For all of you kind friends of the NJ Radio Museum who have dialed up http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk, I must say that you were treated to a couple of hours of a fellow AlbumZone Programme Presenter entertaining you in my stead. As I alluded above, on-line international radio which makes very pleasant listening presents its own logistical challenge, and is often a juggling act. In this case, my producer, friend, AlbumZone Founder and “Guvnah,” Johnny Reece encountered transmission problems between New Jersey and London in our efforts to produce a new and exciting “Flight of the Phoenix” for our mutual listening pleasure. What with the 5-hour time difference between NJ and the UK, we were further hampered in making the deadline for tonight’s webcast. You are being treated to the voice of Johnny Reece, himself, who was my entre to the wonderful world of AlbumZone better than 15 years ago. Johnny is an air personality of exceedingly deep musical knowledge of many genres and has communication skills the likes of which are rarely experienced elsewhere on the web or in terrestrial radio of the 21st century. My first experience in hearing Johnny Reece on the radio pre-dated web radio when the BBC and Merlin Network One in the UK sub-contracted him and AlbumZone to supply programming to the BBC shortwave transmitters girdling the globe. Through the crackling and selective fading which frequently plagues shortwave broadcasting, the voice of Johnny Reece and the AlbumZone rang true for me, a radio aficionado who felt that he had heard it all until that moment some 17 years ago, when a great talent presented himself to this New Jersey-based shortwave listener. They were “live” from London with multiple megawatts of terrestrial radio power – wow! Next step was a transatlantic phone call from our front porch, for it was a warm weather time of year – a lovely New Jersey evening. An immediate friendship was formed, I sent an aircheck of a 1971-vintage Flight of the Phoenix, and was invited to join the remarkable individuals comprising http://www.albumzone.co.uk. That’s where to go if you wish further information on our unique radio enterprise. The AlbumZone podcast may be found at http://www.mixlcoud.com/thealbumzone if you would wish to experience some historic programming of the past few years, including a good sampling of several AlbumZone talents, myself included as well as a selection of several ground-breaking “live” shows that cut through the 5-hour time differential and, via Skype, linked us all in a roundtable music fest and mutual music trivia contest. Radio Caroline is our very latest 21st century affiliate of the AlbumZone. They have been pioneering alternative free radio for over 50 years, now, going back to several incarnations of shipboard, offshore radio. In the meanwhile, enjoy and thanks for listening! … Rock ON! Rich Phoenix, RMC – NJRM President.

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