Chris Morris GLR tapes on eBay (auction ending soon)

[Neil]

I noticed that, thank you!  I've been hooked on GTA Online since it launched, but realised last night I need to get cracking, so let's get that complete Xmas show up for starters.  (And I'm hopefully getting diagnosed and treated for ADHD Inattentive in the next fortnight, so anticipate/hope that will give me back the focus and drive I used to have for this stuff!  There's so much I want to do on this site.) 

[Neil]

I got it working!  My fancy, expensive new audio set-up is working!  How does this sound?  I can't hear it through my stereo yet, as I had to pillage phono cables.

http://cookdandbombd.co.uk/mp3/glr22nddec1991test.mp3

Ah wait, I can connect to the telly via HDMI and hear it through my stereo like that - but I'd like some feedback anyway.  Nah that's not really working, the audio interface does some weird stuff to my sound set-up. 

[Thomas]

Sounds great to me, Neil.

[Neil]

Great, thanks Thomas!  It was very tinny through my telly > stereo, but as I say, the audio interface does all kind of weird things to the way audio is played through the laptop, but it can all be worked around, and more hoking in the device settings should sort it.  Sounds good to me too, now I can get it through my laptop speakers and, more importantly, headphones, so I can get cracking.  This is really exciting, I've wanted this proper set-up for years now.

Edit: Tried recording silence, and there was a little bit of very faint buzzing there (around -30 db), but I'm tinkered with it and it seems to be gone/unnoticeable now.

[Thomas]

Yep, sounds crystal clear through headphones here. Thanks ol' Neil ol' pal.

[weirdbeard]

Yep, sounds crystal clear through headphones here. Thanks ol' Neil ol' pal.

Yes, it's very good sound quality.  Mono, though - is that what the cassette was recorded in?

[Neil]

Aw shite, good catch mate, so glad I asked as I've already started encoding.  The graphic equalizer on the tape deck indicates it's stereo, but it's coming in mono in Wavelab, now I look at the monitor there.  In fact, taking out the right phono cable from the audio interface indicates that Wavelab is using the left channel for both.  Any ideas, folks?  I'm going to try Audacity, and failing that, give NoSleep a shout.

[weirdbeard]

Aw shite, good catch mate, so glad I asked as I've already started encoding.  The graphic equalizer on the tape deck indicates it's stereo, but it's coming in mono in Wavelab, now I look at the monitor there.  In fact, taking out the right phono cable from the audio interface indicates that Wavelab is using the left channel for both.  Any ideas, folks?  I'm going to try Audacity, and failing that, give NoSleep a shout.

I haven't used Wavelab, but is it as simple as you're recording into Wavelab in mono?  I know in Audacity you preset the channels before you begin recording the input.  2nd thing to check is that your phono cables are stereo...

[Neil]

I tried turning it off and on again, and now my windows speaker icons says sound device not running, and windows are coming up very slowly.  However, it's still working.  Definitely set up to record as stereo in Wavelab and Audacity.  You can get mono phono cables?  Oh right, but as red and whites they're two monos joining as stereo.  I tried another pair of red and white ones I have running my telly to my stereo, and same thing there, just getting one channel showing up as both.  I've googled that, and on the general issue, but no joy so far.  I remove the left plug from the audio interface, and the sound goes completely. 

What if the right connection on the tape deck is fucked?  I will do a little cry. Hang on, I'll put it through my stereo.  Edit: Well the audio is coming out of both speakers, which is a big fucking relief.  I'll listen for a bit and see if it's stereo, or one channel being split, again.

Further edit: I've sent NoSleep a pm. I'll try it on my old desktop tomorrow, too.

[Neil]

We are sorted!  Big thanks to Barnaby Whattingham and especially NoSleep Nigel for all their help and advice.  I'll probably put up new threads for each new tape so there can be discussion space reserved for each show. 

Edit: dmillburn has scrawled Dolby B on the cases, so I'm going to run a few samples past NoSleep's professional ears before I do the final encodes.

[weirdbeard]

Excellent news.

[Neil]

Few clips from the tape that's just been encoded, first couple being upgrades:

Today's jobs and Sgt Murphy https://audioboo.fm/boos/1686823-chris-morris-today-s-jobs-and-sgt-murphy
Feedback Report: The King Of Wiltshire https://audioboo.fm/boos/1686843-chris-morris-feedback-report-the-king-of-wiltshire
Frank Sinatra's fatal encounter with Rolf Harris...! https://audioboo.fm/boos/1686853-chris-morris-frank-sinatra-s-fatal-enocunter-with-rolf-harris

[Neil]

Edit:  Never mind - just remember being confused by this show before, as Morris says it's "Saturday the 3rd of April", which is a funny wrong date to give, given the dates of the eventual 93 run. But anyway, this is a full-hour long show from the Sunday compilation.  I already had a Neil Mossey version of this which was VERY bad quality, although NoSleep did quite a lot of noise reduction on it.  So that one's ready to go now, and sounds excellent.

[Neil]

Couple of the tapes have the 25th May 1992 Bank Holiday Show.  Strongly suspect the encode we have now comes from dmillburn's tapes,[nb]Edit: Tape flip in a different place, so that's another show that can have the tape flips patched.[/nb] but hopefully I can do a bit of a better job on it with this set-up and a higher bitrate - side A is certainly going to need some tinkering as one of the channels is very low and the general overall audio is pretty quiet.  The other remaining tapes are undated December 91 - think they're the existing Boxing Day show, if I remember correctly.  Then there's the two "GLR Compilation" tapes - and also a R4 show about the Geefe Columns. 

I do wish more new shows would surface.  It's always galling to stick a tape in and recognise the first song playing, then have it confirmed that it's an already circulating show by the segue into the next song.  Lovely to be able to patch the shows up with alternate sources, but God damn it, I need more new stuff. Dug out another few old tapes last night, so those are sitting ready to be re-transferred after this current batch is finished.  Radio Bristol tapes should be priority, but I want to get all the GLR finished while it's fresh in my mind, in case there's other stuff that can be used.  Really not looking forward to untangling the mess of 93 tapes again, but I did all the hard work on those years ago, so the existing caps can be used as a guide.

OOH, Twisterella by Ride just came on this show :-)

[Neil]

YES!

Spoiler alert

New music bit that I don't remember on the 1st compilation tape. Now That's What I Call Organ Recitals.

[close]

More of those lovely VLS-ish Innovations/Today's Prize bits too.  And as mentioned before, a ton of Feedback Reports, MASJ and Wayne.

Spoiler alert

"Clapton's teeth!  Whither science now, I ask"

[close]

EDIT:  Quick bunch of clips... https://audioboo.fm/boos/1737011-quick-bunch-of-chris-morris-clips

[weirdbeard]

That 'new' prank call of course, is not actually new, we already have it on the 1989 No Known Cure compilation. I don't normally like prank calls, as they're usually exploiting some poor sod who doesn't know what's going on. Fortunately the woman at Radio Wiltshire Sound quickly sees it for what it is, and goes along with it. This Morris respects this, as he doesn't drag it out for any longer than is needed.

Thanks, Neil.

PS. Speaking of VLS, I recently found the following piece he wrote for The Listener back in 1989, the earliest Morris-jab I can find, not mentioned in the Randall book and pre-dating the Guardian column by some years.

"One of the few attractions for me of a visit to London is that I can enjoy myself broadcast on Greater London Radio under the pseudonym Chris Morris. Another one of my practical jokes against local radio, this one involves simply taking the techniques that I've developed in my Radio 4 pieces (tape winds, delivery, intonation, characterisation, etc.), but cutting out all humourous distraction. And to think that some people believe Chris Morris is a real person who imitates me. How absurd. Who on earth would base an entire career on being a doppelgänger?"

[Neil]

Huh, absolutely no memory of that call at all.  The "go blow a goat" jingle is pretty close to it on the tape, though, and I certainly associate that and the Innovations stuff with NKC more than GLR, despite the obvious use of material on both stations, as in this case.

You know, I just saw that passage when looking for the Children In Need clipping the other night, and wondered when it went up - great work!! 

[weirdbeard]

That Sue Cook CIN Innovations sketch is one of my favourite bits of Morris radio, as are the Innovations/Star Prizes bits as a whole. I do try to use "You stupid HORSE" as an insult as much as I can get away with.

[Neil]

Here's side 1 of the first compilation tape (as very kindly supplied by dmillburn), mp3 and side 2 to follow later tonight.

http://youtu.be/OZaPNFAL2Hk

[weirdbeard]

Thanks Neil.  Love the Feedback Reports.  Just listening to the first few minutes and can see why you say it's most 1989 material, really seems he was doing virtually the same stuff on GLR after his Radio Bristol shows the previous day.

[Thomas]

Ah great, can't wait to listen through this.

[Neil]

Thanks Neil.  Love the Feedback Reports.  Just listening to the first few minutes and can see why you say it's most 1989 material, really seems he was doing virtually the same stuff on GLR after his Radio Bristol shows the previous day.

Yeah, gem after gem though innit? New MASJ "Ten Ideas To Change The World" bits always make me a very happy man. 

I've marked these compilations all off so I can pull them all as clips from the wavs.  Any preference regarding two 45 minute files, or one 90-minuter?  The latter right.  I'm just trimming the little tagnuts of music off here for YouTube, but will leave them as is on the mp3s.

[Neil]

GLR Peter Porter!

Chris Morris - Broadcast Journalists Guide to Reporting the Demise of the Iron Curtain

[Neil]

GLR Compilation Tape 1, thanks again dmillburn.  Featuring an attempt at

Spoiler alert

helium weather

[close]

.

[Paaaaul]

Big thanks Neil and dmillburn! Can't wait to hear this.

[DJ Solid Snail]

Listening now, fantastic stuff as expected so far.

Pushing all the days to the end of the week, and then jumping down the gap.

:-)

[Melth]

Brilliant stuff - I'm enjoying a MASJ bonanza this afternoon. The bit where he starts to falter at around 30 minutes picks up one of the things I've always loved about Morris, mentioned in the Brass Eye thread re: David Amess- his ability to write sentences whose grammar is beguilingly confused. 

[Neil]

Just played it through a stereo, and really thrilled at how good these 25-year old tapes are scrubbing up! I love that tape deck.

So much good stuff in there, and another one nearly ready.

[clingfilm portent]

Thanks to Neil and dmillburn. Your work and dedication is much appreciated!

[DJ Solid Snail]

Amazing bunch of clips, that. At least a dozen new feedback reports! The work's much appreciated, Neil, thanks.

Tape 1, eh? Does that mean there's more to come??