The Ship That Rocked The World Review

For me Radio Caroline was an escape from a pretty turbulent teen life, at night I would turn off the light, snuggle down and tune in to the sometime crackly signal and listen to music that was somehow better than what even my other music love Top of The Pops played.

I was not listening to the ground breaking stuff in the sixties, this was the eighties, however the romance of the ship on the ocean playing top music and broadcasting into my room each night was still as magical for me.

The Ship That Rocked The World was sent to me and as a fan of the station, i was keen to read, it is a very good insight to how some of the big bands began, but what's  also  interesting are the DJ's playing the music and their water based home.

I read that the ship that Radio Caroline played from was actually an elegant Danish passenger ferry, wood panelled rooms, mahogany doors but this did not cater for holidaying passengers this held an assortment of DJ's, a Captain and crew and a studio with LP lined walls.

This ship was the place that changed lives for so many bands. This was where the music  played that was not acceptable on  BBC radio. Unacceptable being The Kinks, The Who The Rolling Stones, funny to think that the BBC were that strait laced when you now have the mischievous Chris Moyles on in the mornings all manner of lrics played and  many an outrageous singer. Ironic that  all the music that Caroline aired are indeed BBC Radio classics now.

Towards the end of the book there is a fascinating catalogue of Radio Caroline hits. Aretha Franklin's Respect to Tom Jones Its not Unusual, The Beatles Can't Buy Me Love to Four Seasons Rag Doll.  

Tom Lodge an American once aboard lit up the airwaves with his thirst to bring new music to the teens of Britain, the story is about him and the other guys as they successfully achieved reaching their audience, then ended up playing to listeners worldwide.

I do not want to spoil the story so I won't give too much away but the Beatles interview and the mutiny against the Captain were highlights for me. 

Piracy at sea this is, but not the swashbuckling skull and crossbones tale , no its the musical revolution that Britain including the "Establishment" probably applaud now! 

Subtitled: 'How Radio Caroline Defied the Establishment, Launched the British Invasion, & Made the Planet Safe for Rock & Roll'. Did you ever wonder why so much fantastic music started coming out of Britain in the 60s? Pirates did it. That's right, Pirates. The story of how they did it seems unbelievable, but it really happened, and it completely altered the course of rock and roll. Talent alone was not enough to break through the rigid broadcasting system that filtered anything it deemed "unsafe".

Only bands approved by the BBC, which controlled radio across Britain, could get air time. That is, until "pirate radio" was born. The book tells of Radio Caroline, and how a band of pirates changed the world of music forever.

Written by Tom Lodge, main DJ of Radio Caroline, with Foreword by Steven Van Zandt, this is the true inside story of the British Invasion.

Hardback, £17.99

Published by Bartleby Press at £17.99, ISBN 9780910155823.



Available from all good booksellers, Amazon.co.uk or direct from Gazelle post-free - email sales@gazellebooks.co.uk