Radio Seagull: Chris B on air in 2018 presents Toward The Unknown Region PLAYLISTS In August 2003 Chris Bent, a.k.a. Chris B, at that time based in Canada, was one of the voices to be heard on the launch day for the new Radio Seagull. In October of that year Seagull, in conjunction with Laser Radio, broadcast a series of programmes from Latvia on 9290Khz, and it is one those broadcasts, as received in the UK complete with swirling sprogs, to which you are now listening. Can't hear the embedded file? Click here for Seagull on 9290 Khz This 238 minute atmospheric recording was kindly made at Imagination Towers, Staffordshire, by the legendary and sadly missed Rob Leighton.   Chris can be heard every Friday and Saturday on Radio Seagull at midday and again at midnight (on DAB Coast and County, 747Khz & online) Check out this one-off show  from 2011 which celebrated the Radio Geronimo film documentary which won two Angel Awards at the 2010 Monaco Film Festival. The film was written and produced by Chris Bent in collaboration with Editor and Director Mark Dezzani (Europa Productions). <<<<<<<More archives Chris B at Harlingen Harbour: The Radio Seagull ship Jenni Baynton Click here for Chris B Radio Seagull Biography 1970 was THE year it all came together - for me. Radio Geronimo late night from Monte Carlo. Early prog rock late night with Kid Jensen on Luxembourg and great music all day from 'pirate radio' RNI from the North Sea. It was the beginning of the last year at school and friendships blossomed. Some destined to fail whilst one girl* would become my life partner. Oh what a lucky man! (cue Emerson Lake & Palmer - although no 'white horses and ladies by the score') *Kathy and I met on the same day that the RNI MEBO II radio ship was attacked on the North Sea. Radio London was my first love in 1967 - a hot summer when my parents worried that I was not running around outside with all the other kiddies. But, hey, I was 12 and had just discovered pirate radio, and it was THE summer of Love. John Peel, initially with Radio London, then amazingly with BBC Radio 1 from 1967 until his untimely death in October 2004 was undoubtedly a major influence on my young, impressionable and rebellious mind. My brain is stuck at age 16 - not in a boring 'living in the past' kind of way, but in a 'Wow, isn't this new one from Kate Tempest stunning'. It's something John Peel was undoubtedly also afflicted with, but it certainly broadens your musical outlook - and still lets you enjoy the thrill of hearing NEW music for the first time. Teenage kicks indeed... Along with Radio 1, and briefly RNI,, Caroline was the intermittent soundtrack to much of my life but Radio Geronimo, intriguingly via Monte Carlo from Harley Street, was the catalyst that sparked the inspiration…droning voices, fantastic music – progressive rock, jazz & classical all in the same programme, facts about the music, news of concerts, the use of earthy language of the street, the counter culture vibe. Of course such a radio station was doomed to failure, as wonderful things so often are, and Geronimo had but a short butterfly life of less than a year. But it was long enough to show how it could be done. The adverts don’t have to interfere with the music, the presenter can be knowledgeable, you can have the listener being treated as an equal to the presenter. In 1973/74 Ronan O'Rahilly gave us another opportunity of the Geronimo experience in the guise of Radio Seagull from the Mi Amigo. Ronan purposely drafted in ex Geronimo presenters Hugh Nolan and Barry Everitt - now both sadly departed for that great gig in the sky.   a 16 year old Chris B Toward The Unknown Region - 'where pomposity and pretentiousness know no boundaries...' I noticed a Mission Statement on an office wall - Lots of grandiose verbiage about putting the customer first, caring for the staff and providing quality products. I’m sure many businesses have what amounts to a statement of intent. The cynical amongst us may consider a Mission Statement to be a prettily typed and elegantly framed pack of lies, so it is with some trepidation that I have decided the best way to describe my interest in broadcasting is to pompously and pretentiously treat it like a corporate entity, viz: The Chris B mission is… to play lesser known tracks that were overlooked when first issued, and liberally sprinkle in songs from long established artists – but not necessarily songs with which you may be familiar. to play songs by new artists that are otherwise ignored; to take a chance, to act upon a hunch, to play songs by unfashionable artists; to occasionally play something we all know; to not be bothered about being personally popular – the music is the message, the music is the priority. I’m just pleased that my unquestioning faith in the music has been rewarded by confirmation that others share a liking for the peripheral areas of the music scene, both now and going back 40+ years*; to sound happy, to be kind, to invite comment and ideas from listeners; to offer the occasional informed comment about the music founded on knowledge gleaned over many years (wasted) reading about the trivia of popular culture – also based on many hours of ‘professional radio listening’, would that such a vocation existed! And of course, the blaggers guides, ‘Record Collector’ and ‘Tapestry Of Delights’; to make the music the centre of attraction   Be seeing you...   Chris B/Chris Bent revised 23rd June 2018 radioseagull.co.uk radioseagull.info   PS That great song you just caught the end of but couldn’t quite make out who it was by – names such as ‘Sufjan Stevens’ or 'Phenomenal Handclap Band’ and did he really say ‘Five Horse Johnson’ or 'Grandadbob' all of which can easily slip by your ears at first mention so a playlist is a great idea. As far as I know Bob Harris (BBC) was the first presenter to archive his playlists. I’m never ashamed to use someone else’s idea so I’ve embraced this PLAYLISTS idea.   *Hours spent in Campkins Record Shop, Peterborough, sifting through the ex-chart and failed singles. Just knowing that 'Fredereek Hernando' by One In A Million was worth buying. One record collector was amazed that any copies of this ultra rare MGM single, featuring a young Jimmy McCulloch, had been distributed outside of Scotland. Just knowing that the Earth and Fire LP on Nepentha records was a great album... and on Dandelion records 'A Candle For Judith' by The Way We Live a.k.a. Tractor. Early electronica like 'An Electric Storm' by The White Noise... and buying the Columbia 45 'It Would Be So Nice/Julia Dream' which would ultimately be disowned by the band that recorded it, Pink Floyd...     Finally, you may even know me from Newark Hill Infants & Junior School circa 1960-66 and/or Deacons Grammar School for boys circa 1966-71, both of Peterborough. Plus, I have had an alternate life at British Telecom as a Technician/Engineer ultimately specialising in airfield planning whilst having had a great time mending payphones.