Het lied over de rat van Michael Jackson staat deze week op nummer 1. Op 49 komt Break van Aphrodites Child binnen, een plaatje dat ik zelf voornamelijk associeer met Hilversum III. Da, Da I love you van Willeke van Ammelrooy is deze week de treiterschijf. Velen van ons kennen haar denk ik veel beter van het witte doek of de TV (Fred Hache show bijvoorbeeld). Het is bijna kerst, maar in de Top 50 merk je daar nog niks van. Sterker nog, Jaap Dekker speelt nog steeds over zijn groene knollenland.

Deze Top 50 kun je hier beluisteren:

Uur 1 Uur 2 Uur 3

Onder de TOP 50 kun je de herinneringen van Michael Downing lezen uit de tijd dat deze Top 50 werd uitgezonden.

The RNI memories of Michael Downing for this period

"Manana" by the Bay City Rollers was a typical RNI record, which did not even make the Tipparade on Veronica. Also, the Nico Steenbergen Kanskaart is interesting - was "Harmony" the same song that was a hit for Ray Coniff a year later?

So what was happening on RNI at the time? This is what I noted down (all times Central European Time):

Wednesday 13 December 1972

The medium wave is off the air until 9.00 due to transmitter trouble and they are clearly using the 10KW standby transmitter when it returns, which keeps going off the air for short periods. The main transmitter is back in use by 14.30. A mobile discotheque this evening features Tony Berk and Ferry Maat. International Service programmes are:

20.00 Mike Ross

22.00 Rob Eden

1.00 - 4.00 Brian McKenzie

Thursday 14 December 1972

Rob Eden and Brian McKenzie leave on the tender and Don Allen returns to the Mebo 2. Also returning today for the first time since the International Service restarted is Arnold Layne. A new DJ, Mark Slate, also comes out to the ship today. International Service programmes this evening are:

20.00 Mike Ross

22.00 Don Allen

24.00 - 3.00 Arnold Layne

Mike Ross reads the news at 21.00 and Mark Slate reads later bulletins. RNI goes off the air at 3.00 for aerial adjustments.

Friday 15 December 1972

International Service programmes this evening are:

20.00 Mike Ross (Top 30)

22.00 Don Allen

24.00 Brian McKenzie (Rock'n'Roll Special) - on tape

2.00 Arnold Layne

3.00 - 6.00 Mark Slate

News is read by Arnold Layne. Don Allen thought that he would surprise Mike Ross by telling him that Woolly, whoase record "Golden Golden" is being played on the International Service at present, is Mark Wesley, but Mike already knew. Don Allen ends his programme this evening by saying "May the Good Lord take a liking to you". A mobile discotheque this evening features Tony Berk and Ferry Maat.

Saturday 16 December 1972

Apart from the Treiterschijf, the records that I have heard most on RNI in the past week have been:

Lynsey de Paul - Getting a drag

Jon Pertwee - Who is the doctor?

Doobie Brothers - Listen to the music

Steely Dan - Do it again

Elton John - Crocodile Rock

Capability Brown - Wake up little sister

Coasters - Poison Ivy

David Cassidy - Rock me baby

Graham Bell - Too many people

Osmonds - Crazy Horses

Strawbs - Lay down

Seashells - Maybe I know

Cat Stevens - Can't keep it in

Shawn Phillips - Christmas Song

International Service programmes are:

20.00 Mike Ross

22.00 Arnold Layne

24.00 Don Allen (Country'n'Western Jamboree)

2.00 Don Allen

3.00 - 7.00 Mark Slate

Two mobile discotheques advertised for this evening - one with Alfred Lagarde and Ferry Maat and the other with Peter Holland and Tony Berk.

Quote of the day from Arnold Layne: "Only five more shopping days to Christmas, that's if you discount tomorrow of course. You can probably get a newspaper tomorrow, but I doubt if you're going to give anybody a newspaper for Christmas".

Sunday 17 December 1972

Tony Berk has an interview with Herman van Keeken in the Playlist programme today.

International Service programmes are:

20.00 Mike Ross (Hitback Show)

22.00 Arnold Layne

24.00 Don Allen

2.00 - 4.00 Mark Slate

Arnold Layne assists with picking the winning card for hitback show competition number 5. The record for cometition number 7 today is "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera" by Keith West. The medium wave is off the air for a few minutes after the 14.00 news.

Monday 18 December 1972

International Service programmes follow the same schedule as yesterday, although Mike Ross's show is a normal one, not a hitback show.

Tuesday 19 December 1972

Mike Ross, Gerard Smit and Dick de Graaf all go off on shore leave and Marc van Amstel and Hans Molenaar return to the Mebo 2. Marc van Amstel reads the news in the afternoon.

International Service programmes are:

20.00 Mark Slate

22.00 - 1.00 Don Allen

RNI leaves the air for aerial and transmitter adjustments at 1.00, apparently because they are planning something big over Christmas. Mark Slate reads the news at 21.00 and Arnold Layne reads the later bulletins.

Again there are some records which I don't remember in the most played list - Capability Brown, Coasters and Graham Bell. and, although there were no Christmas records in the Super Hit 50, the one by Shawn Phillips was played a lot, although it was not a hit.