"On My Radio" is a song by English 2 tone ska revival band the Selecter, released as a single on 5 October 1979 by 2 Tone Records. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for nine weeks, and became their most successful single.[2]
| "On My Radio" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the single released in the Netherlands | ||||
| Single by the Selecter | ||||
| B-side | "Too Much Pressure" | |||
| Released | 5 October 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | Horizon Studios (Coventry) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | 2 Tone | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Neol Davies | |||
| Producer(s) | Roger Lomas | |||
| The Selecter singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and recording
edit"On My Radio" was originally written by Neol Davies whilst a member of another band, the Transposed Men, before the Selecter had been formed. "On My Radio" criticises radio as seen with the lyric "It's just the same old show on my radio", but also jokes at the expense of radio that the singer's lover prefers to listen to the radio than to them.[3]
Interest in the Selecter had grown after the release of their first single "The Selecter" which had been released earlier in 1979 as the B-side to the split single "Gangsters" by The Special A.K.A. They supported the Specials on tour and signed to 2 Tone Records, who gave them £1,000 to record a single.[4]
At Coventry's Horizon Studios, however, the group did not want to record "On My Radio" as a single, as they thought it sounded “like a Eurovision entry”. Producer Roger Lomas eventually persuaded them to record three songs (the other two being the eventual B-side "Too Much Pressure" and "Street Feeling") and let the record company decide on which to release as a single.[5] The song is also noted for its unusual 7/4 time signature, instead of the common 4/4, which lead singer Pauline Black says was "because we just didn't know the rules".[4]
"On My Radio" peaked at number 29 on the NME Top Singles of 1979.[6] In 2008, Freaky Trigger placed the song at number 44 in its list of "The Top 100 Songs of All Time".[7]
Track listing
edit7" Single (CHS TT 4)
- "On My Radio" – 3:15
- "Too Much Pressure" – 2:47
Charts
edit| Chart (1979–80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] | 8 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 10 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 8 |
References
edit- ^ a b Bradley, Larry (4 November 2014). "The 1970s: The Selecter - "On My Radio". The Alternative Jukebox. Cassell. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-84403-789-6.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "On My Radio by The Selecter". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ a b Simpson, Dave (21 April 2015). "The Selecter: how we made On My Radio". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "The Selecter – On My Radio/Too Much Pressure". A Frankie View. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1979". NME. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "Top 100 songs of all time". FreakyTrigger. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "The Selecter – On My Radio" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Selecter" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "The Selecter – On My Radio" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
External links
edit- On My Radio at Discogs (list of releases)