大象传媒

On March 27th, 1971, Britain鈥檚 most controversial DJ interviewed the leader of the biggest pop group in the world. Both were at a crossroads in their lives.

Kenny Everett had been fired by Radio 1 the previous summer after insulting the wife of a Government Minister. John Lennon had just produced his first solo album after the break-up of the Beatles and was immersed in a damaging legal dispute with Paul McCartney.

The pair came together for what turned out to be a revealing conversation at John鈥檚 mansion at Sunningdale in Berkshire. Lennon played the piano in his home studio. Kenny asked a few na茂ve questions about his relationship with Paul. John gave some blunt but amusing answers. Sadly, few people heard it.

The 鈥渨ireless wizard鈥� had been close friends with the Fab Four since his days on the pirate ship Radio London. Coming from Merseyside helped Kenny get several exclusives, being the first person in the world to play 鈥淪trawberry Fields Forever鈥� on the radio. When the offshore stations were outlawed in 1967 he would interview the lads for the 大象传媒 on both the Light Programme and Radio 1. John could be quite cutting with his Liverpool pal, telling him that he wasn鈥檛 very good at asking questions. Kenny admitted he was 鈥渘aff鈥� at it. But the Beatles loved his shows, and admired his technical brilliance in the studio, asking him to produce their annual Christmas record for the group鈥檚 fan club in 1968 and 1969.

But by 1971 there were few takers for his scoop. The interview was featured on Radio Monte Carlo International, a short-lived English language service in France. But it only went out in the early hours of the morning on the station鈥檚 final broadcast. The only UK outlet to use it was Radio Bristol, one of the 大象传媒鈥檚 newest Local Radio stations. Kenny had been offered a month-long stint that summer as weekend holiday relief. The Lennon interview seemed a good way for the 鈥渂ad boy鈥� of the corporation to re-establish his credentials. A remixed version went out on July 3, 1971 in his final show in a four-part series. It hasn鈥檛 been heard since 鈥� until now.

The programme also includes the final episode of his comedy series 鈥淒ick Dale 鈥� Special Doctor鈥�, first broadcast on Radio 1, along with music by Paul McCartney, Hurricane Smith, Smokey Robinson, The Idle Race, Fifth Dimension, Dawn, Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Butterscotch, The Yamasukis, Freda Payne and Bread.

The show closes with Kenny making an appeal to 大象传媒 bosses to restore him to the national airwaves.

It was almost two years before he returned to Radio 1, but his spell on Radio Bristol led to more 大象传媒 Locals taking him on, and getting a regular spot on Radio 4鈥檚 鈥漇tart The Week鈥� and the spin-off series 鈥淚f It鈥檚 Wednesday 鈥� It Must Be鈥�.

He joined London's Capital Radio at its launch in 1973 before becoming a highly successful TV performer both on ITV and 大象传媒1. But radio was his true love, and he was still broadcasting on Capital Gold shortly before his death from AIDS on April 4, 1995. He was just 50.

The last of three shows Kenny made for 大象传媒 Radio Bristol first broadcast in July 1971.

*** Part of 大象传媒 Radio 4 Extra's celebration of Kenny Everett who was born 80 years ago on Christmas Day, 1944.

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