Solar Radio

We are sad to report the passing of DAVE BARTHOLOMEW on Sunday (23rd) in hospital in his home city of New Orleans, aged 100 years. The cause of death is stated simply as 'old age'. Dave was a renowned trumpeter, bandleader, arranger and producer who learned music theory while serving in the US Army during World War 2, and upon discharge, formed his own band. After releases on a couple of local labels, he signed with Imperial in 1952, and by now was also providing the band for Fats Domino releases on that label. While Dave's own recording career drew to a close, he continued as bandleader and songwriting collaborator for Fats Domino for the next decade, co-writing and playing on dozens of hit records in that time, and was also involved in hits by other New Orleans music giants Smiley Lewis, Lloyd Price and Shirley & Lee. Dave continued with writing and production work into the early part of this century.

SOLAR RADIO has reached the final short-list of four nominees as "Best Soul Internet/DAB Radio Station", and two shows on the Solar schedule are short-listed as "Best Soul Radio Show", with DENNIS O'BRIEN "The Breakfast Show" and RONI O'BRIEN "Insatiable Soul". There is also a short-list place in the "Best Club Event, London & Home Counties" for "Soul Shack", with organiser Solar Radio DJ ASH SELECTOR.

Your votes will be gratefully appreciated in these categories, closing date July 3, and votes may be cast HERE-   THE SOUL SURVIVORS VOTING

This is to advise listeners that  Solar Radio ceased to broadcast on Sky channel 0129 on May 31, 2019. Solar Radio joined the Sky platform in September 2000 at a time when internet streaming was in its infancy. However the station is now available to listeners on a range of  streaming platforms that have developed and become readily available to the popular market.

Listeners have adopted alternative platforms through which to listen to the station, including our free branded apps for iPhone and Android mobile devices, and similarly with smart speakers such as Echo Dot and Google now available from web dealers and electrical retailers, plus Internet Radios. Solar Radio is also readily available via  other apps including TuneIn Radio and RadioplayerUK, and directly from our website at www.solarradio.com.

Solar Radio has also been involved in the path-finding small-scale DAB experiment, and is currently available on DAB+ in the Inner London area (within the North and South Circular Roads), Birmingham, Brighton and Norwich.

Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE for the August Soul Cruise- price £20.00 each- HERE

All tickets are now SOLD  for the Solar Radio JULY SOUL CRUISE, this aboard a new vessel for us, the m.v. DUTCH MASTER.  We will sail from the TOWER MILLENNIUM PIER, Lower Thames Street, London EC3N 4DT , nearest tube station Tower, at 1.00pm, returning at 6.00pm, with FIVE HOURS of music from Solar Radio DJs and food available to purchase. Tickets are sold on a FIRM SALE basis (i.e. NO automatic refunds) but if you would like to go on the waiting list for possible 'spare tickets', please send an email request to info@solarradio.com and we will advise if any become available.

Available NOW-  our SOLAR SOUL CD, a collection of 15 tracks by singers and groups who have featured on SOLAR RADIO in the past couple of years, and including some exclusive mixes. The CD is in digi-pack format with 4-page gatefold sleeve and full colour 8-page booklet. Full track listing is above. The price for mail-order is £12.50 including postage and packing, and orders can be placed now  HERE

New single "Fire Up the Funk" ....coming soon...download via Solar Radio!

Solar Radio Presents:  Soul on the Tyne 2019      Bank Holiday Weekend -  Saturday August 24th  aboard The Fortuna

With Soul, Funk & Jazz from Solar DJ Andrea Robertson + Guest Djs Wayne C McDonald & James Anthony plus after-party 7.00pm - 2am at : Tiger Hornsby 8-10 Close, Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3RE -  ‘Reviving the spirit of the iconic Julie’s Nightclub’. Tickets for this event will not be sent in advance, but will be available to collect on the day, at the quayside from 1.00pm

Departs fron East Quayside Pontoon, Newcastle Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DX  at 2.00pm  and returns at 5.00pm.  Tickets just £14.00 HERE

Here are the dates for Solar Radio events for the remainder of 2019. Please note that our boat events during this year have usually sold out within a couple of weeks of going on sale, so do look out on our website and on social media for news stories advising of tickets going on sale - and book early to avoid disappointment!

DATES FOR 2019:

SUNDAY June 30 (Mid Summer) - Golden Jubilee, Temple Pier, 2pm - 7pm

SUNDAY July 28  (Summer Soul) - Dutch Master,  Tower Millennium Pier, 1pm - 6pm

SUNDAY August 18 (August Cruise)- Golden Jubilee, Temple Pier, 2pm - 7pm

SATURDAY August 24  (Soul on the Tyne) - Fortuna, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2pm - 5pm

SUNDAY September 22 (Late Summer)- Golden Flame, Temple Pier, 2pm - 7pm.

SUNDAY October 27  (Autumn) - Golden Jubilee, Temple Pier, 2pm - 7pm

The year will end once again with our showcase DECEMBER SOUL CRUISE on Sunday December 15 aboard the DIXIE QUEEN, and look out for news of our NEW YEARS EVE PARTY at the Park Inn, Radisson Hotel, SOUTHEND ON SEA!!

Solar Radio is very proud to have the completely new vibed up version of SouLutions "Philly Line" as mixed by by Nigel Lowis as an Exclusive until release. Nigel last year produced one of the best selling compilations albums Disco, Soul, Gold vol 1, spending 5 weeks at the #1 spot on the Sweet Rhythms chart. A year and a half in the making, the follow up 19 track CD Disco Soul Gold Vol 2 is finally ready to be released as a CD  at the end of April including among its 19 new tracks "Philly Line 2019" by SouLutions.

On New Years Day 2019  the daughter of Solar Radio DJ Ash Selector, Ashley Grundy, sadly passed away, aged just 28 years, leaving her two beautiful children Lailani & Maverick behind.

Nobody can replace the unconditional love of a Mother, the most important person in a child's life.
A page has been set up to raise funds for their future care and give them some much needed stability.

Please donate if you can: LAILANI & MAVERICK LIFE FUND

As of Wednesday November 21st Solar Radio's London DAB service has upgraded to DAB+

Listeners will need a DAB+ compatible radio - most receivers purchased over recent years will be. A retune or rescan may be necessary. Typically this can be done by either pressing a re-tune or auto-tune button or by going in to the menu and selecting scan, full scan or auto-tune.

With the ever-increasing number of people tuning to Solar Radio, we are happy to welcome new customers to our events including the ever-popular Soul Cruises, and it may be timely to advise new folk (and remind valued 'regulars'!) of our ticketing procedures. TICKETS ARE SOLD ON A 'FIRM SALE' BASIS. There is no automatic refund for cancellations unless we have published a 'Buy Back' message - any returns will be offered to any Waiting List customers for re-sale. We do not send out tickets for our river events, either by post or as e-tickets, but we do hold all tickets for collection on the day, just before the event. After the initial acknowledgement, the buyer will  later be sent another email, advising of collection time and boarding information. We hope this helps!

CHRISTMAS CRUISE – SUNDAY DECEMBER 16 - every picture tells a story..

SOLAR RADIO now has a dedicated SKILL app on the ECHO DOT device to enable easy access.

Listening to Solar Radio on an Amazon Dot or Echo and Google Home device:

AMAZON DOT / ECHO:  If you have an Amazon Dot or Echo (or any other Amazon smart speaker device) you can listen to Solar Radio by enabling the Solar Radio Alexa Skill.  All you have to do is say “Alexa, Launch Solar Radio”.   You may need to repeat the sentence a couple of times before it responds but once enabled you can simply say  “Alexa, Play Solar Radio” to play the station.  You can also enable the Skill via the Amazon store HERE.

GOOGLE HOME:  For Google Home simply say “Okay Google, Play Solar Radio”.   You may need to add  “… on TuneIn”  at the end if it fails to respond

A reminder that the dedicated SOLAR RADIO app for Android devices is available NOW to download and install FOR FREE from the Google Play Store, featuring choice of 64k or 128k streams, schedule information, contact and social media links, available at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SolarRadioAndroid  Also available from the Apple Store, is an UPGRADE to the SOLAR RADIO app for i-PHONE.

Beer & Banter - Check out the Video:

Solar Radio can be heard on DAB in Birmingham, Brighton, in the London area, with the boundary of the North and South Circular Roads,  and Norwich, all part of the Small Scale DAB trial as promoted by OfCom. If you are new to DAB radio receivers, it is worth noting that the most complete range of available stations will be found by doing a full scan near to a window and in the highest available location in your property.

Our Sunday morning 'In Orbit' man, CLIVE R, has written his autobiography - entitled SOUL CITIZEN- relating his memories and experiences over his fifty years as a soul fan, record-collector, music journalist, club and concert-goer, oh, and soul radio DJ! 

Following the excellent response to his set on the April Soul Cruise, Clive is now making the book available direct to Solar Radio listeners. Purchase the book HERE