The Beatles to Beyoncé: Whispering Bob’s career is worth shouting about
Radio host has long been a new music champion
Having grown up enthralled by the glow of the radiogram in the corner of his childhood home, “Whispering Bob” Harris has repaid the favour of introducing new music to generations of listeners to his BBC radio shows.
From David Bowie and Elton John to modern country stars such as Kacey Musgraves and Luke Combs, he’s always looked to the future and watched acts flourish from the beginning of their careers to superstardom.
For his latest show, though, he’s looking to the past and one of the most influential acts he’s had the privilege of seeing from start to finish – The Beatles.
Bob, who has met and interviewed all of the Fab Four across his broadcasting career, is touring Scotland with a show focused on the songs written by members of the band that were given away to other artists or projects.
Alongside Beatles expert Colin Hall, he tells the stories behind famous examples including The Rolling Stones’ first UK top 20 track, I Wanna Be Your Man, and Cilla Black’s debut single Love Of The Loved.
The group’s songwriting strengths were evident from the early days, with one giveaway emanating from their famous tour across Scotland in the 1960s in support of Johnny Gentle, while still known as The Silver Beetles.
“They were in Inverness and Johnny had been trying to work out the final bit of a song he’d been trying to write,” Bob explained.
“He played it to John and he just came up with a little middle eight that fitted perfectly.”
That song was I’ve Just Fallen For Someone, and became the first of many tracks The Beatles would be a part of creating.
Whether performed by the band or not, the music has spanned generations and stood the test of time.
“What comes across is the strength of the songs,” said Bob. “Paul, in particular, has an amazing ear for a melody. They stick in your mind.
“The key to their prolific burst of creativity was not overthinking anything. It was just sort of coming out.
“When Paul and John wrote the first line in I Saw Her Standing There: ‘Well, she was just 17,’ the original lyrics went: ‘and she’d never been a beauty queen’.
“Paul said it was terrible and they couldn’t get past it, but then one of them said what about: ‘you know what I mean?’ Suddenly it was so simple and it was ‘Beatle-y’. That moment was when they thought, right, we won’t overthink anything.
“That began the incredible run of almost 200 songs in no time, which just happen to be some of the best ever heard.”
Bob has been at the heart of The Beatles’ story, in the privileged position of seeing their early beginnings and also their huge cultural impact.
The 78-year-old reflects fondly on being at the epicentre of the late ’60s counterculture, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bowie and Marc Bolan at an early stage.
Seeing artists blossom still feels as rewarding today, with country acts he’s championed in recent years hitting the mainstream.
“I’ve been very lucky to be at the heart of music for a very long time and be at the beginning of careers of people I really admire.
“The engine of my shows is new music – it’s the future. Every week there’s somebody
I’ve just discovered that I can’t wait to play. I’m really proud of that.”
Having fallen in love with the music culture of Nashville, Bob has become a huge part of the country scene and its resurgence on these shores.
Pop superstar Beyoncé turned to the genre for her current chart-topping album, Cowboy Carter, and country stars now consistently pack out arenas across the UK.
The Country 2 Country (C2C) festival has become an annual event in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro.
“Country is going through a massive moment,” Bob, who hosts C2C London, said. “It’s the fastest-growing genre in the UK. The audiences are getting younger, the enthusiasm bigger. They’re there because of the music, probably wearing cowboy boots and a hat. It’s fabulous.
“It’s a lot to do with community. This is our football team, we all wear the same colours and it’s very bonding.
“The artists are very aware of that feeling – the bond with fans
is really strong. It’s a beautiful full circle that pulls everyone together.”
Bob’s latest edition of the Country Show on BBC Radio 2, broadcast last Thursday, was a special 25th anniversary celebration.
“I feel really blessed,” Bob said. “They’ve been predicting the demise of radio forever. They said it would be the end when talking movies came in, then TV, music channels, MTV, digital and podcasts.
“Radio is thriving as much, if not more so, than any other time in its history. It’s still vibrantly alive.
“I think of being on the radio like when my friends used to come over in my early teens, seeing the expression on their faces when I played them a record they liked.
“That’s what I’m doing on the radio – just a bigger version of that.”
The Songs The Beatles Gave Away: Braemar, Aberdeen, Cumbernauld, Berwick, April 26-28, May 4. See bobharris.org