Simon Bates (born Birmingham, 17 December 1947) is best known for being a disc jockey in the UK and New Zealand. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Between 1976 and 1993 he worked at BBC Radio 1, spending the vast majority of his time at the station presenting the weekday mid-morning show. He is now a regular on Classic FM. Classic FM is one of the United Kingdom 's three Independent National Radio stations broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style
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Early career
Bates lived in Suffolk and Shropshire and was educated at Adams' Grammar School before working for radio stations in New Zealand and Australia during his teenage years. Suffolk (ˈsʌfək is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the Adams' Grammar School is a state Grammar school in Newport, Shropshire. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Bates returned to the UK in 1971 to join the BBC, initially working for BBC Radio 4 and then joining BBC Radio 2 in 1973 presenting the Late Night show, before presenting the Early Morning show in 1975. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Bates left BBC Radio 2 in January 1976 and joined BBC Radio 1 in May the same year standing in for Tom Browne to host the Top 20 before presenting the Sunday morning show two months later. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tom Browne (born on 11 November 1945) is a British broadcaster and actor born in Lymington, Hampshire, and educated at King's College School
During these years, Bates was also seen on various videos tapes, providing the information on the video certificates as provided by the British board of film classification, and the Video standards council. The British Board of Film Classification ( BBFC) originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for Film, DVD
BBC Radio 1
Initially a weekend presenter playing new pop records, Bates took over the weekday mid-morning programme in November 1977 and stayed for 16 years. The least showbiz of Radio 1's big-name presenters, with limited banter and avuncular appearance (sober clothes, large glasses), Bates nevertheless became popular, with up to 11 million listeners. His voice — essentially a sped-up, slightly Americanised version of the standard Received Pronunciation associated with BBC Radio 4 — has long been one of the most recognised in the UK, unusual in that most Radio 1 DJs of the time had a more informal "DJ" voice, and most Radio 4 presenters did not pep up their RP with anything like Bates' informal touch. Received Pronunciation ( RP) is a form of Pronunciation of the English language (specifically British English) which has long been perceived as
Two long-running features of his programme were particularly well known: The Golden Hour and Our Tune.
Bates inherited The Golden Hour from his predecessor, Tony Blackburn. Tony Blackburn (born 29 January 1943 in Guildford, Surrey) is an award winning English Disc jockey, who broadcast on the The listener had to guess the year from records played and clues given by Bates.
However, Bates is mainly remembered for Our Tune, which, from 1980, became a daily 11am feature of his show. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Over the background of Nino Rota's theme to Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, Bates would read a story sent by a listener. Nino Rota ( December 3, 1911 &ndash April 10, 1979) was an Italian Composer best known for his work on Film scores Franco Zeffirelli, KBE (born Gianfranco Corsi on February 12, 1923) is an Italian Film director. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Romeo and Juliet ( 1968) is a movie adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. The story invariably had a theme of tragedy, often starting with a happy courtship but followed by a disaster such as illness or death. The story would conclude with a record chosen by the correspondent. Although many bemoaned the largely mawkish nature of the feature, it was widely listened to and earned Bates popular acclaim. A number of spin-off albums, featuring songs chosen by listeners, would be released.
A third, less well-remembered feature was The Birthday File, in which Bates would play music by stars celebrating a birthday.
Bates afforded regular airtime to Jonathan King to comment about the music scene, and was always the presenter sent by Radio 1 to interview stars at the BRIT Awards. Jonathan King (born Kenneth George King, 6 December 1944 London, England) is a British Singer, Songwriter, TV personality The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards In 1989 he did a summer series called Round The World in which his show broadcast from a new country each day — the idea being that he would go round the world without flying within 67 days, an aim in which he was ultimately unsuccessful (he had to fly over Saudi Arabia) although he did raise £300,000 for Oxfam and it did only take 78 days. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi This won him awards, though cynics claimed he did it to avoid being given one of the BBC Radio 1 roadshows, and Bates himself has since effectively confirmed that suggestion. Bates' daily reports ran for only half an hour — Mike Read stepped in to present The Golden Hour during this period while the rest of the morning was taken up by the roadshow. This article is about the broadcaster For those with an identical-sounding but differently-spelled name see Mike Reid.
Bates also had two runs presenting the Sunday afternoon Top 40, from 2 April 1978 to 26 August 1979 (during which time the Top 20 was extended to the Top 40 on 12 November 1978) and 8 January 1984 to 23 September 1984. The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) He presented BBC TVs Top of the Pops regularly from 1980 to 1988, and presented the roadshow — which he came to despise — every summer for many years until 1988, on one occasion insisting on wearing long trousers when it was compulsory to wear shorts. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) After his round-the-world trip in 1989, he was exempted roadshow duties for his last four summers at the station.
Bates worked on the mid-morning slot until 1993, seeing breakfast-show presenters like Noel Edmonds, Dave Lee Travis, Mike Read, Mike Smith and Simon Mayo come and go. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Noel Ernest Edmonds Dave Lee Travis (born in Buxton, Derbyshire on 25 May 1945) also known professionally as DLT, is a British radio presenter This article is about the broadcaster For those with an identical-sounding but differently-spelled name see Mike Reid. Mike Smith is a British Television and Radio Presenter. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford He began his Simon Mayo (born 21 September 1958 in Southgate London) is an English radio presenter He was not the most popular member of staff at Radio 1. John Peel was fond of repeating that he formed a posse with David Jensen and Paul Burnett to attack him in the car park but admitted they never actually confronted him. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio David "Kid" Jensen (born July 4, 1950) 58 is a Canadian -born British Radio DJ. Paul Burnett, born 26 November, 1943 in Hulme, Manchester, is a British Radio Disc jockey, who began his radio
When new controller Matthew Bannister arrived at the station intending to shake-up its safe feel and modernise it, Bates was one of the presenters thought to be under threat. For the New Zealand musician see Matthew Bannister (musician Richard Matthew Bannister (born 1957-03-16) is a British Bannister's comments in the book "The Nation's Favourite" indicate that he feared Bates's supposed subversive influence rather than his broadcasting style. Bates resigned before the station was able to sack him. A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position
Bates was heard on all five national BBC stations — apart from his stint at BBC Radio 1 and his broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 (unusually before he joined the pop network), he also presented a Prom concert on BBC Radio 3 in 1987 and presented a digest of the daily papers on the original version of BBC Radio 5 (now BBC Radio Five Live) in 1990. The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily Orchestral BBC Radio 5 was for three years and eight months a BBC Radio network that carried sports children's and educational programmes Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)
After Radio 1
After leaving Radio 1 he worked for Irish-based long wave station Atlantic 252, reviving Our Tune and then presented a TV version of the feature daily for BBC1's Good Morning with Anne and Nick in 1994-95 and later for Sky One. The longwave Radio band is a range of frequencies used for AM broadcasting, which extends from 148 Atlantic 252 was a Long wave radio station broadcasting to Ireland and Britain on 252 kHz (1190 Good Morning with Anne and Nick was a BBC1 daytime Television show presented by Anne Diamond and Nick Owen, from October 1992 to May
During these few years he also became the face of the BBFC video classification board, often seen before films that had come out on home video, describing the classification of the movie. The British Board of Film Classification ( BBFC) originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for Film, DVD This was lampooned by comedians such as Harry Enfield and Ben Elton. Harry Enfield (born 30 May, 1961 in Sussex, England) is an English Comedian, Actor and Writer Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959 is an English Comedian, writer and director.
From September 1995 - April 1996, Bates broadcast for Talk Radio UK (now TalkSport) as the breakfast show presenter. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) talkSPORT is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters offering a commercial sports and talk radio service from London He was then heard on London's Liberty Radio as mid-morning presenter until 1997. Liberty Radio is a International Radio station which is based in Finsbury Park, London. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar
In 1997, Bates joined Classic FM, presenting the weekly Classic Romance programme and was also heard on BBC Southern Counties Radio presenting a Sunday morning show until late 1998. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) In addition, between 1996 & 1998, Bates presented a show on the Classic Gold Network on weekday evenings. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Classic Gold was a network of three "Gold" music formatted stations which broadcast on AM in Bradford, Hull and Sheffield. He then moved to London's LBC as breakfast host from 1999–2002. LBC 973 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial
Classic FM
Having originally joined Classic FM in 1997, presenting the weekly Classic Romance show, in mid-2002, just before leaving LBC, he was offered his first daily show on the station, presenting the drivetime show. Classic FM is one of the United Kingdom 's three Independent National Radio stations broadcasting classical music in a popular and accessible style Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. LBC Radio (originally the London Broadcasting Company) operates two London-based radio stations with news and talk formats
Since June 2003, Bates has presented Classic FM's breakfast show weekdays from 7 to 11am and he continues to present the two-hour "Classic FM at the Movies" programme, discussing films and film music on Saturday evenings. Since September 2006, his show has been broadcast from 8am-noon. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
A Revival
In addition to Classic FM shows, Bates presents a revival of his classic feature from Radio 1 Our Tune. Our Tune at Noon can be heard every Monday–Friday at 12. 00 Midday, syndicated on commercial stations across the UK.
| Preceded by Tom Browne (broadcaster and actor) |
BBC Radio One chart show presenter 1978 - 1979 |
Succeeded by Tony Blackburn |
| Preceded by Tommy Vance |
BBC Radio One chart show presenter 1984 |
Succeeded by Richard Skinner |
External links
Tom Browne (born on 11 November 1945) is a British broadcaster and actor born in Lymington, Hampshire, and educated at King's College School Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Tony Blackburn (born 29 January 1943 in Guildford, Surrey) is an award winning English Disc jockey, who broadcast on the Tommy Vance, born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston ( 11 July 1941 &ndash 6 March 2005) was a British Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Richard Skinner (born December 26, 1951) is a British radio and television broadcaster.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic