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Brian Matthew

Not an RIP I'm pleased to say but gutted that Radio 2 have decided not to allow him to return for his Saturday morning show:

The BBC said in a statement that, due to Matthew’s ill health, it had been mutually agreed that it was “the right time for him to step off the weekly treadmill of presenting the show”.

But Matthew said: “That’s absolute balderdash. I was ready and willing and able to go back, and they’ve just said they are going to put the programme in the hands of other people.

“I didn’t really have much in the way of ill health. I had a collapse at home at the bottom of our stairs, and my wife called the ambulance service. They came and examined me and said it was a matter for appraisal at the hospital. They put me on a ward, I stayed there for a while and now I’m back at home.

“I enjoyed doing the show very much indeed. I did it for 25 years. I feel very disconcerted, I must say. I do admit I’m a bit of an antique, but that’s never seemed to matter until now.”


Matthew said the decision to take him off the show was “horrible”. He was one of Radio 2’s first DJs, and has presented Sounds of the 60s since 1990.

“The BBC have, in their wisdom, just sent me a whole batch of letters from listeners. You should see the mail,” he said. “It’s amazing, people saying ‘We’ve always been fans of the programme, it isn’t the same without you, when are you coming back?’”
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Comments

  • Nothing against Sir Tim Rice as an individual but Brian Matthew IS Sounds of The Sixties.

    Typical BBC ageism.
  • He must of played every single released in the sixties about four times.

    There's only so many times you can listen to Dusty Springfield or Herman's Hermits before the urge to kill gets too strong.
  • Brian Matthew - a true original, he was there before Radio 1/2/3/4 were launched.
    Always loved his Saturday show in the 60's.
    A great DJ with warmth and humour.
    Maybe the last of the breed that respects the artists and doesn't try to make it about the DJ.
    Love ya mate and hope the BBC has a rethink
  • Addickted said:

    He must of played every single released in the sixties about four times.

    There's only so many times you can listen to Dusty Springfield or Herman's Hermits before the urge to kill gets too strong.

    But that's the thing - he didn't just play Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits. He played obscure stuff too. And even if he had played "every single released in the sixties about four times" that would mean that you had heard it, on average, every six years! Hardly Magic Radio is it?

    Of course not.

    The only DJ to broadcast a whole hour of 78rpms

  • Addickted said:

    Addickted said:

    He must of played every single released in the sixties about four times.

    There's only so many times you can listen to Dusty Springfield or Herman's Hermits before the urge to kill gets too strong.

    But that's the thing - he didn't just play Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits. He played obscure stuff too. And even if he had played "every single released in the sixties about four times" that would mean that you had heard it, on average, every six years! Hardly Magic Radio is it?

    Of course not.

    The only DJ to broadcast a whole hour of 78rpms

    And your point is?
  • Addickted said:

    Addickted said:

    He must of played every single released in the sixties about four times.

    There's only so many times you can listen to Dusty Springfield or Herman's Hermits before the urge to kill gets too strong.

    But that's the thing - he didn't just play Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits. He played obscure stuff too. And even if he had played "every single released in the sixties about four times" that would mean that you had heard it, on average, every six years! Hardly Magic Radio is it?

    Of course not.

    The only DJ to broadcast a whole hour of 78rpms

    And your point is?
    Sorry. Being flippant.

    The bloke is 88 and his time is up. His drowning voice on a Saturday morning is just not my cup of tea.

  • Well said @raytreacy69. Quite a regular listener on a Saturday morning and never heard the same song twice. Loads of new (old) stuff to me too rather than just the Beatles and the Kinks etc every week.
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  • edited January 2017
    Fucking hell, the bloke got to play records on the radio and get paid for it for 25 years and he still ain't happy.

    Those people in Aleppo don't know they're born compared to the hard times being experienced by this bloke.
  • Just put it on and Tim rice is playing Days by the Kinks. Bring back Brian!
  • Hope I die before I get old (or listen to Radio 2)
  • What makes (made) Sounds of The Sixties so good is that Brian Matthew interviewed/knew so many of the performers whose records are played and this adds an extra dimension to the show. Why couldn't the BBC let things be for a little longer? Brian Matthew freely admit is 'he's a bit of an antique' and would have called it a day when he felt the time was right.
  • The Beeb should do the decent thing and let him at have one last show to say his good byes etc.
  • End of an era as far as I'm concerned. Have been listening for the entire time Brian has broadcast the show, and not overly content with Tim Rice taking over, but hey ho things change.

    I grew up with this music, which is always a great reminder of the 60's and 70's.

  • Addickted said:

    Addickted said:

    Addickted said:

    He must of played every single released in the sixties about four times.

    There's only so many times you can listen to Dusty Springfield or Herman's Hermits before the urge to kill gets too strong.

    But that's the thing - he didn't just play Dusty Springfield and Herman's Hermits. He played obscure stuff too. And even if he had played "every single released in the sixties about four times" that would mean that you had heard it, on average, every six years! Hardly Magic Radio is it?

    Of course not.

    The only DJ to broadcast a whole hour of 78rpms

    And your point is?
    Sorry. Being flippant.

    The bloke is 88 and his time is up. His drowning voice on a Saturday morning is just not my cup of tea.

    Don't listen then.
  • Fucking hell, the bloke got to play records on the radio and get paid for it for 25 years and he still ain't happy.

    Those people in Aleppo don't know they're born compared to the hard times being experienced by this bloke.

    On that basis, CARD should fold and the Charlton protests should stop immediately.
  • He had a 'desk' at Henry Wood house, which I think he shared with a few other radio people when he came into production meetings. Think he was the first BBC broadcast journalist to interview Jimi Hendrix within a few weeks of landing in the UK. He had quite a clear recollection of Jimi, said he was 'stoned', which is hardly a revelation.... but I got the impression he was not very impressed.
    To me he was on the pop side of music, but very knowledgeable, Pity if the BBC do not allow this guy an opportunity to bow out with a final show as others have said. He had a very respected knowledge of people and events of the 60's.
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  • I'm ancient and I've listened to music all my life. I've never heard of this bloke.
  • edited January 2017
    cafcfan said:

    I'm ancient and I've listened to music all my life. I've never heard of this bloke.

    You may not know the name but you will know the voice.

    Can't find a recording but below is a profile. If you listened to any of those then you will have heard him.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/40VNr9nPKD5bjB1qtsR6ck0/brian-matthew
  • The music Tim is playing is still great but the bits between the music is not the same. Terrible news and the telegraph article says he's no longer able to do his show when he states he can. They've binned him off against his will. Rude.
  • HandG said:

    Well said @raytreacy69. Quite a regular listener on a Saturday morning and never heard the same song twice. Loads of new (old) stuff to me too rather than just the Beatles and the Kinks etc every week.

    You can never have too much of the Kinks
  • Enjoyed listening to Brian Matthews since his Saturday club days.
    He had a bit of a cult following (old gits like me).
    Tim Rice is not quite the same.

    Listening to the sixties records reminds me of my days of flared hipster trousers and floral shirts with big collars.
    I remember going to meet my then girlfriend and she appeared with flowers in her hair.
    "Whats that all about"? I asked pointing to the bouquet on her head.
    "Its flowers in your aire, haven't you erd the record"?
    "You look ridiculous."
    So I turned my jacket inside out to look equally ridiculous and we walked down Eltham high street, me wearing my best hipster trousers and my jacket inside out and her looking daft with flowers in her hair.
    Oh what memories.
  • Ridiculous decision.

    Much as I admire Tim Rice he must have the most boring voice on radio.
  • I have an excellent LP and CD of Johnny Kidd's BBC live sessions for Brian Matthew's show, the CD includes some great snippets of BM chatting to Johnny Kidd during the intros. The earliest one was 1959. Remember this was eight years before Radio 1 was launched. Anyone who doesn't know who he is has a serious gap in their knowledge of popular music.
  • Bit of a shame, love his show. Should be allowed to come back and say his goodbyes. He used to include interviews in the show from back in the day and they are his property, so no one else is going to play them. Did a lot of stuff with the Beatles in their early days, with slot of great quips on from John etc.
  • It's a shame, but the BBC do have form in this - Jimmy Young was similarly ousted when the Beeb thought he'd passed his sell by date.
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