Trawling through the archives, we found a particularly stirring tribute that we felt had to be played on the show.
You may remember after 9/11 (or 0.8181.. as we know it in Europe), that various people were recalling Gordon Sinclair's famous letter to America.
Well we found this 45rpm single that I think sums up quite nicely why the whole world loves America!
and if you think the text is cheesy - listen to the version we broadcast!
By Charles Ashman:
"The other day on radio I heard your moving letter. You're right we're down, but its ok, We'll soon be doing better.
You see as a Nation we're very young, but we've done a lot of living, and yes you're right again, our sin has always been in giving. We've fought for causes not our own, crusaded too when needed, and when we've seen an unfair fight, we've cared and intercededed, but as you say, we get no thanks, instead somehow we're hated, time after time its proven so we're not appreciated, but you know what, this world is made of givers and of takers, and we it seems we were meant to give, to be doormats - peacemakers.
Too many times our fine young men have gone in droves like cattle, across
the sea to loose their lives in someone elses battle. Our arlingtons are not concerned with kings, dictators, bosses, but with our necessary rows of neatly placed white crosses. Remember as a nation thats young, we're telling quite a story. We've left our footprints on this earth, and on the moon "old glory". We are a nation under God, and surely he sustains us through every setback that we have, through every war that drains us.
So gordon sinclair, thanks a lot, your words are reassuring but please don't worry we'll survive and do some more maturing.
Our teapot domes, our watergates, our every scrape and scandal will not defeat us, but improve our skills and how to handle. It may be that we are not wise to show the world our fumbles, revealing all our inner strife, our discontents and grumbles, but we are frank, perhaps naive, we do not hide our errors, no we parade them honestly, with truths our standard bearers.
Perhaps in time we're realise in our concern for others we cannot feed the whole wide world or be to all men brothers, yet we would pray if we should cease our universal mission that caring would not be distroyed or lost in the transition and so from all Americans take this appreciation:
With love from these United States, still this Great Worlds Greatest Nation!"
We understand that people in hospital require a bit of cheering up now and again, so who better to lighten the mood of those on the wards than our very own Chris Smith with his cheeky Northamptonshire sense of humour. Oh how did he get away with it!
Smurfs. Do you remember the cute little blue things? On Radio Armageddon we did, so we massacred them live on air for our listeners' enjoyment. Utilising the most horrid sound effect of machine gun fire and gurgling we could find we cunningly turned an otherwise dull and drab piece of music into another piece of broadcasting history. That's how we justify it anyway. It was made more amusing by the fact that immediately afterwards Chris swore on air such was his rapture. Music buffs among you will know that the 'bullshit' music was what you got on cassette with the computer game 'Outrun' - we used it as a music bed quite frequently during the show.
In early February 1991 during the middle of the Persian Gulf War, Radio Armageddon felt it necessary to provide their unique insight into this fierce battle raging in the Middle East.
It is my understanding that the original tapes of this show were tossed out of the back window of a VW Golf by a drug ravaged Kenny whilst on the way to the Peterborough Showcase Cinema.
Had it not been for the fact that one evening in Spring 1991 I made a compilation of the best bits of the show armed with nothing more than two tape decks and a couple of phono leads, perhaps we'd never know just what went on during that groundbreaking show.
Here then enjoy our 'Mother of all Radio Shows'.
Broadcasting from the esteemed Bagdhad FM
Two South American warthogs singing unchained melody
Ask Saddam
An interview with General Swartzkopf
An interview with Sadam Hussein
Jimmy Saville and Captain Birdseye Discuss their plans
Dr Who and the Iraqi Menance
As you can tell from this clip from one of our early shows, at least one of the presenters had views corresponding with Government Policy at the time.
One mustn't blame these people...
[ If you wish to complain, he now works for a well known X London F Radio M Station, don't you CHRIS SMITH?]
