Legendary Old Grey Whistle Test host Bob Harris: The soundtrack of my life
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Bob Harris was championed by John Peel on BBC Radio 1. Then in 1972 he became the ‘Whispering’ presenter of TV music show The Old Grey Whistle Test. Now he's celebrating 25 years fronting the BBC’s Country show, as well as turning 78, all while on tour with an event co-hosted by Colin Hall, based on Hall’s book and documentary series The Songs The Beatles Gave Away.
The first music I remember hearing
That would be my mum and dad’s record collection in the early fifties, pre-rock’n’roll, so Mantovani – a great favourite of mine – Johnny Mathis and Perry Como. We had a radiogram in the corner of the room, and when it was switched on it glowed like a warm fire. My mum listened to the radio all the time. That would be formative in terms of what I’m doing now.
The first song I ever broadcast
I was sitting in for John Peel on BBC Radio 1 on August 19, 1970. I had a brilliant producer called Jeff Griffin, who said to me: “You bring in the music, I’ll teach you how to build a programme.” I learned so much from him, he was so skilful. Our first choice was Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young, because I just loved it.
The greatest album of all time
I’ve been so lucky to hear important records arrive in real time. Sgt Pepper was an absolute game changer. There were some experimental groups at the time, such as Pink Floyd or Soft Machine, but what The Beatles and George Martin did with Sgt Pepper was bring every thread of creative energy together to push out the boundaries as far as technology would let them go. Twelve months later, in pop music and the industry, everything was different.
The singer
Ben E King. He was with The Drifters, a genuinely groundbreaking black band who started as R&B/doo-wop, then were steered into the charts in a very creative way by their label, Atlantic. There Goes My Baby [1959] had an incredible new sound that was a combination of orchestration and atmosphere, all bound together by King’s voice.
The guitar hero
Jimmy Page. He drove probably the greatest rock band that ever lived. I was fortunate to spend time touring with them in the States, and it was incredible to watch his artistry.
The songwriter
Country artist Lori McKenna. She’s not a commercial writer, but it just so happens that a lot of her songs have been huge hits. One song of great warmth, which we need so much of these days, is Humble And Kind, a sentiment that sums Lori up. She’s become established as one of the top writers in Nashville.
The best live band or live artist I've ever seen
That’s easy: Bruce Springsteen. I saw him at his first big showcase at the Roxy in Los Angeles in 1975, where everyone was there – George Harrison, David Bowie and some tennis stars such as Jimmy Connors. Then I saw him in New Haven in 1978, a four-hour show that we recorded for Whistle Test. This was the best show I have ever seen for performance, energy, and the electricity of Springsteen when he was down in the audience. Afterwards he took us to a place nearby and got up on stage with the band and jammed until two a.m.!
My guilty pleasure
I love this record, it’s absolutely gorgeous – Move Over Darling by Doris Day. It’s in no way a comment on my private life [laughs].
My most underrated act
There’s a lovely country artist from Northern Ireland called Catherine McGrath. She put a wonderful album out, Talk Of This Town, in 2018, which got to Number One in the Country chart.
The best record I've appeared on
David Bowie’s Memories Of A Free Festival [1969]. It wasn’t all hash and incense, though [laughs]. It was done in the early evening in Trident studio in London. I was there with my first wife, Sue, Marc Bolan and his first wife June, and David and Tony Visconti. We were sat on the floor singing: ‘The sun machine is coming down, and we’re gonna have a party’. It was a lot of fun to do, and to hear back.
My Saturday night party record
Anything by Blackberry Smoke. I love them. They’re the Status Quo of country!
The song that makes me cry
I’ll pick something where the beauty of it makes me cry, not because it’s sad: Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real, Just Outside Of Austin. It’s an appreciation of love and nature, and it has a connection, for me, with someone I care about. It became our song.
The song I want played at my funeral
Ben E King again, and Stand By Me. It’s a song about getting through things, we’re all in this together. I’m an ambassador for Help Musicians, and during the pandemic, artists such as Roseanne Cash, Peter Frampton, Rick Wakeman and more became the Whispering Bob All-Stars, recording this as a fundraising track. It’s still raising money for musicians now.
Bob Harris and Colin Hall are currently touring The Songs The Beatles Gave Away. Hall’s book of the same name is out now. More details at bobharris.org
