Bottom 30 (1980) Placing: #17
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Tommy Vance (real name Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston)
was born in in Eynsham, Oxfordshire on 11th July 1941 and died on 6th March 2005 at Darent Valley
Hospital near Dartford, Kent, early on Sunday three days after suffering a stroke.
The following was taken from the Radio London Obituary...[see links below]
Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston had gained his first radio
experience in the US, with stations in Washington State, using the name Rick West
until he joined KOL Seattle in 1964. As has been the case with numerous DJs when they
change stations, he was then obliged to adopt a new persona, to make use of
station jingles which had already been recorded in the name of Tommy Vance.
From there, he went to California and KHJ, Los Angeles, where he became a star jock.
The threat of being drafted into the US army prompted a swift return to Britain.
In January 1966, Tommy transferred from being a top DJ earning big bucks on KHJ,
to being an unknown on Radio Caroline South, braving the North Sea for a meagre
£18.50 a week. Although he said he relished a challenge, he described this sudden
upheaval, which occurred within the space of about five days, as the biggest
cultural shock of his life. The jingles (by the Johnny Mann Singers), which had
been instrumental in changing his identity, came with him to England. Although he
never officially changed identity by deed-poll, 'TV on radio' was a memorable
catch-phrase and 'Tommy Vance' remained his name for the rest of his life.
Tommy tolerated three winter months aboard Caroline, had a stint on Radio
Luxembourg, then came back to Caroline for another six months.
In July 1967, Radio London programme director Alan Keen persuaded Tommy to jump
ship to the Galaxy. He was already a regular Big L listener, having become a fan
of John Peel's 'Perfumed Garden', while aboard the Caroline ship Mi Amigo.
(TV and Peelie later co-presented 'Top Gear' for the BBC.) Radio London was
short-staffed, because so many of the DJs were opting to leave before the Marine
Offences Bill came into effect in August. Tommy was persuaded to join because at
the time, there were plans for Radio London to recommence broadcasting from the
continent after August 14th. Management hopes were high for the station's future,
but not all the DJs shared their optimism.
Although Tommy's stint on Radio London must have been the briefest in his long
broadcasting career, his place in Big L history will always be remembered.
He was the last DJ to join Radio London, presenting his first show the day he
arrived aboard the ship – July 25th 1967. Tommy had the honour of presenting the
final Fab 40 on August 6th. His last show (breakfast) was on August 7th and he
left the Galaxy the following day. His voice, however, was heard on Radio London's
final day. On August 14th, a pre-recorded 'Juicy Fruit Spectacular' was broadcast
between 1330 and 1400, and at the end of the show Tommy (who co-hosted it with
Lee Peters) said a personal farewell to his Big L audience.
Listening onshore to the close-down, Tommy said: "It was very sad because it was a
part of your life. I was perpetually confused by the evolution of the medium in
this country because I'd come from America, where radio was commonplace. It always
struck me as terribly strange that if America had this proliferation of radio, why
couldn't the UK have it?"
Of course, thanks to the influence of offshore radio, the UK eventually got a
variety of radio stations, and Tommy was to work for many of them, including Radio
One, Capital and Virgin. It's impossible to list everything in a career like
Tommy's. He made an appearance in a Slade film and released several (unsuccessful)
singles. His talents also took him into television; he hosted Top of the Pops,
voiced many commercials and fronted the Friday Rock Show on VH1.
Tommy told us that people regularly presented him with copies of the final Fab 40,
thinking that they were doing him a favour. But he did not really want to listen
to it, as his one-and-only Big L chart presentation was not something he
regarded as one of his finer broadcasting moments! The Fab 40 title was a
misnomer, as Alan Keen had crammed a much larger number than 40 records into the
final chart. Not surprisingly, the show overran by 22 minutes.
Tommy always enjoyed a party. He was present at our 35th Anniversary Offshore
Reunion in August 2002. (His signature from the Guest Book, is below.) Sadly, a
business commitment in Spain prevented him from attending the Radio London
40th Anniversary Reunion, which took place on February 26th 2005, less than a
week before his untimely passing.
Students from Luxembourg, making a documentary about their country's famous
radio station, arrived at the 2002 reunion and interviewed Duncan Johnson and
Keith Skues. But Tommy, hiding behind his trademark dark glasses, kept well out
of the way. He told us he did not want to talk to them, because he felt he had
enjoyed a little too much to drink.
Perhaps Tommy's least-known (but nevertheless, very popular) role was that of
'The Thing That Ate Birmingham' from Kenny Everett's famous 'Moment Of Terror'
promo, made while they were both working for London's Capital Radio. Never one to
miss the opportunity of obtaining a special effect, the mischievous Kenny recorded
the sound of Tommy burping. By adding an enormous amount of echo, Kenny enhanced
the sound to create an audio monster. He frequently used 'The Thing that Ate
Birmingham' in his space serial, Captain Kremmen.
The following obituary was taken from the BBC site
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance, who hosted the Rock Show on the station for
15 years, has died aged 63 after a stroke.
Vance hosted the BBC Radio 1 chart show for two years in the 1980s
Tommy Vance's gravel voice and slick presentation ensured a successful career
that spanned several decades. His style, heavily influenced by his time in the
United States, was far removed from his origins.
He was born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prue Hope-West in Oxford during
World War II. But if his name seemed a passport to the establishment, his
ambitions lay elsewhere. At 16, he joined the Merchant Navy and, while at sea,
heard US radio and was instantly attracted to the idea of becoming a disc jockey.
He secured a DJ job on KOR Seattle in 1964 as Rick West, but had the name
Tommy Vance thrust upon him when a broadcaster of that name, whose arrival had
been heavily-publicised, failed to turn up.
He joined the BBC after pirate stations were banned in 1967
Sticking with his new name, he worked for a Los Angeles station but, anxious about
the possibility of being sent to fight in Vietnam, returned to Britain in 1966.
Joining the best-known offshore pirate station, Radio Caroline, he coined the
slogan "TV on radio". He had spells at Radio Luxembourg and on pirate ship Radio
London before the offshore stations were closed down in 1967. But the pirates had
proved there was a demand for pop music and the BBC's new Radio 1, which adopted a
similar approach, hired Vance and several other popular names. Vance tried to
exploit his popularity by releasing several records, including a cover of the
Herman's Hermits hit Silhouettes. But like Tony Blackburn, he had to acknowledge
that his talents rested with the day job. He moved to Capital Radio in 1973,
becoming one of the station's stars, but rejoined the BBC in 1978.
For the next 15 years, introducing the Friday Night Rock Show, he proved a source
of encouragement for the heavy metal bands he championed. He also presented the
Sunday afternoon radio Top 40 show for two years during the 1980s and was also a
regular host on BBC One's Top of the Pops. In 1993, Vance moved to Virgin Radio
and also worked for television stations VH1, Channel 4 and Five. Last December, he
was the featured DJ at a concert at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in
London and his distinctive voice brought him regular voiceover work on commercials.
Last year, he took part in celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's reality show Hell's
Kitchen - but walked out after a few days, saying he could not bear the constant
abuse.
Vance is survived by his former wife, Stella, and an adult son and daughter.
The following obituary from The Scotsman ...[see links below]
The shades, the lived-in voice and the mid-Atlantic accent made Tommy Vance one of
the best-known voices in rock. He was well-respected by musicians, and any fan of
rock music had to listen to his radio programmes.
Like fellow DJ John Peel, who died last year, Vance was passionate about rock
music and considered it a vital force in youth culture. Dave Cash, a DJ and friend
of more than 40 years, said: "Tommy was part of the group that actually cared
about the music he was playing."
Vance also had a healthy (and lucrative) career doing voice-overs for commercials.
For many years he was the sonorous continuity announcer on BBC2 and was
particularly proud to have provided the links and compered the Live Aid concert in
1985. As one colleague on Radio One said of him: "He lived rock ’n’ roll."
He was born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prue Hope-West. But like many aspects
of Vance’s career the name was lost in romantic circumstances. After a spell in
the merchant navy he went to Seattle and joined the local radio station as a DJ
using the name of Rick West. However, the station had signed up, amidst much
publicity, a local DJ called Tommy Vance, who failed to turn up. Vance substituted
and used the name for the rest of his life.
In 1966 he returned to the UK and joined the groundbreaking pirate radio station
Radio Caroline, where he introduced himself on air with the charismatic calling
signal: "TV on Radio". He had sessions with many of the other pirate stations
before they were closed down in 1967. Vance even recorded a few discs before 1973,
when he joined the newly opened Capital Radio and rapidly built up a lively and
dedicated audience.
The BBC saw Vance’s potential and in 1978 offered him the popular Friday Night
Show, which he introduced with irreverent panache for 15 years. He also took over
Alan Freeman’s popular Sunday afternoon Top 40 Countdown programme and maintained
its high ratings. His love of rock music and, in particular, of heavy metal bands
led him to give airtime to many of the leading - and lesser-known - bands of the
era. In the early 1980s he joined the group of DJs who regularly introduced
BBC1’s ever-popular Top of the Pops.
What made Vance different from many other rock DJs was the relaxed and informed
interviews he carried out in his programmes. He undoubtedly had a broad knowledge
of music but over the years he attracted to his studios more than 10,000 guests,
from Prince Charles to the Rolling Stones. In 1983 he was the first DJ on the BBC
to use compact discs.
Vance was a restless individual who always wanted to break new ground. In 1993 he
went to Virgin Radio and presented the Eleven O’Clock Show on Channel 4 and Dumber
and Dumber on Channel Five. But his last appearance on television caused a major
stir and, many considered, brought him much credit.
Vance was asked to replace Roger Cook as a celebrity guest in Gordon
Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen programme last year. As tempers frayed in the heat of the
kitchen and the language from the celebratory chef degenerated, Vance decided to
throw in the dishcloth, and retired (with some decorum) after only a few days’
shooting to his flat in London’s Docklands.
Vance was a heavy smoker and that probably gave his voice the gravelly and husky
sound that made him so distinctive and easily recognisable on radio. He was known
in the world of voice-overs as the "voice on legs" because of the ease with which
he could adapt his vocal tone to what was required. Vance - perhaps as a
reflection of his popularity - gained many nicknames in his career. The one he
preferred was "the legendary growler of rock".
Vance was driving back to his flat after hosting the Friday Rock Show on the
digital channel VH1 when he had a stroke and was taken to a hospital in Dartford.
He is survived by his former wife and their son and daughter.
Another blurb written before his death...
He adopted the 'stage name' of Tommy Vance as the only name jingle package
available at KHJ Los Angeles was for a presenter who never took the job, called
'Tommy Vance'. He took this DJ role in the early 1960's, and kept the name.
Tommy Vance ran away to sea aged 16, his first employment was with the Merchant
Navy, then having enrolled as a student at a Northern Ireland college, he became
an actor/stage hand. Unhappy with his salary he moved to the USA to work in radio.
Tommy has said he was the first English D.J. to broadcast on a USA radio station,
his first being on station KOL. He had to leave America because of the Vietnam war.
He suffered a drop in pay from 15,000 dollars a year to 18 pounds and 10s.
Following stints on Radio's Caroline (1966/1967), London (1967) and Luxembourg (1966)
he joined BBC Radio One in 1967, originally guest co-presenter on 'Top Gear' a
Sunday afternoon 'progressive music' show with John Peel.
Leaving Radio 1, he joined London's Capital Radio in 1973 coming back to the BBC
in 1978 and presented the popular 'Friday Rock Show' for 15 years. Tommy Vance
also fronted the Sunday Top 40 from 1982 - 1984. He regularly recorded special
shows for BFBS around the world. Tommy has interviewed many thousands of
personalities on radio.
He is well known for his deep 'gravelly' voice which has been put to good use on
numerous TV and radio advertisements over the last three decades.
He was seen and heard on satellite channel VH1 at midnight on Fridays hosting,
'The Friday Rock Show' which was sadly axed March 2002.
Links ...
BBC obituary
Radio London obituary
The Scotsman obituary
Tommy Vance entry on Radio Rewind
