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Midnight megamix from Tamango’s on Sunshine Radio

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Midnight megamix from Tamango's on Sunshine Radio
Sunshine sticker from 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).

Sunshine Radio (1980-1988) was located behind the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock on the north Dublin coast. The hotel itself and the adjoining Tamango’s nightclub were regular advertisers on Sunshine, and the station frequently broadcast live club nights from Tamango’s at the weekend.

Midnight megamix from Tamango's on Sunshine Radio
Advert for Sands Hotel including Tamango’s logo in the Sunshine Review 1985 (courtesy DX Archive).

This recording from just before Christmas 1985 features part of the Midnight Megamix with Jim Kenny (RIP), broadcast live from Tamango’s. News is read by Joyce Jackson, who would go to to work in RTÉ in the 1990s. The recording was made from 101.5 FM from 0049-1037 on Sunday 15th December 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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Jessie Brandon and Tony Allan on Radio Nova

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Jessie Brandon and Tony Allan on Radio Nova
Jessie Brandon on offshore pirate Laser 558 in 1984 (courtesy offshoreradio.co.uk / Offshore Echoes magazine).

This recording of Dublin super-pirate Radio Nova from 1985 features two of the station’s best presenters during its six years on air. The DJ is the legendary Jessie Brandon, who moved from the US to offshore pirate Laser 558 in 1984, before coming to Radio Nova. Jessie was one of the few female DJs on commercial stations in Ireland at the time. Joining her on news duties is the equally renowned Tony Allan (RIP), whose voice is also heard on several adverts and promos. The chemistry is electric in studio, with both presenters clearly revelling in each other’s company.

Jessie Brandon and Tony Allan on Radio Nova
Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102.7 FM between 1730-1815 on Wednesday 16th October 1985. Radio Nova also broadcast on high power on 738 kHz AM during this time.

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Tony Dixon with soul songs on Sunshine Radio

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Tony Dixon with soul songs on Sunshine Radio
Picture of Tony Dixon from the Sunshine Review in 1985 (courtesy DX Archive).

This recording of a Saturday night in 1985 on Sunday super-pirate Sunshine Radio gives a flavour of the variety in the station’s weekend schedule during this period. First up are soul and love songs with one of the station’s high-profile DJs, Tony Dixon (RIP). He is followed by Elliott John and Sunshine Street Beat. The usual high-level adverts for Dublin businesses and national brands are heard and there is a promo for a cash prize for listeners. Tony Dixon continued to broadcast on licensed radio until his untimely death in 2010.

Tony Dixon with soul songs on Sunshine Radio
Sands Hotel logo from the Sunshine time (courtesy Maria Ginty).

Sunshine Radio was based at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock on the northside of Dublin during its eight-year existence. This tape was made from 101.5 FM from 2019-2104 on 12th October 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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Breakfast music and news on Q102

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Breakfast music and news on Q102
DJ’s booth in Q102 in 1985 (courtesy DX Archive).

By the summer of 1985, the new kid on the block, Q102, was well established as a serious player in the cut-throat Dublin radio market. Made after about six months on air, this recording underlines the station’s professionalism and high-quality sound with breakfast DJ, Scott Williams, presenting a mixture of music, news and information. There are promos for a listeners’ quiz sponsored by Irish music retailer Dolphin Discs and for cash giveaways on the streets of Dublin. Adverts for larger businesses and brands reflect Q102’s commercial success. News is read by Anne Cassin. Both presenters went on to careers in licensed radio or RTÉ.

Breakfast music and news on Q102
Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM from 0727-0812 on 6th August 1985.

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August bank holiday 1985 on Radio Nova

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August bank holiday 1985 on Radio Nova
Colm Hayes in the Nova studios during the 1983 raid (courtesy Joe King).

This recording of pirate giant Radio Nova was made on the August bank holiday weekend 1985 and features two well-known voices on the station, DJ Colm Hayes and newsreader Bob Gallico (RIP). There is a listeners’ competition, celebrity birthday spot, sports news and mixture of chart music and oldies for the day that’s in it. The usual high-level agency adverts are heard, including ones for big brands Lucozade and Coca-Cola, reflecting Nova’s dominance in the radio market.

An interesting aspect of this recording is information about technical aspects of Nova’s broadcasts. A promo mentions the high-quality FM signal and powerful 50 kW AM transmitter, which is said to cover hundreds of square miles of coverage in Ireland, England and Wales. There is also mention of Nova’s offshoot station Magic 103 broadcasting on 1521 kHz AM, a frequency not normally announced.

The tape was made from 102.7 FM on Monday 5th August 1985 from 0700-0745 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.