Mickey Nold

 "Music found only in the basement by yours truly Mickey Nold and The Consortium..." 

 My first gig was when I connected a microphone my fathers radio gram and drove my mother around the bend. This was then followed by my school dance where I used the school pa system. It was at Selly Oak Boys along with Slade (known then as the 'In' Between's, an R&B band at the time) that's my first public date. I remember we got told-off by our headmaster Harry Leak because they were too noisy and cussed a lot! Later when I built my own DJ console and loudspeakers I started entertaining at weddings and birthdays with 90/10 mix of black and pop music respectively.
  Black music was always the way forward for me it seemed to be a more honest and lively sound. I was raised in the old Victorian tradition of not showing your emotions. My parents were brought up this way too, no way would they have got out of there seats in a theatre and danced in the isles to James Brown.

Radio Nold's 1960's Studio

  FRN or Free Radio Nold was a 1960's pirate radio station that never really got off the ground, but ran on 222 Meters on the Medium Wave band at weekends until about 1972. It gave myself some radio skills that I brought to PCRL. I was also a DJ on Enterprise FM 90.9 Mz in 1988 at the suggestion of a friend and DJ,  Jay Tee, who was to my mind one of  Birmingham's best club DJ's at that time.  This was all happening in Daddy Studio's high-rise flat in Hockley, and when station folded in late 1989 I then sent a demo tape to PCRL and joined early 1990.

The Consortium for the most were Northern Soul collectors and DJ's from the West Midlands region of England. They came together on PCRL because Birmingham over the early years (pre '85) has only had a  small amount of 'real soul' music played on the radio. PCRL filled this gap along with reggae and even Asian music in its early days.  I have been a keen collector of soul albums for many years.  'The Basement Soul show' which started in 1990 had seen many regular guests over the years, people like; Davie A., Bill Randle, John Weston, Pep, Ted Massey, Jodie Lamb, Chris Anderton, Jayne C, John Pugh, 'Beat Ballad' Bob, Dave Rimmer, Brian Goucher and Brian Fradgley, were collectively known as 'The Consortium'. 

 All  have made a great contribution, Bill Randle in particular has provided us with his famous interviews (Click his name above for full details), John Weston gave us 'the group sounds', John Pugh brought his Stafford spins, Dave Rimmer gave us popular Northern dancers & gig dates, Pep gave us his Black Horse tunes, Brian Fradgley liked 70's and Blues, Ted gave us 'rare Detroit', Chris brought the 'the Bretby sound' from a soul nite he ran in Burton-on-Trent, Brian Goucher with his obscure deep tasty soul cuts and Davie A gave us the polished big productions and missed 45's. (Film footage of some of the guys is at the bottom of the PCRL Television page.)

  Maxine Jayne is also very special to myself as she has tirelessly read us many soul music related books on Tuesday, later on Thursday nights, more recently Maxine brought us The Story Of Stax by Rob Bowman.

My Studio 37 Production was responsible for 'Black Heroes Past And Present', that was a short daily program read by Sister Carol and Brother Pilot. It ran for nearly 5 years, a total of 3410 episodes. Sadly in 2003 the Radio Authority confiscated the Black Hero tapes & most of the equipment from Studio 37.

When I get to play music I like to play 2-Steppers, vintage Blues & Soul and a few newies that take my interest. I was pleased to receive the 'Presenter of the Year awards in; 1995, 1996 and 1997 (1997 I shared it with Rebel D). It was in the mid-90s when I met the powerful brother Bill Duffus while helping out on the 'Talk-Back' program, I used to do all the technical stuff so's to free the others to 'talk'. He has done much for the rights of black people over the years in the Handsworth area. Together we recorded some of his poetry. Click on his name to read some of  his and Sister Carol's poems.

The DJ's

  Thanks to a PCRL listener (fireman Paul) and Davie A, a  CD  is now available of the Basement Soul Shows. All of the adverts and news has been carefully removed to leave some of the best music ever played on UK radio.

 All programs are from the 1998-2001 period in time. The programs were taped off the radio and for the most sound better than standard UK broadcasts. There's also a 1969 FRN CD (Free Radio Nold) is also now available that's over 40 years old! .....

 If you are interested in these CD's please email us and I'll post you copy's for a small fee. Above is the cover from Basement Soul CD. All of the 'prize guys' on on the cover. Keep re-visiting this page for more CD's in months to come if these prove to be popular.

Now that the Station is long gone I would like to thank all the listeners for their support over my years as a presenter. People like the No.1 Posse, Sandra in Erdington aka (E.T.), Dawn in Oldbury and all my old breakfast show supporters. You can e-mail us still at:  pcrl103fm@hotmail.com

Flyer for 1994 PCRL All-Niters

1994 Planner PCRL All-Niters (Last Friday in Every Month)

MAR 25	JOHNNY BEGGS(NEWCASTLE) {ed - note he was the only DJ that never turned up, Oh &  Soul Sam said Northern Soul was for dancing too, not for playing on the radio!)	Plus: PEP, TED MASSEY, BRIAN GOUCHER, JOHN WESTON & CHRIS ANDERTON
APRL 29	MOGGY(BIRMINGHAM)	Plus: DAVI-A, BEAT BALLAD BOB, BRIAN FRADGLEY & THE SOUL SURVIVORS LIVE IN DUDLEY
MAY 27	ROGER BANKS(BLACKPOOL)	Plus: BILL RANDLE, CHRIS ANDERTON & JOHN WESTON (SAM & DAVE LIVE)
JUNE 24	PEP - CAT'S 20th(WOLVERHAMPON)	Plus: TED MASSEY, BRIAN GOUCHER & PEP (JR. WALKER & ALL STARS LIVE)
JULY 29	ROGER BANKS(BLACKPOOL)	Plus: DAVIE-A, BEAT BALLAD BOB, DAVE RIMMER & BILLRANDLE (TONY MIDDLETON & MARY LOVE LIVE)
AUG 26	CLIFF STEEL(100 CLUB)	Plus: JOHN WESTON, CHRIS ANDERTON, TED MSSEY, JOHN WESTON (BOBBY ROGERS SPECIAL & IKE & TINA TURNER LIVE)
SEPT 30	SPIKE & RUSS WHITE	Plus: BRIAN FRADGLEY & CLIFF STEEL
OCT 28	PETE THORP(MORTON-IN-MARSH)	Plus: DAVIE A, DAVE RIMMER & TED MASSEY (FOUR TOPS LIVE)
NOV 25	JOHN PUGH(STAFFORD)	Plus: JOHN WESTON, BEAT BALLAD BOB & BILL RANDLE (LINDA GRINER SPECIAL) JACKIE WILSON LIVE
DEC 30	JASON HUNT(MANCHESTER/BRETBY)	Plus: BRIAN GOUCHER & CHRIS ANDERTON (EDWIN STARR AT CHELMSFORD)

Some CD's available from Studio-37 (email me at pcrl103fm@hotmail.com)

01  Malcolm X.  (speeches on cd (includes bio. from close friend))

02  Malcolm X.  (more early speeches.)

03  Louis Farrakan at Rochester university.

04  The Watts Prophets. Vols 1 2 3 4

05  Bill Duffus poetry including 'Wake up Black Man' in full.

06  Martin Luther King in Washington '63. Includes: Whitney Young/Roy Wilkins/Walter Ruther.

07  Dr. King in Detroit 1968.

08  Dr. King  elswere 19'68.

09  Stokelly Carmichael 'Free Huey!' (when he was a Black Panther.) Rare Motown Black Forum release.

10  Langston Hughes/Margrett Danner read their own poetry. (rare Motown Black Forum release)

11  Alex Haley (lectures on the writing of his book 'Roots'.)

12  'The black dialect examined' (by the Bell phone comp.)

13  J. F. Kennedy speeches.

14  Southern freedom songs. (fantastic atmospheric collection)

15  "Why I'm Ready To Die" by Nelson Mandela. His courtroom address/freedom songs read by Peter Finch in 1964.

16  "Look Who's Coming Home" Black interviews in Vietnam. (rare Motown Black Forum release.)

17  2-Pack tribute/interview.

18  Dr. Wade Nobles lecture 'Saltwater/freshwater fish'.'

19  The Bill Randle interviews (over 30 most on 2 CD's.)

20  The Last Poets Poetry set to music. vol.1

21  The Last Poets vol.2

22  The Last Poets vol.3

23  Sista Carol (Birmingham poet, set to music.)

24  Wanda Robinson (Soul-Jazz Poetry of) Perception Sessions

25  Voices of Black America (inc. Booker T. Washington, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Paul Roebson, Langston Hughes, Bert Williams and James Weldon Johnson. (some of the recordings are nearly 100 years old! (2 cd's)

26  PCRL Northern Soul All-Niters (Various big name guests including Roger Banks & Ted Massey) total of 5 recordings.

27  Last Nite at The Cat's - Interviews with DJ's and music recorded on the last night of Wolverhampton's legendary Catacombs night club.

28  Negro Prison Songs (recorded in 1947 by the late Alan Lomax)

29  Curtis Mayfield "Rapping"  Curtom radio promo from 1972.

30  Elaine Brown (rare Motown recording) songs dedicated to the a strong black man, Black Forum label.

31  Jean-Claude T. "The Bicentennial Poet" Philadelphia Int.

32  Black Spirits: Festival Of New Black Poets in America, inc., Imamu Amiri Baraka (Le Roi Jones.) Black Forum label.

33  Ossie Davies & [Bill Cosby] address The Congressional  Black  Caucus. Black Forum label.

34  Willie Tyler & Lester  'Hello Dummy.' Comedy from a black ventriloquist and his dummy Lester. Rarest of all Tamla albums.

35  Max Roach 'We Insist! Freedom Now Suite.' Jazz with attitude.

36  Charlie Mingus Presents Charlie Mingus. More jazz attitude.

37 Basement Soul Programs (12 hours on mp3 cd)

38 Timmie Rogers- If I Were President

Mickey's PCRL Basement Soul show

Vintage Mickey from 1972 on his own FRN (Free Radio Nold)