On The Wire
Encyclopedia
On The Wire is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio Lancashire
. It is presented by Steve Barker. The show was first broadcast on 16 September 1984. In the 1980s the show was broadcast on Sunday afternoons 2-5pm. On the Wires first guests were Adrian Sherwood
and Keith le Blanc. Sherwood and Dub Syndicate
provide the show's theme music. The guests on the second week of the show were Depeche Mode
.
On the Wire was one of the first shows in the UK to play hip-hop, house music
and techno music. It gave the first radio plays in the UK for Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson
and the radio premier of 808 State
's "Pacific State" and A Guy Called Gerald
's "Voodoo Ray". Andy ‘Madhatter’ Holmes and Pete Haigh have provided since 1986 the once-a-month Funkology show. Michael "Fenny" Fenton has a weekly slot on the show where he plays music from the local music scene.
At the beginning of the 1990s On the Wire was under threat from the BBC
, but at the last minute the show was saved by the BBC board, with the show being described as a ‘unique BBC product’. Brian "Planet" Jackson and John Peel
were key figures in saving the programme. When the programme was saved it moved to a new slot on Thursday evenings, and then to its current slot on Saturday evenings.
Guests on the show have included Lee Perry, Mark E Smith, Half Man Half Biscuit
, Kelly Joe Phelps, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jeb Loy Nichols and Blood and Fire. Highlight shows include: An Xmas party at the Ritz in Manchester
including Sherwood with Gary Clail
, 808 State
, A Guy Called Gerald
, Little Annie and Neneh Cherry
; putting on The Fall free at Clitheroe
Castle and the three hour dub special shows.
Since 2003, Steve Barker contributes from Beijing
with the invaluable help of Christiaan Virant, American exile and co-founder of the China-based nu electronic unit FM3
.
Engineers on the show have included Mikey Martin, Jethro (known on the net as ‘Culf’) and current engineer, Jim Ingham.
The forerunner to On the Wire was called Spin Off and it was broadcast on BBC Radio Blackburn (later BBC Radio Lancashire) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to 7pm. The programme was presented by Steve Barker and produced by Ian Cook (Education Producer).
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
. It is presented by Steve Barker. The show was first broadcast on 16 September 1984. In the 1980s the show was broadcast on Sunday afternoons 2-5pm. On the Wires first guests were Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
and Keith le Blanc. Sherwood and Dub Syndicate
Dub Syndicate
Dub Syndicate is a dub band, formed by Adrian Sherwood, and it became a showcase for Adrian Sherwood's collaboration with Style Scott, former ace drummer with the Roots Radics and Creation Rebel....
provide the show's theme music. The guests on the second week of the show were Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
.
On the Wire was one of the first shows in the UK to play hip-hop, house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and techno music. It gave the first radio plays in the UK for Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Saunderson is an American electronic music producer. At the age of nine he moved to Belleville, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit where he attended Belleville High School and befriended two students, Derrick May and Juan Atkins...
and the radio premier of 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
's "Pacific State" and A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....
's "Voodoo Ray". Andy ‘Madhatter’ Holmes and Pete Haigh have provided since 1986 the once-a-month Funkology show. Michael "Fenny" Fenton has a weekly slot on the show where he plays music from the local music scene.
At the beginning of the 1990s On the Wire was under threat from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, but at the last minute the show was saved by the BBC board, with the show being described as a ‘unique BBC product’. Brian "Planet" Jackson 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...
were key figures in saving the programme. When the programme was saved it moved to a new slot on Thursday evenings, and then to its current slot on Saturday evenings.
Guests on the show have included Lee Perry, Mark E Smith, Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
, Kelly Joe Phelps, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jeb Loy Nichols and Blood and Fire. Highlight shows include: An Xmas party at the Ritz in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
including Sherwood with Gary Clail
Gary Clail
Gary Clail is an English singer and record producer. He was part of On-U Sound Records and led Gary Clail's Tackhead Sound System.-Biography:...
, 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
, A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald
A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for the musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson ....
, Little Annie and Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry
Neneh Mariann Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and occasional DJ and broadcaster...
; putting on The Fall free at Clitheroe
Clitheroe
Clitheroe is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is 1½ miles from the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for tourists in the area. It has a population of 14,697...
Castle and the three hour dub special shows.
Since 2003, Steve Barker contributes from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
with the invaluable help of Christiaan Virant, American exile and co-founder of the China-based nu electronic unit FM3
FM3
FM3 is the Beijing-based music duo of Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian. They are considered among the pioneers of electronic music in China.. Since 1999, Virant and Jian have been making meditative music by combining the sound of Chinese classical instruments with modern digital techniques.Their...
.
Engineers on the show have included Mikey Martin, Jethro (known on the net as ‘Culf’) and current engineer, Jim Ingham.
The forerunner to On the Wire was called Spin Off and it was broadcast on BBC Radio Blackburn (later BBC Radio Lancashire) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6pm to 7pm. The programme was presented by Steve Barker and produced by Ian Cook (Education Producer).