Roger Scott
Encyclopedia
Roger Scott was a British
radio disc jockey
. He was best known for presenting an afternoon radio show on London
's Capital Radio
from 1973 until 1988.
Born in London in 1943, Roger Scott developed an early love of the rock and roll
music being created at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s. As a teenager, he began playing records out the window of his suburban London home and watching the reaction of passers-by to the music.
and joined the radio station WPTR in Albany, New York
in 1966. Scott's job, based on his British accent, was to be 'friend of the Beatles
', and Scott learned the craft of disc jockey, working with Boom Boom Brannigan and other legendary names at the station. Eight months later he left WPTR to become the evening presenter at the Montreal
station 1470 CFOX
. From 1967 to 1971 he was known by listeners for his on-air antics and for his passionate love of music. Notable during this time was his participation in "Give Peace a Chance
", recorded by John Lennon
with Yoko Ono
during their 'Bed-in' for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
in Montreal.
Anticipating the launch of legal land-based commercial radio, Scott returned to the UK
in 1971, only to find the introduction was not as advanced as he had anticipated. Meanwhile he secured a position at UBN
, a closed-circuit station broadcasting music to all the United Biscuits
factories nationwide. It was about this time he also had a brief stint on BBC Radio 1
but, anticipating a future in commercial radio, he did so under the pseudonym 'Bob Baker'.
. Scott's afternoon drive-time shows became immensely popular with Londoners, generating such landmark features as the 'Three O'Clock Thrill' and the daily 'Hitline', together with the jingle 'Grab a little piece of heaven' by David Dundas
. In 1976 his regular Friday rush-hour oldies show "Cruising" acquired a cult following, largely owing to his introduction of obscure rock-a-billy records to his London audience for the first time.
Scott disdained the standardised playlists, market and audience research and other techniques introduced by the commercial stations in the 1980s.
. There, he reached a national audience for the first time, presenting a Saturday afternoon show and a late night Sunday show. The Saturday show featured interviews with many artists, and during this time Scott interviewed Dion
, Jackson Browne
, Don Henley
and many others. The Sunday shows were more eclectic, featuring 1950's rock'n'roll, soul
, classic rock
and more contemporary music.
Roger Scott died in 1989, at the age of 46, after a brief battle with cancer
.
, Dave Cash
, Marc Denis
, John Sachs
, Mick Brown
, Nicky Horne
and Paul Burnett
. It aired on radio stations around the world in the spring of 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. He was best known for presenting an afternoon radio show on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
from 1973 until 1988.
Born in London in 1943, Roger Scott developed an early love of the rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music being created at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s. As a teenager, he began playing records out the window of his suburban London home and watching the reaction of passers-by to the music.
Early career
After a brief time as a merchant seaman, Scott found his way to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and joined the radio station WPTR in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
in 1966. Scott's job, based on his British accent, was to be 'friend of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
', and Scott learned the craft of disc jockey, working with Boom Boom Brannigan and other legendary names at the station. Eight months later he left WPTR to become the evening presenter at the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
station 1470 CFOX
CFOX (AM)
CKO/CFOX was an English language Canadian AM radio station located in Pointe-Claire, Quebec from 1960 to 1989. The station's callsign was CFOX from 1960 to 1977 and it later operated as CKO, the Montreal station of the news network of the same name, from 1977 until 1989.-History:With studios based...
. From 1967 to 1971 he was known by listeners for his on-air antics and for his passionate love of music. Notable during this time was his participation in "Give Peace a Chance
Give Peace a Chance
"Give Peace a Chance" is a song written by John Lennon, originally under the moniker Lennon–McCartney, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 13 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1809 in the United States. It is the first solo single issued by Lennon, and...
", recorded by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
with Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
during their 'Bed-in' for peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Queen Elizabeth Hotel
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is a grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec. Completed in 1958, it was built by the Canadian National Railway, but was later sold to Canadian Pacific Hotels, now Fairmont Hotels and Resorts...
in Montreal.
Anticipating the launch of legal land-based commercial radio, Scott returned to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1971, only to find the introduction was not as advanced as he had anticipated. Meanwhile he secured a position at UBN
United Biscuits Network
United Biscuits Network was an internal radio station serving the factories of United Biscuits. It was in operation from 1970 to 1979.-About:...
, a closed-circuit station broadcasting music to all the United Biscuits
United Biscuits
__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...
factories nationwide. It was about this time he also had a brief stint on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
but, anticipating a future in commercial radio, he did so under the pseudonym 'Bob Baker'.
Capital Radio
Commercial radio was finally authorized at the end of 1972, and in 1973 he joined the original on-air line-up of London's Capital RadioCapital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
. Scott's afternoon drive-time shows became immensely popular with Londoners, generating such landmark features as the 'Three O'Clock Thrill' and the daily 'Hitline', together with the jingle 'Grab a little piece of heaven' by David Dundas
Lord David Dundas
Lord David Paul Nicholas Dundas is an English musician known for his film and television scoring, having previously had chart success in the rock genre.-Biography:...
. In 1976 his regular Friday rush-hour oldies show "Cruising" acquired a cult following, largely owing to his introduction of obscure rock-a-billy records to his London audience for the first time.
Scott disdained the standardised playlists, market and audience research and other techniques introduced by the commercial stations in the 1980s.
Radio 1
In June 1988, after fifteen years with Capital, he moved to commercial-free BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. There, he reached a national audience for the first time, presenting a Saturday afternoon show and a late night Sunday show. The Saturday show featured interviews with many artists, and during this time Scott interviewed Dion
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and many others. The Sunday shows were more eclectic, featuring 1950's rock'n'roll, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and more contemporary music.
Roger Scott died in 1989, at the age of 46, after a brief battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Tribute
In 2010 The internationally syndicated radio show It's Only Rock 'n' Roll broadcast a 2 part tribute to Roger Scott. Hosted by Alex East and featuring interviews with his friends and former colleagues: Jan RavensJan Ravens
Janet "Jan" Ravens is an English actress and impressionist, famous for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers.-Early life:...
, Dave Cash
Dave Cash (disc jockey)
Dave Cash is a veteran British radio presenter who works for BBC Radio Kent, having had previous spells at Radio London, BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio, Radio West , Country 1035 and PrimeTime Radio.-Radio career:Cash was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, U.K...
, Marc Denis
Marc Denis
Marc Denis is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . For the 2009–10 season, he has been hired as the goaltenders' coach of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
, John Sachs
John Sachs
John Sachs is a British television presenter, voiceover and commentator known for his narration on the original series of Gladiators and as a long time DJ on London's 95.8 CapitalFM....
, Mick Brown
Mick Brown
Mick Brown, a.k.a. "Wild" Mick Brown is a drummer who has played in the bands Dokken, Lynch Mob, and Xciter. He is a co-founder of Dokken and is known by many Dokken fans as "Wild" Mick Brown. Mick played drums for Ted Nugent on his 2006 "Unleash the Beast Global ScorchTour", and also on his 2007...
, Nicky Horne
Nicky Horne
Nicky Horne was a road manager for Emperor Rosko in 1969, before presenting shows on BBC Radio 1, from 1970 - 1973.Horne was one of the original line-up on London's Capital Radio, where he presented shows such as Your Mother Wouldn't like it, Mummy's Weekly & 6 of the Best...
and Paul Burnett
Paul Burnett
Paul Burnett is an English radio disc jockey, who began his radio career while in the Royal Air Force in the Persian Gulf in 1964. In 1966 he joined offshore radio station, Radio 270, broadcasting off Scarborough, North Yorkshire...
. It aired on radio stations around the world in the spring of 2010.