RADIO GERONIMO is only sleeping...

Everything ripens at its time... and becomes fruit at its hour...

The Radio Geronimo website was launched in 2001
The webmaster has a twice weekly radio show broadcast via Radio Seagull Seagull arose from the ashes of Geronimo in 1973
Playlists: Chris Bent: Toward The Unknown Region

             
 updated 12 December 2018

Summer Sunshine from Monte Carlo

Radio Geronimo originally broadcast on 1466Khz AM (see note below) via the transmitters of Radio Monte Carlo. Although test broadcasts began in January 1970 the Geronimo identity was not used until February. The original radio station was shortlived and ceased in October 1970. This was not by choice and there are shows in the archive which were never aired. There are many hours of shows in the Geronimo archive - some recorded by listeners with several taken from the original source tapes which have been donated by former Geronimo personnel. The website was launched by Chris Bent as a tribute to the original team. The teenage scrapbook of press clippings and cassette tapes snowballed into the multi page website which you can now find at www.radiogeronimo.com Since 2002 new Radio Geronimo programming has been broadcast occasionally on terrestrial radio (AM and FM) in the Netherlands, via the transmitters of Radio Seagull, and to the French and Italian Riviera, via the transmitters of the Rock Of The Riviera on 88.4FM. Some Geronimo programmes have also been transmitted via the Astra satellite on Sky Digital.

Several members of the original 1970 team have contacted the website and some agreed to be interviewed for a documentary - founder, Terry Yason; presenter, Barry Everitt; Sound Engineer, John Lundsten; Harley Street Office, Frank Hesketh. Comprehensive historical notes have been provided by Ian Anderson, currently running SIBC (Shetland Islands Broadcasting) and Geoffrey Bass (one of the founding triumvirate) has supplied much wisdom. The third party of the triumvirate and the consistent voice of Geronimo, Hugh Nolan, sadly departed this life in 2009. The financial backers, Jimmy Miller (legendary studio producer for artists such as Traffic and the Rolling Stones) and Tony Secunda (ex wrestling promoter and music biz manager: the Move, Moody Blues and T.Rex) passed away in the 1990's.

On 3rd December 2010 the Radio Geronimo documentary (Monte Carlo and Bust) was premiered at the Monaco Film Festival and won two Angel Film Awards -  Best Short Documentary and the Independent Spirit Award. Chris Bent teamed up with Mark Dezzani of Europa Productions to, respectively, produce and direct the documentary - now available at youtube:


Written and Produced by Chris Bent; Edited and Directed by Mark Dezzani

Chris reports on the screening thus: "
Having spent many hours viewing the rushes, transcribing the interviews and viewing edits it was almost a revelation to finally see the documentary on the big screen. The audience reaction was great, with laughter which we didn’t quite expect. I commented to Mark that I didn’t realise we had been making a comedy. But it was empathizing laughter prompted by the comments from the interviewees and the occurrences such as jamming the BBC. The audience understood the aim of the station. They definitely weren’t laughing at it. After the screening we were invited onstage to address the audience and were able to reinforce the achievements of the station, the premature ending, the lifetime of events seemingly crammed into less than 12 months, the counterculture vibe... The irony that the film festival was being held at the very site from where Geronimo was broadcast was not lost on the audience. Effectively Geronimo had returned to Monte Carlo 40 years after its demise. Afterwards in the foyer several people sought further info and were generally interested in the story. They found it difficult to comprehend that the programmes were produced in the opulent splendour of 1 Harley Street London West One, airfreighted to Nice, and broadcast from Monte Carlo. This disbelief, or incredulity, was more to do with WHY it was necessary to go through such a tortuous route just to broadcast music, primarily to Great Britain. Such was the poverty and paucity of alternative music and radio in 1970 Britain..."

In recent years, programming inspired by the original Radio Geronimo and often under the guidance of ex members of the original Geronimo team has been commissioned and broadcast under the Radio Geronimo banner. Moonlighting radio presenters and musicians have also contributed their versions of Geronimo in the 21st Century.

Frank Hesketh and John Lundsten (mentioned above) are the Frank and John referred to in the booklet which came with the triple vinyl set celebrating the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre. John and Frank recorded much of that years embryonic Glastonbury, much of which has yet to be released almost 50 years later. Until recently Frank was running the online Geronimo jukebox. The station has not been forgotten and the main website at www.radiogeronimo.com continues to champion the broadcasting of an eclectic mix of music with radical presentation.

In 1970/71 Radio Geronimo secured a contract to provide the inflight jazz entertainment for Pan American Airways 'Theater In The Air'. As Geronimo Starship they provided programming for USA Pacifica Radio. It was in the guise of Geronimo Starship that members of the team attended and recorded the 1971 Glastonbury Fayre. A Glastonbury radio show was produced which was broadcast on Pacifica Radio. This 'best of Glastonbury 1971' tape featured recordings by bands, such as Mighty Baby, that have since been lost from the main archive. There were three versions of the radio show: 7 hours; 3 hours

Still languishing safely in the Geronimo vaults are the Glastonbury 1971 high quality stereo sets from Fairport Convention, David Bowie (extracts to be heard in a forthcoming 2019 BBC documentary), Traffic, Melanie, Edgar Broughton Band (about to be 'processed') Gong, Terry Reid, Henry Cow, Accrington Stanley, the legendary Worthy Farm supergroup The WindF**kers and others... but sadly not Quintessence. Fears that the tapes would be from a batch which could need carefully baking proved unfounded. Unfortunately this website does not own the mechanical copyright nor do we have the artists permission to publish anything. The suits still win, the counterculture became the suits...

Terry Yason, founder of Geronimo, writes: "As far as  I know  there still  isn't a station  or a  programme adopting the segue format that Hugh and  I created  in 1969.  If anyone serious  out  there wants to start up a station  based  on the original  philosophy let me know."

Your thoughts are invited... office@radiogeronimo.com

 

 

Frequency note for Radio Monte Carlo in 1970:
this was before the international convention changed all AM frequencies in Europe. 1466Khz channel became 1467Khz. In Europe there is a 9Khz spacing; in North America there is a 10Khz spacing (resulting in slightly higher quality AM broadcasts)

     

 

     

21st Century Geronimo...  with Nick Nicely

 

The legendary Nick Nicely boards the Geronimo Starship for a psychedelic voyage

Nick Nicely

             
             
             
             
             
     

     





 
 


March 2004 Radio Programme made by Alchemea student broadcast on Radio Seagull & Sky Digital
 
One of the practical exercises done by Alchemea students is to engineer a Radio show
. Way back in 1970 College Principal John Lundsten was the engineer for Radio Geronimo, the memory of which is kept alive on a web-site, www.radiogeronimo.co.uk where you can read and hear how cool & influential these programmes were. But its not just nostalgia, Chris Bent who runs the site has a regular show on Radio Seagull which will feature new Geronimo style programmes from Alchemea students

The 1st show was by Tom Shelton, it was broadcast on 27th March 04, and you can choose to listen by clicking on Tom's name or picture above.

Here is an email reaction to that show
"Stunned, flabbergasted and at the same time very relaxed.
That's my feeling about Geronimo.
A, because of the program I heard this afternoon on Seagull. I've never heard anything like it. The only thing that comes close to it is De Wandelende Tak (The Walking Branch, a kind of animal actually) by VPRO-radio in The Netherlands
B, because I used to listen a lot to all sorts of radio stations, like Caroline and Seagull, in the seventies and have never heard of Geronimo.

Keep on producing this way!
I'll send a copy of this letter to Seagull.

Greetings,
Jurjen
The Netherlands"
 




 

 

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