Read this: Andy Peebles in his own words

Oh hello you expecting me to drop into your podcast for the game where you sorry.

It's 2 am here.

I've just stop my to ring you and archive interview from back in 2017 that I did earlier today with Andy Peebles and he died suddenly this week aged 76.

He is a course best known for that interview with John Lennon in New York in December 1980 and we talked about that in the end, but after a long career with Piccadilly BBC local radio smooth and gold as well as 13 years at Freddy one in its heyday.

He did have a lot of stories to tell I first word with Andy at radio back in 2006 when I read this news and he usually couldn't find too much to complain about with my bulletins and other resources that we became friends in more recent years we go for lunch or speak on the phone.

He got lots of opinions on today's Radio scene and news output was always great to hear and the views on life call from Andy and you know you're in for.

Rio 2 or 3 and as I'm from Yorkshire usually a Geoffrey Boycott impression as well.

I thought here at Radio today.

I will and his wife Ann and all his family and close friends.

It's an absolutely heartbreaking time for him to pass away.

Just so unexpectedly so is Andy it is own words on his time at Radio 1 we recorded this as the station was about to turn 50 in 2017 and he starts by taking it back to his teenage years in the 1960s.

I have been a massive devotee a pirate radio.

I hand in eventually already at London meal because my next door neighbour for 3 years was their chief newscaster.

Paul k who became a very dear friend and unsurprisingly a huge inspiration made me think this is what I want to do much to the horror my mother my father died in 1961 when I was 11, so my mother brought myself on my sister up and obviously realised and admitted to me is on that music basically to go.

Life fire door pop music The Beatles the Stones all those great 60s groups and the Barrett stations who played the music but of course we learnt that the bill was going to in the marine Offences bill.

I won't have the opportunity actually to tell Tony Byrne how much I just liked him and he roared with laughter and he said it wasn't entirely my fault.

I said well you and the MP for hide and slide if I could have made dolls of the both of you and stop pins in them.

I would have done because you know the Pirates were are best friends.

I mean I Tony Windsor every morning Tony Blackburn the John Peel at night playing country Joe and the fish in the misunderstood and all those extraordinary bands that years on he'd United ever played but that jumper we can talk about it.

Maybe so yeah, I knew it was coming and I went to college in Bournemouth at the beginning of September 1967 and on Saturday morning the 30th at 7 in the morning.

I was a sconce.

my bed but my alarm have woke me up and I had turned on what was going to be Radio 1 and then Paul hollingdale and Tony Blackburn were rent asunder by technical expertise the BBC and we had Radio 1 radio 2 music I listen to Radio 1 and there was a mutual friend Stewart Johnny bailing sitting in a chair behind Tony and his producer and the rest as they say is history welcome to the waking up every morning as an 18-year old was it for you or

Was there a little sense that well, it's nothing to be like the pirates because it's the BBC well the problem was of course that the musicians' Union who had a very very tight fist on the whole situation made life now on impossible for The Corporation at the Beginning because understandably I mean I support musicians wholeheartedly I wanted to be one at one stage.

Thank goodness.

I wasn't bad.

I've been abroad for 47 years but in reality you know the Jimmy Young show featuring Jack and blues sextet doing their version of Michelle by The Beatles was very definitely didn't want to listen, but they had no watching in the early days.

It was a long time before the needle time problem was sorted out.

I'm even when I went to Radio 1 in 1978 and we would you like to do it of course we had to have sessions as part of our program this was an invitation to a group to go into the motor Vale Studios and record covers of their current material or whatever.

One of the first was sweet Gentleman by the name of Sting Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland who did a fantastic version of Roxanne recorded specifically for our program coming back to your point.

It wasn't totally what I wanted to listen to but it had some great moments notably for me as an aspiring sofan my cravings R&B and somebody I'm very proud to call the friend Michael pasternak better known to all of us emperor rosko who became a friend and was one of my great mentors, but had the most extraordinary the music and he show was quite brilliant and John done.

I remember berating him years on was very naughty when he said and now the news in English on the first day of broadcasting because he was screaming and doing all the stuff which we all love to you and when you were lying in bed listening to Tony Blackburn on that first morning.

Did you ever think you'd

That radio station one day mentor to me saying to music true that you've been sitting in the studio.

I'll turn his been on there after I said yes, why he said we never let anybody in the studio tells people to go away.

I'm having people in the studio.

Tony was very kind very benevolent very helpful to me and watching him work and because his hands went faster than Concorde he one of the operators of the broadcasting panel.

I've ever seen an Akita Noel Edmonds and Roscoe will be my top 3 in terms of technical expertise, but I learnt a great deal watching it and it was a joy so from Bournemouth move to Manchester you got on the BBC local radio station there and then Piccadilly when it launched in 70 for a successful few years of Piccadilly how then did that move to radio1.com about did you go to them?

Well, the giant Piccadilly with course was that it was run by Philip birchell run my beloved radio London the pirate station, so it's fantastic working for him for 1/2 years after about 3 maybe one-and-a-half.

I got a strange phone call.

What has a strange that it was very clandestine.

It was very MI5 and basically said we're listening to you.

We are interested in what you're doing this phone call does not constitute an offer a very kind.

Lol a bit like that.

I'm not exaggerating that much is a great character called who eventually phone me up and said right Johnny buildings coming to Manchester he like to take you out for dinner.

Please don't presume or assume that this means you are being offered a job, but whilst would always there we went to blinkers bistro.on never forget it and I spent a great deal too much time doing my very lukewarm impression of Alan Freeman and John it was laugh.

Great guy and he said to me look we have been monitoring you I've been getting types of Your Soul Show sent to London we like what we hear and it is very likely that within the next couple of months.

You will be hearing from Derek chinnery and Doreen Davies which are Julie did they invited me to London we went out for lunch.

I jump back on the train went back to Piccadilly having been told by then, but they were going to offer me a job and you will know Stuart that job was to bridge the gap between 7:30 and 22 because remarkably even in those days Radio 1 close down but it went to Radio 2 at the end of the first session of the day at around 7 and came back for John Peel isolated as he was on his island between 10 and midnight so I was the person who was going to bridge that gap which was all well and good until the BBC Union in the London control room.

Said you haven't talked to us about this and we're not happy.

Thank you.

We refuse to man the program so for the first three or 4 months of my time Radio 1 Tony was not going to like me for this.

I was basically paid for doing nothing.

I've signed a contract there for the BBC had an obligation to pay me Derek chinnery.

Must have told his hair out on a nightly basis.

Spent most of his time trying to get tried reasons to get me on there another doing a special on 10cc.

I did New Years Eve 7879 set a timer on Radio 1 1979 is here but I did a couple of other programs and then.

Eventually had enough the union relented and setright will Man the show but in the meantime he put me on in the afternoon, which meant Tony Blackburn lost their time David Jensen kid, Jensen lost their time awesome very popular with either of them, but they were both very friendly and understood and I did a program which I think was an hour and a half a day for a period of time and then eventually on a walk in the park.

Will you have a great weekend? I'll see you tomorrow afternoon for rock on Saturday and as you say you were getting some kind of big dig very early in your time.

Do you want none unless so than Elton John live from Moscow which was the BBC first in 79 I think and absolutely hilarious story because that stage number one.

I had never flow.

Number two I didn't possess a passport so you can imagine my producer Jeff Griffin when I told him he said you are joking aren't you? I said no the BBC through it's good offices seem to get me a passport quickly off.

We went to a terrifying Russia I mean we are talking cold war we are talking about walking around the city which in architectural grandeur was extraordinary to behold a body in reality.

I spent the whole time as did most of our party looking over our shoulder as it was all very worrying.

I'm in our engineering team adventure which was the stereo broadcast from the rossio hall in Moscow in the background at the moment is an explanation to a rush an Audience with Elton John and Ray Cooper live from Moscow to England and they will be a superb concert and that.

Absolutely guarantee the KGB sent officers who demanded see the spec and the plans of the equipment which Jeff Griffin Mike Robinson the rest of our actually using to do the broadcast the BBC boys said no and it all got very very thought so whilst I would say that you've cited a little bit of my radio history, which I loved a doing particularly because I took a bit with the London controller but I couldn't hit the Greenwich time signal on the nose from Moscow I actually set my watch so now you know boys.

I did cheat.

I did use a watch but it but it was fun with a 3 1/2 s delay produced by Jeff Griffin can you back to the BBC in London I was blessed with some terrific gigs for want of a better phrase from a very generous management.

I mean I hope I didn't let them down.

Debates over the years and quite right that they should have been over.

Why was it me who went to New York to do the lemon interview which I'm sure we'll come to in due course.

You know Peter Powell could have done that David could have done it might have done it.

He wanted to there were plenty of other people so I was very lucky to get the gig and luck plays and has played a massive part in my 47 years and that trip to New York in 1980 and December that was planned to be a comeback interview for Lennie got a new album out and it was going to be a five-part series 4 Radio 1 things change the little bit know what we know now.

How are you in the build up to that trip to New York terrified nervous pretty well for the offer.

I remember going home to my flat in North London and actually standing in the lounge by sat down on the sofa and I kept saying to myself.

You are going to interview John Lennon what do you think? I mean? I was talking out loud so you can imagine.

Turn up on the Saturday at 12 midday, as they told us that would and we had to wait till 17:50 at my stomach was just terminal I mean butterflies but an office Rhyl Stuart because I heard I will use the word idolise him and his band.

I'm in Poole and I've had a discussion and editing Paul ever fronted up with 89 interviews probably and he's lovely but he never got around to saying it who is your favourite Beatle I mean John was my favourite Beatle before I met you by that time.

I didn't have you pull a lot so the two of them were very special and I am pretty proud of the fact that I have interviewed, Lennon and McCartney interview Mick Jagger and Keith Richards interview Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel at before anybody says everything.

Yes, I know Art Garfunkel didn't write but he did perform.

So those are you know three incredible combinations?

Who I was lucky enough to spend time with them talk to you feel now this stage that the team and the ease of writing is now back with you and yes, I think it's going to be a 1.

It's going to be the other way around getting it done.

We already got half the next album and we'll probably go in just after Christmas and do that looking back now there were some significant moments in that the killer where you ask him about his security in New York 1 final question to you.

What about your private life and your own sense of security These Days David Bowie I think it's recently said that the great thing about New York is that he can walk down the street and

What's a rushing of movie is closed off just walked past him and say hi David how are you? I'm very well.

That's what I was going to movies going to restaurant.

What made you ask him that well forgive me for the Stuarts but the journalist in me.

I mean I have done a lot of interview work.

I'd interview prime minister's a lot of politicians and whilst I didn't go to official journalist training school and I wasn't a member of the nuj I would like to think that I can keep my wits about me.

I'd like to think I'm a reasonable shrewd character and one thing I am and I'm proud of this.

I think is an observer of life, so when we arrived at the Dakota on the Friday and to security officer in uniform blazers were standing by the gate.

I mean to say that they were big will be an understatement you could apart a Chevrolet on their shoulders.

They were I discovered later, I think.

Retired linebackers from the New York Giants and you certainly wouldn't have argued with them my mind started saying 1-hour hang on while be here and the answer of course was because we're doing an important job what unfolded in the next couple of days might have underline the fact that perhaps they weren't doing the job for couldn't be doing the job that they should have been there's been a lot of speculation about what went on on the Friday I'm convinced that Mark Chapman was standing the group of people outside but it go to so could have been if Johnny come downstairs and Yoko come down which they didn't that we might have actually seen him and heard him.

Speak my personal view is I hope he enjoys his life all of us in prison and that he is never ever released because I think if you was he wouldn't last very long.

That's a person with you.

I can go away now and go in.

I have great that is all go to the movies.

I mean people come up and say hi, how are you doing? How's the baby? Oh great thanks.

How are you talking about John yoga on behalf of us.

Thank you.

Very very much to talk to you and I look back on it as being one very important moments in my career.

I did not in any way want it to become what it then became I had as many detractors as Enthusiasm about the whole thing that people said.

Oh, you've only got to mention.

You know his name and we'll talk about it.

Oh, no, I didn't.

Talk to me about it all the time because I was brought up.

Hopefully to be reasonably B if I thought it was relevant.

I would respond you know I've had a lot of time to think about it.

We have I had a great friendship with Yoko which sadly Wayne's I think I turn my purpose in life will probably be one way of putting it, but there you are and I've got to a stage now the anniversaries tick by I went to New York for the first anniversary.

I twisted Joker's arm and asked her whether we could record in The Dakota she never allowed a camera in there before and I got there in the end sit down in front of the white piano on which John who played imagine on the famous at video recording at tittenhurst parking in Ascot we came back Michael grade.

Who was some he who should be obeyed at the BBC and pour me a glass of champagne said thank you and well done.

So yeah extraordinary times, but you know what I would.

Now what I wanted then was for him to still be and to be making music because you're absolutely right David Geffen whose record label.

They had sign to was desperate to get promotion and it seems ridiculous saying that about somebody as iconic as John Lennon but they were in the rat race in December 1980.

They will loads of great albums being and this was one of them and they had to try and capitalise on the situation and promote the album well very obvious thing to say isn't it? You can't think of a more big way of promoting an album and the singing me would say to you.

Stewart's would have got to number one if John hadn't been shot the answer to that question we will never know you talked about The Curiosity and wanting to talk to people then that kind of have a life conversation with them and not necessarily having a gymnastic training moving on into the 80s you then, did you Friday night Sports showing?

Sports stars area my top 10 prog interviewing massive stars, did you see yourself at Radio 1 as a music broadcaster or as a can of interview and speech person is your career developed this.

I went to Radio 1 to broadcast music my biggest bird.

Stewart is people writing to me as they didn't those days to remember letters long time ago.

They would write and say off the track you played at 8:20 Friday is just fantastic.

Thank you so much.

I've been out and bought the album.

I got a real buzz out of that and I'm not saying this for a fact.

I really did that's what I wanted to do.

I wanted to champion great stars and I was helped certainly when I was doing daytime programs at Radio 1 by the fact that we could have a record of the week.

I broke sailing by Christopher Cross on Halo two people saying so what I played well, but no I mean to get a record of the week on Radio 1 in those days was a very very big deal.

So yeah, I was passionate about music.

I wasn't totally keen on the idea of doing.

IMusic and I got quite pushy with my beloved friend Doreen Davis and said to her.

Do you mind if I pay the occasional album track Johnnie Walker and I will cut from the same now.

I just feel radio One's in danger of getting stuck in a rut because it just literally rotated single sit.

Did it well but I thought that there was so much more than music particularly the album seen by the Radio 1 should be doing that so that was fun and alright.

I think I've got about 20% of the way in achieving something there the other side of it for me, but it was a joy.

I mean to be able to sit down and talk to legendary figures from the world of music just so we don't feel completely constricted and within this sort of monster called Queen and so it is nice to go and do those things where you have totally around saying you get away from the others a bit, but then that makes it better when you come back really work.

Amazon my baby start reading bonkers to imply that you're in touch with one another member of the band every day of your life my period what women fairly constant touch with each other about things you know I'm in my lawyer choice available now.

I'm sure you would have meant to me where the business don't forget to match where you want to be great if you want if you don't want the hassle no, but I think we try nice later service as much as possible MCC vs.

Rest of the World as We prepare you for a great weekend sporting action music.

It's the program of Steve Wright never ever Mrs Friday night sports program was Derek chinnerys idea we were driving on a famous Radio 1 we can't you said to me you love sport don't you and I said yes, I said I done a lot of sports broadcasting ihostbuilder sports program on Piccadilly Radio Manchester when we opened.

Size pretty happy with doing that but I never dreamt but I get to talk to all those incredible people and it was good timing really Stuart because in Burton was just about to become a world star Billy Beaumont was just about to leave his English rugby team to a grand slam Kevin Keegan great character.

You know was at the forefront and captained the England football side seller a lot of good people around and I had the most wonderful producer in Jeff Griffin an equal sports bath and we have lots of fun that was a fantastic program on one of the real Joyce and another big show that you got to cover on the top 40 will doing Davis phone me up and I was in disbelief.

When she said I think was Tony Blackburn it might have been Simon Bates at the time was going on 2 weeks holiday and would I Depp and I said what I'd love to one on them so they've started visibly shaking with fear.

Album Thriller on this day in 1983 it's a number 12 for Paul Young my producer was a legend the late great Bernie Andrews bernier produced All The Beatles sessions for Saturday club with Brian back in the early 60s the wonderful wonderful man great friend of my producer Jeff Griffin so we'll go on like a house on fire and burning had a wonderful wagon sense of humour so pick seen in continuity be on that Sunday afternoon.

We done the first are between 5 and 6 and I knew full well that at 6 when the Greenwich time signal went the good old Pips the Radio 2 was joining us that was nothing to do with me somebody next door's twiddling knobs and flicking switches and the two networks join together which gave the BBC a fairly large audience and I

But I was more concerned in my finger on the button for the next jingle and queueing the next song so you did numbers 40 to 21 in the first hour and then 20219 noticed while the jungle was playing the bunny Andrews was frantically scribbling on the piece of A4 and they come the big one starting with and I hit the jungle open the microphone said new entry this week number 20 whatever it was closed the mic as I closed it.

I looked up and Bernie was holding up this piece of A4 on which he had written bless him.

It may interest you to know but this time last week 24.75 million people were listening to this the garden you put the fear of God in me, but it made me realise just how huge the BBC was it made me realise that the British or rather the BBC Top 40 with something which real?

And then of course going on to do Top of the Pops I saw the other side if you know how you promote music because there's no doubt about it the top 40 in those days was the how many people recorded it cutting out the presenter.

I still as and why not so that they got that week's top 44 free disgrace totally not listen anyway totally legal.

They should have been severely punished and made to listen to Simon Bates golden hour for 3 weeks on the phone John Every Breath You Take quite a lot Radio 1 in the 80s can of epitomised.

Celebrity atmosphere because the DJs with big stars they're on television as well a lot of them and you had those massive roadshows to go out and meet people.

So what was it like at Radio 1 in the 80s? It was very good.

There was the fourth floor they never opened the records that the record companies sent them and this is a bit of a cliche but it's probably half true and then that was the third floor on which I was this comes with my producer Jeff Griffin where we were music mad.

I'm in a representative the record company came in literally grab the brown envelope out of what's this? What's this? But the atmosphere was terrific.

I never saw myself in footballing terms as part of the Radio 1 Premier League I was pretty happy to be probably in the middle of the first division.

I'm saying that because I'm in itself apparent does Noel Edmonds was the national star he was accused name.

Watch shop and cetera et cetera Terry Wogan taken off like the proverbial rocket left Radio 1 of course these people with big television stars I hated doing Top of the Pops and it is embarrassing with in recent months 30 odd years on from their original broadcast broadcasting auditions on which Robin Nash Michael Hall and other producers to employ the man with the perfect face for Radio Scotland at the Bluebells this is young at heart and I'm not replacing I was never comfortable with television.

I actually told Robin nice that he should voices I said if you do that, you'll find you'll be able to fit another record in but he wouldn't have it and I suppose looking back on it.

I mean it was a great catalyst for other work.

Are the BBC in those days was honest enough to admit but it could never repay us the sort of money but we would learn by doing personal Appearances voice overs for Commercials and what have you but the atmosphere at Radio 1 in that decade was yeah, it was pretty good and we were a very good team.

I don't think they were many arguments.

Everybody knows the cliched stories about people who didn't like each other and I don't really want to go go there because it's so hackneyed.

It's been in every book.

It's been in every story.

I will say that I was relieved that they didn't renew my contract at the beginning of 1992 having seen what happens after 1992 when do Matthew and Dr Trevor arrived with the axis printing in the sunlight and cut the place to shreds and in away part of me says an absolutely right that they should do that.

I mean I can't relate for obviously.

Stuart to the current radio one that I hear it occasionally some of it.

I quite like and Greg James is a terrific broadcaster, but I'm probably biased because we were both pulled up in the same town but she offered in Hertfordshire and he like me adores cricket, but there are the people on there who I listen to I'm a huge Trevor Nelson fine.

I think the guys but we use the parlance.

It's really cool this music and he's very good, but it's poles apart from the radio one.

That's I remember which is why when we privately celebrate 50 years of one the people there will have worked for Radio 1 on the cooperation between the years 1967 and 1992 pure coincidence that was when I depart bridal party with incredible memories.

I departed with real joy in having had 13 years at the national network.

I mean on that morning lying in Bournemouth

Listening to Tony I think you're employed it earlier.

I could never ever have guessed well.

I was going to have 13 years working there and meet some really great people many of whom have remained friends ever since and if you could pick out one or maybe three key memories from your time at Radio 1.

What would they be? I think probably my first I was absolutely petrified.

I've got a recording fit somewhere which percent of Earth's reason I kept and it's ok.

I think it's very rare when I hear myself back the my voice seems to be much more high pitched.

I took far too quickly and Jeff Griffin was on to that very quickly is one of the joist of my career at radio one because Derek chinnery by coincidence or deliberately handed me a producer who was just a dream to.

We were polar opposites in many of our likes and dislikes in life which really made it work.

We had endless arguments, but no fights plenty of arguments special about music to play that it's brilliant.

You sure I don't like it was fabulous.

So there you are then you expecting me to say Lennon which I'm obviously going to say because it was a huge privilege and an utter joy to have 3 hours and 20 minutes at the hit factory and then another 3 hours over dinner and I haven't talked to anybody apart from my wife about dinner.

I talk to Julia Baird John's sister quite lucky enough to me some who is a really lovely person, but it was private.

We have a lot of fun.

I will tell you that we had a pop group at school.

I'll lead singer for broadcasters listening to this was the great news man Nick Clarke the former.

Host of the world at one.

I grew up.

With each other we lived in the same street.

He went away to school to Bradfield College and reading and in the school holidays.

He came home and sang with our group and I remembered his 50th birthday party John Humphrys up to me and pin me against the wall.

He said right answer this question was the impression of Mick Jagger that Nick Clarke did any good and I said yes sir, it was absolutely brilliant happy memories.

You know I've working around some extraordinary people and integrates Industry which has changed beyond belief.

I mean I decided I've had enough.

I wasn't going to work for the appalling money which is being offered to some people in commercial radio anymore and that's why I think I probably made the right decision there are people quite understandably who believe in the Attic you don't think about retiring until you at least 70 my Tony Blackburn who is obsessive I think about radio in a wonderful.

He can't get enough of it.

How do you still sounding great my mother said two things to me about that she wasn't at all happy Stuart about me doing what I did like so many contemporary that Radio 1 when I arrived in 1978.

I've been to one of them there public schools.

I think it's a great deal for the independent schools the Britain that it's start Radio 1 on this tune.

It's entirety when it first started.

I mean I remember my mother saying to me you don't Google public school to become a Radio 1 disc jockey.

I said mother just listen Tony Blackburn Millfield John Peel Shrewsbury Ed Stewart St Edward's Oxford paedophile, Uppingham Noel Edmonds Brentwood you want me to carry on and she just looked at me and no but there you are it was a joy.

It was great fun and it's wonderful look back on Andy Peebles who's died this week at the age of.

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