Where once the show played the very best of UK singer-songwriters, old school R&B (that's proper Rhythm and Blues like The Who and Chris Farlowe), Northern Soul and a weekly dose of classic Bowie, over the last 18 months or so this has given way to little more than a plugging in of the presenter's I-pod and pressing shuffle...
Radio Scotland's Janice Forsyth show just doesn't quite cut it - she's too pally-pally with people, though admittedly not in the same sickeningly psychophantic fashion as Ross, and the music is generally unimaginative to say the least.
Imagine my delight, then, when a couple of weeks ago, the legendary Danny Baker popped up to fill the void left in the Radio 2 schedule. Not only that, he'd brought along the lovely Zoe "Mrs. Fatboy Slim" Cook to revive the old Baker and Ball format from Radio 1.
It appears - sadly - that it will be a mere four week stint but what a stint it has been so far. From the man who brought us the great "misheard lyrics" features (Paul Young's "Everytime you go away, you take a piece of meat with you" anyone?) we now have the "Does your name appear in a song?" section. This really only works if you can hear it but the premise is that your name must have been heard, by you, in the midst of a song...Danny himself stakes a claim in Crowded House's "Chocolate Cake" where the refrain "dannybaker, dannybaker" can be clearly heard in the chorus.
And of course, who can fail to be impressed by "Birthday Poker" in which two contestants try to trump each other's collection of "here's what important thing happened on my birth-date" stories. Highlights so far including sharing a day with the fall of the Berlin wall, the death of Elvis and Boney M's "Rasputin" hitting number one...
This Saturday will be the last of what has been far too short a return to the mainstream for the great man. He and Zoe perfectly complement the Saturday morning cappucino and croissants.
Pretentious? Moi?
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