Over the air waves

Radio Luxembourg made a household name of Essex DJ Mark Wesley in the 1970s, spinning the discs alongside Paul Burnett, Kid Jensen, Peter Powell and Steve Wright. Today Mark is settled in Saffron Walden and has turned his hand to writing thriller novels

-  Nicky Adams

Mark Wesley has happy memories of his time on the decks in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, broadcasting to pop-pickers across Europe.

‘Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to spend their days messing around playing hit records?’ asks Mark. ‘My interest in radio was sparked the same way it was for many of the others who got into radio in the 1960s – the pirate radio ships like Radio Caroline and Radio London’ I had been playing guitar in a rock band, so music was right at the top of the things I loved.’

Mark started out at Radio Essex, not a trendy pirate station but one willing to employ an 18-year-old from South Benfleet with no experience at all.

‘It was the smallest station at the time, but what a training ground. As for our listeners, I think they must have been very generous and patient to stick with the amateur programmes presented by a bunch of youngsters who were making it up as we went along.’

Having had his first taste of the decks in Essex, Mark managed to get on board at the pirate radio ship, Radio Northsea International, and it was his experience presenting at sea that led to his big break.

‘I sent an air-check of my Radio Northsea International breakfast show to Radio Luxembourg and then went to work for Dick James Music in a useful record plugging job that kept me in contact with radio producers. I was plugging the last of the Beatles records and the first of Elton John’s, such as Your Song, when I received a telephone call from the programme director of Luxy, who asked if I was still interested in working for the station. Daft question.’

Mark joined one of the most listened-to stations across the continent, Radio Luxembourg, in spring 1971 and stayed for 10 years.