David “Kid” Jensen launches his new career on Smooth Radio this Sunday from 6 – 8pm with the “Double Top 20” show. The veteran disc jockey will play the top 20 tunes from a particular week, from a particular year. He will also present the Smooth Radio Afternoon Show between 1 and 4pm. This new addition joins his former Radio 1 colleagues, Simon Bates ( who took over the Smooth Breakfast Show in January ), Mark Goodier and Andy Peebles. For those who thought that Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse’s 1990s satirical “Smashie and Nicey” comedy creation had signalled the extinction of the DJ Dinosaur……….think again!!

Whilst I am a big fan of Simon Bates and Andy Peebles in particular, I’m left wondering whether it is an imperative for nostalgia based, retro music orientated radio stations to underline their retrospective credentials with the national disc jockeys who presented the music to us in it’s original vinyl format in the 1970s and 1980s? Radio 2 is operating in a very similar vein, with Afternoon Anchorman Steve Wright and Johnnie Walker being recently joined by former Radio 1 colleague, Tony Blackburn. Interestingly Tony Blackburn was drafted in from Smooth Radio last October to take over the Radio 2 institution “Pick of the Pops” from Dale Winton. Ironically, David Jensen will now be competing with Tony Blackburn with a very similar format and programme with his “Double Top 20” show on Sunday evenings.

It strikes me that if listeners to Radio 2 and Smooth Radio were to play the old parlour card game “Happy Families”, the only missing cards under the occupation of 1970s / 1980s Radio 1 DJs, would be Noel Edmonds, David “Diddy” Hamilton, Gary “Bit in the Middle” Davies, Peter Powell, Mike Smith and Dave Lee Travis aka DLT. Nostalgia apart, frankly the only currently absent ex Radio 1 disc jockeys I would like to see return to our national radio airwaves are Mike Read and Paul Burnett who had a wit and intelligence that elevated them above the banal.

David Jensen falls into that category of credibility, and I look forward to hearing him grace the airwaves on Smooth Radio. Listeners will be able to proactively participate in his weekday show by submitting their three favourite tunes for scrutiny on a regular slot at 3pm. When I hear David Jensen’s dulcet tones next week, I shall immediately be transported back to the Radio 1 Roadshow at Bowness on Lake Windemere, in the summer of 1978, when I queued eagerly for his autograph……….so perhaps the the original 70s and 80s DJs are as important as the retro music they play in the nostalgia radio mix, after all!!

You can capture and preserve the era of the Disc Jockey Dinosaur, and re-live the memories of 1970s and 1980s Radio 1, by ordering your favourite vinyl record or CD, framed and mounted, by clicking on…….. http://www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/

Alternatively this would make a unique present or original gift for a special celebration  ie a 40th, 50th or 60th Birthday, a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day!! THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT!!

For all the latest news from Smooth Radio……….. www.smoothradio.co.uk