LASER 558 ALL EUROPE RADIO
THERE IS THIS 1967 SONG BY THE JOHNNY MANN SINGERS AND FRANK IFIELD CALLED UP UP AND AWAY SUBTITLED WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE IN MY BEAUTIFUL BALLOON WHICH INCEDENTLY WAS THE ED STEWART CLIMBER ON BIG L IN JULY 1967. ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS THIS SAYING WHAT GOES UP WILL COME DOWN!
DURING THE FIRST MONTHS OF 1984 TWO HELIUM BALLOONS WERE RAISED ONBOARD THE MV COMMUNICATOR, EUROPE'S NEWEST OFFSHORE RADIO SHIP ANCHORED IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS OF THE NORTH SEA, SOME 9 MILES OFF THE ESSEX UK COAST.
BALLOON NUMBER ONE TOOK OF IN THE DIRECTION OF FRANCE AFTER BEING RAISED AND NUMBER TWO WAS SUCCESFUL FOR ONE DAY ON 730 KHZ WITH GOOD RECEPTION IN W EUROPE. FOR ONE DAY WE LISTENED TO NONSTOP BEATLES MUSIC FROM THE SHIP, BUT ALSO BALLOON TWO BROKE FREE AND WAS FOUND SOMEWHERE IN BELGIUM.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF 730 LASER.
LOOKS LIKE LUCY IN THE SKY WITH................
................A LITTLE HELP FROM MY AND THEIR FRIENDS.....
........AT LAST IN MAY 1984 TWO AERIAL TOWERS WERE BUILT ON THE SHIP.
BY MAY 1984 LASER 558 WAS DOING WHAT SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO: ALL HIT RADIO FOR EUROPE. THE 80S EDITION OF 60S RADIO LONDON PLAYED THE HITS FROM CART RATHER TEN FROM RECORDS. LEENDERT VINGERLING, THE TENDERSKIPPER, TALKING TO THE NOW LATE DAVID LEE STONE IN THE ON AIR STUDIO ONBOARD THE COMMUNICATOR DURING THE SUMMER OF 84.
AUDIO PROCESSING ONBOARD THE SHIP.
THE LASER TRANSMITTER IN THE HOLD OF THE SHIP
DECK VIEW FROM THE FRONT MAST. EVEN THE HELIUM GAS CILINDERS CAN BE SEEN.
THE ANCHOR WINCH. THE COMMUNICATOR LOST HER ANCHOR SEVERAL TIMES DURING HERE STAY AT SEA BETWEEN JANUARY 84 AND NOVEMBER 85.
THE SATELLITE RECEIVER AND TRANSMITTER AERIAL ON THE STERN.
THE RADIO ROOM ONBOARD.
THE SHIP'S WORKSHOP.
STORE ROOM WITH FRIDGE.
PRODUCTION STUDIO WHERE MANY JINGLES WERE PRODUCED. THE UNFORTUNATE FACT FOR LASER 558 WAS THE ALMOST NON EXISTENCE OF COMMERCIALS, SO THIS STUDIO WAS NOT USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
LASER 558 NEWSROOM.
THE GENERATOR ROOM.
DURING THE SUMMER OF 84 AND 85 MANY VISITORS FOM COUNTRIES LIKE HOLLAND, BELGIUM, GERMANY, FRANCE AND OFCOURSE THE UK HAD A LOOK AROUND ONBOARD THE RADIOSHIP. DEEJAYS AND CREW WERE ALWAYS VERY HOSPITABLE TOWARDS THEIR VISITORS.
AMERICAN DEEJAY HOLLY MICHAELS ON AIR ONBOARD.
DEEJAYS JESSIE BRANDON, RICK HARRIS, PAUL DEAN<MAY> AND HEINEKEN, STEVE MASTERS AND THE STONER DAVID LEE STONE, THE MUCH MORE MUSIC CREW FOR LASER 558.
WHAT A LOVELY LASS, JONELL.
FITTNESS-ROOM ONBOARD SHIP.
ERIN BEHIND THE COLLINS MIXER.
DAVID CHAINEY.