That's a great story which I can fully empathise with.

I think that once you tell young people that something is "old" rather than "great", you sort of devalue it in their eyes, but if you don't bring age into it, they will listen to music with unbiased ears.

For example, a song that was never a hit in Ireland in the 1950's was Bobby Day's "Rocking Robin" (don't ask me why, but it never even got airplay here).

Thirty years later, when I was PD here, I included it in our regular playlist as I like it.

Within a year, it was one of our most-requested songs, but very few of the requests came from my own generation.

They all came from teens and pre-teens - the same sort of listeners who turned Jackie Wilson and Nina Simone into stars in the UK in the 1980's, but who never realised (nor cared) that the records they were buying in the thousand, were from the 50s.

We also started a listener's panel (an idea copied from the US) where we would invite in a dozen or so teenagers, play them the new releases without telling them which act it was, and get their views on what we should add to the playlist.

I got the DJ to include the occasional oldie which I guessed the kids would not recognise - and in many cases - they picked that as their favourite "new" release!

All they knew was - the music was great - and as long as nobody told them it was old - they were cool about it.

For some reason, they seemed to find Buddy Holly very cool indeed.

My daughter may have danced to techno - but she bought Merseyside - so much so that her collection of the Beatles (and her knowledge of them) far exceeds mine.

Only last year, she did the Mersey pilgrimage (Penny Lane, the Cavern and all that) for the second time, but still buys almost everything that hits the Top 10.

Now, she has me converted to the current UK hotshot Mika, whom she sees as a combination of Queen, the 4 Seasons and the Beachboys.

It's what's in the music that matters.

(Incidentally, if you get a chance to hear Mika's former UK Number 1 "Grace Kelly", do so. I think anybody who likes falsetto oldies will like this!)

Right now, Frankie Valli is on every radio station playlist in the UK, but the kids who are buying "Begging" have no idea it is from the late sixties. Nor do they care.

And as regards you comments on Bob - yes - without Bob, things would be a lot bleaker, and hopefully, he will keep the enthusiasm and drive that has brought Ultimate Oldies this far.

So let's look to the future (even if we are listening to the past!)

• RE: LONG Awaited Answer For Jim Liddane - Janet 07/31/2007 07:50:53 EDT (1)