It is amazing how popular the ‘80s is now... it has crossed so many generations
DJ GARY DAVIES IS GETTING READY TO PARTY WITH THE NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL THE 80s LIVE TOUR. MARION McMULLEN FINDS OUT WHAT THE DECADE MEANS TO HIM
What made the 1980s so special?
THE ’80s was a very special decade because you had so many different types of music all being successful at the same time.
You had the aftermath of punk, the start of New Wave, the New Romantics, rock, heavy rock like AC/DC and Def Leppard, the mega super cool rock bands like U2 and INXS and Simple Minds, amazing soul music from people like Cameo, Michael Jackson and then, of course, mega pop hits like Kylie, Madonna and Rick Astley.
It was a decade like no other in terms of variety and it was all successful at the same time.
Any special memories of the original artists?
FRANKIE Goes To Hollywood is one special memory because I made Relax my record of the week and it was doing really well, then Mike Read decided to ban it and I was really frustrated at the time because I couldn’t play it any more.
I was also a massive fan of Prince. I didn’t know him sadly but I saw him many, many times and I used 1999 as the theme tune every Tuesday when I did the Top 40 countdown. I used that as the rundown music.
It was released before but was never a hit and, as a result of using it every week they re-released it and it was a hit.
I think Prince would have done just fine without me though.
Did you feel at the time that the 1980s were cool?
WHEN I left Radio 1, I went into the other side of the music business creating music with a publishing company and a production company, so I was busy getting on with life and a new venture and I never gave it much thought.
It is amazing how popular the 80s is now but what is great about it is it’s not just people who were born in the 80s or experienced it first time around. It has crossed so many generations.
The Sounds Of The 80s show I do now on Radio 2, the demographic is so huge and varied.
How happy are you to be involved in the tour?
IT’S fantastic. I guess when I stopped doing radio the first time around at the end of 1993, the 80s weren’t considered so cool but in the 25 years I have been away they have become supercool.
Coming back to the Sounds Of The 80s show on Radio 2 has been great and I am really looking forward to taking the sounds of the 80s out on the road around the country with the NOW Live tour.
I started Radio 1 on December 1982 and I think the first NOW album came out a year later, so I saw the incredible impact the albums had. It really became the definitive guide to what was a hit and what was going to be a hit.
How did you become involved in the tour?
NOW very kindly asked me if I would like to host the tour and it is such a legendary album that I thought it would be an amazing thing to do.
The tracklisting the bands are going to play and the singers are going to sing are the best of the 80s.
If you want to go out and have a great 80s party, this is it as we are going to have all the 80s bangers.
I am really looking forward to going on tour because I haven’t done it in so long.
It’s going to be fun.
Any special memories of cities you’re taking the show to?
MANCHESTER, my home town, will be special. I haven’t played there for so long so it will be very special.
Glasgow and Edinburgh, I have amazing memories of Scotland, and in fact all the places we are going with the NOW tour.
The great thing about working with Radio 1 in the 80s is we took our shows on the road, whether it was the roadshows or Gary Goes To Your Place, where we used to drive through a city and broadcast live which was amazing fun.
Did you have any input when it came to choosing hits for the tour?
IT’S really difficult when it comes to picking a tracklisting.
I say, “don’t ask me my favourite 80s songs”. A list of 100 songs, sure, I’ll do an 80s playlist but 15 or 20 songs is very difficult.
The one thing we will have on this Now tour is the best party bangers you could hope to have.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Relax is still one of my all time favourite 80s songs, then there is party stuff like Cyndi Lauper and Billy Joel.
But it’s not just party stuff, there’s also something a bit more down tempo too like Prince’s Purple Rain.
■ Now That’s What I Call The 80s Live tours across the country from next month with DJ Mark Goodier hosting the London date on November 29. Go to raymondgubbay.co.uk for ticket details.