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  Steve Wright 

 

In the Radio 1 Studio 1980

 

 

With the Radio 1 Posse 1983

 

 

Publicity Shot 1987

 

 

With Bros on the cover of 'On Show' magazine

 

 

Karaoke cassette (1990) Steve wrote on the sleeve notes "you've paid a little bit of money for this album, but it turns out to be better than vitamin pills"

 

 

Publicity advertisement for the Radio 2 show; Saturday Daily Express Magazine, Sept 2001

 

 

"Hmm.. which jingle shall I play first "

 

 

Steve Wright (b. Greenwich 1954) first worked for several departments in the BBC including the record library during the mid-1970's. In 1976 he moved to Reading's  Thames Valley Radio initially making trails and jingles and later presented his own show. He also worked at Radio Atlantis (Belgium) and Radio Luxembourg (RTL) in 1979.

In late 1979 Steve joined Radio 1 originally presenting a Saturday night show, then a chat show, the Top 40, and, with Mike Read as his partner for the entertaining Read and Wright show.

In 1981 he moved to daytime with 'Steve Wright in the Afternoon'. This popular, entertaining and innovative programme featured comical guests such as Mr. Angry from Purley, and 'Mick Jagger', catchphrases such as 'Get Some Therapy' and 'He's Allright'.  He was helped on-air by the 'afternoon boys' who included Jonathan Ruffle, entertainment producer, (Happening Boy) playing the characters 'The Pervy' and co-creating 'Dr Fish Filleter'. Many of the characters were voiced by top comedy impressionist Phil Cornwell.

By 1988 his show attracted 7.2 million listeners. Steve was voted the nation's most popular DJ by readers of Smash Hits magazine in a 1994 poll.

In January 1994 he was offered the premier show slot at the station, the Breakfast Show.

 

Steve put forward his resignation from Radio 1 just a year later on 13th January 1995 as he was unhappy with the plummeting listening figures of the station due to its restructuring under Radio 1 controller Matthew Bannister. He was also known to be bitterly unhappy that his producer, Mik Wilkojc had chosen to leave. He also disagreed with being told what records to play on his morning show. BBC bosses subsequently threatened court action against Steve's prospective employer, Talk Radio UK since Steve s Radio 1 contract was valid until 1997.

 

His morning show was replaced by Mark Goodier for 3 months and Steve went on to front an afternoon show on Talk Radio.

 

From April 1996 he was heard on BBC Radio 2, broadcasting a Saturday morning show until 1999 when he once again presented the 'Steve Wright in the Afternoon' show, 2pm-5pm Weekdays. His show includes 'Old Woman' 'Elvis' 'Another True Story' and his excellent 'Non-Stop Oldies' feature which ran for over two decades until September 2022.

 

Steve continued to present Sunday Love Songs on BBC Radio 2 and from October 2022, presented Radio Two's popular Saturday show Pick Of The Pops, after Paul Gambaccini had left the show.

 

Steve died suddenly on 12 February 2024.

 

Paying tribute to his friend, long-time BBC radio colleague Ken Bruce said he was 'totally shocked' by the news.

 

DJ Sara Cox, who became emotional as she spoke of Steve's death during her BBC Radio 2 slot following the announcement relayed heartfelt tribute messages received from her listeners.

 

 

RADIO REWIND AUDIO CLIPS

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Audio BBC

 

Trail for Radio Times (1980)

Breakfast Trail 1980 - sitting in for DLT

Rare early Trailer for show (1982)

1982 - announcement of Industrial Action

Radio Local & Michael Jackson! 64kbps 

Damien the Social Worker (1982) 

Telephoning Sean Connery

MR. ANGRY 1984

 

 

Mr Angry from Purley gets Angry

 

With Mike Read in a Florists (14.02.85) (2mins)

What Kind of Kisser (1985) (2 mins)

1985 with Sid the Manager

Broken down in Jan 1986

Financial Report (1986)

Voiceover for 1987 Calendar

Steve Wright in the Afternoon Jingle

Mr. Angry trailer

True Story read by Mark Page (1986)

Gervais on a Sunday Morning (1986)

Sunday Morning 'Classical' Jingle (1986)

Handing over to Jimmy Saville 19.01.86

Trailer for Celluloid Rock Show (1987)

Jingle for R1 roadshow (1987)  56kbps

Gary Davies introduces Steve's show in 1988

All that scratchin's making me itch! (1988)

its Mick Jagger! (1988) 

Mr. Mad - (he's raving mad) (1988)

Welcome back after the news (1988)

Across the UK jingle (1988)

Let's hear it for the boys, boys (1988)

Guest Robin Williams (Sept 1988)

With "Sue Pollard" (1989)

Show Song 'lots of great records'

Show Song 'my favourite station'

Sybil Ruscoe in 1991 - release of Jack Mann

Back to more music

Steve in 1991 including a trailer for 1FM news

 

The following seven  clips are taken from a show Broadcast on 8th May 1991

 1) Introducing the show (1.5 mins)

 2) This day in..- inc. '31 days in May' trail (3 mins)

 3) Do you know a Milky Bar kid (1.5 mins)

 4) True Stories 1991

 5) Steve & Posse discuss USA shows (4 mins)

 6) The 3.30 news  (1 min)

 7) Hotter than ever & 3 to 5.30 jingles

 

Arnie Looks for 'J R Hartley' (1991)

Eastbourne Roadshow intro (1991)

Winner Ron Keates gets his own Jingle (1992)

Trail for Mark Goodier and News '92

ARNEE & THE TERMINATORS 1991

Total Restyle

Total Reprint

Total Reheat

Total Respray

 

OTHER EARLY 90's CHARACTERS

Load of Cack (1991) 

Bill & Dave talk about... moving (1m)

Bill & Dave talk about... garden furniture (1m)

Bill & Dave talk about... the Milk Race  (1.5m)

Hopeless weather girl helps wildlife 

 

How Do they Do That the Freezer

In Bed with Wendy James  (2m)

Mr. Paranoid sees Peter Sissons 

The most music - unique Steve!

Richard's Rant - England team (2m)

Sid the Manager - how's progress (1m)

The Daleks- Fashion (1m)

The Daleks - Unemployed (1m)

Trail in Recipe Style

Voiceover Man - Dentists (2m)

Voiceover Man - On a Train

(n.b. Voiceover man is Pete Dickson)

 

More 90's Audio

Mikey from the Pit with Jingle Info (1993)

Intro from Jakki Brambles (1993)

Roadshow Chat (1993)

Sept 93 Newman & Baddiel

Up to the News

Back to Steve

Mortal Combat

You're at Radio 1

Trail for Steve's Breakast Show (1994)

NEW Another Breakfast Show Trail 1994

Breakfast Posse jingle by Pete Tong

 

Steve Wright Breakfast 1994 - Last Radio 1 AM/Medium Wave Broadcast

 

After much on-air hype about the benefits of 1FM, Steve Wright's morning slot on Friday 1st July 1994 was the last show heard on 275/285m (1053/1089Khz). The clips below are the final live Radio 1 broadcast heard on that frequency and includes an amazing collection of jingles (put together by producer Simon Sadler) as heard on Radio 1 from 1967 to 1994. This mix was not broadcast on the FM frequency.

 

Steve can be heard to say just before the last Radio 1 AM record played (Stephen Tin Tin Duffy - Kiss Me (With Your Mouth) "welcome back...you've re-tuned to FM....." but was unaware that the live feed was still to the AM transmitters. The whole of the next record was heard also broadcast on AM.

 

Ironically, Steve Wright would be broadcasting live on the same frequency in less than 12 months time....but on a different station (Talk Radio)!

 

Final Countdown 6 mins clip Low Quality

 

GOLD Final Countdown Full 13 minutes Medium Quality

 

 

(see also transmitters page for more on wavelength changes)

 

Steve on Radio 2;

Intro to Radio 2 show 2004; Live until 5

 

Rest in Peace

Steve Wright

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