I first heard Mike Raven on Radio 390, think it was broadcast from an old fort in the Thames estuary, but no doubt someone on here can confirm or deny that. Not sure what pirate station he went to after that, but he was on Radio 1, possibly from its inception, just can't remember.
He used to DJ on Wednesday nights at Bluesville, Manor House. Happy days, I used to go there with Lesley, we'd only been going out a short time then. Was it weekly or monthly, again I can't remember? He was good, always played a good selection, and I can remember him playing some track that must have had a touch of rock'n'roll because he jived with his blonde wife Mandy, he was a good dancer. He played Marvin Gaye's Little Darlin' one night for the first time and said he'd give it to the first person to get to him, Lesley and I always danced up the front so I was there in a flash, still got it in my collection and occasionally in my record box.
He was possibly the most important soul DJ on the radio in those days, with the Emperor Rosko being close. It would be nice to hear some of those old shows, maybe somebody's got tapes of them.