DJ visits Camp Bastion 07.02.11 - YouTube DJ visits Camp Bastion 07.02.11 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Feb 8, 2011 BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has travelled to Afghanistan to meet British troops. The DJ, who is also known as 'The Big Dog' took a tour of Camp Bastion, visiting the hospital and the workshops of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He finished his day by playing a few tunes for diners in the Bastion cookhouse. Mr Westwood will now travel to Kandahar to meet more troops stationed there. Category BBC Radio 1 | Uncyclopedia | Fandom powered by Wikia edit Formation Tony Blackburn:One of the few early days Radio 1 presenters not facing charges of sexual misconduct, paedophilia, homophobia, humourphobia or dead but still around to eulogise about those 'golden days'.

In the swingin' sixties , the UK Government was getting rather cross with so-called " pirate " broadcasters like 'Radio Captian Pugwash ' because they were more popular than the boring old dross turned out by their own state broadcaster, the Home(osexual) Service. So Radio 1 was created in 1967 by a Bill & (Tony) Benn gluing together some old Dansette Record Players and building a small 'studio' with Sticklebricks, sticky-back-plastic and Lego . The Royal Navy then torpedoed the broadcasting ships of pirate radio stations with stupid girls' names like "Caroline", "Jackie" and "Florence". Radio Erimintrude was particularly popular with students (though recent research has shown that this was possibly a figment of the collective imagination of those people using hallucinogenic substances like toothpaste and Gripe Water). After the Navy spanked all the pirates’ bottoms, and sent them home without any supper, most of the DJ's were given cushy jobs by the BBC (which just goes to prove that breaking the law can be highly productive).

One of those rescued from the cold North Sea waters - just off Clacton - was Tony Blackburn and he was given the option of changing his name and his underpants and becoming one of Radio 1's first official "Dee-Jays". Others from the pirate ships tempted to the Beeb included Kenny Everett , Simon Dee and Johnnie SkyWalker . Tony Blackburn took to his new job with rather too much relish (mainly Highly Passionate, HP Sauce type relish), presenting the station's first show only hours after being dragged from the sea, in drag, suffering from hypothermia and clutching a cuttlefish . His famous opening line on Radio 1 was "Yurlistenintothefantasticnewsoundovradiowoniymtonyblackburnaaaandthisizthumoove!" John Peel broadcasted many of his early shows dressed as a school girl. He later became an 'alternative music icon' in the late 1970s when his weird music selections became tomorrow's big indie bands. Turned down U2 because they were too Irish and Catholic. Nobody knows what he was on about but he played "Flowers In The Rain" by The Move just afterwards. The rest is history.

The station was taking off and it started to attract a hip crowd of listeners after somebody played a Velvet Underground record before 6pm on a weekday! John Peel, who had previously been DJ-ing from a decommissioned navy submarine under the name of Bottom Feeder, was approached to do a hippy show called, The Stinky Garden. The show was a mixture of strange records and inane chat from Peel interspersed with chanting that would often run into the small hours. His listener-ship grew by 60% as he was the only person in the country that could play hip music on the radio. Tony Blackburn attempted to play 'Silver Machine' by Hawkwind during his show but lost his bottle by the end of the first verse, apologizing profusely to his audience. He was placed on suicide watch as a precaution by Radio One bosses. New DJ Alan Slag Anderson joined the station and struck up an audience with his new afternoon show 'Let's Have A Cup Of Tea And Cry'. It was mainly a mix of Alan recounting stories of his exploits in hotels with girls and the odd record. The Show hit controversy in 1971 when Alan swore repeatedly on air between songs and started talking about sex graphically.

He was struck off and never worked in Radio again. edit 1960s-1970s Hendrix loved Radio 1 because he never lived long enough to "experience" Steve Wright Given the entire lack of any other radio stations playing gramophone records of any kind, the station quickly became one of the most popular in the entire Kingdom with roughly one in five hundred people listening at any one time (at least one of these being The Queen who had a tranny in the royal boudoir, but that's another story - see Transvestism in European Royal Families, 1702-1769 (Dame Simon Schama , 1989)). During the 1960s and 1970s 'wonderful' Radio 1 became the biggest radio station in Christendom (except for the ones that were bigger) when the DJs such as Tony Blackburn, Know-All Ed Stewpot, Noel Edmonds and Ed Stewart ) and Annie-get-yer-gun Nightingale (now the stations longest surviving server) became household names, just like Ajax , Omo and Caneston Thrush Treatment Cream .

"Sir" Jimmy Savile became as famous as The Beatles and has several planets named after him including Stupider, Haircury and Youranus. This era also coincided with the launch of BBC One's television poptart show Top Of The Top of the Pop Form which was often presented by Radio One's star DJs from exotic locations such as Las Vegas , Paris , Mars and Preston . Popular libel suggests that the DJs themselves would pay for all of these outside broadcasts with their own money, because they were so so fucking rich! Peter Powell even had his own gold studded gas cook-ring for making the tea ! edit 1980s Not content to sticking to a studio, Radio 1 went travelling around the UK. The country took 30 years to recover.

Possibly musics ' most inventive and credible decade, the period that gave us enduringly-popular legends such as Adam Ant , Rene and Renato, Sting , Hilda Baker & Arthur Mullard, Sheena Easton and Bill Collins coincided with the platinum era of such DJs as Simon Bates (who can forget his daily listener letters on the joys of inner body function "our tube"?), Mike Read, Steve Wright (and his catchphrase characters that you hear again and again like Mr Angry of Liz Hurley and Ricky Jervais the camp hairdryer) and Dave Lee Travis (aka the Furry Weetabix), a man so fitted to radio he had to cover his entire head in facial hair in order to be allowed in-vision. It also gave us Adrian Juste, a deranged man who used to kidnap much-loved British comedians and force them to do some of their most well-known routines at spear-point in the studio with him whilst chuckling insanely and giving them feed lines such as "oh yes?!" and "what happened then?". In 1990, Juste was actually arrested for the unlawful imprisonment of Les Dawson but was released without charge.

In 1987, an attempt to reach a black audience was made by employing Cilla Black and giving her an ill advised hip-hop show 'The Black Hip-Hop Show'. Starting her first show on June 5th 1987, Cilla greeted the audience by saying her now infamous catchphrase "Suprise Suprise" and dropping the needle straight on to 'Fuck The Police' by NWA, it was 6.30 on a Friday evening. Needless to say the DTI had kittens and the station was nearly taken off the air. It is not widely acknowledged that a lot of Westwood's presentation style is derived from 'The Black Hip-hop show' and credit was paid in 1997, when Cilla Black was invited to participate in a special Westwood Hip Hop show featuring the Wu-Tang Clan, to celebrate Ten Years Of Hip-Hop On Radio One. Cilla famously impressed RZA by performing her now legendary and unique 'Everton Cackle' scratch during a performance of 'Da Mystery Of Chessboxing'.

Whilst listeners tried to crack "Level ten" of Manic Miner on their Sinclair ZX Spectrums (difficult in those '80s rollerboots!) the fantastic sound of Radio One would be pouring from every orifice - and sometimes from a transistor radio. There was just one problem though, the station that had been set-up to appeal to the 'fab' 'young' 'groovy' ‘people’ had found its listeners growing old with it and now there were a lot of pensioners still tuning-in along with the kids. Although they were only in their 30's and 40's by the 1980's, they'd taken horribly debilitating physiological altering drugs in the sixties and had aged by five decades in two. That didn't matter, though, coz: "Here's the fantastic new single from Culture Club!" edit 1990s Cutting edge or in need of a decent haircut? Radio 1 could never decide with Danny ' Millwall FC ' Baker in his Standard Issue Radio One Letterman Jacket. The decade started with Radio 1 changing band for some reason.

It moved from 247metres on the medium wave to crystal-clear commercial-free FM on so many different frequencies that they had to change the name. Radio 1 was re-branded as "One FM" because it could be picked up right along the entire FM band from 88-108mhz and on peoples' fillings in Emley Moor. The FM stood for “Fucking Marvellous” if you worked for a Hi-Fi manufacturing company or "Flamin' 'Mission" if you had to go and buy a new radio. However, there were even-bigger changes afoot at "The Nation's Favourite" (as the Polish liked to call it) with the arrival of new controller Matthew Bannisters. Despite being the same age as most of the old guard, Bannisters decided that there were too many "old" DJs at the station and believed that the children are our future and they should be pandered to in a patronising Janet-Street-Porter-esque manner. DJs such as Dave Lee Travis, Simon Bates and Eric "the" Bastard, resigned before they could be sacked.

Younger and more desperate presenters like Danny Baker (35) and Mark Radcliffe (38) replaced them. Matthew Bannisters was 53. New shows, new formats, new presenters, new listeners, new Mini-Disc players. Well that was the idea. In fact at times the station sounded like a badly re-mixed commercial radio station from the late 70's and listenership plummeted like people falling out of planes without parachutes. The only shows that retained any real kudos were those of John Peel , The Drunk Policeman show and that miserable northern bloke who liked world music (aka natives running around hot countries playing with their doo-dahs's). The real "saviour of Radio 1" to coin a phrase (accurately in this case) was dancey-dancey housey -housey music as promulgated by the likes of Pete Tong (a 12-inch Asian import who changed his name and grew five foot to make himself more Inglish) and other recruits from Kissey Kissy 'ousey-'ousey radios (like Judge Jules and Danny Rampling ) pumped up the volume....and the listeners.

Outside broadcasts from Ibiza and HomoFest boosted their credibility, and once the ginger minga Chris Evans had been cleared off, things picked up for a while. The first dance music orientated show on the station began in 1990 and was called 'Want Any Doves Mate, Alright Sorted', it was presented by DJ Kris Akabusi and mainly played slightly out of date house records from the previous summer. It was promptly replaced by Pete Tong and his show 'Sleek Causal' which was like being judged by someone in club for dancing. Soon followed Judge Jools and his hardhouse courtroom show where the Judge would deliver verdicts on the latest trance records whilst beating his hammer and sickle along. Jo Whiley even scored a dance music show in 1994 with her late night program 'I'm Rushing with Jo Whiley' which was said to be kinda like being out of your face on pills at a party with Jo Whiley talking over the top of house records about life next to you. Fabio and Grooverider scored a show where they just played sub bass down the airwaves for 3 hours instantly sending the country into a spin.

edit Two thousand, thousand thousands Now the station is the home of Chris Moyles (the knight of a large breakfast, starchy lunch and beer flavoured pie tea), Zane Lowe , Scott Mills , Colin "Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend" Murray and a host of other twats playing endless chart pop for stoopid people alongside inane lowest-common-denominator "comedy" items. You also get Tim Westwood shouting in an affected accent about "the bomb" and making explosion noises. Basically it's like the 70s again only with slightly-younger DJs. Well done, Matthew Bannisters, the most successful revolution since Castro . In 2006 Chris Moyles was suspended for a week after he ran a phone in on his show where he asked listeners to kidnap passers by then ring the studio and get them to plead for their aggressor to release them with the phrase "Just put a Quaver up me bum" in a Yorkshire accent.

It was not the first time Moyles had attracted controversy - In 2002 Moyles had conducted a live interview with Myra Hindley from prison where he repeatedly made references to his respect for her and even going as far to inviting her to become his new co-host (should she ever be released) following Comedy Dave's hospitalisation following a pressure cooker explosion in the studio. The final straw came during the South African World Cup in 2010 when Moyles repeatedly referred to the country as a 'Crap hole' and was often drunk or smoking Heroin during the shows. Moyles also revealed that all the competitions on the show had been rigged apart from the one where he challenged listeners to leave their phone on hold to the station for 3 days costing contestants £60,000 each. Following on from the allegations of phone in fraud, the BBC has tightened across the board. An internal investigation found that during 2006, on four separate occasions, white musicians were aired on Radio 1 whose names did not end in a phonetic 'y'.

The head of Content(tm) made a public apology in a live broadcast, and vowed that only Geri, Kylie and Robbie were the only white musicians that would receive any further airtime, but conceded that, should any musicians spontaneously turn black, they would be played until you quite literally could not take any more. To sum this all up, it turned into fucking shit no one cares about. edit The current running order WEEKDAYS Greg James: Greg James is one of the younger Radio 1 DJs, having only just developed from an embryo. He actually says actually an actual lot. He also fills his shows with intelligent features such as "The Wind Tunnel (He farts, you guess what food caused it). TYPICAL INTRO: Hello, guess who i did up the boom boom last night! Nick Grimy Grimestain- Nick is possibly the most exciting sounding person on Radio 1. He has a really exiting voice and is ultra enthusiastic about everything TYPICAL INTRO: Oooooooh myyyyyy Gooooooodddddd I want to kill myself.

He once threatened to kill a rabbit live on air if 50 listeners hadn't broken a window in their own house before 8.30 Jo 'Ganster' Whiley: Has a really annoying voice like someone has just ripped off her face and plays music that no one likes. She sleeps around and seems like the sort of person who gets drunk at a Christmas party and gives Zane Lowe a blowjob in the back of a taxi on the way to get a kebab. TYPICAL INTRO: Yes Yes, who's got the shotties running tings of the straps. You get me. Newsbeat: Like slapping yourself with a brick and then having someone shout at you for fifteen minutes. The woman presenter cannot somehow pronounce the word 'years' and always pisses people off saying 'yaeyres'. Newsbeat rudely interrupts your afternoon listening every day. What general Radio 1 listener seriously wants to listen to a 15 minute broadcast about shite? It has won many awards for the 'Most Condescending News Program' at the Broadcasting Awards only losing out to Newsround in 2005. Edith Braman: It is unclear what Edith Braman is or does.

TYPICAL INTRO: ArGgHhHEh HbbGEAOOK PDK Gsk MmKJ???HA h Ji jsb ?! The show is known for it's regular references to Buckfast and it's regular Phone In 'How Cheap Can You Find A Can Of Special Brew for in your town'. Scottland: Scott goes around Scotland looking for people named Scott. Scott is also a keen woodsman and made Chappers out of used cups and a kleenex tissue. TYPICAL INTRO: Hai guis lets play the new choons. Follows awkward conversation with woman colleague and painfully avoiding any questions about his 'flat mate'. Matt Edmondson: Takes the prize for having the fewest listeners of any Radio 1 Dj, something Edmonson is proud of. The show is mixture of celebrity gossip and records made by Stock Aitken Waterman in the 80s-90s. He is the son of former Radio 1 Dj Noel Edmonds. David Dickinson: A specialist EDM showcase called 'David Dickinson's Tango Tizer Hour'. Zane Lowe: No one ever listens to Zane Lowe because he looks and sounds like an annoying magician.

He once sat in a box above the river thames but no one cared. TYPICAL INTRO: GET ON BOARD! (Followed by everyone turning off their radio) Afterwards: A variety of DJ's play incomprehensible noise all night which arty-farty people pretend to like thinking it makes them look 'intelligent', even thought they don't have a clue what's going on themselves. They often speak in those voices that posh people use in their 20's when trying to sound street and uses phrases like 'Hold tight'. Tim Westwood: A 50 something year old white man that plays grime and DnB, part of the BBC's scheme to embarrass kids to get back into reading and studying. TYPICAL INTRO: 'Yes it's ya boy Timmy Weezy (bomb sound followed by shattering glass and a punching sound, then a scream), Don't touch my coat boiiiiii'. Grooverider: A DJ who was jailed in Dubai for riding a cow, the BBC then aired a overlong special sympathising with him, not quite how they treated Richard Bacon, wazzit? Kelly Osbourne: Family connections....zzz.

Her show is a cacophony of feedback and listeners dog stories. Fearne Cotton: Big nostrilled and small breasted, this man never says a bad word about anyone. She caused controversy a few years ago by hijacking the Live Lounge and evicting Jo Whiley, who had been living there since she joined the station. WEEKENDS-WOOOOOOOOP Sara Cocks- Sara Cocks is a bit of a reject and has been bounced around the radio station. She is always having children and likes to talk in a longwinded fashion and the liseners not knowing what the hell she is talking about. She is named after the many Cocks she has been on. TYPICAL INTRO: I've had two hours sleep and i've just been sick so don't expect any music or nowt. Vernon face- Vernon face has an amusing face and comes from Manchester. Most people block out what he is saying and just go online to look at his massive face. He seems to think it's acceptable to have a Northern accent and shout over every single song he plays.

He's actually 43 but has been off the Radio 1 Age Police's radar for sometime as no one knows his show exists apart from his audience of 10,000 die hard listeners that are sworn to secrecy about the show. Huw Stephens- Not many people know this, but Huw is actually Welsh. He incomprehensibly managed to get his own prime-time show on Radio 1 Weekends, a feat that has caused controversy among listeners, as nobody in their right mind would want to listen to this absolute nob talk about shit all afternoon. He once milked a cow on air, drank it then played Slipknot. Jameela Jamil- Token Lady Boy, presents the chart show in which just less than 40 songs are crammed into 3 hours, meaning fortunately, she doesn't get much chance to talk. TYPICAL INTRO: Wanna see me Deepthroat the Top 40, ein zwei drei vier!. OCCASIONAL PRESENTERS Annie Macpc: Annie Macpc is a robot from the year 3420 to stop us destroying our ozone layer. Whilst here, she developed a keen knowledge of dance music and a thirst for potery.

She once used a stun-gun on herself live on air during a heated debate on Foam Parties. Nihal: Someone who looks like a homeless man wandering the streets of Mumbai in search of food and hope, somehow managed to snag his own radio show. Miquita Oliver: When T4 was finishing up business, the bosses there decided that they would sell their remaining T4 Youth Culture bots to the BBC in a bundle deal. Despite being an aging model, Miquita was included in the deal. THE 40 ESSENTIAL DJs OF THE PAST 40 YEARS! THE 40 ESSENTIAL DJs OF THE PAST 40 YEARS! THE DJSâ�� DJS by Mark Devlin and Stretch Taylor When you set out to establish the 40 most influential DJs on the British black music scene, you donâ��t expect it to be an easy ride. Followers of our music take their stuff very seriously, and such a list is bound to raise contention, and cries of â��why isnâ��t such-and-such in thereâ��, or in some cases, â��why arenâ��t I in there?!â�� But we expected that.

Which is why B&Sâ��s Mark Devlin and Stretch Taylor garnered opinions from many different quarters, all of whom know their onions - to come up with the following. Weâ��re pretty sure that few would argue about the status of this lot as truly influential. We do concede, however, that it would be impossible to apply any kind of ranking. So here - in no particular order - are the 40 DJs from the past 40 years, without whom the black music scene in the UK today would just not be the same. Gentlemen, take a bow. ROBBIE VINCENT Long before Trevor Nelson, before Pete Tong, even before Jeff Young, the first â��specialistâ�� black music DJ to earn a coveted slot on Radio One was Robbie Vincent. His â��Sound of Sunday Nightâ��, (and latterly â��Saturday Nightâ��,) provided the audio inspiration for a generation of soul/ jazz/ funk/ black dance fans, and gave the entire nation a taste of what Londoners had been getting from Greg Edwards on Capital Radio. Robbie was an odd contender for such a role, not least in his appearance.

He was a former journalist until his covert fanaticism for his music pushed him in an alternative direction, first earning him a soul show on BBC Radio London. In the ensuing years, he was credited with launching the career of Maze, and was one of only a handful of UK radio presenters to have interviewed Marvin Gaye. When his Radio One stint ended in 1989, he took up a talk programme on London station LBC. . NORMAN JAY Who would ever have believed that a DJ could get an MBE? And it couldnâ��t happen to a nicer fella. Norman Jayâ��s always been one of those DJs whoâ��s hard to classify; like B&S itself, heâ��s tended to represent the entire spectrum of black music, from old-school soulful nuggets, funk, disco, reggae and jazz, to the genre for which heâ��s probably best known - soulful, uplifting house and garage. The first thing many a London raver will think of is the Good Times sound system run alongside brother Joey, a main attraction at Notting Hill Carnival for more than 20 years. Equally celebrated was his High On Hope club night.

Clearly a man with fingers in many pies, Norman also helped run Talking Loud Records, had a long-running show on both the pirate and legal Kiss FM, (pretty much creating the rare groove movement of the mid-80s in the process) and was a key player in the London warehouse parties in the pre-acid house era. All that, and he still found time to meet The Queen. CHRIS HILL The Godfather of soul ... James Brown? â�¦ Nah, donâ��t be silly, itâ��s Hilly! From The Goldmine to The Lacy Lady, and as founder of the original Caister Weekender in 1979, South East â��soul mafiaâ�� kingpin Chris has been tearing the ass out of clubs for over three decades. Along the way he helped introduce the world to Incognito, Eddy Grant, Light Of The World and even Bob Geldofâ��s Boomtown Rats. There are few whoâ��d argue with his status as â��legendaryâ�� as a result. And with Caister still going strong in 2006, thereâ��s still life in the old dog yet!

JEFF YOUNG Although his successor has attained far greater heights, it was Jeff Young who paved the way for Pete Tongâ��s phenomenal rise to prominence at Radio One. His long-standing status as a knowledgeable and credible soul/ black music DJ in the South East stood Jeff in good stead to secure a highly influential weekend show on BBC Radio London. Although this was termed a â��breakfast showâ��, its 8am start meant it was ideally timed for ravers gradually stirring following a night on the tiles. As very early house music from Chicago and New York started laying the foundations of whatâ��s known as â��dance musicâ�� today, Jeff was in just the right place at the right time to be snapped up by Radio One in 1987 to host the new Friday night â��Big Beat.â�� This saw him playing music right across the black music spectrum, from Steve â��Silkâ�� Hurley to Public Enemy, but his soulful roots were always evident. Jeff handed the baton to Pete Tong in 1990, and, apart from a stint on Capital Radio shortly afterwards, has kept largely behind-the-scenes roles since.

IAN LEVINE Born in Blackpool in the 50s, Ian Levine started collecting Motown records at an early age, setting himself the ambitious task of obtaining every record released on the label in the UK. By â��71, heâ��d started started DJing, and a certain Blackpool Mecca was the only place around playing his kind of music. His reputation for finding and playing rare records made him a name on the obsessive Northern soul scene. The Mecca and the legendary Wigan Casino were rival venues, and Levine widened the gap by playing modern 70s records at the Mecca, in contrast to the 60s stompers favoured by much of the Northern crowd at the Casino. His attempt to bring the scene up to date famously divided fans of the genre. As a music producer, Levine started making records for the Northern soul market, and later went on to produce high-energy pop hits for bands like Take That. TIM WESTWOOD Truly the â��Marmiteâ�� man, Westwood tends to polarise opinion. Itâ��s telling that in most DJ polls, he crops up very highly in both the â��bestâ�� and â��worstâ�� DJ categories.

Love him or hate him, thereâ��s no denying the guyâ��s phenomenal influence on the hip hop scene in the UK. The facts speak for themselves - two peak-time Radio One weekend shows for the past twelve years, millions of compilation albums sold, â��Pimp My Rideâ�� on MTV and Channel 5, club bookings all over the country, legendary appearances at Notting Hill Carnival. (The young Westwood was also a columnist for B&S back in the day, folks.) Many argue that without him, sales of hip hop records in the UK wouldnâ��t be half what theyâ��ve now become. From his early days warming up for Steve Walsh and David Rodigan, to his current household name status, itâ��s clear that Westwood has always lived and breathed the music he loves to the point that it has become his identity. Heâ��s even taken a bullet and several beatings in the course of his job. The term â��legendâ�� is one not to be used lightly. In the case of Westwood, itâ��s impossible to accurately describe his status without using it.

GREG EDWARDS Although Grenada-born and New York-raised, we count Greg as a British DJ because it was on these shores that he carved his niche, arriving in 1969, and becoming credited with launching the British careers of the Three Degrees and The Oâ�� Jays just a few years later. If you were a soul/ jazz/ funk fan in London in the 70s and early 80s, it was a given that you listened to his â��Soul Spectrumâ�� on Capital Radio. This was where fans kept up with the latest sounds on the underground, (because there was no hope of any mainstream play for such gems,) and where other DJs listened in to stay on top of their game. Gregâ��s now on Capital Gold. FROGGY Widely credited as being the first DJ in the UK to mix two records together, (properly!), it all started for Soul Mafia man Froggy in the late 70s at venues like the Regency Suite in East London.

After visiting New Yorkâ��s seminal Studio 54 club and being amazed at the crisp quality of the set-up, he came back to build his own, the â��Froggy Sound Systemâ�� and the rest is history. Appearances on Radio 1 led to him securing his own show on Capital Radio, and through his radio remix and re-edit work, he went on to work on tracks by artists such as Change, Cameo and The Real Thing. As for the sound system, that would later become used for the Caister Weekender, and as far as we know itâ��s still available for hire today. RICHARD SEARLING He might not be the first name thought of by soul-loving Londoners. But up North, Richard Searling is viewed by many as nothing less than a soul music god. As a club DJ at the forefront of the scene for more than 30 years, heâ��s seen and done it all. Searlingâ��s been promoting soul nights in the North West since 1974.

Heâ��s been a mainstay at Jazz FM, (recently reborn as Smooth FM) since 1994, and prior to that, presented on Radio Hallam from as far back as 1980. Add to that his status as compiler of some of the best soul music albums known to man, and his position as co-founder of Expansion Records, and you have one hell of an influential figure. As for retirement? Forget it. He still promotes and DJs at Northern allnighters to this day. TONY BLACKBURN Yes, Tony Blackburn, and no, itâ��s not a pisstake. Although best known for his cheesy grin, appalling jokes, and as the alleged inspiration for Smashy ... or was it Nicey? ... connoisseurs know that old Toneâ��s long been a bit of a closet soulboy. Besides releasing an early Northern soul-style single under the pseudonym Lenny Gamble in 1973, his enthusiasm for the genre first became apparent in the 80s, when he introduced healthy portions of soul music into his daytime show on BBC Radio London.

For turning the tide for so many, and for using his high profile to further the cause of real soul music, TB earns his place in our countdown as a true influential black music DJ. PAUL OAKENFOLD It could easily have been so different for Oakenfold. The young South Londoner was a promising chef before going on to dominate the world. He started playing soul and rare groove in a Covent Garden bar in his spare time. By the early 80s, heâ��d been heavily inspired by Larry Levanâ��s Paradise Garage in New York, and by â��87, had made â��thatâ�� famous visit to Ibiza with friends Trevor Fung, Nicky Holloway and Danny Rampling, inspiring him to bring the Balearic sound back to England. As an A&R man for Champion Records, he signed Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince and Salt â��Nâ�� Pepa, and went on to work at Profile and Def Jam, before starting his own Perfecto label in â��91.

Now, as possibly the most important name in club culture, heâ��s done it all, from film scores, to albums, to adverts and remixes for Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Moby, Snoop Dogg, and of course U2. MIKE ALLEN For a large percentage of electro and hip hop fans in London, it wasnâ��t Westwood who introduced them to the genre, it was Mike Allen. Circa 1984-87, Mikeâ��s Capital Radio show was the first proper hip hop show on a commercial radio station, and his pioneering early interviews included Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Ice T and the Beastie Boys. His Groove Records chart run-down helped the Soho record shop of the same name become the only place to buy your import vinyl from. He was also an important player in the success of Morgan Khanâ��s â��UK Freshâ��, the first hip hop festival on British soil. This was held at Wembley Arena over two days in July 1986, and featured Mantronix, DJ Cheese, Grandmaster Flash and Just Ice.

Those wonderful days go down as some of the most important dates in hip hop history, at a time when excitement for the â��realâ�� art form was at its peak, and with the music truly inspirational, defining and full of social comment. Oh, and what a voice! GILLES PETERSON As our recent B&S Spin Doctors feature assessed, â��eclecticâ�� is a word that could quite aptly be applied to Gilles Petersonâ��s musical style. Never afraid to champion genre-defying sounds that fall outside of other DJsâ�� collections, his left-field approach has led to many a tune being described as â��a Gilles Peterson-type recordâ��. Radio-wise, heâ��s enjoyed a long and progressive career, starting with the South London pirate Radio Invicta in the 80s, to his current â��Worldwideâ�� show on Radio One, with stops at Radio London, Jazz FM and Kiss FM en route.

He brought his open-minded, but always jazz-tinged approach to music to bear with the formation of his own Acid Jazz label, and later, Talking Loud, which spawned hits for the likes of Young Disciples, Incognito, Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai and Galiano. And he still plays clubs globally, seeming to enjoy a particular affinity with Brazil, a country whose jazz output inspired him to compile two further albums. GORDON MAC South London soulboy Gordon MacNameeâ��s enthusiasm for soul and reggae stood him in ideal stead to become one of the founding members of Kiss FM in its early days as a pirate, and subsequently, as its managing director when it went all â��legit.â�� With his distinctive dreadlocked appearance, he became possibly the least likely looking MD in radio history. In Kissâ��s most influential years, youâ��d be more likely to find Gordon broadcasting his own show than pen-pushing behind a big desk. When Kiss was sold to Emap Metro in the mid 90s, Gordon departed, cropping up soon afterwards with his own show on Choice FM.

Nowadays, he owns the Z Bar in Brixton, one of South Londonâ��s most celebrated black music party spots. And the fact that youâ��re more likely to find him behind the decks here than hiding away in a back office shows that this guyâ��s love of the music hasnâ��t waned one little bit. BOB JONES More commonly known as â��Doctorâ�� Bob Jones, the veteran DJâ��s â��Surgeryâ�� club nights and radio shows have been among the most highly respected in Londonâ��s soulful circles. Heâ��s presented on several stations, including Jazz FM, Kiss FM and BBC Radio London, and from his first club appearance in the 70s, he went on to become a regular of the Caister and Southport weekenders. You might even remember him as B&Sâ��s very own jazz correspondent in the 80s, or a force behind the remixed Temptations hit, ironically called â��The Jonesesâ��. Present day sees him running things at Chilli Funk Records, and rumours of retirement have proved unfounded, as he continues to spin at clubs and festivals throughout the land.

STEVE WALSH Roly-poly and bearded, with a large charisma to match, Steveâ��s appearance marked him out as one of the soul sceneâ��s most distinctive DJ characters. It was no great surprise that he went on to have a chart hit in 1987 with a chantalong version of The Fatback Bandâ��s â��I Found Lovingâ��, one of his most favoured weekender anthems, complete with the nagging â��you wot, you wotâ�� hookline. A hard-working pioneer of the soul/ jazz/ funk movement in the South East, Walsh enjoyed radio spots on Invicta, JFM, Surreyâ��s County Sound, and latterly Radio London, where he was the focal point of its famed â��Soul Night Out.â�� He was an inspiration to many - even a young Tim Westwood, whose first DJing break was as warm-up for the big man. Tragically, Steve died in 1988 of a heart attack, brought on by a car accident in Ibiza. He was only 29.

RUSS WINSTANLEY If every musical movement needs a central figurehead, there are few who would argue that the Northern soul crown belongs fully on the head of Russ Winstanley. It was Russ who instigated the idea of the legendary Northern â��allnightersâ��, playing rare and in-demand recordings of 60s/ 70s uptempo soul music to dancers, in a scene that predated the styles of breakdancing/ hip hop culture by a clear decade. The key venue was the much-missed Wigan Casino, operational from 1973 to 81, and considered by many at the time to be â��the best disco in the world.â�� Russ kick-started the careers of other notable DJs at the venue, including Richard Searling and Kev Roberts. The years since 1981 have seen him DJ/ promote on a smaller scale, but he still spins the music that made him a master in the game. DJ SWING The grief expressed by the DJ world at the tragic loss of DJ Swing from multiple myeloma earlier this year was more than just dutiful empty words.

Anyone that had known Swing, or witnessed one of his performances, understood that this was of one of the greatest all-round DJ characters in the game - some would argue the best that ever did it. Making his name as part of London sound system The Boogie Bunch, Swing broke free and went solo in the mid-90s and never looked back. His diversity, breathtaking technical skills, and ability to connect with any crowd, was matched by his natural charisma, and positive attitude to life. In a B&S mag tribute, columnist Bigger recounted the time he shared a gig with Swing where the crowd simply stood around the edges showing no signs of getting on the dancefloor. Swing, with characteristic charisma, got straight on the mic and announced that not one further record would be played until people put their drinks down and started enjoying themselves. Of course it worked, but it was a major gamble, and itâ��s hard to imagine any other DJ getting away with it. TREVOR NELSON The new skool guvâ��nor of R&B, Trevor has risen to the top largely as a result of his high-profile Radio One shows and presenting slots on MTV. But thereâ��s so much more to his story.

In fact, his rise to prominence has been something of a a fairytale story since being taken on as a founder presenter for the pirate Kiss FM back in 1986. Did you know he did his first gig at a sixth form disco, was former assistant manager of Red Records in Soho, and signed the wonderful but sadly deceased Lynden David Hall when he was A&R manager for Cooltempo Records? And who can forget the early club gigs when he was known as Trevor Madhatter, and played at the likes of Respect at The Wag and Club Yo Yo at Shuffles? Now hosting everything from the MOBOs, to Princeâ��s Trust concerts, to one of the last ever â��Top Of The Popsâ�� shows, Trevor shows a great versatility both in front of the camera and behind the mic. DAVID RODIGAN On the surface, David Rodiganâ��s one of the least-likely characters to have become a successful and highly-revered ambassador for all things reggae. Born in Germany of Scots/ Irish parentage, and with early work in the theatre, it was never an obvious road to pursue.

But the young Rodiganâ��s fascination for the music pushed him towards becoming a â��selectorâ��, and the hard work and commitment paid off. He can ably hold his own against the most challenging of sound system clashes, and counts the biggest reggae artists in the game as his personal friends. Heâ��s consistently held spots on the radio for over 25 years, first with a highly influential show on Capital Radio, followed by a long stint with Kiss FM from 1990. He also broadcasts to British forces overseas with a show on BFBS. Now into his fifties, he shows no signs of stopping, continuing to blaze up reggae dances at home and abroad. JAZZIE B / SOUL II SOUL Formed out of the London sound system movement of the 1980s, Soul II Soul took up residency at Covent Garden's legendary Africa Centre for a famed Sunday night session, and this became the catalyst to signing a record deal with Virgin.

Jazzie Bâ��s life changed forever once â��Fairplayâ�� had inflamed dancefloors across the country, and the crewâ��s profile grew quickly with their own chain of shops, and via Jazzieâ��s radio show on Kiss FM. By the time the Caron Wheeler-featuring â��Keep On Movinâ�� and â��Back To Lifeâ�� were released in â��89, it was game over. The Soul II Soul brand went on to become a hugely successful UK export, and you can still often see Jazzie and his cohorts playing their diverse brand of music at a club near you. Their catchphrase â��a happy face, a thumping bass for a loving raceâ�� couldnâ��t be more relevant today. PETE TONG As a young Kent teenager, Pete Tong surely never imagined his love of black music would take him so far. His early stints with his own mobile disco soon got replaced by more trendy outings as Pete discovered the joys of soul/ jazz/ funk, and became adopted as the youthful member of the South East â��soul mafiaâ��, alongside much older peers like Chris Hill and Froggy.

Tongyâ��s radio appearances now stretch back 25 years; apart from early exposure as a reporter on Peter Powellâ��s Radio One drivetime show, he held down an influential Sunday night slot on the Kent station Radio Invicta, followed by three years with â��The Sessionâ�� on Capital Radio, before being recruited as Radio Oneâ��s resident dance music guru in 1990. (Oh, and did we mention that he worked as features editor on Blues & Soul from 1979 to 1983?) Tongâ��s achievements within the dance music field are well documented, and have prompted criticism from certain quarters suggesting that he turned his back on soul music to pursue the riches of more fashionable sounds. But his roots speak for themselves, and whatever he might play on the surface, you know that this guy will always be a soulboy at heart. TERRY JONES No, not the joker out of Monty Python. This is the soulful Terry Jones, a guy who seems to have successfully bridged the gap between the Northern and Southern soul contingents - a kind of Kofi Annan of the music scene, if you like.

If youâ��re a real soul bod, then the legendary venue Norfolk Village will pull at your heartstrings, as this was a clubbing institution for more than two decades. Some label him as Mr. Modern Soul nowadays. An unsung but influential soul music maestro, who you can still catch as a firm fixture on the DJing bill of many a weekender and allnighter. GARY DENNIS A regular at the legendary Goldmine alongside Chris Hill, and later the owner of Crazy Beat Records in Essex, reformed smoker Gary has got his fingers in more pies than Fray Bentos! What real soul head can forget the Hadleigh Suite in Essex, where he played a blend of funk, rare groove, soul, jazz and hip hop? Such diversity was unheard of then. Furthermore, as an important member of both the Caister and Southport weekender line-ups, young Mr. Dennis was able to push his style to the masses. And who hasnâ��t been to the shop and spent a wad of dosh for their love of soul music, only to find that youâ��ve not got enough money left to treat the missus to a Chinese takeaway?

PAUL â��TROUBLEâ�� ANDERSON â��Troubleâ��s been a mainstay of the London black music dance scene for well over 25 years, Crackers, Spats, The Embassy, Global Village and The Electric Ballroom just some of the celebrated venues that he helped become legendary. By the mid 80s heâ��d created his Trouble Funk sound system, which rocked many a warehouse party, later securing a key show on the legal Kiss FM. His Wednesday â��Loftâ�� party in Camden ran for over ten years - a huge achievement in the ever-changing world of clubland. Despite his diversity, itâ��s in the disco-infused funky house genre that heâ��s earned the most recognition, but he dislikes labels, consistently stating that â��a house is where you live, and a garage is where you park your car.â��, In recent years, heâ��s become as well known for his production and songwriting work as for his DJing, starting his own Troubled Soul Records label in 2002, and putting out countless remixes and productions.

THE DMC DJs From its initial incarnation as the Disco Mix Club back in 1983, the DMC organisation has put all its resources into staging its annual competitions to expose the hottest turntablists in the world. In the early days, no-one had seen anything like it, as 80s champs like Americaâ��s Cash Money and DJ Cheese, and the UKâ��s Chad Jackson, Cutmaster Swift and DJ Bizznizz manipulated two turntables and a mixer to their very extremes. The events very quickly morphed into acts of showmanship, with contestants using gimmicks like snooker cues and even kitchen sinks to scratch with, performing little dance routines, and finding ever more imaginative ways of taunting their opponents. A definitive moment was when German champ DJ David performed a full handstand on a spinning turntable platter in 1990. In more recent years, the competition has become more serious, contestants taking their role as â��turntablistsâ�� much more meaningfully. Although the alternative ITF championships have now become just as revered, â��winning the DMCsâ�� was the original dream of many an aspiring DJ, and the ultimate goal to aim for.

GEORGE POWER When Norman Jay refers to you as his biggest influence, you know youâ��re a big dog in the game. In fact, in some knowledgeable circles, George Power is deemed more important than even Chris Hill or Robbie Vincent! To many, heâ��s remembered alongside Paul â��Troubleâ�� Anderson as a pioneer of Londonâ��s electro scene in the 80s, but he was also a very influential figure to many a soulboy at a club called Crackers in the West End, and was an original founder of Kiss FM and London Greek Radio. Often under-appreciated and under-rated, George Power deserves major props for influencing so many of the original DJs on the black music scene to actually pick up a pair of headphones in the first place. BOBBI & STEVE B&S, (the other B&S,) have been spinninâ�� that good music for over 20 years, and as original self-confessed soul boys, got their first DJing slot at a club in Forest Gate, East London. They went on to hold their own warehouse parties, playing alongside the likes of Norman Jay, Linden C and Trevor â��Madhatterâ�� Nelson.

Radio-wise, as associates with Kiss FM since its pirate days, their â��Zoo Experienceâ�� shows championed new uplifting garage grooves for many years, becoming one of the longest-running features on the station. Other spin-offs have included their Zoo Experience record label, and the very successful London club nights Soul Heaven and Garage City. Bobbi & Steve helped to build the foundations for dance music in the UK. And yes, they really are twins! SHORTEE BLITZ Shorteeâ��s success story has been a gradual and progressive one. Nothingâ��s happened overnight. But a combination of spellbinding technical skills, instinctive crowd-rocking ability, hard work and dedication - and being an all-round nice guy - have cemented his reputation as one of the most high-profile and in-demand urban DJs around. Settling in London from Nottingham, Shortee made all the right power moves in his ascension up the ladder; he spent a time running the UK office of Rawkus Records, and secured a slot on Kiss FM with fellow Chubby Kid Big Ted, which led to him getting a second Saturday night spot for his â��Powermixâ�� show of non-stop, hip hop mixtape-style energy.

Heâ��s been a regular fixture at big London nights like Fresh N Funky, Twice As Nice and Ministry of Soundâ��s Smoove, and his international gig schedule would make even Michael Palin jealous. NICKY HOLLOWAY Nicky Holloway was a founding member of the UK house music scene, bringing the Ibiza sound to a new audience. But letâ��s not forget the importance of his now legendary Special Branch and Doo At The Zoo parties in the mid 80s, and his roots in soul music, inspired by him first watching fellow jock Froggy mix two records together. Through his classic nights including Sin, Velvet Underground and his own Soho venue Milk Bar, people still talk today about Hollowayâ��s parties, always held in unique venues, and usually featuring unusual themes. Nicky went on to tour the world as a headline DJ during the acid house movement. A true innovator. RONNIE HEREL Ronnie seems to have come a long way in a seemingly short space of time, but real heads know that heâ��s been tirelessly putting in the work for his love of black music for many a year.

A permanent fixture on 1Xtra with his â��Uptown Anthemsâ�� show since year one, Ronnie also deputises on Trevor Nelsonâ��s Radio 1 show when he's away. For many moons, heâ��s been co-director of Londonâ��s popular Uptown Records, the shop where all the top DJs come to get their tunes, as well as a familiar face on the DJ club circuit. Mr. Herel has also ventured into the production side of things, and was heavily involved with the 1991 hit cover of Carol Kingâ��s classic â��Itâ��s Too Lateâ�� featuring Dina Carroll, and earning a spot on â��Top Of The Popsâ�� in the process! DJ EZ Tottenham-raised EZ first emerged on Dance FM in the early 90s, playing a selection of hardcore, jungle and house. Following this, he started up his own station called Dimension FM. But it wasnâ��t until he joined another pirate, Freek FM, that people really sat up and took notice, as he became arguably the biggest DJ at the station.

His shows on Freek led to guest appearances on Steve Jacksonâ��s Kiss 100 show, and in late â��99 he was subsequently given his own show on the station. Prime time slots followed, and EZ became a household name on the back of the release of the â��Pure Garageâ�� album series, and an ambassador for the UK garage breakthrough of the late 90s. CHRIS GOLDFINGER As reggae dancehall, and particularly the more hip hop-styled â��raggaâ�� element gained major popularity in urban circles in the 90s, a vacancy for a high-profile DJ figurehead emerged. It was quickly claimed by Chris Goldfinger, by no means a newcomer when he was recruited by Radio One to host the new â��Reggae Dancehall Niteâ�� show in 1996. Having moved to London from Jamaica, Goldfinger was the pivotal member of the Asher World Crew sound system, preaching the reggae gospel at dances and clashes all over the capital and at Notting Hill Carnival for many years before the breakthrough.

His years at Radio One have allowed him to expose the many facets of reggae to the masses, becoming a highly in-demand club DJ as a result. He knows all the big reggae artists personally, and frequently travels back to Jamaica to attend the genreâ��s biggest events. DANNY RAMPLING Rampling achieved an unusual status last year; he became the first â��superstarâ�� DJ to formally announce his retirement; heâ��s now become a restaurateur in London. It was a brave decision, but then itâ��s hard to imagine how much more any DJ could hope to achieve. Though heâ��ll go down in the history books for his club night Shoom, and as one of the founding fathers of the UK acid house movement, Ramplingâ��s musical roots were in the London soul and funk scene. His enthusiasm for black music remained throughout his years as one of house musicâ��s superstars, and he became equally celebrated for his soulful, uplifting US-style garage fare as for his hard-hitting electronic sounds.

He peddled both on his successful Radio One Saturday show, on which he also ran a feature called â��The Easy Funky Threeâ��, an excuse to roll out some of the more downtempo soulful sounds which he clearly missed. FABIO & GROOVERIDER As a DJ, your role doesnâ��t become much more meaningful than when you create an entire new musical genre - or at least play a highly influential part in moulding it. Yes, Fabio and Grooverider are two people as opposed to some kind of Jekyll & Hyde singular, but their career paths have evolved so similarly over the years, that theyâ��re virtually interchangeable, as reflected by their frequent combined DJ outings, and the collaborative show they share on Radio One. Emerging from Londonâ��s underground black music scene of the 80s, they were captivated by the youthful energy of the â��hardcoreâ�� and â��raveâ�� scene of the latter part of the decade, before they helped shape the faster beats into the more creative â��jungleâ�� movement, later to settle for being referred to as â��drum â��nâ�� bassâ��.

Although still underground in essence, the scene has become a truly global movement, making international stars of F&G in the process. STEVE WREN He could have been a professional footballer, but Steve Wren went down the music route instead, and started spinning at soul events in London and Essex in the early 80s. His radio gigs included a slot on the legendary pirate Stomp FM, before he went legal and moved to Choice FM in 1990, hosting the â��Rap Attackâ�� show every Friday. He still resides at Choice, but now as presenter of their successful weekend â��Club Vybezâ�� show. Over the years, you might have also have bumped into Wrenny working at Polydor, Avex, running the Urbanstar Record label, or spinning at some classic club nights. Heâ��s also a mainstay at the Southport Weekender. GRAEME PARK A pioneer of house music in the UK from its very earliest forms, Graeme Park claims he hasnâ��t had a weekend to himself in 20 years. Pity his poor missus, then!

Scotsman Park witnessed the evolution of dance music while working at Select-A-Disc records in Nottingham at a time when the first house records began to filter through from Detroit and Chicago. The shop owner opened a club, and naturally, Graeme became the DJ. This bought him to the attention of Mike Pickering at Manchesterâ��s Hacienda. The venue would soon become part of clubbing history, and Parky would go on to become a fully-fledged international superstar DJ off the back of it. JOEY NEGRO Heâ��s the man of countless aliases, Jakatta and Raven Maize among them. But when heâ��s not Joey Negro or any of these, heâ��s plain old â��discoâ�� Dave Lee, a DJ-turned-producer whoâ��s always been enticed by the more disco-tinged side of soulful, funky house, and has virtually turned the idea into his own distinctive, instantly recognisable genre.

His love of the retro sound could be heard in his early productions like â��Do It, Believe Itâ��, and â��Do What You Feelâ��, and continue to this day, (where he shifts infinitely larger volumes of records!) Dave/ Joey seems equally busy behind the decks as behind the studio boards, his name still cropping up at many a big dance music event. Think uplifting, soulful house music in the UK, and Joey Negro will be right there. DREEM TEEM It seemed a quick road to the top for the Dreem Teem, as they became chief flag-bearers of a new music style that became trendy almost overnight. Spoony, Mikee B and Timmi Magic were at the forefront of the â��speed garageâ�� scene as it was known in the mid 90s. Prior to this, though, they had worked individually for years, before hooking up and securing a radio show on Kiss FM off the back of their successful club nights. This was followed by a stint on Galaxy Radio, before their big move to Radio 1 around the turn of the new millennium.

As a collective, theyâ��ve been a bit quiet of late, but Spoony has since shown great diversity as a presenter, with a football phone-in show for Radio 5 Live, many TV appearances and a weekend breakfast show on Radio 1. ...and finally THE B&S DJs As well as attracting the most knowledgeable, passionate, and in some cases opinionated (!) writers in the land, the B&S staff roster has always consisted of a fair few DJs, who, when they arenâ��t slaving away to meet a deadline, can be seen and heard playing the music they love to people who need to hear it. Youâ��d expect the UKâ��s favourite black music magazine to attract some key players in this regard - and youâ��d be right. Step forward Bigger, Steve Hobbs, Pete Haigh, Jamie Topham, Stretch Taylor, Mark Devlin, Russell Crewe, One Step, Christos & Stel, David Craig, Bob Jeffries, DJ Hix, Wayne McDonald, Rick Starr â�¦ and all the many others from through the years! MARK DEVLIN & STRETCH TAYLOR

Question: Which long-serving Radio 1 DJ is known as 'The Big Dog'?
Answer: TIM WESTWOOD