Radio Caroline’s Breakfast jock Tony Paul caught up with actor Bill Nighy recently in Hollywood and persuaded him to give Radio Caroline listeners the inside scoop in his upcoming movie The Boat That Rocked. Bill, who plays the owner of a pirate radio station, spoke exclusively to Tony about making the film and about his fond memories growing up in the south of England listening to Radio Caroline.
The Boat That Rocked is written and directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and A Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually) and also stars Rhys Ifans, Kenneth Branagh, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, Nick Frost, and Emma Thompson. It is inspired by the Radio Caroline story and parts of the studio on the radio ship Ross Revenge were used to re-create the pirate ship. Ex-Caroline man Johnnie Walker acted as adviser during filming.
Tony Paul’s world exclusive interview with Bill Nighy will be broadcast on the Radio Caroline Breakfast show, between 0700 and 0900 UTC, all next week starting Monday 2 March.
(Source: Radio Caroline)
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on Feb 25th, 2009 at 18:22
The film now has a fairly extensive website:
http://www.theboatthatrocked.co.uk
on Feb 25th, 2009 at 18:25
It could be very beneficial to Caroline to get mentioned in the media in the wake of the film release. Thanks Andy!
on Feb 27th, 2009 at 20:04
Second, and longer, trailer now at:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi34800409/
on Feb 28th, 2009 at 11:49
This is the 2nd international trailer, with some different footage than the 2nd UK one.
There’s no US release date as yet, this puts the need for offshore pirates in context for a non European audience, also includes a lot of footage of the Philip Seymour Hoffman character:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb0LX7BrbBQ
on Feb 28th, 2009 at 13:20
This video is not available in my country
on Mar 5th, 2009 at 09:11
The offshore radio stations that called themselves ‘Radio Caroline’ had various incarnations and owners. The first ‘Radio Caroline’ operated from two vessels from 1964 to 1968.
The founder of the first Radio Caroline was Irishman Ronan O’Rahilly, backed by several British investors.
Later versions were financially backed and ultimately controlled by different people.
The last offshore Radio Caroline closed in 1990.
There are now at least two ‘tribute’ radio stations that use the name Caroline -
“Radio Caroline 259″ - from the Netherlands and the British tribute station, that claims to be the ‘official’ descendent of the offshore station, due to it having ‘control’ of the last Caroline ship - the Ross Revenge.
One wonders what would happen to these Caroline imitators in the unlikley event a new “Radio Caroline” arrived in the North Sea and commenced broadcasting …..
on Mar 5th, 2009 at 21:39
>> what would happen to these Caroline imitators in the unlikely event a new “Radio Caroline” arrived in the North Sea and commenced broadcasting
Fans of BBC TV’s Monty Python’s Flying Circus will perhaps remember the Alan Whicker sketch where a whole screenful of men and one woman wandered over a tropical island claiming to be the iconic television reporter of the sixties and seventies.
on Mar 21st, 2009 at 09:49
I can assure Chris Collins that Ronan was very much in charge of the re-launched Radio Caroline in December 1972, and was certainly in control up to 1977.
The reason he kept such a low profile was the fear that he would be arrested if a connection to the station could be proved. I myself, was harassed and harried by the Government to give evidence against Ronan, and, eventually, I was prosecuted. Others, close to Ronan, such as Oonagh, his PA, was also prosecuted, but, none of us stood witness against Ronan.
I for my part, had to pursue my radio work overseas, as both Ronan and myself felt that my continued presence in Britain was a threat to Ronan. The pressure on my family and myself to ’shop’ Ronan was intense, and eventually caused the break up of my family.
Ronan and Keith Ashton got me a berth on the Voice of Peace anchored off Israel, that is why I’m not sure how much control Ronan had sfter 1976. I know he was still the Boss up to 1977, but, perhaps Sylvain Tack of Radio Mi Amigo took more control, he was, after all, beginning to pay all the bills.
Ronan is still linked to the British Radio Caroline, he and Chris Moore have a warm and cordial relationship and are often seen together at radio events in Europe.
on Mar 22nd, 2009 at 10:31
The comments by Don Stevens require a response because clearly Ronan’s PR or more correctly this new movie’s PR is in high gear. I am currently working on a new book about the entire history of how commercial radio came to Britain (”DISTANT DRUMS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC”) which is a continuation of several academic articles that I have either assisted with or co-written with my colleague Eric Gilder. The first point that needs clarification is the origin of Radio Caroline itself and why and how it came to be. It had nothing to do with Caroline Kennedy or the Irish Rebellion but everything to do with the younger set of the Establishment trying to overturn Pilkington. The name came from a Queen magazine style sheet that predated Radio Caroline and the business plan came from Gordon McLendon via Alan Crawford via Ronan to Jocelyn Stevens. In the 1980s the Caroline venture was the product of criminal fraud resulting in a US federal court case and the person behind that spun over into both the Rusling Laser project and Alan Weiner’s abortive New York project. I have just finished reading Johnnie Walker’s autobiography and it is clear that Mr Walker is very confused about many things to do with offshore radio and yet he has been a consultant on this new movie. Unfortunately hype is what counts and academic studies that are documented are discounted as boring.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 07:56
I see someone has (finally) had the guts to release an honest review of this stinkburger …
http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE52U0Y120090331?rpc=401&
on Oct 20th, 2009 at 12:37
I have just read these posts and can concur with all that Mervyn Hagger has written. I was around in those days and worked with Alan Crawford and several others on the Caroline project. Thank goodness someone other than myself remembers how it really was.
on Jan 23rd, 2010 at 16:56
Mervyn Heggar needs to revist the sixties - literally, and to take Angela back with him. They are guilty of trying to re-write history. Its bad enough when films try to do it, but so called “I was there” -…..
Anyway the film sucked, and will probably follow the Mi Amigo
I loved the story from the films preproduction, where there was talk of having a scene with a phone in!!! = Think about it!!!