Bernie Andrews
Encyclopedia
Bernard Oliver "Bernie" Andrews (17 August 1933 – 11 June 2010) was a British
BBC
radio producer
, who was instrumental in the careers of many emerging rock
and pop
bands from the 1960s onwards, and responsible for producing such programmes as Saturday Club
and John Peel
's shows.
He was raised in Eltham, a suburb of London
, and did national service
in the RAF. After working as a Post Office telephone
engineer, he joined the BBC as a technical (tape machine) operator in 1957, later being promoted to producer. In the early 1960s, he began producing Saturday Club, one of the few programmes on the BBC Light Programme
to feature pop music, and frequently booked and recorded the Beatles
, along with many other leading groups and artists of the time. He also booked the Rolling Stones; the group failed their first BBC radio audition, but Andrews used them as a backing band for Bo Diddley
and re-recorded their performances of some of their own numbers, enabling them to pass on the second occasion as a "trial broadcast".
Later in the 1960s, he became the first producer of the new Radio 1
programme Top Gear
, with John Peel
as the main presenter. He recorded the first BBC sessions of Jimi Hendrix
, David Bowie
, Fairport Convention
and many others. After the close working partnership between him and Peel was broken up, he became the main producer for Anne Nightingale
in the 1970s. He was known for his record library, at one time owning a collection of every 45rpm pop record released in Britain since 1958 later sold to Elton John
. He was also responsible for retaining many of the tapes of BBC radio session recordings, against the rules, which would otherwise have been wiped
or discarded, and which in subsequent years were released officially, notably in the BBC Sessions series.
Bernie Andrews retired in 1984, and later lived in Spain and Dorset. He died in 2010 at the age of 76.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
BBC
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
radio producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
, who was instrumental in the careers of many emerging rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
bands from the 1960s onwards, and responsible for producing such programmes as Saturday Club
Saturday Club (BBC radio)
Saturday Club was an influential BBC radio programme in Britain, broadcast on the Light Programme and later Radio 1 between 1957 and 1969. It was one of the earliest - and for several years almost the only - radio programme in the country to broadcast pop music...
and John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's shows.
He was raised in Eltham, a suburb of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and did national service
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
in the RAF. After working as a Post Office telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
engineer, he joined the BBC as a technical (tape machine) operator in 1957, later being promoted to producer. In the early 1960s, he began producing Saturday Club, one of the few programmes on the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
to feature pop music, and frequently booked and recorded the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, along with many other leading groups and artists of the time. He also booked the Rolling Stones; the group failed their first BBC radio audition, but Andrews used them as a backing band for Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
and re-recorded their performances of some of their own numbers, enabling them to pass on the second occasion as a "trial broadcast".
Later in the 1960s, he became the first producer of the new Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
programme Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
, with John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
as the main presenter. He recorded the first BBC sessions of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
and many others. After the close working partnership between him and Peel was broken up, he became the main producer for Anne Nightingale
Annie Nightingale
Anne "Annie" Nightingale MBE is an English radio broadcaster. She is most commonly known by the more informal name of Annie...
in the 1970s. He was known for his record library, at one time owning a collection of every 45rpm pop record released in Britain since 1958 later sold to Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. He was also responsible for retaining many of the tapes of BBC radio session recordings, against the rules, which would otherwise have been wiped
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
or discarded, and which in subsequent years were released officially, notably in the BBC Sessions series.
Bernie Andrews retired in 1984, and later lived in Spain and Dorset. He died in 2010 at the age of 76.