First Listen: The UK’s Classic R&B Battle

Part of the ongoing strength of commercial radio in the UK has been the existence of a viable free digital radio tier. With no opportunity to subscribe to satellite radio, and no need to negotiate the architecture of North American HD Radio subchannels, digital-only stations have had enough of an impact that BBC Director of Music Lorna Clarke recently cited them as the impetus for the BBC’s application for additional services.

In the UK, you are still more likely to encounter broadcast radio in a taxi or Uber. Last year, the final station I heard on my way back to London Heathrow Airport was Magic Soul, a side channel of Bauer’s AC network Magic. Last week, rival group broadcaster Global added twelve more channels to London’s DAB choices. One of the 12 stations is the extension of its AC Smooth Radio network, Smooth Soul.

As spinoffs from an AC format, both services are texturally comparable to KTWV (The Wave) Los Angeles, playing the R&B and disco that crossed over in the UK. That includes a lot of songs that weren’t crossover hits in America, since the UK remained welcoming to disco and R&B during the 1979-82 “Disco Backlash.” (Bauer’s Classic Hits network also has a streaming only format, Greatest Hits Grooves, only available to the paid tier of its streaming app subscribers.)

Magic Soul was hosted when I heard it and lists a staff of eight presenters. Smooth Soul is currently jockless. I considered structuring this article as a “punch wars,” but that would have been beside the point. Whatever my opinion on the programming strength of “Every 1’s a Winner” by Hot Chocolate vs. “Needle in a Haystack” by the Velvelettes, I’m happy to hear them both. The only place you would regularly hear either in America is on SiriusXM’s ‘70s on 7 and Smokey’s Soul Town respectively.

Here’s Magic Soul with “the best of soul and Motown” at 11 a.m., Sept. 12:

• Martha & the Vandellas, “Dancing in the Street”
• Yarbrough & Peoples, “Don’t Stop the Music”
• Jacksons, “Blame It on the Boogie”
• Charles & Eddie, “Would I Lie to You?”
• Rose Royce, “Is It Love You’re After?”
• Ashford & Simpson, “Solid”
• Velvelettes, “Needle in a Haystack”
• Stevie Wonder, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
• Boyz II Men, “I’ll Make Love to You”
• James Ingram f/Michael McDonald, “Yah Mo B There”
• Lauryn Hill, “Ex-Factor”
• Bob & Earl, “Harlem Shuffle”
• Midnight Star, “Midas Touch”
• New York City, “I’m Doin’ Fine Now”

Here’s Smooth Soul during the same hour:

• Billy Paul, “Me & Mrs. Jones”
• Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal, “Saturday Love”
• Beyoncé, “Love on Top”
• Spinners, “I’ll Be Around”
• Smokey Robinson, “Being with You”
• Ben E. King, “Stand By Me”
• Hot Chocolate, “Every 1’s a Winner”
• Gabrielle, “Dreams”
• Michael Jackson, “Billie Jean”
• Barry White, “Let the Music Play”
• Randy Crawford, “You Might Need Somebody”
• Sly & the Family Stone, “Dance to the Music”
• McFadden & Whitehead, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”
• Force MD’s, “Tender Love”
• Emotions, “Best of My Love”
• Four Tops, “Baby I Need Your Loving”