Kenny Everett’s old carts
I’m not in the audio video transfer business, but when someone got in touch who possessed a unique set of DJ jingle carts recorded by one of my childhood favourites I made an exception. Thanks to the help of Mike, the nice chap who saved the cartridges, I could see there was enough here to turn a few seconds of audio into what I feel is an interesting video. I enjoyed putting this one together, it brought back some happy memories.
I have to issue two words of warning through - ‘Annoying reflections’. You’ll see what I mean when you watch the video, even if I didn’t while I was recording it. But now it’s been acknowledged, I can also confirm it's been rectified for the future, so we’ll just move on.
Have a good day…and try to take it easy.
Comments (82)
In short, you are AWESOME!
This one was very enjoyable. For the Record your going on and on about detail and background is why I love them so much.
Have there been any surprises with view counts on this one? It's a little bit different subject matter than many of your other videos.
It started off really well - but then over the course of two days faded and ultimately ended up having a ‘normal’ amount of views.
I didn't catch much of his radio shows at the time, just recordings later on as I was very young at the time but the TV show was on every week. I'm quite surprised really that my parents let me watch it as would have only have been about 10 ish at the time and like you said some of the characters and the material was rather riskay.... Lol...... It was all done in the best possible taste though. Anyway....... loved the Video Mat.
I didn’t hear him on the radio either as it was mostly London based when I was around the age where I might have listened. Although I do have very vague memories of perhaps hearing his radio show in my local barbers on a Saturday afternoon - if so, that would have been on the BBC.
This is a great video Mat, I saved this for a time when I could watch it with my full attention given the subject content. I really enjoyed this and as a Radio person myself I can appreciate the lengths that EV went to to produce the jingles (and the lengths you go to Mat to produce these videos). Just picking up on a couple of the comments, Casey Casems Top 40 shows are being rebroadcast at the moment on JB105 https://jb105radio.wixsite.com/landing At the weekend.
I've heard on the Twitter grapevine (I'm not on Twitter myself) that this video has been tweeted to Cleo Rocos! (To those not in the know, she was his co-star on many of his 80s shows.)
Ah yes, a much loved show in Australia too!
For anyone wondering what the name Mat didn't dare to say was it was "Cupid Stunt" :-) Everything she did was "In the best possible taste" just like Kenny's top ten single https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULzVLU9caVw
Ah! Was wondering that (I'm the right age but wrong nationality to be familiar with Everett). No wonder he didn't say it 😂 I've consumed a ton of British media over the years but somehow completely missed Kenny Everett. I'm watching through the TV show on the Internet Archive now, and this is fantastic. It's so unabashedly silly, I love it!
What a great video. Very nicely done.
I think this is one of your best videos Mat, almost like a BBC4 documentary. Loved it. One question though, the production quality of them was fantastic and they were making full use of the dynamic range & stereo capabilities of the format, and yet the ads suggested Radio Victory was on Medium wave, where the quality was less than great (was it even in Stereo?), which is rather a shame. So I wonder why anyone would go to such lengths, unless they knew that in 2022 a YouTuber would be playing them as they were intended to be heard?
I noticed that the sign on their office building said something about "VHF" as well (lower right corner) — which would be FM in modern terms.
Thanks Mat! This is one of the best video's ever. It brought a lot of memories back to me I almost forgot about. I watched the Kenny Everett show on television in the mid eighties here in the Netherlands and Uk television was a big part of my teenage life.
Radio programmes were a big part of my life in the 1970s, but in Canada I don't recall hearing any of Kenny Everett's material. Anyone who did would have fond memories, no doubt. Reminds me a bit of Ernie Kovacs, an innovator of television humour a generation earlier.
I never knew of Everett before, even if I knew about stuff he made or concerned him. This video is fantastic, not only because it is interesting but you pulled some old cartridges and told a beautiful story
Love the way you found an old DYMO for the thumbnail :)
You can buy them new! I got one in ALDI the other week!
Your comment about Kenny getting sacked often for doing edgy stuff reminds me of the whole gender-fluid Moans puppet debacle of 2020...
While I was enjoying the video very much, especially the tapes and the great sound quality they still have, I also was a bit distracted by the ventilator running in the background, does someone know what kind it is? I can't find it anywhere... Thanks in advance!
It’s a Dyson Pure Cool Me™ (Black/Nickel)
I think "Ev" was Kenny Everett's nickname. I love this episode so much, thanks!
Kenny Everett, way ahead of his time. You would swear he had a constant stream of visitors to his studio while on air....his Gran, butler, caretaker and the cleaner to mention a few. Was a massive fan and a very sad day on his passing. Thanks for the memory jog Matt.
while being from the Netherlands, these two video's were also fun to me, and brought back memories of similar radio pioneers in the Netherlands as to the UK's Kenny Everett, as he's also been an inspiration to some of them and their Dutch radio careers. And I myself always have had an interest in UK/English media, so I already knew a bit about Kenny myself.
This really was wonderful and quite emotional to hear! Thanks Mat! :D
"Hm, perhaps he forgot about the cliffhanger from last week? Oh well, this looks interesting too.." ..and then BAM! Right back on (8) track! 🤓 There's at least one preserved episode of The Kenny Everett Show available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8Ai2rnIfOuo This one, episode 3 from series 1, comes courtesy of Swedish channel "Rosa Mannen". Similar to Super 8 Rescue, he digitizes other people's old VHS collections. Stuff like this ought to be supported by UNESCO, but instead we have "content match"... 🙄
I agree. There was someone on Youtube a few years ago that was taking the old American Top 40 Casey Kasem shows and mostly just used Casey's banter between songs, with a bit of song bleed between each one. I was able to snag quite a few weeks that coincided with friends' date of birth .. and they made great Christmas stocking stuffers. I'm guess they've still been pulled down by now unfortunately.
Great as always, Mat! The actor Dickie Beau gave a spot-on impersonation of Kenny Everett in the recent movie ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. In the all too brief scene of Everett and Freddy Mercury together, you just thought ‘Of course - those two would get on like a house on fire’ - it was brilliantly done.
All I could think about when it all came together near the end that you imported a US 8 track changer, fixed it up and adjusted it for UK power mains for playback speed just to bulk record 12 8 tracks was "what a lazy guy" :P It makes me wonder if you did end up saving time through all that than you would have had you recorded each one off a single tape player :P But of course we get two videos out of it this way so that part is good :P Now that I think about that Carpenters' record, is that the same or different "A Song For You" as one of the Japanese Karaoke formats you covered? As a dumb update: rear RS5s arrived by mail yesterday (with a big ol' shipping label slapped directly on the box :/). They had a deal at the time for -$100 CAD off the A7000 and then -$100 off a sub and/or -$50 off surrounds you bought at the same time so I lumped it all together even though they didn't have them on hand. The immersive audio enhancement mode is pretty cool because yeah I guess not a whole lot comes out of the rears/overhead channels at the best of times. Final Fantasy XIV can be interesting having briefly experienced hearing other players doing whatever it is off screen, but audible from that direction. It makes for an expensive "Bluetooth speaker" for my Sony PS-LX310BT, but I found a random dresser that some how perfectly fits that record player so now I have that and my Kallax to store my collection vertically side by side all towards the goal of making better use of the space in my house. So with that effect of buying all that, it's been worth it. I haven't managed to watch a movie all the way through yet from my phone lifestyle reduced attention span.. But listened to music quite a bit :)
I've had those carts and the changer in storage for years - I just put them together in the video to create some viewer interest. Oh and my speakers were delivered the same way - with a shipping label stuck on the box. It took some careful shooting to avoid showing it on camera.
Great video! Loved all his output across radio and TV growing up in the 70/80s.
Your brief clip of Kenny comes from this 1970 edition of Man Alive... https://youtu.be/L6tBzY8EHgk I also recommend his Desert Island Discs. "What's the point dwelling on things? I could get run over by a bus tomorrow. So could you, Sue." https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093wpf I must get round to watching that boxset I've had ages. Some of your images have come from the cover art.
Many thanks for the links - I'll get on those tomorrow.
In Australia we saw the Kenny Everett Video Cassette TV show, circa 1980, complete with " 'ello, Sid Snot 'ere". I didn't know he had been on radio but it makes complete sense, and that he was on the legendary Radio Caroline? Amazing!
I don't know if he was on Caroline..I just used a pic to signify Pirate Radio (as well as plaster over a join) -
Another great video. I'm a fan and Patron because you enjoy delving into the history and the story of this stuff. All too often, the YT algorithm recommends another bland Tech Nostalgia channel into my feed: Host: Hey, guys! Remember the Atari ST? Me: Yes. Yes, I do. Host: Oh. Um...well, here's one of that thing, then. Me: I concur. That's definitely an Atari ST you've got, there. Host: ...Please like and subscribe?
That reminds me of an occasion a few years ago when I had to entertain my young nephew - he decided that he wanted to shoot a YouTube video like his wizened old uncle. So to prevent a meltdown I set the camera up - and the only thing he said was 'Hey what's up guys - don't forget to like and subscribe'. That was it, that was his whole video. At that moment I realised I'd witnessed the birth of a YouTube legend.
Great video Mat, took me back in time to my teenage years ! Great combination of tech, nostalgia and talent.
Superb! Absolutely! Love Kenny Everett, even today, so original and lovely. Michael McIntyre dad wrote some of his jokes. So inspirational too! good to be different. Healthy. THANK YOU! :-D
I was really impressed by EV's vocal agility! I daresay he must have been able to try on every accent on the island! From RP to Cockney, to Scouse to Mancunian?
For people who may not know that was Freddie Mercury jumping onto Kenny Everett in the clip shown by Mat.
Unfortunately, for both of them there was lots of that going on. If you have seen the excellent Bohemian Rhapsody film you will know what I mean.
Interesting video. I found the TTS a bit hard to listen to, maybe look into some more "smooth" voices for the future.I also spotted a (possible) issue, there is a faint white line under the blocks of text in the credits.
Absolutely top draw Mat. What a lovely trip down memory lane. His video show and all his antics were so much fun at the time. Looking back it is only now possible to see how out there ( in a good way) he was. Thanks to Mike too.
I absolutely love Kenny, and while that was in part due to his early TV shows, the love has lasted because of his radio shows. Back in the days of using the little blue phoenix, I managed to contact someone who sent me about two dvd-rs worth of old shows and clips. A lot of repeats, but some bits I never heard before. They'll still be on a external hard drive somewhere. I bet if I go searching they'll be out there again in higher quality, but still... I used to know a few people connected to the mash up scene and quite a few loved Everett, seeing him as a) funny and b) a cut up/sound recording pioneer. I might have to contact young Ben Soundhog and let him know this is coming up, I'm sure he'd enjoy it. I'm not sure how many of your regular audience would be interested (a fair few I'd hope), but this is a great little tribute and hopefully it will find the audience it deserves.
Right now I'm listening to SiriusXM radio which is playing their weekly replay of Casey Kasem's American Top 40--this week they're playing the program that was broadcast this week in 1972. Very nostalgic for me, but while Kasem in a way could be considered an 'American Kenny Everett' based on they were contemporary to each other and had a national following, branched out to TV etc, but Kenny seems to be miles ahead of Casey in his innovative use of the medium whereas Casey, while no doubt a fine voice artist, just seems to be trying to be a pleasant voice on the radio who brings you the content you want to hear and not much more.
I would argue that Rick Dees is the closer counterpart. Wacky, sometimes controversial radio. Lots of innuendo. Broad pop culture appeal. (Dee's even had his own Top 40 hit in Disco Duck).
(Patreon has deleted my first comment posting, so reposting): Thanks for this fun piece of radio history; it's yet another entertaining topic that could have been lost to ephemera had it not been for you and Mike's interception. The moment I saw the title I thought, "oh yes, Kenny from the Schuab Lorenz!" Those spots were great, such a delight to hear after so many years. It is like travelling in time - the sound quality is also superb for something that hasn't been played in so long. Whenever you include print articles I pause and read them. Wilde Rock's idea was innovative - too bad that it didn't seem to expand further. The 8 tracks are perfect as background music packages; I wouldn't mind hearing them in that regard in a shop today. RIP to your prior NAB machine, unless you plan on operating on it. 😵 As for print articles, my own random querry that never needs to be answered - I wonder why they are preceded by the city name, mostly 'LONDON' (pretentiously) as if it couldn't have as easily been written in Oldham or Parbold or something, then sent off to the papers. 😂 Edit: real question, is it possible Kenny would have personally labeled any of these?
The ‘London’ etc headings will likely be because this article was in the International section of Billboard. So while everything else was just about the US - this is where the music news from rest of the rest of the world was collected. But it’s always London, never Leeds or Newcastle. Often when I’ve met people from the US they’ll ask ‘are you from London?’ - like that’s all there is here. Oh and I’d imagine these will all have been Kenny’s labels. He’ll have recorded these carts at home and then sent them on to the radio station, so there needed to be some way to identify which were which.
Being from the US, I was unfamiliar with Kenny Everett other than the brief references on your previous videos. Still, I found this video completely fascinating. I just love these looks back in time!
This is great! The only way I know the name Kenny Everett is from watching Freddie Mercury and Queen documentaries. Thank you for filling in more of this fascinating man’s work.
Thanks for bringing Kenny Everett back on my personal radar and putting him in the context of being an innovator. I think the closest thing we had to Kenny in America is Ernie Kovacs, someone else who went from radio to early television. If you don't know Kovacs, you might want to take a look...in your copious spare time.
Yes, I thought the same thing, someone who comes on the scene and uses the technology in new ways in order to get all of the entertainment value it offers.
I really liked the 'annoying reflections'. I was waiting for an all powerful voice to say "This is the voice of the Mysterons".
This is on my next to watch list 😎
I Really do not know how you do this, Mat. You keep coming up with new videos that are pretty much always excellent and with new [old] topics. Kudos, sir. Just Another Excellent Video.
Mat! I’m a huge fan of Kenny Everett and this was absolutely amazing to hear! He was also a huge inspiration to anyone who ever heard him and worked in radio, even in the US. From the late 90’s to the 2000’s when K-Rock still had cart machines, I was constantly trying to do stuff the way Kenny did. Depending on the program director, this was met with much enthusiasm… or me getting suspended. One time I got suspended and then rehired to do a MUCH larger show in the same day! These are a piece of history and I’m always curious to hear ANY Kenny I can hear!
I’m happy to hear that his influence travelled outside the U.K. I think subconsciously the shows he made had an influence on the ‘style’ of my output…I see some connections when I’ve been watching his old clips.
Having gone away and listened to 'Intermission', I can see why Kenny Everett would've used it!
I have that album and was really amused the first time I heard it. All those beautiful harmonies, and such a pedestrian message :) FYI, a lot of albums back in the day had little "outros" like that at the end of side 1. Time to get up and flip the record when we heard them, like Carly Simon's "Hotcakes"--"And now wait--and now flip it!"
That's very cool, I also still got a few R2R tapes from that era, with Dutch radio shows on them (my father used to record an oldies show every week and edit the songs together in "low quality") and a couple of cassettes with interesting interviews I recorded myself from the radio. Always a nice way to go "back in time"
Thanks Mat. I met Kenny when he was working live at Capital Gold in London. He let me press a button to start a jingle cartridge.
At 18:52 I believe that the announcer voice is Gary Owens from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and the voice of Space Ghost.
And Blue Falcon from Dynamutt.
Looking forward to this, Kenny Everett was aired in Sweden too, very funny.
Super8 Rescue's gonna get some subs when this goes live :)
Thanks for sharing. Kenny was amazing, and those were wonderful to hear! BTW, my daughter's friend is an aspiring voice actress and I'm sure would be happy to do some dubs for you. I'm trying to think of ways of using her. She does a very good "little girl" voice, very funny when she was reading out the list of ingredients as if she's very unhappy!
I'm in my 30s so I only know Kenny Everett as that guy who did a bunch of 'new video format' demonstrations. I think that's where most US people probably would recognise him as well
Very interesting stuff! While radio show syndication was a thing in the States since the 1930s, you didn’t get a proper comedy/rock DJ like Kenny Everett in that market here until Howard Stern in the 80s. One minor note: that “Kamikaze Motorcycles” bit on the Rock Promotions 8-tracks was actually from Mel Blanc Associates (yes, Bugs Bunny’s company), which produced collections of comedy bits known as “Superfun” for radio stations to sprinkle into their broadcasts. That one I recognize from a sample record my dad brought home from a local station he worked at in the early 70s. I have it here. No date on it, but I’ll have to play it now, it’s probably been 20 years since I gave it a spin. Lots of great stuff on there.
Yes I thought that was 'Famous Radio Announcer' Gary Owens that I heard on the Kamikaze Motorcycles bit. Maybe more widely-known for his appearances on Laugh-In.
It's kind of like listening to Larry Bly. He was a DJ, then an advertising man in Roanoke VA. And he saved virtually EVERYTHING. He plays it on his podcast, Two Larry's and a Mike
Brilliant video. Not a fan of Kenny, or anything 70s really, but I do enjoy documentaries about them. This was fascinating. I'd even give those Wild Rock promo carts a listen, subject to a FF option. Again, brilliant video, worthy of any prime time TV station. Would be great on BBC4.
This is the kind of thing that makes me want to get into audio archiving!
You forgot about "Me and Kenny on Organ and Guitar"
Actually, wow, I really enjoyed the show you put together here. Such a neat story of a staid old institution--the BBC--who've done business in the same old way forever (I cracked up at the line, 'men in brown suits talking politics') and along comes someone who really knows how to use the technology in a creative way that the people really like. Folks like Mr. Everett are the ones who should be celebrated in our society, not the boring old men in brown suits. In a government bureau such as the BBC, the brownsuits are probably the type of workers you want, but since they are also an entertainment provider, the BBC definitely needed people like Kenny Everett.
Not watched (traveling) but THANKYOU for anything Kenny related :)
I’ve got a recording of his “World’s Worst Record Show” somewhere on reel-to-reel. Must dig it out.
Oh I see what you mean by 'Annoying reflections'. I mean really, who wants to watch a video of some old bloke going on and on with reflections of his favorite childhood DJ? BTW, could you fix your lighting set-up? That ring light is showing up in your glasses. I'll get me coat😁
Our mat is a national treasure as well lol
Mat's videos would be perfect for weekend syndication on US PBS stations.
He was a national treasure.