TV Cream

Radio 1: The Jocks

FREEMAN, Alan ‘Fluff’

John Peel and Fluff - no 'arf measuresTHE FLUFFMEISTER’S loveable, never-changing, Brentford Nylons-flogging patter reverberated through vehicles as diverse as the Saturday Rock Show and the Pick Of The Pops countdown, counting down the hits over the majestic At The Sound Of The Swinging Cymbal, not to mention the first ever Roadshow. Brought back in late eighties to plug Savile-sized gap in weekend schedules, reviving Pick Of The Pops as scratched 7″-prone oldies showcase, replete with those catchphrases: “Greetings pop pickers!”, “All right? Stay bright!”, “Not ‘arf!”. By dint of his apparent lack of ego, a genuine love of music and his eagerness to send himself and the whole thing up, a national treasure.

And here’s how we paid tribute to Fluff back in 2006…

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Pearlyman

    July 7, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Not fogetting being menaced by a malicious vine in Dr Terrors Houe Of Horrors…

  2. Matthew Rudd

    July 23, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    “I’m God. You wouldn’t expect me to be a woman now, would you?”

  3. televisualcabbage

    April 16, 2010 at 7:02 pm

    “Not ‘Arf Pop pickers!”

    The man who could send himself up rotten by little appearences in bits and pieces like Smashey and Nicey…

    But a great broadcaster from the old school who just made you feel alright…

  4. Nick O. Teen

    June 27, 2010 at 1:37 am

    Fluff left Radio 1 in 1978, shortly after I got into the Saturday Rock Show big-time. Worra swizz! In 1984, I got a job in London, which meant I could hear Pick of the Pops Take 2 on Crapital – well, what a tremendous show! Rattled along at a cracking pace, all the jingles, stings, fanfares etc, and the Man Himself in full pomp, plus a Rock Show on a Monday night.

    His second outing on Radio 1 never quite recaptured the fizz of the original, but it was still good to have him back; and the Radio 2 version of POTP was welcome too. How sad we had to lose him.

    Incidentally, is it only me who thinks that Dale Winton should find another theme tune for the current run of POTP on R2? “At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal” is Fluff’s tune, no-one else’s.

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