Forty years ago, a radio interview was recorded between Michael Jackson and George Harrison, discussing stories behind their own records as well as numerous others. It was recorded as part of a Radio 1 series called Roundtable, presented by David “Kid” Jensen in 1979. The BBC discarded the majority of the interview, keeping only a small clip. However, it has now been announced that the full recording has been discovered and restored. This weekend, excerpts will be broadcast on BBC Radio Solent.
The excerpts include Jackson discussing releasing Off The Wall, and how Motown refused to let him write his own music. Meanwhile, Harrison talks about his songwriting amongst the legends Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The interview is said to be relaxed and good-humoured; Harrison admitted he still had “no idea what is a hit and what isn’t a hit these days.”
Richard Latto, a producer at BBC Radio Solent, who attempted to find the complete recording said that: “I put the word out on the collectors’ circuit and a chap call Richard White came forward with a cassette recording of the entire broadcast. This was fantastic news because the BBC only held a short, four-minute extract from the show, which is tiny when compared to the [full]programme, which contains some very special moments that were thought to be lost forever.”
The programme will be broadcast on BBC Radio Solent on Saturday 9th February, which is the 40th anniversary of the original broadcast. It can be found here.
