When Annie told Bowie his future
Hey Hi Hello Annie Nightingale White Rabbit £20
Annie Nightingale was awarded an MBE in 2001 (since ‘upgraded’ to a CBE). ‘Radio 1 DJ,’ she informed the Queen at her investiture, breaking protocol by speaking first. It’s entirely possible that Her Majesty is the only Brit who would need to be told. Now aged 80, Nightingale is a broadcasting legend. She made her name in the 1960s as the journalist who earned the trust of The Beatles and told David Bowie, correctly: ‘You are the future!’ In 1970 she became the first female DJ on Radio 1 and is still there 50 years later, the station’s longestserving presenter. Going on to host The Old Grey Whistle Test after Bob Harris was seen off by punk, she dived into acid house in her 50s, partied with Primal Scream in her 60s, and more recently became an enthusiastic advocate of grime.
Neither nostalgia nor pigeonholes have ever been her bag, so perhaps it’s only to be expected that this tombola of a book jumps around like a rusty needle on a scratched LP. It flits eccentrically between eras and issues, mixing
(veiled) memoir, industry overview and personal encounters with the likes of Dusty Springfield, Bob Marley, Marc Bolan and John Lennon. Transcribed verbatim, these interviews have charm but little substance, while Nightingale’s easy conversational style – so winning on the wireless – works less well on the page, as she embarks on odd digressions into the Falklands War and the volcanic history of Montserrat.
While her enthusiasm and affection for music always shines through, and her pro tips – be nice; ‘don’t ever, ever be late’ – underscore Nightingale’s integrity, in the end Hey Hi Hello feels like an unfocused double album from a superstar artist: a few hits, a lot of filler.