Weekend Presenters

As a child growing up in the 1970's my musical tastes always seemed to lean in the opposite direction to those of my friends, whilst they were listening to Queen, Bowie and Glam Rock records, I was listening to The Temptations, Aretha Franklin and The Stylistics! 

The strong melodies, story-like lyrics and irresistible rhythms appealed to me. The word was Soul, and it fitted my ears like a glove.

Aretha Franklin

There were very few outlets for the kind of music I liked, so it was a case of searching for specialist shows on the radio (usually the pirate stations).

I used to record the shows on pirate radio and listen over and over again, whilst making notes of the various tracks so I could try and find them.

Then I'd visit the specialist shops in the heart of London to buy those elusive records, most of which were imports, and cost a fortune!

All the Soulboys (and girls) used to get together at School to discuss the latest tracks, and which venues to check out at the weekend.

It all sounds very mundane today, but at the time was very exciting.  I recall sitting in the Common Room at school surrounded by Punks, Mods and Skinheads. We all had our Ghetto Blasters on - you can imagine the effect!

There was of course the Soulboy fashion and image too, but we won't go there, as memories of trying to get my hair into a wedge are just too painful!

So who were the artists that were dominating my world?

Well that's a difficult question to answer as there are so many, but artists like Bobby Womack, Roy Ayers, Frankie Beverly and Phyllis Hyman to name just a few were frequently on my turntable, artists that, along with their contemporaries,  still receive so little of the recognition I believe they deserve.

The Paul Miller Soul Show is all about the music so many of us love and grew up with but it's certainly not an oldies show.

Yes we do dig deep into the archives and relive those great moments from years gone by, but we also keep up to date with new releases, and champion new music too, including the best unsigned artists.

So whether it be foot stomping Northern Soul, unsuppressible floor-fillers or sweet soul melodies and smooth jazz, The Paul Miller Soul show has it all, so come and join me, and help keep the faith... Wedge haircuts optional!

The Paul Miller Soul Show - Sundays 5 - 7pm