12 Jan 1990

This show listing is believed to be complete.

1. Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson - Big Time
2. Quireboys - Hey You
3. Lisa Dominique - Rock 'n' Roll Lady (st)
4. Lisa Dominique - All Fall Down (st)
5. The Michael Schenker Group - Samurai
6. Giant - The Big Pitch
7. Dan Reed Network - Tiger in a Dress
8. Dan Reed Network - Tamin' the Wild Nights
9. Dan Reed Network - Come Back Baby
10. Primeval - Demon Seed
11. Ignorance - Why?
12. Lord Crucifier - Mind's Eye
13. Sian - Loser in Love (st)
14. Sian - Little Miss Innocent (st)
15. Jagged Edge - Trouble
16. Judas Priest - Victim of Changes (live)
17. Lisa Dominique - Somebody Special (st)
18. Lisa Dominique - Time Bomb (st)
19. Axel Rudi Pell - Snake Eyes
20. Sian - Had Enough (st)
21. Sian - Don't Say It's Over (st)

Notes

Repeat session by Lisa Dominique, first broadcast on 15 Sep 1989.

First broadcast of a session by Rock War winners Sian, who won their final on 20 Oct 1989.

Interview with Dan Reed of Dan Reed Network.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Primeval from Canterbury, Ignorance from somewhere and Lord Crucifier from Halifax. Ignorance won, with Lord Crucifier second and Primeval third.

Date confirmed at the end of the show when Tommy mentions some gigs. One is a Bon Jovi charity gig in London 'on Wednesday' which was recorded for broadcast; that was at the Hammersmith Odeon on 10 Jan 1990. The other is Dan Reed Network at the Astoria in London 'this coming Thursday'; that was 18 Jan 1990.

2 Feb 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Saxon - This Town Rocks (live)
2. Vow Wow - Rock Me Now
3. Little Angels - Kicking Up Dust
4. China White - Live the Nightmare (st)
5. Mortal Sin - I am Immortal
6. Guns n' Roses - Mr. Brownstone
7. Faith No More - Epic
8. China White - Cry Freedom (st)
9. Predator - Afraid of the Dark (demo)
10. High Treason - The Night Has Its Price (demo)
11. Sweet Sin - Bring Back Love (demo)
12. Fish - Big Wedge
13. Marillion - Tux On
14. China White - Sweet for Money (st)
15. Lisa Dominique - All Fall Down
16. The Almighty - Power
17. Jagged Edge - Rosie Rosie
18. Michael Monroe - Man with No Eyes
19. Quireboys - A Long Time Coming
20. The Bombshells - Lonely Secrets
21. China White - This Time (st)
22. Giant - Stranger to Me

Notes

First broadcast of a session by Rock War winners China White, who won their final on 24 Nov 1989.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Predator from Birmingham, High Treason from St. Ives and Sweet Sin from Manchester. Sweet Sin won, with High Treason second and Predator third.

Interview with Fish, who was in Rome on a promotional tour.

Date confirmed by the Rock War. Tommy mentions at the beginning that this is Round 2 Week 1, which means 2 Feb 1990. That's backed up by Sweet Sin being on the final three weeks later on 23 Feb 1990.

Playlist

1. Little Angels - Kicking Up Dust ¹ (from Kicking Up Dust single)
2. Bob Dylan - Political World (single) 
3. Robin Beck - If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man) (from Trouble or Nothin') 
4. Gary Moore - Empty Rooms ¹ (from We Want Moore!)
5. The Almighty - Power ²
6. The Almighty - Wild and Wonderful ²
7. Saviour - Fantasy ³
8. Dawn Patrol - Windows ³
9. Strategy - Carrie Anne ³
10. Thunder - Dirty Love (single) 
11. Aerosmith - Love in an Elevator ¹ (from Dude (Looks Like a Lady) single)
12. Stage Dolls - Love Cries (single) 
13. Great White - House of Broken Love (single) 
14. The Almighty - Destroyed ²
15. The Almighty - Thunderbird ²
16. Decimator - Dust Bowl (from Carnage City State Mosh Patrol) 
17. Raging Slab - Joy Ride (from Raging Slab) 
18. Fish - The Voyeur (I Like to Watch) (from Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors) 
19. Iron Maiden - Running Free (single) 
20. Iron Maiden - Women in Uniform (single) 
21. unknown track 

Key

¹ denotes a live recording. ² denotes a session. ³ denotes a demo.

Complete?

This playlist is complete.

Session

Repeat session by the Almighty, first broadcast on 22nd September, 1989.

The Rock War

Round 2 Week 2 featured Saviour from Darlington, Dawn Patrol from Glasgow and Strategy from Edinburgh.

Dawn Patrol won, with Strategy second and Saviour third.

Notes

Tommy introduces the return of the Friday Night Connection, though he doesn't play an actual connection this week. He just asks for people to send one in so he can start the following week.

Playlist

1. Thunderhead - Let Go (from Behind the Eight-Ball) 
2. Excalibur - Early in the Morning (from Carole Ann 12") 
3. Gamma Ray - Lust for Life (from Heading for Tomorrow) 
4. The Cult - Sweet Soul Sister (single) 
5. Bad English - Price of Love (single) 
6. Company of Wolves - Jilted! (from Company of Wolves) 
7. Trouble - Psychotic Reaction (from Trouble (1989)) 
8. Above and Beyond - Forbidden Dream ³
9. Don't Feed the Animals - Doing Time Sunshine ³
10. Matrix - Tell Me What You Want ³
11. Scanner - The Law (from Terminal Earth) 
12. XYZ - Take What You Can (from XYZ) 
13. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (from Physical Graffiti) 
14. Def Leppard - On Through the Night (from High 'n' Dry) 
15. AC/DC - If You Want Blood (You Got It) (from Highway to Hell) 
16. Britny Fox - In Motion ^1b
17. Britny Fox - Standing in the Shadows ^1b
18. Britny Fox - Livin' on a Dream ^1b
19. Britny Fox - Dream On ^1b
20. Britny Fox - Long Way to Love ^1a
21. Britny Fox - Girlschool ^1a
22. Britny Fox - Gudbuy t'Jane ^1a
23. AC/DC - Touch Too Much (from Highway to Hell) 
24. It Bites - Still Too Young to Remember (single) 

Key

¹ denotes a live recording. ² denotes a session. ³ denotes a demo.

Complete?

This playlist is complete.

Concert

Britny Fox recorded live at Wembley Arena, on 11th December, 1989, when they supported Alice Cooper, rather than Aerosmith as Tommy suggests. Aerosmith were there on 26th November, 1989.

^a originally on Britny Fox
^b originally on Boys in Heat

Friday Night Connection

This show marked the return of the Friday Night Connection, not heard since 1984.

This first new connection was set by Carl Hardman of Royston.

The Rock War

Round 2 Week 3 featured Above and Beyond from Norwich, Don't Feed the Animals from Salisbury and Matrix from Winchester.

Matrix won, with Above and Beyond second and Don't Feed the Animals third.

Notes

Tommy played Touch Too Much in memory of Bon Scott, who died ten years earlier on 19th February, 1980.

23 Feb 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Excalibur - Running Scared
2. Vicious Rumors - Thrill of the Hunt
3. Sweet Addiction - Down to the Bone (st)
4. Great White - House of Broken Love
5. Handsome Beasts - Let It Go
6. White Lightning - London Nightlife
7. Sweet Addiction - Broken Bottles (st)
8. Love and War - Touch of Class
9. Matrix - Tell Me What You Want (demo)
10. Dawn Patrol - Windows (demo)
11. Sweet Sin - Bring Back Love (demo)
12. Giant - I'm a Believer
13. Whitesnake - Fool for Your Loving (Vai Voltage Mix)
14. Status Quo - Railroad
15. Budgie - Make Me Happy
16. Budgie - Hot as a Docker's Armpit
17. Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
18. Kiss - Forever
19. Sweet Addiction - Putting You Wrong (st)
20. The Bevis Frond - Rejection Day (A.M.)
21. The Henry Kaiser Band - Don't Let a Thief Steal into Your Heart (live)
22. Sweet Addiction - Little Too Easy (st)
23. Stage Dolls - Love Cries

Notes

Repeat session by Sweet Addiction, first broadcast on 3 Nov 1989.

The Rock War (tracks 9-11) featured Matrix from Winchester, Dawn Patrol from Glasgow and Sweet Sin from Manchester. This was a final. Dawn Patrol won, with Matrix second and Sweet Sin third.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 14-17) from Paul Trent of Slough, who got the previous connection. Those selections marked the return of the Friday Night Connection and were set by Carl Hartman of Royston (who made it up nine years earlier). They were Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, Def Leppard's On Through the Night and AC/DC's If You Want Blood (You Got It).

I dated my cassette 24 Feb 1990, which clearly isn't correct as that was a Saturday. It's actually 23 Feb 1990, because Tommy mentions before the Bevis Frond set that Monterrey are doing a gig 'tomorrow' on 24 Feb 1990.

The Henry Kaiser Band track is Don't Let a Thief Steal into Your Heart even though Tommy calls it Designer Chaos twice.

2 Mar 1990

This show listing is complete, except for the unknown track.

1. Impelliteri - Playing with Fire
2. The Cult - Sweet Soul Sister (Rock's Mix)
3. Whitesnake - The Deeper the Love
4. Faith No More - The Real Thing (live)
5. Faith No More - Underwater Love (live)
6. Dire Straits - Solid Rock (live)
7. Grinder - Wasteland (demo)
8. Vagrant - That Smile (demo)
9. Bad Luck Sister - Burning Sky (demo)
10. Tommy Bolin - Shake the Devil
11. Deep Purple - This Time Around
12. Iron Maiden - Purgatory
13. Anacrusis - Terrified
14. Faith No More - We Care a Lot (live)
15. Faith No More - Epic (live)
16. Faith No More - Woodpecker from Mars (live)
17. Hawkwind - Brainstorm
18. Heart - If Looks Could Kill
19. [unknown band] - [unknown instrumental]
20. Company of Wolves - Can't Love Ya Can't Leave Ya
21. Trouble - The Wolf
22. Fish - A Gentleman's Excuse Me

Notes

Faith No More live at the University of East Anglia in Norwich on 6 Feb 1990.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Grinder from Mullion in Cornwall, Vagrant from Hertfordshire and Bad Luck Sister from Grantham. After the three tracks, Tommy mentions that this is Round 3 Week 1, which is only true if he started counting again with the new year. Vagrant won, with Grinder second and Bad Luck Sister third.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 17-19) from Colin Deeks of Castleton, who got the previous connection. Those selections were Status Quo's Railroad, Budgie's Hot as a Docker's Armpit and Ted Nugent's Cat Stratch Fever.

Date is confirmed because the Friday Night Connection and the Thunder competition results put this one week after the 23 Feb 1990 show.

16 Mar 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Robert Plant - Tie Dye on the Highway
2. Robert Plant - Anniversary
3. Robert Plant - Hurting Kind (I've Got My Eyes on You)
4. Quireboys - I Don't Love Her Anymore
5. Gary Moore & Albert King - Oh Pretty Woman
6. Riot - Thundersteel
7. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Fury
8. Detente - Rip It Up (demo)
9. Blynd Side - The One of Us (demo)
10. Touch - Restless (demo)
11. Robert Plant - S S S and Q
12. Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
13. Vixen - Love Made Me (live)
14. Vixen - Cruisin' (live)
15. Vixen - Cryin' (live)
16. Vixen - Edge of a Broken Heart (live)
17. Vixen - Hell Raisers (live)
18. Vixen - I Want You to Rock Me (live)
19. ZZ Top - Thunderbird (live)
20. Rush - Cinderella Man
21. Kings X - Goldilox
22. Ozzy Osbourne - Shot in the Dark (live)
23. Nigel Kennedy - Spring

Notes

Tommy is knocked out by Robert Plant's new album, Manic Nirvana, so features it heavily.

Repeat of Vixen recorded live from the Hammersmith Odeon on 18 Feb 1989, first broadcast on 24 Mar 1989.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Detente from Loughborough, Blynd Side from Blackburn and Touch from Bristol. Detente won, with Blynd Side second and Touch third.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 19-21) by Leonard Hoggan from Falkirk, who got the previous connection. Those selections were Aerosmith's Nobody's Fault, Diamond Head's Lightning to the Nations and Marillion's Emerald Lies.

I dated my cassette. It can't be backed up by the show but it's certainly in the right vicinity. Tommy mentions tour dates for various artists played coming in April and May. He announces winners for the Iron Maiden competition from the previous week. Manic Nirvana was released on 19 Mar 1990.

6 Apr 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Heart - Wild Child
2. Robert Plant - Hurting Kind
3. Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire
4. Bruce Dickinson - Dive! Dive! Dive!
5. Bruce Dickinson - Zulu Lulu
6. Soundgarden - Hands All Over
7. First Born - Living a Lie (demo)
8. Quit Bitch'n - Don't Stop Me (demo)
9. Artisan - Reach Out (demo)
10. Kiss - Forever
11. Damn Yankees - Come Again
12. Dawn Patrol - Slight of Heart (st)
13. Dawn Patrol - Shades of Grey (st)
14. Van Halen - Happy Trails
15. Whitesnake - Sailing Ships
16. Badlands - Rumblin' Train
17. Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon
18. Tora Tora - She's Good She's Bad
19. Dawn Patrol - Private Dancer (st)
20. Dawn Patrol - Explicit Through Implication (st)
21. Love/Hate - Blackout in the Red Room
22. Gillan - Mad Elaine

Notes

First broadcast of a session by Rock War winners Dawn Patrol, recorded on 23 Mar 1990.

Interview with Bruce Dickinson, ahead of his debut solo album.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features First Born from Hereford, Quit Bitch'n from Toxteth and Artisan from East Yorkshire. Artisan won, with Quit Bitch'n second and First Born third.

Date is likely to be 6 Apr 1990 as Artisan were the second band in the Rock War final on 27 Apr 1990 and there was a gap in between. Tommy mentions that there will be no Rock War the following week as he'll be broadcasting live from the Newcastle Mayfair. Before the Friday Night Connection and at the end of the show, he mentions that the two bands will be Romeo's Daughter and Thunder.

After the Rock War, there's an advert for the Nelson Mandela Tribute Concert on Easter Monday. That was 16 Apr 1990.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 14-16) from Bruce Maclean of Sheffield, who got the previous connection. Those selections were from Steve Smith from Burton-on-Trent: Manowar's March for Revenge, April Wine's Anything You Want, You Got It and Uriah Heep's July Morning.

27 Apr 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Raging Slab - Don't Dog Me
2. The Cross - Power to Love
3. The Black Crowes - Thick n' Thin
4. Love/Hate - Blackout in the Red Room
5. Giant - I Can't Get Close Enough (live)
6. Giant - It Takes Two (live)
7. Yngwie Malmsteen - Making Love (Edit)
8. Dio - Born on the Sun
9. Y&T - Go for the Throat (live)
10. Tortoise Corpse - We Kill (demo)
11. Artisan - Reach Out (demo)
12. Panama - Rocks Off (demo)
13. Sanctuary - Mirror Black
14. Slaughter - Burning Bridges
15. Riff - No Mercy
16. Gamma Ray - Space Eater
17. Twisted Sister - We Got What You Want
18. Iron Maiden - Prodigal Son
19. Alice Cooper - Da Da
20. Giant - Stranger to Me (live)
21. Giant - No Way Out (live)
22. Tigertailz - Love Overload

Notes

Tommy announces that Radio 1 will be broadcasting the entire Monsters of Rock festival on 18th August live and lists the bands playing. This confirms the year as 1990.

This show includes four tracks from Giant that were recorded live at Edwards No 8 in Birmingham, but were broadcast in two pairs of two as if they were a session, a word Tommy also uses at the end of the show. Last.fm list Giant as having played Edwards No 8 on 13 Mar 1990 and the Friday Rock Show Wiki lists a Giant session for 27 Apr 1990, so I'm assuming that that's this.

The Rock War (tracks 10-12) is a final, so the winner from these three gets a guaranteed session. Tortoise Corpse won, beating Artisan (second) and Panama (third).

Friday Night Connection (tracks 17-19) from Richard Powell of Newport, who got the previous connection. Those selections were Rush's Manhattan Project, Diamond Head's Canterbury and Queensrÿche's London.

31 Aug 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Metallica - The Four Horsemen
2. Paul Laine - One Step Over the Line
3. Faith No More - Epic
4. Walk on Fire - The Crime of Loving You
5. Saxon - 747 (Strangers in the Night) (live)
6. Rick Derringer - Envy
7. Attica Rage - Killing for Company (demo)
8. Judgement - Death Drop (demo)
9. Karrion - Messenger of Death (demo)
10. Loud - Degeneration
11. Iron Maiden - Holy Smoke
12. Extreme - Get the Funk Out
13. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Testify (live)
14. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - So Excited (live)
15. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Voodoo Chile (live)
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Pride and Joy (live)
17. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Mary Had a Little Lamb (live)
18. Wishbone Ash - Throw Down the Sword (live)
19. Excalibur - Carole Ann
20. Iron Maiden - Flash of the Blade
21. Cold Sweat - Lovestruck

Notes

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble live at the Reading Festival in 1983. This was in tribute after his death on 27 Aug 1990, which dates the show. It replaced a planned session by Giant. The original broadcast continued with Love Struck Baby and Texas Flood.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Attica Rage from Ayrshire, Judgement from Gwent and Karrion from Huddersfield. This is Round 9 Week 1. Attica Rage won, with Karrion second and Judgement third.

Before the Iron Maiden track, Tommy mentions that he'll be exclusively debuting a new track off the No Prayer for the Dying album each week, with words from Steve Harris, up until its release on 1 Oct 1990.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 18-20) from Steve Fotheringham of Cardiff, who got the previous connection. Those selections from Judith Roberts of Anglesey were: Soundgarden's Hands All Over, Aerosmith's Sight for Sore Eyes and AC/DC's Touch Too Much.

14 Sep 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (live)
2. Jagged Edge - You Don't Love Me
3. Colin James - Just Came Back
4. Judas Priest - Between the Hammer and the Anvil
5. Nemesis - Out from the Inside (st)
6. Def Leppard - Rock of Ages
7. Slaughter - Up All Night
8. Queensrÿche - Prophecy
9. Lixx & Trixx - Don't Say Goodbye (demo)
10. Crossfire - Goin' Down (demo)
11. Roma - High Life (demo)
12. Judas Priest - Metal Meltdown
13. Nemesis - Static (st)
14. Iron Maiden - Public Enema Number One
15. Black Sabbath - Feels Good to Me
16. Nemesis - The Game That Never Ends (st)
17. Giant - I'm a Believer
18. The Black Crowes - Jealous Again
19. Savatage - Of Rage and War
20. Pendragon - Saved by You
21. Hawkwind - Out of the Shadows
22. Nemesis - Overshadowed (st)
23. Judas Priest - Painkiller

Notes

Session by Rock War winners Nemesis. Tommy mentions after their first (and after their second and before their third) track that they won the Rock War on 23 Mar 1990.

Tommy raves about another new album. This time it's Painkiller by Judas Priest, so he kind of has a point.

The Rock War (tracks 7-9) features Lixx & Trixx from Salisbury, Crossfire from Tonbridge and Roma from Lichfield. Roma won, with Lixx & Trixx second and Crossfire third. This was Round 9 Week 3. 'Next week is a final,' says Tommy.

Steve Harris introduces the Iron Maiden track.

Friday Night Connection (tracks 17-19) from Martin Simmons of Saxmundham, who got the previous connection a couple of weeks earlier. Those selections were: Wishbone Ash's Throw Down the Sword, Excalibur's Carole Ann and Iron Maiden's Flash of the Blade.

I dated my cassette but that's backed up by Tommy uncharacteristically providing the date along with the time before the Jagged Edge track, maybe because a couple of gentlemen were getting a brief moment for a very odd reason. They're Neil Chatterjee and James Anderson, potential officers on a leadership course, and they'd been set the task of appearing on radio.

19 Oct 1990

This show listing is complete.

1. Guns n' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
2. Slayer - Spirit in Black
3. Loud - Explosive
4. Faster Pussycat - You're So Vain
5. Metallica - Stone Cold Crazy
6. Tortoise Corpse - Efnisien (st)
7. Queensrÿche - Empire
8. Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations
9. Notorious - The S'Walk
10. Red Sky - Smiles Like an Angel (demo)
11. AXS - Chain Reaction (demo)
12. Fahrenheit - Just Like Strangers (demo)
13. Deep Purple - Breakfast in Bed
14. Tortoise Corpse - The Legacy (st)
15. Scorpions - Crazy World
16. Steelheart - She's Gone (Lady)
17. Steelheart - Angel Eyes
18. Tortoise Corpse - Atomic Attack (st)
19. Tortoise Corpse - Loony Tune (Wake Up Mad) (st)
20. ZZ Top - Lovething
21. Cinderella - Shelter Me
22. Bon Jovi - Miracle

Notes

Repeat session by Rock War winners Tortoise Corpse, first broadcast in June. Tommy says (three times) that they won on 18 May 1990, which doesn't seem to fit with reality; I have that as 27 Apr 1990.

The Rock War (tracks 10-12) features Red Sky from Manchester, AXS from London and Fahrenheit from Grimsby. Fahrenheit won, with Red Sky second and AXS third. This is Round 10 Week 3. Tommy say the final will be the following week.

'Can't be too long till we get their new album,' says Tommy after the Guns n' Roses track, adding 'I hope.'

I dated my cassette, but that's backed up before the Slayer track by Tommy mentioning that he had just seen them 'on Sunday' on the Clash of the Titans tour; that was 14 Oct 1990 at the Wembley Arena.

After the Scorpions track, Tommy mentions that he'll be talking with Klaus Meine the following week on a Scorpions special.

Interview with Mike from Steelheart before their tracks.

16 Nov 1990

This show listing is a work in progress and is subject to change.

1. Skid Row - 18 and Life
2. Motörhead - Ace of Spades
3. Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
4. AC/DC - For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
5. Iron Maiden - Phantom of the Opera
6. Rush - 2112 (Overture / The Temples of Syrinx)
7. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
8. Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills
9. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
10. Def Leppard - Animal
11. Iron Maiden - The Trooper
12. Rainbow - Stargazer
13. Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
14. Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name
15. AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
16. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
17. Guns n' Roses - Sweet Child o' Mine
18. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
19. Metallica - One
20. Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

Notes

Not my recording. Thanks to the Friday Rock Show Wiki.

This was the 12th anniversary show, with a top 20 as voted for by listeners.