of Radio 1 gifts. Accompanying the DJs were the support crew, led by Tony Miles, nicknamed "Smiley Miley", who had provided the original caravan for the first Roadshow.

Several games were devised especially for participation in by the live audience. Most notable were two that ran throughout the Roadshow's history, 'Bits and Pieces' and 'Smiley Miley's Mileage Game'. In the former, contestants selected from the Roadshow crowd had to name a series of pop hits after hearing a tape containing a dozen or so brief excerpts, the winner being the one who accurately identified the most. In the latter, gamers had to assess how many miles the Roadshow truck had travelled from the previous venue, the one making the most accurate guess being deemed the victor.

The typical roadshow summer season started in July and ran for eight weeks, broadcasting live on Radio 1 from the roadshow locations from 11 am to 12.30 pm each weekday. The first hour from 10 am was a warm-up ahead of the 11 am start of the live broadcast. By the late 70's they became a key part of the summer schedules for Radio 1, and attracted much support during their run.

The largest attendance was at Sutton Park, Birmingham, on Sunday 30 August 1992, when 100,000 fans turned up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Radio 1 with live performances from bands including Del Amitri, Aswad, The Farm and Status Quo.

In the early 1990s several attempts were made to modernise the Roadshow. Under Matthew Bannister, for example, in 1993 and 1994, the station commissioned an independent production company to make an audio postcard for each venue in advance of the Roadshow's arrival in that place. 36 whistle-stop "2 Minute Tours" were made each year, and broadcast several times in the 24 hours leading up to the Roadshow proper, in order to give a wider reflection of life in each place.

By the mid-1990s the Roadshow had expanded to 54 live dates over 9 weeks. Two trucks reversed back-to-back to form a 75-foot stage front. Chris Hopkins was one of the last warm up DJ's on the roadshows replacing Smiley Miley.

The final old-style Roadshow was held at Marine Parade, Brighton with Chris Moyles in 1999. As part of reforms to the station, the Radio 1 Roadshow was axed in favour of a series of one-day pop concerts, called One Big Sunday. These have now been replaced by a single two-day event called BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. The style of the event is more akin to a standalone music festival than the broadcasting-based shows of old. The emphasis is on current artists and new music.

Since the Radio 1 Roadshow's demise, some of the crew that were behind the roadshow's success have subsequently purchased some of the old roadshow vehicles, and are using them as stages for many local radio station roadshows.

So, after exhaustive and extensive online research, plus my own recollections and memories, here is my personal compilation of what I consider to be the greatest hits of 1973 featuring 170 big smashes we all sang along to at the summer Roadshow's and is fully representative of what was being played on BBC Radio 1 at the time.

How many Radio 1 Roadshow 'Bits and Pieces' can you name?!:

https://youtu.be/bRYMT30oghA

Here's a great documentary from 1976:

https://youtu.be/YQ88dR01hq4

This fully packed 8CD set contains many rare and extremely hard to find tracks. Only the original studio mixes are included, with many tracks featured in their original 7" single form. No later remixes, 'stereo enhanced' or live versions here!  Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable number of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.

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Track lists

CD1

01 T. Rex - 20th Century Boy 3:37

02 Suzi Quatro - 48 Crash 3:55

03 Geordie - All Because of You 2:43

04 Diana Ross - All of My Life 3:27

05 Mott the Hoople - All the Way from Memphis (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:24

06 Mungo Jerry - Alright, Alright, Alright 2:50

07 Kiki Dee - Amoureuse 4:08

08 Aretha Franklin - Angel 4:28

09 Wizzard - Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad) 4:32

10 The Rolling Stones - Angie 4:32

11 First Choice - Armed and Extremely Dangerous (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:48

12 Tony Christie - Avenues and Alleyways (Theme from the ATV television series "The Protectors") 3:19

13 Nazareth - Bad Bad Boy 3:58

14 Wizzard - Ball Park Incident 3:41

15 The Sweet - The Ballroom Blitz 4:01

16 David Cassidy - Some Kind of a Summer 3:40

17 The Sweet - Block Buster! 3:12

18 The Heptones - Book of Rules 3:31

19 Nazareth - Broken Down Angel 3:45

20 Hot Chocolate - Brother Louie 4:59

CD2

21 Suzi Quatro - Can the Can 3:36

22 Geordie - Can You Do It (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:14

23 Status Quo - Caroline (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:48

24 Faces - Cindy Incidentally 2:36

25 Detroit Spinners - Could It Be I'm Falling in Love 4:13

26 Mud - Crazy 3:11

27 Slade - Cum On Feel the Noize 4:24

28 Led Zeppelin - D'yer Mak'er 4:22

29 Cozy Powell - Dance with the Devil 3:33

30 Barry Blue - Dancin' (on a Saturday Night) 3:11

31 Elton John - Daniel 3:55

32 David Cassidy - Daydreamer 2:48

33 Suzi Quatro - Daytona Demon 3:59

34 10cc - The Dean and I (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:52

35 Roy Wood - Dear Elaine 4:09

36 Eagles - Desperado 3:33

37 The Three Degrees - Dirty Ol' Man (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:13

38 Roxy Music - Do the Strand 4:02

39 Barry Blue - Do You Wanna Dance? 3:54

40 Gary Glitter - Do You Wanna Touch Me? (Oh Yeah) 3:19

41 The Jackson 5 - Doctor, My Eyes 3:14

CD3

42 David Bowie - Drive-In Saturday 4:30

43 Mud - Dyna-Mite 2:58

44 The Simon Park Orchestra - Eye Level (Theme from the Thames Television series "Van der Valk") 2:22

45 The Who - 5:15 (Original 1973 UK Track Record 7" Single Mix) 4:52

46 Roy Wood - Forever 4:19

47 The Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:27

48 Clifford T. Ward - Gaye 3:35

49 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Get Down 2:41

50 Bob Marley and the Wailers - Get Up, Stand Up 3:17

51 Roger Daltrey - Giving It All Away 3:28

52 The Osmonds - Goin' Home 2:26

53 Jimmy Helms - Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse 3:42

54 Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 3:15

55 T. Rex - The Groover 3:23

56 Bryan Ferry - A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:24

57 Paul McCartney & Wings - Helen Wheels 3:47

58 The Sweet - Hell Raiser 3:17

59 Gary Glitter - Hello, Hello, I'm Back Again 3:22

60 Alice Cooper - Hello, Hooray 3:03

61 Al Green - Here I Am (Come and Take Me) 4:14

62 Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:11

CD4

63 Focus - Hocus Pocus (1973 US 7" Single Version) 3:24

64 Mott the Hoople - Honaloochie Boogie 2:43

65 Barry White - Honey Please, Can't Ya See (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:59

66 Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance - How Come? (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:09

67 Mud - Hypnosis 2:47

68 Ann Peebles - I Can't Stand the Rain 2:29

69 Gary Glitter - I Love You Love Me Love 3:11

70 Bob Marley and the Wailers - I Shot the Sheriff 4:40

71 The Intruders - I'll Always Love My Mama (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:09

72 New York City - I'm Doin' Fine Now 2:50

73 Barry White - I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:10

74 Ann Peebles - I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down 2:44

75 Gary Glitter - I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am!) 3:29

76 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now 3:24

77 Millie Jackson - It Hurts So Good 3:11

78 String Driven Thing - It's a Game (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:35

79 David Bowie - The Jean Genie 4:08

80 Looking Glass - Jimmy Loves Mary Anne (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:25

81 Steve Miller Band - The Joker (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:33

82 Dolly Parton - Jolene 2:37

83 Eddie Kendricks - Keep on Truckin', Pt. 1 (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:33

84 Queen - Keep Yourself Alive 3:47

CD5

85 Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly with His Song 4:47

86 Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door 2:32

87 David Essex - Lamplight 2:53

88 The Osmonds - Let Me In 3:36

89 Slade - Let The Good Times Roll / Feel So Fine (Original 1973 US 7" Single Version) 3:46

90 Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:54

91 David Bowie - Life on Mars? (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:50

92 Paul McCartney & Wings - Live and Let Die 3:13

93 Don Downing - Lonely Days, Lonely Nights (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:11

94 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - The Love I Lost, Pt. 1 (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:36

95 Robert Knight - Love on a Mountain Top 2:29

96 The O'Jays - Love Train 2:59

97 The Who - Love, Reign o'er Me (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:10

98 Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love's Theme (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:39

99 David Bowie - The Man Who Sold the World (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:59

100 Gladys Knight & the Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:52

101 John Lennon - Mind Games 4:12

102 Pink Floyd - Money (1973 US 7" Single Edit) 3:59

103 Charlie Rich - The Most Beautiful Girl 2:42

104 Slade - Move Over (Original 1973 Japan 7" Single Version) 3:45

105 Alvin Stardust - My Coo Ca Choo 2:47

106 Slade - My Friend Stan 2:42

CD6

107 Paul McCartney & Wings - My Love 4:10

108 Barry White - Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:02

109 Cockerel Chorus - Nice One Cyril 2:44

110 Alice Cooper - No More Mr. Nice Guy 3:07

111 Ike & Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits 2:58

112 Led Zeppelin - The Ocean (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 4:23

113 Rod Stewart - Oh! No Not My Baby 3:41

114 Medicine Head - One and One Is One 3:27

115 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Out of the Question 3:01

116 Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away 4:51

117 Status Quo - Paper Plane 2:59

118 Marie Osmond - Paper Roses 2:40

119 The Strawbs - Part of the Union 2:57

120 New York Dolls - Personality Crisis 3:42

121 Ringo Starr - Photograph 3:57

122 Billy Joel - Piano Man (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:36

123 Hudson-Ford - Pick Up the Pieces 2:35

124 Sylvia - Pillow Talk (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:55

125 Faces - Pool Hall Richard 4:26

126 Roxy Music - Pyjamarama (Original 1973 Island 7" Single Mix) 3:04

127 Golden Earring - Radar Love (Original 1973 UK 7" Single Edit) 3:43

128 ABBA - Ring Ring (Bara Du Slog En Signal) (Original 1973 Swedish 7" Single Version) 3:08

CD7

129 David Essex - Rock On 3:21

130 The Stylistics - Rockin' Roll Baby (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:15

131 Mott the Hoople - Roll Away the Stone (Original 1973 UK 7" Single Version) 3:07

132 Electric Light Orchestra - Roll Over Beethoven (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:33

133 10cc - Rubber Bullets (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:08

134 Elton John - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting 4:55

135 Wizzard - See My Baby Jive 4:58

136 Hall & Oates - She's Gone (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:25

137 Leo Sayer - The Show Must Go On (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:53

138 Electric Light Orchestra - Showdown (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 4:09

139 Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me 4:29

140 First Choice - Smarty Pants (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:39

141 Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:47

142 David Bowie - Sorrow 2:53

143 Bob Marley and the Wailers - Stir It Up 5:31

144 Roxy Music - Street Life 3:29

145 Stealers Wheel - Stuck In the Middle with You 3:24

146 Stevie Wonder - Superstition 4:09

147 Focus - Sylvia 3:30

148 The Isley Brothers - That Lady (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:14

CD8

149 Nazareth - This Flight Tonight 3:21

150 Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree 3:24

151 Carpenters - Top of the World 3:02

152 Diana Ross - Touch Me in the Morning (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:27

153 T. Rex - Truck On (Tyke) 3:09

154 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (Original 1973 7" Single Edit) 3:17

155 Donny Osmond - The Twelfth of Never 2:41

156 Aretha Franklin - Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) 3:28

157 Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side 4:13

158 Genesis - Watcher of the Skies (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:42

159 Peters & Lee - Welcome Home 3:33

160 Dennis Brown - Westbound Train 3:03

161 Highly Likely feat. Tony Rivers - Whatever Happened to You? (Theme from the BBC TV series "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?") 3:49

162 Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar (1973 7" Radio Promo Edit) 3:43

163 Timmy Thomas - Why Can't We Live Together (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:31

164 Gilbert O'Sullivan - Why, Oh Why, Oh Why 3:52

165 Free - Wishing Well 3:35

166 Lynsey de Paul - Won't Somebody Dance with Me 3:51

167 Carpenters - Yesterday Once More (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 3:59

168 Limmie & Family Cookin' - You Can Do Magic 2:58

169 Carly Simon - You're So Vain 4:18

170 Stevie Wonder - You Are the Sunshine of My Life (Original 1973 7" Single Version) 2:52

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