Crunch & Roll

On the advice of our legal team, which as regular listeners will know is a made up guy called Gary, we were advised to give this guest the chance to rebuke a serious accusation made against him by several previous guests on this podcast. So for the avoidance of doubt, SIMON LOGAN HAS NEVER THROWN A WHITEBOARD RUBBER AT ANYONE. Now that unpleasantness is out of the way... Simon was the guy on the Viking FM breakfast show when a fresh-faced young John Daniel Fox was travelling to college, drenched in Joop and wearing one of those colour-changing t-shirts. So, in the week that Viking FM celebrates its 40th birthday (and ceases to actually be Viking FM anymore, but let's not dwell on that), who better to get on than one of its legendary jocks. Simon may have been best known for his on-air wind up calls both in Hull and on Radio Aire in Leeds. In fact he put out a CD of the best wind ups and got into the top 20 of the actual album charts, sandwiched between two Britpop stalwarts! Most recently he's been plying his trade on BBC Radio Newcastle, a job that he got all by himself. But if a former Radio 1 legend had his way, he could have been his agent and taken a tidy 15%. More on that in the episode. And did you know he may have been the highest paid overnight guy ever? You will once you've listened. So many great stories and big laughs in this episode. Enjoy! There is some FANTASTIC classic Logie to listen to here: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=simon+logan&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC Hear Simon's more recent 80s v 90s shows on BBC Radio Newcastle: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004wzjk If you enjoy the podcast, just want to give you a quick reminder that we’d be grateful if you would support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

Foxy's guest this episode is a former Whatnotter. You know, from the Saturday Whatnot on Essex Radio... No? If that's not ringing any bells, maybe you know him from his mere 26 years at Key 103 / Hits Radio. YES! That Mike Toolan! Of course he's one of the biggest names in the business and who's been on Radio Aire, BRMB and Capital, as well as an actual GENERATION on 103FM in Manchester, so won't need too much of an introduction. We'll just whet your appetite with some of the contents of our hour with him: If that hasn't got your juices flowing, you're listening to the wrong podcast. Listen to Mike on the Hits Radio network weekdays from 4: https://planetradio.co.uk/hits-radio/presenters/mike-toolan/ Classic Toolan here, including an incredible snoop from a 1993 Rock FM show: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=mike+toolan&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC Mike's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Toolyboy

Стив Пауэр любит поезда. Just a little message for anyone who can understand Russian there. That doesn't include the guest on this episode, Steve Power, who ended up accidentally studying the language. There may have been drink involved. Steve must have been one of the longest serving breakfast show jocks ever. 17 BLOOMIN' YEARS! And not your lightweight 6am start nonsense. He was waking up the South of England from 5.30am! Most recently he's been on air at a much more civilised time of day, but his beloved Wave 105 has just been Greatest Hits Radioified, so he's hanging up his headphones... for now at least. What a career to date though. He made tea at BBC Radio Sussex; ran Southern FM and Power FM under Richard Park; and went national on Virgin Radio too. But it's his mighty stint at Wave 105 that he's probably best known for. During his chat with Foxy he talks about how he didn't enjoy being a PD; how he has no time for people who live in radio's past, and tells us about a case of mistaken identity at a nightclub PA in Wellingborough! Listen to some classic Steve here: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=steve+power&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC Find out his next move on his Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevepowerdj And if you enjoy the podcast and can spare a couple of quid to support it, we'd be eternally grateful: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

Before we started recording, Ben Jones told us he has a namesake in the radio industry and wanted to check we had the right guy. Er, yeah. We're sure. Ben was ever-present on the original Virgin Radio / Absolute Radio for a decade for goodness sake. He now plies his trade on the new Virgin Radio (amongst other pies he has his fingers in...), but it hasn't all been plain sailing to get there. After leaving Absolute there were some pretty dark times which Ben opens up about, and some of us will be able to relate to. But the good times majorly outweigh the bad, and he tells us all about them. Like blagging his way to Spain with a Capital legend; how he was the last person to interview David Bowie(!), and how "nobody gave a shit about his shiny trousers"! About those other pies Ben has his fingers in then. As well as radio he's also a prolific podcaster (can't see that ever catching on but, whatever) AND A BLOOMIN' MOVIE PRODUCER! His new film Love to Hate: Nickelback is about, well, sure you can work that one out. Many radio people will totally relate to that title after playing Rockstar for the 7000th time! If you're listening to the podcast the day it comes out, you'll be able to see the film in the actual cinema from Wednesday (27th March 2024). And it's a bit good, irrespective of how you feel about its titular subjects. Love to Hate: Nickelback is in cinemas on Wednesday 27th and Saturday 30th March 2024. Here's the trailer to whet your apatite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpvOigy8UR4 And there's more on the film here: https://www.nickelbackfilm.com/home/ Here's some classic on-air Jones: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=ben+jones&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC And here's his Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisbenjones

Has there ever been a more iconic evening show than Dave Kelly’s epoch-defining broadcast on Galaxy? If you were to write the recipe for the perfect evening show, you’d use all the ingredients that made Dave’s show so perfect. Daft features – Tick. Dicking about – Tick. Pushing the boundaries of what you get away with – Tick. Bangers – Tick. But what made this young fella from Northampton become the Don of Dusk? Luckily you’ve found the podcast to answer that very question. Galaxy wasn’t the only notable station on his CV. He had a good run at Capital and even turned his hand at doing breakfast on Radio City. He spills the beans on how all this came to pass, and in the case of City, the unfortunate ending. He also reveals he might be one of the biggest radio geeks out there (don’t get him started on split jingles); how he cost Galaxy tens of thousands of pounds due to a couple of significant cock-ups; and how he’s not the only Dave Kelly in radio. Dave now lives in the Cayman Islands and does shows for stations all over the world. Sucks to be Dave… But prepare to play the world’s smallest violin when plays the sympathy card regarding the price of frozen produce in the Caribbean. Follow Dave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davekellydj Find out about his current station, X107.1 in the Cayman Islands: https://www.facebook.com/x1071/?locale=en_GB And here’s some classic Dave in his Galaxy pomp: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=dave+kelly+galaxy&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC If you enjoy the podcast, just want to give you a quick reminder that we’d be grateful if you would support us on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

Dirk Anthony is one of the most famous, or for some, infamous, radio bosses there's ever been. He pretty much ran the show at GWR and then Gcap, after the merger with Capital. When you weald so much power for so long it's difficult for some to see beyond the 'big, scary boss' tag, and forget there's s real person with their own story, dealing with their own pressures. So, not having had too many dealings Dirk in the past, Foxy was a bit nervous about grilling "the Guvnor"... but it's probably fair to say Dirk was more nervous! We started right at the beginning, taking in his slightly fortuitous entry into the industry after initially taking on a trade. He lifts the lid on the GWR / Capital merger, and muses on a job he could / should have taken on. And he addresses the "bloody Aussies" feeling some people had, with great humility and understanding. Oh, he also tells us his real name - listen right to the end for that. And whatever you thought you knew about Dirk, prepare to find out the real story. Dirk is now a partner of the consultancy company Blank White Page (https://blankwhitepage.co.uk/) and has made the incredibly kind offer to help any Crunch & Roll listener who's struggling with life after radio to understand who their skills and experience can be invaluable in the outside world. Contact him at dirk.anthony@blankwhitepage.co.uk.

Foxy has referenced many of his radio heroes before - Moyles, Mark & Lard, Robin Banks - but the biggest poster on teenage Foxy's bedroom wall was that of Scott Makin. It was his husky, Teesside tones and his lovely leather jacket that did it for him. But listen to the end to find out how our awe-fill presenter embarrassed himself in front of his icon the first time they met. If you've lived in Yorkshire or the North East of England in the last 30ish years there's a good chance you've heard Scott doing his thing. He is undeniably 'King of Mids' but there's the most perfect story of how he ended up presenting Breakfast at Century, and how I did his best to sabotage this gem of a job offer. You'll also hear about the time he met a former inmate listener in a bar, and a Full Monty performance featuring former guest Joel Ross (and what he'd do for £30 in the late 90s). Warning: Contains gratuitous, misty-eyed mentions of Viking FM. Hear Scott on BBC Radio Tees and BBC Radio Newcastle, weekday afternoons from 2: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04kbx4b Get your ears around a bit of classic Scott on Aircheck Downloads: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/uk-airchecks/hallam-fm-sheffield/2010s/scott-makin-apr-9th-2013-655 Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottMakinRadio

A greased eel. The fur of a chinchilla. A babies bum. When it comes to smoothness, this lot just aren't cutting the mustard, because Rossie's voice is smoother than an otter in socks, sliding down a lubed-up iceberg. But you don't have a CV like his by simply having a great voice. His claim that he's the only person Parky never called up on the XD to give the hairdryer treatment to is probably testament to that. He's had stints working at Radio City, Radio Aire and imperial phase Capital, but now hosts one of the biggest shows around, breakfast on Greatest Hits Radio. And with such an accomplished CV it makes sense that he's a brilliant story teller with brilliant stories to tell. Like the time he pinched a celebs booze stash at Party in the Park; how he almost didn't do his first show at Capital thanks to nerves; and an unfortunate (but hilarious) selfie incident. And did we mention his voice..? Catch Rossie on Great Hits Radio Breakfast: https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/west-midlands/ There's TONS of classic Rossie on Aircheck Downloads: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=simon+ross&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC And here he is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rossie7dj

When considering a 'radio name', you could literally choose ANYTHING. But we find out early on in this episode that Dick chose, well, Dick. To be fair, it did lead to the best named breakfast show radio have ever seen! But as he helpfully suggests, "Don't Google 'Dick Stone'". Dick is a programming stalwart, running Ram, Trent, the Hit Music Network, Capital East Mids and the Smooth network. Most people reading this will probably have worked for him for goodness sake! But we also find out about his days before he was the boss, when he had to mimic another presenter to get his first professional gig. We also find out that he once took some presenters hostage in his office. Kind of. If you're enjoying Crunch & Roll, please give us a nice review on your podcast app. And subscribe / follow us, so you get every new episode as soon as they drop. We're also on Ko-Fi if you'd like to buy us a coffee (or radio station mugs off Ebay) - Just click here: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll Read Dick's insightful and sage radio blog here: https://dick-stone.com/blog/ And follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DickStone

The guest on this episode could be called a 'one station man'.... that is if he hadn't moved somewhere else almost exactly ten years ago! Nigel Freshman*, or Fresh to his listeners, was undeniably 'Mr Beacon' until his love affair with the station turned sour and he moved to Smooth West Midlands where he still plies his trade. So he's pretty much a legend in the West Midlands and can’t walk down Bilston high street without getting mobbed! It's another episode full of tremendous stories and brutal honesty. Well, life would be boring if we all thought the same things... He tells us about a recent medical diagnosis, the crazy times with a former co-presenter, how his fancy car put him in a new bosses bad books, his part in what is now the most cited case in media law... and his thoughts on his final couple of years at Beacon, in which Foxy admits to never being so awkward... You can hear Fresh on the Smooth Radio West Midlands Breakfast Show, weekdays 6-10: https://www.smoothradio.com/westmids/ And Aircheck Downloads have a couple of clips from back in the Beacon days: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=fresh&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC And follow Fresh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nigelfreshman If you're enjoying Crunch & Roll, please give us a nice review on your podcast app. And subscribe / follow us, so you get every new episode as soon as they drop. We're also on Ko-Fi if you'd like to buy us a coffee (although I can't guarantee it won't be something stronger) - Just click here: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll *Listen after the credits to find out the real story of his name.

Hold on to your headphones, Tiger Tim's roaring onto Crunch & Roll, and he's grrrrrrrrrreat! (Sorry). Early on in his chat with Foxy he tells us that it is "no holes barred"... He's happy to to go through the many highs and some notable lows of his career, spanning Capital and BRMB to TFM and Minster, and plenty more besides. We've cover how he was once told he couldn't say his own name right by one manager, the magic of warming up for Chris Tarrant every morning, and turning down a big gig for the sake of his health and sanity. There's strong language and adult content in this episode. And if you are affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, you're not alone and there's help and support at www.drinkaware.co.uk. If you're a regular listener to the podcast, firstly thank you - we love you. But if you'd like to support the podcast / contribute to the 969media Christmas party, we'd be eternally grateful if you would click here: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll Check out Tim's magic here: https://timlichfield.com/ Listen to Tim on YorkMix Radio from 3pm weekdays: https://yorkmix.com/radio/

This episodes finds you just before Christmas 2023. Tis the season of good will to all men... except one former boss who features in this episode! But be assured the rest of Foxy's chat with Darren Daley is a real Christmas cracker. He's been in the game since Cliff Richard was number 1 in the charts with Saviours' Day, so has plenty of stories to tell. Luckily for us he's kept all his correspondence from radio stations from the last 35+ years, and reads out some of the more noteworthy examples. Fair to say he wasn't on former Radio 1 controller Johnny Beerling's Christmas card list. There's chat about how Radio City legend Phil Eason gave him his first break one memorable Boxing Day. And the tale of a naked Australian producer ruining the news on a unfortunately serious news day. There's strong language and adult content in this episode. If you're a regular listener to the podcast, firstly thank you - we love you. But if you'd like to support the podcast / contribute to the 969media Christmas party, we'd be eternally grateful if you would click here: https://ko-fi.com/crunchandroll

Foxy calls him The Professor. You might know him as The Funster. But his passport says Paul Carrington. Paul has to be one of the most well known presenters in the north of England and is guaranteed to have worked on a station near you, if you live north of Sutton-cum-Duckmanton. Piccadilly, Signal, Viking, Buzz, Minster, Pulse - We'll let Paul tell you the rest. There's stories about working for Timmy Mallett (along with Professor Brain Cox, Chris Evans and Nick Robinson); how he helped the biggest pop group of the 80s escape a hoard of screaming fans (involves an old Ford Escort); and how he's embarrassed about being The Funster. It's a long one (so we'll keep this bit short), but absolutely worth sticking with to the end. Enjoy!

When we started this podcast, we wrote down a list of people we'd love to have on, and sitting close to the top (between the hairy cornflake and Alan Tichmarsh) was today's guest, Jo Russell. We've been pestering her to come on for ages but wasn't having any of it, until John upped the appearance fee to two bottles of Blossom Hill, then she was in! We worked with her for several years at BRMB and didn't know 10% of the stuff she talked about in this episode, so unless you're her mum, you probably don't have a clue either. There's the story of leading a double life in her early career - insurance sales person by day, radio presenter by night. There's the story about people pretending to be her in Nottingham at the height of her fame while on Trent. And how she once had a very pleasant sacking by one of radio's great managers. There's strong language in this episode (much to Jo's surprise!). Hear Jo & Sparky on Gem breakfast: https://planetradio.co.uk/gem-106/presenters/gem-breakfast-show-jo-sparky/

We've got a few 'firsts' going on in this episode. The first first is that Paul is the first (OK, stop saying first) Scottish guest on the podcast. We'll be honest, we're not that clued-up about radio north of the border, so it was interesting to hear about the differences between it and radio 'down south'. Who needs contracts?! Second first is that he's 'done' Australia, and in style. No messing about - straight on 2Day FM. No big deal, just hanging out with Kyle and Jackie O in Sydney. And the final first is he's our first guest who's on the radio in Canada. And he's kindly offered to put up any Crunch & Roll listeners in his home if you want to visit Toronno (apparently you don't say the 'T'). Thanks Paul! You're going to find out about the debauchery of Scotland's most rock and roll radio station; how he ended up being Japanese; and the consequences of giving callers funny names on PhoneBox. There's strong language in this episode, just how you like it. Paul's on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/impaulharper And listen to his breakfast show on Today Radio in Toronto, here: https://935todayradio.com/paul-harper/ Here's some classic Harper: https://www.aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=paul+harper&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC THAT Tay FM imaging voice! Sponsored time-check? And how hot was BEAT 106?

John describes Elliott as Mr BRMB, and for most people that's probably how they see him too. But there's so much more to his story. During the course of this episode you might come to regard him as Mr Sacked for Gross Misconduct; Mr Gave Moyles a Pep Talk; or Mr Told His Boss To Fuck Off. Oh, and find out all about his part in radio's most controversial promotion. Get ready to get caught up in Elliott's web. Sorry. Contains strong language. Hear Elliott doing his thing on BBC Hereford and Worcester, weekdays from 10: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00drqfg Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/elliottjwebb Insta: https://www.instagram.com

As nicknames go, The Dark Lord is right up there. But it could have been so different for our guest if a former boss had got his way and convinced him to go with Red. Alex Lester is truly deserving of the description 'legend'. Three decades at Radio 2 for goodness sake! He's got some stories from those times, mainly involving Sir Terry, as well as delving into the beginning of his career and the disastrous launch of a station he was involved with. But the tale of his fan mail nearly made us soil ourselves. Be warned! There's very strong language and adult content in this episode. Listen to Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio: https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/station/on-air/alex-lester/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexthedarklord?lang=en

We're back with an absolute beaut of a guest: It's Andy Bush (or Andrew Buschenfeld if he's in trouble). We caught up with him just after his show one evening, shortly before he tucked into a supermarket chicken jalfrezi. Don't let anyone tell you radio isn't glamorous. He chatted to John about how he had always dreamed of being on the radio as a child; his delight after the Global had taken over GWR; and how he bloody LOVES radio conferences. * Oh, John also goes 'there' and asks the question we all wanted to know... Expect strong language, adult content and a sad story about a turkey. * For the avoidance of doubt, the opposite of all these things is true. Listen to Hometime with Bush & Richie on Absolute here: https://planetradio.co.uk/absolute-radio/shows/hometime-with-bush-richie/ Buy his amazing book 'Celebs at Home' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celebs-At-Home-Andy-Bush/dp/1783528192 And his numerous, excellent podcasts, including The A-Z of the 90s, Beethoven: The Basics and Scarred for Life are available wherever you get your podcasts.

Yeah mate. Got Pat Sharp on the pod. No biggy. We'll keep it brief as he doesn't really need much of an introduction. Find out the real story of the fabled Parky red card incident; what it was like to share a Top of the Pops dressing room with the whole Radio 1 line-up; and the tale of an awkward gig that he wasn't so keen to do. Pat's website: https://patsharp.co.uk/ And Insta: https://www.instagram.com/mrpatsharp/

We didn't plan to have loads of former Capital FM legends on this series of Crunch & Roll - in fact we don't plan anything - but we're very pleased it turned out that way. Neil Bentley's happiest times were not at the big 95.8 though, they were at a another often featured station that, like him, were big on dance and R&B. Neil's not spoken about his career since leaving the industry over a decade ago, so prepare to learn. And prepare to pick your jaw off the floor after some of the tales that would be best described 'SO radio'. There's the story of the brutal rejection letter from Radio 1 that might not have been all it seemed; he tells us how one of the world's biggest DJs offered to carry his records into an Egyptian-themed nightclub in Barnsley for him; and his embarrassing interaction with the Queen of Pop. Contains strong language and adult content. Neil's on Twitter, see: https://twitter.com/DJneilbentley And Inst: https://www.instagram.com/neilbentley/ This is Neil's digital and creative company: https://www.webvid.com/about/ And you can indulge yourself in some classic Bentley here: https://aircheckdownloads.com/audio-search?term=neil+bentley&sort_bef_combine=relevance_DESC