Stephen Christopher Moore: The Programme Planner ....

*Chris Moore was a club dj who became the "radio programme planner" of 'Radio Caroline'. Now if you believe the nonsense in the press, then you believe that 'Radio Caroline' of 1964 was pushing a young Hammond organ player named Georgie Fame. But you would be wrong in your belief, because Georgie already had an LP on the EMI label before 'Radio Caroline' first hit the airwaves.

Let's begin at the beginning by asking - who was Chris Moore?

His full name is Stephen Christoper Moore, and before the 'Radio Caroline' tag was hung around his neck, he was simply Steve Moore. Then, when he came to England from New York aboard the liner 'Queen Elizabeth' on May 19, 1948*, he was listed as Stephen Moore in the company of Nancy Moore who is his mother. At birth his surname was recorded as Moore, and his first names as Stephen Christopher.

Stephen was 8 and Nancy was 28.

There is an admitted air of mystery about the way in which Chris Moore just plopped on to the scene in London in 1964 after teaming up with a renegade young man named Ian Cowper Ross. Ian had adopted a reckless lifestyle habit of crashing vehicles into objects and other vehicles. First that landed Ian in hospital and then in court. We have already torn the lid of Ian Cowper Ross and his entire family. In fact. we could write a book about them, but as it is, they will only occupy a revelatory section to disabuse the anoraks of their mythology.

But Steve Moore, who became better known as Chris Moore, was in fact not known to the anorak world at all apart from the fact that he was a club disc jockey. So who was he? We know more about the weird lifestyle he lived after the days of 'Radio Caroline', but virtually nothing about why this young American came to England.

We will now endeavor to enlighten the world.

Let's begin with 'Radio Caroline' and Steve's company, of which he was a director under the name of Christopher Moore ....

Far from being a rock 'n' roll station, 'Radio Caroline' was the extended sound of the BBC 'Housewives' Choice' record programme.

From Monday to Friday beginning at 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. you could hear 'The Early Show' playing "pop music new releases and old hits up to 5 years" mixed with "classic pop eg Standards - Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Big Bands, etc."

From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., the lazy housewives of south-east England could eat their toast and marmalade during the 'Breakfast Club' and listen to more Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee along with those big bands.

At 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. housewives in south-east England might care to wash their dishes, make their beds and vacuum their floors while listening to 'The Sound of Music' - which in reality meant more Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee, and of course those big bands with a nod to other artists who performed in a similar manner and style.

At 11 a.m. 'Radio Caroline' called its programming 'Top Deck', which in reality meant more of the same kind of music with Sinatra, Lee and big bands. Of course Perry Como and others would also be included.

Then at 12 Noon until 1 p.m., south-east housewives had a 'Date with Caroline', and in addition to Sinatra, Lee, and big bands, they could also hear pop music top 50 hits as well as old hits up to 5 years-old. But, in addition "R & B, Jazz, Hip sounds eg Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Georgie Fame etc.," would also be added to the mix.

Following that exhausting range of records, from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. it was time for 'Spin Around' with more hit records new and old and of course a rendering of Sinatra, Lee and the big bands.

Filling in that time before the kids came in from school. it was time for 'Sound Track' which involved listening to "Sound Tracks eg Film & Stage shows, Themes, Pop music from films etc." - not forgetting more Sinatra, Lee and the big bands, of course. That would occupy the time of mothers from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

With the rowdy youngsters back home, it was time from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. for 'The Big Line Up'  featuring "pop music eg Top 50 new releases and old hits up to 5 years", and "R & B, Jazz, Hip sounds eg Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Georgie Fame etc."

By now hubby was also home and so everyone could begin writing postcard requests from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. to be played at a future date on 'Caroline Club Requests'. This is when the family could all enjoy the hits, new and old, along with Sinatra, Lee and the big bands. 

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Then at 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., the family could hear 'Down Beat'  featuring more hits new and old and Sinatra, Lee and big bands, before turning off 'Radio Caroline' and switching on the telly.

But, for the night owls, 'Radio Caroline' came back on the air at Midnight with "R & B, Jazz, Hip sounds eg Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Georgie Fame etc.", plus hits new and old and of course Sinatra, Lee and the big bands during 'The Late Late Show' which led to another sign-off at 3 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next day.

This was the work product of Christopher Moore, the Program Director for 'Radio Caroline', and Chris thought that he had a steady job with 'Radio Caroline', but he was rudely disappointed as this news item (to the right) reveals. Chris did not know who he was working for and few knew that his first name is Stephen!

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LISTEN TO THE NON-HIP SOUND OF RADIO CAROLINE IN 1965

​*Originally misprinted as '1949', but the ship's manifest shows a blurred 1948.