AS FAMOUSLY heralded by frequence-fixated Kings Singers trillery, Radio 2 proudly became the first BBC station in the country to go 24 hours on January 28th 1979, plugging that all-important proto-News 24 gap with appropriately titled new show You, The Night And The Music, as endlessly plugged by television announcers just before they shut up shop for the night. Amongst those meeting the Broadcasting House night porter for the first time were Ray Moore, Patrick Lunt and Sheila Tracy. The insomniac shift was later re-titled Nightride, recalling the ambience if not exactly the content of its erstwhile Peel’n’poetry’n’protest-singing namesake, wherein Colin Berry and Charles Nove oozed sweet nothings into the microphone between heavy rotation Lightfoot and Ripperton. Overnights now zealously guarded by the unlikely coupling of Janice Long and Alex Lester, both of whom play too many loud records – can’t they see we’re trying to sleep here?
Mike Controller
February 4, 2010 at 3:18 pm
In the Radio Active Times spoof listings this was renamed You, The Night and a Bottle of Mogadon.
spikethecat
February 8, 2010 at 3:55 pm
R.I.P. John Peel, there will be noone else like you……
Jill Hyde
February 16, 2010 at 6:04 am
Very clear memories of listening to this in the back seat of our Ford Capri while en route to Sidmouth, Devon on summer holiday. My duster and I used to get very excited about a ‘nightride’ in the dark, with the possibility of a 5am stop at the services for flask orange or coffee and pre-made cheese cobs.
Jill
May 24, 2011 at 10:24 pm
I’ve just re-read my year old comment, without realising it was me… and thought “oh this person has the same memories as me!”. Then it clicked. Also – “my duster and I” is, of course, “my sister and I”. Doh!
Glenn A
December 9, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Occasionally hosted by the gentleman announcer Jimmy Kingsbury.