TOWARD   THE   UNKNOWN   REGION

 

GALLERY

PLAYLISTS COMMENTS SINGLES MISSION LISTEN SEAGULL

GERONIMO

TOWARD THE UNKNOWN REGION

on Radio Seagull

every Friday & Saturday at midday

and again at midnight UK time

Chris B:
"Toward The Unknown Region returned to Radio Seagull on 1st August 2015 (following a six year break)..

FEEDBACK+++ COMMENTS+++

From an informed observer: "I'd been unaware that anyone was playing the UK’s singles releases of fifty years ago on a broadcast or podcast. Believe it or not, about five years ago, I had wondered whether anybody was brave enough to attempt such an ambitious enterprise. So it’s amazing to discover the existence of your programmes and website."
 
...about The New Singles, which we are playing from 45 & 50 years ago: "I stumbled onto your show on Radio Seagull! I was instantly hooked! This was that kind of radio I was used to from the old times.

Since 2015 I run a forum identifying unknown songs.  I alerted the other members in Europe and America... and your 'New Singles' radio show... has helped to identify a lot more unknowns.

For some reason, most of them have been singles from 70's, which have not been released on any album"

 

from a media entrepreneur:
"Always beats me why you don't have some late night gig on the Beeb somewhere - the quality of your music choice is excellent but then I guess that opens a whole discussion topic of why radio in the UK is so dire at present ...."

from a listener: "What the hell are you smoking, or sniffing ? I have spent an hour now listening to your show this Saturday night and i have heard about four tracks worth listening to. IF John Peel has affected you please get some treatment, the man was an eccentric weirdo who loved playing crap which is why he suited different youth cultures and the BBC kept him on. Listening to your show i feel like i am on drugs with weird folky Scottish tunes, then ethereal music followed by god knows what. I know no offshore radio friends that ever gave Peel a listen, and in the 70's Caroline never played anything of his taste so maybe you should be working for some some old radio one appreciation society where Peely music is appreciated."
 
From a very famous Music Biz Entrepreneur and Performer of many UK hits:
"Hi Chris .... fascinating! Sounds brilliant. Good luck with it."
 

A listener donated a batch of New Singles lists, and wrote: "I’m glad that the duplicate issues will find a home where they’ll be used for such a laudable project. I support the proposal that the show should be lodged with the British Library Sound Archive."

 
Positive vibes about The New Singles weekly listings being played week by week:
"You're building a repository of UK singles history"
 
"I love a mixture of Rock, dance, trance & progressive music,  that's why I enjoy what you do"
 
Amusing anecdotes are occasionally offered by ex music biz journalists:
" I interviewed Dusty. One of my all-time favs
Once met Mrs Mills backstage on my way to interview Marianne Faithfull
"Hello", she laughed. "Just going for a wee"
 

From a UK Programme Director: You have crazy left field ways of putting shows together, musically! With the added straight-jacket of building a show around the total mess that is a weekly singles release list from just one week... even a great magician could not even magic up an acceptable mix. But, you have then thrown in B sides by unknown artists! The 60’s and 70’s were full of magic music wise, but there was a lot more total nightmare stuff released than good stuff. What is worse is that Record Collectors and Psychedelic Music fans have elevated some atrocious music to collectable and sought after status. So, they appear on many horrendous rare-Psych compilations which people lap-up.
Chris B comments "maybe people lap up 'atrocious and horrendous music' (in your opinion) because they actually do like the music and were denied the chance of hearing it in the past"

 
 "Thanks again (for the Nth time) for your most excellent shows. Sorry if it sounds exaggerated but it is simply the truth - but then I'm sure others will say so too!

Radio Seagull - and your show being my absolute favourite, to hear your selection of new music and the occasional Kraftwerk, Mr. Coconut or Klaatu track..."

 
from a Programme Director:

"please take a bit of advice and think again about that magic word 'compromise'. (otherwise).. It's a bit like John Peel without a producer!"
Chris B comments: I think the above writer misses the point that Peel's longtime producer, John Walters, actually encouraged Peel rather than tamed him. Walters actively shielded Peel from the BBC execs. As the Peel inspired Dandelion Radio webcast announces when you login... Independent, Original, Uncompromising..."
 

A Listener offers encouragement:
"You're both doing a great job, be sure of that
 

Hilarious final moments on the podcast, Also don't remember Squeek. Les was right. We are on a journey with these singles every week. Never knowing where it might takes us makes it so fascinating

And I could listen to you two nattering on all night"

 
"listening to your wonderful show.. Just LOVE Emerge by Fischerspooner - had to do a Shazam text check to find that out"
 
about the show from Seborga, Liguria, with co presenter Mark Dezzani:
"Sorry Chris....
                   all I can say is..............
                                                 BLOODY Brilliant ,
                                                                  you've got me hooked to your shows,
regards to Mark D 'cause he sounds Kool too.. "


The Seborgan Seagull with Mark Dezzani & Chris B
The Cure-The Holy Hour
Noir Desir-Le Vent Nous Portera
Isabelle Antenne-Playback
Senor Coconut Y Su Conjunto-Autobahn
Stanley Clarke-Desert Song
Robert Wyatt-Heeps Of Sheep
Lunar Drive-50 Cents
Urzi Fantasia-Meikku
Lee Scratch Perry-African Hitch Hiker
Dr John-Take What I Can Get
Calexico-Alone Again Or
Les Negresse Vertes-Les Megots
Madaski-A Forest
 
from a DJ at another radio station (previously on RNI, ex Radio Caroline etc.), this carefully considered and reasoned comment, about the above Seborgan Seagull playlist:

What a load of obscure crap if you don't mind me saying so...
(thank you roger)

"I try to listen every time you are on Radio Seagull.
 
Love the show.
 
Why aren't you on Radio Seagull every night?"
 
A general comment about Radio Seagull:
"I own a bar in Thailand. Most nights at 2am (Just before the bar closes) I put radio Seagull on the PA system. We have a large international customer base, from America, England, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Germany etc etc. It's interesting to see their reaction when they realise what they are listening to!"
 
"I'm now hearing your excellent show.
                                       You played America by Bert Sommer ??
Loved it, love the Simon & Garfunkel original, Love the YES / Jon Anderson version too..."
 
...whilst live on air at Radio Caroline Maidstone studio:

"Hi Chris,

This is simple, either follow our playlist or put the automation on and go home.

Your choice.

 
Empathising with a listener: "I know how you feel. I have an aching sometimes to be back in time and experience it all again... The problem I have with the programme is that it's done in real time and each week we have around 60+ songs to choose from and unfortunately don't have the luxury of time to schedule the sequence in advance. It just kind of flows as we record and inevitably there are casualties, such as Gulliver. I may joke during the show about the focus group and the researchers but to do the songs and the artists justice that is what it really needs! Hey ho, but at least Les and I are having fun muddling through."
 
from a radio professional:

"Truly, you "get it" in terms of doing creative radio. Your playlists are the type of radio I love to see being done. Your ideas on how a show should be presented are quite progressive. I can think of no better compliment than to be told to "return to playlist" as I was in the exact same boat here on an American FM station. I was the operations manager and also handled music and programming of the station until they realized I was actually going to LOOK for music to play instead of sitting back and passively letting the computer play things over and over and over.. I had a vision to grow the station which was not shared..."

 
from another presenter:
"...you were yet another bloody presenter who refused to work to dull and out-dated playlists. And quite right too !!!

Funny how people who make up playlists always seem to know a hell of a lot less about music than the guys who are actually doing the programmes. Weird isn't it ?

Freeform rules !"

 

email demo/promo samples to:

 

 

Listen to Chris B remix of: Toward_The_Unknown_Region by Torch Song:
Walt Whitman Poetry Reading by Amy Bargeron

Click here for Chris B Radio Seagull Biography

If you've stumbled upon these pages you may not be aware that all pages can be accessed by typing in www.towardtheunknownregion.com
 

Everything ripens at its time... and becomes fruit at its hour...