With all due respect to James Taylor, Carolina is not the only place where Caroline was. Or still is, after all these years. There are symbiotic twists and turns between Carolina and Caroline in this story. James needs little introduction to most of us here – he’s a legend. However, another lesser-known legend still lurks out there, cascading music to the world when – in this case – the UK was blocking it. Sound familiar? We’re taking about Radio Caroline here.
For those who grew up with music from the 1960’s onward, being able to freely enjoy your favourite music has always been a given. It wasn’t always that way, if you can believe that. The BBC (who are well-loved nowadays) didn’t always behave as they should back then. You needed a license to hear The Beatles or even Henry Mancini. And you needed to pay for that license, otherwise – no music. So, to cut a long story short, a group of brave egalitarians and “pirates” said “enough is enough” and created Radio Caroline, one of the first pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom, broadcasting from a ship anchored in international waters. It began operations in 1964, at a time when the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) held a monopoly on radio broadcasting in the UK and offered limited music programming, largely catering to more traditional tastes.
Radio Caroline, along with other pirate radio stations of the era, played a crucial role in revolutionizing radio broadcasting in the UK. It provided listeners with an alternative to the BBC’s programming, offering a wider variety of music, including rock and pop music that was not widely available on mainstream radio at the time. This helped to popularize new music styles and artists, contributing to the cultural shift of the 1960s and the emergence of the British Invasion in the global music scene.
For those of us who love music, this is a goldmine. And, of course, we can get you there: it still rules the waves. Click here to book your rock n’ roll party.
Step on to dry land & See all you can sea. Tripadvisor have activities for you in East End, UK. Click here.
Decades later, bands are still picking up the vibe and spreading the word.