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Here are playlists that detail what played during editions of Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show in 1988. Most are taken from cassettes that I recorded at the time and still have today. Everything in italic is taken from other sources. |
| January | February | March | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 Jan 8 Jan 15 Jan 22 Jan 29 Jan |
wip complete complete complete complete |
5 Feb 12 Feb 19 Feb 26 Feb |
complete complete complete complete |
4 Mar 11 Mar 18 Mar 25 Mar |
complete complete complete complete |
| April | May | June | |||
|
1 Apr 8 Apr 15 Apr 22 Apr 29 Apr |
complete complete complete complete complete |
6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May |
complete complete complete complete |
3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun |
missing complete complete wip |
| July | August | September | |||
|
1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul 22 Jul 29 Jul |
missing wip complete missing complete |
5 Aug 12 Aug 19 Aug 26 Aug |
missing complete complete complete |
2 Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 23 Sep 30 Sep |
complete complete complete complete no show |
| October | November | December | |||
|
7 Oct 14 Oct 21 Oct 28 Oct |
complete complete complete complete |
4 Nov 11 Nov 18 Nov 25 Nov |
complete missing complete missing |
2 Dec 9 Dec 16 Dec 23 Dec 30 Dec |
complete complete complete complete wip |
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1 Jan 1988This show listing is a work in progress and is subject to change.
NotesNot my recording. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki. |
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8 Jan 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesOzzy Osbourne live from the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington on 16 Aug 1986. This is a repeat airing as it was also broadcast on 12 Dec 1986. Date is 8 Jan 1988 through deduction. It's after 18 Dec 1987 as the winners are announced for the Chris Tetley mystery voice competition which was held on that date. It's before 17 Jan 1988 as Tommy mentions that Blow Up Your Video would be released on 1st February; it was released earlier and he would have known if it was out. That leaves four possible dates but this isn't the Christmas 1987 show, which had a Judas Priest live set, or the New Year show which is inarguably dated on the Friday Rock Show Wiki. The dating of the next show to 15 Jan 1988 means that this must be 8 Jan 1988. |
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15 Jan 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesTommy mentions that White Lion will be headlining the Marquee 'next Tuesday' before they go to Germany and come back to headline the Marquee on 1st and 2nd Feb. That Tuesday gig is 19 Jan 1988, dating this show to 15 Jan and the previous show to 8 Jan. This is backed up by news after the show, which includes the Tories quelling a back bench rebellion over efforts to rewrite the Official Secrets Act. That was 15 Jan 1988. At the end of the show, Tommy mentions that next week's show will feature a session by Slammer. |
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22 Jan 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesTommy mentions that David Lee Roth's Skyscraper is coming out on Monday. It was released on 26 Jan 1988, dating this show to 22 Jan 1988. Session by Slammer (first broadcast). This was announced on the 15 Jan 1988 show, firming up three show dates. Tommy mentioned a new idea, Romantic Rock, last week and mentions here that he did so. It's for the Friday following Valentine's Day, so 19 Feb 1988. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 13-16) from Steve Holland from Harlington, Middlesex. |
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29 Jan 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesNews after the show dates the show to 'the eve of the SDP conference'. In 1988 that was 31 Jan, dating this show to 29 Jan 1988. That's backed up by the show including theme tunes made by Mammoth which debuted on the 22 Jan 1988 show. If there was any doubt, Tommy ends the show with news that the next week's show will be the Comic Relief Special, which was 5 Feb 1988. Revival of a feature running through the rock top ten of the month (tracks 1-10). These songs are not played in entirety because Tommy only has 33 minutes to play 41 minutes of music. The Flotsam and Jetsam and Megadeth live sets from the Hammersmith Odeon are repeats, first broadcast (I believe) on 24 Apr 1987. |
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5 Feb 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThis was the Comic Relief Special, which dates the show to 5 Feb 1988, which was the first annual Red Nose Day. Many songs are not played in full, especially the last three, which are clips only. |
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12 Feb 1988This show listing is believed to be complete but may be missing a track at the beginning.
NotesNews after the show dates it to 12 Feb 1988. American and Soviet warships collide in the Black Sea. Tommy backs that up by talking about the previous week's Comic Relief Special, Sunday being Valentine's Day and the next week's Romantic Rock show. My recording isn't a complete show, as the beginning is missing, but the track listing may be complete. Tommy timechecks 10:12pm after the UDO track and, as the two tracks prior to that point combine to about 8 minutes, there may or may not be a track before them. |
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19 Feb 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThis is the Romantic Rock special, with all songs requested by and selected by ladies. This had been pushed over the previous weeks, which date the show to 19 Feb 1988, the Friday after St Valentine's Day. This is backed up by news after the show including an IRA grenade attack in Coalisland, Co Tyrone. The Bernadette Pinto track is an amateur recording sent in as a birthday present. It was later issued as by Pegasus, as per this page. Tommy mentions that a session by Wolfsbane was scheduled for this week but moved because of this Romantic Rock special and because the band were playing live tonight but not next week, so they'd be able to hear it. |
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26 Feb 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesDate confirmed by Tommy mentioning on the 19 Feb 1988 that next week would include a session by Wolfsbane. The Wolfsbane session is new and would be repeated on 15 Apr 1988. The first ten tracks are a countdown of the most popular rock tracks in the UK during February. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 16-19) from Ray Matthews of Solihull. |
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4 Mar 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesNews after the show dates the show to 4 Mar 1988. Senior Oxfam official Peter Coleridge and a Syrian colleague were seized 'yesterday' in Sidon in Lebanon. That was 3 Mar 1988. Also, Russian reports state that 31 people died in the riots in Azerbaijan on 1 Mar 1988. Session by Cry Wolf, a first airing that would be repeated on 29 Apr 1988. |
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11 Mar 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesNews after the show dates it to 11 Mar 1988. Two Royal Navy helicopter pilots serving on the Engadine, the same ship as Prince Andrew, die off Portugal. Prince Charles returns home early from a holiday in Klosters in which Major Hugh Lindsey was killed by an avalanche. The killings of three Sinn Fein members in Gibraltar was a week ago on 6 Mar 1988. The budget is next Tuesday, which was 15 Mar 1988. Repeat session by Slammer, first broadcast on 22 Jan 1988. Tommy talks more about the Iron Maiden special that will be broadcast on 1st April. |
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18 Mar 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesNews after the show dates the show to 18 Mar 1988. The RUC are to charge a man after the Milltown cemetery terrorist attack on Wednesday. That took place on 16 Mar 1988. Session by Assassin (the band from Eire). One track is never named and wasn't included in the repeat broadcast. It doesn't seem to be listed online either, so we're reliant on lyrics which suggest that the title could be something like Take a Chance. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 14-17) from Marty in Scunthorpe, who had a Polish surname that Tommy didn't attempt to pronounce. Tommy's closing remarks mention that he's off to record a special in Germany with Bruce Dickinson that will be broadcast on 1st April. |
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25 Mar 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThe show can be dated to 25 Mar 1988 because Tommy finishes up by reminding us that the next week's show is the Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son special, which previous shows have dated to 1 Apr 1988. Tracks 1-10 are the UK Rock Ten, the ten best selling rock singles in the UK during March. Tommy doesn't play #2 because it's a live version of W.A.S.P.'s Animal (Fuck Like a Beast). Because of criticism about tracks in this section being so frequently played, Tommy suggests that, as of April, it will become the current chart rather than the month's. Repeat session by Dogs d'Amour, first broadcast on 12 Feb 1988. |
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1 Apr 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesInterview with Bruce Dickinson, who answers questions from people who wrote in. He begins by speaking about the upcoming Monsters of Rock festival, which was on 20 Aug 1988. Unusually for the Friday Rock Show, many tracks are edited, some severely, and there's a good deal of talking over them. Date confirmed by Tommy mentioning before Grendel that it's a holiday (1 Apr 1988 was Good Friday) and reading out an April Fools joke from Kerrang! that Tom Jones was joining Black Sabbath. |
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8 Apr 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesDate confirmed by Tommy mentioning that Iron Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son will be released on Monday. That was 11 Apr 1988, dating the show to 8 Apr 1988. Session by Warfare, repeated on 27 May 1988. |
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15 Apr 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat of Wolfsbane session, first broadcast on 26 Feb 1988. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 18-21) from Robert Bryant in Truro. There's nothing to confirm the date, but the logical flow suggests 15 Apr 1988. |
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22 Apr 1988This show listing is believed complete.
NotesFirst airing of a session by D. Rose. There's nothing direct to confirm the date but 22 Apr 1988 fits with the flow. It's also backed up by the Friday Rock Show Wiki, which lists this date for the D. Rose session debut. |
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29 Apr 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRock Top Ten (tracks 1-10), now current rather than for the last month. Repeat session by Cry Wolf, recorded on 20 Feb 1988 and first broadcast on 4 Mar 1988. Again no direct confirmation of the date, though winners are announced for the Rush competition the previous week, so 29 Apr 1988 is likely. |
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6 May 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesFirst broadcast of a session by Heavy Metal Thunder. Show is firmly dated because of news recorded after the show: David Alton fails to change the abortion law, two RAF men are killed in a helicopter accident in Hanover and the foreign secretary condemns the BBC programme on Gibraltar shootings. Also, the 13 May 1988 show mentions Heavy Metal Thunder doing a session the previous week. |
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13 May 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat of a session by Assassin from Ireland, first broadcast on 18 Mar 1988. One track was omitted, probably because Tommy's wife rang him up to have him play Comfortably Numb. Tommy calls the last track Your Kind of Love, even though he called it Your Kind of Loving in March. The lyrics seem to include both, so your guess is as good as mine. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 17 to 19) by Neil Armstrong from Tonbridge, Kent, sans the unnamed fourth track because of time contraints. Date confirmed by Tommy mentioning seeing Judas Priest in Berlin the night before. That would have been the Deutschlandhalle on 12 May 1988, so dating this to 13 May 1988. He also mentions that Heavy Metal Thunder did a session the previous week. |
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20 May 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesFirst broadcast of a session by Little Angels. Interview with Rob Halford interspersed throughout the Judas Priest songs. Date confirmed by various shows around it in which Tommy talks about going to Berlin to record this interview and about the Judas Priest special generally. That's backed up by Tommy mentioning that Little Angels signed a major record deal the night before with Polydor. That was on 19 May 1988, supposedly backstage at the Marquee. |
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27 May 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat session by Warfare, first broadcast on 8 Apr 1988. Tommy is unable to name the King Kobra track because he's playing it from a white label with no track listing. 'The track is titled I Haven't the Faintest Idea but it's track one on the B side'. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 15-18) from Donald McDonald of Bywick, Caithness. The date is confirmed by the news after the show, which includes the sinking of the Anna Broere in the North Sea on 27 May 1988. This also firmly dates the Judas Priest special to 20 May 1988 because Tommy talks about that being the previous week. |
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10 Jun 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat of the D. Rose session first broadcast on 22 Apr 1988. Date is confirmed as 10 Jun 1988 because of an advert for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert 'this Saturday' at Wembley Stadium, which took place on 11 Jun 1988. Tommy erroneously mentions that the next week's show will be a Deep Purple special. See notes for 17 Jun 1988. Tommy also mentions that he'll get together with Queensrÿche for a future special. |
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17 Jun 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesFirst broadcast of a session by Holosade, to be repeated on 21 Oct 1988. Date confirmed as 17 Jun 1988 because Tommy plays Crazyhead's Time Has Taken Its Toll on You for the second time, after offering a Friday Rock Show patch the previous week to five listeners who could identify which single it sounded like. This time he followed it with an excerpt of Sid Vicious's cover of the Monkees' (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone. Tommy mentions that the Deep Purple special will be next week (again). Either it got delayed a week or Tommy got ahead of himself on 10 Jun 1988. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 19-22) from Ian Brown in Southampton. |
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24 Jun 1988This show listing is a work in progress and is subject to change.
NotesNot my recording. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki. Session by Heavy Metal Thunder. Interview with Deep Purple during their tracks. |
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8 Jul 1988This show listing is a work in progress and is subject to change.
NotesNot my recording. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki. Session by Toranaga. Interview with Chris DeGarmo of Queensrÿche. |
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15 Jul 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThe Jethro Tull special was called 20 Years on One Leg with a Flute. It's an interview with Ian Anderson and Martin Barre, with tracks taken from 20 Years of Jethro Tull Anderson appears after Song for Jeffrey and Barre takes over after Minstrel in the Gallery. Tommy mentions the US Monsters of Rock show, which will be 'the week before the Donington weekend'. At the end of the special, Tommy mentions that Jethro Tull are currently on tour in 'this month of July'. There's a promo for The Mighty Arms of Atlas, the Led Zeppelin episode of The Story of Atlantic, which was part 11. It's advertised as 'this Saturday at 2pm'. The BBC Genome lists that as Thu 21 Jul, but it seems that it played on Saturdays and was repeated on Thursdays, so 15 Jul 1988 seems reasonable for this show. Tommy announces the winner of the Queensrÿche competition raised the previous week. |
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29 Jul 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThis show was guest hosted by Dante Bonutto of Kerrang! and, imminently, Raw, which would officially launch at the Monsters of Rock festival in August. Dante mentions that Dr. Stein is brand new, dating the show to Jul 1988. The BBC Genome suggests 29 Jul 1988, which fits. He also mentions that it's almost a year to the day since he last guest hosted the show. That was 31 Jul 1987. Dante plays a brief clip of Stryper's I Believe in You before Blue Öyster Cult as a joke. He also plays a brief clip of Jim Reeves's Sound of Distant Drums before Detective as another joke. The wag. Derek and Clive's Street Music and Smith and Jones's Status Quo are more comedy. |
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12 Aug 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesTommy's in Los Angeles for the US Monsters of Rock special. This was a tour across the US that reached Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 'today and tonight', meaning that the special was recorded on 24 Jul 1988. However, Tommy mentions that the next week's show is the British Monsters of Rock special. That event was 20 Aug 1988, dating that show to 19 Aug 1988 and this one to 12 Aug 1988. If there was any doubt, news after the show includes the resignation of Sein Lwin as president of Burma after 17 days. That was 12 Aug 1988. Tommy interviews representatives from all bands: Lenny Wolf and Danny Stag of Kingdom Come; Don Dokken of Dokken; Lars Ulrich of Metallica; Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony of Van Halen; and Klaus Meine and Rudy Schenker of the Scorpions. He also interviews backstage crew and DJ Thrasher from KNAC. Tommy also plays up US rock radio throughout, including a number of clips from KNAC DJs. |
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19 Aug 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesAfter last week's US Monsters of Rock special, Tommy returns for the UK Monsters of Rock special. It's a day before the event, so 19 Aug 1988, as confirmed the previous week. Tommy interviews representatives of most bands in the studio: Kai Hansen and Ingo Schwichtenberg of Helloween; Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden; Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss; Dave Ellefson and Jeff Young of Megadeth; and Izzy Stradlin of Guns n' Roses. Only David Lee Roth was unrepresented. Dante Bonutto is the 'man in the field' (literally), chatting to fans on site and the site manager, Stuart Galbraith. Tommy takes phone calls from fans too. |
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26 Aug 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesDate confirmed by Tommy's opening statement which puts this immediately after the two Monsters of Rock shows. As they were 12 Aug 1988 and 19 Aug 1988, that makes this 26 Aug 1988. The majority of the show is comprised by the LA Ladies special (tracks 1-11), recorded in Los Angeles, with Tommy interviewing Precious Metal, Vixen and Pat Benatar. Tommy announces at the end that next week will be a Bon Jovi special. |
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2 Sep 1988This show listing is complete, even though my recording is missing Lay Your Hands on Me.
NotesDate confirmed by comments the previous week. In turn, next week will feature an interview with Anthrax in Holland. The Excalibur track is a Friday Rock Show session track but it was actually released by the band. Interview with Bon Jovi in New York City. |
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9 Sep 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesDate confirmed by the previous week's show mentioning the Anthrax interview. This was conducted in an Eindhoven hotel. Repeat session with Little Angels, first broadcast on 20 May 1988. Ninety in the Shade is not part of the session. |
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16 Sep 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesSession by Metal Messiah. Before the Marillion track, Tommy reads an EMI press release announcing that Fish is leaving the band. Tommy announces a new rock show on Radio 1 called Night Rocking, which he will present as of 1 Oct 1988. 12.00am to 2.00am on Saturday nights. Date confirmed by news after the show which mentions that the opening ceremony for the Seoul Olympics will start within a few hours. That was 17 Sep 1988, dating this to 16 Sep 1988. |
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23 Sep 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat of a session by April 16th, which, according to the Friday Rock Show Wiki, was first broadcast on 3 Jun 1988. After the BulletBoys track, Tommy re-starts some earlier competitions (Pink Floyd, Vixen, Bon Jovi and general junk) because there had been a postal strike and people couldn't write in. The 1988 strike ended on 13 Sep 1988 but the backlog took a few weeks to kick in. Date confirmed after the Nuclear Assault and Little Angels tracks by Tommy detailing the upcoming Night Rockin' show, which will start in 'a week and a day' at midnight on Sat 1 Oct. Also after the Little Angels track, Tommy announces that there won't be a FRS the following week because of Radio 1's 21st birthday. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 15-18) from Vernon Holbrooke of Weston-Super-Mare. The only band Tommy mentions in the intro who don't appear in this track listing are the Seers. There was a band by this name who issued a couple of singles in 1988, but they don't sound like track 22. |
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There was no show on this date, as the Friday Rock Show (and others) made way for Radio 1's 21st birthday celebrations. |
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7 Oct 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesKiss live at the Monsters of Rock Festival 1988 at Castle Donington. Date confirmed after the Kix track by Tommy reminding us of the previous weekend's premiere of Night Rocking. That was 1 Oct 1988, so this must be 7 Oct 1988. He also mentions that the upcoming Night Rocking will feature a session by AC/DC. |
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14 Oct 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesFirst airing of a session by Virus, to be repeated on 13 Jan 1989. Tommy speaks about lyrics bfeore playing the Stormtroopers of Death track. Interview with Ozzy Osbourne, starting before his three tracks from the new album. Oddly, Tommy runs two separate competitions, each of which ask the same question in reverse. I dated the cassette when recording. |
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21 Oct 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat session by Holosade, first broadcast on 17 Jun 1988. Lie Back and Enjoy It (tracks 15 to 18): Sarah Bridle (Vinnie the Metal Queen) from York. After the Groovin' with Lucy track, Tommy mentions that Excalibur have lost £2,000 worth of gear to theft and appeals to the thieves to give it back. At the end of the show, Tommy mentions that the next Night Rocking will feature Genesis from the Reading Festival. I dated the cassette when recording. |
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28 Oct 1988This show listing is believed to be complete.
NotesHelloween live at the Monsters of Rock Festival 1988 at Castle Donington. I wrote 4 Nov 1988 on my tape, but apparently erroneously. After the Helloween set, Tommy mentions that he'll be 'going to go and see them live on Tuesday at the Hammy O.' That's the Pumpkins Fly Free tour and the Hammersmith Odeon gig was on 1 Nov 1988, dating this show to 28 Oct 1988. The upcoming Night Rocking show will feature Led Zeppelin in session from 1969. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki for the first couple of tracks. |
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4 Nov 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesSession by XL. I dated my cassette as 25 Nov 1988, but it's incorrect. The show is actually 4 Nov 1988 because: The ELP track was played because of a letter 'a couple of weeks ago' in which someone asked about a lyric from it. The next Night Rocking will feature Jethro Tull from 1976. |
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18 Nov 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesThis was the Friday Rock Show's Birthday Show, celebrating ten years on the air. The Dogs d'Amour, Bob Catley (Magnum) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) recorded best wishes and these were played in between early tracks. Interview with Yngwie J. Malmsteen. They also auctioned off a portrait of Yngwie for Children in Need. Producer Tony Wilson even gets to speak on air a couple of times, after tracks 11 and 16. So does Stephanie Hart, the artist. It sold for £1,750. Interview with Steve Whiteman from Kix. Two sessions from the archive, both recorded in 1979: Def Leppard (first broadcast on 26 Oct 1979) and Iron Maiden. I dated the cassette when recording, but that's backed up by the first Friday Rock Show being 17 Nov 1978. It's also Children in Need, which was 18 Nov 1988. The very brief snippet of news is about a warrant being issued for the arrest of David John Evans; he would be arrested on 21 Nov 1988. |
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2 Dec 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat session by Toranaga, first broadcast on 8 Jul 1988. I dated my cassette as 9 Dec 1988 but that's incorrect because the prior tape is actually that date. It seems that this show is 2 Dec 1988 because: The next Night Rocking will feature a sixties session by Cream. |
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9 Dec 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesFirst airing of a session by Wreckage, to be repeated on 10 Mar 1989. News after the show dates the show to 9 Dec 1988, as it covers 'Wednesday's earthquake' in Armenia, which happened on 7 Dec 1988. Tommy mentions a couple of times that Marillion will be playing the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool the next day and may be trying out a new singer. This is the second 'The Web UK' fan club convention and the singer on that night was Dave Lloyd. |
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16 Dec 1988This show listing is complete.
NotesRepeat session by Metal Messiah, first broadcast on 16 Sep 1988. I dated the cassette when recording, but that's confirmed by the news after the show which includes Edwina Currie's resignation as Junior Health Minister, which happened on 16 Dec 1988. |
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23 Dec 1988This show listing is believed complete.
NotesFirst airing of a session by Foxx, to be repeated on 31 Mar 1989. I dated the cassette when recording and that's backed up by Tommy mentioning that this is the 'pre-Christmas edition' and ads for Christmas shows. |
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30 Dec 1988This show listing is a work in progress and is subject to change.
NotesNot my recording. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki. This was a show to highlight the best selling singles of the year and tracks from the bestselling albums. |
Last update: 2nd October, 2020