ENTITY · CONCEPT / TERM

Overseas pirate reggae radio

Well supported

Unlicensed or semi-legal overseas radio scenes, especially in the UK, that gave reggae, lovers rock, dancehall and Black music airtime when mainstream outlets were limited.

No photograph yet — add one you hold the rights toOpenly licensed or your own work. We publish the credit and the licence beside it.

At a glance

Type: Concept / term →
Era: Streaming and the living archive →
Confidence: Well supported
Sources: DBC histories; UK pirate radio histories.

Share a memoryWrite it, say it, or send a photo.Correct this recordA date, a name, a spelling we got wrong.Add a source leadA flyer, tape, article or photograph.

Connections

Media & sources

Footage

Oxford Road Show — Jamaican Patois on UK pirate radio

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · video reference

Archival YouTube reference for UK pirate radio/patois context; verify rights before public embed.

View transcript · 200 lines

Automatic captions — a machine draft pending editorial review.

0:04[Music]
0:09each and every Sunday striving to be
0:13each and every Sunday striving to be free
0:15free
0:15free welcome
0:17welcome
0:17welcome Sunday afternoons
0:20Sunday afternoons
0:20Sunday afternoons some ABC
0:22some ABC
0:22some ABC DBC is based in an ordinary Suburban
0:24DBC is based in an ordinary Suburban
0:24DBC is based in an ordinary Suburban House in Northwest London it's the first
0:27House in Northwest London it's the first
0:27House in Northwest London it's the first black Pirate Radio station in Britain
0:29black Pirate Radio station in Britain
0:29black Pirate Radio station in Britain and until recently it bombarded the
0:30and until recently it bombarded the
0:30and until recently it bombarded the capital every Sunday afternoon with a
0:33capital every Sunday afternoon with a
0:33capital every Sunday afternoon with a wide variety of black music from reggae
0:35wide variety of black music from reggae
0:35wide variety of black music from reggae and Seoul to Calypso and Soca
0:37and Seoul to Calypso and Soca
0:38and Seoul to Calypso and Soca on Rebel radio
0:40on Rebel radio
0:40on Rebel radio this is our new signature tune which
0:42this is our new signature tune which
0:42this is our new signature tune which will be in your shop soon check it out
0:45will be in your shop soon check it out
0:45will be in your shop soon check it out like all Pirates they talk their own
0:47like all Pirates they talk their own
0:47like all Pirates they talk their own language and have their own special
0:48language and have their own special
0:48language and have their own special style of delivery here it's Jamaican
0:51style of delivery here it's Jamaican
0:51style of delivery here it's Jamaican Patois a murder on charge
0:55believe it or not a lot of the older
0:57believe it or not a lot of the older blacks they were shocked that we would
0:59blacks they were shocked that we would
0:59blacks they were shocked that we would do such a thing that would speak so
1:00do such a thing that would speak so
1:00do such a thing that would speak so terrible in the air you know because to
1:03terrible in the air you know because to
1:03terrible in the air you know because to them if you're speaking in your Jamaican
1:04them if you're speaking in your Jamaican
1:04them if you're speaking in your Jamaican term it sounds bad to them although they
1:07term it sounds bad to them although they
1:07term it sounds bad to them although they speak it you know I mean
1:13take over
1:16take over [Music]
1:24their long-term aim is to be a legal
1:26their long-term aim is to be a legal Broadcasting Service covering black
1:28Broadcasting Service covering black
1:28Broadcasting Service covering black cultural issues news information and
1:30cultural issues news information and
1:30cultural issues news information and music and they also hope to pave the way
1:33music and they also hope to pave the way
1:33music and they also hope to pave the way for other Grassroots stations around the
1:34for other Grassroots stations around the
1:34for other Grassroots stations around the country
1:36country
1:36country one person
1:37one person
1:37one person seriously do the same and nothing that
1:39seriously do the same and nothing that
1:39seriously do the same and nothing that he wants to
1:41he wants to
1:41he wants to want us to show him how to do it you
1:42want us to show him how to do it you
1:42want us to show him how to do it you know and we got letters from people in
1:45know and we got letters from people in
1:45know and we got letters from people in Scotland and places like that but just
1:47Scotland and places like that but just
1:47Scotland and places like that but just to know about that they want to know
1:48to know about that they want to know
1:48to know about that they want to know about DBC and give us their support
1:51about DBC and give us their support
1:51about DBC and give us their support we've tried our best to bring you good
1:56we've tried our best to bring you good
1:56we've tried our best to bring you good news I don't think so we want a network
1:59news I don't think so we want a network
1:59news I don't think so we want a network of BBC we just want to see other black
2:02of BBC we just want to see other black
2:02of BBC we just want to see other black kids in other areas do the same and then
2:04kids in other areas do the same and then
2:04kids in other areas do the same and then we'll come you know we'll form an
2:05we'll come you know we'll form an
2:05we'll come you know we'll form an Interlink between a lot of us
2:08Interlink between a lot of us
2:08Interlink between a lot of us but already their role has grown from
2:11but already their role has grown from
2:11but already their role has grown from being just a rebel radio station at the
2:13being just a rebel radio station at the
2:13being just a rebel radio station at the time of last Summer's riots they had a
2:15time of last Summer's riots they had a
2:15time of last Summer's riots they had a positive influence on the young black
2:16positive influence on the young black
2:16positive influence on the young black community at the Notting Hill Carnival
2:18community at the Notting Hill Carnival
2:18community at the Notting Hill Carnival law sales one was Rebel radio a lot a
2:21law sales one was Rebel radio a lot a
2:21law sales one was Rebel radio a lot a lot of people said we directly helped
2:23lot of people said we directly helped
2:23lot of people said we directly helped cool things down
2:24cool things down
2:24cool things down because before months before as you know
2:26because before months before as you know
2:26because before months before as you know the rights were going on and we were
2:28the rights were going on and we were
2:28the rights were going on and we were broadcasting for the kids to keep
2:30broadcasting for the kids to keep
2:30broadcasting for the kids to keep cooling we want a peaceful Carnival for
2:32cooling we want a peaceful Carnival for
2:32cooling we want a peaceful Carnival for about three months before and I think
2:34about three months before and I think
2:34about three months before and I think they've got through plus we sort of
2:36they've got through plus we sort of
2:36they've got through plus we sort of helped to organize a section of Port
2:38helped to organize a section of Port
2:38helped to organize a section of Port Bella Road
2:39Bella Road
2:39Bella Road you know we were controlling the large
2:41you know we were controlling the large
2:41you know we were controlling the large area people
2:43area people
2:43area people [Music]
2:46[Music]
2:46[Music] they're critical of the existing black
2:47they're critical of the existing black
2:47they're critical of the existing black radio programs which they say broadcast
2:49radio programs which they say broadcast
2:49radio programs which they say broadcast watered down Black Culture
2:52watered down Black Culture
2:52watered down Black Culture it's already on the air or maybe three
2:54it's already on the air or maybe three
2:54it's already on the air or maybe three but what are they doing they're not
2:56but what are they doing they're not
2:56but what are they doing they're not doing much I mean they're on for an hour
2:57doing much I mean they're on for an hour
2:57doing much I mean they're on for an hour or a couple of hours once a week I mean
2:59or a couple of hours once a week I mean
2:59or a couple of hours once a week I mean all they're doing is playing music
3:02all they're doing is playing music
3:02all they're doing is playing music we run something I mean
3:04we run something I mean
3:04we run something I mean full of black people
3:06full of black people
3:06full of black people I'm not saying we just want black
3:08I'm not saying we just want black
3:08I'm not saying we just want black listeners but there isn't a program like
3:10listeners but there isn't a program like
3:10listeners but there isn't a program like that at the moment is there
3:13that at the moment is there
3:13that at the moment is there something you know where it's basically
3:16something you know where it's basically
3:16something you know where it's basically for about black people well mostly
3:19for about black people well mostly
3:19for about black people well mostly actually
3:20actually
3:20actually lucky also sort of something like this
3:23lucky also sort of something like this
3:23lucky also sort of something like this would give us a chance to represent
3:25would give us a chance to represent
3:25would give us a chance to represent themselves
3:26themselves
3:26themselves you know to actually be heard you know
3:30you know to actually be heard you know
3:30you know to actually be heard you know start the petition which we're gonna
3:32start the petition which we're gonna
3:32start the petition which we're gonna certain Home Secretary
3:35certain Home Secretary
3:35certain Home Secretary and we've written some letters to all
3:37and we've written some letters to all
3:37and we've written some letters to all the national newspapers whether they
3:39the national newspapers whether they
3:39the national newspapers whether they print it
3:47as well as their petition to the home
3:49as well as their petition to the home office they're getting support for their
3:51office they're getting support for their
3:51office they're getting support for their campaign to legalize Rebel radio through
3:53campaign to legalize Rebel radio through
3:53campaign to legalize Rebel radio through selling cassettes and t-shirts how many
3:55selling cassettes and t-shirts how many
3:55selling cassettes and t-shirts how many t-shirts
3:58in a couple of months they plan to defy
4:00in a couple of months they plan to defy the law again and get back on the air
4:02the law again and get back on the air
4:02the law again and get back on the air but they're not giving up their fight to
4:04but they're not giving up their fight to
4:04but they're not giving up their fight to become Britain's first legal black radio
4:06become Britain's first legal black radio
4:06become Britain's first legal black radio station
4:10it's not it's not going to be a losing
4:12it's not it's not going to be a losing fight it's got to happen it's got to
4:14fight it's got to happen it's got to
4:14fight it's got to happen it's got to happen so that's what you know we're not
4:16happen so that's what you know we're not
4:16happen so that's what you know we're not wasting our time
4:21[Music]

Source link ↗

Articles & sources

Open source ↗

Wikipedia — pirate radio in the United Kingdom overview

WEB · rights discovery only · source reference

Tertiary overview for discovery only; verify before public claims.

Source link ↗

In stories

Story · Well supportedRadio made the record travel

How distant AM signals, cautious island gatekeepers and pirate transmitters carried Jamaican records from Kingston's dances to London and New York.

Debate & reception

What people argued about this record — two documented positions each time, kept apart from verified fact. Browse every argument in the archive →

Commentary

Pirate radio filled a representation gap

One side

Unlicensed risk

The other

Community representation

UK pirate stations such as DBC are important because they gave reggae, lovers rock and Black music airtime where mainstream broadcasting had limited space.

Read the argument →